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Un homme qui aurait poignardé à de multiples reprises le gérant d’une pharmacie de Montréal pour venger une amie s’est enlevé la vie quelques minutes après la perquisition de policiers dans son appartement samedi.
Une banale dispute à propos d’un stationnement serait d’ailleurs à l’origine de ce crime sanglant.
Jeudi, une factrice de Postes Canada aurait immobilisé sa camionnette dans un espace réservé pour les personnes handicapées du Pharmaprix montréalais de la rue Wellington, dans Griffintown.
Son geste aurait hautement contrarié le gérant de l’endroit, qui lui aurait exprimé de façon assez explicite son mécontentement.
Choqué par son attitude
Dans les heures suivantes, la femme a croisé Severin Nowicki, un ami, dans une station de métro et lui a raconté ce qu’elle avait vécu à la pharmacie. L’homme de 34 ans aurait été extrêmement choqué par l’attitude du gérant.
Le lendemain, tout porte à croire qu’il est revenu sur les lieux avec un couteau. Il se serait alors dirigé vers le gérant et lui aurait demandé s’il pouvait lui indiquer où se trouvaient les dentifrices.
Alors que l’employé était dos à lui, Nowicki lui aurait asséné de très nombreux coups de couteau, majoritairement derrière la tête et dans le dos.
PHOTO FACEBOOK
« On ne frappe pas les filles »
« Ça, c’est pour avoir frappé une fille. On ne frappe pas les filles », aurait-il dit avant de prendre la fuite.
Le gérant de la pharmacie a été conduit d’urgence à l’hôpital. Malgré de nombreux coups, son état de santé est demeuré stable et il a reçu son congé de l’hôpital au cours du week-end.
Les policiers n’ont pas mis de temps à identifier le suspect, notamment grâce aux images des caméras de surveillance de l’établissement.
Ils se sont présentés à son appartement de Côte-Saint-Luc en soirée pour perquisitionner les lieux. Pendant qu’ils passaient le logement au peigne fin, Severin Nowicki était caché dans un appartement vacant situé au-dessus du sien.
L’homme ne sera toutefois jamais traduit en justice pour le crime qu’on le soupçonne d’avoir commis puisqu’il s’est enlevé la vie avant que les autorités aient pu l’interroger.
Alors que les policiers étaient sur le point de quitter les lieux, Nowicki a sauté dans le vide. Il a fait une chute de plus de 15 étages. Son décès a été constaté sur les lieux. Il n’avait aucun dossier criminel.
Lors de la visite du Journal mardi au Pharmaprix où s’est déroulée l’attaque, un agent de sécurité était posté à l’entrée. Le gérant, en convalescence, était remplacé par une femme, qui a refusé de commenter.
Il a été impossible de joindre la factrice que le suspect aurait voulu défendre. Finalement, la famille de Severin Nowicki a refusé notre demande d’entrevue. | {
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This image was removed due to legal reasons.
Like defective dogs who never properly adjust to Pavlovian conditioning, we in the media continue to be shocked, shocked by the not normal behavior of our American president. This is all leading up to something quite obvious.
The dick.
We never tire of reminding everyone that Donald Trump made a direct reference to his dick size during a presidential debate. The fact that this is scarcely remembered now is a testament to the grandiosity of the president’s subsequent accomplishments. Today, Trump’s tweets about “Crazy Mika” and her bleeding facelift were the latest occasion for all of us to express our absolute shock that this man—The President of the United States—would behave in such a crude way. We thought he learned his lesson after the pussy-grabbing incident. How could he do this, again?
Listen: This is the kind of guy who would show his dick. In public. You think that being President of the United States will stop him from showing his dick? Please wake up and get real. If Donald Trump remains in office for a full four years, he will at minimum grab his dick through his pants and make a crude remark about it during a public event at least once. And, given the right circumstances—lack of sleep, crabbiness, irritation at insults from D-list celebrities, improper medication—he will unzip and show that dick to the world, to make a point. That’s the kind of guy that we’re dealing with here. That’s the kind of guy he is. We must accept this before it happens.
“We must protest this latest unpresidential act.” -The Democrats
“Questionable behavior.” -CNN
“Yet another break with tradition.” -MSNBC
Such will be the tepid condemnation that will flow like a mighty trickle when our President shows his dick, to prove that he has a dick, and it’s not tiny, like his hands, which aren’t tiny either, and by the way, this dick is plenty big, believe me, look. Prepare yourself.
I put the current odds of Trump showing his dick by 2020 at 3-1, and falling. | {
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Infoboks
Viktor Fischer satser på, at Danmark kan komme flyvende fra start i åbningskampen mod Tjekkiet i morgen og på den måde få tilskuerne til at holde mund.
I morgen aften skyder U21-landsholdet EM i gang med åbningskampen mod værterne fra Tjekkiet.
Der forventes 19.000-20.000 tjekkere på plads på Eden Stadion i Prag, men det ser Viktor Fischer ikke som et problem.
- Jeg er vant til at spille foran forholdsvis mange tilskuere, det har jeg gjort både internationalt i Holland og på A-landsholdet. Vi skal være motiverede af at forsøge at få Tjekkiet til at tie.
- Man forventer det i en slutrunde som den her, og jeg forventer, vi kan lukke røven på rigtig mange tilskuere, hvis vi kommer og er klar til at vise, hvad vi kan. Det er en fed motivation. Tænk hvis vi kan få et helt stadion til at tie stille i morgen, når vi er færdige, siger Fischer.
Viktor Fischer kender ikke meget til tjekkerne, men det ser han ikke nødvendigvis som en fordel.
- Det er farligt at se på det på den måde. Jeg ville en idiot, hvis jeg stod og sagde, at vi skal vinde, for de kan ikke noget, for jeg kender dem ikke. Jeg ved ikke, hvad de kommer med. Jeg kan forstå, det er et stærkt kollektiv, som vi spillede uafgjort med i efteråret.
- For dem, er 19.000 tilskuere i ryggen et kæmpe boost, mens det for os er en motivation at få dem til at tie stille. Hvis vi ikke er, hvor vi skal være, er tilskuerne det i hvert fald.
- Det bliver en åbningskamp til en slutrunde, hvor de har 19.000 mand i ryggen, og det er i sig selv nok til at skabe et godt hold.
Kampen spilles onsdag aften klokken 18.00.
[email protected] | {
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Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa has decided to stay away from the meetings related to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) due to his dissent on the clean chit given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, sources said.
Lavasa is learnt to have written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora stating that he is forced to stay away from the meetings of the Full Commission since "minority decisions" were not being recorded.
He has recused himself from all meetings on MCC issues from the first week of this month.
Lavasa, in his letter, insisted that he would attend the meetings if his minority decisions were also included in the orders of the Commission.
Sources said that Lavasa has expressed his dissent on clean chit to four speeches of PM Modi and one speech of Amit Shah.
The Full Commission in a majority ruling 2:1, reportedly did not find any MCC violation in the speeches.
The EC on May 4, said that Modi did not violate the model code in his speech in Gujarat's Patan on April 21. The Prime Minister had said that his government kept Pakistan on its toes to secure the safe release of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
This was his sixth speech to be cleared by the poll body. The EC also found nothing wrong in Modi's speech in Nanded, Maharashtra, in which he reportedly referred to the Congress as a "sinking Titanic".
Earlier, the poll body cleared Modi's April 1 speech in Wardha, where he attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for selectively contesting from a minority-dominated seat in Kerala.
The EC also cleared him for his April 9 appeal to first-time voters in Latur to dedicate their first vote to "the Pulwama martyrs".
(IANS)
For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine | {
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02
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| {
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The image illustrates the ice surface (transparent top layer with contour lines) imaged from NASA's ICESat satellite and below that the rugged bedrock topography of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains mapped from airborne geophysical data from the AGAP project showing a surprisingly rugged mountain range with deeply incised valleys beneath the ice sheet.
The first detailed pictures of one of the planet's last unexplored frontiers — a vast mountain range that rivals the Alps in majesty buried underneath the ice of Antarctica — were revealed by scientists this week.
The rugged peaks soar to more than 8,000 feet (2,400 meters). They are buried beneath solid ice more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) thick, deep within Antarctica's eastern interior.
The existence of this mountain range, called the Gamburtsev Mountains, shocked the Russian scientists who first discovered it more than 50 years ago, and mystery still shrouds the nearly 750-mile- (1,200-km-) long series of subglacial peaks.
At the International Polar Yearconference in Oslo, Norway, scientists unveiled new radar images of an area of the mountains the size of the state of New York.
"What we'd shown before was an estimate based on gravity data — a little bit of a coarse resolution tool," said Robin Bell, a senior research scientist at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York. "What we showed at this meeting was the radar data. It's like going from using a big, fat sharpie to using a fine-tipped pencil."
What the pictures reveal, Bell said, is spectacular: a dramatic landscape of rocky summits, deep river valleys, and liquid, not frozen, lakes, all hidden beneath the ice.
Bell was among a team of scientists from seven countries who spent two frigid months collecting geophysical data in the remote antipodean wilderness via sophisticated, aircraft-mounted instruments in late 2008 and early 2009.
The expedition provided researchers with several terabytes of information — just one terabyte could hold two days worth of songs or one million pictures. Although it will take years to process all that data, Bell hopes the numbers will answer some of the questions surrounding the Gamburtsev Mountains. A big one is how they formed in the first place.
"We now know it's not a volcanic mountain range," said study team member Kathryn Rose, of the British Antarctic Survey. "And uplift by a hotspot in the mantle is probably out in terms of a mechanism of formation." (The mantle is the scorching hot, molten rock that underlies Earth's crust and is the source of volcanic magma.)
Rose said the data are also providing invaluable insight into the evolution of the colossal East Antarctica Ice Sheet — the 6 million square miles (15.5 million square km) of ice that conceals the Gamburtsev Mountains and is important to understand in terms of its potential to melt in a warming world.
"Scientists need to improve our understanding of ice sheets and their dynamics because it impacts sea level everywhere," Bell told OurAmazingPlanet, emphasizing that new insights are guaranteed for years to come.
"We're still scratching our heads as to how the mountains were made and why they're still there," she said. "But I think we have the data we need to solve the puzzle." | {
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Huma Abedin is off the campaign trail - but is still one of her boss's most valuable assets. Literally.
Hillary Clinton's once-closest aide is to headline a fundraiser in Washington DC on Thursday evening, with the chance to be photographed with her going for $5,000.
The picture is also likely to include the chance to be photographed with Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg, the co-hosts of the fundraising evening for the Hillary for Victory fund.
The invitations were issued a week ago but are still thought to be valid, despite Abedin now being a target for the FBI. They were obtained by the Independent Journal Review.
Scroll down for video
Off on fundraising duties: Abedin reported for work at Clinton's Brooklyn campaign headquarters on Wednesday while her boss was on her way from Florida to Arizona
She's still on the trail: This is the invite which tells you just how much to expect to pay for a photograph with Huma Abedin - although Anna Wintour is part of the deal too
Fundraiser: Constance Milstein is the scion of a billionaire New York property family, while the fashion designed Diane von Furstenberg will also attend
Although the invitations were issued before the FBI bombshell revelation that Abedin's emails were at the center of a fresh investigation, the night is still apparently planned.
It is likely to be a glittering occasion - and one dripping in cash.
The venue is the north-west Washington home of Constance Milstein, who is part of the Milstein family, and controls Ogden CAP properties with her brother.
The family was estimated to be worth as much as $14 billion in 2009, although since then complex litigation has split the assets among different elements of it and Constance Milstein's personal net worth is unclear.
The other two hosts also point to the wealth of those expected to attend: they are Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor-in-chief, and Diane von Furstenberg, the fashion designer.
Although it is hardly unusual for Abedin to be used for fundraisers, this will be the first since Friday's bombshell.
Previously she had been a fixture at the glitziest of events, partying in Paris in September at a Fashion Week fundraiser, and also headlining one in New York just after she separated from her husband Anthony Weiner.
Selfie fan: Abedin has been used on the glamour end of the Clinton fundaising sweep before, including in Paris in September, when she partied with Barbara Bush, the daughter of President George W Bush.
Wintour link: The Vogue editor-in-chief also runs the Met Ball in Manhattan and in May Abedin went with her husband Anthony Weiner, before she separated from him thanks to his sexting
The split with Weiner came after the disclosure he had sexted yet again - this time sending a picture to a woman in her forties which showed him clearly aroused, and their son in bed beside him.
However it was DailyMail.com's disclosure later in September that he had sexted a 15-year-old girl, who told how he spoke about rape fantasies with her, which led to the FBI investigation which now threatens her personal and professional future.
It is looking at a trove of 650,000 emails found on a laptop which was initially reported to have been shared by Abedin and Weiner during their marriage, but which her attorney insisted this week was his alone.
The emails prompted the FBI Director, James Comey, to alert Congress that the agency was looking at whether they were 'relevant' to the closed Clinton server investigation.
They have created a crisis for the Clinton campaign, which now funds itself struggling to maintain its poll lead and panicking about support in states it thought it had in the bag already.
In fact, the Abedin fundraising haul is likely to prove useful, as the cmapaign on Wednesday vowed to spend every cent it had before the election, in a reflection of the panic that it could lose.
It is yet another appearance on the fundraising circuit for Wintour, who has been a reliable friend of the campaign.
As well as giving Abedin a glossy feature in the September issue, she had her magazine endorse Clinton, the first time it had thrown its weight behind a candidate, and has worn pro-Clinton clothing time after time. | {
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Robots might be coming for your job, but they can do tremendous good in the world as well. Assistive technologies can benefit people with disabilities by giving them greater independence and control over their lives, like the assistant robot developed by a team at Georgia Tech to help people who have severe motor impairments.
“Our goal is to give people with limited use of their own bodies access to robotic bodies so they can interact with the world in new ways,” Professor Charlie Kemp from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech said in a statement.
The system they came up with is based on a robot called a PR2 mobile manipulator manufactured by Willow Garage. It is a wheeled robot with two arms and a head, and it can manipulate objects like water bottles, washcloths, hairbrushes, or an electric shaver. Crucially, the robot can be controlled using assistance technologies that users are already familiar with, such as eye tracking or head tracking. The interface shows a “robot’s eye view” from cameras inside the robot’s head, making it easier for the user to control.
Potential users of the robot surrogates include people like Henry Evans, who worked with the team during their testing and who has very limited control of his body following a stroke. Evans used the robot to care for himself for a week and emphasized the value of having a system that he could operate completely independently, using small head movements to give it commands.
“The system was very liberating to me, in that it enabled me to independently manipulate my environment for the first time since my stroke,” Evans said. But he also pointed out that although the robot could already bring benefits to users as it exists today, it would need to be reduced in size and in cost before it could be made commercially available.
Phillip Grice, a recent Georgia Institute of Technology Ph.D. graduate and first author of the paper, was also pleased with the results: “Our results suggest that people with profound motor deficits can improve their quality of life using robotic body surrogates. We have taken the first step toward making it possible for someone to purchase an appropriate type of robot, have it in their home and derive real benefit from it.”
The results are published in the journal PLOS One.
Editors' Recommendations | {
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How can Barack Obama, as this new NBC/Marist poll has it, be beating Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in South Carolina, of all places? The leads are narrow—it’s just 45-42 over Romney and 46-42 over Gingrich. But still, this is South Carolina, the home state of a senator (Lindsey Graham) who, just this past Sunday on Meet the Press, was talking nullification of federal laws in the shameful style that is his state’s benighted tradition. Is it conceivable that 10 months and three weeks from now, Obama could actually win the state? If it happens, we will know that the Republicans are headed off the cliff. And that is precisely where we should all hope they go.
Everyone wants sanity and civility restored to our politics. Some moderate Democrats and a smattering of Republicans have this fantasy that a centrist third party will do it. Nonsense. As I’ve written before, all a centrist third party will accomplish is ensure the election of the right-wing candidate. The only thing that might bring back sanity and civility is the destruction of the current GOP. If Republicans wake up next Nov. 7 to see that their extremist-obstructionist posture of the last four years has only reelected a president who started the year below 50 percent (as he will) and whom they should have been able to beat, then they might finally return to earth.
Nothing would say that the American people thought Republicans had vacated our planet like losing South Carolina. Everything was going gangbusters for the GOP there recently, even more than usual. The last remaining Democratic federal-level officials were all wiped out, except for James Clyburn, the congressman who represents the one majority-black district. The Democrats’ last Senate candidate was a laughingstock. And the Palmetto State had this hot new governor, Nikki Haley: right wing; a Sikh, of all improbable things (by birth—she's a fervent Christian now); a heavyweight endorsee of Sarah Palin; and a rising star.
Now? Well, the Democrats aren’t going to take over state politics anytime soon. But Haley’s star is very much on the wane. Her approval rating in the state, 36 percent, is 8 points lower than Obama’s. A state agency of her administration—get this—voted to grant Savannah, Ga., the right to deepen its port channels, thereby potentially putting the port of Savannah in a position to take business away in the future from the port of Charleston. Haley’s appointees to the board voted with Georgia.
There are various allegations flying about. But on the central question of why the appointees of a governor of South Carolina would side with Georgia’s interests and against their own state’s, one South Carolina politics website, linked to above, has this to say: “According to our sources, moneyed Georgia interests with connections to the Port of Savannah threw a big fundraiser for Haley in Atlanta last month. Also, our sources say that the chairman of the Georgia Ports Authority—a major GOP donor who will select speakers for next year’s Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida—has been negotiating with Haley and her political consultant to land the governor a coveted prime time speaking gig at the event.”
Haley is sinking like a stone. Meanwhile, South Carolina Republicans surely know deep down that Gingrich is unelectable, and they find Romney unpalatable. The state’s black voters, about 30 percent of the total, have no such reservations about the Democratic candidate. And his 45 or 46 percent in the new poll suggests he’s getting some white support, too—more than he got in 2008, arguably, when he won just under 45 percent of the vote against John McCain.
OK. Realistically, South Carolina is a reach. But nobody cares about South Carolina, really—it is assumed to be in the red column just as Massachusetts is assumed to be in the blue. But now let’s look at the Florida numbers from the NBC/Marist poll. There Obama is beating both Romney and Gingrich by outside the margin of error. He leads Romney 48-41 and Gingrich 51-39.
Again, all politics is local. Republican Rick Scott is the least popular governor in the United States—right now at 26 percent and still sinking. Scott and Haley are prime examples of governors who were supposed to show a new and better way, with politics forged in the cauldron of Tea Party fervor about an absence of accountability, and so on. But these politicians have turned out to be just like all the old ones, except less competent. And if Obama holds Florida, he can afford to lose—take note of this list—Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and either Michigan or Pennsylvania, and still rack up a winning 270 electoral votes. (Here, go click the states yourself.) But of course, if he’s winning Florida, he’s likely not losing any of those other states, with the exception of Indiana. Indeed, if he’s winning Florida by around double digits, he’s winning Missouri, Arizona, and maybe Georgia (yes, even—I’d say especially—against Gingrich).
Ten months and three weeks is a long, long time. But today’s poll suggests that a wipeout of such proportions is not unimaginable. By a president whose anemic approval rating is just 44 percent! But I am not here to say the GOP had better grow up fast. Quite the contrary. If this tantrum lasts through the election, and if 2012 is for the Republicans what 1984 was for the Democrats, then finally our polity stands a chance of functioning again. The Tea Party will be dead and buried. Grover Norquist’s vise lock on the GOP will loosen. Someone will start a centrist Republican Leadership Council, just as people started the centrist DLC back in 1985. A certain number of elected Republicans will understand that being the Party of No didn’t get them much of anywhere. So this poll should not be a wake-up call for Republican voters. Hit the snooze button, folks, and keep fuming away. | {
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One of my favorite parts of teaching woodworking is showing up at a school the day before my class begins to see what the previous instructor is doing.
Today I arrived at the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking in Manchester, Conn., to find Peter Follansbee teaching the final day of a long class (one weekend over five months, I believe, with homework!) in building a reproduction of a piece from the Strong-Howard House in Windsor, Conn.
The piece is quite involved – it’s a chest with drawers that is both joined and fully carved. To make this class work, Follansbee and his students have been working independently for months on their projects with weekends spent under Follansbee’s eye. Sunday was the final day of the class that began five months ago with the students splitting out their parts from logs.
Like any capable instructor, Follansbee is building a version of the piece that will go to the Windsor Historical Society. And Follansbee is just one of the craftsmen who have been helping the historical society build reproduction pieces that members of the public can experience up-close and first-hand. This three-year project has consumed thousands of hours by teachers and students in New England to reproduce some amazing pieces that span several hundred years of American furniture history.
As I walked around the class today for several hours, however, all I heard was the typical Follansbee mantra: “It won’t fit? Hit it harder. Harder!” Sometimes they obeyed him.
By the way, Follansbee is one of the living treasures of the early American furniture craft. He’s the writer of Popular Woodworking Magazine’s “Arts & Mysteries” column. If there’s one column that makes you subscribe to the magazine, “Arts & Mysteries” should be it.
— Christopher Schwarz | {
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CD+DVD 価格：¥1,727(税抜) / ¥1,900(税込) 品番：YRCS-90181 CD ＜収録曲＞ 1 OH-EH-OH 2 So What 3 KungChiKiTa（JO1 ver.） 4 My Friends DVD 特典映像(メイキング+JO1 School) ＜初回プレス限定封入特典＞ ①応募抽選券(シリアルナンバー)1枚 ②トレーディングカード1枚 （限定盤Aバージョン11種類の中から1枚をランダム封入)
CD+フォトブックレット 価格：¥1,727(税抜) / ¥1,900(税込) 品番：YRCS-90182 CD ＜収録曲＞ 1 OH-EH-OH 2 Voice(君の声) 3 GO 4 My Friends ＜初回プレス限定封入特典＞ ①応募抽選券(シリアルナンバー)1枚 ②トレーディングカード1枚 （限定盤Bバージョン11種類の中から1枚をランダム封入)
CD ONLY
価格：¥1,273(税抜) / ¥1,400(税込)
品番：YRCS-90183
CD
＜収録曲＞
1 OH-EH-OH
2 So What
3 Voice(君の声)
4 My Friends
＜初回プレス限定封入特典＞
①応募抽選券(シリアルナンバー)1枚
②トレーディングカード1枚
（通常盤バージョン11種類の中から1枚をランダム封入) | {
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Our countdown of the top 25 stories in 2010 continues with the second installment of our series, featuring stories 19-14 as determined by the editorial staff of MLSsoccer.com.
The second part of our series highlights Ben Olsen's "inconceivable" rise to head coach at D.C. United, the final farewell of various MLS icons, the big changes still going on in Toronto, the trade and fall-out of Freddie Ljungberg in Seattle, EPL giants Manchester United's tour of the US, and Real Salt Lake's incredible unbeaten streak at Rio Tinto.
The video below takes us from No. 19 through to No. 14. Check back tomorrow as we work our way to the No. 1 story of 2010. | {
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When it comes to prohibition, your vote counts!
You might not believe in voting when it comes to presidential elections, but you better believe that your vote counts when it comes to voting on ending Cannabis prohibition!
Remember, those that oppose the legalization of Cannabis for medical/recreational purposes will be voting, so you need to participate!
Just take a look at the current state of Cannabis legalization in the US - many states have successfully legalized Cannabis for medical and several for recreational purposes!
Don't forget to vote on the 8th November 2016!
Vote to legalize recreational Cannabis
Vote to legalize medical Cannabis
Want to read more on this topic?
Conclusion
This is your opportunity to vote for the legalization of medical/recreational Cannabis in your state!
It's not just your state that will be affected, combined with Canada legalizing in 2017 there may be real potential for full federal legalization sooner than we thought! When Cannabis is finally made federally legal there will likely also be a resulting change to Cannabis laws worldwide, affecting billions of people!
Even if you do not partake, it will drastically improve the lives of millions of your fellow Americans! Citizens will no longer be locked up for harmlessly consuming/possessing Cannabis. Likewise, recreational regulation will remove the market from the hands of organized criminals/terrorists!
Best regards,
@cm-steem | {
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ZION NATIONAL PARK — A boulder the size of a house tumbled onto a highway in Zion National Park after a major thunderstorm, partially closing the roadway during the popular summer season.
A geologist was exploring the best way to get the massive rock off the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, where it fell Wednesday evening, park spokeswoman Aly Baltrus said Thursday. Officials use dynamite in some cases to break up fallen rocks.
The boulder fell after strong thunderstorms pounded the park Wednesday afternoon. It's blocking both lanes and cracked the road, but nobody was injured, Baltrus said.
Most park activity won't be affected by the blockage, but the road is closed between Canyon Junction and the east entrance, she said. Visitors looking to drive through the park on state Route 9 will have to take an alternate route.
Zion is the most-visited of Utah's five national parks. Last year, 3.6 million people visited the park known for its steep red rock cliffs and narrow slot canyons.
Heavy rains last year sent flash flooding barreling through one of those canyons, killing seven people from California and Nevada.
The canyons were closed during Wednesday's rainstorm. | {
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HONOLULU — Inside the golf shop at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Ky., there are 129 golf balls on a rack. Each ball represents one of Justin Thomas’s wins, starting in elementary school. In a nearby box, there are balls from his holes-in-one.
Thomas’s father, Mike, the club’s head professional since 1990, will soon add two more balls to the collection, because his son won the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu on Sunday, his second victory in two weeks. In the opening round, Thomas became the seventh player in PGA Tour history — and, at 23, the youngest — to shoot a 59.
“We’ll get a separate glass case for that one,” Mike Thomas said of the 59 ball, joking about what it might fetch on eBay. “I can’t have that one just sitting out in the shop.”
The ball might be worth even more a few years from now.
No one is playing better than Thomas at the moment. In his Sony Open victory, Thomas closed with a final-round 65 that included a birdie on the final hole and finished at 253 for the week, breaking the Tour’s 72-hole scoring mark by a stroke. During the week, he also matched the Tour’s lowest opening 18-hole score, broke the 36-hole mark and tied for the lowest 54-hole total. | {
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Too white to sing? Two high school choirs banned from performing with Atlanta orchestra 'for not being diverse enough'
Two celebrated high school choruses have been barred from performing with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at this year’s Christmas concert over alleged complaints that the groups are not racially diverse enough.
For the past four years, choirs from Lassiter and Walton high school in Cobb County have performed with the ASO, but for this year’s concert, another, more diverse chorus will take their place, according to Cobb County Schools spokesman Jay Dillon.
The school district pointed out that its choral programs are open to all students and participation is determined on merit alone.
Ousted: Walton High School's chorus has been barred from singing at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's annual holiday show
Severed tied: Walton High School's choir has been collaborating with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra over the past four years
‘We want the stages of the Atlanta Symphony, whether here, Verizon (Wireless Amphitheatre), or Chastain Park to reflect the diversity of Atlanta,’ ASO President Stanley Romanstein told WSBTV .
The move has sparked criticism in Atlanta, with some local residents, including African-Americans, decrying it as discriminatory and unfair toward students at the two high schools.
Romanstein said he was surprised by the reaction.
‘It's an interesting misunderstanding,’ he said.
Romanstein went on to say that he informed the chorus directors about the decision two years ago and said they were in agreement at the time.
Official explanation: President of the orchestra said the change was made to give other local school choruses a chance to take part in the Christmas show
‘There are at least 12 very talented high school choirs in Atlanta,’ Romanstein said. ‘We gave Lassiter and Walton choirs an opportunity to perform for four consecutive years, and they were marvelous.
‘We think it's time to give other Atlanta high school choirs, who are very skilled and deserving, their chance to perform with the ASO as well.’
Lassiter and Walton were given the option of sending some members of their choruses to perform at the concert, but the schools turned down the offer.
‘Because the full choruses would not be able to perform with the symphony, both Lassiter and Walton have declined to participate this year,’ said Dillon.
Misunderstanding: The ASO claimed that leaders of the two choruses were informed about the decision two years ago
Compromise rejected: Walton and Lassiter choruses both turned down an offer to send a portion of their groups to the annual concert
Grady High School's chorus has been invited to perform. The ASO president said they will also get a multi-year run.
Students in Lassiter and Walton were informed on Monday that they would not be participating at this year's event.
However, Charlie Wade, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s vice president of marketing and symphony pops, made no mention of diversity in his explanation for the change, the Marietta Daily Journal reported.
Members of the Walton chorus have taken part in at least five 'classical flash mobs' organized by the ASO to promote the Very Merry Holiday Pops concert
A 2008 study by the League of American Orchestras found that 87 per cent of musicians in U.S. symphonies are white, according to NBC11 .
For the past four years, only Walton and Lassiter’s choruses participated in ‘A Very Merry Holiday Pops,’ which is part of the symphony’s Coca-Cola Holiday Concert Series held at the symphony hall in the Woodruff Arts Center, Wade said. | {
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It started with a shrink-wrapped coconut. Then, as we delved further into the murky depths of the packaging industry, we discovered some startling facts. How much energy does it take to produce the yogurt pots, carrier bags and plastic bottles that end up in your bin? We asked four families to collect a month's worth of rubbish and our experts put their waste to the test. By Lucy Siegle
Now that I've purchased 30 of them from the Stratford-upon-Avon branch of Morrisons, I can legitimately declare that I have a lovely bunch of coconuts. Actually, I've always had a fondness for coconut. Not just the taste, but because they represent a peerless example of mother nature's ability to provide a delicious foodstuff in a robust, appropriate, convenient and ultimately biodegradable container (ie the husk).
Sadly, however, this bunch is not as lovely as it should be - each coconut being individually shrink-wrapped and daubed with a metalised sticker, presumably for barcode reasons. This also explains why I bought the entire stock to record for posterity and research purposes. We were alerted to the shrink-wrapped coconut phenomenon by Sam Dixon, one of our readers who has had enough of the excess baggage that apparently comes with the 21st-century food shop: 'This is the most ridiculous piece of packaging I've ever come across,' he wrote unequivocally, enclosing Exhibit A, 'and the moment at which I realised I never needed to see another piece of shrink-wrapping again. Ever.'
Increasingly, householders, shoppers, people who like wildlife, those inclined to worry about squandering resources, landfill, pollution or energy use, agree with Mr Dixon. As do people who are just tired of walking down the high street dodging swirling plastic bags or spending 15 minutes trying to work out whether a laminated pasta packet will contaminate their recycling. The world is not entirely unfamiliar with anti-packaging protests: the Bavarian equivalent of the Women's Institute became something of a professional anti-packaging organisation in the early Nineties when a determined mob of angry hausfraus occupied the main supermarkets and refused to leave until retailers acquiesced to their demands for simplified, eco-friendly packaging.
By comparison, the UK has kept fairly quiet - perhaps that nation of shopkeepers thing meant we have traditionally been tolerant of ever more elaborate means to make us part with our cash. However, in an age where anti-supermarket polemics (such as Joanna Blythman's Shopped and William Young's Sold Out) are the equivalent of ethical chick lit, it was inevitable that the 4.6m tonnes of packaging waste we throw away each year, adding around £480 a year to the average food bill, and considered by many consumers to be beyond the pale in environmental terms, would become a topic for consumer rebellion. So expect to see an increasing amount of direct action like the 'Take It Back' protests in Brighton, which organises the severely disgruntled to arrive at a particular supermarket at a pre-appointed time and, rip the excess packaging off their shopping and dump it right there in the supermarket.
Back to coconutgate, and an official response from Morrisons: 'Morrisons coconuts are shrink-wrapped to ensure that they reach the customer in the very best condition. The packaging helps to keep the product fresh, limit damage from breakages, stop coconut hairs getting into other foodstuffs during transport and allows an information label to be attached.' While coconut hair has never been one of my top 10 worries, this is probably enough for the supermarket to justify its shrink-wrap decision on the grounds that the consumer demands it. Crediting dodgy packaging to the consumer's wants and needs is difficult to refute and explains why, despite an EU law which forbids overpackaging, experts can only cite three examples of prosecutions in the UK in the past decade.
It's also part of the reason why we decided to ask four Sussex families to collect their own packaging waste for an entire month, as an experiment to see not only what they generated, but whether they really wanted as much packaging, and for the same reasons as the manufacturers and retailers like to claim. After all, there's nothing quite like having your photo taken with an entire month's packaging waste at your feet, to give you a fresh perspective.
Unsurprisingly, parts of the packaging industry are on the defensive. It's not always easy to speak to packaging representatives, particularly about plastics. You can't, for example, just phone up for a chat about the amount of oil used to make a ketchup bottle lid (a Heinz 'stay clean cap' uses 14.4g of oil as opposed to 3.8g for a normal lid), but must rather submit your questions, negotiate with a variety of press officers and then endure a rather tense conference call with a CEO and his or her advisors coughing at strategic points. This is hardly surprising. Plastics in particular is a multi-billion pound industry: the advice Dustin Hoffman's character Benjamin receives in The Graduate - 'There's a great future in plastics' - still seems to hold true in fiscal terms. Now it's just environmentally contentious.
To be fair, some manufacturers also seem genuinely perplexed that the consumer might have a problem with the way their goods are packaged in a hygienic, cost-effective way that enables them to get pretty much whatever consumable their heart desires, from anywhere in the world. They think we're ungrateful. Packaging, they contend, continues to be the 'skin of commerce', it protects at least 10 times its own weight of goods and around 63 per cent of our packaging waste is now recovered and recycled.
Jane Bickerstaff, who runs INCPEN, the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment, doesn't have much time for the idea of banning plastic carrier bags either: 'Then you're getting to the idea that you might as well ban all choice in society. You might as well ban all cars that have sun roofs or extra features and just have the basic model.' This is the first time I've heard the right to a free plastic bag compared to the right to convertibles. 'Banning plastic bags is going too far and in Ireland, where there's a levy. it's interesting environmentally, because it looks as if that levy has had a detrimental effects - simply because people don't have a thin bag to use as a bin liner, so they're buying tailor-made bin liners with much more plastic in them.' Elsewhere, it should be said that Ireland's levy on plastic bags has been credited with reducing plastic bag use by 90 per cent, and in a world that uses 750bn oil-derived carrier bags each year, surely it's worth a try?
A visit to Valpak, the company that regulates packaging recycling, where four members of staff spend three days painstakingly weighing every component of our families' packaging waste, convinces me it probably is. Sifting through sacks and sacks of packaging waste, they document each lid, rivet and cardboard fold, separating 1,015 different products and 352 different brands so that our eco scientists can assess the true impact of this nation's packaging habit. As it transpires, we consumers don't know the half of it.
This is because, in order to get a clear picture of the respective and combined impacts of plastic, glass, aluminium and other packaging materials, you also need to add on the materials' ecological rucksack, or 'overburden' - the hidden waste that the consumer never sees. Essentially, this factors in the earth ore, rubble and other waste generated in the extraction and processing operations. In the case of aluminium cans, for example, it requires our eco analysts to take into account all the energy used from the raw material to the product, including the extraction of alumina from the ground. In real terms, this means the actual waste caused by packaging in the UK is more in the region of 10m tonnes a year, and growing, at nearly three per cent.
Recycling rates are growing too, and in order to meet upcoming European waste directives, based on weight, consumers need to be encouraged to recycle even more. But it's only part of the answer; an increase in recycling has all but been negated by an increase in consumerism, thanks to a surge in single households and a continued upward trajectory in the amount we buy. When Valpak employees aren't weighing our families' ketchup bottles, they are busy presiding over a complex European packaging compliance scheme that affects the way we consumers recycle. If you struggle to understand aggregate scoring systems for European football, for instance, it is virtually unfathomable.
Terry Robins, a packaging technologist now working on biodegradable materials with Stanelco, claims that 'the recycling packaging system is so complex it wouldn't exist without spreadsheets.' But he reserves his real censure for faux-environmentally friendly packaging: 'I find some of the packaging out there at the moment abhorrent, disgusting, totally disgraceful and a complete con,' he says. 'The average consumer doesn't know the difference between degradable and biodegradable, so they think when the major supermarkets start giving out 100 per cent degradable packaging that that is the environmental answer.' Turns out it isn't. Degradable packaging disappointingly uses ordinary fossil fuels, with all that environmental baggage. 'Furthermore,' Robins continues, 'they put cobalt steroid in it - not a heavy metal, OK, but nevertheless you don't want it going into plastic bags, then landfill, then finishing up as a concentrate in an area. Neither do you want this stuff going into recycling where it messes up the system.' Biodegradable packaging, however, is a different matter: 'This is material that bacteria will eat and which ends up as water vapour and a little material that mulches down and saves the Irish peat bog. Not only does it degrade, but it contributes something.'
In a world where one drink carton might have five different laminates, it quickly became clear from our families that recycling is a mind boggling issues for the consumers, too. Rob Holdway, director of Giraffe Innovation and an eco-design expert, is busy deconstructing a Dairylea lunch pack. Millions of children are becoming increasingly familiar with this product, and it is not for us to speculate how many similar packs will be dumped around playgrounds, contributing to the £39m playground clean-up bill. 'Apart from the nutritional value, which I can't comment on,' Holdway says, 'there's a polyethylene sealant on top as a barrier film heat-sealed on to the plastic base, which shows the number 7, meaning "other" plastic, in this case a composite which is difficult to recycle. Then there's a compartment for the formed ham, which is half full, and a larger compartment, which is a third air, and contains a vacuum-packed breadstick and cheese in a polyethylene film of unmarked plastic. I would say this packaging is unlikely to be recycled,' he concludes. At least one of our families singled it out as being 'outrageously overpackaged'.
Although many people feel strongly about packaging from an environmental point of view, few can tell you about their favourite examples full of sustainable promise. Holdway has two. One is the classic WOBO Heineken bottle, designed so that once finished it can be used as a brick - a classic example of upcycling. His second is the current Evian bottle: 'When you dispose of your ketchup bottle, you can't reduce the volume, so at some stage the lorry comes to pick this up and ends up transporting air. At Evian the way they've structured the flutes and the way they've webbed the outside of the bottle means the consumer can easily compress it. It's good branding, too,' he says. 'They've reduced the materials by redesigning the flute, but managed to give it an iceberg shape which conveys the meaning. Every aspect performs a function, giving strength and rigidity to the bottle, and you can crush it at the end of its life. I'd class that as brilliant eco design.'
Arguably, it's exactly the sort of design that's urgently needed if we're going to avoid swimming about in our own cast-off packaging, and if the 13 major retailers signed up to the Courtauld Commitment (including coconut purveyors Morrisons) are to meet their targets to reduce packaging waste by March 2010.
Altogether, our families collected 103.97kg of rubbish. Adding the 'overburden' or 'rucksack', this rises to 200.09kg, an amount they all found alarming. 'It's really a challenge to stop these figures going any higher,' says Dr Richard Swannell, from Wrap (the waste resources action programme), 'especially when the trends in the sector show more of us living by ourselves, more convenience food and more purchases. Let's be really clear about this: you need to buy as simple and as little packaging as possible. If you then recycle the packaging that's helpful again, but it's the cutting down which is most helpful. As for the manufacturers, at the moment we're doing best-in-class analysis, trying to find out why one bottle of wine is in a heavier bottle than another. We've analysed the 25 heaviest products which have the biggest impact on the bin, and we estimate that we could save 200,000 tonnes of waste a year just through lightweighting those items.'
Looking at the many forms of plastic, cardboard, cans and composites spewed over the living room of one of our test families, it's not hard to spot examples of excessive packaging, brain-dead design or both. The eco designers will need all their innovative powers and cunning to reverse industry apathy and denial, and to save us from drowning in a sea of our consumerist excesses. It's not exactly reinventing the wheel, but it's about time we unwrapped it.
The families
Steve, Juliette and children
Total packaging waste collected in a month 20kg (with an ecological 'overburden' of 45kg). This translates into an energy equivalent of 197KWH - or 821 days of light bulb usage (assuming average use of a 60W bulb)
Steve's kitchen includes an aesthetically pleasing sardine tin from France which he has kept as a memento and because he likes the colour, and a cupboard full of corks. However, he's doesn't seem to have developed an emotional or artistic attachment to any of the packaging from this experiment. In fact, much of it has annoyed him. 'I've got no problems with steel or aluminium tin cans because they can easily be recycled, but what's really annoying are those things where different materials are glued together.' He cites a box for his daughter's Bratz doll, which joins plastic and cardboard. As for toothpaste dispensers with pumps: 'It's too hard for the girls to get the toothpaste out, so you end up wasting half of it.'Juliette also brings up the issue of organic produce and overpacking,citing a packet of rice in a waxed plastic packet. 'I don't think this looks particular sustainable, which kind of goes against the ethos.'
Hilary, Andrew, Maya, 4, and Samuel, 8 months
Total packaging waste: 42kg (ecological 'overburden' 76kg). Energy equivalent: 1,090 days' light bulb use
'I'm actually quite worried by the volume of plastic we've accumulated,' says Hilary. 'I would normally recycle a lot of it, including yogurt pots and food trays although I've just looked in the recycling leaflet and found out they are excluded, so I've been contaminating my recycling.' A lot of it can also be attributed to plastic bags from the family's weekly Ocado delivery, which seems to place a maximum of two items in a single carrier bag. Andrew admits that convenience takes precedence. 'If a product was marketed in such a way that you could tell that it was better for the environment than another, then I would probably go for that,' he concludes, 'but it would have to be very clearly labelled, because we're already busy concentrating on looking for low-sugar products and seeing where food's from. It's one more issue to think about.'
Lucy and Archie, 3
Total packaging waste: 27kg (ecological 'overburden' 50kg). Energy equivalent: 968 days' light bulb use
A design technology teacher, Lucy has high expectations of design and the efforts of the packaging designers that have ended up in her bin haven't impress her. 'I always thought design was supposed to be about making society better, not trying to get consumers to buy stay-clean sauce caps. I mean those kind of things really don't matter and they also have an environmental penalty, because they use more resources. I think I would actually probably pay more for environmentally sound packaging.' She also has strong views on nutrition, and tends to avoid buying anything that could be classified as 'junk food' for her son, Archie. In fact this informs most of her shopping: 'As far as I can see, most of the crap products in the shops are overpacked and often nutritionally valueless as well. They make me feel quite violent in the supermarket.' The family receives a weekly organic vegetable box and Lucy only buys non-packed English fruit. The volume of packaging from the experiment has a lot to do with Christmas, containing most of the boxes from Archie's Star Wars toys, for instance, and a 'ridiculously wrapped' Wagamama-branded china set Lucy was given as a present. In common with other families, she's not entirely sure what can be recycled in the local authority system - some plastics are a hazy area, and at the moment the biodegradable tomato trays go straight into the bin and are headed off to landfill - 'I did try composting, but I was too tight to buy a proper compost bin so used an old water butt, and it didn't quite work out,' she admits. 'Maybe I'll have another go, with a proper composter.'
Eva, Dale and Maia, 3
Total packaging waste: 16kg (ecological 'overburden' 29kg). Energy equivalent: 637 days' light bulb use
'It does look like a hell of a lot when you put it all together,' says Eva, surveying the damage that has accumulated in the family's living room. The family used to have their rubbish collected by Magpie (a co-operative waste collection business based in Brighton) which deals with most sorts of plastic, but have since started to rely on the local authority service, which is yet to offer any plastic recycling. Dale has his eye on several big plastic tubs, formerly home to hair products or lotion for his daughter's eczema, as he uses these for washing brushes in - he's a painter and decorator, and in fact he can't get enough plastic tubs because people 'nick them from work'. Eva finds the amount of plastic packaging the most shocking: 'I do go through a lot of water bottles,' she admits, 'but I hadn't realised quite how many. And there is a lot more waste from my business - I have a business selling fair-trade products on a market stall - and hadn't realised how much arrives in plastic.' Because of Maia's eczema the whole family eats carefully, including a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables which are bought loose. 'If Maia didn't have eczema we would probably have a lot more junk food and even more plastic,' admits Dale.
Watch your waste
10 packaging offenders
1. Felix pouch This is probably a laminate of three different materials and is difficult to recycle.
2. Mr Muscle Has a complex and resource-intensive trigger spray which will be thrown away with the bottle.
3. Fuji film Why do we need a plastic blister pack for this product? Wasteful and difficult to get into.
4. Easy Iron fabric conditioner Resource-intense. It could only justify its existence if it was refillable, but most manufacturers have stopped making refills.
5. Dora the Explorer toothbrush Oversized sealed plastic presentation pack with extra plastic interior - all unmarked, so impossible to tell if it's recyclable.
6. Whiskas Four material-intensive foil pouches in a polyethylene wrap, each separately branded.
7. Baby Bell cheese Wrapped in wax, with plastic layer and net bag. Could the plastic layer be shed?
8. Jaffa Cakes What was wrong with the cardboard box? Outer wrap opening up into six single portions.
9. Maltesers Plastic wrapping and foil lid - the ball shape means you will ship a lot of air in transit.
10. Coconut Shrink-wrapped despite its own natural packaging. Aluminised sticker added. | {
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Update 2/2/2019: While Delta Airlines has not made any official statement, we have reason to believe white supremacist Jennette Estes is no longer employed by the company.
Update 2/7/2019: Removed photo with erroneous identification (and accompanying text.) We apologize for this error.
Summary: Are you concerned about a white supremacist working as a passenger service agent at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport? If so, contact Delta Airlines plus Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and notify them about Delta employee Jennette Bayly Estes. Jennette Estes supports the most violent wings of the white supremacist movement, for example circulating a petition that characterized a neo-Nazi terrorist as a man of conviction.
Contact Delta Airlines: https://www.delta.com/contactus/commentComplaint
Contact Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: https://www.atl.com/contact-us/
Jennette Bayly Estes: Delta Airlines Employee, Aryan Terrorist Sympathizer
Jennette Bayly Estes, a white supremacist promoting an upcoming Klan and neo-Nazi rally in Georgia, is also an agent for Delta Airlines working at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. She is the wife of “Rock Stone Mountain” main organizer John Michael Estes, who we exposed to his Hapeville, Georgia community last week. Jennette Estes is not a passive supporter of her husband’s efforts. She actively promotes the most violent wings of the white supremacist movement.
On LinkedIn, Jennette Estes lists her job as “passenger service agent” with Delta Airlines. We have further verified Estes’ job for Delta at the Atlanta airport. It is worrying that a white supremacist currently helping with a Klan/neo-Nazi rally could have airport security clearance and perhaps even access to Delta customer information.
Last week, after we exposed Jennette Estes and her husband in their Hapeville, Georgia community, Jennette Estes pulled her Facebook profile as “Jenny Estes.” We got screenshots earlier.
Like her husband, Jennette Estes loves neo–Nazi rock groups. As early as 2013, she promoted extreme white supremacist and antisemitic positions, for example laughing at the Holocaust and suggesting that the Nazis should have murdered more people.
Estes also used her social media account to circulate speeches by leaders of the National Alliance, which was once the largest neo-Nazi organization in the United States.
Jenny Estes circulated a petition about Gary Lee Yarbrough, imprisoned for his activity with The Silent Brotherhood/The Order terrorist group in the 1980s. The Silent Brotherhood committed bombings and funded the white supremacist movement through armed robberies and counterfeiting operations. The group was also responsible for murdering Jewish talk show host Alan Berg in 1984. Although Yarbrough was convicted on different federal charges, the sub-machine gun used to kill Berg was seized in Yarbrough’s Idaho house. Gary Yarbrough died in prison last year. After his death, Jenny Estes circulated a petition which alleged medical neglect and which characterized the reason Yarbrough was in maximum security prison as merely: “he angered some people by standing by his convictions.” Jennette Estes is friends with Gary Yarbrough’s widow, Susan Yarbrough.
While her husband John Michael Estes plays a more prominent role in organizing “Rock Stone Mountain” white supremacist rallies, Jennette Estes does her part. During the first Rock Stone Mountain white power rally in 2016, Jennette Estes posted to the Facebook event page: “Keep on coming! We will be here a while.” Before deleting her Facebook profile, she was also listed as “going” to the upcoming “Rock Stone Mountain II” rally on February 2nd.
Jennette Estes promotes the main “Rock Stone Mountain” Facebook page and may play some role maintaining it. She not only shared posts by “Rock Stone Mountain” on her personal profile, but also complained when the Rock Stone Mountain page was suspended temporarily. The Rock Stone Mountain page argues that Black people are inferior and that Jewish people are the root of all social ills. The page also lauds the terrorists of The Silent Brotherhood/The Order.
Jennette Estes’ friends are a “Who’s Who” of white supremacist organizers in the South. In one post about her husband arriving “home” – after an arrest for a probation violation the week before – Jennette Estes tagged “Mason Dixon” about the news. “Mason Dixon” is a pseudonym of Gregory Todd Calhoun, the main Georgia organizer for the International Keystone Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and one of John Michael Estes’ closest associates. (Jennette Bayly Estes’ husband, John Michael Estes, has an extensive rap sheet including charges for robbery and aggravated stalking.)
Estes’ online friends list includes other Klansmen such as Shaun Winkler and Kenneth Steven Monk; Susan Yarbrough who was married to Silent Brotherhood member Gary Lee Yarbrough; and Michael David Carothers/Michael Weaver, a Georgia white supremacist who has served time for assaulting a Black man. In our article about racists listed as “going” to the upcoming “Rock Stone Mountain II” rally, we profiled several other individuals in Jennette Estes’ network.
Concerned? Contact Delta Airlines and Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
By employing an active white supremacist as one of its agents, Delta Airlines is creating opportunities for abuse and putting customers and coworkers at risk.
Please reach out to Delta Airlines and the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
Delta Airlines complaint info:
https://www.delta.com/contactus/commentComplaint
Contact Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport:
https://www.atl.com/contact-us/
Appendix: Jennette Estes’ Facebook Friends List | {
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It's an extraordinary proposition: that the U.S. Central Intelligence Service created the AIDS virus decades ago in its political battle with Cuba. What's more, that former U.S. president Barack Obama only moved to further lift the embargo on the tiny nation in 2016, to get access to a vaccine the country had created.
To most, the notion is easily dismissed.
But, wrap it in the packaging of a slickly produced video with emotive pictures and an authoritative voice doing the narration, and the conspiracy theory quickly becomes convincing.
"That's the true reason for the financial and health embargo against the island that has lasted 50 years," the voice on the video says.
"The idea is to create a shock reaction," says Thomas Huchon, one of a group of French journalists who created the video to illustrate how easily fake news can be believed.
WATCH: Is this documentary trailer real or fake news? French journalists shot a slick conspiracy theory-laden film to to teach students how to identify fake news. 1:05
Huchon works for online documentary site Spicee.com. He and his colleagues have now shown the video to students in more than 80 schools in France. The teens watch the video and discuss the consequences of the shocking content until Huchon reveals that it's all fake.
'They have been duped...but with a purpose'
"Well, they're a little bit mad. And, that's normal because they have been duped. They have been tricked. But with a purpose," he says.
The purpose is to expose them to fake news, and then to develop with them, as Huchon calls it, "a few reflexes … to fact-check information."
Watch the full interview with Thomas Huchon on The Investigators, Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on CBC News Network.
Those reflexes include learning to look for the author's name and searching out other work the author has written to see if they truly exist, or checking the publication to see what its credentials are. He suggests the same fact-check technique for videos and pictures, saying if there's no accompanying photographer's credit, it can often signal a picture that's been Photoshopped.
Challenging notions of fake news
Huchon is an investigative journalist who says he became concerned about fake news in the aftermath of the Paris bombings in 2015 that killed 137 people. He says the conspiracy theories that flooded the internet were convincingly presented with high production values, that suggested to viewers that they could only have come from legitimate news agencies.
'I think over the last 10 years the professional news broadcaster [and] the professional journalist has lost ground on the internet,' Huchon said. (Twitter) "There has been a professionalization of the work that has been done on the internet about fake news," he says. "I think over the last 10 years the professional news broadcaster [and] the professional journalist has lost ground on the internet."
He believes many people mistakenly believe that fake news will be easier to spot because it's poorly written, with obvious spelling or grammatical errors, a nod to fake news created in other countries and roughly translated to English.
But Huchon says that notion needs to be challenged.
"I think that most of the people see this as something they would never fall into and that's where the problem starts. It's when you think that you are protected that you are going to fall into the trap of fake news."
Thomas Huchon spoke to CBC News for this week's episode of The Investigators with Diana Swain.
Also this week on The Investigators with Diana Swain: Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan talks about the challenge of covering U.S. first lady Melania Trump. And CBC News producer Chelsea Gomez talks about the story of an Ontario's man's battle for workplace compensation after developing a terminal illness. | {
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イスラエル警察、ネタニヤフ首相を事情聴取
画像提供, AFP 画像説明, ネタニヤフ首相
イスラエル警察は2日、汚職疑惑をめぐりベンヤミン・ネタニヤフ首相にエルサレムの公邸で事情聴取した。法務省関係者によると、首相は「経済界の関係者たちから贈り物を受けた」という指摘について質問されたという。
汚職疑惑を巡りネタニヤフ首相にエルサレムの首相公邸で事情を聴いた。当局は詳細を明らかにしていないが、イスラエルのメディアはネタニヤフ氏が国内外の２人のビジネスマンからそれぞれ不正に高価な贈り物を受け取った疑惑があると報じた。
捜査当局の公邸到着に先駆けて、首相は2日、自分は無実だと表明した。
ネタニヤフ氏は、マスコミや政界のライバルたちに「ぬか喜びするな」と釘を刺し、「何も起きない。何もないからだ」と強調した。
ネタニヤフ氏は党首として率いる与党リクード党の議員たちに、「すべての報道内容は耳にしている。テレビスタジオや野党の廊下で大喜びして、お祭り騒ぎになっているのは見て聞いて承知している」と発言。
「彼らに言いたい。お祝いするのは待った方がいい。（略）君たちはこれからも空騒ぎを続けるだけ。我々はイスラエル国家を導き続ける」
ネタニヤフ氏の政敵たちは相次ぐ疑惑について、捜査を要求していた。いずれも訴追には至っていない。
画像提供, Getty Images 画像説明, 首相とサラ夫人は数年前から汚職疑惑をかけられている。写真は昨年6月の首相夫妻。
Allegations against Benjamin Netanyahu
ベンヤミン・ネタニヤフ首相に関する疑惑
・昨年11月、独ティッセン・クルップ社から潜水艦購入について捜査開始。売買交渉ではネタニヤフ首相の顧問弁護士が、同社を担当していたと言われている。
・昨年夏には、フランスで詐欺罪で有罪判決を受けた男性が、2009年に数十万ユーロを首相に寄付したと発言。ネタニヤフ氏は否定している。
・ネタニヤフ氏は、2013年4月にサッチャー英元首相の葬儀に出席する際、飛行機内に特注の寝室を用意させ、公費12万7000ドル（約1500万円）を無駄遣いしたと批判された。
・1996年～1999年の首相1期目を終えて退任したネタニヤフ夫妻について警察は、国家に引き渡すべき公的な贈り物を夫妻が私物化したとして訴追を勧告した。訴えは後に取り下げられた。 | {
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American taxpayers in San Francisco are expected to soon pay up to $190,000 to an illegal alien who claimed the City’s “sanctuary” policies did not protect him, despite his previous criminal history.
In December 2015, Pedro Figueroa-Zarceno, an illegal alien from El Salvador, had his car stolen and subsequently went to the local police station to recover the vehicle. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were contacted, as police were made aware that Figueroa-Zarceno was an illegal alien, according to CBS News.
Figueroa-Zarceno was ordered to be deported back in 2005, but he has defied the order. In 2012, the illegal alien was convicted and imprisoned for drunk driving.
While Figueroa-Zarceno was taken into custody by ICE, he and his lawyers said his detention violated San Francisco’s controversial sanctuary city laws, which mandates that illegal aliens, no matter their criminal history, be shielded from immigration law enforcement.
The illegal alien was detained by ICE for two months, but his attorneys are now expected to win him $190,000 settlement, which taxpayers will foot the bill.
According to Figueroa-Zarceno’s attorneys, the San Francisco Police Department violated sanctuary city laws by allegedly cooperating with ICE to inform them of the illegal alien’s status and past run-ins with the law.
The San Francisco Police Department is advocating for the settlement with the illegal alien.
“San Francisco has strong policies in place to encourage victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear of being deported, which include our sanctuary ordinance,” San Francisco City Attorney spokesman John Coté said. “These policies are designed to foster respect and trust between law enforcement and residents to ensure our communities are safe. The City, including the Police Department, remain committed to them.”
“This proposed settlement is a fair resolution for all of the parties involved,” Coté said.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder. | {
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General election 2017: Lib Dem candidate pulls out amid house move Published duration 24 April 2017
image copyright Liberal Democrats image caption Daisy Benson says she hopes to play a full part in the coming weeks "to ensure Yeovil returns a Liberal Democrat MP"
A prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) has announced she will not be standing for election in Somerset as she is in the middle of buying a house.
Liberal Democrat Daisy Benson said the "snap election"... "unfortunately comes at precisely the wrong time for me".
Ms Benson said it would be unfair to Yeovil constituents "not to be able to devote 100% of my time to campaigning."
Former Yeovil MP, Lord Ashdown, thanked Ms Benson who had helped "energise the constituency" during her time as PPC.
"I know you will join me in thanking Daisy for her tremendous efforts, and wish her every success for the future," he said.
Former stronghold
"I am very glad to tell you, she has offered to continue to campaign for the upcoming County Council Elections in the time available to her, given her house move."
Ms Benson said she had been preparing for the past year to be a PPC but the process to select a new candidate was now under way.
The Lib Dems lost 49 seats in 2015 and held on to just eight.
Their target seats this time include Twickenham, Dunbartonshire East and Yeovil.
Yeovil was a constituency the Lib Dems had held for more than 30 years before it was won by the Conservatives in 2015.
Paddy Ashdown held the seat from 1983 until 2001 - and the broader south-west region was formerly a stronghold for the party. | {
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An Indiana man convicted of molesting a child is now accused of trying to publish pornographic children’s books in another state.
Michael Christianson, 55, is charged with transportation of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
Christianson, of LaPorte, allegedly authored and submitted three pornographic books for publication on July 2 to a publisher in North Carolina, according to a criminal complaint.
He was arrested on Aug. 9 and appeared before a federal judge weeks later, when he reportedly said “God hates me” while waiting for court to begin, the Northwest Indiana Times reported. The charge is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Christianson’s books appeared to be geared toward children. They used large fonts, simple words and rhyming sentences, according to prosecutors.
The books featured images and text that encouraged children to play naked with one another, and encouraged children to play with naked adults, prosecutors said. Photographs and illustrations in the books also included depictions of minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, prosecutors said.
Christianson was convicted of molesting a 12-year-old boy in 2003 and was sentenced to a 30-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors. The child told authorities that he had been abused over the previous two years.
Christianson, who must register as a sexual predator for the rest of his life, was released from prison in 2016 and was still on probation when he was charged in August, prosecutors said. | {
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Bishop Robert Finn has been sentenced to probation for failing to report a subordinate’s abuses, but he refuses to resign
Pressure is mounting on the highest ranking US catholic official yet to be convicted of covering up clerical child sex abuse to resign from the church.
Bishop Robert Finn was found guilty Friday of failing to report suspected child sexual abuse to authorities, prompting calls for him to step down or be booted from office.
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Advocates for the victims of clerical sex abuse have challenged the Vatican directly, calling on the Pope to step in and dismiss Finn from his position as bishop of the diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph.
But despite a growing campaign to force his ouster, church officials have maintained that he isn’t going anywhere – despite the conviction.
“The bishop looks forward to continuing to perform his duties, including carrying out the important obligations placed on him by the court,” diocese spokesman Jack Smith said in a statement.
That message comes despite some Roman Catholics pushing for a resignation, with some church members launching a Facebook page titled “Bishop Finn Must Go.”
Among the posts was one that listed contact information for the Vatican and urged parishioners to voice their displeasure with Finn at the highest levels.
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Pope Benedict XVI alone has authority over bishops. Through the decades-long abuse scandal, only one US bishop has stepped down over his failures to stop abusive clergy: Cardinal Bernard Law, who in 2002 resigned as head of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Finn was sentenced Friday to two years of supervised probation in relationship to the hushing up of suspicious activities by Reverend Shawn Ratigan.
The bishop failed to respond to warnings the diocese received from a parish elementary school principal detailing suspicious behaviour by Ratigan around children.
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Instead of reading the memo and looking into the claims, Finn left it up to subordinates to handle the matter. It took a year before he finally read a five-page document from the school head.
Finn was also aware of nude photos of children found on Ratigan’s laptop computer in December 2010. But still the bishop failed to act. Instead of turning them over to police, Finn sent Ratigan to live at a Missouri convent.
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Authorities were eventually handed the photos in May 2011 by Monsignor Robert Murphy – against Finn’s wishes, according to court documents – after Ratigan continued to violate church orders to stay away from children and not take any pictures of them.
Ratigan pleaded guilty last month to five child pornography counts, but has yet to be sentenced. Prosecutors have requested he spend the rest of his life in prison.
In court on Friday, Finn apologised for the pain his failure to report Ratigan caused.
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But for many, the only course open for the bishop is for him to step down.
“Now that our justice system says he’s guilty, he has lost his ability to lead our diocese,” Patricia Rotert, a Catholic church member in Kansas City, said Friday. “He’s lost his credibility. There is turmoil and angst around him and I don’t think he can bring people together.”
Meanwhile, advocacy group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) called on Pope Benedict to intervene.
In a letter to the Pontiff, SNAP director David Clohessy wrote: “Now, for the first time in US history, you have a diocese headed by a proven criminal. You must act if you are serious about making the church safer for children, discouraging future cover-ups in child sex cases, and ameliorating the wounds of tens of thousands of suffering adult victims and millions of betrayed parishioners.”
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Dismissing Finn would “strongly deter other church officials from acting recklessly, callously and deceitfully in other child sex cases”, Clohessy added.
Finn’s conviction comes just months after that of of Monsignor William Lynn in Philadelphia.
Lynn, who supervised other clergy as an aide to the cardinal, was convicted of felony child endangerment and became the first US church official sent to prison for his handling of abuse complaints. He is appealing his three-to-six-year sentence.
© Guardian News and Media 2012 | {
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UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson has outclassed his competition to the point that he has all but cleaned out the division over which he reigns.
The lord of the "flys" is currently riding a 12-fight unbeaten streak spanning over the past five years, including nine title defenses. He has gone the distance. He's stopped opponents with last-second submissions. He's notched early knockouts and everything in between.
Despite his dominance, Johnson is not concerned with wiping out the division per se--he just wants to continue smashing the hopes and dreams of every flyweight in his path. If you dream of beating "Mighty Mouse," you better wake up and apologize.
"I don't really look at it as cleaning out the division," Johnson told FloCombat. "The rankings change all the time. Guys like Ali Bagautinov and Zach Makovsky, in my eyes, are still great fighters who aren't even on the UFC roster. I want to make sure that every fighter in my weight division that steps into the Octagon knows that I will take away their hopes and dreams of being champion as long as I'm in the game."
Johnson is not just content with conquering each opponent put in front of him. Instead, he is looking to secure his legacy as one of the all-time greats. One legendary landmark within immediate reach is that of tying former middleweight champion Anderson Silva's UFC record of 10 straight title defenses when he faces challenger Wilson Reis in the main event of UFC on FOX 24 Saturday night.
"I'm not looking past him [Reis]," Johnson said. "I am training extremely hard for him. I have been taking care of my body a lot more this camp. I am looking to go out there, tie the record and then we can discuss where I would like to break the record."
For quite some time, Johnson didn't want to entertain the idea of being the mythical pound-for-pound greatest, nor did he put much energy into thoughts of breaking any particular records. Now, it's nearly impossible for him to avoid the conversation. Over the course of his historical run, his opinion has changed on the topic. He is now willing to reflect on the huge accomplishment at his doorstep, and it's one Johnson is certainly proud of.
Johnson has been dominating top competition longer than some fighters ever keep the gloves on, and that's a remarkable feat in an age where titleholders come and go with the wind.
Nevertheless, in the not-so-distant future Johnson could very easily walk away from the flyweight division. And when that day comes, Johnson plans to do so as the untouched, unblemished and only UFC flyweight champion of the world. He could drop the belt and go pursue his other passions and enjoy the rest of his life. He knows that may be easier said than done.
"That is always the goal," Johnson said. "In reality that is very, very far down the pipeline. If I fight until I am 38 things will change. I may get slower. I won't be as fast. There will always be young guys coming up. The longer you stay in the sport the chances of you losing become greater. I need to go out and win this one and win the next one. If I win two or three more after that maybe I call it a day. I just walk away and I would be good to go." | {
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Today we have the launch of the SPARC64 XII based Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers. While much of the vast majority of the server market, by volume, has moved to x86 architectures, the SPARC line of RISC CPUs is still alive with new systems. The Oracle Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers boast the newest SPARC64 chip, the SPARC64 XII can run at 4.25GHz with 12 cores. With the Fujitsu SPARC M12-2S you can scale up to 32 processors and 384 cores with up to 32TB of DDR4 memory. Aside from those features, the SPARC64 XII chips have RAS features as well as hardware accelerators for database applications.
Fujitsu SPARC M12 Servers
We found this video which should make most Oracle DBA’s drool (and wish they had a larger budget):
From the Oracle Press Release
Here is an excerpt from the Oracle release on the launch.
Features of the Fujitsu SPARC M12
Supporting customers’ digital transformation by providing high-speed processing
Performance per CPU core is a significant measure to consider when increasing data processing efficiency, and Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers offer up to 2.5 times better core performance compared to the previous Fujitsu M10 models. The Fujitsu-developed SPARC64 XII processor, with the world’s highest per core performance, maximizes processing capability in mission-critical systems and databases without increasing server complexity, contributing to the optimization of customer IT investments.
Performance per CPU core is a significant measure to consider when increasing data processing efficiency, and Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers offer up to 2.5 times better core performance compared to the previous Fujitsu M10 models. The Fujitsu-developed SPARC64 XII processor, with the world’s highest per core performance, maximizes processing capability in mission-critical systems and databases without increasing server complexity, contributing to the optimization of customer IT investments. Software on Chip , a feature carried on from the Fujitsu M10, accelerates database processing by leveraging the fact that use of in-memory databases for processing large volumes of data has been very effective in the cloud, expanding the number of simultaneous searches to twice that of the Fujitsu M10 when processing with Oracle Database In-Memory. The Fujitsu SPARC M12, which can dramatically accelerate a wide range of data processing, supports the digital transformations of customers by improving the efficiency of mission-critical systems, speeding up decision-making using big data, and improving customer services through multilateral information analyses.
, a feature carried on from the Fujitsu M10, accelerates database processing by leveraging the fact that use of in-memory databases for processing large volumes of data has been very effective in the cloud, expanding the number of simultaneous searches to twice that of the Fujitsu M10 when processing with Oracle Database In-Memory. The Fujitsu SPARC M12, which can dramatically accelerate a wide range of data processing, supports the digital transformations of customers by improving the efficiency of mission-critical systems, speeding up decision-making using big data, and improving customer services through multilateral information analyses. Stable operations with industry-first, new cooling technology
Fujitsu cutting-edge IT expertise has been used to develop Vapor and Liquid Loop Cooling (VLLC) technology. This industry-first cooling technology reliably cools the interior of the server through the phase change of liquid to vapor, roughly doubling cooling efficiency, and enabling safe and stable operations when building a private cloud environment with multiple Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers installed in a data center.
Fujitsu cutting-edge IT expertise has been used to develop Vapor and Liquid Loop Cooling (VLLC) technology. This industry-first cooling technology reliably cools the interior of the server through the phase change of liquid to vapor, roughly doubling cooling efficiency, and enabling safe and stable operations when building a private cloud environment with multiple Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers installed in a data center. Optimized operations and management costs suited for business growth
Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers provide CPU Core Activation functionality, for configuring CPU resources one core at a time from a minimum of just two cores per server. CPU Core Activation allows servers to be configured to meet business needs, with the dynamic flexibility to grow as needed.
Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers provide CPU Core Activation functionality, for configuring CPU resources one core at a time from a minimum of just two cores per server. CPU Core Activation allows servers to be configured to meet business needs, with the dynamic flexibility to grow as needed. The high-end Fujitsu SPARC M12-2S model offers additional scalability in the form of building block architecture to connect additional Fujitsu SPARC M12-2S server chassis to form flexible scale-up and scale-out servers. By connecting a maximum of 16 building blocks, a single system with over 3,000 CPU threads can be created. Fujitsu SPARC M12-2S servers provide an ideal foundation for private cloud implementations by mitigating initial investment risks while allowing for gradual expansion.
model offers additional scalability in the form of building block architecture to connect additional Fujitsu SPARC M12-2S server chassis to form flexible scale-up and scale-out servers. By connecting a maximum of 16 building blocks, a single system with over 3,000 CPU threads can be created. Fujitsu SPARC M12-2S servers provide an ideal foundation for private cloud implementations by mitigating initial investment risks while allowing for gradual expansion. Supporting business continuity with stable system operation
Building on the Fujitsu mainframe heritage and the trusted RAS features found in Fujitsu M10 servers, Fujitsu SPARC M12 servers provide error detection and recovery mechanisms for error protection across all processor circuits, supporting stable operation of mission-critical processing.
Oracle | {
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courtesy of ESPN
ESPN analyst and former NFL defensive back Louis Riddick will interview with the New York Giants for their open general manager position on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Riddick’s name was connected to general manager vacancies with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs over the past year. Riddick vehemently denied he was a candidate for the job in Kansas City, but he did interview with the 49ers in January.
At the time, Riddick said he nearly got the job with the 49ers. He said that he and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were a package deal and McDaniels wasn’t ready to leave the Patriots at the time. If that assertion is accurate, it would seem to imply the same arrangement could be at hand with the Giants should Riddick get the general manager job. If New York has an implicit understanding that McDaniels would join Riddick as head coach, it could make Riddick’s candidacy that much more intriguing.
The Giants interviewed former Carolina Panthers general manager David Gettleman for the position on Wednesday. He was the first interview conducted by the Giants for the job since the team elected to fire Jerry Reese earlier this month.
Riddick spent time with the 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders over parts of seven seasons in the NFL. He also spent 13 years as a scout and pro personnel director with the Washington Redskins (2001-07) and Philadelphia Eagles (2008-13). | {
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A 32-year-old former student has refused to move out of her dorm for two years since dropping out, prompting legal action from a New York college.
In 2016, Lisa S. Palmer enrolled at Hunter College to pursue a geography major but dropped out of classes shortly after she moved into the dorm.
Two years later, the Delaware native who now works at an architecture firm has racked up $94,000 in living expenses for refusing to vacate Hunter College’s premises, despite receiving numerous notices from the school informing her of the eviction, according to a lawsuit filed by the school.
Last year the school’s attorney failed to evict Palmer with a notice that read: “Thirty day notice of termination. You are required to vacate and surrender the premises on or before October 31, 2017, at 12 pm.”
Palmer refused to move and continues to squat in the dorm to this day.
“I plan on fighting the lawsuit and while I fight it, I’m going to stay,” Palmer told the New York Post, but she added that dorm life is “really lonely” for someone her age.
According to Hunter College’s website, residence fees for the Brookdale Residence Hall are $6,000 per school year for a single room, which are only offered to full-time students who maintain a minimum grade point average and keep up with their room and board fees.
Palmer is reportedly one of ten people the school is currently trying to evict, including nine nurses – one 67-years-old – who were given rooms in various wings when it was owned by Bellevue Hospital. | {
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MELBOURNE, Australia, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genetic Technologies Limited (ASX:GTG) (NASDAQ:GENE) (“Company”, “GTG”) a diversified molecular diagnostics company; provider of BREVAGenplus®, a first-in-class, clinically validated risk assessment test for sporadic (non-hereditary) breast cancer, embracing blockchain technologies across genomic testing platforms, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding terms sheet with Omix Ventures Private Limited which operates Project Shivom, as further described below. (“Project Shivom”).
Project Shivom has announced that it is planning to accumulate and create the world’s largest sequenced genetic database. The collaboration with GTG is intended to;
Provide a framework for GTG to become a collaborative laboratory as part of a global network of laboratories as envisaged by Project Shivom,
Enhance GTG’s experience in the development of predictive cancer tests through access to a large population of data and new markets,
Potentially form the basis of a new data monitoring and real time risk assessment service,
Allow GTG, through access to this significant pool of data to modify its risk assessment kits for additional ethnicities as well as the potential to develop new products based on opportunity and areas of need,
Provide Project Shivom with access to GTG’s CLIA accredited laboratory situated in Victoria. It is expected that this relationship could result in GTG increasing its operations in terms of samples processed; comprehensively improving its database and generating increased revenues on a pay per use basis,
Provide an opportunity for GTG to offer genetic counselling and become part of the global genetic counselling network as envisaged by Project Shivom.
Project Shivom is in the process of establishing a Precision Medicine “ecosystem” – a decentralised blockchain where people can get their genome sequenced and stored. Project Shivom, subject to patient take-up / market penetration, plans to collect significant volumes of genomic data in order to create a platform to provide ancestry data, personal health insight and genomic data for research, and it is seeking to collaborate with partner organisations such as GTG across multiple industries to establish a fully integrated, open, shareable, scalable ecosystem.
Dr Paul Kasian, Genetic Technologies’ Chairman commented: “The Board is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Project Shivom on its unique blockchain platform. Where the formal terms are agreed with Project Shivom, access to such a large database of genomic data would allow GTG to utilize its SNP based risk assessment technologies and Australian CLIA accredited laboratory to facilitate the potential further development of other predictive cancer tests, enabling GTG to offer a comprehensive risk assessment portfolio."
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Dr Paul Kasian Jason Wong (USA) Director and Interim CEO Blueprint Life Science Group Genetic Technologies Limited +1 (415) 375 3340, Ext. 4 + 61 3 8412 7000
About Genetic Technologies Limited
Genetic Technologies is a diversified molecular diagnostics company embracing blockchain technologies across genomic testing platforms. GTG offers cancer predictive testing and assessment tools to help physicians proactively manage patient health. The Company’s lead product, BREVAGenplus®, is a clinically validated risk assessment test for non-hereditary breast cancer and is first in its class. For more information, please visit www.brevagenplus.com and www.phenogensciences.com.
Genetic Technologies is developing a pipeline of risk assessment products including a novel colorectal cancer (CRC) test. For more information, please visit www.gtgcorporate.com
About Project Shivom
Project Shivom is powering the next era of genomics through blockchain technology – protecting identity, personalizing healthcare and transforming lives. For the first time ever, a precision medicine ecosystem will offer an open web-marketplace for other providers to add not only genomics information, but also analytics, and associated apps and services to drive personalized medicine. We further aim to extend our services to form a global network of laboratories and research centres, as well as genetic counsellors and other relevant services. For further information, please visit: https://shivom.io/ | {
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MATTHEW INMAN is a trim, serious 28-year-old who waxes eloquent about search-engine optimisation, marketing via social networks and managing online ordering systems. He is also the creator of the Oatmeal , an exuberantly funny and often mildly obscene web comic, as well as a cottage business that brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
The Oatmeal's typical cartoon contrasts the advantages and pitfalls of working at home, reveals the highs and lows of owning Apple products, or advocates (in a single panel without dialog) the use of a unicorn as a tetherball anchor. This Babbage found Mr Inman's hilariously presented—and perfectly accurate—advice on the use of the semicolon invaluable (see above for a foretaste). Mr Inman also has a less frivolous side. Some of his blog posts are poignant and personal; take a recent one on riding a school bus in Idaho past the Aryan Nations compound.
The simplicity of Mr Inman's drawing style, coupled with an innocent rowdiness—think of Michael J. Fox or Lee Evans swearing—has made his site popular. It is visited by 3m-4.5m viewers each month. Most visitors look at several pages. The site debuted in 2009, although similar work predates it by years. Indeed, Mr Inman's style is typical of the crop of cartoonists who began careers on the web, rather than in a print medium. He uses bold, even strokes and bright colours, and is not constrained to a particular panel size or narrative format. Forms are simplified, with schematic facial features. "A lot of my characters are poorly drawn but well dressed-up," he quips.
He confesses to being unable to force himself to use a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet for more than a few minutes. That would allow him to have a more nuanced line but Mr Inman is happy creating his cartoons with less fine-grained design tools intended for layout and production, all too familiar to the kind of audience he reaches with grammar jokes and diatribes on printers.
At a coffeeshop near his home in Seattle's mildly funky Fremont neighbourhood—signs proclaim Fremont "The Center of the Universe"—Mr Inman says that sales have been rocketing during the holiday season. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, whose first day is known in the retail world as Black Friday, a discount sale grossed $70,000 from purchases of T-shirts, mugs and posters. Mr Inman raked in nearly $4,000 in sales on a single day earlier this month as Christmas shipping deadlines approached. A more typical weekday produces $1,000 in revenue.
Web comics are not new; nor are creative sites that support the artists through the sale of merchandise. But Mr Inman stands out as being one of the most successful in converting funny pictures into cash. Close kin include Randall Munroe of xkcd, an über-geeky strip composed mostly of stick-figure drawings, and Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, which tends towards science gags. Penny Arcade, a Seattle-area comic strip about video and online gaming, began as a modest side effort by its creators, only to spawn the largest gamers' convention in America, with tens of thousands of attendees at West and East coast events.
In the days when newspapers were the only way to reach readers, and syndicates were the gatekeepers, only a few hundred regular strips appeared. With print media cutting pages and budgets, or shutting down altogether, few new cartoons have launched in recent years. Fewer still reached enough papers for the creators to eke out a living. The Oatmeal and its kind benefit from dispensing with intermediaries. Social networking helps, too, by disseminating links to comics like wildfire. Crucially, cartoon lovers' desire to find fresh and interesting material is alive and well.
Of course, none of this guarantees making ends meet. Web advertising can provide a trickle of revenue, so long as page view figures are high. Mr Inman's are, but he shunned that route and focused instead on shifting merchandise. He began by having outside firms handle printing, production and fulfilment. But even with a large volume of sales his ultimate take-home share was paltry. So he switched to managing the creation of goods himself. He recently ordered a batch of 9,500 T-shirts. This and other orders are handled by Mr Inman's mother and her boyfriend, who live north of Seattle in a small town off the North Cascades Highway. Mail output for the town went up 700%, a dismayed postmistress told the mother. This autumn the Oatmeal operation had to hire two people to assist with orders.
Mr Inman's next foray into the physical world is the release of a book of his cartoons on March 1st, 2011. He is not printing it himself. Rather, he is working with Andrews McMeel Publishing, best known for publishing collections of Dilbert or Doonesbury. Mr Inman considers such distinguished company a feather in his cap. The publisher is also sending him on a West coast tour later this winter. The cartoonist will finally get a chance to meet the people who make his living in $10 and $20 increments. | {
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(c)2014 川原 礫／KADOKAWA アスキー・メディアワークス刊／SAOII Project
「パンパカパーン！朝になりました！」
朝、スマートフォンの向こうから『ソードアート・オンライン』（SAO）ヒロインのアスナが声をかけてくる。ツイッターであまりにも有名な名言「アスナは俺の嫁」を現実にしたAndroidアプリ『めざましマネージャーアスナ』だ。
「君の脳は十分休んだと思うわ」「あと5分で出かける時間だよ」「今日は不燃ゴミの日。忘れないでね」「今日も楽しく過ごしてね」とアスナが呼びかけてくれる。
夜は夜で「おやすみ」を言うと、ヒーリングミュージックが流れ、アスナと幸せに眠りにつく。アスナも一緒に寝てくれるが、寝たあとにアプリを起動すると「眠れないの……？」と言ってくれる。経験からすると実際のお嫁さんより優しい。
3月20日にベータ版、6月25日に正式版をリリース。『Live2D』というキャラクターレンダリング技術を使っている。パーツごとに用意した画像だけでキャラクターを動画のように動かすことができる独創的な技術だ。
アスナ役は声優の戸松遥さん (c)2014 川原 礫／KADOKAWA アスキー・メディアワークス刊／SAOII Project
「（アプリは）ベータ版時代からネット中心に大反響をいただいていた、正式版はベータ版よりいろいろよくなっている」
ソニーミュージック・コミュニケーションズの開発者・松平恒幸さんは、Live2Dの開発者イベント『Live2D Creators Conference 2015 alive』で自信を見せた。
「『これがないと最近会社に行けない』と、ツイッターで一部ユーザーさんからありがたい声をいただいている」
利用者はもちろんのこと、松平さんのSAO愛は本物だ。
「作中でヒロインのアスナが主人公のキリトに『バーチャルリアリティーと現実は何が違うの？』というと『データ量の差だよ』と答える。これが非常に渋い」と思い入れのあるシーンを語り、またアスナ役の戸松遥さんにかける思いを熱く語った。
「押しも押されぬ素晴らしい方。ぼくは大好き。めざマネを作るとき『これはアスナだ！ アスナじゃないとやる意味がない!!』ということでお話をしたところ『めざましマネージャーアスナ』ができることになった」
ソニーにはちゃんと本物がいるんだなと感心したが、じつは「めざまし時計がつくりたかったわけじゃなかった」（松平さん）。
フィギュアが何かしゃべったらいいな
驚くことに音声は合成音声だ (c)2014 川原 礫／KADOKAWA アスキー・メディアワークス刊／SAOII Project
「きっかけは実際の人物を3Dプリントしたフィギュア。購入した人々は『今日は疲れたよ』とか話しかけているだろう、フィギュアが何かしゃべったらいいなと思った」
そのとおりだな、しゃべる抱き枕「痛すぽ」の内村康一さんと話が合いそうだなと思いながらメモをとっていると、松平さんはIoT時代の「対話型インターフェース」としてキャラクターの重要性を話しはじめた。
「スマートロックが自分を認識すると『おかえりなさいませご主人様』というわけ。電気がつくと『もう遅いのでお休みください』とか言うわけ」
おっ、そうだな、と思うが、松平さんは止まらない。
造形にもこだわりがあったそうだ (c)2014 川原 礫／KADOKAWA アスキー・メディアワークス刊／SAOII Project
「好みも出てくる。電車のアナウンスの声も好き嫌いはある。ぼくも『南北線はとてもいい』とか『リムジンバスはいい』とか好みがある。いろんなものがしゃべりだすと、どういう声がいいのかという差別化が出てくる。ツンデレが好きな人もいれば執事系のダンディな声がいい人、キャハッみたいな声がいい人もいる」
そんな本物の要望はキャラクターとしての造形にもあらわれる。
「Live2Dはキャラクター表現では突出しているが、正式版を出すにあたってフルリモデルした。ものすごくこだわってしまい、何度も手直しをした。『頭蓋骨が』『肩のラインが』とか言ったので、恐らく変態と思われた」
うなずくほかなかった。「結果、SAOのプロデューサーにも『かわいいね』と言われた」（松平さん）ということで努力が実を結んで何よりだ。
外見でなく中身も魂が入っている。対話技術だ。音声認識、対話エンジン、発話エンジンはそれぞれ「いろんな会社の先端技術をぶちこんだ」（松平さん）。
先端技術をぶちこんだ
音声認識は世界的大企業である『G社』、発音技術は東芝 セミコンダクター＆ストレージ社の技術を使用。そして対話エンジンはソニー製だ。
「会話をするための脳みそがソニーの技術。ソニーの場合『目的をはっきりさせてなんらかのデバイスに指示を出す』というコンセプトで作られているので、実用アプリとしての意義に貢献してもらっている」
同技術はソニーのウェアラブルデバイス『SmartBand Talk SWR30』に採用しているもの。
SmartBand Talk SWR30
「疲れた」『がんばったね！今夜はゆっくり休んでね。ぐっすり寝て、明日もがんばろうね』「ありがとう」『ありがとう！こちらこそ。いつも感謝してるよ』
松平さんはアスナと会話してうれしそうだった。よかったなあと思っていたところ、自然に聞こえたセリフは「すべて合成音声だ」と聞かされて度肝を抜かれた。
「合成音声TTSはいまもっともアツい技術領域、めざましい進化をとげていて、非常に性能がいいものができた。企画当初から合成音声を使うところがネックというか課題になっていた。キャラの品位を損なわない、非常に高いクオリティーの合成音声が実現できた」と松平さん。
「なんでもしゃべることができる。ちょっとした機能を入れているのでぜひアプリを入れてみてほしい」
松平さんが本物じゃないときっとここまでは行かなかったはずだ。
今後はデジタル看板やデジタル受付嬢、コミュニケーションロボット、ウェアラブルデバイス、テレビなどに対話型キャラクターが搭載されることも考えられるんじゃないか、と松平さんは目をきらきらさせながら語っていた。
最後に、松平さんからアニメ業界の方々にメッセージがあったのでそのままのっけておきたい。がんばれ松平さん。このやりすぎている感じがソニーだ。
「『めざましマネージャーアスナ』第二弾を作りたい。アニメ関係者の方、『これぞめざマネにふさわしい』というものがあればぜひご相談を。詳しくはこちらまで」
●関連サイト
めざましマネージャー
Live2D Creators Conference 2015 alive | {
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Suzzara (Mantova), 15 dicembre 2017 - La tragedia di Lorenzo e Kim, 5 e 2 anni, uccisi dalla madre in un accesso di follia, potrebbe avere più di un colpevole. Non solo Antonella Barbieri, l’ex modella carpigiana trapiantata a Suzzara, che ha soffocato la piccola in casa e poi ha accoltellato il bambino lungo una golena del Po, nel Reggiano. Ma nemmeno il marito, Andrea Benatti, 39 anni, ex campione di rugby, che è finito nel registro degli indagati della Procura di Mantova: l’atto che lo riguarda, ampiamente atteso dai difensori, le avvocatesse Sara Pasotti e Federica Binacchi, sembra essere motivato da uno scrupolo particolare dei pm.
Il sostituto Andrea Ranalli, titolare del fascicolo, e il capo dell’ufficio Manuela Fasolato vogliono verificare che Andrea, agli occhi di tutti una parte lesa (e quanto colpita è immaginabile) abbia compiuto tutto quanto possibile per svolgere al meglio il ruolo di genitore e titolare della patria potestà sui bambini. Un atto dovuto, quindi, e non di più, che certo il destinatario non ha preso bene ma al quale era stato preparato. In tutt’altra posizione invece, potrebbero essere altri soggetti non ancora entrati nel fascicolo processuale. E la mente va subito ai sanitari che hanno seguito il disagio psichico della mamma, attualmente ancora ricoverata nell’ospedale di Reggio Emilia dopo aver tentato il suicidio.
La donna, coetanea del marito, aveva iniziato a stare male a settembre e in autunno, fino ad ottobre, aveva subito due Tso (trattamenti sanitari obbligatori, in pratica ricoveri forzati) nelle strutture ospedaliere di Oglio Po nel Cremonese e di Pieve di Coriano nel Mantovano. Poi era stata dimessa e affidata al Centro psicosociale di Suzzara. Chi l’ha curata aveva fissato un controllo molto successivo al ricovero, e questo particolare gioca a favore della difesa del papà dei piccoli: come avrebbe potuto avere sentore del pericolo che i bimbi potevano correre? Lo stesso dettaglio, invece, potrebbe essere alla base dell’allargamento dell’inchiesta ad altri indagati, probabilmente col camice bianco, che hanno firmato le cartelle cliniche di Antonella.
Andrea e chi gli è vicino su questi argomenti rispettano disciplinatamente il segreto istruttorio. Il padre Davide continua a proteggere il figlio tenendolo in casa propria a Suzzara. Andrea non è ancora in grado di affrontare gli altri, tanto da non partecipare giovedì sera alla fiaccolata silenziosa che ha testimoniato la solidarietà di tutto un paese verso la famiglia di Lorenzo e Kim. Per le persone colpite un conforto potranno essere i funerali dei bimbi: ieri si sono svolti gli esami autoptici a Mantova e a Modena e oggi dovrebbe essere rilasciato il nulla osta alle esequie. Il rito dovrebbe essere fissato all’inizio della settimana prossima: «Quanto tempo», commenta accorato un parente. Ma la sua attesa, e quella delle altre vittime, sta per finire. | {
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Earlier this morning, the Red Sox reportedly struck an agreement with Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada, landing the 19-year-old switch-hitter with a $31.5MM signing bonus that will cost the team $63MM due to the 100 percent luxury tax it faces for exceeding its international bonus pool. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted shortly after the agreement was struck that the Yankees offered $25MM with a willingness to go to $27MM. Here are some more details on the tail end of a free agency that resulted in the largest signing bonus an international amateur has ever received…
The Dodgers never actually made a formal offer for Moncada, GM Farhan Zaidi tells Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register ( never actually made a formal offer for Moncada, GM Farhan Zaidi tells Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register ( Twitter links ). Though general terms were discussed, the GM explained that Los Angeles weighed other considerations that tempered its interest:
Steinbrenner was “not the reason” that the Yankees didn’t go higher for Moncada, Matthews tweets, reversing his earlier report (see below).
Earlier Updates | {
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Ci sono zone d'Italia in cui decenni di lotte civili e femministe hanno smarrito il loro valore, dove le conquiste delle donne sembrano tornate all'anno zero. A Crotone, abortire non è possibile. Come se non esistesse una legge - la 194/78 è in vigore da 39 anni - che garantisce a tutte le donne a date condizioni il diritto ad interrompere una gravidanza, una norma spesso inserita ai primi posti delle dieci norme che hanno cambiato la vita delle italiane, insieme al diritto di voto e al divorzio. Non è così dappertutto in Italia, non è così per le residenti a Crotone e provincia che per abortire devono fare la valigia e spostarsi altrove.
Dati alla mano, dal 2011 al 2016, nei 27 Comuni della Provincia di Crotone non è stato praticato alcun aborto, come certifica l'Istat con la tabella aggiornata, per l'appunto, all'anno scorso. "Ma non sono stati fatti neanche nel 2017, a Crotone l'aborto non esiste", sospira Francesca Pesce, componente del coordinamento locale del movimento femminista "Non una di meno". Recarsi altrove diventa una scelta obbligata per queste donne, che aggiunge ulteriori disagi, fisici, economici, psicologici, a un'esperienza per una donna sempre traumatica, comunque la si pensi, quali che siano le intime convinzioni.
A Crotone la stragrande totalità di medici e infermieri è costituita da obiettori di coscienza e interrompere una gravidanza dal 2011 è diventata un'impresa impossibile. Al "San Giovanni di Dio", ospedale centrale del capoluogo, ad esempio, nel reparto di ostetricia e ginecologia tutti gli infermieri e 7 dei 9 medici sono obiettori di coscienza. Scelta legittima, nel rispetto della 194/78, che, però, dispone anche l'obbligo, per ospedali e case di cura autorizzati, di assicurare in ogni caso le interruzioni di gravidanza richieste secondo le modalità previste dalla legge, con la Regione che "ne controlla e garantisce l'attuazione anche attraverso la mobilità del personale". Lo ricorda anche il Ministero della Salute nell'ultima relazione sull'attuazione della 194, trasmessa al Parlamento a dicembre 2016 e aggiornata al biennio 2014 - 2015, nel rilevare dal 2006 al 2014, su scala nazionale, una diminuzione degli aborti e un aumento dei ginecologi obiettori (dal 69,2 al 70,7%).
Nella relazione del Ministero non vengono segnalate particolari criticità riguardanti la Calabria, eppure la massiccia presenza di obiettori di coscienza nei reparti di ostetricia e ginecologia degli ospedali, deve essere particolarmente avvertita - i medici sono il 72,9 per cento, gli anestesisti il 76,7 per cento - se, alla fine del dicembre scorso, il Consiglio regionale ha approvato una proposta di legge per la corretta applicazione sul territorio regionale della 194, scaturita dal fatto che "lo specifico diritto della donna di avere accesso ai servizi per l'interruzione volontaria della gravidanza risulta, ormai, inficiato - si legge nella relazione - da un elevatissimo numero di medici obiettori di coscienza presso le strutture sanitarie pubbliche", con "conseguenze assolutamente negative e che coincidono spesso e volentieri con drammatici ricorsi ad ambulatori fuori legge, a farmaci di contrabbando e con le consuete rincorse oltre frontiera". Impressionanti i numeri riportati: "20.000 casi di interruzione volontaria illegale di gravidanza (anno 2008, fonte Ministero della Salute) e 75.000 casi di aborti spontanei (anno 2011, fonte Istat)".
Crotone rappresenta il caso limite, nelle ultime settimane al centro di polemiche roventi e scontri accesi, anche politici. Riassunti nello striscione comparso davanti all'ospedale nella notte tra il 30 e il 31 ottobre, rimasto attaccato all'inferriata un giorno intero, sul quale si leggeva "Fieri dei medici di Crotone. Sì obiezione No legge 194". Firmato Forza Nuova, che ha rivendicato l'azione anche con un post su Facebook per ribadire "il concetto che uccidere un bambino non è un diritto" e complimentarsi "con i medici obiettori e con quelle donne crotonesi che hanno scelto la vita". Un'iniziativa condivisa dal "Comitato NO194", con il presidente, l'avvocato Pietro Guerini, che ha ringraziato ed espresso solidarietà a Forza Nuova "per l'indignazione suscitata dalla presa di posizione".
Sdegno arrivato dal coordinamento locale di "Non una di meno", che in un lungo post su Facebook aveva definito lo striscione "un'offesa alla dignità di tutte le donne, oltre che ad una legge dello Stato, offesa che è solo il momento culminante di una situazione disastrosa in termini di riconoscimento di un diritto sanciti dalla legge", chiedendo "un cambio di rotta delle amministrazioni del territorio e del direttore generale della Asp (l'Azienda sanitaria provinciale, ndr)". In campo, per quella che, come riporta la stampa locale, la segretaria provinciale Lucrezia Bruno ha definito "una battaglia di civiltà", anche Sinistra italiana e Possibile.
Nelle settimane passate il direttore generale della Asp, Sergio Arena, ha incontrato sia una delegazione del coordinamento locale del movimento femminista sia la consigliera regionale di parità, Tonia Stumpo. "Arena ci ha rassicurato - spiega Pesce, di "Non una di meno" - garantendo che a partire dai primi mesi del 2018 il servizio di interruzione di gravidanza verrà attivato nell'ospedale di Crotone. Staremo a vedere". L'annuncio del direttore generale dell'Azienda sanitaria provinciale non è piaciuto all'Unione giuristi cattolici italiani: in una nota riportata dal Quotidiano della Calabria, il delegato regionale, Giancarlo Cerrelli ha scritto che "Crotone non avverte la necessità e l'urgenza di diventare una macelleria di esseri umani innocenti".
Arena assicura di voler andare avanti sulla via indicata. "Da circa tre mesi sono direttore generale dell'Asp, ma mi sono insediato nel 2015 come commissario e il servizio di interruzione della gravidanza a Crotone già non si praticava - spiega all'HuffPost - c'erano già diversi problemi, dei reparti erano stati chiusi, diversi servizi e posti letto tagliati, nell'ambito delle misure assunte nel piano di rientro. Io ho avviato una ristrutturazione dei locali delle sale parto per offrire alle donne un servizio più adeguato, che per l'inizio del 2018 dovrebbero andare a regime. Questo ci consente di attivare percorsi dedicati per l'interruzione di gravidanza. Allo stesso tempo, visto che nel reparto di ginecologia mancava, a febbraio scorso abbiamo assunto il primario, e tra i punti inseriti nel suo contratto c'è il ripristino del servizio di interruzione di gravidanza e lui ha già iniziato a darsi da fare per reperire i medici non obiettori. Al momento insieme al primario c'è un altro medico non obiettore. In tutto, nel reparto i medici sono nove, due i non obiettori. Siamo riusciti a reperire anche un anestesista non obiettore, un giovane assunto da poco, e un'ostetrica, ma stiamo avendo difficoltà con gli infermieri che sono tutti obiettori - prosegue il direttore generale - Stiamo cercando all'interno del dipartimento materno infantile di reperire anche qualche infermiere non obiettore, spero che nel dipartimento ci sia qualche figura infermieristica che non sia obiettore, così con l'inizio del nuovo anno, avendo il personale e i locali idonei, possiamo avviare il servizio. C'è stato il piano di rientro, per sei sette anni abbiamo avuto il blocco delle assunzioni, adesso la situazione si sta sbloccando quindi c'è nuovo personale, sia medico che infermieristico. Si sta preparando un concorso per assumere un certo numero di ostetriche, sicuramente tra loro ce ne sarà qualcuna non obiettore. Una sola non è sufficiente. Il nostro obiettivo è garantire alle donne che decidono di abortire la giusta privacy, la sicurezza, un percorso protetto. Mettere nella stessa stanza una donna che deve partorire e una ricoverata per interrompere la gravidanza non mi sembra l'ideale. C'è l'impegno del primario, del capo dipartimento e mio - conclude Arena - che con l'inizio del 2018 riattiviamo questo servizio".
Fino ad allora abortire a Crotone sarà ancora impossibile. Storie come quella che racconta all'Huffpost Fiorita Patera, per tutti Linda, potranno ripetersi. "Dimenticare è impossibile, specie quando, come nel mio caso, sei pure obbligata ad andare altrove. Una situazione inaccettabile". Ha dovuto accettare di spostarsi per abortire e ha deciso di raccontare la sua storia "per far sì che quello che ho vissuto non si ripeta". Fiorita che oggi ha trentasette anni e vive a Crucoli, in provincia di Crotone, quattro anni fa scopre di essere incinta. "Io e mio marito eravamo felicissimi - ricorda - avevamo già una bambina di sei anni e desideravamo un altro figlio". Purtroppo, però, già la prima ecografia rileva qualcosa che non va. "La ginecologa ci disse subito che c'era qualcosa che non le tornava, ma insieme decidemmo di aspettare qualche settimana perché il quadro fosse più chiaro, fino a quando non furono evidenti diversi problemi", aggiunge Fiorita. Il bambino risulterà affetto da una grave malformazione cardiaca che comprometteva anche la crescita dei polmoni.
Per la mamma è un colpo durissimo, precipita in uno stato di prostrazione psicologica che la porterà a rivolgersi ad una psicoterapeuta. "Mi sentivo persa, pensavo a questo bambino, sì perché era un maschietto - racconta - a quella che sarebbe state la sua vita semmai fosse riuscito ad arrivare a nove mesi, costretto a stare a letto o in carrozzina. Pensavamo a quale sarebbe stata la nostra vita, la mia, quella di mio marito e dell'altra bambina che avevamo, che da genitori non potevamo mettere in secondo piano. Così, dopo tanti ripensamenti, decisi di abortire". Un aborto terapeutico che una donna può scegliere di praticare, secondo la legge anche dopo il primo trimestre, quando ci sono rischi per la sua vita, ma anche per la sua salute fisica o mentale. A Crotone però è impossibile, Fiorita può solo fare le valigie, decide di andare a Cosenza.
"Sempre pensando a mia figlia, e pure per non gravare ulteriormente sulla famiglia, scelsi di andare a Cosenza - aggiunge lei - Onestamente mi sarei aspettata un'accoglienza e un trattamento diversi". Nell'ospedale, racconta la donna, c'era un solo medico non obiettore di coscienza "ma finito il suo turno giustamente andò via. Gli altri, dottori e infermieri, obiettori di coscienza mi trattarono come una peccatrice, quasi un'appestata. C'era un'altra ragazza ricoverata per abortire, era alla sua prima gravidanza e aveva scoperto che il figlio era affetto da sindrome di Down. Ricevette lo stesso trattamento. Ci mandarono il prete, ci fecero fare un colloquio con lo psicologo, noi pensavamo per avere un minimo di supporto, ma si rivelò una mera formalità". Fiorita ha ancora impresse nella mente le parole di un medico obiettore al quale si rivolse per chiedere, dopo due giorni di ricovero nello stesso reparto delle partorienti - "attorno a noi vedevamo le altre donne con i loro bambini appena partoriti", dice - quando avrebbe potuto abortire: "Mi disse che lui non faceva il lavoro sporco di altri. Alla fine, per poter far valere il mio diritto, ho dovuto alzare la voce e protestare". Così, dopo tre giorni, Fiorita riesce ad abortire - "in sala operatoria furono molto comprensivi", tiene a sottolineare - e a tornare a casa. Oggi ha un'altra bambina, la più grande ha dieci anni, la famiglia è serena, ma quell'esperienza rimarrà impressa per sempre nella sua mente. "Credo che se avessi potuto partorire nel territorio in cui abito, senza dovermi spostare, e se non mi avessero fatta sentire come una peccatrice, l'avrei vissuta con meno stress. Non voglio che altre donne subiscano il trattamento che è stato riservato a me. Bisogna rendersi conto che, qualunque sia il motivo per cui una donna decide di abortire, si tratta di una esperienza drammatica e comunque le va garantito il diritto di farlo. La legge parla chiaro", conclude Fiorita. Ma da sei anni a questa parte a Crotone è rimasta lettera morta. | {
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Underutilized Collections wasting memory
Plumbr has been recognized as memory leak hunters. But our goal has never been to stick with just the leak hunting. Your feedback about how easy it is to solve memory leaks with Plumbr made us wonder what if we could take the same approach we used to solve memory leaks and expand to other similar problem domains?
And indeed we have progressed in several other areas. In this article we can open up one of the research domains we have been working. Namely – Collection API overhead. As one picture is worth more than the words describing it, let us start with a graph illustrating one aspect of the problem:
This diagram is plotted using data from more than 500 different applications, all of which use thousands of Collection API class instances under the hood. What we have outlined in the diagram above is the collection utilization ratio. You see for example that more than 35% of the collections created are completely empty. And that approximately 9% of the collections are half-empty. Or half full if you are one of the rare optimists out there.
More interesting is the aggregate of the facts:
72% of the collections are utilized to 50% or less
of the collections are 90% of the collections are utilized to 75% or less
of the collections are And just 5% of the collections are fully utilized to the full capacity
But this data would just serve as a fun trivia without digging further and trying to understand the reasons and impact beyond the facts.
First lets look at the reasons. If you recall our recent post about Collection overhead, we analyzed the memory consumption of an ArrayList where we covered the internals of the ArrayList:
When you initialize an ArrayList via its default new ArrayList() constructor, you have created a list with capacity to accommodate 10 elements. The size of the list is zero, as no elements have been yet added.
When adding elements to the list, the capacity of underlying array is dynamically increased at certain thresholds.
Lets see how the increasing occurs by extracting the relevant parts from the source code of the ArrayList:
public boolean add(E e) { ensureCapacityInternal(size + 1); // Increments modCount!! elementData[size++] = e; return true; } private void ensureCapacityInternal(int minCapacity) { modCount++; if (minCapacity - elementData.length > 0) grow(minCapacity); } private void grow(int minCapacity) { int oldCapacity = elementData.length; int newCapacity = oldCapacity + (oldCapacity >> 1); //cut for simplicity elementData = Arrays.copyOf(elementData, newCapacity); }
As seen from the JDK API above, the list capacity is being checked when new elements are added. If the size of the list is equal to the capacity, the underlying array is being copied into a new, larger one. This increase happens at 50% of the previous capacity. So for example when our original list has grown to 10 elements, adding a single new object grows the list to a capacity of 15. And when our list capacity is 1,000,000 and a single new object is added, we would have a list with a capacity of 1,500,000
So here we have the reason for the Collections being underutilized staring right into our face in the form of the JDK source code. But how severe is the impact of this behaviour?
Did you know that 20% of Java applications have memory leaks? Don’t kill your application – instead find and fix leaks with Plumbr in minutes.
In order to estimate this impact, we need to turn to the basic math of calculating how much space do those empty references require. It can be platform dependent and you can read more on how to estimate and/or calculate this from this post, but more often than not 4 bytes is required for each of those references. So applying this math to the case where you grew your ArrayList from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 you have just wasted nearly 500,000 times 4 = 2,000,000 bytes to empty references.
Getting rid of this excess heap consumption is trivial – either initialize your collections to the expected sizes by using the ArrayList(int initialCapacity) instead of the default or invoke trimToSize() when you have populated the list you need.
This ~2MB might not seem much though – at least when trying to recall the last time when you actually created a collection accommodating more than 1,000,000 elements.
On the other hand – have you given a thought about
How many smaller collections you have in place in your application?
How many collections do your 3rd party libraries use under the hood?
What would be the aggregate amount of memory lost to this excess reserve?
And what if you could just discover and remove this waste easily?
If you are eager to be among the first ones to get your hands on to the solution, stay tuned – we are working towards making this data transparent. Equipped with this knowledge, we bet you are the best to decide whether you need to take action or not. | {
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Sinimustvalge sünnihetkeks loetakse 4. juunit 1884, kui Eesti Üliõpilaste Seltsi lipp Otepää kirikus sisse pühitseti. Riigilipuks kuulutas trikoloori Ajutine Valitsust vahetult enne Vabadussõja algust novembris 1918. Ent riigikogu võttis vastu lipuseaduse, mis sinimustvalge staatuse riigilipuna lõplikult fikseeris, alles 1922. aastal. Enne seda peeti riigilipu üle tuliseid vaidlusi ning korraldati mitu lipukavandi võistlust. Üks esitatud kavanditest oligi juba tol korral valge risti, musta äärise ja sinise taustaga lipp, ent peale jäi siiski trikoloor.
Ristilipu teema kerkis taas üles 2000ndate aastate alguses, kui ajaloolane ja toona tuntud riigiametnik Eerik-Niiles Kross pakkus välja, et Eesti tuleks rahvusvaheliselt ümber ristida Estlandiks. Ägedale arutelule andis lisahoo tollane valitsuse pressibüroo juht, samuti ajaloolase taustaga Kaarel Tarand (praegu Eesti Rahva Muuseumi avalike suhete juht), kes pakkus, et ainult riigi nimemuutusest ei piisa ja välja tuleks vahetada kogu sümboolika, sest tegu on võõrlaenudega - lipp on laenatud saksa korporantidelt, hümn kopeeritud soomlastelt, vapilõvid pigem monarhia tunnus. Ka president Toomas Hendrik Ilves rääkis korduvalt, et Eesti peaks nii vaimselt kui sümbolite poolest kuuluma põhjamaisesse ruumi.
Tarandi hinnangul on ristilipp juba üleilmselt sisse töötatud märk, mis võiks anda Eestile mingisugust kaudset kasu, et me ei pea oma turunduskulutusi ise tegema ja alles hakkama märki sisse töötama.
Vahepeal on üles kasvanud uus põlvkond ristilipu pooldajaid. IT-äris töötavad 28-aastane Jaan-Matti Saul ja 30-aastane Peedu Tuisk on omal nahal tunda saanud, kuidas Ida-Euroopa kuvand, mis Eestit paratamatult välismaal saadab, toob tagasilööke.
"Ida-Euroopal on oma kuvand. Lääne-Euroopas on see inimeste peades tihti seotud autovarguste ja madala kvaliteediga ja madala hinnaga, aga Eesti professionaalide tase on nagu pikka aega olnud sama, mis on olnud Soomes, aga hinda me ei saa nii kõrget küsida," põhjendas Tuisk.
Jaan-Matti Saul kannabki pisikest sinimustvalget ristikest seljakoti peal ja liigub oma suvekodus Läänemaal ringi Saabiga, mille katusele on maalitud samasugune ristilipp. Rääkimata hoovis lehvivast vimplist. Paljudele on selline tegevus aga üllatav ja mõnedele lausa pühaduse teotus.
"On ka teistsuguseid inimesi, kes rõhutavad, kui oluline on traditsioon, kui oluline püsivus, kui oluline on esivanemate pärand, kui esivanemad on sellesse panustanud, nad on väga palju pingutanud ja võib-olla isegi ohvreid toonud ja kui me ühe sõrmeliigutusega heidame selle üle parda, siis me katkestame vaimse järjepidevuse," ei nõustu muutustesoovijatega Eesti Lipu Seltsi juhatuse liige Trivimi Velliste.
Saul ja Tuisk ei arva siiski, et Eesti saja-aastase riigilipu peaks täielikult välja vahetama, vaid ristilipp võiks eksisteerida paralleelselt praeguse variandiga. Näiteks eraldi rahvuslipuna riigilipu kõrval või ka muul moel.
"Kindlasti seda riigi sümboolikat nähtavasti ei tasuks muuta, aga et võiks võtta selle alternatiivina kasutusele näiteks turismis või nii. Et kui vanalinnas jalutada, siis tegelikult meie turismipoed on täis mingeid matrjoškasid ja muud tavaari, mis mulle isiklikult ei seostu eriti palju Eestiga," ütles Tuisk.
Ka Jaan-Matti Saul rõhutab, et trikoloor on püha, kuna väga palju inimesi on selle all surnud ja võidelnud ning tegemist on ajalooga lipuga.
Aga leidub ka radikaalsemaid tegelasi, kes tahaks sinimustvalge üldse ära kaotada. Nii arvab näiteks ühendus Uus Eesti lipp, kelle nägemuses võiks Eesti lipul olla küll rist, ent kujundus oleks skandinaaviapärasest erinev. Värvidena eelistaks nad sinist, valget ja rohelist.
Kuigi MTÜ asutajad Terje ja Kalev Jaanson ei soovinud oma seisukohti kaamera ees jagada, saab ühingu kodulehelt lugeda põhjendusi, miks praegune lipp nende arvates välja vahetada tuleks. "Oleme sinimustvalge all tupikusse jõudnud." "On suur vahe, kas me näitame harmoonia, rahu ja tasakaalu märki või rõhutame oma riigilipul horisontaali, mille üks värv on peaaegu üheselt negatiivse tähendusega."
Valitsuse sümboolikanõunik Gert Uiboaed märkis, et Eesti lipu traditsioon on praeguseks juba juurdunud ja selle muutmiseks peaks olema mingi väga tungiv vajadus. "Mina tänasel hetkel seda vajadust ei näe," sõnas ta.
Ehkki lipu muutmist toetav liikumine on praegu marginaalne, siis vaikselt see kasvab. Hiljuti avaldas Jaan-Matti Saul oma kodulehel põhjalikuma artikli, millist kasu võiks Eesti lõigata, kui seoksime ennast rohkem Soomega ja võtaksime kasutusele nendega sarnase lipu. Artiklit jagas Twitteris teiste seas president Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Edust kannustatuna lõi Saul ka spetsiaalse veebilehe, kus saab tellida Eesti värvides ristilippu. Praeguseks on veebilehe kaudu oma liputellimuse sisse andnud veidi enam kui kümme inimest. Kõige populaarsem on seni variant, kus lipul on sinine taust, valge rist ja must äär.
14. novembri "Pealtnägijas" tuleb lisaks riigilipule jutuks Tartu nutikodude pilootprojekt, kus miljoni euro jagamist saadavad tülid ja etteheited. Samuti uurib saade, millised on olnud Eesti suurimad kunstivargused ja kallimad kadunud tööd. "Pealtnägija" on ETV eetris igal kolmapäeval algusega kell 20. Saadet saab hiljem veebist järelvaadata. | {
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Outfit Spotlight: Ghosts of the Revolution
With the ever-looming excitement of PlanetSide 2 and Beta just around the corner we are pleased to bring you the first ever Outfit Spotlight! It is our goal to provide a service for both Outfits and the Community to stay well informed on who is controlling the battlefield, as well as a potential recruitment platform. Our first selected Outfit has been around since Beta of PlanetSide and has stayed strong in continuing their fight on Auraxis resulting in the organization you see today! Without further adieu, here is Ghosts Of The Revolution
What is the official name of your Outfit? Also any nicknames that you all would be infamous for! (Don't be afraid to give us the smash talk name the other Empires call you guys!)
The official name of the outfit is Ghosts of the Revolution. I didn't choose it, but I like it a ton and if I remember correctly it refers to the backstory of PS - the "revolution" the NC and VS executed to break away from the Terran Republic. And hey, "ghosts" sounds cool, right? As I said, I didn't choose it, but I like it. I will say I've been surprised over the years that we haven't been given any nicknames by the other empires. We have been ragged upon because our acronym is spelled "GO TR" but other than that, not really anything negative.
What is the main focus of your organization? (I.E. Air Cav Outfit, Tank division, Gen Dropping, etc.)
GOTR was created with one thing in mind: total battlefield domination. No matter what your playstyle is in Planetside, we can find a use for you. Support, heavy HA hitter, reaver pilot, ninja medic (yes, we've had a couple of cloakers dedicated to being medics) or what have you, we will find somewhere to put you. We utilize three divisions within the outfit: infantry (the 555th Death Angels), armor and air (the Fallen Elite Armored Regiment, or FEAR), and special ops (Daemon Legion). We have had many subdivisions and special teams over the years and I could probably write them all down but I don't want to bore you. The point is, we try to group people by their playstyle and use them as a machine that's greater than the sum of its parts.
Would you consider your organization as infamous in the original Planetside?
Definitely. Probably more infamous during the first few years due to massive numbers and our most famous outfit leader, Guru. We're still one of the largest active outfits in the game though, and I would say easily the most continuously active "large" outfit. Other outfits have had periods of inactivity, or have gone on hiatus to other games, but GOTR is one of the few that has stuck to PS since day 1. We were also the first outfit to reach 10 million outfit points on the Emerald server, and possibly in the entire game - I don't know for certain. I probably prefer the term "well known" to "infamous" except for one night every few months when we do the Rick James MAXperience. On those days, I like to use the phrase Infamous. There are videos on youtube that make it pretty clear what one of these nights entails.
If so, what (in your opinion) was your organizations finest moment?
Circa 2005? 2004? There was a rabbit event on Cyssor, I think, and the way one of our members tells it, the VS simply weren't involved. We didn't have any bases, the fight was completely two-sided between TR and NC. VS were off on another continent ignoring the rabbit. What happened next, he says, was that all of GOTR got into vehicles at sanc and hit the rabbit like a tank shell hits a pigeon. The TR and NC were easily within a few minutes of capping the rabbit, with VS at almost zero points, and we smashed into the rabbit area with an army. And we took it. Without bases, without empire support, just GOTR against the NC and TR, we took the rabbit event from 0 to 1000 and won the continent. I'm told that it was such an upset that the CSRs locked the continent for us for two days instead of one, because "it was just that awesome". We have screenshots somewhere, I'll have to ask around.
When was your Outfit formed?
GOTR was formed within the first day of Planetside's launch, continued from members playing in the beta during 2003. Our outfit window says one day after launch, technically, but I think this was simply a time zone issue. We were there during the beta and made on the first day, the OL at the time just might not have been able to hit the Outfit Create button within the first few hours
For recruitment reasons, what would you like a newbie to know if he/she is prospecting to join your organization?
We will take you in and teach you the game as best we can. Throughout the years we've amassed considerable knowledge on PS1 and hope to do the same in PS2. We want to be able to assemble the masses of casual players into a force to be reckoned with, so if you like organization, voice comms, events that will make you die laughing, and raffles (yes, raffles) then join us. I would say that GOTR has hands-down run the most "events" of any organization in Planetside's history, both inside the outfit and outside (like the infamous Lodestar Derby). So if you want an outfit with experience in the field of organizing massive numbers, you've come to the right place. We aren't complete control freaks on voice, you're free to shoot the breeze with your mates and we encourage you to do so, just know when to shoot the breeze and know when to focus on shooting the enemy.
And for the rest of the community what would you like them to know about your organization?
Hi, we're GOTR. No, we aren't trying to be like the leetfits, we do things a different way here. No, we aren't a "zerg fit", because zerg implies lack of communication and organization. We're simply a large outfit, one of the first large outfits. If you're on VS we will work with you most of the time, but don't take it personally if you call for our help and we give our objective more priority. That's how we roll - the empire always comes first, but we might not share your idea of what needs to be done. This doesn't mean we hate you, this doesn't mean we think you're a noob, it just means that, at that time, we think we have another way. As for the non-VS community, we look forward to some fantastic fights in PS2 and hope to get some interoutfit combat going on whether it's facilitated or not.
Do you have any special Outfit events planned for the upcoming months?
Two nights ago we joined up with Azure Twilight and Juggernauts to pull off a warpgate denial on the entire NC empire. Helheim and Ikanam were drained and NC no longer had access to broadcast warpgates. As for things planned in the upcoming months, you might see one last Rick James night sometime soon - but every Sunday we'll be doing a themed raid like we usually do, so watch out for thirty or forty lightnings / reavers / lodestars / snipers / beamers. It will probably be us.
Does your organization play any other games?
We're currently in the process of expanding. We have a branch in SWTOR and many of us play League of Legends - we are currently working on establishing a guild in Guild Wars 2. We have our own Minecraft server and there are constantly members searching for new games to play. Over the past year or two we've tried Warhammer, Space Marine, Face of Mankind, EVE, Rift, Shores of Hazeron, Stellar Impact, Nuclear Dawn, APB: Reloaded, Fallen Earth, other smaller RPGs and countless RTSes and FPSes, both made by large corporations and independent developers. The one we've always played is Planetside, and we're hoping for Planetside 2 soon because simply put, nothing else compares.
Does your organization have an end goal in mind? (I.E. largest Outfit on [Server name]?)
Simply to be the largest, most organized, most comprehensive invasion force on the VS. We want to do it all - air, armor, infantry, support, spec ops. We want to organize with the other VS outfits and make the Vanu Sovereignty supreme on whatever server we end up on. We aren't a two-squad resecure team, we're a legion.
With PlanetSide 2 drawing closer and closer what are your anticipations and hopes?
Above all else, we hope many, or at least some, of the inactive members return to us. The guys that were dedicated beyond all else but simply didn't like the new content like the BFRs and the caverns - we want them back! The players that made GOTR great years ago, the ones that really gave the outfit the leg up on the competition. We still have some of those veterans with us, obviously, but a lot of them left years ago for WoW or EVE because of Core Combat. We've gotten emails from them saying they're interested in Planetside 2, we hope they come back to join us.
Is there a wishlist that your organization has for PlanetSide 2?
We want an aircraft carrier, mothership, private island, flying tower, something. That would be ideal. Seriously though, we just want more outfit stuff. In PS1 we had a roster and a chat channel, and a preset logo, that was it. Give us something MORE, please, anything. Customizable ranks, customizable logo, special unlockables, something. More outfit stuff in general.
If you feel inclined please list any members within your organization that potential applicants can get in contact with.
Reignman83, robocpf1, N1H1L, shinything, VSBoi, Iopis, Wesco, Buddahx, garglemonger, LocoCoyote, Redknights, PJC, Pounce, I could keep naming names but if you play PS just hop in game and join a squad. Send me a PM here on PSU, or post in our recruitment thread in the outfit area.
And don't forget to check out their website @ http://www.gotr.us! | {
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LONDON — A man who shared explicit photos on WhatsApp of his ex-girlfriend has been jailed for 12 weeks, becoming the first person in Britain to be prosecuted for posting revenge porn.
Luke King, 21, posted the intimate image of his former girlfriend as the profile photo on his WhatsApp account.
See also: Our Best Weapon Against Revenge Porn Is Copyright Law
King had previously pleaded guilty to the offense, which occurred on Aug. 8, and was sentenced Friday morning in Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court.
The woman, from Derbyshire, who hasn't been named for legal reasons, told police she was "disgusted" and "really upset" by the ordeal, BBC News reported. She added that she had sent the images to King for his eyes only.
The ex-girlfriend had contacted police to tell them King had threatened to post the photos, but despite this warning, King uploaded the photos to WhatsApp.
"The probation officer calls it pernicious and intended to cause maximum humiliation," District Judge Andrew Davison said. He said he regarded the sharing of the photo as a despicable and significant breach of trust.
"She sent them to you in complete confidence... it doesn't give you any excuse whatsoever to post this type of intimate photograph together with the abusive and offense remarks you posted."
This is the first case following new guidelines that were introduced last month clarifying how existing legislation could be used to prosecute people who post revenge porn.
"I would like to thank the victim for her courage in bringing this matter to the attention of the authorities and her support in bringing Luke King to justice," District Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service East Midlands, Peter Shergill, said.
"This is the first case of its kind in Derbyshire since the new guidelines came into effect and is a sharp reminder that these offenses will be taken seriously and we will use a range of legislation to secure justice for its victims."
King was prosecuted under existing laws, however other perpetrators could face tougher sentences under new laws being introduced to tackle revenge porn.
An amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill would see people convicted for sharing revenge porn via social networks, text messages, email, websites or physical copies being jailed for up to two years. The bill is currently going through parliament. | {
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The Overwatch League offseason is in full swing, and every team around the league is making moves in free agency. While teams like the Defiant, Eternal, and Outlaws, among many others, have already made a plethora of pickups, changes, trades, and signings, the New York Excelsior has remained relatively quiet thus far.
Over the course of the past year, New York has proven to be a team that can live on the brink of contention and success while falling ultimately just short in the playoffs – whether they be for a single stage or an entire season. Coming into the year, NYXL was favored to be a genuine threat to the entire OWL and a serious contender to take home the season’s title. However, after falling short of each Stage Final (as well as the Grand Final), even finishing as low as 8th in two Stage Playoffs, NYXL failed to climb the mountain of expectations that was set for the team back in the preseason.
And still, here we are, approximately three weeks into the preliminary stages of free agency, and the NYXL hasn’t made a single pickup. Outside of dropping former rising star Yeon-oh “Fl0w3R” Hwang and longtime off-tank Tae-hong “MekO” Kim, the team hasn’t made any direct roster changes. Of course, the departure of head coach Hyeon-sang “Pavane” Yu was a significant blow to the organization, especially when you factor in that he’s now with one of the team’s biggest rivals in the Spitfire.
But after a season where the ball was dropped and the team fell completely flat, perhaps a shake-up in the coaching role is warranted. In traditional sports, if a team underperforms, that burden falls squarely on the coach’s shoulders. Perhaps the NYXL is bringing that sort of mentality into the sphere of esports with a move like this.
The Excelsior is just a few key pieces away from being a serious threat to win a title in 2020. One of those major pieces that still remains unsigned is Jehong “Ryujehong” Ryu, the support for Seoul Dynasty who has been known as a serious playmaker throughout his lengthy Overwatch career. Perhaps a player like that – someone who can make an impact on a roster right off the bat – is what the NYXL needs.
Regardless, the team now has open holes in significant areas as coaches and players alike have been removed from the equation. But still, no moves have been made to fill them. Is the NYXL waiting for unrestricted free agency to begin on November 11? Or is the organization electing to take its time and survey all of its options before pulling the trigger? If that’s the case, the front office needs to start getting its finger ready. With several players off the board already, namely the grand prize in the off-tank lottery, Indy “Space” Halpern, the Excelsior’s window of opportunity this offseason is quickly closing. Sure, the team can still sign MekO in a similar vein to how the Fusion released and later re-signed Josh “Eqo” Corona.
What’s puzzling is the fact that New York decided to give Flow3r and MekO their outright releases as opposed to concocting some sort of trade with another team. There are certainly other teams out there right now who could use the talent. Even still, as the NYXL moves past a year of shortcomings, “what-if’s”, and failure to reach expectations, it’s obvious that a blockbuster move that puts the team over the top and back into the sphere of contention needs to be made before it’s too late.
Photo Credit: Blizzard Entertainment, The Overwatch League | {
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Duration: 9:33 Views: 5 277 Submitted: 2 years ago Submitted by:
Description: Bitchy landladies Emma and Sienna have decided to evict Sophia and her boyfriend. When the couple come round to beg them to reconsider the girls ask to see Peter naked in return for letting them stay. As Sophia watches in horror, the girls strip Peter and then help themselves to his cock. As she tells him not to dare ejaculate, the girls pull out all the stops sucking his cock until he can’t hold back any longer. Seeing him cum for other girls makes Sophia mad and she drags him out by his ear! | {
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“To have an opportunity to vend, and to show my work with the community, yeah it's exciting,” La Grotesquerie owner Karen Nemes said.
Karen Nemes knows her art is an acquired taste.
“It’s kind of hard to get rogue taxidermy, for example, taken seriously,” Nemes said.
But thanks to Rebel Art Fest, she has found herself another niche.
“I don't fit in to a lot of the traditional festivals or settings or museums so this is a great fit for me,” Nemes said.
Nemes was just one of dozens of local artists filling Potawatomi Park Sunday afternoon for the Rebel Art Fest.
“I like having a celebration of our city and having the community come out and enjoy what's sort of here,” Make South Bend owner Michelle FitzGerald said. “I love a good party and I love having people enjoy the day. So to me, it's really amazing to see the city come out, enjoy something great, and I'm really proud to know this is all local.”
It's the signature event to kick off South Bend's Best. Week. Ever. 2019.
Adults enjoyed one-of-a-kind art and a ton of food vendors with plenty of fun-filled activities for kids.
It's a space for artists to get their unique messages across.
“I guess for me what it really comes down to is finding beauty in the broken things,” Nemes said.
Nemes believes her art helps with mortality awareness.
“I think what I do sort of falls into the realm of death acceptance and becoming more comfortable with death itself and the concept,” Nemes said.
And that it serves as an important reminder to live life to the fullest.
“You have these reminders of death around you and it's a reminder that time is fleeting and that you need to make the most of every day,” Nemes said.
Best. Week. Ever. 2019 runs the remainder of this week across the city.
For more information on this week’s events, click | {
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Ford Chip Ganassi Racing announces endurance driver additions for the 64th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by “Fresh from Florida”
Ford Chip Ganassi Racing officially announced today the drivers who will complete the Ford GT lineup for the 64th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by “Fresh from Florida.”
French driver Sébastien Bourdais joins American Joey Hand and German Dirk Müller in the No. 66 Ford GT, while New Zealander Scott Dixon will be paired with Australian Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook, of England, in the No. 67 Ford GT.
Scott Dixon: Dixon has been a permanent fixture at Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) for 14 years and has been on the Rolex 24 At Daytona roster for FCGR since the team’s inception in 2004. The four-time and reigning Verizon IndyCar Series Champion (2003, 2008, 2013 and 2015) and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner was a part of the 2006 and 2015 Rolex 24 At Daytona-winning teams for FCGR. Dixon holds the distinction of being the winningest active Indy car driver with 38 victories, which ranks him fifth on the all-time win list.
Dixon has been a permanent fixture at Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) for 14 years and has been on the Rolex 24 At Daytona roster for FCGR since the team’s inception in 2004. The four-time and reigning Verizon IndyCar Series Champion (2003, 2008, 2013 and 2015) and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner was a part of the 2006 and 2015 Rolex 24 At Daytona-winning teams for FCGR. Dixon holds the distinction of being the winningest active Indy car driver with 38 victories, which ranks him fifth on the all-time win list. Sébastien Bourdais: Bourdais started competing in karting at the age of 10 and progressed to single-seat cars in 1995. After moving to the United States to compete in Champ Car with Newman/Haas Racing in 2003, Bourdais won four consecutive driver championships (2004-2007). He made the move to Formula One in 2008 and joined Scuderia Toro Rosso, where he competed in 27 races over two seasons. The French driver joined the Verizon IndyCar Series full time in 2012 and has recorded three wins over the past four seasons. Bourdais has recorded four wins in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and co-drove the winning Prototype entry in the 2014 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Ford created this all-new iteration of the iconic GT to mark the 50th anniversary of the company’s 1-2-3 sweep of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Ford GT40.Ford GT has three overall wins at Sebring (1966, ’67, ’69).“It’s exciting to continue with Sébastien Bourdais at the 12 Hours of Sebring,” said Ganassi Managing Director Mike Hull. “The addition of Scott Dixon to our Ford Performance GT lineup enhances the depth chart. To have six high-caliber drivers who unselfishly know how to share with each other supports the momentum for the next step in North America. Our culture is about drivers, who as teammates hand the car to the next as they would like to receive it.”Ganassi’s team won the 2014 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the Prototype category with Ford EcoBoost power in their very first attempt. This year will mark the team’s first attempt at victory in the race’s GTLM category. In addition to Sebring, the team has captured seven IMSA championship titles, 46 wins and has six overall victories at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.The all-new Ford GT supercar is the culmination of years of Ford innovations in lightweighting, aerodynamics and ultra-efficient Ford EcoBoost engines. Ford announced it would return to GT racing with the Ford GT last June at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans. | {
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October is here and that means autumn has definitively arrived.
For college football fans, perhaps it’s not the temperature dropping or the leaves losing their greenish hue that allows this truism to set in. It’s the fact that conference play involving their favorite team is on the verge of heating up.
That’s certainly the case this Saturday as Ohio State travels to Bloomington to face Indiana in both teams’ Big Ten opener. The Buckeyes had an up-and-down non-conference slate but remain undefeated and have, for the most part, maintained their top-ranked status in the eyes of most observers. The Hoosiers themselves are also undefeated, a feat they haven’t achieved after four games since 1990.
The last time these two programs played each other when both had yet to lose a game was way back on October 3rd, 1942. The Buckeyes would win that day 32-21 en route to their first-ever national title under the iconic Paul Brown. Is it some kind of freaky coincidence that Saturday’s contest occurs on the exact same date 73 years later, especially considering OSU just won their eighth title under another soon-to-be legendary coach in Urban Meyer?
Might fate favor the Hoosiers this time on the third of October? After all, when the Hoosiers got off to that 4-0 start back in 1990, it was the Buckeyes who, similar to this year, made their way into southern Indiana. IU would remain undefeated when the clock struck zero in the fourth quarter with the game ending in a 27-27 tie.
Two years earlier, Indiana was also an undefeated 3-0-1 after four games with OSU coming to town. When all was set and done in Memorial Stadium that year, the Hoosiers romped to a 41-7 win, their biggest ever over the Buckeyes and, it turns out, their last victory in the series. That 1988 season was also IU’s last appearance in the final AP poll of the year when they were ranked 20th.
It’s been feast for the Scarlet and Gray and downright famine for the Cream and Crimson on the gridiron in the nearly three decades since. The Buckeyes have made 24 bowl appearances compared to the Hoosiers’ five and have a 23-6 edge in winning seasons. They’ve also won ten shared or outright Big Ten crowns and two national titles in that time.
For IU, those bowl numbers are skewed due to the success the program enjoyed under Bill Mallory in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since their 1993 appearance in the Independence Bowl, the Hoosiers have had all of one season above .500. That came in 2007 when they finished 7-6 and played in the Insight Bowl.
Clearly, success on the football field has become expected in Columbus while proving elusive in Bloomington. Lending credence to this notion is the fact that since the turn of the century Indiana’s winning percentage is a paltry .328. Of the 64 schools that are currently members of Power Five conferences, only Duke’s .278 mark during that span is worse.
That’s one of many reasons the Hoosiers start to 2015 is such a breath of fresh air and hints at a sense of optimism for the future of the program. IU athletic director Fred Glass has shown a tremendous amount of patience with head coach Kevin Wilson considering his first four seasons in charge have yet to yield a bowl appearance. With non-conference play over and the team still unblemished so far, it appears such level-headedness with respect to the job status of the head coach might be on the cusp of yielding dividends.
Still, Ohio State is no Southern Illinois, whose failed two-point conversion attempt preserved a 48-47 win for IU in the season opener. They’ll also prove a much bigger challenge than Florida International, Western Kentucky and Wake Forest, whom the Hoosiers beat by just an average of eight points. That said, sometimes it’s not the margin of victory that’s important to a team’s confidence. It’s merely the fact you closed each game with a W, especially for a program as success-starved as Indiana’s.
Will the Buckeyes notch another win as they continue to move forward towards defending last year’s College Football Playoff title? Or can Indiana pull off a program-defining upset and get to 5-0 for the first time since 1967, which incidentally was the year they last won the Big Ten title and made their only Rose Bowl appearance?
Here are a few things I’ll be keeping an eye on this weekend.
Three Things to Watch For on Saturday
Can OSU’s vaunted defensive front slow down Jordan Howard?
Kevin Wilson was one of the top offensive coordinators in the country at Oklahoma before he took the Indiana job. It’s no surprise then that he’s been able to turn the IU offense into among the most prolific in the conference. The Hoosiers currently lead the Big Ten in total offense, averaging 522.3 yards per game.
Running back Jordan Howard has been a key cog in this well-oiled machine. He may in fact be the biggest prize amongst the many UAB players forced to transfer after the disbandment of their football program. LSU’s Leonard Fournette (you’ve heard of him, right?) is the only player in FBS averaging more rushing yards per game than Howard right now.
A key to Howard’s success has been the robust run blocking he’s received from his offensive line. That unit, which includes two possible future pros in right guard Dan Feeney and left tackle Jason Spriggs, will face the biggest challenge of the season. That’s what happens when you run into a defensive front that includes Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington, who themselves could end up playing on Sunday.
The battle in the trenches will play perhaps the most crucial role into whether or not the Hoosiers can keep this one close.
Will the Hoosier secondary avoid getting carved up by Cardale Jones?
Speaking of a particular matchup that could go far in determining whether IU makes a game of it or OSU roles rather convincingly is a shaky secondary’s ability to limit big plays in the passing game. Buckeye signal caller Cardale Jones should be coming into this game brimming with confidence after throwing for a career high 288 yards and two touchdowns last week against Western Michigan.
He might also be salivating at the chance to throw against a Hoosier pass defense that’s second worst in FBS, giving up 360.5 yards per game. You have to bet that given Meyer’s emphasis on Jones improving his deep ball in talking with media this week that he’ll be much improved in that regard.
How will Darius Latham’s suspension affect OSU’s ability to run the ball?
It was announced earlier in the week that Hoosier defensive tackle Darius Latham was suspended indefinitely from the team. This after he had already missed the first game of the year for a violation of team rules.
His absence could have an adverse affect on IU’s ability to neutralize Ohio State’s multifaceted run game. In the three games he was a part of, he registered an average of 1.67 tackles for loss per game, good enough for sixth best in the conference.
Not only can the Buckeyes use Ezekiel Elliott in traditional ground and pound fashion, they can put Braxton Miller in the wildcat while also utilizing jet sweep packages with hybrid backs Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson, and now Miller since he’s moved to that position this year.
Marshall himself had a breakout game running those very schemes against IU last year in a game the Hoosiers led in the second half. He’ll look to do the same Saturday after a relatively quiet start to the season so far.
But of particular concern to Indiana with Latham missing will be Elliot’s vision and physicality both outside and between the tackles. The St. Louis native is one game shy of his tenth consecutive game of 100 or more rushing yards dating back to last season. You can rest assured he’ll figure prominently in a game plan that will look to prey upon IU’s perceived weakness down the middle while also utilizing Elliott’s raw speed once he’s in the second level of the field.
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(Natural News) A new report from the CDC Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices has revealed that fewer Americans are getting vaccinated than ever. According to the committee, adults in the United States are not getting as many vaccines as they would like.
Recent data from a new Pew Research Center survey has also revealed that parents of young children are growing increasingly skeptical of the safety of immunizations, like the MMR vaccine. While the majority of Americans still approve of vaccination, the numbers are beginning to shift. For example, 17 percent of Americans supported parents’ right to choose.
Young adults, in particular, appear to be leading the charge in this new development. Adults younger than 30 were reportedly less inclined to believe that the risks of the MMR vaccine outweighed its benefits compared to older age groups. Roughly 79 percent believed MMR benefits outweighed the risks in the under-30 set, while older age groups averaged around 90 percent.
Questioning the validity of vaccine science
Part of this is attributed to the growing number of people that are beginning to question vaccine safety and efficacy. While there has been no shortage of scrutiny for those who dare to contest the mainstream belief that vaccines are unequivocally safe, there are plenty of reasons why more Americans should be free to make their own decisions — and question the government’s protocols.
One of the most questionable aspects of vaccines no doubt lies within the fact that only manufacturer-funded and designed studies are required to prove a product’s safety and to win FDA approval. You can see already where that would be problematic.
A paper on the topic of industry funding of clinical trials was published by JAMA in 2003. The paper notes that industry-funded clinical trials are often subject to a host of issues that correlate with businesses protecting their corporate interests, whether they be financial or otherwise. For example, withholding the reporting of data is also not uncommon, though it is certainly frowned upon.
Bias can exist in industry-funded studies in a variety of ways, and it would be tough to argue that clinical trials of vaccines are somehow immune to something that is rampant in other parts of the pharmaceutical industry.
“Healthy user bias” is a common issue when it comes to vaccine science. You see, healthy people are more likely to be vaccinated than people who already have signs of certain diseases or conditions. Doctors often do not recommend vaccines to people who have pre-existing conditions, like immune system disorders. These people, even in the absence of vaccines as a whole, would still be more prone to disease.
In vaccine studies, groups of unvaccinated people are often compared to vaccinated people. The issue is that these studies are essentially comparing sick, immuno-compromised people to people that are perfectly healthy. Even if neither group was vaccinated, it’s clear who would be less likely to catch the flu.
In the British Medical Journal, Dr. Peter Doshi of Johns Hopkins University explains, “Since at least 2005, non-CDC researchers have pointed out the seeming impossibility that influenza vaccines could be preventing 50% of all deaths from all causes when influenza is estimated to only cause around 5% of all wintertime deaths.”
By selecting already-healthy individuals for vaccination, one can almost guarantee the impression of efficacy, even though it doesn’t really prove anything.
Beyond the myriad of issues surrounding the actual trial-and-approval process for vaccines, and their overall validity, there are also many concerns about what is actually in vaccines. Many people are concerned about the potential for the aluminum in some vaccines to cause adverse neurological effects, among other things.
Do citizens have the right to question what they’re being told by government agencies and the media? Absolutely, and most independent research indicates we should probably do so more often.
Sources:
Healthline.com
PewResearch.org
JAMANetwork.com
CDC.gov
VaccinePapers.org | {
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Max Bibeau | @max_bibeau
Denver is known nationwide for its strict laws on so-called “urban camping”. Many times, they have cracked down on homeless encampments and overnight shelters, drawing national attention since new legislation passed on the issue in 2012.
Footage from the event shows just how far Denver police are willing to go to enforce these laws. Over the years, they have faced heavy criticism.
A Standoff with Occupy Denver for Feeding the Homeless
Sunday morning at around 9:30 AM MDT, Shane Roberson and a group of members from local activist group Occupy Denver set up three tables on the 16th St. Mall and began feeding the homeless.
Less than 20 minutes later, two cop cars arrived on the scene. The officers then instructed the organization to take down the tables. With much protest, organizers began moving the food onto wagons, taking all of the tables down. Roberson, the apparent leader of the event, claimed sole responsibility for the tables. As a result, officers pulled him aside and wrote him a citation.
“I just walked here, I didn’t set up any tables, I was just feeding the homeless.”
Soon after, officers returned to the event and accused others of setting up tables as well, threatening them with citations and arrest. One officer clearly told two elderly women: “You were setting it up, you were setting it up, he was setting it up” before asking the women “do you want to take down the tables, or do you want a citation?” The officer then brought one lady aside. She proceeded to defend herself, saying “I just walked here, I didn’t set up any tables, I was just feeding the homeless.”
The Officer Calls for Backup
Roberson then went up to the officers, reasserting his claim that the tables were his and only his responsibility. The officers ignored him, walking back to their car and using their radios to call for backup. Shortly after, another cop car showed up, then another, then another.
By this time, all tables were down and Occupy Denver was serving food from the ground and from wagons. Roberson then approached the officers, asking whether there was still a problem now that the tables weren’t up. The officer responded, “potentially,” giving no signal as to whether or not there was still an issue. When Roberson pressed the officer for a more decisive answer, the officer stood by his vague answer, stating “you asked, a question, right, and I gave you an answer. But you didn’t like the answer,” before asserting that “potentially means… potentially” with a shrug of his shoulders.
Moments later, after a continual argument with Roberson, the officer received a call, spoke for a few moments, and then reentered his car and left the scene. The four other cop cars soon followed the cop.
Interview with Shane Roberson
Shortly after the event, 71R contributor Max Bibeau conducted a brief interview with Shane Roberson of Occupy Denver. Below the video is a transcript of the interview.
MB: Can you summarize what happened here this morning?
SR: Yeah, so we came out here with Occupy Denver to feed homeless people. The people next door, Corner Bakery, they’re basically against the urban camping ban and some of that includes how homeless people can be arrested for even taking off their jacket and covering up with it in a public place. So we came out here to feed our people, to celebrate humanity, you know we have to remember all life is important, and that’s what we’re doing here today.
MB: Did you expect to have issues with cops here today?
SR: No. I think cops need to take a hard look at themselves and realize that when a group or community is doing something, enacting services provided to people who have fallen on hard times, or are downtrodden, there’s a multitude of things that could have happened, they don’t need to intervene. We’re out here feeding people, we’re taking care of one another, and that is the core of all humanity. That’s what we’re here to do. Did I expect to have problems with them? Concerning what I just said, no, but knowing the police and what they do? Of course they were here trying to get rid of us.
MB: What exact law or citation did the cops try to shut you down with, or did they not specify?
SR: He did, he listed the code we were in violation of. I don’t remember, he said we didn’t have a permit for furniture, or to feed people, and I just asked him a few simple questions, like ‘okay, well when you go home and feed your family at night, do you have a permit to do that? Do you have a permit to cook your family food? To sit at your dinner table?’ No you don’t. And it’s the same thing if we’re having a picnic at a park or something else. This is a community space that we as taxpayers pay for, and if we want to feed people this is what we’re gonna do. So he did specify, I don’t remember what it was, but he then told me– I claimed responsibility for the furniture which he then tried to write me a citation for.
The Homeless Bill of Rights
The incident is one of many sparking a movement known as the “Homeless Bill of Rights”. According to the movement’s website, it hopes to “end the criminalization of existing in public space” by passing legislation such as the Right to Rest Act, which would decriminalize resting or sleeping in public spaces. Currently, this crime almost exclusively targets the homeless.
The movement also claims to “[stand] on the shoulders of social justice campaigns of the past to alleviate poverty and homelessness while protecting homeless and poor people from unjust laws and ensuring all people’s right to exist in public spaces.”
Many members of the population appear more than ready to aid the disadvantaged of Denver. However, many public policies and police actions are lagging behind.
71 Republic takes pride in distinctively independent journalism and editorials. Every dollar you give helps us grow our mission of providing reliable coverage. Please consider donating to our Patreon.
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The owners of Arnold’s apartment building think otherwise. In October 2008, Swiss television aired a documentary about Dignitas in which Arnold was shown handing a cup of sodium pentobarbital to an American man suffering from a motor neuron disease. His landlords responded by changing the locks on his apartment. Arnold was not surprised by their reaction. “There are forces that want to stop us, mostly from the religious corner,” he told me. “It’s very difficult to discuss this with them.”
Discussing this practice with anyone can be difficult, not just because of differences in religious or moral values but for the sheer range of terms used to describe it. The variations include assisted suicide; physician-assisted suicide; euthanasia by action; euthanasia by omission; passive euthanasia; active euthanasia; voluntary euthanasia; involuntary euthanasia; voluntary passive euthanasia; involuntary passive euthanasia; voluntary active euthanasia; and involuntary active euthanasia. To these, add ideological slogans like “the right to die,” “dying with dignity,” and “end-of-life decision-making.” This multiplicity of terms is the fruit of more than 2,000 years of argument, during which opinions have shifted dramatically.
Assisted suicide did not always carry the stigma it does today. It was an accepted practice in the ancient world. Athenian magistrates stockpiled poisons for their citizens, with the admonition “If your life is hateful to you, die; if you are overwhelmed by fate, drink the hemlock.” The Hippocratic Oath, written sometime between the fifth and third centuries B.C., pledged doctors to refrain from hastening the deaths of their patients and specifically prohibited the prescription of fatal drugs. The oath was a seminal development in the ethics of medicine, but was ignored by most ancient physicians. Only hundreds of years later, with the rise of Christianity and its belief in the sanctity of human life, did attitudes toward euthanasia swing decisively in the other direction. By the 12th century, mercy killing was opposed throughout the Western world. Thomas More’s Utopia, published in 1516, reinvigorated debate with its vision of a society in which “the magistrates and priests do not hesitate to prescribe euthanasia,” and where the sick “end their lives willingly, either by starvation or drugs.” Later, during the Enlightenment, thinkers like Francis Bacon, David Hume, and Montesquieu, among others, also defended the practice, though their writings did little to alter the prevailing wisdom.
The modern argument over euthanasia began only in the 19th century with the advent of medical anesthetics like ether and morphine. In 1870, a schoolteacher named Samuel D. Williams delivered a speech to the Birmingham Speculative Club in England. He argued that, for patients suffering from terminal illness, physicians should use chloroform not only to relieve pain, but to “destroy consciousness at once, and put the sufferer to a quick and painless death.” His comments were later collected into a book that received favorable attention from prestigious political and scientific journals and inaugurated a period of spirited discussion, in both Europe and the United States, over euthanasia’s potential to cure certain social ills. Scientific rationality was the byword of the age. Darwin’s theory of evolution had itself evolved into the sociological notion of “survival of the fittest.” Euthanasia promised the possibility of a healthier and more productive society, free from the burden of caring for its weakest members—the sick, the old, and the mentally ill. In 1906, two bills introduced in the Ohio legislature called for the legalization of euthanasia for terminally ill adults and for “hideously deformed and idiotic children.” They were voted down.
More failed legalization bids followed on both sides of the Atlantic. Beginning in the 1920s, German scientists led the way in Europe with the establishment of numerous academic centers devoted to eugenics, a burgeoning field of study that, among other things, promoted euthanasia as a means of eliminating physical and mental imperfections from the gene pool. The Nazis were close students of the latest theories. In euthanasia they found the ideal tool to put their policy of “racial hygiene” into action—not only to relieve human suffering, but to bring death to those they deemed “unworthy of life.” The category was broadly defined. By 1945, images from the death camps silenced further discussion of euthanasia, if only for a while. | {
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President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpTrump says he doesn't think he could've done more to stop virus spread Conservative activist Lauren Witzke wins GOP Senate primary in Delaware Trump defends claim coronavirus will disappear, citing 'herd mentality' MORE plans to move forward with business ventures in Indonesia, which pose questions of conflicts of interests as he prepares to take office.
The New York Times reported Saturday that Trump's organization still has “binding contracts” for two large resort projects in Indonesia. One project will become the biggest resort in Bali and will look over a Hindu temple.
The Times reported the company will be moving forward developing the properties.
None of the construction work has begun yet, the Times notes, but Trump has relationships with powerful people in Indonesia who the paper described as "crucial to pushing through big projects."
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Trump vowed he would make “no new deals” during his presidency and said his two adult sons would take over his businesses when he becomes president. But the fact he has such deals pending creates more questions about the potential for conflicts of interest between his presidential duties and his businesses.
The Times reported that one of Trump’s partners on the project, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, is a billionaire media mogul who ran for vice president of Indonesia in 2014 and is gearing up for a political run in 2019.
“You could have two world leaders that are business partners. It makes it almost impossible to conduct diplomacy in an evenhanded manner. That does not work," Richard W. Painter, a White House ethics lawyer under fromer President George W. Bush, told the Times. | {
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[This story contains spoilers for the series finale of HBO's Game of Thrones, "The Iron Throne."]
The Seven Kingdoms are no more. The Iron Throne is gone. Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Jon Snow (Kit Harington) — all of these royal contenders are either dead or far away from Westeros. In their wake, one man stands: Bran the Broken, First of his Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms and the Protector of the Realm.
The Three-Eyed Raven ends David Benioff and Dan Weiss' adaptation of author George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire as the candidate to rule the realm — a decision that has divided the Game of Thrones fandom, like so much else in the final season. Ahead, some words from the man behind Bran Stark, actor Isaac Hempstead Wright, who writes the following guest column for The Hollywood Reporter about his journey growing up on Game of Thrones, his final days on set, his views on the legacy of the series, why he feels Bran is a worthy king and much more.
It would be hard to overstate just how important a part of my life Game of Thrones has been. Practically every key life event I have ever experienced is in some way connected to my time on Thrones. Having finally reached this milestone in TV history and my own personal history, I am looking back on these unique and formative years of my life.
I come from a family with no experience in the acting world. My mum and dad are teachers, and my step-dad runs a printing company — not exactly very Hollywood. As a child I was fond of make-believe games, and so it made sense to join a drama group. After a brief stint trying to make it in my local football team (it is fair to say the Premier League won’t be calling any time soon), I traded Saturdays outside in the cold for the warm environs of my local drama club. (The ultimate irony is that for the next 10 years, I would be spending weeks on end in cold, muddy fields.)
My drama teacher noticed that I might have the makings of a child actor — patience, enthusiasm, an ability to listen well — and suggested I go forward for auditions. My parents were skeptical of the whole idea of child acting and so were keen not to let it become too much of a focus, hence I was allowed to do six auditions, with my final one being for an HBO pilot called Game of Thrones. After I got the part, we were presented with a 30-page contract which would sign six years of my life away. None of us knew what to do or how to react. At the time, there were conversations between my parents about whether this was something they should let their 10-year-old do. Sending your child to work hasn’t been very fashionable since the Victorian times. Looking back now and knowing what an extraordinary chance I was given, it makes me feel slightly sick to think of how I would feel now had we decided not to do it. It is truly one of those pivotal moments in one’s life that will alter its entire course.
One thing I am grateful for is the fact that I was around adults, in a working environment, from a very young age. I think I was quite a mature kid anyway, but being in a world where you have genuine responsibilities, and are a direct part of something which the whole world will analyze intricately, makes you acutely aware of how you need to behave. I had to grow up very quickly, and sometimes I feel as though I have lived a life's worth of experience already, despite only being at the start of mine.
Becoming a teenager on the show was strange. Your teenage years are difficult enough without the added complication of being on the world's biggest television show. The Game of Thrones community feels like a family, and so I found myself getting frustrated when I effectively watched my older siblings getting to go out and grow up while I was still being chaperoned by my mother.
The phenomenon of Thrones is not something I am ever likely to experience again in my life. The level of hysteria and speculation around it is unprecedented. When we shot those final scenes of the Starks on the bay in King's Landing, we were told not to leave our hotel room in Croatia for fear of giving something away. When we got into the cars to go to set, we were smothered in blankets to obscure our faces and costumes. HBO also booked out every single room with a possible view of what we were shooting so that nobody could take any covert photographs. We were also accompanied by a top security guard who arranged every move we made as though we were Secret Service agents on some mission abroad. Sometimes you had to remind yourself that this is only a TV show.
As I sit and write this now, I realize my very last week on the Game of Thrones set was exactly a year ago. We spent five days shooting in Seville for the Dragonpit scene, which was a fairly spectacular way to wrap up our time on the show. Several other actors who were not even in the scene were flown over to throw paparazzi off the scent, and they were pretty grateful for their free holiday while we shot under the unrelenting sun.
One thing I can say about Thrones with confidence is that I have never, ever been in a comfortable temperature. In Belfast, my days were plagued with sodden, muddy feet and biting winds, and then in studios (and sunny Spain) I would overheat swaddled in my myriad cloaks and furs. Thankfully, we had nifty inventions called cool suits which pumped ice water around cables pressed against our skin. You could always tell when an actor was making use of their cool bag; you would find them slumped in a corner with a glazed expression over their eyes, sitting in rapture at the relief from the blistering heat.
The first day of the Dragonpit scene was all my coverage. I can remember being slightly unnerved by this: It was a mammoth scene (around 10 minutes of dialogue between us all) and I'd hoped to have a bit more time to play it out and get a feel for it with everyone else. Before long, though, I got into the swing of things, and at the end of the day Joe Dempsie, who plays Gendry, complimented my performance and I was reassured. We then returned to the hotel, where there were crowds the likes of which I'd never experienced before. Masses of people were screaming and shouting and pressing their faces against the car window hoping to catch a glimpse of one us. It was like being one of the Beatles at the height of Beatlemania; I must say I am glad it is not something I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
When it came to the very final shot, it all dawned on me. This was to be the death of my character; it would be the last time I would ever breathe life into him, the last time I would sit in my costume on a Game of Thrones set and think about what it feels like to be Bran. That was something I had done as a regular fixture of my life since the age of 10, and so it felt very sad to be saying farewell. What was nice about that final shot was that it was a very long wide, and so we needn't have run through the whole 10 minutes of dialogue — but we did. Our microphones were off and nobody will ever hear those performances, but for me, it felt like a wonderful last opportunity to really be Bran. The camera was so far away you could hardly see it and we had a rare chance to act directly across from one another with no machinery or lighting in the way, as if we were onstage. It was a very special goodbye to my character.
After "cut" was yelled for the last time, David and Dan came and presented us with our wrap gifts as well as delivering us each a speech. They said some incredibly kind things to me that I shall never forget, and as they said their final words and it was clear the day was done, I lost my composure. It all became a bit of a blubbering mess as we bid farewell to people we'd worked with for a decade of our lives — people who had known me almost as intimately as an uncle or aunt would, seeing me grow up year by year and become the person I am today. It was overwhelming.
I can remember walking back to base from set that beautiful Spanish evening instead of taking the car. The sun was just setting, and as I walked through ancient Roman ruins in the dying sun, I thought about how this empire was now at its end. This great monolith in my life that had been a yearly source of fun and familiarity was to be no more. I would no longer have an excuse to spend weeks around these great friends of mine. I would no longer be splitting my time between home and my second home of Belfast. It was a moment that was quite impossible to have imagined ever happening when I first embarked on this unique journey all those years before. It was very poignant, and final.
But upon returning to the hotel feeling slightly somber, I spent some time outside chatting with and signing for the fans who had patiently waited outside all day. Any sense of sadness disappeared, because I realized that, while this journey may have been over for me, it was far from over for the world. It drove home to me the reason we do what we do, the reason we sit out in the heat in strange costumes saying made-up words: People love to watch Game of Thrones. People adore the thing I have been a very small part of, and that is something very special indeed. Game of Thrones will stick around for many years; new people will discover it, others will rewatch it, and so it will go on. Bran may have been "dead" to me at that point, but he lives on in the intangible realm of the televisual world and in the hearts and minds of fans worldwide. And that, no matter how sad I may have found it leaving the show, is a feeling so profound that I couldn't possibly be sad for long.
As for me, I am thrilled with the way the show ends. At the beginning of the show, Bran is a disabled 10-year-old with slim chances of surviving in this harsh universe. He will never be the warrior who comes in on horseback and saves the day, but he is resilient. He survives attempted murder more times than I can count; he journeys with only a handful of other people to one of the most dangerous and northerly points on the map, and he returns one of the most powerful characters in Westeros. I find it an extraordinary character arc to see him go from a vulnerable character totally dependent on others to the one person who holds all the keys to understanding the world. Bran becoming king is a victory for the still and considered people of this world, who too often get sidelined by the commotion of those who are louder and more reactionary. He doesn't shout to make himself heard, but instead waits and chooses his words and actions very carefully. In that, I think Bran presents a valuable reminder to us all in this day and age where sensationalism is rife and anybody can voice an opinion to millions, to sit and consider things a little more carefully.
The ending of the show has been dramatic and unexpected. Witnessing Dany descend into primal anger is hard indeed, and I can see why people took it to heart. But Thrones is at its best when it does things that hurt us — Hodor's death, for example — and episodes five and six of the final season are no different. There is perhaps no harder scene to watch than when Jon kills the woman he loves in the hope that it might save the kingdom. It is an impossibly difficult decision to make, and the jury is out on whether it was the right thing to do — and we will never know.
In that lies the cleverness of Thrones: Nothing is tied up neatly, and we are instead forced to ponder what the fate of this once great kingdom will be after everything has gone so wrong. Nothing sums it up better than Tyrion's line to Jon Snow when asked if he had done the right thing, which I have been covertly using in interview questions to answer how I feel about the years I have given to Thrones: "Ask me in 10 years."
Life doesn’t have neat, happy endings; it is ambiguous and ultimately inconsequential. To end Game of Thrones with uncertainty is perhaps the most honest way to end a story so vast and complex — and that uncertainty is what we all feel as we begin our life after Thrones.
Read all of THR's Final Path series, featuring character-by-character predictions:
1. Jon Snow
2. Daenerys Targaryen
3. Tyrion Lannister
4. Cersei Lannister
5. Jaime Lannister
6. Sansa Stark
7. Arya Stark
8. Bran Stark
9. Samwell Tarly
10. Theon Greyjoy
11. The Hound
12. Brienne of Tarth
13. Varys
14. Melisandre
15. Davos Seaworth
16. Jorah Mormont
17. Bronn
18. Tormund Giantsbane
19. Beric Dondarrion
20. The Dragons
21. The Night King
22. Across the World of Ice and Fire
23. Final Predictions
Follow THR.com/GameOfThrones for continuing coverage. | {
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Only three men in football history have scored goals at four separate World Cup finals: Pelé, Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose. Later this month this trio could become a quartet as Tim Cahill strives to extend a scoring streak dating back to 2006. Should Australia’s record goalscorer find the back of the net in Russia it would cap a remarkable international career for a player who emerged as a box-to-box midfielder and represents a country that has won only two matches in finals history.
Bert van Marwijk's Socceroos seek to lay ghost of Mark Viduka to rest | Ante Jukic Read more
So significant is Cahill’s place in Australian football one might imagine an abundance of praise for the tormentor of corner flags as the countdown to Russia 2018 gathers pace; one final opportunity for fans to salute a living legend at his valedictory tournament. Sadly, that has not been the case. No longer the talisman of previous World Cups Cahill’s selection in the 23-man squad has been met with far from unanimous support.
The argument follows that Cahill’s recent performances do not warrant selection – he played only 160 minutes of league football across the 2017-18 season, first at Melbourne City, then at Millwall. He failed to score for either club. Hardly the kind of form to make the defences of France, Denmark and Peru quiver.
But despite a lean run at club level Cahill began Australia’s last competitive international against Honduras and two games prior to that scored twice in the must-win playoff against Syria. Moreover, 105 caps and 50 goals is a body of work that earns a mountain of trust.
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Faith in Cahill’s ability to rise to the big occasion has made him a “special case” according to Van Marwijk. It seems likely he will take on the mantle of Australia’s plan B in Russia, the impact substitute to lift spirits when hopes fade, or secure an already positive result with a late flourish of industry and nous. “Timmy is always the one that I had [as a] kind of ‘break the glass if needed’ and I don’t think that’s changed,” explained former coach Ange Postecoglou on Melbourne radio recently.
It is a role that suits Cahill’s physicality and experience. A series of short wrecking-ball cameos to unsettle defences, chase lost causes and generally interrupt the flow of matches that are likely to find Australia on the backfoot for long periods. It is easy to envisage a disruptive Cahill changing a game off the bench to great effect.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cahill scores against Syria in the Socceroos’ Asian playoff in World Cup qualifying. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Even if the injury cloud hovering over Tomi Jurić develops into a full-blown storm, Cahill is unlikely to wriggle himself into a starting berth. That job will instead be assigned to Andrew Nabbout, who leapt to the front of the queue in a goalscoring audition against Czech Republic, or possibly even Jamie Maclaren, who has impressed Van Marwijk with his commitment following his 11th hour reprieve.
Australia World Cup 2018 team guide: tactics, key players and expert predictions Read more
Still, Cahill brings with him several attributes no others possess. The veteran not only promises oomph off the bench but leadership, experience and confidence in the dressing room. Countless colleagues have lauded Cahill’s positive influence as a team-mate and nowhere is this more valuable than a World Cup, one in which Australia will rank as underdogs every time they step onto the pitch.
The backlash to Cahill’s selection is magnified by his continued status as the face of the Socceroos. From onesies to televisions to petrol stations, Cahill is shorthand for Australia’s World Cup ambitions, in spite of the decline in his on-field value. It has led to a conspiracy theory that his selection was mandated by Football Federation Australia regardless of Van Marwijk’s preference.
Cahill’s likeness is irritatingly ubiquitous right now but it is unfair to punish him for the inability of his younger team-mates to progress into household names and offer equivalent value to sponsors. Similarly, his employers engaging in a marketing stunt demanding so much advance preparation it positively invited scrutiny is not his responsibility. Tall poppy syndrome is alive and well.
The reality, as awkward as it may be, is that a 38-year old Cahill with all his limitations remains a player of influence to Australia’s World Cup campaign on-field and a leading figure in converting that into commercial success off it. And he could yet enter the pantheon of World Cup greats over the course of the next few weeks. | {
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Scientists Sucessfully Test World’s First Laser-Guided Wind Turbine
The Danish National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy has successfully tested the world’s first wind turbine with a built-in laser-based anemometer.
A laser-based anemometer allows the wind turbine to “see” the wind before it touches the blades. With this information, the turbine can optimize both its position and the blades to use the wind more efficiently. It also increases the longevity of the turbine.
photo by Wired
“The LIDAR system can be used to increase blade reliability by making the blades cope better with the irregularities of the wind. Subsequently it is possible to produce larger blades. This increases energy production, and power from wind energy becomes more competitive, says Lars Fuglsang, Global Research Director of LM Glasfiber
Laser-based anemometers split the laser in to two beams. One beam propagates out of the anemometer to measure particulates flowing along with the air molecules. That beam is then reflected back into a detector where it’s measured in relation to a second beam, which is used to calculate the speed of the particles.
“So we estimate that future wind turbines can increase energy production while reducing extreme loads by using this laser system” says Torben Mikkelsen, professor at Risoe DTU. “The LIDAR systems allows a paradigm shift in the way of controlling wind turbines”, says Jakob Dahlgren Skov, CEO of NKT Photonics A/S.
These smart wind turbines can increase electricity production up to 5-percent. Since the system can adjust itself to gusts of wind and turbulence, the turbines benefit from using much longer blades. The increase roughly translates to increased revenue of about $39,000 per year for a 4MW wind turbine.
This advancement could cut CO2 emissions by 25,000 tons by 2025, if every 10th turbine was equipped with the technology.
Source: ScienceDaily
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UPDATE: This was sent to me via Facebook. How could I not share it?
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VANCOUVER, March 3, 2020 /CNW/ - Choom™ (CSE: CHOO; OTCQB: CHOOF), an emerging adult use cannabis company that has secured one of the largest national retail networks in Canada, is pleased to announce that it has submitted applications to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario ("AGCO") for Retail Store Authorizations for a further four locations in Ontario.
Ontario Locations
Toronto (Liberty Village) #3, 61 Hanna Avenue Ottawa (Trainyards) #10, 500 Terminal Avenue Kitchener (Sunrise) #B-8, 1400 Ottawa Street S. Hamilton (Southeast) #E001, 2190 Rymal Road E.
Ontario is a key strategic growth center for Choom Holdings Inc., says Corey Gillon, CEO, "The exceptional quality of our Ontario locations demonstrates both a commitment to Ontario and the capabilities of our team to secure premium brick and mortar locations".
Updates on openings, approvals and operating hours of these new stores are located on Choom's website at https://choom.ca/retail#Ontario
For more information, visit choom.ca.
Say hello to Choom™
Choom™ is an emerging adult use cannabis company whose mission is to establish one of the largest retail networks in Canada. The Choom brand is inspired by Hawaii's "Choom Gang"—a group of buddies in Honolulu during the 1970's who loved to smoke weed—or as the locals called it, "Choom". Evoking the spirit of the original Choom Gang, our brand caters to the Canadian adult use market with the ethos of 'cultivating good times'. Choom™ is focused on delivering an elevated customer experience through our curated retail environments, offering a diversity of brands for Canadians across a national retail network.
Cautionary Statement:
NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Forward-looking information
This news release contains forward-looking information relating to the Company's proposed activities and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking information relates to management's future outlook and anticipated events or results, and include statements or information regarding the future plans or prospects of the Company. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. These factors include risks and uncertainties associated with or arising as a result of delays in obtaining or an inability to obtain required regulatory approvals, access to sufficient quantities of cannabis, the results of diligence investigations, the actions of third parties, the results of negotiations with third parties, developments in the cannabis sector, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, reliance on key personnel, regulatory risks and delays and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of the Company's interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings, including those made with the CSE and applicable Canadian securities regulators. There can be no assurance that such forward looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information.
SOURCE Choom Holdings Inc.
For further information: Corey Gillon, CEO, T: 604.683.2509, F: 604.683.2506; Chris Bogart, President, T: 604.683.2509, F: 604.683.2506; [email protected]
Related Links
https://choom.ca/
| {
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A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the government does not need a warrant to obtain a suspect's cell-site location data records.
The 9-2 decision (PDF) by the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals said that the records of towers that a mobile phone uses to make calls are considered "business records" maintained by a "third party" and are not protected by the Fourth Amendment. That means the government may obtain these records if it believes they are relevant to an investigation.
The case concerns a Florida man, Quartavious Davis, who was sentenced to life in prison for a string of robberies in a prosecution that was built with the suspect's cell site records.
...Davis can assert neither ownership nor possession of the third-party’s business records he sought to suppress. Instead, those cell tower records were created by MetroPCS, stored on its own premises, and subject to its control. Cell tower location records do not contain private communications of the subscriber. This type of non-content evidence, lawfully created by a third-party telephone company for legitimate business purposes, does not belong to Davis, even if it concerns him. Like the security camera surveillance images introduced into evidence at his trial, MetroPCS’s cell tower records were not Davis’s to withhold. Those surveillance camera images show Davis’s location at the precise location of the robbery, which is far more than MetroPCS’s cell tower location records show.
The majority ruling by Judge Frank Hull is a big boost to the government. Warrantless cell-site tracking has become among the government's preferred methods of electronically tracking suspects in the wake of a 2012 Supreme Court ruling that the authorities generally needed a warrant to attach GPS devices onto vehicles and track their every move.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta-based appeals court had ruled the opposite way last year by a vote of 2-1. But the 11th Circuit revisited the case with a larger panel of 11 judges at the government's request. The outcome brings the number of appellate courts that have ruled for the authorities to four. There are 13 appeals courts nationwide. None have gone the other way. Without conflicting rulings, the US Supreme Court might not take up the issue any time soon.
In all the decisions, the appellate courts cited analog-aged 1979 US Supreme Court precedent, known as Smith v. Maryland, that allows the government's telephone metadata snooping program that Edward Snowden exposed.
Orin Kerr, a former federal prosecutor and a Fourth Amendment expert, said he agreed with the court's ruling—to an extent.
Granted, I want there to be a circuit split to get the case up to the Supremes. That leaves me in an odd position: Although I think a judge should follow Smith, I also kinda want a lower court to not follow precedent in order to tee up the issue for the Supreme Court.
The 11th Circuit originally decided in June that a warrant was required because the public had a reasonable expectation of privacy in their public movements.
"Thus, the exposure of the cell site location information can convert what would otherwise be a private event into a public one. When one’s whereabouts are not public, then one may have a reasonable expectation of privacy in those whereabouts," the court ruled. (PDF)
But what a different a larger panel of judges makes when it comes to deciding the constitutionality of so-called § 2703(d) orders:
The stored telephone records produced in this case, and in many other criminal cases, serve compelling governmental interests. Historical cell tower location records are routinely used to investigate the full gamut of state and federal crimes, including child abductions, bombings, kidnappings, murders, robberies, sex offenses, and terrorism-related offenses. Such evidence is particularly valuable during the early stages of an investigation, when the police lack probable cause and are confronted with multiple suspects. In such cases, § 2703(d) orders—like other forms of compulsory process not subject to the search warrant procedure—help to build probable cause against the guilty, deflect suspicion from the innocent, aid in the search for truth, and judiciously allocate scarce investigative resources.
For the two-judge dissent, Judge Beverly Martin wrote:
"While I admire the majority’s attempt to cabin its holding to the technology of five years ago, its assurances in this regard seem naïve in practice. As a result of today’s decision, I have little doubt that all government requests for cell site location data will be approved, no matter how specific or invasive the technology."
The MetroPCS records at issue in the case were from August 1, 2010 to October 6, 2010. The defendant, Davis, made roughly 86 calls a day.
The data included the telephone numbers of calls made by and to Davis' mobile phone; whether a call was outgoing or incoming; the date, time and duration of calls. The key dispute in this case concerned other data that was turned over. That included the number assigned to the cell tower that wirelessly connected the calls from and to Davis, and the sector number associated with the tower.
Davis' attorney, Nathan Freed Wessler of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that the "dissenting judges recognized outdated legal doctrines from the analog age should not be mechanically extended to undermine our privacy rights in the voluminous digital records that come with modern life." | {
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Kind time of the day, dear subscribersFor today, came the art with my favorite ^ _ ^ character comics from @rem289 - Cynthia WalkerI hope that it turned out not bad.All good and all the best@rem289 | {
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Like most deepdreamers, I’m getting pretty tired of the puppyslug nightmares. I was therefore thrilled when Google released code to use a “guide image” that I hoped would allow us to leave dogslug land.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I finally tweaked a dreamify.py script so that I could quickly cycle through guide images. This allowed me to test what different images do to different layers of the neural net.
I started with this original image of my dad at the Honolulu Zoo because it contained lots of different textures and contrasts:
I then ran it through four different layers with the 11 different guide images that I thought provided good variety. Here are the results, in the hopes that they’re useful to other dreamers. The guide image used is in the upper left.
Layer inception_3a/1x1, iter_n 25, all other settings default (view full-size):
For this layer, the guide image appears to strongly affect color and the tiny block-like shapes that are generated.
Layer inception_4a/1x1, iter_n 25, all other settings default (view full-size):
The color isn’t affected much, but the texture of the swirls changes greatly.
Layer inception_4d/pool_proj, iter_n 25, all other settings default (view full-size):
Very little impact at all, still very dogsluggy. The shape, texture, and placement of the dogslugs changes slightly. This seems to imply that any dogslug-heavy layer is going to stay that way, even with a guide image. Anyone experience something different with your experiments?
Layer pool4/3x3_s2, iter_n 40, all other settings default (view full-size):
Of the four I tested, this is probably my favorite layer to use a guide image. It’s very clear that the guide is actively included in the deepdream generation, and you can see remnants of squished kitty faces, mutilated hands, and steampunky bike parts.
Hope this helps! | {
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Viele Unternehmen und Verbände nutzen verstärkt große Anwaltskanzleien wie Sidley Austin oder K&L Gates als Lobbydienstleister. Diese Anwälte des großen Geldes lobbyieren unter anderem für schwächere Regeln für die Chemieindustrie oder eine Ausweitung der umstrittenen Schiedsgerichte im Rahmen von TTIP, Ceta und Co. Mit dem EU-Lobbyregister ist den Anwaltskanzleien nicht beizukommen. Ein Problem, das sich lösen ließe.
EU-Kommission, Rat der EU und Parlament diskutieren derzeit über ein gemeinsames EU-Lobbyregister (LobbyControl berichtete). Kommissionspräsident Juncker hatte vor Antritt seines Amtes im Herbst 2014 ein verpflichtendes EU-Lobbyregister angekündigt. Vor den EU-Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament nächstes Jahr wird es nun höchste Zeit, dass dieses Register auf die Zielgerade einbiegt. Auch wenn wir nicht das gesetzlich verpflichtende Lobbyregister bekommen, das wir fordern, engagieren wir uns trotzdem in diesem Prozess, damit es so verbindlich und zuverlässig wie möglich wird. Über Herausforderungen, Chancen und Probleme des Registers wollen wir Sie dabei auf dieser Seite auf dem Laufenden halten.
Anwaltskanzleien in Brüssel – dick im Lobbygeschäft
Anwaltskanzleien sind dick im Geschäft im Brüsseler Lobbygeschehen. Brisant ist zum Beispiel ihre Lobbyarbeit zu den umstrittenen Schiedsgerichtsverfahren. Anwaltskanzleien wie Sidley Austin oder K&L Gates leisten massive Lobbyarbeit, damit diese privatrechtlichen Gerichte Teil der Freihandelsabkommen sind, die Europa mit anderen Ländern verhandelt. Dabei agieren sie im Auftrag von Unternehmenskunden, aber auch im eigenen Namen. Denn als anwaltliche Vertreter wie auch als Schiedsrichter können sie bei den Schiedsgerichtsverfahren hohe Honorare einfahren, Stundensätze von bis zu 1000 Euro pro Stunde sind durchaus üblich. Aber auch in vielen anderen Politikfeldern, wie bei Regeln zu Chemiekalien, zum Wettbewerbs- oder Steuerrecht, leisten sie ihren zahlungskräftigen Kunden aus der Industrie mit ihrer juristischen Expertise wichtige Lobbyunterstützung bei eurpäischen Gesetzesvorlagen und erreichen damit zum Beispiel Ausnahmeregelungen für einzelne Unternehmen oder Schlupflöcher für eine bestimmte Branche.
Zahlreiche Kanzleien boykottieren das Register
Während viele Lobbyisten dem freiwilligen EU-Transparenzregister inzwischen beigetreten sind, boykottieren zahlreiche Anwaltskanzleien nach wie vor das Transparenzregister. Sie argumentieren, dass sie wegen der anwaltlichen Verschwiegenheit ihre Kunden nicht preisgeben dürfen. Das ist richtig, aber nur die halbe Wahrheit. Wenn sie ihren Kunden nicht in einem juristischen Verfahren beistehen, sondern Lobbyarbeit machen, müssen für sie die gleichen Bedingungen gelten wie für andere Lobbyakteure.
Im Mai 2016 haben wir in einer Studie aufgezeigt, dass sich große Anwaltskanzleien in Brüssel nicht ins Lobbyregister eintragen – obwohl sie eindeutig Lobbyarbeit betreiben. Sie werben auf ihren Webseiten damit, wie sie EU-Gesetzgebung für ihre Kunden “gestalten”. Sie beschäftigen jede Menge Seitenwechsler aus den EU-Institutionen. Sie treffen sich mit EU-Beamten, um über Anliegen ihrer Kunden zu sprechen. Jetzt, zwei Jahre später, haben sich von neun in der Studie beschriebenen Kanzleien gerade einmal zwei (Hogan Lovells, Keller and Heckman; Stand: 4. Mai 2018) registriert. Warum können so viele von ihnen das EU-Lobbyregister umgehen?
Anreize zur Registrierung lassen sich gut umgehen
Hauptgrund bleibt: Das EU-Lobbyregister ist nicht gesetzlich verbindlich. Auch in den USA haben sich die Anwaltskanzleien erst ins Register eingetragen, als dieses gesetzlich verbindlich wurde. Für eine gesetzliche Regelung bedürfte es nach Ansicht der EU-Kommission eines einstimmigen Votums im Ministerrat, dem Gremium der Regierungen der EU-Mitgliedstaaten. Weil dies derzeit in der Tat nicht besonders realistisch erscheint, hat sie sich für einen anderen Ansatz entschieden: Eine Vereinbarung zwischen den EU-Institutionen, bestimmte Lobbytätigkeiten nur registrierten Lobbyisten zu erlauben. Der stärkste Anreiz zur Registrierung ist dabei wohl die Regel, dass EU-Kommissar/-innen und ihre Kabinette Lobbyisten nur dann treffen, wenn sie sich ins Register eintragen. Die Kommission geht davon aus, dadurch auch die Anwaltskanzleien irgendwann zur Transparenz zwingen zu können. Ist sie damit auf dem richtigen Weg? Schauen wir einmal genauer hin:
Seit Dezember 2014 gilt in der EU-Kommission die Regel, dass nur registrierte Lobbyisten ein Treffen mit so genannten Entscheidungsträger/-innen erhalten. Richtig ist zwar, dass sich die Anzahl der eingetragenen Anwaltskanzleien seitdem gesteigert hat, von 61 auf jetzt 139 (wie unsere Webseite Lobbyfacts.eu zeigt). Aber nur ein Bruchteil von ihnen, nämlich 30 (Stand: 4. Mai 2018), hatte Treffen mit der EU-Kommission. Über die Hälfte der Kanzleien im Lobbyregister, 63 (korrekt am 4. Mai 2018, alle Daten über Lobbyfacts.eu), haben nicht mal ein Büro in Brüssel. Zwei Anzeichen, die darauf hindeuten, dass viele der Kanzleien im Lobbyregister keine besonders aktiven EU-Lobbyakteure sind. Diejenigen wiederum, die in größerem Ausmaß Lobbyarbeit betreiben, sind auch außerhalb des Registers dazu im Stande. Die existierenden Anreizstrukturen laufen bei ihnen ins Leere.
30.000 Schlupflöcher allein in der Kommission
Der Grund dafür ist, dass das Register nach wie vor zahlreiche Schlupflöcher bietet. Genauer gesagt: rund 30.000 Schlupflöcher. Denn die mehr als 30.000 EU-Beamten unterhalb des Rangs eines Generaldirektors sind von der “no meeting – no registration”-Regel nicht betroffen und können sich ungestört mit unregistrierten Lobbyisten treffen.
Von diesen Beamten sind viele direkt in Gesetzesentwürfe involviert, entscheiden über zentrale technische Details von Gesetzgebung oder bestimmen, wer an den Treffen von Beratergruppen teilnimmt, bei denen auch besagte Anwaltskanzleien oft anwesend sind. Offiziellen Dokumenten zufolge hatte die Kanzlei White & Case beispielsweise zwischen 2015 und 2016 mehrfach Kontakt mit der Generaldirektion Handel, um Handelserleichterungen für den texanischen Chemiekonzern Celanese zu erreichen. Neben einem umfangreichen E-Mail-Verkehr zwischen der Handelsdirektion und White & Case, fand mindestens ein Treffen mit Beamten der Generaldirektion, der Kanzlei und Celanese statt. Im Lobbyregister findet man White & Case nicht. Wozu auch, wenn man sich mit den zuständigen Beamten einfach so treffen kann?
Einfluss aus dem Hintergrund
Viele der Kanzleien müssen sich noch nicht einmal mit politischen Akteuren treffen, um Einfluss auszuüben. Sie bewegen sich im Hintergrund und beeinflussen die Gesetzgebung im Sinne ihrer Klienten indirekt, indem sie Änderungsanträge für Abgeordnete verfassen oder EU-Beamten Formulierungen an die Hand geben, die ihren Kunden dienen. Wenn die EU-Kommission ihre neues Register wirklich nur noch auf direkten Lobbyismus, also Lobbykontakte verengt, werden solche Tätigkeiten nicht mehr zu sehen sein.
Verbindliches Lobbyregister nötig
Mit neuen Bedingungen für Lobbyisten im Parlament und beim Rat, die mit dem geplanten Register kommen sollen, wird das Netz engmaschiger, so argumentiert die EU-Kommission. Schön wär’s! Die bisherigen Vorschläge der beiden Institutionen, was Lobbyisten nur noch nach Registrierung tun dürfen, werden diesen keine großen Sorgen machen.
Die Kommission muss der Wahrheit in’s Auge schauen. Findet kein Kurswechsel statt, werden die “Big Player” der Brüssler Anwaltskanzleien weiterhin das Lobbyregister boykottieren. Nur ein verbindliches Lobbyregister wird für die nötige Transparenz sorgen. Um diese Verbindlichkeit mit der interinstitutionellen Vereinbarung zu erreichen, die die EU-Kommission anstrebt, müssen Lobbytreffen mit sämtlichen Beamten von EU-Kommission und Rat sowie mit den EU-Abgeordneten und ihren Mitarbeiter/-innen von der vorherigen Registrierung im EU-Lobbyregister abhängig gemacht werden. Aber alle drei Akteure verharren derzeit auf ihren Positionen und sind nicht bereit, sich zu mehr zu verpflichten als auf dem Tisch liegt – LobbyControl berichtete.
Kommission muss mit gutem Beispiel vorangehen
Wenn die EU-Kommission es mit ihrem Vorhaben ernst meint, sollte sie jetzt diese Patt-Position aufgeben und alle ihre Beamten, die irgendwie an Gesetzen mitarbeiten, ausdrücklich verpflichten, nur registrierte Lobbyisten zu treffen. Das wäre ein entscheidender Schritt nach vorne, der die anderen Akteure unter Zugzwang setzen könnte. Auch sollte sie bei der bisherigen Definition von “Lobbyarbeit” bleiben, die indirekte Einflussnahme mit einschließt. Und auf längere Sicht muss sie eine gesetzliche Grundlage für ein gesetzlich verpflichtendes Lobbyregister auf den Weg bringen und damit auch die Lobbyisten selbst direkten, sanktionsbewehrten Regeln unterwerfen. | {
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From Roger Lowenstein in the NY Times Magazine: Walk Away From Your Mortgage!. Although Lowenstein doesn't cover new ground, he does provide a nice summary.
No one says defaulting on a contract is pretty or that, in a perfectly functioning society, defaults would be the rule. But to put the onus for restraint on ordinary homeowners seems rather strange. If the Mortgage Bankers Association is against defaults, its members, presumably the experts in such matters, might take better care not to lend people more than their homes are worth.
Strategic defaults (or "ruthless defaults" as they are known in the mortgage industry) are not new. But they used to be pretty rare - and it has always been hard to quantify. | {
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A fisherman spotted the hooked seal and reported it to authorities. After two weeks of searching, volunteers and experts helped tracked the seal and they were able to safely catch him. | {
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(l-r) Kay York, Jennifer Gorankoff and Christina Baker at the North Winton Village’s 10th Annual Festival of the Arts 9/17/16
A few weeks ago, I discovered a beautiful urban village pocket park.
Having checked out a book at the nearby Winton Branch Library, I found an ideal reading locale: a bench with a backdrop of color and greenery in the Linear Garden on North Winton.
There I met Marty Voise, a lifelong resident of the North Winton neighborhood, sprucing up and watering. Marty said he’s enjoyed tending this as other neighborhood gardens for about twenty years, having helped build a mini-garden nearby on East Main. Proud of the community effort that keeps the garden looking good year round, Marty suggested I meet the other gardeners at the North Norton Village’s Tenth Annual Festival of the Arts.
Today the garden was surrounded by music and vendors. Jimmy Highsmith, Jr. and Fatima featured a rich musical lineup; while the large gathering feasted on about a dozen food options from local restaurants and cafes. And Marty was right. Several gardeners were there, happy to talk about their labor of love.
Peggy explained how her involvement began in about 2000. Back then, the land was owned by Chase Bank and often used as a dog walking park. Peggy said some neighbors worried about unleashed dogs. So the group set up removable orange breaker fences. Building the fences inspired the dog walkers to get more involved in the space which then only had a trampled down grass path.
Over the years, flower beds, vegetable plots and a gravel path were added. Today, Peggy and I looked out upon an urban oasis Peggy calls “her refuge.”
Father Robert Schrader of the Peace of Christ parish said members of his community often volunteer in the garden. Father Schrader described the garden as a meditative place — an island of peace — where people can find quiet and beauty amidst the bustle of North Winton.
RPD Officer Mitchell (who took the bench picture) says 10 years ago the space was more like a weedy lot. Since then he’s watched as trees planted by neighborhood children have grown tall just like the children. On his patrol, Officer Mitchell always sees lunchtime eaters and literary loungers enjoying the benches.
Marilyn Parchus offered a brief history of the garden (below), including the creation of the sign and welcome gate about five years ago with special help from the City of Rochester and the Rochester Area Community Foundation. Marilyn mentioned the ongoing commitment of Bob and Karen Olyslager, Marilyn Schutte and many others.
http://northwinton.org/about-us/history/
Elizibeth Clapp, co-owner of Le Petit Poutine was at the Festival with her food truck. A big fan of Linear Park, Elizabeth thinks attractive oases draw shoppers and strollers to commercial districts like North Winton.
And newcomers admired the garden. Along with Christina Baker, Jennifer Gorankee and Kay York (pictured above) volunteered at the Coffee Connections’s booth at the Festival in support of International Overdose Overdose Day.
From East Rochester, today was Jennifer’s first visit to the garden she described as simply beautiful. Now also living in East Rochester after having moved here from Pittsburgh just six weeks ago, Kay York says the North Winton Village is one of many cool urban locales she has discovered. So far for Kay, Rochester feels like a mini-Pittburgh in which Park Avenue and the South Wedge remind her of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville district.
Finally, Marilyn Schutte made sure I knew the Linear Park is just one of several community gardens in the North Winton neighborhood. Those gardens will be our story for another day.
SEE ALSO | {
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Massive security vulnerabilities in modern CPUs are forcing a redesign of the kernel software at the heart of all major operating systems. Since the issues—dubbed Meltdown and Spectre—exist in the CPU hardware itself, Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, iOS, Chromebooks, and other operating systems all need to protect against the first exploits that have begun circulating. And worse, plugging the hole can negatively affect your PC’s performance.
Everyday home users shouldn’t panic too much, though some proof-of-concept exploits are being circulated in the field. Just apply all—well, most—available updates and keep your antivirus software vigilant, as ever. If you want to dive right into the action without all the background information, we’ve also created a focused guide on how to protect your PC against Meltdown and Spectre.
Here’s a high-level look at what you need to know about Meltdown and Spectre, in plain language. Be sure to read Google’s post on the CPU vulnerabilities if you like diving deep into technical details.
Meltdown and Spectre CPU flaw FAQ
Editor’s note: This article was most recently updated to mention Intel releasing fixed Spectre patches for Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake CPUs, and link to PCWorld’s guide on checking Meltdown and Spectre’s performance impact on your computer.
Give it to me straight—what’s the issue here?
Again, the CPU exploits in play here are extremely technical, but in a nutshell, the exploit allows access to your operating system’s sacrosanct kernel memory because of how the processors handle “speculative execution,” which modern chips perform to increase performance. An attacker can exploit these CPU vulnerabilities to expose extremely sensitive data in the protected kernel memory, including passwords, cryptographic keys, personal photos, emails, or any other data on your PC.
Meltdown is the more serious exploit, and the one that operating systems are rushing to fix. It “breaks the most fundamental isolation between user applications and the operating system,” according to Google. This flaw most strongly affects Intel processors because of the aggressive way they handle speculative execution, though a few ARM cores are also susceptible.
Gordon Mah Ung Even new Intel chips like the Core i7-8700K are affected by Meltdown and Spectre.
Spectre affects AMD and ARM processors as well as Intel CPUs, which means mobile devices are also at risk. (We have a separate FAQ on how Spectre affects phones and tablets.) There may be no permanent hardware solution to Spectre, which “tricks other applications into accessing arbitrary locations in their memory.” Processor firmware updates can mitigate the issue to some degree. Software also needs to be hardened to guard against it.
What’s a kernel?
The kernel inside your operating system is basically an invisible process that facilitates the way apps and functions work on your computer, talking directly to the hardware. It has complete access to your operating system, with the highest possible level of permissions. Standard software has much more limited access. Here’s how The Register puts it: “Think of the kernel as God sitting on a cloud, looking down on Earth. It’s there, and no normal being can see it, yet they can pray to it.”
How do I know if my PC is at risk?
Short answer: It is. Yes, even if it’s a Mac.
Google says “effectively every” Intel processor released since 1995 is vulnerable to Meltdown, regardless of the OS you’re running or whether you have a desktop or laptop. (You can find a full list of affected Intel processors in this article.)
AMD processors aren’t affected by the Meltdown bug. Chips from Intel, AMD, and ARM are susceptible to Spectre attacks. AMD says its hardware has “near zero” risk to one Spectre variant because of the way its chip architecture is designed, but AMD CPUs can still fall prey to another Spectre flaw.
Unsure if you’re already protected against Meltdown and Spectre? Gibson Research’s easy-peasy, free InSpectre tool lets you know if you’ve already installed the necessary operating system and processor updates on your computer.
Is there malware that exploits Spectre and Meltdown?
Yes, though it doesn’t appear to be serious at the moment. AV-Test, an independent antivirus testing house, is reporting that they’ve seen about 139 separate code samples that exploit the vulnerabilities. They include the first JavaScript-based proof-of-concept exploits attacking browsers. Basically, analysts believe that malware writers are investigating whether they can use these vulnerabilities to attack PCs, but they’re at the prototype stage.
How do I stay safe?
Thinkstock
Update all the things. The entire computer industry is moving as quickly as possible to patch in Meltdown and Spectre protections. Right now, you should update your operating system and web browser pronto, and maybe your CPU’s firmware. We’ve created a separate guide to staying safe from Meltdown and Spectre attacks if you need more in-depth help.
Definitely make sure you’re running security software as well—advice that Intel also stresses. No known Meltdown and Spectre attacks have been seen in the wild, but that’s sure to change now that the details are public. Triggering the attacks requires hackers to have access to your PC. An antivirus suite keeps bad guys off your PC. And as always, only download software and apps from reputable sources to reduce the risk of malware infection.
[ Further reading: The best antivirus for Windows PCs ]
What patches are already available?
Here’s where things get complicated.
Microsoft pushed out a Windows update protecting against Meltdown on January 3, the day that the CPU exploits hit headlines. Updates issued outside of Microsoft’s monthly “Patch Tuesdays” are rare, underlining the severity of this issue.
Intel also published fast firmware updates for its processors, but the first round of Spectre CPU fixes could cause system instability, reboots, and potential data loss or corruption in Intel CPUs released since 2011. Intel yanked them, Microsoft has released an optional emergency Windows patch that disables Intel’s earlier firmware updates if you installed them and are running into performance issues. Intel has since released revised patches for Intel Skylake (6th-gen) and newer systems. PC owners with other Intel CPUs should still hold off installing CPU firmware updates for now.
When processor firmware updates become available, you’ll need to snag them from your PC, laptop, or motherboard maker (like HP or Gigabyte) rather than Intel itself. Here’s how to find Spectre CPU fixes on DIY PCs.
Adam Patrick Murray Macs are affected by Meltdown and Spectre, too.
AMD plans to release firmware updates to protect against Spectre, with patches for Ryzen, Threadripper, and Epyc CPUs coming first, and older architectures later. They’re classified as optional, though, because AMD says its CPU architecture has “near-zero” risk against the Spectre variant that requires a firmware update.
Apple quietly protected against Meltdown in macOS High Sierra 10.13.2, which released on December 6, as well as in iOS and tvOS 11.2. Kernel patches are also available for Linux.
Chromebooks received protection in Chrome OS 63, which released on December 15. You can find a detailed list of how individual Chromebooks are affected here. Furthermore, the Chrome web browser itself was updated to include an opt-in experimental feature called “site isolation” that can help guard against Spectre attacks. Site isolation is trickier on mobile devices; Google warns that it can create “functionality and performance issues” in Android. Chrome 64 included more mitigations.
[ Further reading: The best web browsers ]
Other browsers are battening down the hatches against Spectre as well. Firefox 57 released in November with some initial safeguards, and Edge and Internet Explorer received an update alongside Windows 10. On January 8, Apple pushed out updates to iOS 11 and macOS with “security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre.”
Nvidia swiftly released graphics card drivers containing initial protection against Spectre as well—a crucial fix since GPU display drivers sink deep hooks into your kernel. Grab the latest Nvidia drivers here.
Check out PCWorld’s guide to protecting your PC against Meltdown and Spectre if you need more help. Gibson Research’s dead-simple (and free) InSpectre tool can let you know instantaneously if your PC has the necessary operating system and CPU patches installed.
Will these fixes slow down my PC or Mac?
It’s complicated, and highly dependent on your hardware, operating system, and workloads.
More recent Intel processors from the Skylake (6th-gen Core 6xxx series) era onward have a technology called PCID (Process-Context Identifiers) enabled and suffer less of a performance impact, according to Microsoft. Your version of Windows makes a difference as well. Plus, some applications—most notably virtualization and data center/cloud workloads—are affected more than others. Intel confirmed that the performance loss will be dependent on workload, and “should not be significant” for average home computer users.
Microsoft offers a slightly different and more nuanced opinion.
Gordon Mah Ung Intel processors have a severe kernel security flaw.
Windows chief Terry Myerson says they “don’t expect most users to notice a change” on Windows 10 systems running Intel 6th, 7th, or 8th-generation Intel processors.
Intel published some post-patch benchmark results on best-case PCs like this on its blog. The tests showed an average performance loss of between 2 and 7 percent in the SYSMark 2014 SE benchmark, which simulates productivity tasks and media creation. Its responsiveness score—which measures “‘pain points’ in the user experience when performing common activities”—plummeted by a whopping 14 percent, though. In web applications that use heavy amounts of JavaScript, Intel saw a 7 to 10 percent performance loss post-patch. These tests were performed on SSD-equipped systems; Intel reports the performance loss is less noticeable if you’re using a traditional hard drive.
Intel Intel’s post-patch performance results on “best-case” PCs. Click to enlarge.
Those are the best-case scenarios, though.
If you’re running older processors, including 5th-gen Haswell chips, “some benchmarks show more significant slowdowns, and we expect that some users will notice a decrease in system performance,” Microsoft reports. Finally, Microsoft says for PCs running one of those older Intel CPUs and the older Windows 7 or 8 operating systems, “we expect most users to notice a decrease in system performance.” As far a business use cases, Windows Server “shows a more significant performance impact when you enable the mitigations to isolate untrusted code within a Windows Server instance.”
“Obviously it depends on just exactly what you do,” Linux creator Linus Torvalds wrote in the Linux Kernel Mailing List. “Some loads will hardly be affected at all, if they just spend all their time in user space. And if you do a lot of small system calls, you might see double-digit slowdown.”
PCWorld has tested Intel’s processor firmware patches on both a modern Surface Book and an older Broadwell CPU-based laptop. The performance impact of the patches range from negligible to downright ugly depending on the task being performed and your PC configuration. Want more concrete results for your specific system? Here’s how to test Meltdown and Spectre’s performance impact on your PC.
Will my games get slower?
Nope, according to the limited testing performed so far, though these sources didn’t test the Meltdown and Spectre patches with updated CPU firmware.
Phoronix tested Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Dawn of War III, F1 2017, and The Talos Principle on a Linux 4.15-rc6 machine with a Core i7-8700K and Radeon Vega 64. None saw a frame rate change outside the margin of error range.
[ Further reading: The best graphics cards for PC gaming ]
Hardware Unboxed tested a handful of DirectX-based Windows games in the video linked above. With DirectX hooking so deeply into Windows, gamers were worried about a potential performance degradation there. Fortunately, Hardware Unboxed observed virtually no frame rate loss in Ashes of the Singularity, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, or Battlefield 1. Phew.
The Intel results cited in the previous section include both OS and firmware patches. It showed virtually no performance loss in 3DMark Sky Diver, a popular graphics benchmarking tool.
Are AMD processors affected?
Gordon Mah Ung/IDG
Much, much less than Intel chips. All modern CPUs are vulnerable to Spectre attacks, but AMD says that its CPUs have “near zero” risk to the variant causing performance slowdowns in Windows PC due to the way they’re constructed. Nevertheless, AMD is releasing CPU firmware updates to protect against it, though they’re classified as optional. Operating system and software updates will protect against the other Spectre variant.
Mentioned in this article AMD Ryzen 7 1700 Processor with Wraith Spire LED Cooler MSRP $329.00 See it
There is “zero AMD vulnerability” to Meltdown thanks to chip design, AMD says. If operating system patches exclude AMD CPUs from the new Meltdown-related performance restrictions—and Linux definitely is—the performance war between Intel’s chips and AMD’s new Ryzen CPUs may get even tighter.
Additional reporting by Mark Hachman | {
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Healing Affirmations - Metaphysical causes of Illness
Behind many illnesses is an underlying metaphysical cause. Our Healing cards offer you the possible underlying metaphysical reasons and a powerful positive affirmation to help in the process of healing.
Simply run the mouse over the letters below and you will get a list of conditions beginning with that letter, or use the indexes to the left. Our mind and our bodies are linked, it has been scientifically proven that using positive thinking techniques has a positive impact on healing outcomes. After looking at the possible metaphysical causes, why not find out more on how positive thinking can have a dramatic impact on healing success here. | {
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About 2bl.org
2bl.org exists to create dialogue about important business and social issues. Topics include economics, leadership, social psychology, global health and entrepreneurship. Ted Chan is the primary editor and contributor to the blog. He can be reached at [email protected].
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de Marin Pana 11.9.2016
O analiză făcută de Eurostat pe baza datelor definitive ale valorilor PIB din ultimii ani oferă o surpriză de proporții pentru noi.
România figurează în prima jumătate a celor 25 de țări pentru care au fost disponibile datele din perspectiva nivelului de trai al locuitorilor din zonele predominant urbane, calculat ca PIB/locuitor ajustat cu nivelul prețurilor din țara respectivă față de media europeană.
Menționăm că această modalitate de lucru cu paritatea puterilor de cumpărare standard ( PPS) este utilizată curent în practica statistică tocmai pentru a asigura comparabilitatea datelor la nivel internațional
De asemeni, precizăm că, potrivit definiției oferite de Eurostat, regiunile predominant urbane sunt acele regiuni ale unei țări în care populația rurală reprezintă mai puțin de 20% din totalul populației.
Cele trei țări pentru care nu sunt oferite date sunt Cipru, Luxemburg și Slovenia.
Mai mult, România figurează ca fiind peste media europeană a nivelului de trai din zonele preponderent urbane și depășește la acest indicator mari puteri economice ale continentului precum Italia sau Marea Britanie.
Spania apare la șase locuri în urma noastră cu un PIB/locuitor mai redus cu peste 20% iar Polonia figurează de-abia pe locul cinci din coadă, fiind cu aproape 25% sub țara noastră.
Nu suntem, însă un caz singular. Din fostul bloc estic, mult înaintea noastră apar Slovacia (locul 2, după campioana regiunilor predominant urbane Irlanda) și Ungaria.
Explicația: diferența dintre urban și rural e de 34%, față de 5% în Germania. În UK cei de la țară trăiesc mai bine decât cei de la oraș
Explicația acestui paradox constă, în principal, nu atât în prețurile mai reduse din unele țări cât în diferențele considerabile dintre urban și rural constituite în teritoriu. Inclusiv pe calea concentrării excesive a dezvoltării în anumite centre (de regulă, capitalele statelor ceva mai puțin dezvoltate din top).
Eurostat a luat în acest scop drept referință un indicator de bunăstare constând în proporția celor care ating sau depășesc 150% din media națională a venitului pe locuitor după trei categorii de nivel de urbanizare (zone rurale, orașe și suburbii, mari orașe).
Aici ne situăm (din păcate), pe primul loc la decalajul acestor indicatori între sat și marile orașe, înaintea Bulgariei și cu un procentaj superior țărilor baltice ca grad de concentrare a bogăției la nivel individual în marile orașe.
Grafic – Proporția celor care au un venit mai mare sau egal cu 150% din media națională după gradul de urbanizare ( 2014,%)
Dacă România are o diferență de circa 34% între marile orașe și zonele rurale ( circa 43% în primele și doar 9% în cele din urmă), țări precum Austria sau Germania se încadrează în mai puțin de 5%.
De altfel, fapt semnificativ pentru dezvoltarea echilibrată a unei clase mijlocii, doar în aceste țări nivelul de trai este practic același în orașele mai mici, cu periferiile lor, și în orașele mai mari.
De remarcat și situația specială a Marii Britanii, țară aflată într-o situație specială și într-un tip de postindustrializare pronunțată ce a determinat o inversare greu de conceput pentru români. Adică proporția celor cu venituri mai mari față de media națională este mai ridicată în zona rurală și nu în marile orașe.
Revenind la situația noastră, suntem evident într-o situație specială.
Politicile de ștergere a diferențelor dintre sat și oraș, precum și dintre orașele mici și orașele mari (sau, mai exact lipsa lor) din ultimii ani ne-au adus în această poziție bizară, care explică de ce percepția noastră atunci când călătorim în străinătate ( de regulă în zone urbane) sau ne petrecem timpul în mediul rural diferă destul de mult de datele generale.
Datele Eurostat se constituie într-un semnal de alarmă pentru coeziunea socială și ne arată cât de departe suntem de uzanțele în materie. Uzanțe care nu țineau de sloganurile socialiste de pe vremuri ci de necesități obiective valabile, după cum se vede, și în dezvoltarea capitalismului european.
Dacă mai avem cum, ar trebui să convergem și din acest punct de vedere spre situația din Occident. | {
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NEWARK, NJ — Newark city officials are advising residents throughout the city that they may experience "low pressure" and "discolored or acrid-smelling water" this weekend due to system repairs.
According to Newark public safety officials, due to water system repairs by the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, residents may experience low water pressure beginning at 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 through the morning of Sunday, March 3.
The Newark Department of Public Safety issued the following advisory on Feb. 28: | {
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RN: Is it just me, or has apparel for the well-outfitted bicyclist become, well, a bit much?
CP: It's just you.
RN: I don't know. You gave a squadron of them quite the disapproving look last Saturday, during our post-yoga Moose & Sadie's breakfast.
CP: My admiring look just comes across as disapproving. It's my default facial expression. But I would remind you that plenty of automobile drivers are wearing perfectly ridiculous outfits as well. We just can't see them.
RN: Proving, once again, that there is a god.
CP: As for the bike get-ups, my faves are the ones that resemble a NASCAR driving suit, only shrink-wrapped. Same profusion of logos, colors, decals, patterns, zippers -- but all in skin-hugging Lycra. Often hugging a good deal of skin.
RN: It's like going to the beach and, wouldn't you know it? The one guy sporting a Speedo is inevitably the one guy who should so not be poured into a few square inches of taut, chlorine-resistant fabric.
CP: The most obvious two-wheeled offenders are those who travel in large packs. In suburban Chicago recently, I saw a half-dozen men doing their best Occupy Starbucks routine. As none were perspiring, I guessed that they had traveled a mile or two on their composite tri-bikes, in booties and hoodies and aerodynamic helmets, to enjoy a no-foam latté and a nice Saturday chat.
RN: Speaking of the pack mentality, I will admit to getting a kick out of the Birchwood Cafe's eye-catching bike-team togs. I spy them everywhere. It's better advertising than a platinum-level sponsorship on Yelp.
CP: Seeing that club riding en masse on the Midtown Greenway is like something out of a Ridley Scott movie. Only gayer.
RN: And then they all wisely head back to the restaurant and carb load on big-old sticky caramel rolls and waffles.
CP: Clicking and clacking across the floor like so many top-heavy Fred Astaires.
RN: The last time I was at the B'wood, admiring their collective athletic zeal, I did have more than one I-see-London-I-see-France-I-see-a-biker's-underpants -- and more -- moment. Yikes.
CP: The hipster bikers, in their tattoo-baring hemp capris and porkpie hats, can be just as annoying as the Tour de 50th and France ones. Still, even the worst of them are better than the angry motorists who take joy in cutting us off, honking or flipping us the bird to exercise their King of the Roadness. Oops. Have I revealed too much?
RN: Hardly. Although the rogue bicyclists who ignore the rules of the road aren't exactly model citizens, either. Shame on their recklessness and moral superiority. Not that I haven't pedaled through a few stop signs over the years. Don't tell anyone.
CP: When I'm biking, it's as if I'm in a magical time of yore before stop signs were even invented. | {
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Improved default settings for Linux machines
I get asked about my default settings for Linux fairly frequently and was writing this in an email and decided to post it for broader use. If you have better recommendations, by all means please send me a pull request. The Edit button at the top of this page will get you there.
There are a couple groups of settings below. Most of the settings below should end up in /etc/sysctl.conf or /etc/sysctl.d/filename.conf (depending on your distro). They can be applied immediately with sudo sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/filename.conf .
I've applied most of these to hundreds of machines and never had an issue. That said, test in non-production first! I run the same settings across pretty much every Linux machine I touch, including laptops, Intel NUCs, Xeon workstations, and huge NUMA servers. There's more to be done for each case to get the best performance, but I think this is where almost every machine should start.
Edit: I've run across a few comments complaining about these large max values. The reason I set them high is that the machines I work on are not multi-user in any way. These settings would be insane on a shared university machine, but for a Linux workstation or server, there's only one user/application that pretty much never wants or expects to hit the ridiculously low default limits. As I mentioned, I've run these settings on likely thousands of machines over the last few years and have never seen them cause an issue; in fact quite the opposite happens: users are not surprised by silly limits like 1024 file handles or applications going away for non-deterministic amounts of time while the kernel fetches application pages from swap that were only swapped out to make room for VFS.
As of Linux >= 3.5, setting to vm.swappiness=0 disables swap entirely, but you're better off running swapoff -a since others have reported pauses.
# tell the kernel to only swap if it really needs it vm.swappiness = 1 # increase the number of allowed mmapped files vm.max_map_count = 1048576 # increase the number of file handles available globally fs.file-max = 1048576 # allow up to 999999 processes with corresponding pids # this looks nice and rarely rolls over - I've never had a problem with it. kernel.pid_max = 999999 # unnecessary, but I like it # seconds to delay after a kernel panic and before rebooting automatically kernel.panic = 300 # do not enable if your machines are not physically secured # this can be used to force reboots, kill processses, cause kernel crashes, etc without logging in # but it's very handy when a machine is hung and you need to get control # that said, I always enable it kernel.sysrq = 1
These are improved defaults for opening up the Linux network stack. I recommend Googling "Linux C10k" to learn more about what they mean.
net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range = 10000 65535 net.ipv4.tcp_window_scaling = 1 net.ipv4.tcp_rmem = 4096 87380 16777216 net.ipv4.tcp_wmem = 4096 65536 16777216 net.core.rmem_max = 16777216 net.core.wmem_max = 16777216 net.core.netdev_max_backlog = 2500 net.core.somaxconn = 65000
These are some more advanced settings to control how much written data can be held in RAM before flushing to disk. These are generally safe to apply, but going crazy with numbers can (easily) adversely affect performance. I prefer a fairly low dirty_background setting to make sure IO doesn't get backed up. Setting these numbers really high can be useful for large file transfers that are smaller than RAM, but eventually you pay the cost of flushing to disk, so I don't recommend going crazy.
See Also:
# these will need local tuning, currently set to start flushing dirty pages at 256MB # writes will start blocking at 2GB of dirty data, but this should only ever happen if # your disks are far slower than your software is writing data # If you have an older kernel, you will need to s/bytes/ratio/ and adjust accordingly. vm.dirty_background_bytes = 268435456 vm.dirty_bytes = 1073741824
Edit: Moved the shared memory settings out of the main block since they caused problems for some desktop users. KDE, especially, seems to use a lot of shared memory. 64k is a fairly common setting, but will break KDE setups, so some people report seeing 33554432 and higher values. For now I'm going to recommend checking your distro settings and if they're already above 64k, the setting is fine and should be left alone. These are now all set to 32M, including the msgmnb which reflects the max message size. As long as apps aren't going wild with shared memory, 32M should be perfectly safe on modern hardware.
# increase the sysv ipc limits kernel.shmmax = 33554432 kernel.msgmax = 33554432 kernel.msgmnb = 33554432
Finally, I think the whole pam limits business is useless on single-user systems (e.g. workstations, database servers), so I effectively disable it. Put this /etc/security/limits.conf or /etc/security/limits.d/disable.conf (depending on your distro & preferences). You will need to log out and back in for the limits to apply to any current logins. ssh localhost ulimit -a is a quick way to check if the settings are being applied.
* - nofile 1048576 * - memlock unlimited * - fsize unlimited * - data unlimited * - rss unlimited * - stack unlimited * - cpu unlimited * - nproc unlimited * - as unlimited * - locks unlimited * - sigpending unlimited * - msgqueue unlimited
Once these settings are applied, a lot of issues go away. Please let me know if you run into any issues either on Twitter as @AlTobey or via email at [email protected]. | {
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KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Two Western Michigan football players were kicked off the team Sunday, after a prosecutor announced that they would face three criminal charges for allegedly pushing their way into a woman's apartment and robbing her.
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said his office has authorized charges of armed robbery, first-degree home invasion and larceny in a building against linebacker Ron George and wide receiver Bryson White.
During a court appearance Monday, bond was set at $100,000 for each.
George asked for a court-appointed lawyer. White said he has an attorney, but he appeared by video from jail without one.
Getting said that if convicted on all the charges, the two men could face life in prison.
The two men are accused of using a gun and knife to rob a woman at about 9 p.m. Friday.
Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck said, "We are moving forward," and declined to comment further. | {
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Donald Trump's chief-of-staff, General John Kelly, has repeatedly referred to the US president as an "idiot", it has been claimed.
The assertion is made in the latest book on the inner workings of the Trump administration, which paints an unflattering picture of the president's relationship with members of his staff.
It is also said that aides have removed papers from Mr Trump's desk to prevent him signing them.
Tributes to McCain - and insults for Trump
Fear: Trump In The White House, by veteran reporter Bob Woodward, claims Gen Kelly has repeatedly called Mr Trump an "idiot" and quotes him as saying "it's pointless to try to convince him [Mr Trump] of anything".
The former marine general is also said to have doubted Mr Trump's mental faculties, declaring during one meeting: "We're in crazytown."
Defence secretary James Mattis apparently told a staffer the president had the foreign policy understanding of a "fifth- or sixth-grader" - a child of 11 or 12.
The Woodward book has already been refuted and discredited by General (Secretary of Defense) James Mattis and General (Chief of Staff) John Kelly. Their quotes were made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes. Woodward is a Dem operative? Notice timing? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
Mr Trump responded on Twitter by posting statements credited to Mr Mattis, Gen Kelly and from the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.
He suggested the book was published at a time to boost the Democrats during the Supreme Court power struggle, writing: "The Woodward book has already been refuted and discredited by General (Secretary of Defense) James Mattis and General (Chief of Staff) John Kelly.
"Their quotes were made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes. Woodward is a Dem operative? Notice timing?"
He added: "The already discredited Woodward book, so many lies and phony sources, has me calling Jeff Sessions 'mentally retarded' and 'a dumb southerner.'
Statement from Secretary of Defense, James Mattis: pic.twitter.com/OneaxKCneV — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
"I said NEITHER, never used those terms on anyone, including Jeff, and being a southerner is a GREAT thing."
The book claims that Gary Cohn, the former director of the national economic council, boasted of removing papers from the president's desk to prevent him withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Mr Trump's former lawyer in the Russia inquiry, John Dowd, is said to have told Mr Trump not to agree to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller as he doubted his boss's ability to avoid perjuring himself.
:: Trump hits out at Sessions again
"Don't testify. It's either that or an orange jumpsuit," Mr Dowd is said to have told the president.
Image: Bob Woodward (L) with Carl Bernstein at the 2017 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
Mr Mattis is quoted explaining to Mr Trump why the US maintains troops on the South Korean peninsula to monitor the North's missile activities.
"We're doing this in order to prevent World War III," Mr Mattis said.
General Kelly has denied the book's claims, saying in a statement: "The idea I ever called the president an idiot is not true... This is another pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from the administration's many successes."
Statement from White House Chief of Staff, General John Kelly: pic.twitter.com/LUN8cDr3N5 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called the book "nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees".
:: Trump hoping his electoral magic rubs off on Republicans in mid-terms
Mr Woodward, who along with Carl Bernstein helped expose the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon in 1974, relied on so-called "deep background" conversations with sources, often recorded.
Current and former White House officials estimate that nearly all of their colleagues co-operated with Mr Woodward.
However, his sourcing was nonetheless questioned by Mr Trump in a telephone conversation in August, released by the Washington Post.
In the call, recorded by Mr Woodward with Mr Trump's permission, the president first says he did not know about the book, then changes tack and admits he did, blaming staff for preventing the reporter from reaching him to discuss it.
The latest book is the third this year to lift the lid on Mr Trump's White House, following Fire And Fury by Michael Wolff and an expose of her time in the West Wing by former White House aide and Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman. | {
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The secret negotiations are complete. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) — kind of a quadruple NAFTA — was finalized Oct. 5 and will be heading to Congress for a ratification vote. TPP is a partnership between corporate lawyers and government leaders from 12 Pacific Rim nations — to write a massive set of rules that would lock in corporate profits and protect investors from democracy.
We already know enough to oppose the TPP. It’s going to offshore jobs and drive down wages.” — Citizens Trade Campaign director Arthur Stamoulis
But that’s not how President Barack Obama’s trade czar put it. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is a former Citigroup executive and Harvard Law classmate ofObama’s. During his Senate confirmation it came out that he owned substantial funds in a Cayman Islands tax haven. Froman’s the guy who led the TPP talks to completion, and he wants you to think TPP is all about benefiting American workers.
For details of the sales pitch, or just to witness the Obama Administration’s world-class chutzpah, take a look at Froman’s brand-new propaganda web site — ustr.gov/tpp. The site features a red-white-and-blue logo that reads “TPP: Made In America,” and the tagline, “leveling the playing field for American workers and American businesses.” The TPP “includes the strongest worker protections of any trade agreement in history,” the web site says.
The public has only the administration’s word for that, for now. The text of the agreement will continue to be classified until it’s released in about a month.
In his 2008 presidential campaign, Obama said he’d preside over the most transparent administration ever. But his trade talks were even more secret than those of the Bush years. Almost everything about the talks was classified. Even members of Congress had to go to a special room just to see what the U.S. was proposing in the talks — and they weren’t allowed to take notes or pictures. What does Froman’s TPP web site say about that?
“President Obama made the TPP negotiations the most transparent in American history.”
Arthur Stamoulis is executive director of the labor-backed Citizens Trade Campaign in Washington, D.C. Reached by phone, he chuckles wearily when asked if he thinks TPP has strong worker protections.
“Nobody in labor is buying it,” Stamoulis says.
Judging by the details so far released, Stamoulis says the claim of strong workers’ rights protections looks pretty flimsy for two reasons. First, TPP nations would commit to meet the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization, but TPP negotiators chose to define those standards by the broad principles of the ILO’s “Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work” — not the specific enforceable language of ILO Conventions. Second, it’s enforcement that matters, not pretty promises. To protect foreign investor rights, TPP lets foreign investors sue governments directly in special dispute resolution panels. But workers and unions wouldn’t have a similar right to sue governments when they violate TPP worker rights provisions: Only governments can make those complaints. And the past record doesn’t inspire confidence, Stamoulis says. The Bush Administration lauded CAFTA for its “enforceable” workers rights standards before it passed in 2005. Today CAFTA-signatory Guatemala is one of the deadliest countries on earth for trade union organizers, and has faced no meaningful sanction under CAFTA.
“We’ve heard it before: ‘Trust us; this is going to do a better job on labor and environment.’” Stamoulis said.
TPP is also said to be better for workers than past agreements because it would require countries — like Vietnam — to have a legal minimum wage; it doesn’t say how high, just that they have a law.
“Can you imagine the Obama Administration going to PhRMA [the pharmaceutical industry lobby group] and saying this is a good agreement because we require them to have patent laws?” Stamoulis said.
And there are other reasons besides weak worker protections to oppose TPP, Stamoulis said. Its Investor-State Dispute Resolution process would create incentives to offshore. Its government procurement rules would seriously limit efforts to buy American or buy local. And its rules-of-origin provisions are worse than those of NAFTA — it would treat autos as “Japanese made,” even when they have lots of Chinese parts.
“We already know enough to oppose the TPP,” Stamoulis said. “It’s going to offshore jobs and drive down wages.”
RELATED STORIES:
Free trade fracas: The presidential politics of TPP
Plumbers to politicians: Which side are you on? | {
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Seoul, South Korea • The rival Koreas agreed Wednesday to form their first unified Olympic team and have their athletes parade together for the first time in 11 years during the opening ceremony of next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea, officials said.
The agreements still require approval from the International Olympic Committee. But they are the most prominent steps toward rapprochement achieved by the Koreas since they recently began exploring cooperation during the Olympics following a year of heightened tension over the North's nuclear weapons program.
Senior officials reached a package of agreements during their third day of talks at the border in about a week, including fielding a joint women's ice hockey team and marching together under a blue and white "unification flag" depicting their peninsula in the opening ceremony, Seoul's Unification Ministry said.
A joint statement distributed by the ministry said the North Korean Olympic delegation will travel to South Korea across their heavily fortified land border before the Feb. 9 to 25 Pyeongchang Games. It said the delegation will include a 230-member cheering group, a 30-member taekwondo demonstration team, journalists, athletes and officials.
The Koreas will hold a joint cultural event at the North's scenic Diamond Mountain and have non-Olympic skiers train together at the North's Masik ski resort ahead of the Olympics, according to the statement. It said the North also plans to send a 150-strong delegation to the Paralympics in March. The North earlier said it would send a 140-member art troupe.
The agreements are highly symbolic and emotional. But it's still not clear how many North Korean athletes will come to Pyeongchang because none currently are qualified. South Korean media have predicted only up to 10 North Korean athletes will end up being covered by an additional quota from the IOC.
A pair of North Korean figure skaters qualified for this year's Olympics, but North Korea missed a deadline to confirm their participation. The IOC said recently it has "kept the door open" for North Korea to take part in the games. IOC officials are to meet with sports and government officials from the two Koreas and officials from the Pyeongchang organizing committee Saturday in Switzerland.
The IOC said in a statement Wednesday that it has "taken note of a number of interesting proposals from different sources."
"There are many considerations with regard to the impact of these proposals on the other participating NOCs [national Olympic committees] and athletes. After having taken all this into consideration, the IOC will take its final decisions on Saturday in Lausanne," it said.
The two Koreas have sent joint teams to major international sports events twice previously, both in 1991. One event was the world table tennis championships in Chiba, Japan, where the women's team won the championship by beating the powerful Chinese, and the other was soccer's World Youth Championship in Portugal, where the Korean team reached the quarterfinals.
During an era of detente in the 2000s, their athletes marched together in the opening and closing ceremonies of nine international sporting events, including the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but they failed to produce a joint team. Their last joint march was at the Asian Winter Games in Changchun, China, in 2007.
The current reconciliation mood began after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a New Year's speech that he was willing to send a delegation to the Games. Critics have said Kim's overture is an attempt to use improved ties with South Korea to weaken U.S.-led international sanctions on North Korea while buying time to perfect his nuclear weapons program.
The moves nevertheless have provided a temporary thaw in the Koreas' long-strained ties and fostered optimism that North Korea won't launch any new provocations, at least during the Olympics. North Korea carried out its sixth and biggest nuclear test explosion and test-fired three intercontinental ballistic missiles last year, and Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump traded threats of war and crude insults against each other.
Some conservative critics say North Korea's cheering and artistic groups are too big and worry the North may try to steal the show at the Olympics to launch what they call a "peace offensive" to try to show it's a normal country despite pursuing nuclear weapons.
North Korea also sent highly trained female cheering groups dressed in bright, attractive outfits when it attended previous international sports events in South Korea. The groups, chosen for their cheering skills as well as their good looks and dubbed "beauty squads" by South Korean media, often received more attention than their athletes. Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol Ju, was a member of a 2005 squad.
North Korea under Kim has made sports, and especially success in international sporting events, a high priority. While it's not a major winter sports competitor, North Korean athletes have set several weightlifting world records, and its women hold a high profile on the world football scene.
When traveling abroad, however, North Korean athletes and coaches tend to cloister themselves away from outsiders when they are not competing or practicing. Defections are likely a concern, along with what their minders might deem to be ideological "contamination," so they are kept under close scrutiny.
South Korea wants to the IOC to allow its ice hockey team's 23-player Olympic roster to be expanded so that several North Korean players can be added without removing any of the South Korean players. But there are worries in South Korea that adding new players less than a month before the Olympics will weaken the team and deprive South Korean players of playing time.
Chief South Korean delegate Chun Hae-sung said the government is well aware of such concerns and North Korea has agreed that the South Korean team's current coach will be given full authority to select North Korean players to compete. | {
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What are smart tickets?
Smart tickets are the faster way to buy and use train tickets. You can buy your tickets from the comfort of your home, so you can avoid the ticket queues at the station and head straight to your train.
You can add multiple train tickets to our contactless Touch Smartcard, so just touch in and out on your journey and we’ll take care of the rest. Digital eTickets are emailed to you and stored on your South Western Railway app, so they’re already to hand when you need to scan. | {
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The senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee is calling for a new investigation into Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE following revelations that the attorney general declined to disclose meetings with Russian officials in his security clearance filings.
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) said the omissions, first reported by CNN Wednesday evening, reveal “a troubling pattern of behavior by the nation's chief law enforcement officer.”
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"In the face of an ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign's contact with the Russian government — an investigation from which Mr. Sessions is recused because of his failure to disclose similar contacts — the Attorney General's decision to omit this information from his security clearance application demands the House Judiciary Committee's careful review,” Conyers said in a statement.
Conyers is pressing Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte Robert (Bob) William GoodlatteNo documents? Hoping for legalization? Be wary of Joe Biden Press: Trump's final presidential pardon: himself USCIS chief Cuccinelli blames Paul Ryan for immigration inaction MORE (R-Va.) for an immediate hearing on the matter. Sessions, a former Alabama senator who was the first upper-chamber lawmaker to endorse President Trump during the campaign, has been a controversial figure in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Russia and Trump’s campaign.
In March, Sessions was forced to recuse himself from any probe into Russian election meddling after it was revealed that he’d provided false testimony under oath about communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential campaign.
This month, Sessions sparked further headlines when he endorsed the ouster of James Comey, the former FBI director who was leading the department’s investigation. His participation in Comey’s firing led to charges, largely coming from Democrats, that he’d violated his own vow to steer clear of all matters related to Russia.
The latest CNN report reveals that Sessions, aside from denying contact with Russian officials during his Senate confirmation testimony, also did not disclose his conversations with Kislyak on the federal form seeking security clearance. That form asks applicants to list cases of “close and/or continuing contact with a foreign national within the last seven years.”
A spokesman for the Justice Department issued a statement Wednesday evening defending the omissions as a practical matter for a former senator who met routinely with foreign officials. Sessions, according to spokesman Ian Prior, had been specifically counseled to omit foreign contacts relating to his duties as a Capitol Hill lawmaker.
“As a United States Senator, the Attorney General met hundreds — if not thousands — of foreign dignitaries and their staff,” Prior said in a statement. “In filling out the SF-86 form, the Attorney General’s staff consulted with those familiar with the process, as well as the FBI investigator handling the background check, and was instructed not to list meetings with foreign dignitaries and their staff connected with his Senate activities.”
The explanation likely won’t satisfy Sessions’s Democratic critics. And Conyers, for one, wants his panel to investigate further.
“We can no longer delay conducting oversight of the Office of the Attorney General,” he said. | {
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Jack Simpson could be heading to Rangers
Rangers' deal for Bournemouth centre-back Jack Simpson is on hold because of a potential injury to Nathan Ake, according to Sky Sources.
It is understood Bournemouth had an agreement with Rangers to send the defender on loan to Ibrox but this has been delayed due to Ake.
The defender picked up a knock during their friendly against Marseille on Saturday and will be checked by the club's medical team.
However, the injury is not thought to be serious but a deal for Simpson will only be approved once Ake's fitness is assured.
Simpson made his debut for Eddie Howe's side in the League Cup against Middlesbrough where he scored the opener in the 3-1 victory.
Nathan Ake signed for Bournemouth permanently from Chelsea last summer
Following his impressive debut. he featured in Bournemouth's quarter-final 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the same competition. | {
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The yuletide is once again upon us, and for many of us, that means lengthy visits with friends and family. We all know the stress that can cause, especially in today’s charged cultural climate. It would be nice if the conversation never had the chance to drift toward a discussion of how uncle Fred voted. That, dear reader, is why board games were invented.
Not every board game makes sense for a family gathering. High-concept games like Black Angel aren’t going to go very far, while trying to explain what a “worker placement” game is might put folks to sleep. But no one should be subjected to another round of Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit with so many amazing experiences for sale right now.
Here are six great options from the Polygon tabletop library, all picked with ease of play and availability in mind. In fact, if your neck of the woods is devoid of a friendly local game shop most all of the titles listed below are for sale at places like Target and Walmart. So even if you own one, just pick up another copy and leave it as a housewarming gift. Your in-laws will thank you.
Codenames
Codenames is a game that doesn’t require much explanation. Just set it up on the table — a five-by-five grid of cards with benign words written on them — and find three other people who want to get away. You can then start playing just by saying a single word.
Codenames is a guessing game where players take on the role of secret agents. The cards are the codenames of other secret agents in the field. It’s up to the handlers, who have a key that shows them where all the secret agents are laid out on the table, to direct their partner to the right contacts. The catch is that they can only offer clues comprised of a single word.
The secret agent might go by the codename “banana.” A good clue would be to say “peel,” but not if there’s an enemy agent named “orange” somewhere on the grid. There are myriad variations of the game as well, including Codenames: Disney, Codenames: Marvel, and even a borderline naughty version at Target called Codenames: Deep Undercover. For best results, I recommend combining regular Codenames with Codenames: Pictures. A wooden insert from The Broken Token even makes it possible to carry both inside the same box. — Charlie Hall
Get Codenames here: Amazon | Target | Walmart
Get Codenames: Pictures here: Amazon | Target | Walmart
Get The Broken Token’s Codenames organizer here: Amazon | The Broken Token
Get Codenames: Duet here: Amazon | Target | Walmart
Get Codenames: Deep Undercover here: Amazon | Target | Walmart
Get Codenames: Disney Family Edition here: Amazon | Target
Get Codenames: Marvel here: Amazon | Walmart
Get Codenames: Harry Potter here: Amazon | Walmart
Dude
Sometimes a game’s brilliance is measured by its complexity. I’ve described the strategy board game Scythe as a set of finely toothed gears that mesh together to create something elegant at the table. But, sometimes a game’s brilliance is measured by its simplicity. I’m here to tell you that there is no other game quite as simple, or as brilliant, as Dude.
Inside the plain brown packaging is a deck of colored playing cards onto which someone has scrawled the word “dude” with a Sharpie. The catch is that each time they wrote the word, they wrote it differently. On one card it’s written really big, and on another it’s written really small. On one card it’s written “dewd” and on another it’s written in italics. The whole point of the game is to get another person at the table to guess which of the cards you’re holding based on nothing other than how you say the word.
What ultimately happens is that you end up with a table full of people shouting “dude” at each other and laughing hysterically. It sounds insane, but Dude has a magnetic quality to it unlike any other game I’ve ever played. Start a round with four people, and by the time it’s over you’ll have four more lined up and ready to go. There’s also an expansion pack called — you guessed it — More Dude. — CH
Get Dude here: Amazo n | Ta rget
Get More Dude here: Amazon | North Star Games
Earworm
Board games aren’t always the best option. People have a healthy fear of staples like The Game of Life and Risk, and even modern classics like Cards Against Humanity can be ill-suited for groups with mixed age ranges or differing political views. But everyone loves good music, and Earworm is a game chock full of great songs.
The catch is that there’s no actual sound inside this petite, yet elegant, little box. Players pull a card and then have to hum — or, in my case, whistle — a tune. It’s a game of musical charades, with a set list that spans generations. Don’t worry about scoring points, because this one is all about performance.
For best results, divide the deck ahead of time into batches of tracks that certain age ranges will be able to recognize in an instant, and feed the most reticent players the juiciest songs. It’s like a night out at a good karaoke club, just without the weird booths, over-priced drinks, or that one waiter who always ruins the moment by opening the door at the wrong time. — CH
Get Earworm here: Backerkit (listed as a pre-order, but copies are shipping)
Rhino Hero
We’ve all been to parties with large groups of children. This is where parenting styles often come into conflict. Becky’s kids are clean and largely mute, marching to and from the dinner table with passive smiles on their faces. Meanwhile, Tom’s “children” are swinging from the chandeliers. Thankfully, a game like Rhino Hero can easily tame the whole bunch. You might even have some fun playing as an adult.
Rhino Hero is a dexterity game at its core. Players each have a hand of cards, and play them on their turn to build a tower. It’s part Uno, and part Jenga, with delightful little animal-shaped meeples thrown in for good measure. Best of all, it’s highly portable, with versions of the game that easily fit inside a coat pocket. — CH
Get Rhino Hero here: Amazon | HABA USA and local game shops | Walmart
Get Rhino Hero Super Battle here: Amazon | HABA USA and local game shops | Walmart
Snake Oil
Games in which players take turns judging submissions from the rest of the group are pretty popular, from the family-friendly Apples to Apples, to the decidedly NSFW Cards Against Humanity. Generally those games derive humor from the cards themselves, or at least the juxtaposition between the submissions and the prompt. It can get old, especially when you’ve played so often that you know exactly what cards are in the box and which are most likely to make a specific family member laugh.
Snake Oil is similar to those games in a lot of ways, but it focuses on having players make jokes of their own. Players take turns assuming the role of a different customer each round — it could be a cheerleader, a caveman, a burglar. Every other player has a hand of cards with a single noun, things like “snow,” “hairbrush,” and “rope.” They pitch a product to the customer by combining two of those cards, who then decides which of those items they’d most like to buy. The most convincing salesperson wins the round.
Snake Oil is especially great at getting family members to come out of their shell. It’s always hilarious when your shy aunt pulls out the oiliest, most manipulative sales pitch you’ve ever heard. I’ve played with everyone from my in-laws to my college friends. The game works the best when everyone gets on board with the premise and rallies around a specific pitch. One post-Thanksgiving dinner game, my mother-in-law dropped the mic so hard with a two-word pitch it left everyone in tears. I don’t remember the specific product, but everyone decided she was the clear winner. — Emily Heller
Get Snake Oil here: Amazon
Get Joke Juice expansion (kid-friendly) here: Amazon
Get Crude Oil expansion (NSFW) here: Amazon
Telestrations
Sometimes you can find yourself sitting around an empty family room with a dozen or more people. The football game is growing tiresome, and the goose is still hours away from getting cooked. That’s a great time to bust out Telestrations.
In Telestrations, each player pulls a card with an innocuous word or phrase on it. Then they draw a picture of that word, and pass their drawing to the left. The next person also draws a picture, but without looking at the word. All they have to go on is the image that the last person drew. By the time your drawing makes it all the way around the room and back to you, hilarity will have ensued. Each round ends with everyone sharing the evolution of their word, and how various people down the chain utterly botched it.
Inside a box of Telestrations is a set of laminated binders, some dry erase markers, and a deck of cards. Each set comes with enough components for up to eight players, so two copies will get you everything you need for a group of 16 players. The more the merrier, as Telestrations is the rare example of a game that becomes more fun the more people you can gather around the table. — CH
Get Telestrations here: Amazon | Target (6-player version) | Walmart (6-player version) | {
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2:25 PM PT -- The National Enquirer says Richard Simmons' lawsuit is ironic ... since he claims to support LGBTQ rights, and is now claiming he was defamed by its story he was transitioning to a woman.
What's really ironic is ... Simmons said exactly that in his lawsuit -- that the Enquirer was gambling he wouldn't sue because it would make it seem like he thinks there's something wrong with people who transition.
The Enquirer adds, "We stand by our reporting about Mr. Simmons, and intend to vigorously defend this lawsuit and win public vindication of our reports."
Richard Simmons is suing American Media for a story claiming he was transitioning to become a woman.
Simmons claims defamation and invasion of privacy against the National Enquirer for writing what he calls "cruel and malicious" stories.
Simmons claims in his lawsuit the publications knew the information was false but felt Simmons would never sue because it would make him appear unsympathetic to people who transition ... as if something were wrong with it. Simmons says in the suit they "miscalculated."
The suit claims the stories were based on a source who Richard says has been blackmailing, extorting and stalking him for several years.
One of the stories claimed Simmons was now a woman, had a boob job and was "considering having a vagina built by doctors." The story claimed he was living as a woman named Fiona. | {
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Transcript for Donald Trump, Kanye West Hug at Trump Tower
Yeah this spread news friends and that man. Friends for a long time. Now I'm back. I just want to take a picture right now.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. | {
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TAE Technologies, the fusion energy venture backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and other heavy-hitters, is elevating Michl Binderbauer to CEO and bringing former General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt onto its board of directors.
The California-based company’s former CEO, Steven Specker, will stay on as a board member and adviser. And Mark Lewis, who joined the company as chief business officer last year, has been appointed president.
In an interview, Binderbauer told GeekWire that the executive change-over has been “amicable,” and will set the stage for the next chapter in TAE’s efforts to tame nuclear fusion and capitalize on technological spin-offs along the way.
Binderbauer was trained as a plasma physicist and has served as chief technology officer at TAE Technologies, formerly known as Tri Alpha Energy, since 1998. Now he’s nearing 50 and says he’s been properly seasoned for the CEO role.
“We’re not about software and apps, so people in their 20s and 30s aren’t taken seriously until you have some gray hairs,” he joked. “We all felt that this was a good time.”
TAE may not be about smartphone apps, but the venture is about high-tech: The company is working on a novel approach to fusion power that involves generating rings of super-high-temperature plasma and using directed particle beams to stabilize them.
The beam technology already has led to a spin-out called TAE Life Sciences, which is working on cancer-fighting applications. Binderbauer said the first clinical system is on track for delivery to a Chinese customer in the first half of 2019.
Another spin-out is expected to commercialize the power management system that was developed for TAE’s latest plasma generator. “This could have very interesting opportunities in the electric vehicle space,” Binderbauer said.
But the main focus is on proving out TAE’s fusion technology. Binderbauer said the plasma machine — which has been nicknamed “Norman” in honor of the company’s late co-founder, Norman Rostoker — has been taken offline temporarily for an upgrade that’s expected to double its beam power levels.
Norman is due to return to service in September, and continue a campaign to show TAE’s technology can get the plasma hot enough for a fusion reaction that produces a net energy gain.
“We’re firing on all cylinders, so to speak,” Binderbauer said.
Binderbauer is already thinking about the next machine, which will be nicknamed Copernicus. TAE’s current facilities in Foothill Ranch, Calif., won’t be big enough to accommodate Copernicus, so Binderbauer and his team will be looking for an expansion site.
TAE’s technological roadmap calls for Copernicus to attain net energy gain in the first half of the 2020s. There are lots of ways to define that milestone. Binderbauer’s definition focuses on “engineering gain,” which means that the total energy produced by the plasma generator exceeds the total energy put into the generator.
Copernicus won’t have a “back end” to convert the heat energy into electricity, but the net gain should be enough to account for the reduction in energy that such a conversion would involve, Binderbauer said.
He said the engineering innovations developed for Copernicus would be folded into a demonstration fusion reactor that could be built in the late 2020s.
Over the past 20 years, TAE has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from investment firms such as Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital, the Rockefeller family’s Venrock firm, Goldman Sachs, Rusnano and New Enterprise Associates.
Immelt, who left his post at GE last year, is a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates — and is now a welcome addition to TAE’s board as well.
“This is just the right moment to bring somebody like him into the fold, as we’re transitioning from mostly science-based work to these other dimensions,” Binderbauer said.
Binderbauer said TAE is currently working on its next financing round, and is beginning to engage in talks about potential public-private partnerships as well. “I’m very confident we’ll be able to announce something later in the year” or early next year, he said.
The next few years could also bring advances on other fronts in the fusion quest.
In Redmond, Wash., Helion Energy is working on its own approach to small-scale fusion power, with backing from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel’s Mithril Capital and other firms. Just outside Vancouver, B.C., General Fusion is making progress, fueled in part by investments from Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos.
The bigfoot in the fusion race is the 35-nation ITER project (formerly known as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), which is taking shape in southern France. The construction phase is expected to be finished by 2025 at a total estimated cost of more than $20 billion. | {
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19 cas de contamination au coronavirus ont été recensés en France vendredi, portant le nombre de personnes infectées à 57.
57 cas de coronavirus sont à déplorer ce vendredi en France, a fait savoir Olivier Véran, ministre des Solidarités et de la Santé, en direct de Crépy-en-Valois dans l'Oise. 19 cas supplémentaires par rapport à jeudi à la même heure.
Dans le détail, Olivier Véran a annoncé que plusieurs groupes de contamination étaient désormais perceptibles. Il a fait état de 18 cas de contamination dans l'Oise (six de plus que jeudi), six cas à Annecy, six cas "qui concernent les voyageurs qui rentrent de voyageurs en Egypte" (contre deux jeudi soir), deux cas à Montpellier. En revanche, 12 cas restent isolés et sont "en cours d'investigation'.
Le numéro vert accessible 24h/24
"En France, une nouvelle étape de l'épidémie de coronavirus est franchie" et nous passons au stade 2" a déclaré Olivier Véran lors de sa conférence de presse quotidienne.
Le ministre des Solidarités et de la Santé a rappelé qu'il ne fallait pas "envoyer les enfants à l'école s'ils reviennent d'une zone à risque". Il déconseille également "la poignée de main".
La veille, le ministre avait annoncé 20 nouveaux cas de contamination supplémentaires sur le sol français, "une augmentation sensible", portant à 38 le nombre de cas d'infection en France.
Le directeur de la Santé avait précisé que le numéro vert (0800 130 000) mis en place pour répondre aux questions était désormais ouvert 24h sur 24h et que le numéro d'urgence "15" ne devait être utilisé qu'en cas de "suspicion médicale" liée au coronavirus. | {
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – While a Kansas City firefighter was on duty, two men kicked in his front door and stole his belongings. It happened Saturday morning as two men broke in to the home while a camera was rolling. Police are still searching for those two, who they believe have been targeting other homes in the area.
It began with the ring of the doorbell, the Koehler family dog jumps on her seat to see who’s there. With two kicks, the first suspect enters the home unaware a camera is watching his every move.
“It's terrifying.”
Homeowner Ryan Koehler is a Kansas City, Mo. firefighter and was on duty when his phone alerted him there was movement in his living room - his wife got the same text. Through an app, the two watched what was happening in real time.
“I was like, 'oh, it's just the dog walking around. That's when I saw them kick in the door. I literally just started shaking,” Kelsey Koehler said.
“Your heart sinks,” Ryan Koehler said.
The first suspect walked around before intently heading back to the bedrooms when the other suspect walks in. You can hear them talking about grabbing the TV and walking towards the living room to try and take it off the wall. After taking the TV and other electronics, the two were gone.
“It's nerve-wracking. Kind of makes you sick to your stomach. When my wife comes home she checks every door, looks under the bed makes sure no one’s here.”
Other homes have been hit in their neighborhood. Police believe it could be the same suspects targeting the area. The couple has filed a police report but with no arrests have been made in the case.
To say they're feeling uneasy doesn’t even begin to cover it. They say their dog is traumatized and now, with a baby on the way, they’re having trouble feeling safe in their own home.
“It just makes you angry. It's karma. It's gonna catch up to you. Eventually you're gonna knock the door down, and somebody's gonna be waiting behind that door.” | {
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A pair of Russian fighter jets and a Russian military helicopter repeatedly buzzed a U.S. Navy warship at close range earlier this week in the Baltic Sea, ignoring radio warnings and temporarily disrupting the ship’s flight operations.
Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said Wednesday that two Russian fighter jets flew “dangerously close” to the U.S. guided missile destroyer Donald Cook as it conducted a routine patrol on Monday and Tuesday.
U.S. officials estimated the Su-24 fighter jets flew as close as 30 feet from the American ship.
“This incident, as you won’t be surprised to hear, is entirely inconsistent with the professional norms of militaries operating in proximity to each other in international waters and international airspace,” Earnest said.
“Any peacetime military activity must be consistent with international law and norms and conducted with due regard for the rights of other nations and the safety of other aircraft and other vessels,” he added.
U.S. European Command, which oversees military operations on the continent, said in a statement that the Russian jets flew “numerous close-range and low-altitude passes” near the ship.
Russia is one of nine countries in northern Europe with coastline along the Baltic Sea. Tensions have risen steadily in recent years between Moscow and Washington over disputes including Russia’s seizure of Crimea and the conflict in Syria.
The U.S. statement said the first flyby occurred around 3 p.m. local time Monday when the Donald Cook was conducting deck landing drills with a Polish military helicopter. It said the jets made numerous passes.
“One of the passes, which occurred while the Allied helicopter was refueling on the deck of Donald Cook, was deemed unsafe by the ship’s commanding officer,” the statement said. “As a safety precaution, flight operations were suspended until the SU-24s departed the area. “
At about 5 p.m. Tuesday, the statement said, a Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter flew low-altitude circles around the ship, looping it seven times.
About 40 minutes later, two Russian SU-24 jets flew 11 close-range and low-altitude passes “in a simulated attack profile.”
The pilots did not respond to several radio advisories in both English and Russian, the statement said.
“We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers,” the European Command statement said. “These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries, and could result in a miscalculation or accident that could cause serious injury or death.”
Officials said the Navy is reviewing the incidents and that U.S. officials are using diplomatic channels to address the Russians.
Follow @wjhenn for military and defense info.
ALSO
U.S. report paints bleak picture of human rights around the globe
There’s no doubt now that Zika virus causes rare birth defects, CDC says
President Obama visits CIA headquarters as U.S. steps up attacks against Islamic State | {
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Tomgram: Engelhardt, The Road to Amnesia
[Note for TomDispatch Readers: The next TD post will be on Tuesday morning May 29th. To catch Timothy MacBain's latest Tomcast audio interview in which I discuss what Americans should consider remembering on Memorial Day, click here or download it to your iPod here. Tom]
How to Forget on Memorial Day
Whistling Past the Graveyard of Empires
By Tom Engelhardt
It’s the saddest reading around: the little announcements that dribble out of the Pentagon every day or two -- those terse, relatively uninformative death notices: rank; name; age; small town, suburb, or second-level city of origin; means of death (“small arms fire,” “improvised explosive device,” “the result of gunshot wounds inflicted by an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform,” or sometimes something vaguer like “while conducting combat operations,” “supporting Operation Enduring Freedom,” or simply no explanation at all); and the unit the dead soldier belonged to. They are seldom 100 words, even with the usual opening line: “The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.” Sometimes they include more than one death.
They are essentially bureaucratic notices designed to draw little attention to themselves. Yet cumulatively, in their hundreds over the last decade, they represent a grim archive of America’s still ongoing, already largely forgotten second Afghan War, and I’ve read them obsessively for years.
Into the Memory Hole
May is the official month of remembrance when it comes to our war dead, ending as it does on the long Memorial Day weekend when Americans typically take to the road and kill themselves and each other in far greater numbers than will die in Afghanistan. It’s a weekend for which the police tend to predict rising fatalities and news reports tend to celebrate any declines in deaths on our roads and highways.
Quiz Americans and a surprising number undoubtedly won’t have thought about the “memorial” in Memorial Day at all -- especially now that it’s largely a marker of the start of summer and an excuse for cookouts.
How many today are aware that, as Decoration Day, it began in 1865 in a nation still torn by grief over the loss of -- we now know -- up to 750,000 dead in the first modern war, a wrenching civil catastrophe in a then-smaller and still under-populated country? How many know that the first Decoration Day was held in 1865 with 10,000 freed slaves and some Union soldiers parading on a Charleston, South Carolina, race track previously frequented by planters and transformed in wartime into a grim outdoor prison? The former slaves were honoring Union prisoners who had died there and been hastily buried in unmarked graves, but as historian Kenneth Jackson has written, they were also offering “a declaration of the meaning of the war and of their own freedom.”
Those ceremonies migrated north in 1866, became official at national cemeteries in 1868, and grew into ever more elaborate civic remembrances over the years. Even the South, which had previously marked its grief separately, began to take part after World War I as the ceremonies were extended to the remembrance of all American war dead. Only in 1968, in the midst of another deeply unpopular war, did Congress make it official as Memorial Day, creating the now traditional long holiday weekend.
And yet, when it comes to the major war the United States is still fighting, now in its 11th year, the word remembrance is surely inappropriate, as is the “Memorial” in Memorial Day. It’s not just that the dead of the Afghan War have largely been tossed down the memory hole of history (even if they do get official attention on Memorial Day itself). Even the fact that Americans are still dying in Afghanistan seems largely to have been forgotten, along with the war itself.
As the endlessly plummeting opinion polls indicate, the Afghan War is one Americans would clearly prefer to forget -- yesterday, not tomorrow. It was, in fact, regularly classified as “the forgotten war” almost from the moment that the Bush administration turned its attention to the invasion of Iraq in 2002 and so declared its urge to create a Pax Americana in the Greater Middle East. Despite the massive “surge” of troops, special operations forces, CIA agents, and civilian personnel sent to Afghanistan by President Obama in 2009-2010, and the ending of the military part of the Iraq debacle in 2011, the Afghan War has never made it out of the grave of forgetfulness to which it was so early consigned.
Count on one thing: there will be no Afghan version of Maya Lin, no Afghan Wall on the National Mall. Unlike the Vietnam conflict, tens of thousands of books won’t be pouring out for decades to come arguing passionately about the conflict. There may not even be a “who lost Afghanistan” debate in its aftermath.
Few Afghan veterans are likely to return from the war to infuse with new energy an antiwar movement that remains small indeed, nor will they worry about being “spit upon.” There will be little controversy. They -- their traumas and their wounds -- will, like so many bureaucratic notices, disappear into the American ether, leaving behind only an emptiness and misery, here and in Afghanistan, as perhaps befits a bankrupting, never-ending imperial war on the global frontiers.
Whistling Past the Graveyard of Empires
If nothing else, the path to American amnesia is worth recalling on this Memorial Day.
Though few here remember it that way, the invasion of Afghanistan was launched on a cult of the dead. These were the dead civilians from the Twin Towers in New York City. It was to their memory that the only “Wall” of this era -- the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan -- has been built. Theirs are the biographies that are still remembered in annual rites nationwide. They are, and remain, the dead of the Afghan War, even though they died before it began.
On the other hand, from the moment the invasion of Afghanistan was launched, how to deal with the actual American war dead was always considered a problematic matter. The Bush administration and the military high command, with the Vietnam War still etched in their collective memories, feared those uniformed bodies coming home (as they feared and banished the “body count” of enemy dead in the field). They remembered the return of the “body bags” of the Vietnam era as a kind of nightmare, stoking a fierce antiwar movement, which they were determined not to see repeated.
As a result, in the early years of the Afghan and then Iraq wars, the Bush administration took relatively draconian steps to cut the media off from any images of the returning war dead. They strictly enforced a Pentagon ban, in existence since the first Gulf War, on media coverage and images of the coffins arriving from the war fronts at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. At the same time, much publicity was given to the way President Bush met privately and emotionally -- theoretically beyond the view of the media -- with the families of the dead.
And yet, banned or not, for a period the war dead proliferated. In those early years of Washington’s two increasingly catastrophic wars on the Eurasian mainland, newspapers regularly produced full-page or double-page “walls of heroes” with tiny images of the faces of the American dead, while their names were repeatedly read in somber tones on television. In a similar fashion, the antiwar movement toured the country with little “cemeteries” or displays of combat boots representing the war dead.
The Pentagon ban ended with the arrival of the Obama administration. In October 2009, six months after the Pentagon rescinded it, in an obvious rebuke to his predecessor, President Obama traveled to Dover Air Base. There, inside a plane bringing the bodies of the dead home, he reportedly prayed over the coffins and was later photographed offering a salute as one of them was carried off the plane. But by the time the arrival of the dead could be covered, few seemed to care.
The Bush administration, it turns out, needn’t have worried. In an America largely detached from war, the Iraq War would end without fanfare or anyone here visibly giving much of a damn. Similarly, the Afghan War would continue to limp from one disaster to the next, from an American “kill team” murdering Afghan civilians “for sport” to troops urinating on Afghan corpses (and videotaping the event), or mugging for the camera with enemy body parts, or an American sergeant running amok, or the burning of Korans, or the raising of an SS banner. And, of course, ever more regularly, ever more unnervingly, Afghan “allies” would turn their guns on American and NATO troops and blow them away. It's a phenomenon almost unheard of in such wars, but so common in Afghanistan these days that it's gotten its own label: “green-on-blue violence.”
This has been the road to oblivion and it’s paved with forgotten bodies. Forgetfulness, of course, comes at a price, which includes the escalating long-term costs of paying for the American war-wounded and war-traumatized. On this Memorial Day, there will undoubtedly be much cant in the form of tributes to “our heroes” and then, Tuesday morning, when the mangled cars have been towed away, the barbeque grills cleaned, and the “heroes” set aside, the forgetting will continue. If the Obama administration has its way and American special operations forces, trainers, and advisors in reduced but still significant numbers remain in Afghanistan until perhaps 2024, we have more than another decade of forgetting ahead of us in a tragedy that will, by then, be beyond all comprehension.
Afghanistan has often enough been called “the graveyard of empires.” Americans have made it a habit to whistle past that graveyard, looking the other way -- a form of obliviousness much aided by the fact that the American war dead conveniently come from the less well known or forgotten places in our country. They are so much easier to ignore thanks to that.
Except in their hometowns, how easy the war dead are to forget in an era when corporations go to war but Americans largely don’t. So far, 1,980 American military personnel (and significant but largely unacknowledged numbers of private contractors) have died in Afghanistan, as have 1,028 NATO and allied troops, and (despite U.N. efforts to count them) unknown but staggering numbers of Afghans.
So far in the month of May, 22 American dead have been listed in those Pentagon announcements. If you want a little memorial to a war that shouldn’t be, check out their hometowns and you'll experience a kind of modern graveyard poetry. Consider it an elegy to the dead of second- or third-tier cities, suburbs, and small towns whose names are resonant exactly because they are part of your country, but seldom or never heard by you.
Here, then, on this Memorial Day, are not the names of the May dead, but of their hometowns, announcement by announcement, placed at the graveside of a war that we can’t bear to remember and that simply won’t go away. If it’s the undead of wars, the deaths from it remain a quiet crime against American humanity:
Spencerport, New York
Wichita, Kansas
Warren, Arkansas
West Chester, Ohio
Alameda, California
Charlotte, North Carolina
Stow, Ohio
Clarksville, Tennessee
Chico, California
Jeffersonville, Kentucky
Yuma, Arizona
Normangee, Texas
Round Rock, Texas
Rolla, Missouri
Lucerne Valley, California
Las Cruses, New Mexico
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Overland Park, Kansas
Wheaton, Illinois
Lawton, Oklahoma
Prince George, Virginia
Terre Haute, Indiana.
As long as the hometowns pile up, no one should rest in peace.
Tom Engelhardt, co-founder of the American Empire Project and the author of The American Way of War: How Bush’s Wars Became Obama’s as well as The End of Victory Culture, runs the Nation Institute's TomDispatch.com. His latest book is The United States of Fear (Haymarket Books). To listen to Timothy MacBain's latest Tomcast audio interview in which he discusses what Americans should consider remembering on Memorial Day, click here or download it to your iPod here.
[Note on Further Reading: For those interested in exploring the history of Memorial Day, there’s no better place to visit than the always fascinating website History News Network. For carefully put together records on American and NATO deaths in Afghanistan, visit icasualties.org. Simply to keep up on American war news, not always the easiest thing in the mainstream media these days, make sure to visit Antiwar.com (as I do daily).]
Follow TomDispatch on Twitter @TomDispatch and join us on Facebook.
Copyright 2012 Tom Engelhardt | {
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An effective resistance movement based on acts of omission might need 10 percent, or 50 percent, or 90 percent of the population to win. One in a thousand people withdrawing from the global economy would have negligible impact. Acts of commission are a different story. What if one out of a thousand people joined a campaign of direct action to bring down civilization? Seven million brave and smart people could ensure the survival of our planet.
Which isn’t to say we shouldn’t undertake such acts when appropriate. Acts of omission are commonly part of resistance movements; they may be implicit rather than explicit. Pre-Civil War abolitionists would not have owned slaves. But this was an implicit result of their morality and political philosophy rather than a means of change. Few abolitionists would have suggested that by refraining from personally owning slaves they were posing a serious or fundamental threat to the institution of slavery.
The same problems apply to economic boycotts. You and I could stop buying anything produced by a given company. Or we could stop buying anything that had been sold through the global capitalist economy. We probably willsee widespread acts of economic omission, but only when large numbers of people get too poor to buy mass-produced consumer luxuries. But because of globalization and automation, these acts of omission will be less effective than they were in the past.
All acts of omission require very large numbers of people to be permanently effective on a large scale. There are plenty of examples of strikes shutting down factories temporarily, but what if you don’t ever want that factory to run again? What if you work at a cruise missile factory or a factory that manufactures nuclear warheads? Is everyone working there willing to go on strike indefinitely? The large pool of unemployed or underpaid working poor means that there are always people willing to step in to work for a wage, even a relatively low one. Failing that, the company in question could just move the factory overseas, as so many have. All of this is especially true in a time when capitalism falters, and attempting to bring down civilization would definitely make capitalism falter.
Editor’s note: The following is from the chapter “ A Taxonomy of Action ” of the book Deep Green Resistance: A Strategy to Save the Planet. This book is now available for free online .
If we are going to talk about survival—or about courage, for that matter—we should talk about Sobibór. Sobibór was a Nazi concentration camp built in a remote part of Poland near the German border. Brought into operation in April 1943, Sobibór received regular train loads of prisoners, almost all Jewish. Like other Nazi concentration camps, Sobibór was also a work camp, both for prisoners skilled in certain trades and for unskilled labor, such as body removal. Sobibór was not the largest concentration camp, but it ran with murderous efficiency. Records show that by October 1944 a quarter of a million people had been murdered there, and some argue the casualties were significantly higher.26
Sobibór presented two distinct faces. Upon arrival to the camp, those selected to be killed received a polite welcoming speech from the Nazis (sometimes dressed in lab coats to project expertise and authority), and heard classical music played over loudspeakers. The door to the extermination “showers” was decorated with flowers and a Star of David. Touches like these encouraged them to go quietly and calmly to what some surely realized was their death. In contrast, those who were selected for work were shown a more overtly violent face, suffering arbitrary beatings and sometimes killed for even the smallest failure in cooperation. As at other concentration camps, if individual prisoners even attempted to escape, other prisoners would be killed as a reprisal. (At Auschwitz it was common practice for the SS to kill ten random prisoners for each escapee.)
Sobibór is a lesson for us because it became the site of the most successful—and also the most audacious—concentration camp uprising during the entire Holocaust. A small number of prisoners recognized that it was only a matter of time until they, too, were murdered, and decided that it was worth the risk to escape. However, they knew that those left behind would suffer the consequences of their act. So they hatched a bold plan to allow everyone in the camp to escape.
This was not an easy task. The camp was surrounded by multiple razor wire fences and a minefield, beyond which was forest. In addition to the SS, the camp had SS-trained guards of various Eastern European nationalities, guards who had themselves been brought in from POW camps. The perimeter of the camp had bright lighting systems and numerous machine gun towers.
A breakthrough came with the arrival of a group of Jewish-Russian POWs, with whom the long-time prisoners joined together and devised an escape plan. But to avoid being discovered, they had to keep the plan secret from all but a small group, meaning that the majority of the prisoners would be expected to escape at a moment’s notice without preparation. A Russian POW leader, Alexander “Sasha” Aronowicz Pechersky, understood the benefits. “As a military man, I was aware that a surprise attack is worth a division of solders. If we can maintain secrecy until the last minute of the outbreak, the revolt is 80 percent accomplished. The biggest danger was deconspiration.”27 In preparation for the escape, the conspirators used their trade skills to make or steal knives and axes small enough to conceal in their clothes.
At four o’clock on the day of the escape, they sprang into action. Carefully but quickly, they began to lure SS guards into private locations one by one, under various false pretexts. Then, small groups of prepared prisoners would quickly and quietly kill the SS men by striking them on the head with an axe, or by covering their mouths and stabbing them to death. Within an hour they had killed eleven SS men, half of the SS guards present at the time, and concealed the bodies. At five o’clock they came together for evening roll call, but they arrived slightly early, before the remaining SS men had gathered. Their plan was to avoid the minefield by simply marching as a group to the front gate, as though they were on their way to a work detail. Upon reaching the gate, they hoped to shoot the two Ukrainian guards present and then rush out the front way.
Though they had been lucky so far, one of the bodies was discovered at the last moment, before they could make for the front gate. The Russian Sasha made a very brief “every man for himself” speech and encouraged everyone to escape immediately. The camp then burst into chaos, with some proceeding to the front gate, and others breaking their way through the fence and taking their chances with the mine field. All had to deal with machine gun fire from the guard towers.
Of the roughly 550 prisoners, 150 were unwilling or unable to escape. Some were separated in a different subcamp and were out of communication, and others simply refused to run. Anyone unable or unwilling to fight or run was shot by the SS. About eighty of those who did run were killed by the mines or by hostile fire. Still, more than 300 people (mostly with no preparation) managed to escape the camp into the surrounding woodlands.
Tragically, close to half of these people were captured and executed over the following weeks because of a German dragnet. But since they would have been killed by the SS regardless, the escape was still a remarkable success. Better yet, within days of the uprising, humiliated SS boss Heinrich Himmler ordered the camp shut down, dismantled, and replanted with trees. (See, they don’t always rebuild.)28 And a number of the escapees joined friendly partisan groups in the area and continued to fight the Nazis (including Sasha, who later returned to the Red Army and was sent to a gulag by Stalin for “allowing” himself to be captured in the first place).
The survivors would spend decades mulling over the escape. In many ways, they could hardly have hoped for better luck. If their actions had been discovered any earlier, it’s very possible that everyone in the camp would have been executed. Furthermore, it’s simply amazing that half of the group—very few of whom had any weapons, survival, or escape and evasion training—managed to avoid capture by the Nazis.
They certainly would have benefitted from further training or preparation, although in this case that was at odds with their priority of security. Another issue identified by survivors was that almost all of the firearms went to the Russian POWs, meaning that most escapees were defenseless. They also lacked prearranged cells or affinity groups, and many people who did know each other became separated during the escape. A further problem was the fact that the prisoners did not have contact with Allies or resistance groups who could have helped to arrange further escape or provide supplies or weapons. In the end, a large number of escaped prisoners ended up being killed by anti-Semitic Polish nationals, including some Polish partisans.
Despite these issues, we can learn a lot from this story. The prisoners made remarkable use of their limited resources to escape. The very fact that they attempted escape is inspiring, especially when literally millions of others went to their deaths without fighting back. Indeed, considering that so many of them lacked specific combat and evasion skills and equipment, it was solely the courage to fight back that saved many lives.
No withdrawal or refusal would help them—their lives were won only by audacious acts of commission. | {
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Fox News contributor Lawrence Jones traveled to Detroit, home of this week's Democratic presidential debates, to hear directly from residents how they view the performance of local politicians.
Several of those residents, in interviews aired Tuesday on "Hannity," told Jones they rarely see lawmakers in the flesh.
"The leaders here, do you think they are representing the community effectively?" Jones asked one woman who was on the front porch of her home.
"Who are they?" the woman responded. She told Jones she doesn't see them in her neighborhood very often.
LAWRENCE JONES INVESTIGATES WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING ON THE STREETS OF BALTIMORE
Another woman told Jones that politicians and candidates often "talk a good game" during campaign season but do little once elected.
"It's hard when it comes up to campaign time to select someone," she said.
She added that crime and general conditions in the area make her want to leave her neighborhood despite having lived there for decades.
"I feel bad," she said.
"I want to go," she said. "I've been here 66 years and I want to go."
LAWRENCE JONES REACTS TO RACIST COMMENTS AT 'IMPEACH TRUMP' RALLY: 'THIS IS WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE'
The first woman Jones spoke with concurred.
"It's time to go, there's nothing here," she said.
Recounting his trip to host Sean Hannity, Jones said that he and his crew left the neighborhood for a while after conducting interviews, then returned to find the quiet street a homicide scene.
"It's a depressing state here," he said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"There has to be an opening for conservatives and Republicans to go into these communities," Jones said. "I don't think these people care about party at this point, they just want someone to fix their pain."
Additionally, one resident Jones interviewed told him the recurrence of crime has affected her children's sleeping habits.
"My kids say, 'You all hear the gunfire?' and jump on the floor and that's where they slept -- they refused to get back in bed because they heard gunfire back there," she said. | {
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Chris Solari
Lansing State Journal
It isn’t Mark Hollis’ way to talk about personnel matters during a sport’s season.
That doesn’t mean he won't discuss the continued struggles of Michigan State's hockey program.
“Obviously, I’m spending hours watching over programs that need some recalibration,” Hollis told reporters Thursday during the Michigan AP Sports meeting at the Lansing State Journal offices, “and hockey is one of those.”
Tom Anastos’ Spartans have won once and tied once during their past 16 games and are immersed in an eight-game losing streak. They dropped a pair at Minnesota last weekend to fall to 5-17-2 overall and 1-7-0-0 in the Big Ten.
Solari: Clock ticking for Anastos as MSU hockey struggles
Anastos is 66-92-18 in his fifth season as MSU’s head coach.His Spartans have made just one NCAA tournament appearance, during the program alum's first season in 2011-12. They were 19-16-4 that year and 17-16-2 a year ago, his only two winning seasons.
“It’s a challenging sport to transition based upon how recruiting works there and the age of the guys that are coming in to play in that sport,” Hollis said. “It’s uniquely different. But Tom and I have had several frequent conversations about what that looks like.
“I have great memories of college hockey and great ambitions for college hockey at Michigan State. And that’s what we’re working toward.”
Hollis also talked about MSU’s “transition” from the now-defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Association to the six-team Big Ten hockey league, which is in its third season. Anastos previously was the CCHA commissioner before taking over at MSU for Rick Comley in March 2011.
Bad experience deters Hollis from MSU-U-M night game
To Hollis, creating the new league was “a game-changer,” but not necessarily a positive move for conference schools. Minnesota was the only Big Ten team in the NCAA tournament a year ago, and the Gophers and Wisconsin were the only two from the league to get a bid in the debut season of 2013-14.
“I know what hockey means — it’s a regional sport. It’s a sport where Western Michigan has value in East Lansing, maybe every bit as much as Wisconsin coming in here. I miss some of those rivalries that exist between Minnesota and Duluth and Michigan State and Western that are league games,” Hollis said.
“You know, everything’s give and take. There’s the value of what’s happening with the Big Ten brand. But there’s also that negative. Everything can’t be football and basketball. Everything has a purpose and a position. So there’s some excitement, but there’s also some disappointment. And I think we need to continue the dialogue to save the sport of college hockey the best that we can in the future.” | {
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Allan Border Medallist: Steven Smith
A career CV that in recent months has grown to include Test captain and record-breaking batsman now includes Allan Border Medallist as Steve Smith added Australian cricket's highest individual honour to his raft of recent achievements.
Having been announced as Australia's Test and One-Day International Player of the Year at this evening's annual awards night in Sydney, Smith was odds-on to receive the honour for the first time in its 16-year history.
He polled a total of 243 votes to win in a canter from the other pre-count hopeful David Warner (175) and reigning Border Medallist Mitchell Johnson (126)
In doing so, the 25-year-old became the youngest player to win the Medal – which is decided by cumulative votes cast by fellow players, umpires and media representatives at every international match – since Michael Clarke won it as a 23-year-old in 2005.
Steve Smith with his partner Dani Willis // Getty Images
That result had announced Clarke as the standard-bearer for the era that was to follow the inevitable retirement of all-time greats Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and others and the current captain has since gone on to receive the Medal on three other occasions.
Given his form of the past year in the Test and ODI formats, nobody would doubt that Smith is capable of equalling or even bettering that record, perhaps matching Ponting who has his name on the Medal's honour board four times.
Smith admitted that, as he sat among his teammates, peers and former greats of the game during this evening's Border Medal presentation ceremony, he finally had an opportunity to reflect on some of the defining moments of a transformational year.
He cited his century in the opening Test of last year's series in South Africa, against what was then rated as the world's foremost pace bowling attack of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, as his favourite knock of his golden run.
And that 2-1 series victory over the then top-ranked Test team on their own turf as one of the great memories he relived tonight.
"I've just really enjoyed the last 12 to 18 months," Smith said.
"And seeing some of those highlights, particularly the South Africa to win over here and beat the number one Test team in the world in their own backyard was amazing."
Winners are grinners // Getty Images
Smith became the third player to win all three major men's awards – the Medal, the Test and ODI Player of the Year – a feat that was achieved by Ricky Ponting in 2007 and Shane Watson in 2011.
As the 10th recipient of the Border Medal he now joins an exclusive club that includes previous winners which also includes Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke.
But having never previously picked up a trophy at Australian cricket's foremost annual awards gathering, the 25-year-old didn't arrive this evening with hefty expectations.
"I thought I'd be up there with a couple of them, I certainly didn't think I'd be collecting the one-day, the Test and the AB Medal," Smith said after his triple success.
"I thought I'd be in the top three with Mitchell Johnson and David Warner so I'm just really pleased to have been able to receive these awards.
"I've joined a pretty illustrious group of players who have come before me."
In accepting the award, Smith paid tribute to Australia's batting coach Michael di Venuto who he said helped reassure him in the midst of last summer's Ashes campaign when Smith was desperately searching for a big score.
The pair adhere to the same pre-game set of drills at each session and even though Smith concedes he had to work hard to eradicate flaws in his batting after being dropped from the Test team in 2011, he's always maintained faith in his unorthodox technique.
"When you've had a bit of success doing something you've done for a while you try to keep to that as much as you can," he said when asked if there was more tinkering needed for his batting.
"It's when things don't go well is when you look at yourself and say what can you better and what can you change to improve.
"I feel like everything's good at the moment and hopefully this run I'm on continues for me.
"I faced a few challenges there, that's for sure.
"I had an opportunity when I was younger to play for Australia and it's always disappointing when you get left out and to be dropped was absolutely devastating.
"But those things happen for a reason, I had to go back and look at the way I was playing and try and improve and for me that was trying to score as many runs as I could and become a bit more mentally strong.
"There might have been some technical flaws when I was younger but I think that was all mental.
"The balls I was getting out to, nicking outside off stump, I would leave those balls now so that's a decision-making thing and a mental part of my game that I've improved and I'm sure there's a lot of improvement left to go.
"For me, it's about to trying to control the urges that I have.
"I might have an urge to sometimes to try and hit a bowler over his head, so for me it's about saying to myself 'it's not the right time, just bring it back a little bit'.
"It's about saying you've got all day to bat, there's no reason why you have to get 50 in 20 balls.
"That's been the biggest thing for me – just being patient and making the right decisions."
Not only did Smith take over the captaincy for the first time in the first-class arena in the midst fof an emotional and hard-fought Test campaign, he set a new benchmark for runs scored in a four-match series – 769 at an average of more than 128 runs each time he went out to bat.
Having debuted at Test level at age 21 essentially as a legspin bowler who could bat a bit, Smith has trained assiduously and learned quickly and developed a unique batting game that is the scourge of bowlers worldwide.
In short, as India have been the latest to discover, nobody seems to have hit upon a regular method of getting him out.
The fact that Smith was installed as vice-captain in place of Brad Haddin when the severity of Clarke's hamstring injury was revealed indicated – which therefore meant he became Test skipper for much of the summer – indicated he is the man ordained to lead Australian cricket into the future.
Australia captain Michael Clarke watches on // Getty Images
From the results he has achieved both individually and as the talisman for his team, that future is in safe hands.
And given he should have at least another decade at the top level, there will be plenty of other awards and team trophies that he will collect along the way.
Votes for the Medal are cast in 3-2-1 form by players, umpires and media representatives at each international, then the three leading vote winners in each match are awarded votes accordingly with Test votes given an additional weighting so as not to disadvantage those who play only Tests.
Earlier this evening, Sean Abbott was named as the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, Southern Stars captain Meg Lanning received the Belinda Clark Medal and the Alcohol. Think Again Warriors pace bowler Jason Behrendorff was named State Player of the Year.
Meg Lanning all smiles after winning the Belinda Clark Award // Getty Images
In addition, former all-rounder and long-serving administrator Jack Ryder was formally inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame as was ex-Test and ODI wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist.
Allan Border Medal Top Five | {
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シリコンバレーのIT大富豪たちが世界の終わりに備えて、地下施設と兵器、弾薬、バイクを買い漁っている。英紙インデペンデントが報じた。
LinkedInの共同解説者、リード・ホフマン氏は、少なくとも米カリフォルニア州の半数の富豪は積極的に黙示録に備えていると確信している。
ホフマン氏は「私にはバイク数台、大量の兵器と弾薬がある。食料品は、家に一定期間こもるには十分だと考える」とかたった。
フェイスブックの元プロダクトマネージャー、アントニオ・ガルシア・マルティネス氏は、太平洋の島の土地の一分を購入し、家を建てた。氏は家に発電機と太陽光バッテリー数個を搭載し、また、兵器を購入した。
同紙は、最も有名なIT専門家が誰よりも人工知能を恐れている可能性があると指摘。将来的に「スマート」機器は多くの雇用を代替し、人類に対する反乱を引き起こす可能性がある。
先に伝えられたところでは、 ソーシャルネットFacebookは、自分達のネットの弱点を見つけてくれたとしてロシア人ハッカー、アンドレイ・レオーノフ氏に記録的な額の謝礼金を支払った。 | {
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Travis Knight joins with an update on the situation in Sweden regarding the arrest of famous rapper A$AP Rocky as Trump prepares to intervene.
But what about Tommy Robinson, Assange & Snowden?
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today! | {
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China is striving for global leadership, and has the economic clout to realize its vision.
DC Comics needs a superhero to save it from itself. The pop-culture giant is in political hot water over a drawing that’s been linked in mainland China to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests and is now at the center of a global debate about state censorship and corporate complicity in chilling free speech.
The image in question, which DC removed from various social media accounts it runs, is undeniably compelling. Created by artist Rafael Grampá for writer Frank Miller’s graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, to be released on Dec. 11, the drawing shows a youthful superhero holding a Molotov cocktail. In the background are the words: “The future is young.”
The work, according to its creator, is about new heroes, most notably the Golden Child, Johnathan Kent, who is the “secret weapon” that will save Gotham from the latest threat. In a September press release touting the upcoming publication, Miller explained, “The Dark Knight Returns story began with its heroes getting older. Now we’re seeing the next generation of heroes in action…heroes that are vigorous, untested and loaded with promise.”
However, Chinese social media users took offense at what they said was a clear reference to pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. This perceived support for the youth-led movement that has rocked the Chinese territory for the past six months sparked a backlash against DC that the company tried to quell by taking down the image without any explanation. DC didn’t provide an apology, although some Chinese users demanded one.
But the controversy was just getting started. The self-censorship only angered fans around the world, who questioned DC bowing to pressure and urged it to go in the opposite direction.
The disputed image’s removal inspired people to circulate it widely, and to chide the decision.
The artist, Grampá, called the controversy surrounding his work “surreal” on Twitter.
But his image struck a very real chord with people around the world, many of whom saw local political struggles reflected in it.
Quartz contacted DC Comics for comment on the brouhaha and will update the story if the company responds. | {
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger Adam Daniel KinzingerFox News reporter defends confirming Atlantic piece despite Trump backlash: 'I feel very confident' GOP lawmaker defends Fox reporter after Trump calls for her firing Lindsey Graham: 'QAnon is bats--- crazy' MORE (R-Ill.) suggested on Wednesday that North Korea's threat to back out of a highly anticipated meeting with President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE was probably "a little bluster" to show that its leader Kim Jong Un is "still in control."
But Kinzinger also said that the threat, made late Tuesday night, was reminiscent of the unpredictable and erratic behavior that the rogue nation has long been known for on the world stage.
"I think they’re probably doing a little bluster right now, trying to show his domestic population that he’s still in control," Kinzinger said on CNN's "New Day."
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"It’s concerning to this perspective: this is the old pattern of North Korea, where they, on the one hand, come out smiling with some unicorns that they give to South Korea," he continued. "And then the next day, it’s like OK, we’re going to fight back."
Rep. Adam Kinzinger says North Korea is likely "doing a little bluster right now," but their threat to walk away from the summit is concerning because "it just shows that North Korea is back to their old pattern of kind of give and take" https://t.co/nboxMIVfnd pic.twitter.com/jFBuLQZrIs — New Day (@NewDay) May 16, 2018
Kinzinger's comments came hours after Pyongyang warned that it could pull out of a planned June 12 meeting between Trump and Kim if the U.S. demanded "unilateral nuclear abandonment."
That threat followed a decision by North Korea to end talks with South Korea because of joint military drills conducted by the U.S. and the South, which the North called "provocative military ruckus."
North Korea's rhetoric took a decidedly harder line than it has in recent months. Since January, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have waned amid a series of diplomatic overtures and gestures that ultimately culminated in plans for a meeting between Trump and Kim.
Last month, North Korea announced that it would cease its nuclear and ballistic missile tests ahead of the planned summit with the U.S. and dismantle a nuclear test site. Just last week, Pyongyang also released three U.S. prisoners during a brief visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Overnight Defense: House Democrats unveil stopgap spending measure to GOP opposition | Bill includes .6B for new subs | Trump issues Iran sanctions after world shrugs at US action at UN Navalny calls on Russia to return clothes he was wearing when he fell ill MORE.
Despite North Korea's rhetoric on Tuesday, the State Department said that it would continue to plan the meeting between Trump and Kim, which is expected to be the first such encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. | {
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Is this a game about heart breaks? Or is it about a strong relationship?
Is it romantic? Is this what you call love? Is it playful?
Or is it more?
What does this game tell you?
Demo Vs Full version:
You can play the whole game with male narrative in the Demo version. Full version also has female narrative.
Features:
| {
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Back around the turn of the millennium, this university’s computer department upgrades several computer labs, working with the Facilities people to get things done right, according to a pilot fish on the scene.
“They put in raised floors in the all the labs and even the halls, to run cables effortlessly and make future changes,” says fish. “And several whole-room UPSes, one for each student lab, and a line conditioner. Even the air-conditioning units were sized correctly and had future capacity. It seemed a dream come true — until the first week of class."
Almost immediately, students using one of the labs discover that their floppy disks are being scrambled or wiped. No one can figure out why, and since no one wants to lose his work, the lab is a virtual ghost town a month into the semester.
Skip ahead a month or two: A professor whose office is across the hall from the lab o’ doom decides he wants his office hooked into the lab’s UPS. And because the lab is hardly used, he has no trouble getting the department head to sign off on the project.
The day comes for Facilities to wire the office into the UPS — under the raised floor, of course. A few floor tiles come up, power conduit is pulled, and the job is almost done.
That’s when one student employee looks again at what’s under the raised floor, remembers what he just learned in a physics class, and then goes looking for his boss.
“It seems that when Facilities wired the labs, they misjudged how much wire they would need to run from the outside transformer to the line conditioner inside,” fish sighs. “The wires were too long.
“Rather than trim them to length, they just coiled the excess under the floor, in case they ever needed it in the future: several loops of three-phase, 400-volt, 400-amp cables, right under the doorway into the lab, producing a large, directed magnetic field that happily scrambled the data of every passerby.”
Sharky’s always scrambling to find true tales of IT life. Send me yours at [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter. | {
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Personal log, A'dranna, Stardate 87327.8
The ruins are gone. Centuries of our history immolated in minutes. Anything the Heralds touch dissolves into ashes.
I suppose it could have been worse. Our cities survived, because the bulk of the Herald assault was focused on the area surrounding the gateway chamber. And we still hold it, even though D'Tan has decided that we must postpone any further research into its use until after the conflict ends.
I do not agree with his decision. We cannot negotiate with this enemy. We cannot reason with them. And if we remain ignorant about the limits of their technology, they will continue to use it against us.
D'Tan is a man of peace. Nothing will change that, and it is one of the reasons I respect him. But it is also the reason why we need men and women of action who are willing to step up and fight to preserve what we have created here.
Obisek is with the fleet. Tal'Mera is chasing Sela in every shadow. I am not a soldier, but I cannot sit and wait for the Heralds to come again.
I have an appointment with Admiral Kererek this afternoon. If D'Tan will not sign off on my research, maybe Kererek will. I will provide all my data to the Alliance, and continue my work with the gateway technology.
I know the Alliance has had some success in modifying ships to open gateways to the Herald Sphere. But there is more we can do. If we can attack the gateway network, we can also learn to control it. What if we could create gateways of our own to get our ships into battle, or open gateways into nebulas to act as shields against the Heralds' solar flares? How about emergency shelters for civilians hidden away?
There are so many possibilities – but any research into new technology will take resources. We will need more scientists willing to work on Alliance projects. More intact samples of Iconian technology. More funding for experiments that may take months or even years to produce results.
And that's the most precious resource of all. Time. The longer we take to find a solution, the more people will die.
We have to have more time, but we can't waste any time … it's the unsolvable puzzle. I feel like I want to plunge my hands into time itself, shape and bend it to my will, change all that's happened and all that will happen … but I can't. The technology to do that simply doesn't exist.
And if it did, would it be more power than anyone has a right to have?
Discuss in the forums. | {
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Tune in Thursday at 9:30pm mountain time to Iconici Weekly Radio hosted by Miss Naiya Marcelo, Poetrynmotion and Syndee. They will be talking about all the latest news and gossip surrounding and entertainment that is big in the headlines this week. Find out who has been cast to play Christian and Anastasia in the upcoming movie 50 Shades of Grey, What was Miley's reaction to the backlash on her MTV Video Music Awards apperance, Model show "The Face" is getting a face lift and more news and gossip
Check out Iconici TV website
Don't miss a beat of Iconici Weekly Radio, Hit the follow button to stay up to date with all our shows. You can also listen to our broadcasts on iTunes
To be a guest on Iconici Weekly Radio email [email protected] | {
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The timing of AllThingD's report is perfect. Yahoo! has a press event scheduled for Monday afternoon. Seems like convenient timing, no? As if Yahoo! is so confident this deal is already done that they're announcing the press conference a whole weekend in advance.
But that's not how business acquisitions work. They're rarely clean. Acquisitions are cut throat and underhanded and nothing is official until the papers are signed. And these negotiations are playing out a little bit too much in the press. So, on that note, TechCrunch reports Tumblr sees Yahoo!'s billion dollar offer as "too low" and "only a first offer." And Tumblr's booming business success and financial reports showing off the charts revenues and profits certainly give it that right. Oh, wait, no. Tumblr only made $13 million in 2012 and that hype about hitting $100 million by the end of this year isn't lining up with reality. TechCrunch says they're going to run out of money soon if they can't find a sugar daddy soon:
Tumblr employees have been told that the company only has enough funds to operate for a few more months, as its costs far exceed the limited revenue it earns. Tumblr pulled in $13 million in 2012, but has accelerated its advertising offering in hopes of hitting $100 million in revenue this year. The money’s not coming in fast enough to support its expenses though. Employees were recently told not to be concerned, though, because the company is expecting to be bought.
Tumblr sources saying, anonymously, that Yahoo!'s offer it too low when they're running out of money and their only hope is for a benevolent benefactor to swoop in and purchase them is something to behold. So things are already messy and being negotiated in public. That usually leads into a great working relationship, right?
To say there are cynics out there who think this is going to blow up and be a disaster for both sides is an understatement. But it's mostly going to be a disaster for Yahoo! and Marissa Mayer because they're the ones dumb enough to pay $1 billion for a company that only generated one percent of that in revenue last year. CNET's Dan Farber thinks this could be go down as poorly in the history books as Fox's deal to buy Myspace:
Of course, there is a big risk in spending a billion on a blogging platform that essentially competes with Facebook and Twitter. Yahoo's board has a good reference point for considering the Tumblr downside. In 2005 Fox bought the fast-growing social network MySpace for $580 million. Then Facebook came along, and six years later Fox unloaded MySpace for $35 million. Yahoo isn't Fox, where MySpace was an island in a sea of mostly unrelated news properties.
And there's also the huge financial blow Yahoo! absorbs for paying such a high price as explained by Business Insider's Henry Blodget:
The $1.1 billion purchase price, meanwhile, will vaporize more than a third of Yahoo's cash balance, which will presumably leave some at the company wondering whether Yahoo should have spent so much money buying back its stock over the last couple of quarters.
The Tumblr deal would put Yahoo! in a stick situation. They would have to reign in the purchasing for a while. It would also limit them from doing investor friendly things like buying back shares or producing dividends. If their stock price takes a dive after the Tumblr deal that could pose major problems. But they would also still have around $2 billion to play with. That's still a lot of money. | {
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A Labour government would reinvent a century-old housing bond system to generate £5bn to build 125,000 new homes, Ed Miliband has announced. The Labour leader plans to take the new Isa scheme for first-time buyers announced by the chancellor, George Osborne, earlier this year and use it to finance wide-scale housebuilding.
Labour claims Britain’s chronic housing shortage is being fuelled by coalition schemes such as help to buy, but that no action is being taken to boost supply. Miliband pledged to revive the dream of homeownership for people struggling to get on the housing ladder by introducing a future homes fund to boost new builds.
In a speech to supporters in Warrington on Saturday, he promised that people who had lived in an area for three years would be guaranteed priority access to new homes under a first-time buyers first policy.
He said: “There’s nothing more British than the dream of homeownership. Starting out in a place of your own. But for so many young people today that dream is fading.”
The money will be generated by channelling the investments banks and building societies proceeds from the new first-time buyer Isa into housing. Labour said savers would still be guaranteed the same return on their money and be able to withdraw it any time. The £5bn it would generate would help Labour leap towards its target of 200,000 new homes by 2020.
Miliband has already announced plans to end landbanking by developers by pledging to introduce “use it or lose it” laws and he also plans new garden cities.
The future homes investment fund will be targeted at new sites where local first-time buyers will get priority. It draws on previous schemes such at the housing bonds used in the 1920s to fuel building and will not need extra borrowing or spending, according to Labour.
Miliband said: “Our plan is the first real plan for housebuilding in a generation. We will build at least 200,000 homes a year by the end of the parliament. We won’t let those large developers just hoard land – waiting for it to go up in value when it could be used to build homes. We’ll say: either you use the land or you lose the land. We will build a new generation of towns, garden cities and suburbs creating over half a million new homes.
“We will make housing the top priority for additional capital investment. And today I can announce the next step in our plan. The next Labour government will create a new future homes fund. The banks will benefit from the taxpayer support we will provide to help people save for their first home.
“In return, we will expect the banks to invest in homes for the next generation – unlocking £5bn for 125,000 homes. A Labour government will get Britain building again.”
The help to buy Isa announced by Osborne in his budget would see first-time buyers rewarded for saving up to £12,000 in one of the new savings accounts with a government contribution of up to £3,000 towards a deposit on their first home.
Osborne said: “The help to buy Isa will support over a million first-time buyers achieve their dream of earning their own home – and with one badly thought-through policy, Ed Miliband would put all that at risk. It would undermine homeownership and harm savers.
“After just one week of the campaign, Ed Miliband has confirmed he’s anti-savers, anti-business and anti-aspiration. He’s just not up to the job.” | {
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Like the Earth, Mars is roughly 4.5 billion years old. Scientists believe that, at one time, Mars' surface flowed with liquid water, and its surface, like Earth's, was active with the forces of tectonic drift. Now, unlike our lush planet of oceans and forests, Mars is a dead world.
Related Content Earth’s Magnetic Field Is at Least Four Billion Years Old
Under Mars' current configuration, cold on the surface, with low air pressure, water can either evaporate or freeze, but cannot stay stable enough to flow as a liquid, says Sanjoy Som, writing for Nature. Certainly at some points throughout Mars' history, there was water on the planet's surface. But according to a new study a watery Mars would have been the exception.
Roughly 4 billion years ago, Mars started to lose its atmosphere. Like the Earth's, Mars' atmosphere would have insulated the planet, warming the surface above its current freezing temperatures. Over time, however, the solar wind—a flow of charged particles streaming from the Sun—blasted the planet's atmosphere into space. In the past 4 billion years Mars has lost as much as 95 percent of its air.
A thinner atmosphere allows smaller meteorites to penetrate it. And based on an analysis of the sizes of meteors that made it down to Mars' surface, says Liat Clark writing for Wired UK, researchers suggest that, throughout most of its history, Mars' atmosphere was likely too thin to support persistent surface water.
“The team does, however, offer an alternative theory for all the evidence of flowing water sources on the planet: "transient warming by eruptions, impacts, or infrequent orbital conditions could unfreeze the surface and shallow subsurface, allowing runoff, but would not last long enough to unfreeze ground at less than 1km depth,” says Clark. | {
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JUGEMテーマ：経営のヒントとなるニュースを読み解く
今週書いた「労働生産性は働き方とはまったく関係ない理由」という記事に対し、時間あたりの生産性は製造業のみに関連するものであり、製造業以外には適用できない、というご意見がありました。
しかし、日本の低い労働生産性に最も貢献しているのはGDPの7割を占めるサービス業で、その労働生産性は製造業の5割程度にとどまっていると言われます。つまり、日本の労働生産性を向上させるためには、サービス業の大幅な労働生産性の改善が不可欠です。
例えば運輸業。人手不足問題が深刻になり、ヤマト運輸の昨年末の大幅運賃値上げや、今春の引っ越し難民の増加予測などさまざまな問題を聞くにつけ、低い労働生産性が業界全体や働く社員を疲弊させている様子がわかります。
ヤマトの場合、平均で何度不在配達をするかを売上原価として計算しているかわかりませんが、法人など1回で配達できる荷物が減り、複数回配達が当たり前の個人宛荷物が増えれば、当然労働時間は比例して増えるのに対し、1個あたりの配送運賃は変わりません。その結果、長時間労働やサービス残業が横行するようになり、利益率が伸び悩むのは必然の成り行きです。
この事実に気がついた佐川急便は2013年に早々とアマゾンとの契約を打ち切り。法人客メインの営業方針に切り替えました。このブログ記事では2015年までの2社の売上と営業利益率を比較していますが、2015年時点でヤマトは佐川の約1.5倍の売上があるにもかかわらず、営業利益はほぼ同額（ヤマトは減益）。いっぽうの佐川は、2010年から2015年には売上を約1割近く落としたにもかかわらず、営業利益は倍増しています。
ヤマト経営陣は昨年の値上げの大騒動を待つまでもなく、佐川がアマゾン配送から撤退した2013年時点で将来予測をし、何らかの手を打つべきだったのは明らかです。
昨日は日経にアートコーポレーション社長のインタビューが掲載されていましたが、単価の低い単身者引っ越しをメインにしたり、担当者の「カン」に頼った見積もり等をしていたため利益が低迷。今後はAIを利用して見積もりの誤差を少なくし、個人や相見積で価格が安い業者に発注するシステムの法人の契約も受注しない方針だそうです。
このように経営者が売上単価や利益率を上げるための経営判断をしたり、機械化（システム投資も含む）をしていけば、社員の働き方も自ずから変わってきます。
同じくサービス業の小売り店。
棚卸や発注のための在庫確認は小売店舗で最も時間を消費する作業の一つですが、昨年、リーダーで瞬時に単品在庫数を読み取ることができるICタグの全店導入をユニクロが決定しました。
しかしユニクロは満を持して導入決定しただけであって、日本のICタグ導入の草分けはセレクトショップのビームス。何と5年前の2013年から導入実験を開始。2016年夏までにすべての業態で導入済です。これにより、ビームスでは従来、10人で20時間かかっていた棚卸を3人で2時間以内に短縮できたといいます。
なぜビームスにこんなことができたのか？ 答えは簡単。ビームス商品の販売単価と利益率が高く、ICタグ導入に必要な資金を用意できたからです。それにより削減できた社員の労働時間は本業の接客販売に費やすことができ、さらに時間あたりの売上アップ効果が期待できる他、本業のアパレル以外にもカフェやコラボ事業などさまざまな新規事業に余剰人員を回すことができます。その結果、ビジネスの相乗効果やリスク分散機能も補強できるのです。
ホワイトカラーの営業職や管理職でも同じこと。
「明日までにこの資料をそろえてほしい」と顧客の言うなりになって深夜残業が横行しているという話や、毎月必要な資料ならそもそも販売システムの中に組み入れて自動的に作成できるようにすればいいのに、わざわざデータをエクセルに落とし込んで加工して資料作成自体が業務になっているという話、売上や仕入れを操作してささやかな決算数字の誤魔化しに毎月末にけっこうな時間を使っているという話などなど、「最小限のコストで最大限の売上と利益をあげる」のが目的のはずの企業から逸脱した行為は、日本の会社では日常茶飯事です。
それもこれも、私はすべて経営者が必要な判断と指示を、必要なタイミングでしていないことが問題ではないかと考えます。その結果、社員は生産性向上どころか、何のために仕事をしているのかがわかっていない人も多いのではないでしょうか？
働き方改革といかに政府が声高に叫んでも、私は日本の多くの経営者たちが変わらない限り、労働生産性の問題は永遠に変わらないと思います。 | {
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This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
CLEVELAND– Support is growing for an online petition to allow guns inside Quicken Loans Arena during the Republican National Convention.
More than 4,000 people have signed the Change.org petition since it was started two days ago.
Quicken Loans Arena, the location of many RNC events, does not allow firearms or any other weapons on its premises.
The petition said the policy is “a direct affront to the Second Amendment” and “puts all attendees at risk.” It also calls Cleveland one of the most dangerous cities in the United States, citing an October 2015 Forbes article.
The petition is asking the Q to suspend its policy, GOP president candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to use executive authority, and the Republican National Committee to explain “how a venue so unfriendly to Second Amendment rights was chosen for the Republican Convention.”
The RNC is July 18 to July 21.
Continuing coverage of the Republican National Convention here
41.496577 -81.688076 | {
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