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Poland's top judge Gersdorf defies retirement law Published duration 4 July 2018
image copyright EPA image caption Supporters of the Chief Justice gathered outside Warsaw's Supreme Court on Wednesday
The head of Poland's Supreme Court has arrived for work surrounded by hundreds of supporters, rejecting a controversial law forcing dozens of senior judges to retire early.
Chief Justice Malgorzata Gersdorf, 65, had been told to step down at midnight on Tuesday and a replacement was named.
She has branded the reforms, which require judges to retire at 65 instead of 70, a "purge".
Poland's prime minister defended his government's drive to impose changes.
"Every EU country has the right to develop its judicial system according to its own traditions," Mateusz Morawiecki said in a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday.
Up to 40% of Supreme Court judges are expected to be forced out, as part of changes which the government argues will help fight corruption and replace judges who date back to a communist era that collapsed in 1989.
image copyright Reuters image caption Malgorzata Gersdorf has accused the government of carrying out a purge under the guise of retirement reform
On Monday the European Union launched legal action against Poland's right-wing government, saying the law undermined judicial independence. Some Euro MPs listened to the Polish leader's speech behind signs that read "rule of law".
"If there is a systemic threat to the rule of law, we cannot simply turn a blind eye," said EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis. "We cannot simply say it is a purely national issue."
"So, where the separation of powers is weakened in one country or worse, the independence of the judiciary is challenged in another, it becomes a European issue, which affects our whole community."
There were protests in several Polish cities against the reforms late on Tuesday, including outside the Supreme Court in Warsaw.
Hundreds of supporters returned on Wednesday morning to greet Prof Gersdorf on her arrival with chants of "constitution" and "we are with you". A number of colleagues also welcomed her as she addressed the protesters at the entrance, vowing to defend the rule of law.
What is the row about?
The new law imposes a new retirement age for judges of 65. Presidential assent is required for those who wish to stay on. Judges had until Tuesday to apply to stay on.
image copyright AFP/Getty image caption Supporters also gathered outside the Supreme Court in Warsaw on Tuesday evening
Twenty-seven out of 73 Supreme Court judges were 65 or over.
While some did apply to stay on, according to Polish media, Prof Gersdorf was one of 11 judges who refused to make such an appeal.
The judge, an outspoken critic of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, has insisted that under Poland's constitution she should remain in her post until 2020.
She has called the government's move "a purge of the Supreme Court conducted under the guise of retirement reform".
Read more on related topics:
Prof Gersdorf met President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday. Despite her opposition, a presidential aide later said that she would be forced into retirement from midnight and replaced by a judge appointed by Mr Duda, an ally of PiS.
media caption The BBC's Paul Adams examines the political scene in Poland
Poland faces street standoff
By Adam Easton, BBC News Warsaw
Street demonstrations in support of Malgorzata Gersdorf are likely to become much bigger now, but the government has already weathered large protests in the past two years.
Prof Gersdorf says her mandate is guaranteed by Poland's constitution and she plans to remain in her post. That will likely cause a degree of chaos and an uncomfortable standoff between her and the new chief justice appointed by President Duda.
The governing party's reform of the Supreme Court is the last major part of its judicial changes and it seems determined to see it through - even if the European Commission, the UN, the Council of Europe and US and European legal associations don't agree with its assertion that the reforms meet normal European standards.
Warsaw has one month to respond to the EU's challenge to this reform before the next stage can be triggered. There will be a period of concerted opposition but, as one source told me, the head of Law and Justice, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, believes he can live with it.
What is the EU's objection?
Poland insists its reforms are aimed at updating an inefficient system and replacing judges who date back to a communist era that collapsed in 1989.
However, the EU complains that judges have no way of seeking a review if their request to the president is turned down.
The head of state also does not have to explain any reasons for making such a decision.
The EU's executive, the European Commission, has given Poland a month - rather than the standard two months - to respond to the legal challenge.
Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said the law was binding and "for the time being our stance is that we are right". | {
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The NBA owners aren't the only ones looking to alter the landscape of the league over the next several seasons through the league's collective bargaining agreement.
While the owners want to do away with the soft salary cap and guaranteed contracts, the players hope to end the age restriction that forbids players from entering the NBA directly out of high school.
"We want to go back to the way it was," a source from the National Basketball Players Association said. "The players have always been philosophically opposed to it. The vast majority of players feel a player should have the right to make a living. If he has the talent and wants to make money to help his family, he should have that right. It's just a matter of principle."
NBPA executive director Billy Hunter sent an audio podcast detailing the union's proposal to every player last week. The proposal, which includes the end of the age restriction, has been obtained by ESPN.com and confirmed by a union source.
In its proposal, the union, while rejecting the owners' call for a hard salary cap and salary reductions, is also willing to negotiate a reduction in league revenue guarantees for players. The union also proposes rule changes that would provide more flexibility for sign-and-trade deals.
The age restriction, which requires a player to be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft as well as at least one year removed from his high school graduation class, has been in place since the 2005-2006 season. A league spokesman refused to comment when asked Wednesday about the union's proposed change to the age restriction.
The league did not address the age requirement specifically in the collective bargaining proposal it submitted to players in February. But commissioner David Stern's desire has long been to raise the minimum age to 20 rather than to lower it.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass refused to comment when contacted by ESPN.com.
While there are much larger issues separating the sides, the age restriction could become a bargaining chip in the stalemated negotiations between owners and players that appear headed toward a lockout next summer.
Hunter said last month he's "99 percent sure" there will be a lockout, and a look at the proposals of each side reveals Hunter may have underestimated the chances of a work stoppage.
The union submitted its contract proposal in July, but it seems to have barely registered with the owners, who have neither provided a counterproposal nor backed off the demands they made in February. The league also refused to comment Wednesday on the details of the union's proposal.
"Our proposal was designed to move the negotiations forward, to be a win-win for both sides," the union source said. "We looked to address some of the owners' concerns and the proposal had elements that would benefit both sides. But the owners have sat on this for five months."
While the union rejects the owners' demands for a hard cap, an $800 million cut in salaries, a shortening of contract lengths and an elimination of guaranteed contracts, it is willing to negotiate a reduction in the percentage of league revenue players are guaranteed.
Players are currently guaranteed 57 percent of basketball-related income, and the players are willing to remove that guarantee. No new figure was proposed by the union, which is also open to considering adjustments to revenue formulas for owners who build new arenas or significantly renovate existing ones.
The players' association also proposed, according to the podcast, "enhanced trade and signing flexibility." Basically, it wants to change the system in a way that would make it easier for teams to make trades.
Currently, in trades involving a team that is above the salary cap, the traded players' salaries must fall within 125 percent of one another. The union would like to at least double that percentage. That would make it easier for cash-strapped clubs to receive financial relief by trading away players with large contracts.
The union suggests ending the complicated "base-year compensation" rule that often makes it difficult to pull off trades.
"We want to keep the current system in place, and address some of the owners' concerns within the context of that system," the source said. "We want to keep the soft cap we've had for 30 years and keep salaries tied to revenues."
In the past, the players have had no say in how the owners have shared their revenue among themselves. But with the owners complaining about millions of dollars in annual losses, the union proposed in July that the league incorporate "meaningful revenue sharing."
The players do not believe the burden for giving small-market clubs financial relief should fall entirely upon them. Thus, they're proposing that the league share not only national revenue -- such as television contracts, sponsorships and gate receipts -- but local revenue as well.
The union also suggests the league could give small markets a larger share of the national revenue.
Staunchly against a hard cap, which would eliminate longtime collective bargaining staples such as the Larry Bird exception, the union also noted that it wants to not only keep the midlevel exception but add a second midlevel exception.
In exchange, the players would give up the "bi-annual exception," which is currently worth $2 million, and decrease the maximum length of midlevel contracts from five years to four years.
The players are also looking to shorten the time period (currently seven days) that teams have to match offers for restricted free agents, as well as gain better pension benefits.
The union has been anticipating a lockout for more than a year and has been advising its players regularly to save money in preparation for a work stoppage.
The players are ready to fight to keep the key elements of the current system, as evidenced by the attendance of superstars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul at a negotiating meeting in August.
The players were galvanized in part after union representatives showed them PowerPoint presentations that explained exactly how much money they would lose if the owners' proposal was accepted. For instance, the $18 million Joe Johnson is slated to make next season would fall to about $11 million under the owners' proposed system, with less than $5 million guaranteed.
The owners are digging in as well, with one source close to several owners saying "they will not budge" from their current proposal. If the two sides haven't moved significantly closer to one another by the February All-Star break, a lockout would seem inevitable.
"We're not planning to make another proposal, in part because the owners have not made a counterproposal," the union source said. "They don't seem to want to make a deal early."
Chris Broussard covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. | {
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Rich in tradition, the San Francisco Fire Department is one of a handful of Fire Departments nationwide that still uses wooden ladders. SFFD is, however, the only Fire Department that uses custom built, handcrafted wooden ladders. City workers build and restore the 350 wooden ladders used by the San Francisco firefighters in a city fabrication shop located in the Bayview district of San Francisco.
San Francisco has many high-voltage overhead wires. Wooden ladders are preferred because they don't conduct electricity. Crafted from aged ash, Douglas fir and hickory woods, these ladders are sturdier and last longer.
The largest ladder made by the artisans is 50 feet, weighs 350 pounds and takes six firefighters to lift. Raising of the 50ft. wooden ladder, an art in and of itself, is done frequently as firefighters respond to many fire calls each day.
Watch a video about the making of SFFD's wooden ladders:
"Inside the Ladder Shop at the San Francisco Fire Department"
(this links to a video that is not produced by SFFD; the video is on an external independent website) | {
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French MPs voted to ban the use of mobile phones in primary and middle schools on Thursday.
Under the new measures, students under 15 will have to keep cellphones out of sight while on school grounds. The new law makes an exception for phones used for "pedagogic purposes" or equipment needed by handicapped children.
_The suggestion of a law about the usage of mobile phones in primary and middle schools was adopted in a public session. _
By a show of hands, French lawmakers voted to put the law in place, which will now go to the Senate.
The ban on cell phones in schools — one of Macron’s campaign promises — is geared towards improving students’ concentration and preventing cyberbullying and the watching of pornography.
Education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer called it a "detox measure" to combat distraction and bullying.
If approved, the new law would kick in at the start of the next school year in September.
Critics of the ban say it will be difficult to enforce since teachers won’t be able to police every single student.
A study by a French agency in charge of regulating telecommunications (ARCEP) showed that 93% of teenagers aged 12 to 17 owned a mobile phone in 2016 — in contrast to 72% in 2005. | {
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A sign announcing the store will be closing hangs above a Sears store in Chicago, Illinois.
Check out the companies making headlinesafter the bell:
Sears stock recovered slightly, up more than 1 percent in the extended session. The retailer, which owns Kmart, took a beating in the regular session. Shares were down close to 5 percent. A CNBC story on Thursday revealed it would shutter another 103 unprofitable stores, as it fights mounting debt.
Shares of Sonic gained more than 6 percent after the bell. The fast food chain reported mixed first quarter financial results, including earnings that beat analyst expectations. It also projected earnings growth in its fiscal 2018 outlook.
The report showed about 1.7 percent decline in same store sales throughout the company and its franchises. Sonic CEO Cliff Hudson said the decline was in-line with expectations and reflected "continued intense competitive pressure and unfavorable weather."
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions stock edged up close to 1 in extended trading. The defense company announced it had been issued a $20 million defense contract to produce microwave electronic products that support an airborne electronic warfare system.
Amarin Corporation shares jumped more than 5 percent after the bell. The pharmaceutical company released preliminary fiscal 2017 results that beat previous records. They also provided outlook for 2018 that showed revenue growth in the first two quarters,Thomson Reuters reported. | {
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D avid Dewees died an innocent man.
Maybe that's reason enough to take one's own life – there will never be a finding of guilt on the criminal charges brought against the apparently well-liked Jarvis Collegiate teacher.
But was it guilt of another kind, shame and self-loathing, that made the 32-year-old lie down on the tracks at High Park subway station Saturday morning rather than face trial?
Such a sad tale all around and now students and colleagues, to say nothing of Dewees' family, will have to deal with the consequences. That's also the aftermath of suicide: Anger, a need to cast or shirk blame, questions without answers and the taint of cowardliness.
It is a moot issue, whether suicide is an act of cowardice or courage. Police won't confirm details on the incident, as a matter of policy on suicides. But if Dewees really did lie prone on the rails and wait for an oncoming train to mangle his body, condemning himself to those moments of terrifying anticipation, then he embraced a worse comeuppance than any retribution the courts could impose. This was a ritualistic punishment, a self-mutilation.
At the same time, Dewees shunted the guilt to others: any victim who lodged a complaint, cops who investigated his alleged crimes and laid the charges, the media for publishing his name.
Our law affords no protection from libel to the dead. So we will assume by his actions, and for the purpose of exploring this awful event, that Dewees was guilty as charged; that the Grade 10 English and Latin teacher and volunteer camp counsellor did indeed invite sexual touching – as opposed to actual touching – from boys, luring them on the Internet. Police said he'd been removed from his counselling post at the Christian-based Ontario Pioneer Camp in Port Sydney, Ont., after the emails surfaced.
He was charged on Thursday, out on $25,000 bail.
The Star, it must be acknowledged, got the charges wrong in a Friday digest item that said Dewees had been charged with sexually assaulting two 13-year-olds. There was no assault alleged by police. The distinction is important though it's doubtful – this too can never be ascertained – such an error (corrected) had much impact on Dewees' state of mind.
Some, who knew Dewees, will not accept even the news merit of the story, seeing in the straightforward reporting a malice that didn't exist. In an email to the Star, one associate wrote: "I worked with this totally decent man at Jarvis Collegiate for several years. It was sickening enough to see the police toss the `innocent until proven guilty' concept out the window by publishing his photo before any legal proceedings had begun. It is disgusting to see that your newspaper gleefully contributed to the damn-the-facts sensationalism."
There was no sensationalism. Neither the Star nor the police treated the incident differently from any other charge that appears on a cop blotter. This is a public record. The police and the media cannot make allowances of sensitivity for an accused.
From all reports, including comments posted on social networking sites, Dewees was a gifted teacher who made learning even so arcane a subject as Latin a lively endeavour. He blew the dust off a dead language. "I don't know which was funnier – when he made up the `Senex Salvius fundum habebat' song to the tune of Old MacDonald on the spot or `domus ambulans' as the Latin word for RV," one student wrote on RateMyTeachers.com. "What a character."
Another posted: "Mr. Dewees reads poetry with the most passion and enthusiasm I've ever witnessed."
Clearly, Dewees had a positive influence on the lives of many students. Some reject outright the idea that he would have sexually interfered with young teenage boys, suggesting a misunderstanding had occurred or that he had been enticed into making a sexual approach.
In fact, it is just this high esteem and loyalty in which Dewees was held by those in his charge that makes the accusation so distressing. And surely Dewees knew that as he orchestrated the final tragic act in his life.
His kink, a sexual attraction to boys, was the nub of the thing and it was out there in the public domain. His reputation was in ruins, even if many students still admired and respected the guy. In the way of these matters, that reputation would not have been resurrected either, in the event of acquittal.
A sexual compulsion for minors is hard-wired in the brain. There's little Dewees could have done to alter his thoughts. While it may be a perversion, fantasizing about sex with children isn't a crime. But acting on those urges is (despite a small constituency of deviants that seeks to take the moral sting out of "intergenerational sex"), even to the extent of owning child pornography. Thus the possession and importing child porn charges laid Friday against 69-year-old Antigonish bishop Raymond Lahey, just two weeks after his diocese reached a $15 million settlement with individuals who said they were abused by priests as children. (Lahey was not implicated in that case.)
If Dewees was aroused by boys, prudence demanded he put himself far from temptation, although there's really no such thing as safe distance in an online universe. Yet he taught pubescent boys and volunteered at a youth camp. He was a figure of trust and authority. That was his betrayal.
In death, with all its deliberate melodrama, Dewees can be pitied. Perhaps he preferred that to scorn. But Dewees was the author of his own torment because he surely knew the danger of such inappropriate conduct as alleged. This was not some romanticized Dead Poets Society. He was flirting with public exposure and disaster.
It must have both thrilled and sickened him.
Now, he's the only one at peace.
Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. | {
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Στον αέρα είναι ο προγραμματισμός χιλιάδων πτυχιούχων για τις μεταπτυχιακές τους σπουδές στα ελληνικά ΑΕΙ, καθώς ουδείς γνωρίζει μετά βεβαιότητας ποια προγράμματα θα λειτουργήσουν από το προσεχές ακαδημαϊκό έτος 2018-2019. Σύμφωνα με τον νέο νόμο 4485/2017, πλην των καινούργιων που θα ιδρυθούν, όλα τα υπάρχοντα μεταπτυχιακά προγράμματα πρέπει να επανιδρυθούν, και εξ αυτών όσα απαιτούν δίδακτρα να αξιολογηθούν και να εγκριθούν από το υπουργείο Παιδείας. Ωστόσο, η διαδικασία προβλέπεται να ολοκληρωθεί λίγο πριν από τα… αυγουστιάτικα μπάνια, με τους υποψηφίους ανάστατους, καθώς θέλουν να γνωρίζουν τι μέλλει γενέσθαι για να κρίνουν σε ποιο μεταπτυχιακό θα γίνουν δεκτοί ή εάν θα φύγουν για μεταπτυχιακά στο εξωτερικό. Η ανησυχία των ενδιαφερομένων εντείνεται, διότι οι προθεσμίες για τα ευρωπαϊκά ΑΕΙ ολοκληρώνονται. Υπεύθυνα για την καθυστέρηση είναι και τα ΑΕΙ -πολλές προτάσεις είναι ελλιπείς και αναπέμφθηκαν, ενώ υπήρξαν ΑΕΙ που κατέθεσαν τον φάκελο των προτάσεων στο «παρά ένα» της ολοκλήρωσης της προθεσμίας- αλλά και το υπουργείο Παιδείας που δεν προέβλεψε τις χρονοβόρες διαδικασίες.
Ειδικότερα, η λειτουργία των υπαρχόντων μεταπτυχιακών ολοκληρώνεται στο τέλος του τρέχοντος ακαδημαϊκού έτους τον Ιούλιο. Με βάση τον νόμο 4485/2017, τα πανεπιστήμια έπρεπε έως το τέλος Απριλίου να υποβάλουν στο υπουργείο Παιδείας προς έγκριση τις προτάσεις τους για όλα τα μεταπτυχιακά προγράμματα που θα λειτουργήσουν από τον προσεχή Οκτώβριο και θα έχουν δίδακτρα, τόσο τα νέα που θα ξεκινήσουν το 2018-2019 όσο και εκείνα που θα συνεχιστούν από φέτος. Το υπουργείο διακρίνει τα μεταπτυχιακά με δίδακτρα από τα δωρεάν μεταπτυχιακά, καθώς δεν είναι στόχος του να αξιολογήσει με ακαδημαϊκά κριτήρια τα μεταπτυχιακά, αλλά να ελέγξει τη σκοπιμότητα των διδάκτρων τα οποία όρισαν τα ΑΕΙ, και κυρίως το ύψος τους.
Η έκθεση σκοπιμότητας που πρέπει να συνοδεύει κάθε πρόταση για ίδρυση μεταπτυχιακού προγράμματος με δίδακτρα πρέπει να περιλαμβάνει τον αναλυτικό προϋπολογισμό του (συμπεριλαμβανομένου του αναλυτικού λειτουργικού κόστους του προγράμματος), να ορίζει τις πηγές χρηματοδότησης και γενικά πόρους της λειτουργίας του, και να αιτιολογεί την ανάγκη ύπαρξης διδάκτρων και το ύψος τους (άρθρο 32 του νόμου). Ουσιαστικά, το υπουργείο επιθυμεί να θέσει φραγμό στα πολύ υψηλά δίδακτρα – στα υπάρχοντα το εύρος κυμαίνεται από λίγες εκατοντάδες ευρώ μέχρι και 12.000 ευρώ. Πόσο μάλλον, που κατά το παρελθόν πολλά ΑΕΙ έχουν επικριθεί ότι αντιμετωπίζουν τα δίδακτρα των μεταπτυχιακών προγραμμάτων ως μία πηγή συμπλήρωσης της πενιχρής κρατικής χρηματοδότησης και των αμοιβών των διδασκόντων.
Ως προς τον αριθμό των μεταπτυχιακών προγραμμάτων, σήμερα στα ελληνικά πανεπιστήμια και ΤΕΙ ξεπερνούν τα επτακόσια. Εξ αυτών, στα πανεπιστήμια δίδακτρα έχει το 71% και το 29% είναι δωρεάν. Στα ΤΕΙ το σύνολο των προγραμμάτων είναι με δίδακτρα. Σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες της «Κ», ο αριθμός των μεταπτυχιακών θα αυξηθεί, καθώς οι προτάσεις που κατατέθηκαν στο υπουργείο είναι περισσότερες από τα λειτουργούντα προγράμματα, τόσο εκείνα με δίδακτρα όσο και τα δωρεάν. Στην αύξηση του αριθμού συνέβαλε το γεγονός ότι ο νέος νόμος περιορίζει τις ειδικεύσεις σε κάθε μεταπτυχιακό σε τρεις. Αρα, όσα υπάρχοντα μεταπτυχιακά προγράμματα έχουν περισσότερες των τριών ειδικεύσεις, ορισμένες από το 2018-2019 προτείνεται να μετατραπούν σε αυτόνομο πρόγραμμα. Ενδεικτικά, το Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών σήμερα έχει 143 προγράμματα και οι προτάσεις είναι περίπου 200, ενώ στο ΑΠΘ σήμερα λειτουργούν 90 μεταπτυχιακά, ενώ σχεδιάζεται να λειτουργήσουν από την νέα ακαδημαϊκή χρονιά περί τα 140 προγράμματα.
Αναπομπές
Μέσα στον Μάιο άρχισε να γίνεται ο έλεγχος των φακέλων των ΑΕΙ. Ωστόσο, όπως επιβεβαίωσαν στην «Κ» υψηλόβαθμα στελέχη του υπουργείου Παιδείας υπάρχουν φάκελοι που επεστράφησαν στα Ιδρύματα. Οι φάκελοι αυτοί διακρίνονται σε δύο ομάδες:
• Φάκελοι για τους οποίους χρειάζονται διευκρινίσεις, οι οποίες μάλλον έχουν διαδικαστικό χαρακτήρα και είναι αβλεψίες. Για παράδειγμα, υπήρξε φάκελος από τον οποίο έλειπαν σελίδες. Σε άλλη πρόταση, για το ίδιο μεταπτυχιακό πρόγραμμα ο αριθμός εισακτέων που αναφέρει το τμήμα είναι διαφορετικός σε σχέση με τον αριθμό που αναφέρει η Σύγκλητος. Οι πανεπιστημιακοί κάποιες φορές δεν… διπλοτσεκάρουν τους αριθμούς.
• Οι φάκελοι για τους οποίους ζητούνται εξηγήσεις σε κρίσιμα ζητήματα, όπως γιατί έχουν οριστεί τόσο υψηλά δίδακτρα ή τόσο υψηλές αμοιβές για τους διδάσκοντες. Πληροφορίες αναφέρουν ότι το ύψος των διδάκτρων στην πλειονότητα των προτάσεων έχει χαμηλώσει σε σχέση με τα τωρινά, ενώ η αμοιβή των διδασκόντων κυμαίνεται περί τα 90 με 100 ευρώ την ώρα, χωρίς να λείπουν πάντως οι εξαιρέσεις όπως τα 180 ευρώ. Σύμφωνα επίσης με πανεπιστημιακούς, τα υψηλότερα δίδακτρα είναι σε προγράμματα σχολών επιστημών υγείας (π.χ. οδοντιατρική) και οικονομικών σπουδών. Επίσης, υπήρξαν αναπομπές διότι θεωρήθηκε υπερβολικό το ποσό που είχε προϋπολογιστεί για έξοδα τεχνικής υποστήριξης του μεταπτυχιακού.
Από την άλλη, ορισμένα ΑΕΙ έστειλαν τις προτάσεις τους προς το υπουργείο λίγο πριν λήξει η προθεσμία στα τέλη Απριλίου. Η καθυστέρηση μετακυλίεται στον χρόνο ελέγχου των προτάσεων. Το υπουργείο Παιδείας, πάντως, θεωρεί ότι μέχρι το τέλος Ιουνίου θα έχουν κριθεί και όλοι οι φάκελοι που έχουν αναπεμφθεί και θα έχει ολοκληρωθεί η διαδικασία που αφορά το υπουργείο. Ακόμη κι έτσι, το τοπίο δεν θα ξεκαθαρίσει και τυπικά πριν από τα τέλη Ιουλίου, καθώς για τις προτάσεις που θα πάρουν το πράσινο φως από το υπουργείο Παιδείας, απαιτείται να γίνει προκήρυξη με έκδοση στην Εφημερίδα της Κυβερνήσεως.
Οι υποψήφιοι θα είναι στο… περίμενε, καθώς πολλοί επιθυμούν να καταθέσουν σε περισσότερα του ενός προγράμματος αίτηση, ελπίζοντας να γίνουν κατ’ αρχάς δεκτοί και, κατά δεύτερον, ότι σε κάποιο θα πληρούν τα κριτήρια για να λάβουν υποτροφία. Για μία ακόμη φορά οι πολίτες και στη συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση οι πτυχιούχοι και οι οικογένειές τους θα πληρώσουν τα χρονοβόρα γρανάζια του δημόσιου τομέα.
Υποτροφίες
Στα νέα μεταπτυχιακά προγράμματα το 30% των εισακτέων θα απαλλάσσεται των διδάκτρων, δηλαδή θα παίρνουν υποτροφία. Το βασικό κριτήριο για την απαλλαγή είναι το εισόδημα – προσωπικό ή οικογενειακό- του εισακτέου. Αν οι δικαιούχοι βάσει των οικονομικών προϋποθέσεων υπερβαίνουν το 30%, η επιλογή θα γίνει σύμφωνα με τη σειρά κατάταξης, ξεκινώντας από αυτούς που έχουν το μικρότερο εισόδημα. Βεβαίως, να τονιστεί ότι οι φοιτητές επιλέγονται για τα μεταπτυχιακά βάσει ακαδημαϊκών κριτηρίων και όχι της οικονομικής τους κατάστασης. Γι’ αυτό τον λόγο, άλλωστε, η αίτηση για απαλλαγή υποβάλλεται ύστερα από την ολοκλήρωση της διαδικασίας επιλογής των φοιτητών του προγράμματος. Οσοι λαμβάνουν υποτροφία από άλλη πηγή, δεν δικαιούνται απαλλαγή. | {
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If you save up a ton of money and waste all on tattoos You're gonna have a bad time
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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government plans to form a committee to temporarily allocate takeoff and landing slots left vacant by the grounding of Jet Airways flights, a senior official said, a day after the indebted carrier was forced to stop operations.
The vacant slots will be allocated to other airlines, said Pradeep Singh Kharola, India’s aviation secretary, at a press conference in New Delhi.
At least 280 slots were vacant in Mumbai and 160 in Delhi, he said, after Jet Airways - once India’s largest private carrier - ended all operations on Wednesday evening after failing to secure further loans from lenders.
Airlines are in touch with lenders to lease grounded Jet Airways planes, which are likely to be taken up by local airlines including state-run Air India, which is also in talks with lenders, Kharola said.
A bidding process is underway for a stake of up to 75 percent in Jet Airways, which is saddled with roughly $1.2 billion of bank debt. Kharola said there is “keen interest” from bidders.
Top bosses of airlines have assured they will keep fares at reasonable levels, he added. | {
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Cumbria University PhD student is first in world to pay for tuition fees using Bitcoin
Leander Bindewald, 34, paid for one month's fees using virtual currency
PhD student said he hoped to promote use of different types of payments
University of Cumbria is the first institution in the world to accept Bitcoin
Bitcoin works without the need for a central bank and is sent over internet
Coins are transferred directly from person to person, without a third party
Making history: Leander Bindewald, 34, has become the first university student in the world to pay for his tuition fees using the virtual currency Bitcoin
A Cumbria University PhD student has become the first in the world to pay for his tuition fees using the virtual currency Bitcoin.
Leander Bindewald, 34, from Stockwell, south London, covered one month's fees at the university in Carlisle with 1.032 bitcoins - the equivalent of £260 in sterling.
Bitcoin is an entirely virtual currency that works without the need for a central bank.
Coins are transferred directly from person to person via the internet - without a third party getting involved - and are kept in a digital wallet, which is accessible via a computer or mobile device.
Mr Bindewald, who specialises in community currencies, said he had decided to pay his tuition fees via Bitcoin in a bid to promote the use of different types of payments.
'I am practising what I preach,' said the PhD student.
'This is a public example that the technology actually works and that Bitcoin may very well be the payment system in the future.'
Mr Bindewald's transaction was made during last week's Ouishare Conference in Paris, a three-day event which attracted more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, social innovators and business leaders.
It follows an announcement by the University of Cumbria in January that it was accepting Bitcoin payments for two of its courses.
In doing so, it became the first public university in the world to accept the currency - representing what the institution deemed a momentous moment in the history of currency innovation.
Mr Bindewald, who is originally from Germany and carries out research at the New Economic Foundation in London, said he had used crowdfunding to enable him to pay his tuition fees.
University: Mr Bindewald, from Stockwell, south London, covered one month's fees at the University of Cumbria (above) in Carlisle with 1.032 bitcoins. In doing so, he hoped to promote the use of different types of payments
The method sees a person or an organisation proposes an idea on an internet platform, before a ‘crowd’ of backers agrees to help fund it.
In February, Mr Bindewald had taken to his blog to ask people for donations in the hope of countering negative attitudes towards the use of bitcoins.
He said: 'The perk for people who donated was to be part of a positive Bitcoin example . A lot of bitcoins get confiscated and people think that only drug dealers use them.
WHAT IS BITCOIN?
Bitcoin is an entirely virtual currency that works without the need for a central bank.
Launched in 2009, it enables coins to be transferred directly from person to person via the internet, without a third party getting involved. The virtual coins are kept in a digital wallet that is accessible via a computer or mobile device. They can be earned by users offering up their computer power for payment processing work, which creates new bitcoins and is known as ‘mining’. Thousands of traders worldwide now accept the currency, with leading Bitcoin payment processor BitPay working with more than 20,000 businesses this year.
However, because bitcoins allow people to trade money without a third party, they have become popular with not only libertarians and technophiles, but also criminals. One bitcoin equals around £260.
'But that’s not the case - and besides, more drugs and guns are sold every day with cash.'
Mr Bindewald, who holds masters degrees in Neurobiology and Philosophy and Business from the University of Freiburg in Germany, said that he saw Bitcoin as a preferable method for foreign students to safely pay their fees in the future
'It’s the natural way to make transactions in a virtually connected world,' he said.
But he added that despite his expertise in the currency, he does not regularly trade in it himself.
Professor Jem Bendell, director of the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability at the university, described Mr Bindewald's payment as 'an important statement that crypto-currencies can be part of a broader shift in economic thinking’.
Speaking at the conference last week, he said: 'We need to harness currency innovation for the common good. That’s the starting point for our research.'
Bitcoin was created in 2009 as a peer-to-peer payment system in which funds are transferred directly from one person to another.
The virtual coins can be earned by users offering up their computer power for payment processing work, which creates new bitcoins and is known as ‘mining’.
Thousands of traders worldwide now accept the currency, although it has also been scrutinised amid concerns it could be used for illegal activity.
Virtual: Bitcoin is an entirely virtual currency that works without the need for a central bank. Coins are sent directly from person to person, without a third party getting involved. Above, a model of a Bitcoin in Germany
Because bitcoins allow people to trade money without a third party getting involved, they have become popular not only with libertarians, technophiles, and speculators, but also criminals.
Complementary currencies like Bitcoin work alongside, rather than instead of, traditional currencies .
Formed in 2007, the University of Cumbria is one of Britain's newest universities, with campuses in Lancaster, London and Penrith.
Former students include Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton and Turner Prize-winning artist Keith Tyson.
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LISBON: Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon early Sunday after singer Netta Barzilai beat 25 other contestants with her uptempo song "Toy" whose lyrics have been embraced by the #MeToo movement.
Netta Barzilai track "Toy" tapped into the #MeToo movement zeitgeist.
The winning track, which contained refrains such as "I am not your toy, you stupid boy", summed up the concerns of many women who have adopted the growing global movement against sexual harassment.
"I am so happy. Thank you so much. Thank you for supporting diversity," Barzilai said as she took the stage after her win was announced.
The 25-year-old former singer in the Israeli Navy band accompanied her winning performance with trills, clucking sounds and chicken-like dance moves in an eye-catching and bizarre performance that is often typical of the Eurovision contest.
Portugal hosted the event for the first because it won the contest last year in Ukraine with a jazzy solo ballad by Salvador Sobral. Barzilai's victory is the fourth time Israel has won the contest.
The annual musical extravaganza has long been known for its ludicrous costumes, glitz and high-tech stage effects.
But cash-strapped Portuguese state broadcaster vowed to stage a more "theatrical" contest that made less use of new technologies, following in the footsteps of Sobral's bare-bones performance.
It stripped the Eurovision stage of the walls of LED screens that have formed a backdrop to performances in recent years.
Nonetheless many of the 26 acts that took part in the final at Lisbon's Altice Arena found other gimmicks to get the audience's attention -- and their votes.
Norway's Alexander Rybak played an imaginary guitar, violin, piano and drum as graphics of those instruments were overlaid onto the feed of his performance on viewers' TV screens at home.
Italy used the same trick but with brightly designed subtitles spelling out the lyrics to their song, which deals with recent terrorist attacks in Europe.
Stage intruder
Estonian soprano Elina Nechayeva wore a giant, interactive dress which flowed down from her waist, beyond her feet and out across the sprawling stage.
The dress, which weighs around eight kilos (18 pounds), came to life with colourful animations while she stood in place and sang her pop opera entry "La Forza" in Italian.
Ukraine's Melovin went a step further, ending his vampire-themed performance by playing a piano while the stairs leading up to it were set on fire.
This year's contest cost around 20 million euros ($24 million) to stage, the lowest amount since 2008 when it started to have two semi-finals.
British singer SuRie's performance was interrupted by a man who jumped on stage and snatched her microphone as she performed her entry "Storm".
She calmly turned to one side and clapped while the man was escorted away before quickly resuming singing after being handed another microphone.
The man is in police custody, the European Broadcast Union, which stages Eurovision, said in a statement.
SuRie and her team were offered the chance to sing again but opted not to because they were "extremely proud" of her performance, it added.
'Harmless fun'
Eurovision was first held in 1956 with the aim of uniting Europe after World War II.
Today it has an estimated global audience of around 200 million people -- more than the Super Bowl in the United States -- and has served as a global launching pad for the likes of ABBA and Celine Dion.
"It's just harmless fun, it is just a really good atmosphere," said Lee Torrance, a 43-year-old from Worcestershire in the United Kingdom who wore a vest and bowtie with the Union Jack pattern to the final.
Although the contest is supposed to be nonpolitical, this year's Eurovision, like many others before it, was no stranger to controversy.
The European Broadcast Union barred China's Mango TV from airing Saturday's final after it edited out a romantic dance sequence by two men from Ireland's entry during the contest's first semi-final.
Mango TV also blurred out rainbow flags in the audience.
After two semi-finals held this week, 20 countries moved to Saturday's final while Britain, Italy, Spain, France and Germany got free passes as they are the biggest contributors to the European Broadcasting Union. Portugal automatically qualified because it was the host. | {
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Long a favorite of sports car aficionados, the Porsche 911 is due for its next full redesign, to be unveiled in under a month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. As tends to happen with hotly anticipated cars, however, the images have been leaked in advance.
Looking just like the cars captured in our spy shots, the 2012 Porsche 911 carries forward the car's iconic styling with a sleeker, smoother, and in many ways, simpler, interpretation. Sculpted air inlets topped with LED running lights and tightly integrated tail lights are among the more easily spotted cues. Looking more closely at some of the details, however, our friend, Jonny Lieberman, esteemed senior editor at Motor Trend, has noticed some inconsistencies with the brakes, and thinks the images are simply chopped-together renderings of the car and not official leaked photos at all.
The interior is pure modern Porsche, and the images appear to show the PDK gearbox car, leaving open the matter of the 7-speed manual transmission expected to come with the update.
The 2012 911 is also expected to get a 3.4-liter boxer six-cylinder in Carrera form, good for about 350 horsepower. The Carrera S will bump to 3.8-liters and about 400 horsepower. Both should be good for 0-60 times under five seconds.
Follow the link for all of our 991 Porsche 911 coverage, and stay tuned for our live coverage of the official debut from Frankfurt in September.
[via TopSpeed] | {
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It was a weekend of milestones, as “The Revenant” crossed the $300 million mark globally, “The Martian” soared past $600 million and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” became only the third film in history to top $2 billion at the worldwide box office.
In addition to seeing its global total hit new heights, Fox survival saga “The Revenant,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, topped foreign charts, picking up a leading $24 million. The story of a fur trapper seeking revenge on the men who left him in the frontier to die debuted in Spain and Brazil last weekend, earning $3.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively. The $135 million production was famously hellish, as director Alejandro G. Iñárritu drove cast and crew to the breaking point, shooting in remote locations in Canada and Argentina. “The Revenant’s” worldwide total stands at $326 million.
In addition to the financial rewards, “The Revenant’s” Oscar chances got a big boost after Iñárritu won his second consecutive Directors Guild of America Award on Saturday, having picked one up last year for “Birdman.”
DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” scored second place on the foreign charts with $23 million. It got there by continuing to draw crowds in China, where the family film is performing better than it is domestically, having made $15.4 million last weekend and $101.7 million since opening in the People’s Republic two weeks ago. In the U.S., “Kung Fu Panda 3” has earned just under $70 million.
Korean crime film “A Violent Prosecutor” nabbed third place on the charts, earning $19.5 million, while Fox’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” scored fourth position with a $12.8 million weekend, bringing its global total to $171.4 million.
Two films tied for fifth place: “The Hateful Eight” and the French comedy “Les Tuche 2” with $8.5 million. “The Hateful Eight,” Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist Western, has earned $115.7 million worldwide since premiering in December.
In other news, Fox’s “The Martian” became Ridley Scott’s first film to top $600 million following its opening in Japan, where it topped the box office with $5.2 million.
Disney’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the third film to gross more than $2 billion globally, joining “Avatar” and “Titanic.” But it is only the second film to pull that off during its initial run in theaters — “Titanic” had the benefit of a 2012 re-release before it achieved those lofty numbers. | {
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A South Korean court in the city of Busan (pictured) has given suspended sentences to violators of North Korea coal sanctions. File Photo by Yonhap News Agency/UPI
July 14 (UPI) -- A South Korean court has suspended prison terms for three local defendants who were convicted of smuggling North Korean anthracite coal into the country.
The three defendants, who remain unidentified, imported more than $1.35 million of coal into the South, in violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions, Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.
Busan Criminal District Court's fifth division sentenced defendant "A," 49, to 2 years in jail with a stay of execution for three years, defendant "B," 46, to 1 year and 6 months in jail suspended for 2 years, and "C," 40, to 10 months with a suspension of execution for 2 years, according to the report.
The defendants are guilty of smuggling North Korean coal and declaring them as imports from China and Vietnam.
Fines against the defendants have also been suspended. Defendant A's fine of approximately $233,000 and defendant B's fine of $222,000 will be suspended, according to the court.
According to the South Korean ruling, defendants A and B declared 5,049 tons of North Korean anthracite coal as Chinese imports. The coal was smuggled into the South for about $450,000 in 2017.
In 2018, defendants A and C imported nearly $1 million worth of North Korean coal, falsely declaring the item as imports from Vietnam.
Sentences are being suspended for illicit imports of North Korean coal at a time when the South Korean military is falling under increased scrutiny, following the failure to intercept a North Korean fishing boat for 57 hours in June.
Local paper Hankyoreh reported Sunday a South Korean sailor of the navy's second fleet command left his guard post, without permission, on the evening of July 4 to access a vending machine, then "fled" when he was confronted by a colleague. His supervisor also told him to provide a false account of his misconduct, according to the report.
RELATED World races to develop African swine fever vaccine | {
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Radio Free Cybertron (@tfradio) has just tweeted images of upcoming third-party figures based on G1 Arcee, Elita-1, the Paradron Medic, and one other (Solus Prime?) from Mastermind Creations, as spotted at MMC’s display at BotCon. Paperwork in the photos gives their names as Azalea, Eupatorium, Zinnia, and Salvia Prominon, respectively, and indicates these figures are due for third quarter 2014 release, priced at $60 each.
Click ‘Read More’ to see the photos!
Join the ongoing discussion of MMC’s fembots in our forums HERE
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A victim from Srebrenica, the worst massacre in Europe since World War II. Dept. of History Srebrenica, 20 years later A day of darkness and slaughter, when Europe betrayed its very own values.
“The Community is now perceived as a major power, and not just an economic one. Much is expected of it. We must remember this and … shoulder our responsibilities.” — Jacques Delors, former President of the European Commission, 23 January 1991
“Each of your officers and soldiers, just like yourself, has just one life. And I don’t believe you want to lose it here.” — General Ratko Mladic to Lt. Col Thom Karremans, head of Dutchbat, UN forces, Srebrenica, 11 July 1995
The path from Jacques Delors’ high-minded speech to Ratko Mladic’s villainous threat and the Serbs’ massacre of 8,000 unarmed men and boys was straight if not true. Twenty years on, it is worth re-examining Srebrenica to see what lessons Europe has learned.
The Road to Death
The entire international community carries blame and shame for Srebrenica. But the trailhead to the small town in the mountains of eastern Bosnia begins in Brussels, in what was still, in 1991, only a club of 12 nations called the European Community — not that Europe’s political leaders even knew they were starting down the road to genocide.
Consider the state of Europe on the night Delors delivered his speech.
Germany had just re-unified (a prospect Europe had been fighting one way or another since the Napoleonic Wars). The Warsaw Pact was unraveling at alarming speed. Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait, and Britain, France and Italy were about to join the U.S. in waging war to force him out. The European Community and Commission were negotiating what would become the Maastricht Treaty — and having to spend many sleepless nights dealing with a Conservative British government’s demands for opt-outs from its mandates for open borders and a single currency.
So perhaps it was understandable that the European Community decided to put managing the disintegration of Yugoslavia at the bottom of its to-do list, even though it was likely that it would be violent.
But just because managing the crisis was not a priority didn’t mean that the European rhetoric was turned down. Quite the opposite. Luxembourg’s Jacques Poos declared “the hour of Europe” in June 1991. Around the same time Delors reportedly said, “We do not interfere in American affairs. We hope that they will have enough respect not to interfere in ours.”
America’s Secretary of State, James Baker, was happy to oblige. “We do not have a dog in this fight.”
* * *
So began a game of pass-the-Yugoslavia-parcel — duly reported by journalists like myself. We reported on this commission and that debate. I even interviewed Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, born in London’s Claridge’s Hotel at the end of World War II; the room in which he entered the world declared by the British government, temporarily, Yugoslav soil, so that after the war he could return to lead his country. The Prince was preparing to return to Yugoslavia to work for democracy.
By autumn Dubrovnik was being shelled. By December the Soviet Union had ceased to exist.
And still nothing substantial was done. “Europe” didn’t speak with one voice. Germany recognized Croatia and Slovenia, effectively marking the end of Yugoslavia. Everyone knew what would happen next — war in Bosnia. And so in 1992 it happened.
Sarajevo — eight years earlier an Olympic city — was besieged. Civilians were shelled and murdered by sniper fire. Thousands died. In the countryside atrocities out of Breughel — with Kalashnikovs added to the mix — took place.
“The hour of Europe” brought forth commissions to create plans, but no diplomatic or military intervention to stop the killing. The war went on. Reporters under fire filed hair-raising dispatches. They were plastered across front pages. Public opinion was duly outraged, to no avail. More commissions, more plans, more parcel-passing. The EU was bypassed as the UN organized troops to observe but not intervene.
An arms embargo was imposed. Except that Croatia and Serbia were breaking it, and arming their cousins in Bosnia. No interdiction.
The Bosnian Muslim population — the majority in the country — was begging for the embargo to be lifted so they could defend themselves. Here European policy crystallized: no arms. The concern was to stop the conflagration from spreading.
By 1993, Britain was effectively running policy. The Foreign Secretary was Douglas Hurd, an old Etonian, an unflappable man, perfect for explaining a policy that allowed rape hotels and concentration camps to flourish in Western Europe as the end of its bloodiest century drew to a close.
American correspondents were invited to his office for an interview session. He explained the policy calmly: no arming of the Bosniaks. In essence it was hard on Bosnia, he knew, but it was better than what might happen if more weapons got into former Yugoslavia.
I asked about intervention. He listed a dozen other violent crises around the world and asked rhetorically whether I thought we could intervene in all of them. In one of those moments of life I would like to have back, I failed to ask the obvious follow-up question, “Yes, Foreign Secretary, but this is the only one taking place in a country circumscribed by the borders of the European Union and NATO.” (I made repeated attempts to interview Lord Hurd, as he now is, for this article. I still want to ask him that question.)
The path Europe embarked on in 1991 reached its inevitable destination on July 11, 1995, in Srebrenica.
And so the war went on. The hour of Europe passed. The hour of Serbia arrived. It was a bloody hour. Serbian clients Karadžić and Ratko Mladić, emboldened, turned a civil war into a personal reign of terror, and the path Europe embarked on in 1991 reached its inevitable destination on July 11, 1995, in Srebrenica. Unarmed, half-starving, abandoned by UN forces and European politicians, 8,000 men and boys were massacred. In the forests, in a factory, in a school gym, in any place Mladic’s “soldiers” could find them. Their bodies were hastily disposed of.
And then the Americans, not the Europeans arrived. First by air, bombing the Serbs to a cease-fire. Then, the leaders of Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia were sequestered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and forced to reach an agreement.
What might have happened if, in 1991, European leaders had flown the heads of Yugoslavia’s constituent Republics to an island in the Baltic sea and said, forcefully, in a Holbrooke-ian manner, “We are not having war on this continent and you will now figure out how to reconfigure your country peacefully … and you aren’t leaving until you do.”
The cost of failure
Policy failures and political pusillanimity have a smell. The Tuzla morgue is where the remains of Srebrenica’s dead ended up. Twenty years on, they are still identifying the bodies. When I made a radio documentary in 2000, looking at how Bosnia was doing five years after the Dayton Agreement that ended the war, I recorded sound at the Tuzla morgue. You could smell the place from a distance.
I was shown into a huge refrigerated store room with stainless steel shelving stacked floor to ceiling. On the shelves were hundreds of brown paper bags containing human remains. All unidentified. They had been sorted as best as possible in the field to help with identification at some point in the future. Then I was taken into another room and watched a couple of forensic anthropologists as they tried to piece together the contents of a bag. They were making detailed physical notes about the remains to help with the identification process. A partial skeleton was laid out on the examining table. I remember bits of clothing, maybe a sock, clung to the bones of a foot.
One of the pathologists told me the work was slow but they had had a success story recently. The skeleton of a boy had been pieced together and the spine showed signs of serious deformity. Near where the body had been dug up, a pair of sneakers had been found. The mother of a 12-year-old with spina bifida had described her son wearing shoes like that the last time she had seen him. It was a positive match. Now she could bury him properly.
With the fundraising help of U.S. Senator Bob Dole, a DNA database was being established to help speed up the identification process. In recent years, around 500 sets of remains are positively identified each year.
Shortly after my visit to Tuzla I interviewed Richard Holbrooke, architect of the Dayton negotiations, who had been appointed Ambassador to the UN by President Bill Clinton. He was frank about the failures of the Dayton Agreement and harshly critical of the UN’s performance in Bosnia.
But he had this to say about the European Union: “Sometimes you confront leaders who just do evil things. I heard European negotiators say it [Bosnia] was complicated and there were a lot of gray areas. Well, it was. One side wasn’t very attractive but the other side was pure evil.”
Then Holbrooke added, “Once we came to terms with that — evil — and were willing to use air power, NATO and American air power, against the morally unacceptable acts, then things began to move in the right direction.”
* * *
Gray is what Europe does best. The EU likes to dress itself up in golden words: solidarity, democracy, liberty and human dignity. But when dealing with crises, gray is the EU’s true color, the color of vagueness and muddle.
Today there is a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, but the rules for handling a crisis haven’t changed much. In dealing with the Ukraine crisis, “Germany and France made the Minsk agreement not the EU,” says Alexandra Stiglmayer of the European Stability Initiative.
Stiglmayer covered the Bosnian War for Time Magazine and later worked for the EU’s High Representative in Sarajevo during the first phase of post-war reconstruction.
She looks at the Balkans today in dismay. There are EU diplomatic missions throughout the region and the carrot of EU membership is perpetually dangled, but the criteria for joining are severe. This means another war is unlikely but regeneration is unlikely as well.
"EU policy has turned the Balkans into countries stuck in poverty" — Alexandra Stiglmayer, European Stability Initiative
Stiglmayer estimates there are more than 70 different steps that Bosnia has to go through before membership is extended and the completion of each step has to be ratified by a unanimous vote of the 28 EU members. “EU policy has turned the Balkans into countries stuck in poverty,” she says. “Then what happens is you have a brain drain and these countries become even more poor and hopeless places.”
Sead Numanovic, former editor of Dnevni Avaz, Bosnia’s largest circulation newspaper, echoed the view that nothing much has changed. “The EU continues to make mistakes,” he says. “They cannot understand the mentality of Balkan people whether they are in the EU, like Greece, or outside of EU, like in Bosnia.”
One thing that has changed is there is greater nationalism in Europe, says Numanovic. “Nationalism is still the best tool for manipulation of people, and not just in the Balkans.” He mentions the rise of the National Front in France and Fidesz in Hungary. “We are seeing the Balkanization of Europe not the Europeanization of the Balkans.”
Nothing is likely to change that trend, Stiglmayer notes. “Member states don’t want to give any more sovereignty to the EU,” particularly when it comes to a unified foreign policy.
Jacques Delors was always more idealist than technocrat. The unique European federalism he hoped to build included a single foreign policy to match the single currency. Without one, Delors said, the “European dream will fade.”
In the case of Srebrenica, the “European dream” was a nightmare. | {
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Both spec variants will be available in Black, Blue and White colourways, but the White models will only be available in September. — Picture courtesy of Xiaomi
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Xiaomi Malaysia just announced that their latest Mi 8 flagship smartphone will officially go on sale in Malaysia next week. However, its most fascinating feature is the device’s price tag, as this full-on flagship smartphone can be yours for below RM1,600.
Two variants will go on sale in Malaysia. The base model Mi 8 with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage will retail for RM1,599 while the high-spec version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage will be priced at RM1,899. The base 64GB model will go on sale on the 16th of August 2018 online at Lazada and Shopee while the 128GB model will go on sale on the 18th of August 2018 at Authorised Mi Stores, Shopee and Lazada. Yup, the base model is going to be a Shopee/Lazada exclusive for now.
Both spec variants will be available in Black, Blue and White colourways, but the White models will only be available in September. Unfortunately there is no word on the availability of the Mi 8 with 256GB of storage nor is there any word on the Mi 8 Explorer edition.
Don’t let its affordable price tag fool you though, lest you forget that the Xiaomi Mi 8 is a full-on flagship smartphone. It’s got a 6.21-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display up front that’s flanked by slim bezels and has a notch in it. Inside, it’s got a top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 flagship processor and a 3,400 mAh battery keeping everything running. It charges via USB Type C and supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ fast-charging technology.
The phone itself is a glass and metal unit that looks fairly similar to an iPhone. Mostly, that similarity is down to its vertical camera module that houses the Mi 8’s dual 12MP sensors — the same kind of hardware you’d find on the company’s Mi MIX 2s. The main sensor has large 1.4-micron pixels and an f/1.8 aperture lens with 4-axis optical image stabilisation (OIS). The secondary sensor comes equipped with an f/2.4 aperture short telephoto lens that enables depth effects and optical zooming. As usual, the cameras support AI scene recognition and various lighting effects too.
Meanwhile, you’ll find the Mi 8’s 20MP selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture lens in front, tucked into the notch. But its not the only thing there as Xiaomi’s also equipped the Mi 8 with an array of infrared scanners that enables face-unlock. Of course, if you prefer, there is a fingerprint scanner at the back too.
It’s also the world’s first phone to feature Dual-frequency GPS which you can read all about here. We’ve also got a more detailed announcement post with specs and all the goodies you’d find on the Mi 8 here.
I think Xiaomi’s given the Mi 8 a killer price tag. With the RM1,599 base model, the Mi 8 usurps the ASUS ZenFone 5z as the most affordable smartphone with a Snapdragon 845 processor officially launched in Malaysia. However, it is worth noting that the ZenFone 5z’s RM1,899 base model already comes with 128GB of internal storage, so that puts it on par with the Xiaomi Mi 8’s own RM1,899 high-spec variant.
With both of these Mi 8s, Xiaomi’s also put devices like the honor 10 (RM1,599), Nokia 7+ (RM1,600) and Huawei Nova 3 (RM1,899) right in its crosshairs. It will be interesting to see how the premium mid-range segment will play out now that more flagships have begun encroaching on their space. — SoyaCincau | {
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Après observation des événements survenus en Turquie hier soir 15 juillet et les avoir recoupés avec des informations glanées ici et là je vous soumets quelques éléments d’analyse à chaud et une conclusion qui en découle :
Le coup d’Etat a été très court – factuellement moins de 6 heures.
Durant le coup d’Etat, aucun responsable politique du régime d’Erdogan ni aucun chef de la police n’a été arrêté par les putschistes. Seul a été arrêté le commandant en chef de l’armée.
Un seul coup (missile lancé d’un avion) a été tiré sur le lieu supposé où se serait trouvé Erdogan.
Les chars n’étaient pas appuyé par une infanterie conséquente et de facto ne représentent presque aucune menace en ville.
Les militaires ont peu de pertes (2 morts apparemment de leur côté – 47 du côté des forces spéciales). Ils ont globalement très peu combattu et se sont rendus très vite.
La « population » est descendue dans la rue spontanément en pleine nuit pour défendre le régime.
Depuis trois jours, les ambassades de France, des Etats-Unis, du Royaume-Uni sont fermées ou au ralenti. Sans que cela ait été justifié.
Déjà dans la nuit, la police – fidèle au régime – arrêtait des militaires (près de 3000 pour le moment). 5 généraux d’importance et 29 officiers supérieurs qui comptent ont également été arrêtés.
A 15h aujourd’hui, les divers responsables des partis politiques de Turquie passeront les uns à la suite des autres pour dénoncer le coup d’Etat et appuyer Erdogan et la « démocratie ». Toute contestation ou formulation de doute à ce moment sera bien entendu très dangereuse (Erdogan a plusieurs dois été près de lever l’immunité parlementaire des députés, en particulier ceux du HDP).
Bref, pour un coup d’Etat, en particulier de la très sérieuse armée turque, il ni fait ni à faire. Pour le moins, c’est un coup d’Etat mal préparé et frappé d’amateurisme.
La base en ce domaine est de décapiter la tête du régime que l’on veut renverser. En général, avant de sortir les chars et les avions (et de se faire repérer), avec les conjurés les plus fidèles, les putschistes tentent d’arrêter un maximum de ministres, de décideurs, de commandants militaire et de police que l’on sait fidèle au régime.
Depuis ce matin, les communiqués de soutien pleuvent du monde entier en appui à Erdogan : « la démocratie est sauvée », préservation de l’ordre constitutionnel », « le chaos est évité dans la région », etc.
Mon analyse à chaud est que tout cela profite à Erdogan :
Il élimine la tête d’une armée traditionnellement kémaliste, qui ne lui est pas acquise et qui a laisser paraître cette année des velléités d’autonomie par rapport au régime en particulier depuis l’affaiblissement d’Erdogan sur la scène internationale. Il met au pas l’opposition interne dans un contexte de vives tensions intérieurs (sociales, économiques, politiques et même de guerre civile avec les Kurdes). Il redore son blason au niveau international et s’offre à bon compte une image de défenseur de la démocratie (c’est mieux que celle de dictateur en herbe, d’associé de Daesh ou d’instigateur d’une guerre civile avec les Kurdes).
En conclusion, pour ma part il s’agit d’un faux coup d’Etat orchestré par Erdogan, l’AKP et les durs du régime.
Cela lui permettra de relancer son projet de modification constitutionnelle telle qu’il le rêve depuis longtemps mais ne parvient pas à réaliser en raison des résultats électoraux du HDP lors des deux scrutins législatifs.
Avoir relancé la guerre civile avec les Kurdes depuis l’attentat de Suruc n’aura pas suffit. Erdogan devrait maintenant pouvoir faire suffisamment pression et trouver le nombre de voix manquantes à son projet tout en continuant sa guerre contre les Kurdes au risque de destabiliser encore un peu plus la région.
En fait, un putsch a bien eu lieu hier en Turquie... et il a réussi. | {
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(Reuters) - Executives from seven of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies are set to testify about high U.S. prescription drug prices at a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday, amid an intensifying focus on the industry’s practices by both political parties.
FILE PHOTO: Olivier Brandicourt, Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi, addresses the annual news conference of Sanofi at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, February 7, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Lowering drug prices and healthcare costs for U.S. consumers has been a key focus of President Donald Trump, and rival Democrats are stepping up congressional scrutiny of drug price hikes after gaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The United States has higher prescription drug prices than other developed nations, where governments directly or indirectly control costs.
The following is a list of the company executives who are expected to testify at the hearing, as well as some notable recent price increases by the drugmakers:
AbbVie Inc
Executive testifying: Chief Executive Officer Richard Gonzalez
AbbVie’s rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira is the world’s top-selling prescription medicine, bringing in sales of nearly $20 billion last year.
The drug has a list price of more than $60,000 a year, nearly double the price in 2014, according to Rx Savings Solutions, which helps health plans and employers seek lower cost prescription medicines. AbbVie hiked Humira’s price by 6.2 percent in January.
AstraZeneca Plc
Executive testifying: CEO Pascal Soriot
In January, AstraZeneca raised the list price for its top-selling medicine, asthma drug Symbicort, by 6 percent. It has increased the drug’s list price by about 36 percent since 2014, according to RX Savings Solutions.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co
Executive testifying: CEO Giovanni Caforio
Bristol-Myers Squibb raised the price of blood thinner Eliquis, which it owns in partnership with Pfizer, by 6 percent in January. The company has increased the list price of the drug, which generated $6.44 billion in 2018 sales for Bristol-Myers, by about 67 percent since 2014.
Johnson & Johnson
Executive testifying: Jennifer Taubert, executive vice president of J&J’s drugs division
In early January, the company raised the U.S. list-prices on around two dozen prescription drugs, including its psoriasis treatment Stelara, prostate cancer drug Zytiga and blood thinner Xarelto.
J&J hiked the list price of Stelara by 6.9 percent in January and it is up about 49 percent since 2014, according to RX Savings Solutions. The drug had sales that exceeded $5 billion last year.
Merck & Co Inc
Executive testifying: CEO Kenneth Frazier
Merck raised the list price of its oral diabetes treatment Januvia by 5 percent in January. It has increased by around 60 percent since 2014, according to RX Savings Solutions. Januvia and related combination product Janumet together brought in close to $6 billion in sales last year.
Pfizer Inc
Executive testifying: CEO Albert Bourla
Pfizer rolled back a set of price increases in July after facing backlash from the Trump administration. Last month, Pfizer raised the prices of 41 of its medicines by 3 percent to 9 percent.
The drugmaker raised the price of its pain drug Lyrica - one of its top-sellers - by 5 percent and has nearly doubled the list price of Lyrica since 2014, according to RX Savings Solutions.
Sanofi SA
Executive testifying: CEO Olivier Brandicourt
The French drugmaker hiked the list price of its long-acting insulin Lantus by 5.2 percent in January, according to Rx Savings Solutions. It has raised the price of the insulin by more than 40 percent since 2014. Lantus recorded sales of 3.6 billion euros ($4 billion) in 2018. | {
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In one of a number of new, low-quality photos scanned by fans out of an Empire magazine and posted online, X-Men: Days of Future Past appears to have given fans their first look at Wanda Maximoff, the girl who will grow up to be the Scarlet Witch.
The photo seems to be a picture of a pre-Quicksilver Pietro Maximoff, taken at home with a young, red-haired girl...likely his sister.
Since Wanda and Pietro usually come as a package deal (as they will in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron), it's been a confusing choice for many fans that Bryan Singer would bring in Quicksilver without Scarlet Witch. No reason had been given yet, except an unsubstantiated rumor that Quicksilver was needed for a big action sequence, which seems unlikely since it would be cheaper and easier to rewrite such a sequence than cast a whole new actor and create the character's effects.
The characters exist in a kind of legal no man's land, where both Marvel and Fox can claim ownership of their movie rights, because of their involvement with both the X-Men and The Avengers over a very long period of time, and the fact that no specific "side" was chosen for the characters when the rights were divided up for Fox's X-Men license.
In Avengers 2, the characters will be played by Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Godzilla's Elizabeth Olsen. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Quicksilver will be Kick-Ass's Evan Peters. So far, it's not clear whether this unnamed, young actress had a supporting role in Godzilla. | {
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Let’s take a trip back to early last February. The hot stove season was as cold as ice. Despite spring training being less than two weeks away, scores of players remained unsigned and rumblings emerged that, perhaps, collusion was to blame.
The players were frustrated and there were reports that they were approaching the union to ask what, if anything, they could do about it. Some suggested some sort of wildcat strike or work slowdown or whatever. None of that seemed feasible or legal, but guys were getting desperate. And not just players. One agent, Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA, took to Twitter to suggest something novel along these lines: a potential spring training boycott:
There is a rising tide among players for radical change. A fight is brewing. And it may begin with one, maybe two and, perhaps, 1,200 willing to follow. A boycott of Spring Training may be a starting point if behavior doesn’t change.
There was a lot more to that — Van Wagenen issued a whole statement attached to his tweet taking the owners to task and clearly implying that he believed the owners were acting less-than-scrupulously — but I can’t remember what it said and I can’t check because, at some point between then and now, Van Wagenen deleted it.
Probably because he is now the general manager of the New York Mets, putting him on the side of management, not players. Probably because he now, ultimately, answers to Rob Manfred. The same Rob Manfred, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports, met with Van Wagenen at the just-concluded owners meetings down in Atlanta.
Based on Davidoff’s report — which deals specifically with Van Wagenen’s February tweet — it sounds like they have come to an . . . understanding about it all. Manfred:
“Brodie called me right after he accepted the job,” Manfred said during a news conference. “We had a really good conversation. I think that he understands the concerns that a comment like that raises amongst our group. But I have every confidence that he’s going to conduct himself in a way that will make him a really productive member of the baseball family.”
“Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter… ‘s wedding… on the day of your daughter’s wedding. And I hope their first child be a masculine child. I pledge my ever-ending loyalty,” Van Wagenen did not add but may as well have.
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NBA fans (and general managers) have had the summer of 2019 circled on their calendars for a very long time. With names like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving available via free agency — plus the inevitable Anthony Davis trade having already gone down earlier in the month — the sheer amount of star power potentially swapping teams this offseason could reshape the league for years to come.
But is this the most star-studded free-agent summer in recent memory?
It depends on how we look at things.
To calculate the value of every player in each free-agent class since 2010 — the year LeBron James’s “Decision” kicked off our current era of free-agency mania — I’m combining three widely used metrics (Value Over Replacement Player, Win Shares and Estimated Wins Added) into a consensus measure of Wins Created, all scaled to an 82-game season. In terms of total Wins Created over the previous three seasons, this year’s top free agents are Durant (39.9), Butler (37.8) and Irving (34.0), who contribute to a three-year total of 1,354.5 Wins Created across all of the 2019 free agents.
Who are the most productive free agents of the summer? Top 2019 NBA free agents, ranked by Wins Created* over the previous three seasons Wins Created Rk Player Age Old Team 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 Total 1 Kevin Durant 31 GS 14.0 12.9 12.9 39.9 2 Jimmy Butler 30 PHI 17.8 11.0 9.1 37.8 3 Kyrie Irving 27 BOS 9.9 11.4 12.7 34.0 4 Kemba Walker 29 CHA 11.4 10.9 11.3 33.7 5 Kawhi Leonard 28 TOR 17.0 1.2 11.0 29.1 6 DeAndre Jordan 31 NY 12.0 8.9 7.8 28.7 7 Al Horford 33 BOS 8.2 9.8 9.4 27.4 8 Nikola Vucevic 29 ORL 6.0 6.0 14.7 26.7 9 Marc Gasol 35 TOR 10.9 6.7 8.5 26.2 10 DeMarcus Cousins 29 GS 13.8 8.4 3.1 25.3 11 Thaddeus Young 31 IND 5.9 7.0 8.7 21.6 12 Tobias Harris 27 PHI 7.4 7.1 7.2 21.6 13 Brook Lopez 31 MIL 7.2 4.2 7.8 19.2 14 Julius Randle 25 NO 4.6 6.6 6.9 18.0 15 Paul Millsap 34 DEN 8.4 2.8 6.4 17.7 16 Enes Kanter 27 POR 3.9 7.7 5.8 17.4 17 Darren Collison 32 IND 3.0 7.3 6.4 16.8 18 Trevor Ariza 34 WAS 7.1 5.7 3.6 16.4 19 Ricky Rubio 29 UTA 6.3 6.3 3.5 16.1 20 Danny Green 32 TOR 4.8 3.9 7.2 15.8 * Based on a blend of Value Over Replacement Player, Win Shares and Estimated Wins Added. Age as of Feb. 1, 2020. Source: Basketball-Reference.com, Spotrac
Among free-agent classes since 2010, only the 2015 group — which contained James (who re-signed with the Cavaliers after initially rejoining them the previous summer), Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan (whose free-agency saga that year is worthy of its own post), Paul Millsap, Tim Duncan, Kevin Love and Leonard — ranked higher than 2019 by that metric:
Which free-agent class had the most total production? Best free agency classes since 2010, based on the total Wins Created* by free-agent players in the preceding three seasons Summer Best players (by 3-year Wins Created) Overall Total WC 2015 L. James • M. Gasol • D. Jordan 1365.1 2019 K. Durant • J. Butler • K. Irving 1354.5 2013 C. Paul • D. Howard • P. Millsap 1232.1 2017 S. Curry • K. Lowry • K. Durant 1200.6 2010 L. James • D. Wade • D. Nowitzki 1187.1 2012 T. Duncan • D. Williams • G. Wallace 1181.7 2016 L. James • K. Durant • N. Batum 1169.8 2014 L. James • C. Anthony • K. Lowry 1048.0 2018 L. James • K. Durant • C. Paul 1037.7 2011 T. Duncan • N. Hilario • R. Allen 887.8 * Based on a blend of Value Over Replacement Player, Win Shares and Estimated Wins Added. Source: Basketball-Reference.com
The 2019 class’s ranking is also hampered by Leonard’s nearly season-long absence in 2017-18, when the then-Spurs forward generated just 1.2 wins in nine games. Had Leonard played to his average over the preceding three seasons and created 14.8 wins that year, his three-year total would have been 42.7 — tops in the class, and good enough to boost 2019 to No. 1 on our class rankings over 2015. (But then again, how much else about the league would be different today if Leonard hadn’t suffered that quad injury — the management of which led to a rift with San Antonio, a trade to Toronto and ultimately an NBA championship?)
The summer of 2019 also rises up the ranks to No. 1 if we include Davis as a de facto free agent. (Yes, he went to the Lakers via trade, but Davis’s departure from New Orleans was all but assured, and he was often listed among the offseason’s biggest prizes.) When Davis’s three-year value is included among the rest of the free agents, 2019 pulls ahead of 2015 with a total haul of 1396.4 Wins Created by available players over the previous three seasons.
But strictly in terms of top free-agent talent, this year’s class isn’t quite on the same level as other years. Durant’s 39.9 Wins Created over the previous three years ranks third-lowest among leaders for the 10 years we looked at, ahead of only the 2011 and 2012 free-agent groups (both headlined by Duncan). It’s a far cry from James hitting the 2010 market with a class-high 81.8 Wins Created for the last three seasons under his belt. If we look only at the totals of the Top 10 players available, the 2010 class ranks No. 1, thanks to a ridiculously stacked set of Hall of Famers that included James, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen.
Though this year’s crop has plenty of big names, none of them are coming off performances quite as prodigious as James and Wade had in the years leading up to 2010. (Among the top five, Kemba Walker, at No. 4, comes closest to matching his counterpart from that year, Pierce; Walker generated 33.7 wins over the past three seasons, while Pierce had 33.8 from 2008 through 2010.) But the 2019 free-agent class makes up for its perhaps surprising lack of production at the top with sheer depth:
The next tier of free agents — aka the Khris Middletons and Brook Lopezes of the world — might not contain the sexiest names, but it does offer better-than-usual options to teams who strike out on the biggest free agents. And that’s also true even further down the rankings: An unusual number of players up for free agency this summer (101, to be exact) produced at least five wins over the preceding three seasons, compared with an average of 76 players per season in the nine years leading up to 2019.
Of course, the next handful of championships will still probably hinge on the destinations of Durant, Leonard, Butler and the rest of the biggest names on the list. But if this summer’s free-agent class does end up going down among the best of the decade, it should be just as much on the strength of its lesser stars as its top-line players. | {
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Kotaku East East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am. Prev Next View All
Brace yourself Japan! You have some new, fully fledged members of society with truly outrageous fashion.
Today is Coming of Age Day (成人の日 or Seijin no Hi) in Japan. It is for all of the country's youth who turned 20 years old in the past year. They are now officially adults and fully-fledged members of society.
Most young adults celebrating the day dress up in fancy kimonos and drink booze (the drinking age is twenty in Japan). That's typical. Members of gal circle (club) Black Diamond are anything but.
Black Diamond is basically a group for young women who are into tanning, super long nails, and colorful clothes.
Two Black Diamond members—Harutamu and Richusama—sported such outrageous Hello Kitty-infused fashion that they become a hot topic on Twitter as these sorts of get-ups are incredibly unusual in Japan. One of Harutamu's photos was even retweeted over 16,000 times!
This is Harutamu.
Above is Richusama.
They got their hair done.
Along with their nails.
Harutamu's nails are not done!
Okay, done. What Richusama's?
Hello Kitty, huh.
They dressed up in kimonos and stuffed animals.
Harutamu took a car for a spin.
And went to an arcade for sticker pictures with a friend.
Can you pick out Harutamu, among the more "typical" newly-minted Japanese adults?
What about Richusama? Difficult!
Hanging out at an arcade. What a day. Welcome to adulthood!
Photos: はるたむ , りちゅさま
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft .
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Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration is focused on "stopping leaks of any kind, from any agency, and when they happen, pursuing them with incredible vigor." | AP Photo CIA director says intelligence leaks have 'accelerated'
CIA Director Mike Pompeo on Saturday said the rate of intelligence leaks has "accelerated," attributing the trend to the "worship of Edward Snowden" and to WikiLeaks.
"In some ways, I do think it's accelerated," Pompeo said of intel disclosures during an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt on his new MSNBC program.
"I think there is a phenomenon, the worship of Edward Snowden, and those who steal American secrets for the purpose of self-aggrandizement or money or for whatever their motivation may be, does seem to be on the increase," he added.
Snowden leaked thousands of government documents in 2013 that shed light on the extent of the U.S. government's surveillance apparatus. WikiLeaks has also become a popular website known for its document dumps of classified information. It recently published nearly 8,000 documents that it says reveal secrets about the CIA's cyberespionage tools for breaking into computers.
Earlier this month, Reality Leigh Winner, 25, of Augusta, Georgia, became the first alleged leaker during the Trump administration to be arrested on charges of turning over a secret document to a news organization.
Pompeo said the administration is focused on "stopping leaks of any kind, from any agency, and when they happen, pursuing them with incredible vigor."
Morning Cybersecurity A daily briefing on politics and cybersecurity — weekday mornings, in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
He added that he's "counting on" leakers being stopped and punished soon.
"It's tough. You now have not only nation-states trying to steal our stuff, but non-state, hostile intelligence services, well-funded — folks like WikiLeaks, out there trying to steal American secrets for the sole purpose of undermining the United States and democracy," Pompeo said. | {
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If you’ve been following baseball over the last several seasons, you likely know at least two things about Jed Lowrie. The first is that he’s had some trouble staying on the field for a full season during his career; the second, that he wears a two-flap helmet in a league of men who insist they only need one. A slightly more dedicated fan could probably tell you that Lowrie has played for the Red Sox, Astros, and A’s during his tenure and would probably describe his performance as “fine.”
In his earlier days, Lowrie showed promise as a hitter. More recently, though, he’s settled in as something slightly below league average at the plate. His defense is something of a controversy, with Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) considering him to be a rather poor middle infielder and Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) viewing his defense as something much closer to average. The collective eye test probably places him closer to his DRS than his UZR numbers, but there’s plenty of human disagreement as well.
This introduction, perhaps on purpose, paints Lowrie as exactly the kind of player who doesn’t get a lot of attention. Relative to his peers, Lowrie almost seems boring. Yet there’s a case to be made that he’s having one of the most interesting seasons of anyone in baseball.
At a very basic level, this graph supports the Boring Hypothesis and shows a player settling in somewhere between 85-95 wRC+. Note that he only had 76 plate appearances in 2009.
In terms of results, Lowrie has produced a very similar season in 2016 to those which he’s recorded over last two — and he sits just five percentage points below his 91 wRC+ from 2015. The delightful part of this is that he is registering a very similar adjusted batting line while experiencing one of the largest ISO declines among hitters with 200-plus PA in both 2015 and 2016 — and one of the largest BABIP increases among the same group. Jed Lowrie is providing the same offensive value as he did a year ago in a dramatically different way.
Jed Lowrie Year PA BB% K% ISO BABIP wRC+ 2015 263 10.6% 16.3% .178 .233 91 2016 320 7.2% 17.5% .065 .336 86 Difference -3.4% +1.2% -.113 +.133 -5
It’s not that unusual for a player to have a big BABIP fluctuation given some of the randomness related to outcomes on balls in play. Nor is it that rare for a player’s ISO to jump around a bit, especially over a sample of fewer than 400 PA. But if you put the two factors together, it becomes more likely that the player is doing something new to achieve those results. If you’re curious, Paulo Orlando is doing something similar, although he doesn’t even have 500 MLB PA to his name, so his case is probably less interesting.
As you might expect from a guy who dropped his ISO and increased his BABIP, Lowrie is hitting more ground balls than ever before:
Even leaving out the small-sample outlier from 2009, Lowrie has been trending towards convergence his entire career but he’s delivered a big shift this season. It’s hard to imagine something this marked is unintentional, especially considering that he’s a switch-hitter and that all of these trends have occurred on both sides of the plate.
As Eno Sarris noted in May, Lowrie made this change in order to counter defensive shifts. Teams more than doubled how often they deployed the shift against Lowrie from 2014 to 2015 and then more than doubled that number again this year.
Percentage of Balls in Play Shifted – Jed Lowrie Year % 2014 7.3% 2015 18.9% 2016 43.3%
If we look at the kinds of pitchers Lowrie is attacking, we find that, as a righty and as a lefty, he’s going after inside pitches more frequently this year.
Below, you can also see that he’s hitting a lot more ground balls up the middle this year (exhibiting a similar trend from both sides of the plate, as well):
Lowrie’s process is clearly different this year. He’s admitted as much and we’ve seen it in action. He’s focusing on the inside pitch and generating more ground balls, all with the hopes of countering the shift.
What’s sort of amazing about this entire effort is that it’s basically had no impact on his performance. Quite often we look at players who have gotten better or worse and attempt to divine what it is they’re doing differently. In this case, we’ve found clear evidence of a new process and have confirmation from the player himself that we’re right about the new approach — but even so, there is virtually no change in the actual results. For all this work both sides are doing to counter each other, the result is an 86 wRC+ instead of a 91 wRC+.
Lowrie is a single example, but this is an instructive case. Fans and commentators have railed against players for their reluctance to cut down on their swing and take what defenses are offering in an era of defensive shifts. Lowrie is a case study in why that’s not such an obvious answer. There are tradeoffs, likely ones that vary from batter to batter. Lowrie is doing everything you’d want someone to do against the shift, but all he has to show for it is a differently shaped line.
This isn’t to say that hitters shouldn’t adjust their approach based on the defense, but rather a reminder that even if you’re successful in becoming someone who finds holes in the infield defense, it could very easily cost you value elsewhere. Jed Lowrie isn’t producing more or less than normal, but he’s producing in a very different way. That’s plenty interesting, but it will likely be even more interesting to see how Lowrie and the league take what they observed in the first half and apply it going forward. | {
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Doctors can expect to receive about $42 a month for managing the care of a Medicare patient. Care management services can be provided only if patients agree in writing. Patients will pay about 20 percent of the $42 fee, the same proportion as for many other doctor services.
Medicare wants to require doctors managing care to use electronic health records so they can more easily exchange information with other health care providers treating a patient.
Kenneth E. Thorpe, chairman of the department of health policy at Emory University, said, “The rising prevalence of chronic conditions, including diabetes and obesity, accounts for much of the growth in Medicare spending in recent years.”
The new care management services can be provided not only by doctors but also by nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certain other health professionals. Medicare officials said they expected doctors and other providers to focus on sicker patients with four or more chronic conditions.
“This is time-consuming and challenging work,” said Dr. Matthew J. Press, an assistant professor of health care policy at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. In a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine, he described his experience coordinating care for a 70-year-old man with bile duct cancer in the liver.
Over 80 days, Dr. Press said, 10 doctors helped care for the man, who had five procedures and 11 office visits before a surgeon removed his tumor. Dr. Press, the patient’s primary care doctor, communicated 40 times with the other clinicians and 12 times with the patient or his wife.
Poor coordination can cause medical errors — if, for example, doctors are unaware of abnormal laboratory test results or drugs that a patient is taking. “Patients can be harmed when the many moving parts of their care are out of sync,” Dr. Press said. | {
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Syria conflict: Trump troop pullout raises questions By Jonathan Marcus
Defence and diplomatic correspondent Published duration 19 December 2018 Related Topics Syrian civil war
image copyright AFP image caption US ground troops first became involved in Syria in 2015
Up to now the official US position has been that its forces would stay on the ground in Syria to secure the enduring defeat of the Islamic State (IS) group.
"Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished", said Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the global coalition to defeat IS, only two weeks ago.
But over recent months an additional narrative has been intruding, certainly among the more strident foreign policy voices in the Trump administration. A longstanding presence in Syria, it was argued, would help to contain Iran and counter Russia's growing influence in the region.
US ground troops first became involved in Syria in Autumn 2015 when then President Barack Obama sent in a small number of special forces to train and advise local Kurdish fighters who were fighting IS. The US did this reluctantly after several attempts at arming anti-IS groups had descended into chaos.
Over the intervening years the numbers of US troops in Syria increased, standing today at some 2,000, though some estimates place the number perhaps even higher. A network of bases and airstrips has been established in an arc across the north-eastern part of the country.
But what is their strategic purpose now? IS is well on the way to being defeated. Syria's President Assad remains in place due to the support of his allies in Moscow and Tehran. If the goal now is to contain Iran or Russia's rising influence in the region, then 2,000 troops strung out across a vast swathe of territory may be too small a force to do this.
President Donald Trump's decision is thus in this sense logical, and it fits in with his own apparent hostility - despite a lot of bellicose rhetoric - to entanglements in foreign wars.
'Important role'
Others might argue though that the presence of US troops gives the US "skin in the game". It is an important presence, and on occasion US forces have been involved in direct clashes with pro-Iranian militias and Russian military contractors who tried to attack the positions of their allies.
image copyright AFP image caption Around 2,000 US troops are believed to be stationed in Syria
IS may be largely defeated, but what is to happen in the roughly one third of Syria that remains outside the control of President Assad and his allies? Could a new phase of the civil war ensue? And if large parts of the country descend into renewed chaos, something related to IS or similar could easily emerge again.
The US has also played an important role in bolstering Kurdish groups in northern Syria who have been the key local element in defeating IS. But these groups are seen by Turkey as a significant threat. It is telling that the Trump policy shift has come at a time when Washington and Ankara are trying to navigate a new bout of tensions, with the Turkish authorities warning that they plan to strike further into Syria against the self-same Kurdish elements.
So has Washington done a deal with Ankara? What security guarantees will there be for Washington's local allies going forward? And if the Kurds are effectively abandoned to their fate, what does it say for the reliability of the US as an ally in future conflicts, should local fighters be encouraged to align themselves with Washington?
But above all there will now be renewed questions about the Trump administration's whole approach to the region. What are its strategic goals? What are America's enduring interests there? And what means need to be invested to secure these goals?
Taking advantage?
There is no doubt that the Middle East - once Washington's crucial energy supplier and a focus for superpower competition - is today less important in purely geo-strategic terms to the US than it once was. But it remains a region of great instability and one of huge continuing importance to Washington's closest European allies, who confront its many problems just across the Mediterranean.
So Washington needs a coherent policy, one that extends beyond a simple slogan of "containing Iran".
With President Trump it often appears that US policy is unduly aligned with Saudi Arabia and Israel - or more accurately the approach of two influential figures, de facto Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu - who are perhaps taking advantage of Washington's perceived weakness in the region to promote their own particular policy views.
President Trump's decision reverses the much-rehearsed official lines of both the Pentagon and the state department, and it places Washington's Kurdish allies in greater jeopardy. | {
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By By Robert Myles Jul 21, 2014 in Science Norwich - New research published Monday on the role of oceans could help determine whether other planets outwith our solar system are capable of developing and sustaining life. Recent advances in astronomy, such as NASA’s But within a star system’s To date, computer models of habitable climates on alien, Earth-like planets have concentrated on the make-up of planetary atmospheres. But in order to sustain life, the The UEA team based at the university’s schools of Mathematics and Environmental Sciences created a computer simulated pattern of ocean circulation on a hypothetical ocean-covered Earth-like planet. Coupled with that, they examined how different planetary rotation periods (Earth’s being 24 hours) would affect heat transport taking the presence of oceans into account. Commenting on the research, Professor David Stevens from UEA’s school of Mathematics “The number of planets being discovered outside our solar system is rapidly increasing. This research will help answer whether or not these planets could sustain alien life. “We know that many planets are completely uninhabitable because they are either too close or too far from their sun. A planet’s habitable zone is based on its distance from the sun and temperatures at which it is possible for the planet to have liquid water.” The professor highlighted oceans as having an immense capacity to control climate. The effect of oceans is largely conducive to the existence of life as the seas cause the surface temperature of a planet to respond very slowly to seasonal changes in solar heating. The oceans act much like a heat sink, or thermostat, ensuring that temperature swings across a planet are kept to tolerable levels. The researchers found that heat transported by oceans would have a major impact on the temperature distribution planet-wide. At the same time, the existence of oceans would potentially allow a greater area of any one planet to be habitable. Professor Stevens used Mars as an example to illustrate the important part played by oceans in regulating planetary environments. While the “Mars for example is in the sun’s habitable zone, but it has no oceans — causing air temperatures to swing over a range of 100°C. Oceans help to make a planet’s climate more stable so factoring them into climate models is vital for knowing whether the planet could develop and sustain life.” The new model, The research, titled, “The Importance of Planetary Rotation Period for Ocean Heat Transport,” is published today, Monday, in the As the number of exoplanets — planets outwith our solar system — discovered rises almost daily, researchers at the UK’s University of East Anglia (UEA) demonstrate the crucial part oceans play in moderating climate on Earth-like planets.Recent advances in astronomy, such as NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope , have returned a trawl of thousands of candidate planets bearing further scrutiny. Many of these can be eliminated when it comes to supporting alien life, being either too close to their parent star or being gaseous giants like Jupiter, for example.But within a star system’s circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ), or so-called Goldilocks zone — the region of space in a solar system that’s neither too hot nor too cold — more and more rocky Earth type worlds are being found. As their numbers grow, the focus will turn to what other elements such planets might possess that would contribute to a habitat conducive to the existence of life.To date, computer models of habitable climates on alien, Earth-like planets have concentrated on the make-up of planetary atmospheres. But in order to sustain life, the UEA researchers say the presence of oceans is vital for optimal climate stability and habitability.The UEA team based at the university’s schools of Mathematics and Environmental Sciences created a computer simulated pattern of ocean circulation on a hypothetical ocean-covered Earth-like planet. Coupled with that, they examined how different planetary rotation periods (Earth’s being 24 hours) would affect heat transport taking the presence of oceans into account.Commenting on the research, Professor David Stevens from UEA’s school of Mathematics said The professor highlighted oceans as having an immense capacity to control climate. The effect of oceans is largely conducive to the existence of life as the seas cause the surface temperature of a planet to respond very slowly to seasonal changes in solar heating. The oceans act much like a heat sink, or thermostat, ensuring that temperature swings across a planet are kept to tolerable levels.The researchers found that heat transported by oceans would have a major impact on the temperature distribution planet-wide. At the same time, the existence of oceans would potentially allow a greater area of any one planet to be habitable.Professor Stevens used Mars as an example to illustrate the important part played by oceans in regulating planetary environments. While the average temperature on Mars is about 218°Kelvin (-55°C), Martian surface temperatures vary widely from as little as 140°K (-133°C) at the winter pole to almost 300°K (27°C) on the day side during summer.The new model, said Professor Stevens , would contribute to understanding what the climates of other planets might be like with more accurate detail than ever before.The research, titled, “The Importance of Planetary Rotation Period for Ocean Heat Transport,” is published today, Monday, in the journal Astrobiology More about Exoplanets, Exoplanet, Alien life, Kepler space telescope, Kepler spacecraft Exoplanets Exoplanet Alien life Kepler space telesco... Kepler spacecraft planet hunting habitable zone habitable worlds origins of life goldilocks zon Astronomy planetary rotation habitability | {
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(Wikipedia)Fan theories about Frozen 2 can be found online
The success of Disney's 2013 offering 'Frozen' has undeniably been mind boggling. After sweeping the globe during its November premiere, 'Frozen Fever' is still very much felt two years after its cinematic run. The movie has grossed over $1 billion on a budget of a tenth of its profits and the merchandise tied with the animated feature is still selling strong.
The success for the movie almost makes the announcement for the sequel last March unsurprising. However, not a lot of details surrounding the upcoming release has been confirmed. Thankfully, director Chris Buck has since responded to the cries of the movie's fans granting tiny glimpses of their new project.
In a recent interview, Buck revealed that 'Frozen 2' would see a whole different side of Elsa. In the original, Buck explained how Elsa was perceived as uptight and because of the events that happened at the tail-end of the movie, a more laid back and fun Elsa would be featured in the sequel.
As reported in Moviepilot, Bucks says, "In Frozen she had such a dramatic journey, and at the end she's just starting to feel like she can open up and have some fun again. That's what was really good about Frozen Fever -- we could have fun with Elsa. And that personality... you will see in the next one."
Buck also stated in one of his interviews that the upcoming sequel would tackle societal problems of today. Buck didn't specifically say which problems would be featured in the film and as such, his statement only strengthened persistent rumors claiming that the sequel would see Queen Elsa coming out as a lesbian.
"We have two very strong female leads in Frozen. We will keep that going in the next one. We will tackle other issues that, I think, are out there today that boys and girls, men and women, are dealing with. I think we're very aware of what is happening in society."
No official release date for the film has been announced. However 'Frozen 2' is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2018. | {
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“If ever there has been a David and Goliath situation, this is it,” said the Rev. Jim Antal, minister and president of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, whose board of directors voted last December to divest its assets from fossil fuel companies within five years, becoming the first religious body in the United States to do so.
The churches’ assets, usually congregational endowments or staff pension funds, are a minuscule share of the titanic fossil fuel industry. But proponents say religious divestment could underscore the damage greenhouse gas emissions are wreaking on the planet and make it socially toxic for the companies to continue business as usual.
A growing number of mainline Protestant churches in New England are calling upon their denominations to divest from fossil fuel companies in an effort to cast unlimited coal, oil, and gas production as immoral as well as environmentally unsustainable.
But Antal said he believes that in this case, as in the biblical story, David will prevail.
“By divesting, the churches begin to reinject hope into a world that has been bereft of hope,” he said.
The Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Conference affirmed the board’s vote earlier this month, and 10 other regional conferences of the United Church of Christ in the United States have voted to divest in the past six months. The denomination’s national governing body will consider the question at its General Synod in Long Beach, Calif., this week, with Antal as its principal advocate; the idea earned an endorsement from national UCC leaders last week.
“The realities of climate change require prophetic and strategic action by people of faith seeking to be faithful to the everlasting covenant God has made with us, with every living creature and with all future generations,” the resolution says in part. “If fossil fuel companies simply fulfill their purpose, the earth will become inhospitable to life as we know it.”
The UCC resolution also notes that climate change is already doing the most harm to poor people, and to those living in the least developed countries.
The New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted in favor of a similar resolution this month. Activists in both Episcopal dioceses in Massachusetts are urging church leaders to consider the idea. And a Presbyterian minister in the Back Bay is working with a group of Presbyterian environmentalists from around the country on a resolution that they hope their denomination will consider next summer. The Unitarian Universalist Association passed a nonbinding resolution at its General Assembly this month asking congregations to study divestment.
Earlier this month, the First Parish in Cambridge, a Unitarian Universalist church, voted to rid its $7.3 million endowment’s investment portfolio of fossil fuel holdings as well.
“We know we have a long way to go — the economy of the US is as entangled in fossil fuels today as the economy was in slavery in 1850,” said the Rev. Fred Small, senior minister of First Parish.
“I think the divestment movement is a kind of protest against the brokenness of our political process,” he said. “We are desperate for some tactic that will shift the conversation and compel our leaders to lead.”
Oil, coal and gas companies dismiss the divestment movement as ill-conceived grandstanding.
Alan T. Jeffers, a spokesman for ExxonMobil, the largest investor-owned fossil fuel company in the world, said divestment would not help solve the problem of global warming. He said ExxonMobil has spent $2 billion in recent years on emission reduction initiatives and improvements in the efficiency of its operations.
And he said that a variety of technologies are being evaluated that could reduce emissions or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, including carbon capture and storage, hybrid vehicles, solar power, and biofuels.
“We think those are more viable and concrete ways to manage climate change and risk than a symbolic measure that does nothing to reduce emissions,” he said.
He added that fossil fuel — which supplies 80 percent of the world’s energy needs and is used in the manufacturing of aspirin, fertilizer, toothpaste, and a host of other products — makes modern life possible.
“We take great objection to the characterization of the work we do as somehow immoral,” he said.
Religious advocates of divestment are building on a campaign led by author and activist Bill McKibben that has swept US colleges and universities in the last year. Hundreds of student groups have formed to lobby their administrations to divest, although only a few institutions have actually done so thus far.
In a widely circulated article in Rolling Stone magazine last summer that helped spark the movement, McKibben wrote that the known coal, oil, and gas reserves of the top 200 fossil fuel companies contain five times as much carbon as climate scientists say is safe to burn without causing the most disastrous effects of global warming.
McKibben and his allies argue that the same tactic that helped end apartheid in South Africa two decades ago could pressure companies like ExxonMobil to lessen or even abandon fossil fuel extraction. Some say divestment could also galvanize public support for significant policy changes to limit consumption, such as the imposition of a carbon tax.
McKibben, who was on a speaking tour in Australia this month, said in an e-mail that he considers religious institutions an important part of the divestment campaign, both because they have some money and because of their moral sensibility.
“If we’re called to love our neighbors, we’re not allowed to enrich ourselves by drowning our neighbors, making it hard for them to grow their crops, spreading sickness in their midst,” he said.
The Jewish community has been less active on the issue, in large part because divestment has become so closely associated with pro-Palestinian divestment campaigns against Israel, activists say.
But some groups are working to change that, including the Shalom Center in Philadelphia, which recently launched a campaign called Move our Money/Protect Our Planet. Rabbi Arthur Waskow, the center’s director, said the group planned to work with seminarians at the major rabbinical schools and with college students to encourage Jewish institutions to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in renewable energy.
Some religious activists for responsible investment, however, question the tactic.
Sister Patricia A. Daly, a Dominican nun who has long led the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility’s dealings with ExxonMobil, said the center’s roughly 275 faith-based institutional investors are committed to using shareholder engagement to influence corporate policy.
Although she welcomed the new momentum McKibben’s campaign has brought to global warming activism, she said that over more than two decades, shareholder activists have helped persuade many major corporations to accept scientific understanding of global warming; to stop funding groups promoting climate change denial; to begin identifying the greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing and use of their products; and to find ways to cut those emissions.
“We are nowhere near where we need to be, but the faith community has had a profound role in bringing about this change,” she said.
She acknowledged, however, that the fossil fuel industry remains committed as ever to extracting and selling fossil fuel.
“We just stick with it. That is what we do,” she said. “As people of faith, we are in there for the long haul. It is not something you just give up on.”
Tim Brennan, treasurer of the Unitarian Universalist Association, a denomination that has long been a leader in faith-based social and political activism, worries that divestment could be expensive and complicated for funds like the association’s endowment, which holds about $160 million in assets from about 200 congregations.
“It took us something like a decade to put together a team of managers and the funds we are in now,” said Brennan. “If we were to divest, we would have to get rid of the whole structure of the endowment.”
Brennan also said the association’s endowment has outperformed one of the best-known fossil fuel-free funds “by a substantial amount” over the last 10 years.
Both the association’s investment committee, which oversees the denomination’s endowment, and its advisory committee on socially responsible investing have unanimously recommended against fossil fuel divestment.
But divestment proponents say their faith tells them it is wrong to profit from the industry.
“Just as I wouldn’t want to be making money off tobacco or military operations, I don’t want to be making money off fossil fuel,” said the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas of Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst, a veteran climate activist. “It is one of the only businesses I can think of that, if successful in carrying out their business plan, they are going to essentially be killing life as it has evolved on this planet.”
The Rev. Fletcher Harper, an Episcopal priest and executive director of GreenFaith, an interreligious environmental organization based in New Jersey, says financial risk bolsters the moral power of religious divestment.
Many of the mainline Protestant churches discussing divestment are struggling, having seen significant declines in attendance over the last two generations.
“They are saying, ‘We’re not the institutions we were 40 and 50 years ago, but we are looking at this because we believe it is what God is calling us to do,’ ” Harper said. | {
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Story Highlights • 37% of working dads would quit if spouse or partner could support the family
• Another 38% say they would take a pay cut to spend more time with kids
• 36% say their job does not offer flexible arrangements like telecommuting
Adjust font size:
Editor's Note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.
(CareerBuilder.com ) -- Don't be surprised if you see more dads on the playground with the kids during the workday.
According to a new CareerBuilder.com survey, 37 percent of working dads say they'd leave their jobs if their spouse or partner made enough money to support the family.
If given the choice, another 38 percent would take a pay cut to spend more time with their kids.
Nearly one in four (24 percent) working dads feel work is negatively impacting their relationship with their children. Forty-eight percent have missed a significant event in their child's life due to work at least once in the last year and nearly one in five (18 percent) have missed four or more.
According to the survey, the time working dads spend on work far exceeds the time spent with their children.
More than one in four (27 percent) working dads say they spend more than 50 hours a week on work and nearly one in 10 (8 percent) spend more than 60 hours.
In terms of the time they spend with their children, one in four (25 percent) working dads spend less than one hour with their kids each day. Forty-two percent spend less than two hours each day.
While more companies today are offering various programs and options to promote work/life balance, some working dads say their employers are lacking in this area.
Thirty-six percent of working dads say their company does not offer flexible work arrangements such as flexible schedules, telecommuting, job sharing and more.
Richard Castellini, vice president of consumer marketing at CareerBuilder.com and father of three, offers the following tips to help dads gain a healthy work/life balance:
1. Keep in touch -- While you're at work, make a quick call in between meetings and projects and let your children know they're top of mind.
2. Plan a kid-friendly potluck -- If co-workers in your department have kids, ask your boss if you can have a kid-friendly potluck for lunch on a Friday. Not only does this allow the kids to spend extra time with you, but it also gives the employees in your department time to get to know each other better.
3. Give your undivided attention -- When you're at home spending time with your family, turn off your cell phone, step away from the e-mails and give your undivided attention. If you bring work home, do it after the kids have gone to bed.
4. Keep one calendar -- Schedule baseball games and play recitals on the same calendar you use for meetings and travel to make sure you never double-book yourself. Save your vacation days for those special events in your children's lives, so you're there and in the front row.
5. Make time -- At least once a week, schedule a family activity that involves interaction such as a game, bike ride, trip to the playground, etc. Also, make sure to schedule a date night for you and your significant other.
© Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2007. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority | {
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About two dozen Occupy L.A. protesters are saying they'll spend the weekend at downtown L.A.'s Fletcher Bowron Square, just a few blocks from their former outpost at City Hall. Some of them spent the night there Friday. They say they'll be there for the weekend to stand up on behalf of Private Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier who is accused of leaking sensitive information on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the website Wikileaks.
Protester Patrick Serrano said camping out overnight brought back memories.
"I didn't know how the night would go last night," he said. "It felt like a reunion, because we were so close back to city hall. A lot of familiar faces. A lot of people who were evicted [from the city hall grounds] planned this event. It just goes to show that nothing has changed," he said.
Protesters say they'll hold a candlelight vigil each night for those who've died in the wars. Police say they hope they expect the event will be peaceful, but they'll be on hand to enforce the law if need be. LAPD Sgt. Larry Guillen says that means asking protesters to leave the park once it closes on Saturday night. | {
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Tra i classici consigli estivi, riproposti ogni anno dai mass media di tutto il mondo, c'è anche quello che raccomanda di non svolgere attività fisica nelle ore più calde della giornata, pena la disidratazione o peggio un bel colpo di calore. Lo sanno bene le autorità giapponesi, che negli ultimi giorni stanno valutando seriamente l'ipotesi di far adottare al paese l'ora legale durante le prossime Olimpiadi di Tokyo 2020, in modo da evitare lo svolgimento delle gare mattutine nei momenti in cui temperatura ed umidità si fanno insostenibili. Come riporta il quotidiano nipponico Sankei, l'idea del Primo Ministro Shinzo Abe, e della forza di governo del Partito Liberal Democratico, sarebbe quella di spostare le lancette degli orologi del paese di ben due ore in avanti, passando dal fuso orario UTC+9 - il cosiddetto Japan Standard Time - all'UTC+11, attualmente utilizzato dalle regioni orientali della Siberia e da alcuni stati insulari dell'Oceania. La sperimentazione del nuovo orario potrebbe iniziare già nel giugno del prossimo anno con un periodo di prova di tre mesi, durante i quali verrà verificata l'effettiva tenuta del sistema e corrette eventuali criticità in vista della sua implementazione definita per l'inizio Giochi Olimpici.
Una misura resasi necessaria in seguito agli effetti dell'ondata di caldo che sta colpendo il paese, con 96 morti nel solo mese di luglio e temperature che spesso superano i 40 gradi centigradi, sollevando quindi non poche perplessità sulla reale opportunità di organizzare le Olimpiadi nel periodo più torrido dell'anno. La stessa governatrice della città di Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, è stata molto esplicativa nel descrivere la situazione durante una conferenza tenutasi il 23 luglio scorso, in cui ha commentato: "È come se Tokyo fosse immersa in una sauna permanente, tutti i giorni" . Nella capitale sono tuttavia già stati predisposti alcuni accorgimenti atti a contrastare la persistente cappa di calore, come l'installazione di nebulizzatori di vapore acqueo ed il rivestimento di cento chilometri di strade cittadine, incluse quelle su cui verrà corsa la maratona, con una speciale resina che respinge il calore ed i raggi ultravioletti, abbassando la temperatura del terreno di circa 8 gradi centigradi. Contromisure che però molti esperti non ritengono sufficienti.
Secondo Makoto Yokohari, professore di studi ambientali all'Università di Tokyo e consulente del comitato organizzatore delle Olimpiadi, i prossimi Giochi potrebbero essere i peggiori di tutta la storia olimpica in termini di condizioni atmosferiche, superando in temperatura persino i bollenti Giochi Olimpici di Pechino 2008. Nei suoi studi, Yokohari propone tre possibili soluzioni per cercare di risolvere il problema: spostare gli eventi all'aperto nella regione settentrionale dell'Hokkaidō, già sede delle Olimpiadi invernali del 1972; far slittare l'apertura della manifestazione all'autunno, cosa già fatta per i precedenti Giochi di Tokyo 1964 che si svolsero dal 10 al 24 ottobre; o in alternativa anticipare gli orari di inizio degli eventi sportivi a prima che sorga il sole. Tutte proposte che difficilmente potranno essere accolte dal Comitato Olimpico Internazionale, il quale in un rapporto ufficiale spiega inoltre come al giorno d'oggi sia preferibile organizzare i Giochi nel periodo estivo per non interferire con le altre manifestazioni sportive che si svolgono durante il resto dell'anno, evitando conseguentemente di competere per l'assegnazione di sponsor e diritti televisivi.
Al momento l'ipotesi dell'ora legale sembra dunque l'unica praticabile, applicandola tuttavia solo durante il periodo di svolgimento dei Giochi. Se si esclude infatti il periodo di occupazione americana dal 1948 al 1952, in cui l'ora legale venne introdotta su iniziativa delle forze armate statunitensi, il Giappone è rimasto una delle poche grandi economie della terra a non adottare nessun tipo di misura per regolare il numero di ore di luce durante l'anno, lasciando che in estate l'alba giunga molto presto, all'incirca tra le 4 e le 5 del mattino. Nel caso quindi dovesse essere approvato il piano del governo, le gare delle Olimpiadi di Tokyo 2020 saranno ricordate per essere le prime illuminate dalla luce dell'aurora. | {
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Arm & Hammer toothpaste maker Church & Dwight said on Monday it would buy privately held Water Pik, which makes oral hygiene products and shower heads, for about $1 billion in cash.
Fort Collins, Colorado-based Water Pik makes items in the oral health space including flossers and electric toothbrushes. Its namesake product, the Water Pik Water Flosser, cleans teeth by using a pump to send a water jet through a plastic tip.
Water Pik, which had net sales of about $265 million in the year ended June 30, will be bought from private equity firm MidOcean Partners, Church & Dwight said.
Church & Dwight's oral care portfolio includes Spinbrush battery-operated toothbrushes and Orajel oral analgesics.
Church & Dwight, which also makes Trojan condom, said it expected an adjusted profit of $2.09 per share in 2018 and reaffirmed its profit forecast for 2017.
BofA Merrill Lynch was the financial adviser for Church & Dwight, while Harris Williams and Wells Fargo advised MidOcean Partners. | {
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VIVAnews - Ketua Front Pembela Islam (FPI) Kota Depok Habib Idrus Al Gadri mengaku telah mengantongi izin Ketua FPI Pusat Habib Rizieq untuk mencalonkan diri sebagai calon Wali Kota Depok periode 2014-2019.
Demikian pernyataan tersebut disampaikan langsung Idrus pada VIVAnews, saat ditemui di kediamannya, di kawasan Kampung Lio, Pancoran Mas Depok, Senin 25 Agustus 2014. Bergerak dari kubu independen, Idrus pun optimis akan meraih suara di kota ber-ikon belimbing tersebut.
"Berangkat dari hati nurani, bukan ambisi jabatan, tapi murni perjuangan. Insya Allah saya akan maju," ucapnya.
Selain hati nurani, faktor lain yang mendorongnya untuk ikut meramaikan bursa pencalonan walikota ialah lantaran Idrus menilai, kemaksiatan di kota ini semakin merajalela.
"Ini bukan isu, tapi fakta di lapangan. Contoh kasus pelecehan anak, prostitusi, dan miras yang masih beredar. Lokalisasi di beberapa titik masih berdiri tegak dan bahkan semakin menjamur. Tujuan kami ialah menegakkan perda yang ada, Depok insyaAllah bebas dari kemaksiatan," jelasnya.
Beberapa program yang akan menjadi unggulannya untuk manarik simpatik masyarakat antara lain, lapangan kerja khusus untuk warga Depok dan pusat niaga yang ada di Depok wajib memperkerjakan warga Depok.
"Minimal yang bekerja di pusat niaga 70 persen warga Depok. Korupsi dan nepotisme itu sudah pasti harga mati. Kalau perlu, camat, lurah adalah warga Depok asli. Karena mereka yang paling paham karakter warganya dan potensi alam," ujarnya.
Selain dua isu tadi, Idrus juga mengaku akan lebih mengedepankan masalah kesehatan dan pendidikan gratis.
"Khususnya dalam segi agama, kita utamakan sekolah Tsanawiyah dan Aliyah. Ente pernah dengar ada Tsanawiyah tawuran? Nah itu dia, karena di sekolah seperti itu akhlak dan moral lebih kedepankan," tegasnya.
Namun, Idrus tak mau berharap banyak dengan pilihan warga Depok.
"Intinya saya hanya ikhtiar, terpilih atau tidaknya ya itu kehendak Allah dan itu kembali pada pilihan warga Depok," katanya. (ita) | {
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As the Donald Trump impeachment talk has now spread to some Republican congressional reps as well as Democrats, members from both parties have reportedly begun seriously contemplating the possibility that Mike Pence could assume the presidency. But new revelations in the Trump-Russia scandal now suggest that speculation about Pence may be premature.
Pence himself appears to be laying the groundwork for a presidential run in 2020, starting his own fundraising political action committee, the Great America Committee, as revealed by Bloomberg News on Wednesday. While it is unlikely that a sitting vice president would run against his own president, the announcement of the new PAC suggests that Pence expects Trump to be out of office by the time of the 2020 presidential campaign.
While it is also possible that Pence expects Trump to survive his first term but decline to seek reelection, that possibility appears somewhat less likely given that Trump filed his reelection papers on the day that he was inaugurated and had already raised more than $12 million for his 2020 run by mid-April.
If Trump were removed from office either by impeachment or some other process — such as his own resignation — Pence would become president and therefore assume the prime position for a full-scale presidential run in 2020, unless Pence himself is removed through impeachment.
Vice President Mike Pence may already be anticipating that Donald Trump (above) will leave office before his first term is up. (Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
After new revelations this week regarding what Pence knew about the activities of former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, the possibility that Pence himself could be implicated in the scandal that is now under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller appears more likely.
As head of Trump’s transition team between the November election and January 20 inauguration, Pence held the job of vetting potential Trump appointees including Flynn — who was a paid foreign agent for the government of Turkey at the time and was under FBI investigation for failing to properly disclose that relationship, according to a report in the New York Times on Wednesday.
In fact, the Trump transition team headed by Pence was aware that Flynn was under investigation, the Times reported, but cleared him and appointed the foreign agent as United States National Security Adviser anyway.
For further details on the Trump team’s and Pence’s knowledge of Flynn’s paid work for Turkey, see the report from CBS News yesterday in the video below.
Flynn’s position on the Trump team began to pay dividends for Turkey right away. According to media reports on Wednesday, the Pentagon under the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama planned to arm Kurdish forces in Syria to attack and recapture the city of Raqqa from ISIS, who had made Raqqa their center of terrorist operations.
Turkey opposed the United States’ arming of Kurdish fighters, and so did Flynn, who at that time had been paid more than $500,000 by Turkey through his private company, Flynn Intel Group. Flynn refused to sign off on the Pentagon plan, putting the anti-ISIS operation on hold.
Mike Pence (l) with now-disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. (Image by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
However, prior to receiving the payments from Turkey, Flynn opposed the Turkish government and supported a failed coup against Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July of 2016, according to a report by the Huffington Post.
As late as March of this year, Pence publicly claimed that even as he headed the Trump transition effort, he was completely in the dark about Flynn’s ties to both Turkey and Russia. It was Flynn’s undisclosed contacts with Russian officials that led to his forced resignation in February.
But Pence had received a personal letter back on November 18 from Representative Elijah Cummings of the House Government Oversight Committee, explicitly warning him of Flynn’s work as a paid foreign agent, raising the possibility that Pence had some other ulterior motive for approving Flynn as Trump’s National Security Adviser — but whether those actions could reveal an offense worthy of Pence’s impeachment remains unclear.
[Featured Image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images] | {
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Published by Sierra Monica P. on March 24, 2011 under Mobile
CPT002 is a concept phone that combines the latest technologies with a luxury and elegant design. It was created by Mobiado and will be showcased at BaselWorld in Switzerland.
Mobiado CPT002 also works as a key for the Aston Martin car. It not only unlocks the doors as the user approaches, but it connects to the in-car display while inside the user’s pocket. The device runs advanced software that enables social networking capabilities, working with the GPS system. More exactly, with the FourSquare feature, the user can see the current location and friends’ location on a GPS map right on the display inside the Aston Martin vehicle. The car cameras update Facebook and Twitter with images, videos and data from the trip, while the Airbag receives accelerometer data from the handset for safety purposes.
Mobiado CPT002 Aston Martin uses high-quality materials like sapphire crystal, a capacitive touch display and platinum sides.
Source: Mobiado Press Release
Tags: phone | {
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スポーツ
大相撲の行司といえば、世を騒がせたセクハラ騒動が記憶に新しいが、行司は他のスポーツで言えば「審判」。彼らは土俵の上で取り組みを裁くだけが仕事なのか？
実は彼らの仕事は審判だけではない。横綱や幕内力士の土俵入りの先導のほか、翌日の取組書きと土俵上での紹介、勝敗の記録、さらに決まり手の場内アナウンスも行司が担当している。
本場所中以外でも土俵祭りの祭主、番付や取組編成会議での書記、顔触れ書きなど、土俵内外で色々な仕事がある。新番付発表と同時に配布される番付表の元書きも行司の仕事だ（現在は三役格の木村容堂が担当）。これに部屋の雑務が加わる。掃除、各種の案内状や礼状書き、打ち上げや激励会での司会、冠婚葬祭の仕切りなど仕事量は多い。
特に「先発書記」と呼ばれる巡業に帯同する行司は超多忙。45人のうち30人の行司が帯同するが、庶務や総務、経理までが全部一緒になった状態で、担当親方のサポートはもちろん、巡業運営の中心的役割を果たさなければならない。
新弟子は最初の1年は行司会監督に付いて基本を教わる。それが終わると部屋や一門の先輩について勉強。相撲字（極太の楷書文字）などを徹底的に叩き込まれる。3年間は養成期間だ。力士に負けず劣らず上下関係が厳しいと言われ、セクハラ問題も起きた。
給料は本給、装束補助費（立行司で約5万円）、手当。序ノ口行司の初任給は本給1万4000円＋手当12万6000円で月14万円。本給は階級が上がるたびに増え、横綱にあたる立行司になれば年収1300万～1500万円といわれている。
※週刊ポスト2018年3月23・30日号 | {
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Less than two hours before the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, MSNBC’s Hardball host Chris Matthews and panelists Elise Jordan and Bobby Ghosh declared that President Trump is a “wannabe despot” who wants to “fulfill his fantasy” by ruling the country with an iron fist while having more affection for dictators like North Korea’s Kim Jong-un than U.S. allies.
Matthews first observed to Jordan that Trump “sits four or five feet from our ally in the north, that’s, of course, Canada and Trudeau, who causes us no trouble and then you see him huddling in these pictures of huddling with the other guy, with Putin.” Jordan replied that “[h]e can relate.”
“Donald Trump can relate to authoritarians. He, as a former businessman, he likes absolute control and we’ve seen,” she added.
Matthews followed up and asked if Trump’s a “wannabe despot,” and the anti-Trump Republican agreed and “conceded that for years now and we're going on years.”
She elaborated that her belief was due to “[a]ll of his behavior, his attacks on the free press, his attacks on alliances that are designed to strengthen our security, this is not — he has — he feels more — he calls Kim Jong-un honorable, yet Justin Trudeau of Canada” is ridiculed.
Ghosh interjected that Trump is indeed “a wanna-be despot” and while Congress should stop him from doing so (read: remove him from office), they haven’t and instead “are tolerating it, encouraging it, enabling it.”
“They’re behaving in a way people behave in a monarchy or a despotism,” Matthews stated.
The liberal pundit then proceeded by taking note of the North Korean regime’s brutal human rights record as a way to (in order to borrow a favorite phrase of the media to describe Mueller probe criticism) undermine the summit, which is actually okay.
The problem is that perhaps Matthews’s colleagues at NBC shouldn’t have been so glowing in their praise for North Korea during the Pyeongchang Olympic games (see examples here, here, and here).
To see the relevant transcript from MSNBC’s Hardball on June 11, click “expand.” | {
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At the CEBIT 2018, the German car manufacturer Volkswagen presented a new proof of concept together with the blockchain startup IOTA. This is about the use of the tangle for secure software transfer. Do we see the future of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) here?
In January was reported that the IOTA Foundation and the carmaker Volkswagen entered into a kind of informal cooperation. Johann Jungwirth, the Chief Digital Officer of the Volkswagen Group, joined the IOTA team and serves as a member of the supervisory board. The plan was to work together for mutual benefit, benefitting the Foundation from Jungwirth's experience and exploring the possibilities of Tangle.
Cooperation Volkswagen - IOTA had hinted
Really surprising is the idea of a joint project so not. In the run-up to the CEBIT, which takes place this week in Hanover, Jungwirth had already published the basic features of the jointly prepared proof of concept on Twitter. With the found approach one intends to document the transmission of software over radio to vehicles with IOTA's tangle. Jungwirth calls this a "great example of how distributed ledger technology can be used in the future."
https://twitter.com/JohannJungwirth/status/1005268618890956800
Volkswagen wants to integrate the technology into its products. That's one way to make sure all the cars get the data they need to run certain updates and function as part of the growing digital world. This also has consequences for driverless and self-propelled, autonomous vehicles, as the industry strives for as a future model.
Distributed Ledger Technology is critical to the future of trusting transactions. IOTA has great potential to become the >market leader in DLT ,
says Jungwirth.
IOTA course is still unimpressed
In the automotive industry, this message receives much attention, as it is yet another step for the companies to make the DLT usable. On the crypto market, however, the news has not provided much growth. As a result, IOTA only increased slightly after the collective fall of 10 June on the morning of June 12, showing a 24-hour plus of two percent. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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So you're telling me they make chocolate covered crickets!? Intriguing | {
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Photo: Nick Briggs/HBO
Lord Petyr Baelish, a.k.a. Littlefinger, has told so many lies, half-truths, distortions of the truth, and lies of omission that it can be somewhat difficult to ever believe him, even when he’s being genuinely sincere. Then again, Lord Petyr Baelish has certainly given us plenty of clues all along that he is not a man to be trusted; this is the same guy, after all, who told Ned Stark back in season one that “distrusting me was the wisest thing you’ve done since you climbed off your horse.” He even deceived his lifelong, unrequited love, the late Catelyn Stark. (Ever notice how many people who trust him end up dead?) Now that Lysa Arryn has revealed that some dastardly deeds originally attributed to the Lannisters — most notably, the murder of the late Hand of the King Jon Arryn, which set into motion a series of events that led to the War of the Five Kings — were actually schemes cooked up by her ambitious fiancée, we figured it was time to look back and assess other Littlefinger lies.
SEASON ONE
The Lie: [To Ned] “I’ve hoped to meet you for some time, Lord Stark.”
The Truth: “I’ve hoped to kill you for some time, Lord Stark” would be more like it. When Littlefinger first met Ned Stark back in season one, he reminded him that he had always coveted his wife Catelyn, “a woman worth fighting for.” Some of Littlefinger’s earliest schemes could be attributed to his unrequited love for Catelyn, her rejection of him, and his settling for her sister Lysa instead. (He may have told her that he loves her instead, but we know and she suspects that this isn’t true, as her heart-to-heart with Sansa revealed.)
The Lie: [To Catelyn and Varys] “There’s only one dagger like this in all the seven kingdoms. It’s mine. Or at least it was … I lost this dagger [to] Tyrion Lannister, the Imp.”
The Truth: When Catelyn questioned Littlefinger about the dagger used in a murder attempt on her son Bran’s life, he directed her to another suspect, under the guise of helpfulness. He cautioned her not to spread this information, because it would be considered treason. (More likely that he didn’t want his lie to unravel.) He then promised to help her find “the truth,” and promised to try to help keep Ned Stark alive, “for her sake.” This lie led to Catelyn arresting Tyrion for a crime he didn’t commit, and to Jaime Lannister accosting Ned Stark and killing his men for the arrest of his brother. Stark-Lannister tensions hit an all-time high accordingly, and Littlefinger played both sides.
Related Stories How Does the Justice System Work in Game of Thrones?
The Lie: [To Ned] “Do you know Ser Hugh of the Vale? … Send [someone you trust] to question Ser Hugh. After that, you might want him to visit a certain armorer in the city.” (See also: “I’ll take you to the last person Jon Arryn spoke with before falling ill.”)
The Truth: This is one of those half-truths Littlefinger loves to tell, where he seems to provide useful information but it’s actually misdirection and part of a larger scheme. Offering to help retrace Lord Arryn’s steps to solve a murder he helped commit sets Ned Stark down a path towards a different truth.
The Lie: [To Ned, about Lord Arryn visiting King Robert’s bastards] “Perhaps Robert wanted them looked after. He was overcome with fatherly love.”
The Truth: Littlefinger knew full well why Lord Arryn was searching for all of King Robert’s bastards, and it wasn’t to set up a brothel day-care. He knew full well about Cersei and Jaime’s twincest, as he alluded to in a discussion with her, but he wasn’t about to reveal all to everyone else. His larger game needed a man as honorable as Ned Stark to discover this truth on his own, so he couldn’t ignore it.
The Lie: [To Ned] “The City’s Watch is yours.”
The Truth: Littlefinger had no intention of letting Ned Stark have the backup he’d promised to finance, even though Lord Baelish could have afforded it. “I did warn you not to trust me,” said Petyr, as he puts a blade to Ned’s throat.
The Lie: “A dear friend,” referring to Lord Varys.
The Truth: A worthy adversary. Most of Littlefinger’s and Varys’ conversations involved Littlefinger’s obsession with Varys’ castration, and his insults about his lack of manhood, while staring at the Iron Throne. “Tell me, does someone somewhere keep your balls in a little box? I’ve often wondered,” he taunted him. “I have a hard time trusting eunuchs,” he told Cersei. “Who knows what they want?” And what does Littlefinger want? As he keeps saying, “Everything.”
SEASON TWO
The Lie: [To Catelyn] “Do you want to see your girls again? Sansa, more beautiful than ever, and Arya, just as wild as ever… Both girls are healthy and safe, for now.”
The Truth: Sure, Sansa was somewhat safe, if suffering, at King’s Landing, and Arya was able to fend for herself on the road — but Littlefinger didn’t know anything about the safety, health, or whereabouts of the littlest Stark daughter. In making their worried mother believe that he could deliver both girls, he brokered a deal to trade the one Lannister for two Starks. Of course, he probably shouldn’t also have denied that he hadn’t betrayed the Starks at all — which somewhat undermined his credibility. (“False reports!” he proclaimed).
The Lie: [To Renly] “You still have many friends at court, many who believed Ned Stark erred in not supporting your claim.”
The Truth: Although this could have been true, we never saw anything that indicated that this would be true, and only seems to serve Renly’s belief that he could have easily taken King’s Landing, even though he didn’t have as good of a claim or as many troops as his older brother, Stannis. Littlefinger, hedging his bets.
The Lie: [To Margaery and Loras Tyrell, about Stannis after Renly’s death] “Renly’s bannermen will flock to him, and your former companions will fight for the privilege of selling you to their new king.”
The Truth: Littlefinger, hedging his bets again. He doesn’t want the Tyrells to declare for Stannis — his army and their riches would be an unbeatable force. By sowing mistrust about Team Renly, he provides a window in which they will trust him as he suggests they play a long game to get their justice and revenge, and make Margaery a queen (again).
The Lie: [To Lord Tywin, about the Tyrells] “They did rebel, and perhaps that treason should be punished — after Stannis and Robb are defeated.”
The Truth: Playing all sides! To the Tyrells, Littlefinger says he will help them get revenge against Stannis and make Margaery queen. To the Lannisters, Littlefinger says he’s playing the Tyrells so the Lannisters can share their wealth for now, and discard them later. He brokers a deal to unite the houses, and makes each side believe he’s on its side.
SEASON THREE
The Lie: [To Sansa] “I’ll help get you home.”
The Truth: “Home” doesn’t exist anymore for Sansa. She thinks he means Winterfell, but he means the Vale. In a way, she does have relatives there, so it’s kind of a home — but what relatives! An aunt who killed her own husband and lied to her own sister about it, a cousin who wants to kill Sansa’s husband, and an “uncle” who has a curious interest in her. And at this point in the game, Littlefinger isn’t truly offering to take Sansa anywhere, but testing whether or not she’ll leave King’s Landing right now. He’s already learned that Loras Tyrell is engaged, thanks to his fruitful scheming to have Olyvar seduce Loras and get intel, and Littlefinger is confirming whether the bride-to-be is Sansa, as he suspects. When she declines his offer to leave, he spills the news to the Lannisters, which leads to her forced marriage to Tyrion instead.
SEASON FOUR
The Lie: [To Dontos] “First you’ll want your pay. $10,000, was it?”
The Truth: Dontos followed Littlefinger’s orders to help deliver the poison to the wedding and steal Sansa away from the scene of the crime, and paid with his life. As so many people who trust Littlefinger do. Who will be next? | {
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Dass ein Zwölfjähriger eine selbst gebastelte Bombe auf einem Weihnachtsmarkt deponiert, schockierte vor einem Jahr das Land. Nun hat sich das Ludwigshafener "Terrorkind" positiv entwickelt. Das zuständige Jugendamt bestätigt die Einschätzung. "Damals vermied er jeden Blickkontakt, gab nicht die Hand, schaute auf den Boden. Er war ein verstocktes Kind, das weder auf mich noch auf meine Kollegen reagierte." (Jürgen May, Leiter des Jugendamts Ludwigshafen) "Nun berichten mir die Kollegen, dass er viel offener geworden ist, dass er gern kocht, dass er auf sein Aussehen achtet wie jeder Teenager und schlanker werden will." "Wir haben Anlass zur Hoffnung, dass er wieder Kind sein kann." (Ludwigshafener Jugenddezernentin Cornelia Reifenberg) Der deutsch-irakische Junge ist vor einem Jahr als erstes "Terrorkind" Deutschlands bekannt geworden. Da er im November 2016 erst zwölf Jahre alt war, konnte er nicht in Jugendarrest genommen werden. Die Behörden fanden erst nach langer Suche eine geschlossene Einrichtung, die ihn aufnahm.
Sein Fall sprengt das deutsche Rechtssystem: Vom Umgang mit einem "Terrorkind"
stern-gespräch Salafisten Sein Fall sprengt das deutsche Rechtssystem: Vom Umgang mit einem "Terrorkind"
Der Junge war erst zwölf, als er in Ludwigshafen selbst gebaute Nagelbomben platzierte. Was seither geschah. Von Ingrid Eißele
Abgeschirmt von der Öffentlichkeit und streng bewacht, lebt irgendwo in einer Einrichtung der Junge, der vor einem Jahr als "Terrorkind" von Ludwigshafen bekannt wurde. Er hatte Sprengsätze am Rande des Weihnachtsmarkts und in der Nähe des Rathauses versteckt, die allerdings nicht zündeten. Seitdem ist der Fall in Vergessenheit geraten. Was aber geschieht mit solchen Kindern? Ein Gespräch mit Jürgen May, dem Leiter des zuständigen Jugendamts Ludwigshafen, und mit Jugenddezernentin Cornelia Reifenberg.
Frau Reifenberg, Herr May, wenige Meter von Ihren Büros entfernt wurde ein Rucksack entdeckt, in dem sich ein Konservenglas mit Feuerwerk und Wunderkerzen fand, das Glas war umwickelt mit Klebeband und Nägeln. Kurz darauf fand die Polizei den Bombenbauer: einen deutsch-irakischen Jungen, in Ludwigshafen geboren, zwölf Jahre alt. Dachten Sie da gleich an Terror?
May: Früher hätte sich jeder gefragt, was für ein Dummer-Jungen-Streich eines typischen Zwölfjährigen in der Vorpubertät wohl dahinterstecken mag. Aus der Nähe betrachtet müssen wir den Fall allerdings anders bewerten.
Jugenddezernentin Cornelia Reifenberg © Imago
Wie?
May: Wir haben bundesweit den ersten Fall eines Kindes unter Terrorverdacht. Nach Einschätzung des Landeskriminalamts, das die Chats und sonstigen Internetaktivitäten des Jungen überprüfte, ist er gefährlich.
Er hatte ein Video ins Netz gestellt, in dem er drohte: "Ich hacke euch tot!" Ist so etwas ernst zu nehmen?
May: Noch vor zwei Jahren hätten wir gedacht, dass sich da einer nur wichtigmachen will. Aber der Fall hat uns wachgerüttelt. Der Junge hatte nach Einschätzung der Sicherheitsbehörden tatsächlich Kontakt zum IS. Der Inhalt des Glases hatte den Aufbau eines Sprengkörpers, der Sprengstoff soll allerdings laut LKA nicht zündfähig gewesen sein.
Der Generalbundesanwalt übernahm den Fall. Was passiert mit dem Jungen?
May: Er lebt seit März in einer geschlossenen Einrichtung, das Haus wird rund um die Uhr von einem Security-Dienst bewacht.
Nur seinetwegen?
May: Ja.
Reifenberg: Er hat außerdem Tag und Nacht pädagogische Betreuer an der Seite, die sich um ihn kümmern.
Wie viel Personal müssen Sie für den Jungen einsetzen?
May: Vier Sozialpädagogen und zwei Psychologen, also sechs Mitarbeiter, die ihn im Schichtbetrieb jeweils zu zweit betreuen. Hinzu kommt ein Lehrer für den Einzelunterricht.
Ein enormer Aufwand. Was kostet das?
Reifenberg: Das können wir noch nicht beziffern, es ist sehr teuer. Die umfassende Betreuung ist aber notwendig, weil nicht auszuschließen ist, dass von dem Jungen eine Gefahr ausgeht – für andere, aber auch für sich selbst.
May: Er hatte immerhin ursprünglich die Idee, bei einem Anschlag zu sterben und als Selbstmordattentäter ins Paradies einzugehen.
Ist der Junge immer noch gefährlich?
Reifenberg: Nach Einschätzung des Landeskriminalamts: ja.
Jugendamtsleiter Jürgen May © Joachim Werkmeister
Was bedeutet das? Er hat ja wohl keinen Kontakt mehr zum IS.
Reifenberg: Uns fehlt dazu das Hintergrundwissen der Ermittler. Wir wissen nicht, was in seinen Chatverläufen steht, wo er sich seine Freunde gesucht hat, von wem er Anerkennung bekam. Das macht uns die Arbeit nicht leichter.
Sie sollen den Jungen therapieren, wissen aber kaum etwas über seine Geschichte?
Reifenberg: Genau. Zum Teil habe ich aus der Tageszeitung mehr erfahren als vom LKA. Eine größere Transparenz der Sicherheitsbehörden würde uns helfen, unsere pädagogische Arbeit zu machen.
Welches Ziel verfolgen die Betreuer?
Reifenberg: Sie sollen ihn deradikalisieren, letztlich: das Kind in ihm zum Leben erwecken. Er soll sich wieder altersgemäß entwickeln, lachen, spielen und normalen Umgang mit anderen Menschen erlernen.
May: Und lernen, dass Laptop und Smartphone nicht die einzigen Mittel sind, um sich mit Menschen in Beziehung zu setzen. Derzeit hat er kein Handy und keinen Zugang zum Internet.
Ist er in dieser Einrichtung mit Gleichaltrigen zusammen?
May: Nein, er hat nur Erwachsene um sich. Inzwischen darf er seinen Aktionsradius erweitern, zum Beispiel Spaziergänge mit Begleitung machen. Unterrichtet wird er wie gesagt von einem Hauslehrer.
Was soll das Alleinsein bei einem 13-Jährigen bewirken?
Reifenberg: Die Isolierung ist Vorgabe des LKA, dessen Sicherheitsbedenken wir nicht negieren können, auch wenn wir die Situation pädagogisch sehr kritisch sehen.
Wie machen Sie aus einem 13-Jährigen wieder ein Kind?
May: Der Schlüssel ist ein positives Selbstwertgefühl. Daran arbeiten wir.
Seine Bombe auf dem Weihnachtsmarkt detonierte nicht © Markus Prosswitz/DPA
Wenn ein Halbwüchsiger meint, über Leben und Tod entscheiden zu können, spricht das nicht bereits für ein großes Ego?
May: Nein, eher für ein schwaches Selbstwertgefühl. Solche Kinder lassen sich eher als andere von außen beeinflussen. Aber selbst in diesen extremen Fällen gibt es Ansätze, ein Kind um 180 Grad zu drehen. Aus der Forschung weiß man, dass auch radikalisierten Menschen ihre geliebten Angehörigen wichtig sind. Das kann der Schlüssel sein.
Wie kooperativ sind die Eltern?
May: Sie haben eingesehen, dass etwas geschehen muss. Die Eltern arbeiten konsequent mit uns zusammen. Wir sprechen regelmäßig mit ihnen, bei Bedarf auch im Beisein des Sohnes. Sie wissen, dass nichts hinter ihrem Rücken geschieht, sonst wird das nichts. Die Eltern haben schließlich immer noch das Sorgerecht und arbeiten freiwillig mit.
Reifenberg: Der Junge ist eine Art Systemsprenger ...
Was meinen Sie damit?
Reifenberg: Er passt in kein Rechtssystem. Wir betreten mit diesem Fall pädagogisch und rechtlich Neuland. Der Junge ist nicht strafmündig. Das Jugendstrafrecht gilt ab 14 Jahren, er kann also nicht in den Jugendarrest gesteckt werden. In Deutschland gibt es bisher keine Einrichtungen für terrorverdächtige Kinder.
May: Wir haben einen freien Träger für die pädagogische Betreuung gesucht – das sind beispielsweise private Betreiber von Jugendheimen – und bei über 100 Trägern in ganz Deutschland angefragt, ob sie den Jungen nehmen. Wir bekamen überall
Absagen.
Mit welcher Begründung?
May: "Wir können die Sicherheitsvorkehrungen nicht erfüllen." Das war der Standardsatz. Die Jugendhilfe will Kinder und Jugendliche schließlich wieder gesellschaftsfähig machen – und nicht wegschließen.
Reifenberg: In der Einrichtung, die wir schließlich fanden, versuchen die Pädagogen in vielen Gesprächen herauszufinden, warum er überhaupt auf die Idee kam, eine derartige Tat zu planen.
Und?
Mey: Wir betreuen den Jungen und seine Familie bereits seit einiger Zeit. Es ging damals um Schulprobleme. Die Eltern sind aus dem Irak geflüchtet, ihr Sohn ist hier geboren und aufgewachsen, schon in der vierten Klasse fiel er durch seine Aggressivität auf. Für uns war damals aber kein islamistischer Hintergrund erkennbar.
Er soll Mitschüler bedroht haben, bekam sogar Hausverbot...
May: Das war später am Gymnasium. Auch dort gab es Konflikte mit anderen Kindern. Er hatte außerdem schulische Probleme und wechselte deshalb noch in der sechsten Klasse auf die Realschule.
Welche Rolle spielte seine Familie?
Reifenberg: Die Eltern sind keine strenggläubigen Muslime. Wir vermuten, dass er sich am weltlichen Leben seiner Familie störte. Er hat in der Religiosität möglicherweise eine Orientierung gesucht, die er zu Hause nicht fand.
May: Er ist das jüngste von vier Geschwistern und der einzige Sohn.
Kein vernachlässigtes Kind, sondern eher der kleine Prinz?
May: Soweit uns bekannt ist, bekam der Junge sehr viel Aufmerksamkeit.
Bemerkten die Eltern die Veränderung ihres Sohnes?
May: Dazu sind Eltern manchmal nicht in der Lage, das wissen wir auch von anderen Fällen.
Hat die Arbeit mit dem Jungen Erfolg?
May: Nach fast sieben Monaten in dieser Einrichtung haben wir den Eindruck, dass wir ihm näherkommen. Er hat sich geöffnet und auch schon verändert.
Inwiefern?
May: Damals vermied er jeden Blickkontakt, gab nicht die Hand, schaute auf den Boden. Er war ein verstocktes Kind, das weder auf mich noch auf meine Kollegen reagierte. Nun berichten mir die Kollegen, dass er viel offener geworden ist, dass er gern kocht, dass er auf sein Aussehen achtet wie jeder Teenager und schlanker werden will. Und dass er singt.
Singt?
May: In der Schule hat er sich im Musikunterricht verweigert, weil Musik nicht "halal" sei, also unrein. Er ist nicht mal Auto gefahren, wenn das Autoradio lief. Jetzt singt er beim Kochen und sogar beim Spaziergang. Er macht nun durchaus den Eindruck, als habe er sich von dem Attentatsversuch distanziert und sich verändert. Darüber werden wir mit dem LKA reden.
Was muss mit Kindern geschehen, die bereits in den Fängen von Terrorgruppen sind?
Reifenberg: Wir brauchen eine Einrichtung für Kinder unter Terrorverdacht. Es kann nicht dem Zufall überlassen werden, wer sich darum kümmert. Wir brauchen pro Bundesland mindestens zwei Plätze für solche Kinder, die beispielsweise an eine Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie oder eine Jugendhilfeeinrichtung angegliedert werden.
Klingt gruselig, nach Kinderknast.
Reifenberg: Ja, aber es hilft nichts, das Land und der Bund müssen sich um dieses Thema kümmern. Momentan ist das Land nicht bereit, einen einzigen Euro zu investieren, auch nicht in diesem Fall. Hier müssen Bund und Länder Lösungen erarbeiten. Es drängt!
Wir sprechen über den bisher einzigen Fall eines radikalisierten Kindes.
Reifenberg: Es kann schneller den zweiten Fall geben, als uns lieb ist. Dafür wollen wir gewappnet sein.
May: Der IS hat inzwischen im Internet mehrere deutschsprachige Kanäle, mit denen er gezielt versucht, Kinder anzuwerben. Je mehr Boden er in seiner Heimat verliert, desto mehr wird er den Konflikt nach Europa tragen. Die Herausforderung für uns ist, solche Radikalisierungen früh zu erkennen.
Vor Kurzem kam heraus, dass ein Psychologe, der mit dem Jungen arbeitete, selbst ein Salafist sein soll. Wie konnte das passieren?
May: Der Mann hatte ein sauberes Führungszeugnis.
Reifenberg: Nach dem Sozialgesetzbuch sind Arbeitgeber in solchen Fällen verpflichtet, ein erweitertes Führungszeugnis zu fordern. Das ist geschehen, und es gab keinen Anlass zum Zweifeln. In Gesprächen mit dem LKA haben wir zudem angesichts der Sicherheitsaspekte dieses Falls angeregt, ob man die Mitarbeiter nicht noch genauer überprüfen sollte. Alle Mitarbeiter waren einverstanden, alle wurden überprüft, auch der mutmaßliche Salafist.
Doch da hatte der Psychologe schon wochenlang mit dem Jungen gearbeitet.
May: Man kann Bewerber ja nicht unter Generalverdacht stellen. Der freie Träger hat als Arbeitgeber im Vorfeld gemacht, was gesetzlich vorgeschrieben war. Zudem: Der Mann war nie allein mit dem Kind, er hatte gar keine Möglichkeit, es zu unterwandern. Er hatte maximal vier Stunden am Tag Kontakt, immer in Gegenwart eines weiteren Erwachsenen.
Das scheint Ihr Dilemma zu sein – Sie müssen die richtigen Leute finden, um an solche Kinder ranzukommen?
Reifenberg: Der Mann wurde sofort entlassen, als das Ergebnis der Sicherheitsüberprüfung da war. Wir brauchen fachlich versiertes und erfahrenes Personal bei dieser sensiblen Arbeit, das auch Zugang zu einem Kind bekommt. Deswegen hat der Träger in diesem Fall einen Therapeuten mit muslimischem Hintergrund ausgesucht.
Der Junge soll den Salafisten ein Weichei genannt haben?
May: Ja, das war seine Einschätzung.
Er kam also wohl doch nicht an ihn ran?
May: Mit Sicherheit nicht.
Wie sehen Sie die Zukunft dieses Jungen: Ist er in wenigen Jahren ein Profi-Terrorist?
May: Ich wäre nicht 40 Jahre in diesem Beruf geblieben, wenn ich keine Hoffnung für solche Kinder hätte. Ich bin überzeugt, dass es jedes Kind wert ist, dass man ihm eine Chance gibt. Sonst müssten wir uns überlegen, wie wir ihn wegsperren, bis er alt genug ist, dass ihn die Justiz sicher verwahren kann.
Wäre das womöglich sogar richtig?
Reifenberg: Nein. Wir haben Anlass zur Hoffnung, dass er wieder Kind sein kann.
Worauf basiert Ihr Optimismus?
Reifenberg: Er kann auch mal lachen. Sein Lebensziel war es einmal, Imam zu sein. Jetzt will er Koch werden und ein Restaurant eröffnen.
Ist denkbar, dass der Junge irgendwann ein normales Leben führt – nachdem ihm nun all diese Aufmerksamkeit zuteil wird?
May: So eine aufwendige intensivpädagogische Einzelmaßnahme ist auf Dauer keine Lösung. Ein normales Leben wird erst beginnen, wenn er wieder mit Gleichaltrigen zusammenkommt und keine Sonderrolle mehr hat. Dann wird sich zeigen, ob er damit klarkommt. Oder ob aus dem kleinen Prinzen ein Alleinherrscher wird.
Dieser Artikel über den Umgang mit einem "Terrorkind" ist dem aktuellen stern entnommen: | {
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Doug Mataconis · · 17 comments
A new Rasmussen poll shows fairly conclusively that Donald Trump would be a massive disaster as a GOP Presidential nominee, unless you’re a Democrat:
President Obama leads Donald Trump by 15 percentage points in a hypothetical 2012 match-up, but the president is unable to top the 50% level of support even against an opponent some are deriding as a joke.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that the president earns support from 49% of Likely Voters nationwide, while Trump attracts the vote from 34%. Given that choice, 12% would vote for some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Only 65% of Republican voters would vote for Trump over Obama. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 48% prefer Obama, 25% Trump, and 20% would opt for some other candidate.
Regardless of what Republican is matched against the president, Obama earns between 42% and 49% support. Trump doesn’t run as well against the president as the top tier of GOP candidates, but he does pick up more support than insider favorites Mitch Daniels and Jon Huntsman and entrepreneur Herman Cain.
Unlike several potential Republican candidates, Trump does not suffer from a lack of name recognition. Instead, he suffers from high unfavorable ratings. Most voters (53%) offer an unfavorable opinion of the reality TV star and businessman, including 29% with a Very Unfavorable view of him. Only 39% offer a favorable assessment, with 10% Very Favorable. | {
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IMRAM: Tionscadal an tSneachta, Éigse Éireann (Poetry Ireland), Cearnóg Parnell Thoir, BÁC, Déardaoin 30 Samhain @ 19:00 // Leabharlann na bhFuaimeanna Caillte, Amharclann Chúirt an Phaoraigh, BÁC, Dé Sathairn 2 Nollaig @ 15:00 // Club IMRAM na Nollag, Club an Chonartha, Sr. Fhearchair, Dé Sathairn 2 Nollaig @ 20:30
Tá cúpla ócáid beartaithe ag foireann na Féile Litríochta IMRAM an tseachtain seo i mBaile Átha Cliath.
Tá ábhar faoi leith roghnaithe mar théama acu don gcéad oíche, a bheidh ar siúl in Éigse Éireann sa chathair.
Tabharfaidh triúr filí cuntais ar dhánta agus haiku a bhaineann le téama an tsneachta, is iad sin Mícheál Ó hAodha, Gabriel Rosenstock agus Helen Ivory.
Beidh tionlacan acu triúr agus iad i mbun na filíochta, ón gceoltóir cumasach Enda Reilly.
Beidh íomhánna oiriúnacha curtha le chéile ag Margaret Lonergan a bheidh ar taispeáint ar chúl na n-aíonna le linn na hócáide.
Tá an leagan amach céanna ar ócáid an tSathairn, dar teideal Leabharlann na bhFuaimeanna Caillte.
Ceathrar filí a bheidh i mbun aithrise ar dhánta, le tionlacan an uair seo ón dealbhóir fuaime Fergus Kelly.
Bainfidh na dánta ar fad le fuaimeanna nach gcloistear a thuilleadh, agus is iad Marcus Mac Conghail, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Proinsias Mac a’Bhaird agus Máire Dinny Wren a bheidh ag léamh a gcuid saothar.
Tráthnóna Shathairn beidh teacht le chéile atá á eagrú chomh maith ag lucht IMRAM ar siul i gClub Chonradh na Gaeilge, áit a mbeidh Seosamh Ó Murchú, Mícheál Ó hUanacháin, Caitríona Ní Chléircín agus Enda Reilly ar an láthair, ag léamh a gcuid filíochta agus i mbun an cheoil.
Club IMRAM na Nollag, Cuid a hAon atá siad ag tabhairt ar an ócáid, agus an dara hócáid sa tsraith beartaithe don 16ú Nollaig.
Tuilleadh sna seachtainí romhainn faoin imeacht sin.
Seoladh Amhrán na Bliana Ghradaim NÓS 2018 + Pop Up Gaeltacht na Samhna / Ruin Bar, Sr. na Teamhrach, Baile Átha Cliath, Déardaoin 30 Samhain @ 19:00
Is i dtigh tábhairne Ruin san ardchathair a bheidh an gabhar á rósta tráthnóna cinnte.
Beidh Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh ar an láthair le fógra speisialta a dhéanamh faoi urraíocht do ‘Amhrán na Bliana’ ag Gradaim NÓS 2018 – tá an clár Bláthnaid Libh ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta agus RTÉ 2FM ag teacht le chéile le NÓS chun deis a thabhairt do bhuaiteoir na rannóige sin a gcuid ceoil a chur os comhar na tíre ar an bpríomhstáisiún náisiúnta ceoil.
Deis eisceachtúil aon uaire a bheidh anseo do cheoltóir óg éigin, agus fógróidh Bláthnaid agus Eoghan McDermott ó RTÉ 2FM an t-eolas uilig faoin duais anocht – fáilte mhór roimh chách, agus beidh sólaistí is blaisíní bia ar fáil.
Ina dhiaidh sin, beidh teacht le chéile míosúil na nGael i mBaile Átha Cliath ar siúl do Phreab-Ghaeltacht na Samhna san ionad céanna.
Seo go deimhin mí speisialta agus lucht an nóis seo ag ceiliúradh bliain ar an bhfód, comhghairdeas ó chroí leo!
Fleadh Feirste 2017 / Béal Feirste, 30 Samhain – 02 Nollaig
Tá meascán ana-bhreá d’imeachtaí beartaithe do Fhleadh Feirste na bliana seo, agus formhór acu sin ar siúl i gCultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich.
Seolfar leabhar le Breandán Mac Suibhne, The End of Outrage, agus leabhar buacach Dhiarmuid Johnson, Conaire Mór, ar bronnadh Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin ar an saothar le déanaí ag an Oireachtas.
Léireofar dráma bunaithe ar an tsraith teilifíse Fr. Ted le hAisteoirí na hÓmaí agus ceolfaidh an banna Ériú i nDánlann Dillon an ionaid.
Ní hiad an t-aon bhanna a bheidh ar an láthair, mar go mbeidh an chlann cheolmhar Na Mooneys ag seinnt le linn Fhéile seo na Ceathrú Gaeltachta chomh maith!
Anuas air sin tá siúlóid sléibhe faoi stiúr Chormaic Uí Adhmaill eagraithe don Domhnach go dtiocfaidh daoine chucu féin le blúire aclaíochta tar éis imeachtaí na féile.
Tá scata eile ar chlár na n-imeachtaí, sa bhreis ar an méid atá thuasluaite.
Is fiú súil a chaitheamh ar shuíomh na Cultúrlainne le blaiseadh níos cuimsithí a fháil ar an bhféile ina iomláine.
*Agus ag caint ar an gCultúrlann, ná déanaigí dearmad go mbeidh Liúnatics ann oíche Shathairn chomh maith!
DJ Will Softly / Club Áras na nGael, Gaillimh, Dé hAoine 1 Nollaig @ 21:00
Is é an dioscmharcach cónaitheach in Áras na nGael, DJ Will Softly, a bheidh ag roghnú an cheoil ann istoíche amárach óna 9in.
Scoth an cheoil dhomhanda atá geallta, agus comhluadar maith, mar a bhíonn i gcónaí san ionad seo!
Tá imeachtaí eile spéisiúla socraithe acu do na seachtainí romhainn, coimeád súil ar an leathanach seo, do na sonraí ar fad.
Seoladh ‘Nollaig Ó Gadhra: Cuimhní Cairde’ / An Siopa Leabhar, 6 Sr. Fhearchair, BÁC, Dé Sathairn 2 Nollaig @ 15:30
Is é Julian de Spáinn, Ard-Runaí Chonradh na Gaeilge, a sheolfaidh an leabhar dar teideal Nollaig Ó Gadhra: Cuimhní Cairde an deireadh seachtaine seo.
Roinneann siad siúd a raibh aithne acu ar Nollaig, ina measc a chairde agus a ghaolta, a gcuid cuimhní air sa saothar seo, atá curtha in eagar ag a iníon, an t-iriseoir Máirín Ní Ghadhra.
Is iad Cló Iar Chonnacht na foilsitheoirí. €12 ata air, agus cóipeanna ar díol Dé Sathairn sa Siopa Leabhar ar Shráid Fhearchair, ionad an tseolta.
Tá roinnt seoltaí eile beartaithe don ionad céanna go luath, coinnigh súil ar a leathanach Facebook le haghaidh tuilleadh eolais.
Aonach na Nollag / Coláiste Feirste, Béal Feirste, Dé Sathairn 2 Nollaig @ 11:00 + Aonach an Phátrúin / Halla Pobail na Rinne, Dé Domhnaigh 3 Nollaig @ 13:00
Tá an Nollaig ag teannadh linn agus is timpeall an ama seo bliana a bhíonn aontaí ar siúl i scoileanna na tíre le pobail éagsúla; cuirim i gcás daltaí, múinteoirí agus tuismitheoirí ag díol agus ag ceannach ar mhaithe leis na scoileanna.
Beidh aonach den tsórt sin ar siúl i gColáiste Feirste Dé Sathairn seo chugainn, le breis agus 20 seastán le bheith ann!
Díolfar bia agus deoch, beidh péinteáil aghaidhe ar bun, cloisfear ceol beo le linn an lae, agus neostar dom chomh maith go mbeidh an fear é féin, San Nioclás, ar an láthair agus go mbeidh deis ann grianghraf a fháil duit féin ina chomhluadar… cuimhnigh air!
Beidh San Nioclás gnóthach go maith an deireadh seachtaine seo mar go mbeidh sé i láthair chomh maith ag macasamhail d’ócáid a bheidh ar siúl sa Rinn.
Beidh Aonach an Phátrúin, nó margadh Nollag na nDéise, ar siúl i Halla an Phobail ar an Domhnach, áit a mbeidh deis agaibh roinnt de shiopadóireacht na Nollag a chur díobh, mar go mbeidh seastáin ann ag díol earraí a bheidh oiriúnach mar bhronntanais! | {
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Families of Americans Held in Iran: Don’t Forget About Us After contentious nuclear deal, families tell American diplomats to go further.
-- As the world figures out who the winners and losers are in the controversial Iranian nuclear deal, the families of four Americans believed to be held in Iran have a message for the tired American diplomats: Until our loved ones are home, you’re nowhere near done.
“The governments of the United States and Iran have worked together to reach this agreement,” Christine Levinson, the wife of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, said today. “They need to continue working together with the same sense of urgency to resolve Bob’s case and return him home to his family as soon as possible. Bob has been held against his will for more than eight years. This nightmare must end.”
Robert Levinson disappeared from Iran’s Kish Island in 2007. In 2013 it was revealed he had been working at the time with a rogue CIA operation. Though the Iranian government has denied holding Levinson and has promised to help find him, U.S. officials previously told ABC News they suspect some Iranian officials at least know where he is.
Three other Americans – a pastor, a former Marine and a prominent journalist – are currently being held in Iranian prisons on what their families and U.S. officials say are dubious charges.
Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini, said today she hopes that the U.S. Congress, which will review the nuclear deal, will not leave her husband “behind.”
“With the announcement of a deal and yet silence as to the fate of Saeed and the other Americans held hostage in Iran, their fate now lies in the hands of Congress. I plead with each member of Congress to review the deal with our family at the forefront of their thoughts,” Naghmeh Abedini said on the American Center for Law and Justice website. “My children have desperately missed the loving embrace of their father for the last three years of their lives.”
The family of former Marine Amir Hekmati, who was arrested in Iran and charged with espionage in 2011, released a statement today saying they hope that the “historic news of this [nuclear] deal reflects a commitment by the United States and Iran to compromise, peace and an end to the hostility that has defined their relationship for years.”
“Our family is hopeful this translates into a release for Amir," the family said. "Amir is an innocent man who traveled to Iran to visit family, yet there is no denying that his imprisonment has been prolonged pending an outcome in these negotiations. While Amir himself has said that he should not be part of any nuclear deal, his immediate release would demonstrate a strong gesture of good faith to the international community following the successful end of the negotiations and enhance any agreement’s prospects in the U.S. Congress."
Ali Rezaian, brother of Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian who is imprisoned also on espionage charges, said that the nuclear deal “does not change Jason’s cruel and illegal imprisonment for the past 356 days.”
“We are hopeful that with agreement now in place the Iranian courts will conclude this process swiftly and affirm Jason’s innocence so we can bring him home and make our family whole again,” Ali said, according to the Post. “Jason is completely innocent of all charges and it is inhumane for him to still be held behind bars after nearly a year.”
Monday Rezaian's wife broke down in tears as ABC News spoke to his mother, Mary. | {
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US President Barack Obama speaks from the Hanover Messe, the world's leading showcase for industrial technology. | {
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(Reuters) - A federal court in California dismissed climate change lawsuits by the cities of San Francisco and Oakland against five oil companies, saying the complaints required foreign and domestic policy decisions that were outside its purview.
The ConocoPhillips oil refinery in San Pedro, California March 24, 2012. REUTERS/Bret Hartman
San Francisco and Oakland sued Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, and BP Plc last year seeking an abatement fund to help the cities address flooding they said was a result of climate change.
Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said in the ruling that the dangers raised by the complainants were real and worldwide, and both parties accepted the science behind global warming.
“(However), the problem deserves a solution on a more vast scale than can be supplied by a District Judge or jury in a public nuisance case,” Judge Alsup said.
The suit was one of several filed by cities and local governments around the country that argued in part the production of fossil fuels had led to rising tides that damaged shorelines, roads and other properties requiring remediation.
Alsup, who held a primer on climate change during the case, wrote that although scientists agree burning fossil fuels is raising ocean levels, the suits “could interfere with reaching a worldwide consensus” on the social pros and cons of fuel use.
Chevron, which took the lead in fighting the case, called the decision “important and well-reasoned” and said although the ruling is not binding on other courts, judges in similar cases “should follow Judge Alsup’s lead and dismiss their cases as well,” according to spokesman Sean Comey.
Richard Wiles, executive director of the Center for Climate Integrity, an advocacy group that supports the lawsuits, called the decision disappointing, but added: “This fight is just getting started and we expect to win.”
A Shell spokeswoman said the company regards climate change to be a complex problem, which is not an issue for the courts but requires sound government policy.
The case is City of Oakland V. BP, Chevron and others, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-CV-06011. | {
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Defender Kevin Alston and captain Shalrie Joseph have been banished from the Revolution’s preseason training camp for disciplinary reasons, according to a team source.
Alston and Joseph both performed during a 2-0 victory over the University of Central Florida Friday night, but they did not accompany the team to yesterday’s practice session.
“They’re not here, that’s all I can say,’’ Revolution vice president of player personnel Michael Burns said.
Asked if Alston and/or Joseph would return to the team, Burns said: “Not for this trip.’’
Alston and Joseph returned to Boston yesterday and could return to training when the Revolution resume practice next week. No fines were announced.
The Revolution will play a practice game against the US Under 17 team today, concluding this trip against FC Dallas Wednesday.
“It’s not ideal, but everyone is professional here and you don’t want any of your teammates not to be here,’’ Revolution coach Steve Nicol said. “But, at the same time, everyone is a good pro and, at the end of the day, you blow the whistle and roll the ball out and you play. That’s the main concern.
“It’s preseason and guys have worked hard to get ready for [today’s] game. A lot of guys are going for a contract and the only thing we have to concentrate on is, we have to decide who’s going to get a contract and who’s not. And we’ve got to try and get some good things out of the game.’’
Joseph missed the opening day of training camp for “personal reasons,’’ according to Nicol. Last year, Joseph was out for five games while participating in Major League Soccer’s behavioral and substance abuse program.
Joseph captained the team against Central Florida, commanding the midfield and scoring the second goal in the 60th minute. Alston started at right back but sustained a hamstring injury and was substituted for after 12 minutes.
“Every year you have to deal with things that are out of your control,’’ goalkeeper Matt Reis said. “As a team, the main thing we have to worry about is the guys who are with us, the guys who are here. We have to prepare for the season.
“It’s very unfortunate, very distracting, something I think could have been avoided. But we have to move on and we can’t stop doing what we’re doing to get ready for the season just because two guys aren’t here. So, we’ll go from there.
“There’s a lot of things you can’t control and we need to worry about the things that we can. It always seems to sort itself out, so I’m not too bothered about that. With the guys that are here, they know what they have to do. Nothing’s changed with what we’re trying to do here.
“We’re just losing two good players and we just have to move on.’’
This is the first time in franchise history the Revolution have disciplined players during preseason workouts by sending them away from camp.
Asked when the captaincy for the season will be decided, Nicol replied: “At the end of the day we’re looking for everyone to step up. I’m a believer that it’s not just one guy who’s captain. We need everyone to step up, that’s what you look for in preseason.
“Absolutely, it’s my call [who will be captain]. The good thing is I can decide when I want.’’
The Revolution will be reinforced by two Central Florida players, midfielder Warren Creavalle and defender Camilo Rendon, for today’s game. French midfielder Ousmane Dabo will not be able to depart from Paris before Monday, so the Revolution expect him to join the team in Boston next week.
Without Joseph, Reis becomes the only Revolution player who has been a member of the team for more than four full seasons. And he remains concerned about the defense.
“One of the things that haunted us last year was inconsistency,’’ Reis said. “I think we still have signs of that. And that’s what we’re trying to get away from, those points in the game where we’re giving teams chances because we’re screwing up.
“Against a college team those things might go unpunished but playing an MLS team, a good team, that’s where we would get punished. We have a long way to go and we’re working on it. We’ve got a month left, plenty of time, we just have to keep moving in the right direction.’’
Frank Dell’Apa can be reached at [email protected].
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company. | {
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SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- The government on Monday approved the spending of 640 million won (US$532,000) on building a digital archive of relics found from a historical site in the North through the two Koreas' joint excavation project, the unification ministry said. | {
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THE highest judges in the country are set to review a controversial ruling in the case of babysitter Jade Hatt who was spared prison after having sex with her 11-year-old charge.
Hatt, 21, was given a suspended sentence following the 45 second encounter at the boy's home last November, and later explained her actions by claiming she 'fell in love too easily'.
The apparently lenient sentence was later slammed by victims charities including the NSPCC, and was reviewed by the Attorney General after a petition launched online gathered more than 3,000 signatures.
The mother of the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had received a call from Attorney General Jeremy Wright personally this afternoon to inform her the decision had been taken to send the case to the Court of Appeal.
"The wonderful news is the Attorney General has decided to go for appeal," she said. "He rang me to give me the news, and that has left me very tearful and emotional again.
"Hopefully we should get a date within the next six weeks for it to go in front of the three highest judges in the country. It will then be down to them to decide whether it was an unduly lenient sentence.
"The whole thing has quietened down since the case, but I know there is a still a huge amount of support from the petition that was set up, and that must have helped in getting the case appealed.
"I am still very upset about what happened but am going through all the normal motions. The support I have had is absolutely fantastic, and I just want to thank all the people of Swindon for being behind me."
The mother has previously criticised her former partner for helping Hatt escape with a light touch by playing down the effect on their son.
Rob Ross, defending Hatt at the sentencing, read a statement from the victim's father to the court.
"He is sex mad," it said. "He would have been fully up for this experience and in many ways sees it as a notch on his belt and is totally unaffected by it.'"
Hatt was given a six month jail term suspended for two years with supervision and told to register as a sex offender for seven years.
Judge Tim Mousley also imposed a sexual harm prevention order banning her from having unsupervised contact with young boys for two years.
"Having read everything before me, it was quite clear he was a mature 11-year-old and you were an immature 20-year-old so that narrows the arithmetic age gap between you," the judge told her.
"I have read the comments of the boy's father to the police where he doesn't consider you a typical 20-year-old. I have also read what he has said about the effect on the victim."
A spokesman for the Attorney General said: "After careful consideration the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC MP has asked the Court of Appeal to consider the sentence of Jade Hatt under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme, it will now be up to three Court of Appeal Judges to decide whether they consider it to be unduly lenient and whether or not to increase it.” | {
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EXCL Labour MP to launch bid to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland
A Labour MP is set to launch a bid to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.
In a move which will infuriate DUP MPs, Conor McGinn said gay couples in the Province had "waited too long already" to be treated the same way as heterosexuals.
He told PoliticsHome that if the UK government did not act, he was prepared to give MPs a vote on the issue by introducing his own Private Members Bill.
Power to introduce gay marriage is devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
But the DUP/Sinn Fein power-sharing government collapsed more than a year ago, and talks aimed at getting the Executive back up and running have stalled.
Theresa May is coming under pressure to introduce direct rule for Northern Ireland, but has insisted she wants to see negotiations between the two parties continuing.
Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said in a written parliamentary answer to St Helens North MP Mr McGinn that "the power of the Westminster parliament to legislate" on same-sex marriage in the Province "remains unaffected" by the ongoing political turmoil.
Mr McGinn, who was brought up in Northern Ireland, said: "I want to see these sorts of decisions being made by a power-sharing Executive and a fully functioning Northern Ireland Assembly, and restoring those institutions should be all of our focus.
"But it’s clear from the answer given by the Secretary of State that the Government can legislate for equal marriage at Westminster, and I believe circumstances are soon approaching in which it should.
"If the Government will not commit to doing that in a reasonable timeframe, then I am prepared to take forward a Private Members Bill or propose amendments to an appropriate Government Bill to extend equal marriage to Northern Ireland.
"The song says “you can’t hurry love” but in this case love - and equality - has waited too long already. It’s beyond time to give same-sex couples in Northern Ireland the same rights enjoyed by people in Britain and the Republic of Ireland."
Same sex marriage was introduced in England and Wales in 2012, and in Ireland in 2015.
However, the DUP is fiercely opposed to the move, meaning it has never been introduced in Northern Ireland. | {
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Venezuela sees sharp rise in infant and maternal mortality Published duration 10 May 2017 Related Topics Venezuela crisis
image copyright Getty Images image caption Health care workers protested in February in Caracas against President Nicolas Maduro's government, the lack of medicines and low salaries
There has been a sharp rise in infant mortality and maternal death rates in Venezuela.
In the first figures released for two years, the Health Ministry said the number of women dying in childbirth was up by 65%, while child deaths were up 30%.
There has also been a jump in illnesses such as malaria and diphtheria.
The figures reflect the country's deep economic crisis which the opposition says the government has mismanaged.
President Nicolas Maduro says the health crisis is caused by medicines being hoarded to encourage a coup against him.
The country has the largest oil reserves in the world but the collapse of oil prices a few years ago led to a recession and a shortage of the foreign currency needed to import equipment, food and medicines.
Venezuelans face shortages of everything from food to vaccines.
In a recent survey, three-quarters of Venezuelans say their health has plummeted, and that they are eating less than two meals a day. Many report losing an average of around 9 kilos (19 pounds).
In the health sector, large numbers of doctors have emigrated. A leading pharmaceutical association has said around 85% of medicines are in short supply.
Speaking to the Reuters news agency, a critic of the government's health policies, Dr Julio Castro, an infectious disease specialist said:
"The striking part is the turmoil in almost all categories that this bulletin addresses, with particularly significant increased in the infant and maternal health categories."
Many Venezuelans have trekked to the border with Brazil or Colombia to buy medicine there and seek treatment in public hospitals in neighbouring countries.
In Brazil, the state of Roraima declared a state of emergency to deal with thousands of Venezuelans seeking treatment by the public health service in small border towns.
It is not clear why Venezuela's Health Ministry published its figures now. It had stopped releasing figures after July 2015. | {
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Toronto: Ian McKellen to Play Retired Sherlock Holmes in Bill Condon's 'A Slight Trick of the Mind'
The Oscar-winning writer and director collaborated with the actor on "Gods and Monsters" before later working on the last two "Twilight" films.
TORONTO – Oscar winner Bill Condon is to direct A Slight Trick of the Mind with Ian McKellen to star.
The film details the story of a long-retired Sherlock Holmes haunted by an unsolved case from 50 years ago. He remembers only fragments: a confrontation with an angry husband, a secret bond with his beautiful but unstable wife. With his legendary mental powers on the wane, and without his old sidekick Watson, Holmes is faced with the toughest case of his life.
PHOTOS: Toronto 2013: The Films
Based on a novel of the same name by Mitch Cullin, the screenplay is being adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher (The Duchess).
AI Film, the production arm of the Icon U.K. Group owned by Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries, has boarded the project and will finance and co-produce.
Set to shoot April 2014 in the U.K., the film will be produced by Anne Carey through her new venture, Archer Gray Productions.
Says Carey: "Mitch Cullin's elegiac novel is not so much about solving a mystery as it is about accepting life's mysteries. I could not be more excited about the talent who have come together to make this film a reality."
Producers of the Oscar winner The King’s Speech, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman of See-Saw Films will produce, with Icon/AI Film CEO Aviv Giladi and Blavatnik as exec producers.
Christine Langan, head of BBC Films, is an exec producer for the public broadcaster's stand-alone moviemaking unit, which is also co-financing.
Condon and McKellen previously worked together on the Academy Award-winning Gods and Monsters, which Condon wrote and directed, and which won the best screenplay nod. Giladi described Condon and McKellen as "a perfect match for this clever and intriguing project.
VIDEO: Bill Condon Chats With THR
Condon is in Toronto for the world premiere of his latest film, The Fifth Estate, about the rise and fall of Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch.
FilmNation Entertainment will handle international sales of the film.
It marks the third project on AI Film's slate. The banner is also co-financing Martin Scorsese's Andrew Garfield and Ken Watanabe starrer Silence with Emmett/Furla Films, Corsan Films and IM Global. Also in the A1 pipeline is co-financing and producing duties on a musical event film chronicling the journey of pop music legend Elton John. | {
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More than one-third of the people shot to death by RCMP officers over a 10-year period were Indigenous, according to a document from the police force obtained by The Globe and Mail. That percentage has alarmed First Nations leaders and is prompting calls for more data about police use of force in Canada.
In a December, 2017, briefing note written for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, the RCMP said its officers fatally shot 61 people across Canada between 2007 and 2017. In 22 of those cases, the memo said, the victim was Indigenous.
Twelve deaths, or 20 per cent of the overall total, took place on a reserve or in an Indigenous community. (Unlike First Nations, Inuit communities aren’t on reserve lands.) Several Indigenous people were also killed “off-reserve” – in such cities as Yellowknife, Burnaby, B.C., and Golden, B.C., the memo said.
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The memo, released under Access to Information laws, said that the high proportion – 36 per cent – reflects the RCMP’s unique role in policing hundreds of Indigenous communities across Canada.
“It may appear disproportionality [sic] high that 36 per cent of fatal member-involved shootings by the RCMP deal with Indigenous subjects,” the note read.
“However, the RCMP is unlike any other Canadian police service in that it serves over 600 Indigenous communities (approximately 67% of RCMP detachments serve aboriginal communities.)”
The 36-per-cent Indigenous-fatality figure is “totally unacceptable," said Perry Bellegarde, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, after he was provided a copy of the briefing note by The Globe.
“We’re 5 per cent of the [overall] population – of course it’s surprising. Thirty-six per cent of the fatalities from the RCMP are First Nations people? That’s totally unacceptable,” he said, vowing to raise the issue directly with RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. “We call for immediate action to end the killing of our people,” he said. “It’s a highly disproportionate rate. No question.”
The 2017 memo did not provide further context, such as a breakdown of how many Indigenous people live in these communities, how many Indigenous people policed by the RCMP live outside of them, or how many people in total the force polices. The RCMP told The Globe that it does not keep detailed data, or retain race-based statistics about use-of-force incidents.
Criminologists says that data deficit is unfortunate, because previous studies have shown that Indigenous people are seriously injured or fatally shot by police in Canada – and not just by the RCMP – at much higher rates than other groups.
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For example, past studies on police use of force in Ontario have found that “in urban areas, African-Canadians are overrepresented, and in rural areas, Indigenous populations are hugely overrepresented,” University of Toronto criminologist Scot Wortley said in an interview.
In 2017, Mr. Wortley examined a five-year data set on fatal shootings involving all Canadian police. Compiled by CBC, that data also led him to conclude that Indigenous people had a “police-related civilian-death” rate that amounted to more than three times the national average.
He said the briefing note demonstrates a need for police forces to gather and publish more use-of-force statistics.
“One of the things that struck me with the data is there seems to be a lot of what might be called ‘suicide-by-cop’ situations,” he said.
Overall, shootings by RCMP officers are infrequent and usually not fatal. The briefing note says that the Mounties responded to millions of calls each year. On average, there are 21 “member-involved” shootings annually and typically only six of them are lethal.
Of the 61 people killed by Mounties over a decade, 37 were “Caucasian,” one was “Middle Eastern,” one was “mixed race.”
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The memo also provided a brief synopsis of each of the fatal shootings.
Some were in response to national-security events, such as a terrorist gunman’s 2014 attack on Parliament Hill or the 2016 case of a would-be suicide bomber shot outside his home in Strathroy, Ont.
The vast majority followed routine calls to the RCMP about assaults, robberies or domestic violence. Many were also about suicidal people who were said to have brandished firearms or knives at the police who arrived on the scene.
None of the officers were charged for wrongdoing, the briefing note said. Most of the shootings were deemed justified though “two incidents were forwarded to the Crown for charge assessment.”
The briefing note was signed by then-acting RCMP commissioner Dan Dubeau and sent in response to a request from Mr. Goodale. It is unclear what action the Liberal government took in response to the briefing note. A spokesman for Mr. Goodale, who lost his seat in the October election, said the outgoing minister will not comment. “We are in a transitional period until a new minister is appointed,” Scott Bardsley said.
The RCMP says all Mounties are educated in “bias-free policing” and in how to de-escalate situations.
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The force is testing out less-lethal weaponry and trying to improve its cultural sensitivity. “The RCMP is also developing a new cultural awareness and humility course that will be available to all RCMP employees in the coming months,” said Corporal Caroline Duval, a spokeswoman. | {
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Alright, so let me set the scene for you. I’m on Facebook, minding my own business, wondering what the hell “twerk” and “Miley Cyrus” are, when I see that a friend of mine has linked this article called “Wave Goodbye to Global Warming, GM and pesticides.”
Now, the first rule of any news story you come across on the internet is of course, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some fourteen year old kid in Tanzania has discovered a cure for cancer in his garage? Yeah, I’ll believe it when he’s up on the podium accepting the Nobel prize. But this story actually gave me pause because it was on the Irish Independent’s website. See, the Irish Independent isn’t some fringe blog or rag like the Daily Mail that will publish literally anything because, fuck it.
The Indo is a Big Serious Paper, actually the second Biggest Seriousest Paper after the Irish Times. For an Irishman, seeing this headline would be like seeing it in the Washington Post or USA Today for an American. It’s not the NY Times, but still. This is a paper with some not inconsiderable prestige. So I think, okay, maybe the headline is a little hyperbolic but what if it’s true? What if they actually have discovered some new technology that will solve the problem of climate change, the single greatest challenge facing the human race? Hell, it’s in the Indo, it’s got to be true! So I clicked on the link…and entered a world of MADNESS.
I’m going to quote the article pretty extensively here, because I have a feeling once whatever drugs have worked their way through the systems of the Indo’s editorial board this thing’s going to get taken down right sharpish. I’ll take you through the article piece by piece and as I go I’ll leave footnotes as to what Google has been able to tell me about the various persons, institutions and “scientific”…no, wait, that needs another set of quotation marks “”scientific”” concepts mentioned. The article is written by “Tom Prendeville”(1) and is in the Business section. Not the Science section. Not the environment section. Not the “Hey hey I saved the world today” section. The business section.
“A GROUNDBREAKING new Irish technology which could be the greatest breakthrough in agriculture since the plough is set to change the face of modern farming forever.”
Holy shit! Really? Wow! I mean, I may not be a farmer, but I am WELL aware of the importance of ploughs. Without ploughs, what have we got, farming wise? Jack shit is what! Also, this technology is Irish?! We just revolutionised agriculture as we know it?! Excuse me for a moment.
Please, continue.
“The technology – radio wave energised water(2)– massively increases the output of vegetables and fruits by up to 30 per cent.”
Radio wave energised water? Tell me more! Also, nice choice of “30%”. It’s big, but not crazy big.
“Not only are the plants much bigger but they are largely disease-resistant, meaning huge savings in expensive fertilisers and harmful pesticides.”
Um…you do know pesticides don’t just protect crops from disease? That they also kill “pests”? As in, bugs and shit? And the only way they could be pest-resistant would be if the pests couldn’t eat them. Maybe the radio wave energised water renders them invulnerable like Superman?
“Extensively tested in Ireland and several other countries, the inexpensive water treatment technology is now being rolled out across the world.”
Several other countries, sure. But Ireland did all of the important work, don’t you dare hone in on our glory, Several Other Countries. Lookin’ at you Djibouti!
“The technology makes GM obsolete and also addresses the whole global warming fear that there is too much carbon dioxide in the air, by simply converting excess CO2 into edible plant mass.”
GM’s obsolete?! But they’d just gotten back on their feet after the Obama administration bailed them out and now they’re one of the top car manufacturers in America….oh wait, you mean “Genetically Modified”. And not “Genetically Modified Food”. Just “Genetically Modified”. Anything genetically modified is now obsolete.(3). Also, I love how it addresses “the whole global warming fear”. That’s such an Irish way of putting it. “You know, that whole global warming thing. You know that thing?” Also notable that it “simply” converts excess CO2 into edible plant mass. That’s not simple. That’s fucking black magic, dark and eldritch. But who cares? Not only are we solving Global Warming, we’re getting a meal out of it!
“Developed by Professor Austin Darragh (4) and Dr JJ Leahy (5) of Limerick University’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, the hardy eco-friendly technology uses nothing but the natural elements of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide in the air and the minerals in the soil.”
It’s not even a technology, man. The earth just,like,…provides.
“The compact biscuit-tin-sized technology, which is called Vi-Aqua – meaning ‘life water’ – “
Wow. That is the smallest technology I have ever heard of. I mean, digital technology is so big they have to keep it in a barn, and it’s one of the smaller technologies! Also, while I don’t doubt that “Vi-Aqua” means “life water”, is that in a real language or one you made up?
“…converts 24 volts of electricity into a radio signal, which charges up the water via an antennae. Once the device is attached to a hose, thousands of gallons of water can be charged up in less than 10 minutes at a cost of pennies.(6)”
If you have the antenna, why do you need the hose? To spray the water at the antenna? Or, is the hose used to transfer the now magically imbued water away to where it is most needed? Because then, why does it have to be a hose? Seems like a large pipe might do the job better.
“Speaking about the new technology, Professor Austin Darragh says: “Vi-Aqua makes water wetter.””
…
…
…
Again please.
“Speaking about the new technology, Professor Austin Darragh says: “Vi-Aqua makes water wetter.””
Last part.
“Vi-Aqua makes water wetter.””
I…I…I…I…have I gone mad?
“…and introduces atmospheric nitrogen into the water in the form of nitrates – so it is free fertiliser. It also produces the miracle of rejuvenating the soil by invigorating soil-based micro-organisms.”
It produces miracles. There you have it.
“We can also make water savings of at least 30 per cent. When the water is treated it becomes a better solvent, which means it can carry more nutrients to the leaves and stem and percolate better down into the soil to nourish the roots, which in turn produces a better root system. Hence the reason you need less water and why you end up with larger and hardier crops,” explains Professor Austin Darragh.”
30 per cent again. Marks for consistency. Fuck it, after the miracle of “wetter water” this paragraph feels like a beacon of rationality and cold scientific objectivity.
“Extensively tested in Warrenstown Agricultural College (7), the technology is being hailed as a modern day miracle.”
For I tell you most solemnly, the compact biscuit-tin-sized technology has given up the blind to see and the lame to walk. It has cleansed the leper and led the faithful to rejoice in the sight of Radio Wave Energised Water.
“Harold Lawler is Ireland’s foremost Agricultural Specialist (8). As Director of the National Botanical Gardens (9) and former Master of Agricultural Science at Warrenstown Agricultural College (10), he has carried out more research on Vi-Aqua growth-enhancing technology than perhaps anyone else in the world.(11): “In the bedding plants we really saw a difference in the results; they were much hardier and tougher. You could drop a tray of these plants on the ground and they would not shatter, like ordinary plants.””
Does…does Ireland’s foremost Agricultural Specialist think that plants shatter when dropped? Has he confused vegetables with fine bone china? Well, with Agricultural Specialists of this caliber, that must explain why Ireland has never had a famine.
“The iceberg lettuces were far superior with faster germination, and with carrots for example, the crops were on average 46 per cent heavier,” explains Harold Lawler.”
46%!? What are you doing?! The bullshit cannot exceed 30%! Dammit, there are rules!
“During recent successful tomato crop field trials in Italy, three of the country’s largest Agricultural Co-op’s were so impressed with the results that they have now decided to recommend the technology to the country’s farming community.”
Hey Italy! We’re watching you! Don’t go stealing our biscuit sized technology. They’re always doing that. Fucking Italy.
“Elsewhere, the Indian government have now concluded their own tests, which confirm that they are able to boost tea (plant) production by over a third while using far less water.”
Elsewhere. Maybe…in India? Also, I’m so glad they were able to boost tea(plant) production as tea(plant) is my favorite drink(beverage).
“In recognition of the groundbreaking technology, the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, London, recently took the hitherto unheard-of step of granting Professor Austin Darragh and his team the right to use their official centuries-old coat of arms on the new technology – the first time ever that Kew Gardens has afforded anyone such an honour.”
Ahem.
Excuse me.
“The Kew Gardens botanists were not just impressed with the research; they used the technology to restore to life a very rare orchid which had been lying dormant and practically dead in a greenhouse bell jar since 1942. Amazingly, the orchid is now flourishing once again.”
Flourishing and hungry for brains! THE DEAD GROW AMONGST THE LIVING!
“Intriguingly, chickens and sheep fed the energised water turned into giants. . . but that’s another story!”
Giant farm animals, huh? May have buried the lede there just a bit.
“Limerick University off- campus company ZPM Europe Ltd (12), who are based in the National Technology Park, Limerick, is now manufacturing the Vi-Aqua technology.”
Soooo…
This is a joke right?
No, I’m actually leaning more in the direction of “con”. See, the ZPM Europe Limited site leads to a Vi-Aqua site where you can actually pay for a water radio energizer. With money. That you presumably earned. Oddly enough, on the Vi-Aqua site it simply markets the biscuit sized technology as a way to improve your garden, which seems kinda small potatoes for something that’s GOING TO SAVE EVERY ONE OF US FROM GLOBAL WARMING.
Okay, I’m cracking jokes here but I am actually, no lie, really freaked out. As I said before, the Irish Independent is not the Daily Mail. It’s not World Net Daily. It is a real, serious newspaper that people trust. This article has been shared over 20,000 times. Somehow, an obvious con artist has managed to get a clearly ridiculous scam and cloak it in the reputation and respectability of Ireland’s largest selling daily newspaper. That is fucking terrifying. In the modern era, with the internet drowning us non-stop in a sea of never ending half truth, cons and sheer bullshit we need, more than ever, legitimate, trustworthy news sources. If I see “Asteroid Headed For Earth” on Mayanprophecy.net I won’t give it a second glance. If I see “Asteroid Headed for Earth” on the front page of the The Times I’m running for my wife and daughter to hug them goodbye. We need the grownups. We need to know who we can trust, and who we cannot.
The Irish Independent has incredibly, spectacularly failed that test.
Thanks for reading,
Mouse
(1) For a journalist, he seems to have a very humble web profile. I did find some articles he wrote for Hotpress magazine with titles such as “September 11. Terrorist Outrage or sinister conspiracy ?” and “The World’s Secret Rulers are Coming to Town”. And yes, ladies, I hear he’s single.
(2) Searching “Radio Wave Energised Water” gets you plenty of results. All either this article, or people talking about this article.
(3) Side note. Number of people who have been saved from famine by Genetically Modified Food: Over 200 Million. Number of people who have been saved by “Radio wave energised water”: -52. I’m assuming some people killed themselves after reading this idiocy.
(4) Real guy, apparently. Seems to have a connection to the University of Limerick. Five year old CV on their site where he does claim to be researching “The development of technologies to increase the productive recycling of CO2 to enhance the availability of edible and energy crops through amplifications of photosynthesis by Electro Magnetic stimulation of water. The effects produced are visible, tangible, and quantifiable, and water supplies are conserved in the processes.”
(5) Again, google takes you to what seems to be a University of Limerick site, listing details for a Dr JJ Leahy. But the more I look at it the more I think this is a dummy site that links to the real University of Limerick site. The main UL site seems to be a lot snazzier. And if this site is fake, who the hell is going to all this trouble?!
(6) That could be a problem. Ireland hasn’t used pennies since 2002.
(7) That was quite a coup for Warrenstown, considering it’s been closed since 2009.
(8) I don’t think he is, but I’ll bet he knows a lot about manure.
(9) The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland is a real place. Near my parents. Really nice, you should see it if you’re ever in Dublin. Free entry. Free of Harold Lawlers too. Harold Lawlor is a lecturer there though.
(10) Did teach there, apparently. “Rate My Teacher” opines that “This man takes all criticism personally and never listens to what really is being said” and “hmmm interesting fellow but has the personality of a pencil.” It’s not all bad. One past pupil says that Harold Lawler is “a true OG when it comes to planting.” Word.
(11) Undoubtedly true.
(12) This is their website. Which leads to this website for Vi Aqua. Behold the GeoCities hosted glory of our saviours. | {
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With the decline in car ownership for young people and the increased interest in all-electric vehicles, VW is announcing a new all-electric car-sharing platform called ‘WE’ that will launch next year.
The news was announced by the Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Sales, Jürgen Stackmann, at an event held in Berlin today.
Stackmann said:
“We are convinced that the car sharing market still has potential. That is why we are entering this market with a holistic single-source concept covering all mobility needs from the short journey that takes just a few minutes to the long vacation trip. Our vehicle-on-demand fleets will consist entirely of electric cars, and will therefore provide zero-emission, sustainable mobility. That is an intelligent way to relieve the strain on urban areas”,
Volkswagen says that the first electric vehicle-on-demand services for the ‘WE’ platform will launch in Germany in 2019 and it will be extended “to major cities in Europe, North America and Asia as early as 2020.”
VW’s electric vehicles are already being used in third-party car-sharing services. For example, Zipcar is builging a fleet of over 300 all-electric VW e-Golfs to be available for a car-sharing in London.
Now for its own car-sharing service, the German automaker didn’t specify which electric vehicles will be offered on the platform, but it did release the image above of the I.D. Concept electric vehicle with the ‘WE’ logo on it.
When unveiling the vehicle, VW originally announced a NEDC-rated range of “400 to 600 km” (~250 to 375 miles) depending on the battery pack configuration – though we expect it to drop significantly under the WLTP standard.
As for pricing, a Volkswagen executive said last year they were aiming for the mass-market vehicle to be “about $7,000 to $8,000 cheaper than the Model 3” when it launches in 2019-2020.
Interestingly, VW says that the ‘WE’ platform will also support “micro-mobility solutions” that could be offered with vehicles like the I.D. Cityskater and the I.D. Streetmate electric scooters that the company unveiled earlier this year:
We have previously reported on the electric scooter boom, which has mainly been accentuated by startups deploying shared-fleets in US cities.
It sounds like VW wants to get on that craze, but the focus of the platform will remain an all-electric car-sharing fleet.
Electrek’s Take
Smart move on VW’s part since it looks like car-sharing is not a temporary trend that is going away anytime soon – or at least until someone nails down fully self-driving and even then, car-sharing will likely simply adapt to the technology.
Several other automakers are getting onboard with their own car-sharing brands, like BMW with Drive Now and GM with Maven.
It’s also interesting to see electric vehicles increasingly be intertwined with car-sharing as the BMW I3 and the Chevy Bolt EV are becoming popular vehicles on those respective services.
I think it’s an interesting way to introduce people to electric vehicles and we are likely going to see a lot more of it going forward.
Tesla is also supposed to launch its own ‘Tesla Network’ service, but it sounds like the automaker is waiting for fully autonomous driving before making car-sharing available for its electric vehicles.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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House Republicans investigating Benghazi like to say the word "coverup" a lot, when invariably what they mean by "coverup" is that they believe administration officials and President Obama whitewashed events for a few days after the attack in Libya to minimize political damage to Obama's campaign.
This is a highly contestable interpretation of events, undergirded by deeply flawed logic—how is intentionally downplaying a terrorist attack, then acknowledging it, then retroactively making excuses for the original whitewash more politically advantageous than coming right out and saying it? But at least it's plausible. What it isn't, though, is a "coverup."
But they use that term because the right in America is consumed by the belief that Obama really tried to coverup the attack—perhaps hoping to lump it in with the other, less deadly uprisings on September 11, 2012—and that four Americans died as a result.
That would be a big scandal. It's just not what happened. And if Republicans had made a concerted effort to disabuse the right of its more paranoid notions, it's hard to imagine this tremendous appetite to create a special committee to investigate the propriety of administration talking points. Or its turf war with Congress.
But they didn't do that. And I think two different Benghazi news features last week help shed light on why, by helping to clarify the differences between conspiracy and reality, and which elements of the right believe what. | {
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In his first season at the Club, Patrick Wilson won the State League Club Champion award after dominating in the midfield for the SANFL Crows in the 2018 season.
The 23-year-old was rewarded with his AFL debut in Round 13 against Hawthorn at the MCG.
Wilson led the SANFL Crows in a number of key statistics, including disposals (474), clearances (111), marks (115), contested possessions (226) and inside 50s (81).
WATCH: Wilson wins State League Club Champion
Senior coach Don Pyke said that after many strong performances in the SANFL, Wilson deserved his opportunity.
“It’s a great story for Patty, coming in,” Pyke said.
“His form in the SANFL has been really good, so it is great to be able to reward a guy that has been regularly getting some good numbers and playing solid footy for us.”
The midfielder returned to the SANFL team the next week and continued to rack up big numbers in every match.
He finished as Adelaide’s leading Magarey Medal vote-getter with 11 votes, which included three best on ground .
Rookie Patrick Wilson got amongst the goals against his old team on Sunday #weflyasone pic.twitter.com/vaRXuszj0z — Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) April 10, 2018
At a glance (AFL):
Games: 1
Disposals per game: 12
Marks per game: 5
At a glance (SANFL):
Games: 17
Goals: 11
Disposals per game: 28
Marks per game: 7
Tackles per game: 5
Clearances per game: 7
Best game:
Round 14 v Port Magpies
In Adelaide’s sole SANFL win for the year, Wilson was dominant in the midfield with 32 disposals, nine marks, eight clearances, six tackles and a goal.
Other season highlights:
Round 16 v North Adelaide | {
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Elevator pitch
High risk of poverty and low employment rates are widespread among low-skilled groups, especially in the case of some household compositions (e.g. single mothers). “Making-work-pay” policies have been advocated for and implemented to address these issues. They alleviate the above-mentioned problems without providing a disincentive to work. However, do they deliver on their promises? If they do reduce poverty and enhance employment, can we further determine their effects on indicators of well-being, such as mental health and life satisfaction, or on the acquisition of human capital?
Key findings
Pros Permanent in-work benefits generally increase the transition from welfare to employment of single mothers. Offering permanent in-work benefits reduces the incidence of in-work poverty. Permanent in-work benefits have a positive effect on mental health and life satisfaction of (single) mothers. Children of beneficiaries can also benefit from permanent in-work benefits. If society values the well-being of low-paid workers, permanent in-work benefits can improve the redistribution of income. Cons In-work benefits based on total family income decrease the employment level of secondary earners. Time-limited in-work benefits have no long-term positive effects on the employment rate, earnings, and life satisfaction. By increasing overall labor supply, in-work benefits eventually reduce pre-tax wages, in the absence of downward wage rigidity. In-work benefits are often complex and interact with other schemes; they can thus be poorly understood, particularly by their target beneficiary group. | {
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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.
NORTH SACRAMENTO — A neighborhood is standing together against what many residents view as an unwelcome addition to their community.
A San Diego developer plans to bring new affordable housing to North Sacramento by adding a 128-unit apartment complex to Arden Way.
Sondra Bentancourt is one in a group of nearly 20 neighborhood association leaders and business owners who signed a letter opposing the project
“We care, we care very deeply about what happens to our community,” she told FOX40.
She said the two, four-story apartment buildings planned to replace the Lumberjack site will cause more harm than good in the area by concentrating low-income residents in North Sacramento instead of spreading them out across wealthier parts of town.
“It just appears as though we had developers that are trying to push new developments to line their own pockets rather than considering what the needs are of the area, what the character is of the area and what will actually enhance our quality of life,” Bentancourt said.
Those in opposition to the plan also raised questions about why community input wasn’t considered in the project’s proposal and why the site was exempt from routine environmental testing.
“Why are you trying to rush this? Yes, we need housing, but we don’t need to put people on possibly poisoned land that may need more mediation, more testing done,” said Billie Boothe, who is the president of the Dixieanne Community Association.
Despite the wave of resistance, Councilman Allen Warren believes the planned facility in his district could new bring opportunity to an underdeveloped part of town.
“I think there’s a shortage of housing, including affordable housing and housing for the homeless. And I think we need to be open to good projects,” Warren said.
Councilman Warren said he’s hopeful that the new development will drive new investment to the area.
“And you have to remember that retail likes to be in a place where there are rooftops or housing units,” he told FOX40.
Construction is set to begin in December 2020, with many neighbors hoping the city conducts an environmental assessment of the space before they break ground.
Community HousingWorks, the nonprofit behind the Arden Way project, reached out to FOX40 Thursday. As far as concerns about contamination, the nonprofit tells FOX40 the lot was cleared and checked but they plan to do additional remediation if necessary.
They say they have been taking part in community outreach since November through public meetings and separate conversation with leaders of nearby neighborhood associations.
The nonprofit says the new complex will have units ranging from studio to three-bedroom apartments. It will also feature a walking trail, organic community garden, pool and outdoor play place for kids.
“This project is developed with seniors and families in mind,” the nonprofit said. | {
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Kaakkois-Suomen rajavartioston rikostorjuntayksikkö epäilee järjestäytyneen rikollisryhmän yrittäneen järjestää nelihenkisen iranilaisperheen Venäjältä Suomeen. Yritys tyssäsi Venäjän viranomaisten valppauteen.
Rajavartioston mukaan yrityksen teon takana olivat Turun seudulla asuva ulkomaalaistaustainen veljeskaksikko ja kaksi muuta ulkomaalaista Suomessa asuvaa henkilöä. Heillä ei ole aiempaa rikostaustaa.
Ensin veljeskaksikko matkusti Suomesta Venäjälle Viipuriin Suomen rekisterissä olevalla henkilöautolla. Kaksikko tapasi iranilaisperheen Viipurissa, josta kaikki henkilöt matkasivat Pietariin.
Sen jälkeen toinen veljeksistä palasi junalla takaisin Suomeen ja matkusti henkilöautolla Kaakkois-Suomen kautta Kuusamoon. Samaan aikaan toinen veljeksistä ja perhe matkustivat Suomen rekisterissä olevalla henkilöautolla Pietarista Kostamuksen alueelle Pääjärven kylän läheisyyteen.
Venäjän rajaviranomaiset eivät kuitenkaan päästäneet seuruetta Venäjän rajavyöhykealueelle tielle, joka olisi johtanut Kuusamoon. Esitutkinnan perusteella he olivat tuolloin noin 45 kilometrin päässä Venäjän ja Suomen rajasta.
Suomen puolella Kuusamon alueella toinen veljeksistä ja ulkomaalaistaustainen mies olivat vastaanottamassa laittomasti Suomeen pyrkinyttä perhettä.
Tapaus sattui tammikuun alussa 2017. Rajavartiosto kertoi asiasta tänään torstaina. Esitutkinta tapauksesta aloitettiin rajavartioston omien havaintojen ja Venäjän rajaviranomaisten ilmoituksen perusteella.
– Epältyjä ei ole vangittu tai pidätetty. He asuvat Suomessa ja aikanaan oikeus päättä heidän syyllisyydestään, kertoo tutkinnanjohtaja Ville Mihl Kaakkois-Suomen rajavartioston rikostorjuntayksiköstä.
Juttua täydennetty 13.4.2017 kello 11.40 | {
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L ast November, Outlook published extracts from the Radia tapes. These were conversations that Niira Radia, head of India’s largest PR company, whose clients include the Tatas and Reliance, had with several individuals over six months in 2009. At around the same time, CDs and pen drives containing recordings of these conversations were delivered anonymously to newspapers, magazines and TV channels all over the country.
These tapes had apparently been made by the income-tax department, which had tapped Radia’s phone. Though there were said to be over 5,000 conversations, only a tiny fraction were actually leaked. But the leakers had organised them well, providing transcripts and arranging the tapes so that Radia’s conversations with relatively well-known people were bunched together and featured prominently.
Though there were at least 25 journalists on the tapes—which you would expect given that Radia’s job was to do PR for her clients—the first set of leaks prominently featured three... | {
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Mitt Romney reviews papers during a recent visit to Washington. (Photo credit: mittromney.com)
So, every time disappointing jobs numbers are released, the media chorus is that Obama will pay a steep price on Election Day 2012. You hear this even from liberal commentators. But it's no secret that the Republicans have done all they can -- since Inauguration Day 2009 -- to obstruct the President's plans to boost hiring.
Journalistically, the truthful way to present this story is to note that the Republicans have obstructed Obama's jobs plans at every turn, and that their strategy to make the U.S. economy "scream" appears to be working.
If unemployment stays high, the GOP trusts that the pain of America's jobless will cost Obama votes and give Mitt Romney the White House. The Republicans not only stand to benefit from high unemployment but they are doing all they can to achieve it.
Reporters are familiar with the evidence. Author Robert Draper reported that leading Republicans, such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, began plotting a destroy-Obama strategy just hours after the new President was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2009.
Though the United States was facing its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression -- with millions of Americans losing their jobs and millions of families facing foreclosures on their homes -- the Republicans were already focused on ensuring that Obama's presidency would fail.
The process began with a few "moderate" Republicans insisting that Obama's $787 billion stimulus package be slimmed down in size and watered down with tax cuts. Then, most Republicans called it a "failure" because, they claimed, it didn't save or create any jobs (despite the Congressional Budget Office's conclusion that the stimulus actually kept some 3 million Americans from being unemployed).
Republican obstructionism increased after the 2010 elections, when the GOP gained control of the House. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed that the top Republican priority would be to ensure the defeat of Obama in 2012.
Accordingly, the President's economic proposals were declared dead on arrival on Capitol Hill and -- when hiring began to pick up in 2011 nonetheless -- the Republican Tea Partiers precipitated a crisis over the debt ceiling, injecting more uncertainty into the struggling economy.
Some estimates on the impact of the GOP's obstruction suggest that the U.S. jobless figure could be below 6 percent now, instead of at 8.2 percent, if Obama's major jobs bill had been enacted in 2011 and if severe austerity had not been imposed at state and local levels, often by Republican officials.
But such an improving jobs picture would not be desirable for Mitt Romney's campaign or for Republican congressional prospects. The GOP would be denied its favorite talking point: that venture capitalist Romney knows more about creating jobs than President Obama does.
The national press corps knows the facts about the orchestrated Republican obstructionism, but still can't escape the narrative that Obama is to blame for the sluggish economy.
A similar pattern existed in the bogus storyline of 2000, with journalists portraying Al Gore as a lying braggart and George W. Bush as a regular guy. It didn't matter what the reality actually was. The national press corps just fell in love with the narrative. [For details on that media failure, see Neck Deep.]
Ironically, the truthful narrative for Campaign 2012 would make for a more dramatic storyline than the "blame Obama" one. The real narrative would ask: Will the Republicans' audacious "take-the-economy-hostage" scheme work? Will the American people, in effect, ransom their economy by sacrificing President Obama and surrendering to Mitt Romney?
Yes, the price for surrender would be high -- allowing major new tax breaks for the rich and accepting big cuts in domestic spending that helps the country as a whole -- but by giving in, at least the American voters could end the ugly political stalemate.
That choice would be a story worth covering. But the mainstream media can't get past the "blame Obama" conventional wisdom. It is another way that the U.S. press corps is failing the American people -- and boring them, too. | {
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Palm Springs author from Russia shares WWII experience
Nina Markos and her family were living in Estonia when Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.
Now 83, the Palm Springs resident was 9 years old when artillery blasts erupted in the distant skies on a peaceful summer day more than 74 years ago.
Just a year earlier, the Soviet Union had completed its military occupation of the formerly independent Republic of Estonia. The unwelcome annexation of the republic — now under communist rule — had been precipitated by the German-Soviet non-aggression pact signed by the two military powers on Aug. 23, 1939.
Known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the agreement was forged by Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.
The pact contained a secret protocol that provided for the partition of Poland and the rest of eastern Europe into Soviet and German spheres of influence. Estonia, along with the other Baltic states of Lithuania and Latvia, were among those placed in the Soviet sphere.
The German government broke the pact when it invaded the Soviet Union.
The family — Nina, 7-year-old sister Luisa, mother Raisa and her father Andrei, a captain in the Soviet Air Force — lived in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, where her father's military unit was stationed at the time.
"June 22, 1941, started out as a very pleasant Sunday morning," Nina said. "The day before had been wonderful. Mother took my sister Louisa and me to Kadriorg Park where we fed squirrels. So cute and charming ... all over the park, one could hear the voices of children and adults calling the squirrels, 'Mikki, mikki, mikki!' They quickly descended from the trees and sat fearlessly on the shoulders or arms of the visitors. We expected Sunday to be good, as well. Father had to return soon from night duty in his unit and we all planned to go to the beach."
Nina had just finished second grade. She received excellent final marks and received two gifts — all new school materials for the third grade and a fluffy, gray kitten that Nina and her sister named Murzik.
"I lovingly admired my new things, feasting my eyes upon the pictures in the newly-printed textbooks. More than once I repacked them in my new school portfolio — and how I enjoyed my silly, playful Murzik.
"My sister was nearby playing with her toys and with the kitten. Unexpectedly, we heard powerful peals of thunder from far away. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly, but the din continued. Soon father called from his military unit, 'Don't panic, Raisa, the war has begun. The Germans have attacked us!' he told my mother."
"'What Germans?'" she asked. "She thought he was talking about the maneuvers, which were to begin the following week.
"Father quickly replied, 'The real German troops have crossed the Soviet-Polish border. These are not maneuvers, Raisa. This is war!'"
When their mother started crying, the young girls followed suit.
"Very soon, the three of us were in floods of tears, even without knowing what the war meant for us or what was waiting for us in the near future."
"One week later, on June 29, we were forced to evacuate our home in Tallinn. There were no choices. The three of us had to leave, but father had to stay with his unit. We left all of our belongings behind, including our little Murzik. Father didn't allow us to take him, but he promised to look after him, since he had to stay in Tallinn. I decided to give him away to an Estonian family who were the caretakers of our apartment building. The children of the family, our playmates, gladly agreed to shelter our kitten. Because their family was Estonian, they did not have to evacuate.
"We received only two letters from my father while he was still in Tallinn. In both letters, he wrote that when he visited our apartment, Murzik was sleeping comfortably on the outside window sill, enjoying the still-pleasant summer sun. He probably missed us, too."
The three family members were soon shuttled onto a freight train along with thousands of military families, "Riding to nowhere, with no destination or a forwarding address — just eastward, as far as possible from the western border, away from the front line."
They traveled extremely light.
"We took two suitcases," she said.
Mother carried the suitcases and fashioned an over-the-shoulder carrying bag for each of the youngsters. Nina carried her school portfolio containing all of her books for her third grade year of school.
"Women with toddlers or small infants in their arms could only carry one suitcase each. There was no help, no appropriate services, no shelters with supporting medical staff, nothing at all to help us during our hasty, panicky escape from Tallinn. We rode on the freight train like cattle. The train had no bathrooms, no running water — none of the simple primitive amenities, whatsoever."
The Luftwaffe took aim at the train.
"When the Germans started to bomb us, they stopped the train and ... the people had the chance to leave — to run away. The majority left the train and hid in the forest."
When it appeared the skies had cleared of enemy aircraft, the travelers re-boarded and the train proceeded to a small station at Gavrilov Posad.
"We had to ask permission to enter Moscow," Nina said. "But Moscow was already closed. Our relatives in Moscow didn't have a phone so we couldn't call them. Other people who had relatives and connections — they received permission to enter Moscow."
The evacuees were put up at a school building that had been closed for the summer.
"We just put some hay on the floor, put towels (and blankets) over the hay. We walked to the river to wash up ... we were sweaty. That summer was unusually hot."
The family waited in Gavrilov Posad for seven days.
"We had to make a choice. Where to go? If we don't go to my mother's parents in Ukraine, then we have to go behind the Ural Mountains — and we didn't have the winter clothes, nothing. Just what we could carry in two suitcases."
Winter came early in that part of the world — sometimes as early as September, she said.
"Nobody thought the war would last very long — everybody thought the Russian Army would defeat the Germans very soon because they had, at the time, an agreement with the Germans — the non-aggression pact. They violated the pact.
"There was such a terrible panic because people didn't know what to do. They were not prepared. Russia wasn't prepared for war because they had the treaty with Ribbentrop.
"Estonia was invaded early on. It was very dangerous to stay in Estonia because the Estonians, they were against the Russians, traditionally. We would have been killed if we stayed in Estonia."
The small family pushed on to Nina's grandparents' home in southern Ukraine, where they would wait out the war — ironically, under German occupation.
In the past, Nina and her family spent many happy summers at her grandparents' home in the town of Dolguintsevo. This time, the visit would stretch on for years — under entirely different circumstances.
After enduring a long, cramped train ride — "We were packed like herrings in a barrel. We all slept in a sitting position, which made our limbs ache" — the family arrived at the big railroad station at Dolguintsevo in mid-July 1941.
Disembarking in the late afternoon, mother and daughters stood for a while on the platform, looking around. There were no buses or taxis in town, so they picked up their luggage and headed along a familiar street in the direction of Nina's grandparents' house — where they settled in for a much-longer-than-expected stay.
Like most people of the region, her grandparents owned a small patch of land where they cultivated a bounty of food from their vegetable gardens and orchards.
Nina helped her grandparents plant, harvest, marinate, salt, can and bottle myriad fruits and vegetables that were carefully preserved in barrels and placed neatly on cabinets in the family's cellar.
Life proceeded as normal as could be expected until the end of August 1941, when, to the shock of the unsuspecting townspeople, the Germans invaded and occupied the region.
The one saving grace was the fact the Germans allowed the townspeople to maintain their gardens, which allowed them to continue to provide for their own sustenance.
"When the Germans came ... they had no means to support the population, so they understood if they didn't give them the opportunity to make their own food, they would rebel. When they invaded, they didn't touch the civilian population unless they fought — and who would fight? The men were in the army and women and children and the old people — they couldn't do it, they couldn't fight. So they just were working in the fields.
"When the front moved forward, in the evening there were no lights — no lights on the street. There was no place to go. There were no more theaters, no parks. There were no stores — only the farmers market," where townspeople could sell or exchange produce, meat, eggs and other homegrown foods.
"Schools were closed during the German occupation. As my mother was a teacher, she organized some home schooling. Every day after the breakfast, we sat down for several hours and we were writing, reading, reciting poetry ... that's why I finished school on time when the time came."
During the occupation, the family was ordered to shelter supporting members of the German military, including a doctor who ended up saving Nina's grandfather's life by administering the infection-reducing drug streptocide after he was attacked and badly bitten by a dog.
In 1943, when German troops were defeated at Stalingrad, retreating soldiers looted the homes of the townspeople, including Nina's grandparents' home.
"In the winter of 1944, during the interval of two or three days between the retreat of the Germans and the arrival of the advancing Soviet troops, a period of anarchy and chaos flourished. The Germans had already left, but the Russian troops hadn't arrived yet, as the crucial battle had taken place 20 miles away from our town. We heard and watched the battle from a distance."
School eventually reopened and Nina, who was a sixth-grader in the spring of 1945, was the first in her family to hear the news that the war had ended. She ran straight home after a big school assembly — dedicated to "Victory Day" — on May 9, 1945.
The only contact Nina and her family had with her father were the two letters they received during the first months before the Germans invaded southern Ukraine. Once the war was over, letters and packages — the postal service was shut down during German occupation — arrived from her father on a regular basis.
"He was wounded several times and was in the hospital, and he only found us at the end when the war already finished. Because they collected no information (of) who is where, nobody knew where we were. He finally wrote a letter to my grandmother. That's how he knew that we all survived — he thought maybe we were killed."
It was more than a year after the end of the war when Nina's family was finally reunited with her father, whose military leave was delayed time and time again. In the meantime, his family waited with anticipation for the day they would move into military housing he had described in the letters— a large (for the time) 538-square-foot apartment with running water (cold, but at least they didn't have to pump it from a well), indoor bathroom and gas heating — in the town of Lvov in western Ukraine.
At long last, Nina's father arrived in Dolguintsevo on July 15, 1946, and 10 days later — after "three long and difficult years under German occupation and two years of post-occupation revival" — the family departed for their new home in Lvov.
After graduating from high school in 1949, Nina attended Lvov State University and six years later, graduated, magna cum laude from the department of foreign languages, equipped with the knowledge of English, Spanish and Latin. In 1966, Nina moved to Moscow, where she completed two years of post-graduate study in foreign languages. A linguist, she taught at Patrice Lumumba State University — in Moscow. It was during this time that Nina and husband Vladimir Markovich applied for a visa to Israel, with the intention of moving to the U.S.
"If you applied for a visa to leave, you have to leave the university, you have no right to work," she said.
Nina was fired from her job soon after they made their application. To earn some money, she taught private lessons in English and Spanish during the year-and-a-half it took for her visa to come through.
Her husband died before the couple's planned date of departure.
"He was killed in a car crash in Moscow when we already were ready to leave," she said, although she remains skeptical about the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Nina and her 25-year-old daughter arrived on American soil on Aug. 7, 1981.
The linguist eventually moved to Monterey, where she worked for 20 years at the Defense Language Institute teaching language courses to American military students.
She moved to the desert after retiring from the institute in 2003, and in 2014, published, "Nina's Story: Surviving the German Occupation," a book recounting her childhood experiences of war.
Denise Goolsby is The Desert Sun's storyteller columnist. She can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @DeniseGoolsby | {
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Reddit is more than just a community, it’s also a Clan. We talked with some of [RDDT]'s officers to find out what being part of their unique Clan is all about. And this week, you can join them in a night of chaos, fun and prizes!
How did the Clan start?
Gottfried_von_Grumpy: It started as the subreddit right when the game first came out on the NA server in early 2011 [r/WorldofTanks -Ed.]. Somebody started the subreddit and the subreddit was just supposed to be for the Clan.
From there it took off and grew -- more than just the people in the Clan were using the subreddit. And with success in Clan Wars, it grew to the point where the subreddit wasn’t going to work just for the Clan anymore.
Then the [RDDT] Clan went off and starting working with the subreddit as a place we always go back to. We get our information there, but we kind of grew beyond the subreddit.
What attracted you to joining a Clan?
StranaMechty: Well, I have currently the longest contiguous term on the inside. And I got started way back in late 2011/early 2012, when the then-Commander said "Hey you've got a lot of tanks. Why don't you join us? We can earn some Gold." And at that time, I had three of the three tier Xs that were available. And I have just sort of stuck around ever since because we're casual enough that I don't feel like there's too much tension or anything like that. I just like to shoot tanks. So I don't want to practice or get too stressed about the outcome of anything. I feel like we're laid back enough that it’s reasonable just to hang out.
Ledif: I joined in the middle of 2012. I unlocked a tier X and thought, "I want to use this." I was on the subreddit before that and there were Clans on the subreddit so I joined like that. I think like Strana says, you just want to shoot tanks. At that time, Clan Wars was a pretty big deal. It still is, but it was like the thing to do when you got tier Xs in the game. I took my brand-new T30 and did Clan Wars.
HellishYoda: I had, from the various friends I played with, pressure into joining and playing World of Tanks. Then later on down the road, they were playing Clan Wars and I had just unlocked a tier X. I can't remember which one, but I want to say it was the M48A1 Patton. It was right around the time it became a tier X for that line. So, I was sitting there and they told me, "You should play Clan Wars" and I said "fine." I joined [NARWL], which was one of the [RDDT] sub-clans, because one of my other friends had been in [RDDT]'s main Clan. From there, I guess worked my way up, but not intentionally most of the time.
Bluech: I think I got into [RDDT] when I decided to play with my first Clan for a while playing Tank Companies. Then I decided that I wanted to try Clan Wars a little more seriously than we were doing. So I applied and got rejected immediately from [NARWL] for being terrible. So I joined [TLDR] from Reddit, which at that point was our Clan Wars training Clan. I found out that they had no callers the day that I joined and ended up calling for them for about three weeks. Then, [RDDT] found out that they had no callers, so I ended up in [RDDT]. By the time I got good enough that I could go somewhere else, I found that I actually liked the people here in an odd sort of way.
Xeroproject: For me it was the same thing, the subreddit. I liked the laid-back attitude, the self-deprecating humor, all that pretty much attracted me, and I applied. I’d been Clan-less since Closed Beta and you know, when you’re Clan-less going through the game, you just get lots of invites and I was determined that I wasn’t going to join any Clan that was going to recruit in the Random battles or anything like that. I was lucky enough to get accepted before the First Campaign. Duck decided that he would join too because that’s kind of what we’ve done in every game we’ve played for the last 20 years.
Gottfried: I joined because of the subreddit and because on there they said "Hey, I think [RDDT]’s forming up for Clan Wars. This is a cool new thing. Let’s try to get some people together to do it." And so that’s when I joined [RDDT]. I was around before many of the sub-clans were even made so I kind of got in that way and stuck with it for a long time. You start balancing Clan and the subreddit because some of us here also moderate it. When you're tied to the subreddit, taking care of the subreddit also takes care of the Clan in a way as well. You kind of want to stay around with both of them.
Dwight_D_Eisenhower: For me, Xeroproject approached me with the offerings of three goats. Then he got on his knees and kissed the tops of my feet and said "Oh great Dwight, please join this Clan and inspire us with your greatness." (Laughs)
For someone who is new to your Clan, what advice do you give them?
Dwight: We make sure that they can fit in with most of the Clan. The biggest piece of advice is to keep grinding multiple tier Xs because tank locking is a thing. If you only have three to five tier Xs, you will easily lock all of them in a matter of a few days. At least I tell them that, as well as the most important thing -- to make sure you're listening in battle, giving relevant information, watching the mini-map and listening to the callers.
Bluech: On a more serious, but less battle-related note, I would say just to find some friends within the Clan or outside the Clan. Because this game is far more interesting when you have people to talk to in TeamSpeak. It really helps to stick around in a community to make the game more enjoyable.
Ledif: Personality matters. You can’t get by in this Clan without knowing and liking at least a decent portion of it. When you join, make sure that it's the right fit. Know what you get into. Or run -- that also works.
Xero: Beyond [RDDT] and more as the whole family, a big thing on the TeamSpeak, especially since the TeamSpeak address is easily accessible via the subreddit and multiple Clans pages, you get a lot of people coming in. They’re looking for their first Clan or they’re looking for a new Clan, and they’ll hang out in the recruitment channel. You’ll end up talking to players with all different skill levels. With so many different Clans on one TS, you have to find out what are they looking to get out of a Clan. Because all different clans have different focuses, they offer different things, stuff they may be more interested in than others. So you end up talking to a lot of random people with different interests in the game. Maybe they’re looking for more Strongholds, more tournaments or more Clan Wars. Taking a look at their interest, their skill level and where they want to go is important. They might end up being a better fit for [RDDT7] or they might be looking more for tournaments, which would be [PIR8]. They might end up looking for Clan Wars, but don't have tier Xs yet ([RDDTV] and [RDDT3] are doing more of a tier VIII). That’s part of it too, really getting to know people on a more Reddit level. That’s what we do too, as part of the recruitment process. It’s not just how purple are you on your stats, we do want people that know what they’re doing to a degree. It’s 50/50, like if drama follows them, they’re not really going to fit in with what we’ve got. We produce enough of our own drama without importing new drama.
[RDDT] is famous for their Community Nights. How did that get started?
Strana: We were bored on the nights when updates shut down Clan Wars. The ELCs were new and everyone just wanted to drive really fast. So we got a racetrack on Himmelsdorf and the rest is sort of history. | {
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Killastina Makihele wants to reclaim her number-one position in the women’s welterweight world rankings, after being dethroned by RIZIN FF star King Reina earlier this year.
“I was number-one ranked and I guess I gotta get that back. I’m a fighter, so send [King Reina] my way” Makihele told WMMA Rankings.
Makihele (3-2) is the number-two ranked welterweight fighter in the world. All her career victories come inside the first round, by way of knockouts and submissions. The 44-year-old, also known as “Killa”, is a former boxer who has shown to possess KO power in her hands. She owns noteable knockout victories over Heather Martin and the larger heavyweight competitor in Rachel Kemker.
Reina (5-0), the number-one ranked welterweight, made her debut last November. The 21-year-old has fast become one of the most well-known female fighters in the world, dominating her competition using her world-class Judo skills. She owns notable victories over Kristin Handel, Shayna Baszler, as well as heavyweight contenders Jazzy Gabert and Lei’D Tapa.
A fight between Makihele and Reina would be a fun battle between the two best welterweight fighters in the world. Makihele would look to use her boxing background combined with her punch power to her advantage, whilst Reina would no doubt be looking to implement her Judo.
Click HERE to view the WMMA welterweight world rankings.
Fight fans, is King Reina VS Killastina Makihele the next fight to make? Who do you think would win? Let us know in the comments section below.
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If the Internet has taught us anything, it’s that people are really into anthropomorphized cats. They’re good for a chuckle, sure, but their popularity gets at the more interesting question of why and how we share online, and what that means for the changing ways in which we engage with all kinds of information, from lolcats to hard news.
Self-described Internet culture connoisseur Ben Huh is probably best known as CEO of Cheezburger, the hub for sites like I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL blog, and Know Your Meme. He’s also a co-founder and board member of the hyped startup Circa, which bills itself as “news, re-imagined,” but has so far kept quiet about how it’s doing the re-imagining. (The site’s expected to formally launch this summer.) For now, there’s this, from its landing page: “Our vision is to create the best possible news experience by optimizing for truths, encouraging diversity, and empowering readers.”
I caught up with Huh at ROFLCon, an Internet culture conference at MIT, to ask him about his observations on journalism, and where he thinks the industry is headed.
Adrienne LaFrance: I know : I know you’ve talked in the past about what you see as issues with distribution, and the idea that people have been structuring stories the same way for a really long time and it’s time to re-examine that.
Ben Huh: We’re arriving at a time of incredible change because one of the things that humanity invented — the Internet and technology — is really taking off. What we have to do is we have to use that piece of technology and rethink the world, because it’s gotten us an amazing amount of efficiency. What it’s also done is changed people’s expectations about what content is, and how we make it work. At Cheezburger, that’s humor. At Circa, it’s journalism. If we have to re-look at how people’s behaviors are changing, there are enormous opportunities for companies like us to recreate media in a native format for the Internet. : We’re arriving at a time of incredible change because one of the things that humanity invented — the Internet and technology — is really taking off. What we have to do is we have to use that piece of technology and rethink the world, because it’s gotten us an amazing amount of efficiency. What it’s also done is changed people’s expectations about what content is, and how we make it work. At Cheezburger, that’s humor. At Circa, it’s journalism. If we have to re-look at how people’s behaviors are changing, there are enormous opportunities for companies like us to recreate media in a native format for the Internet. In every single instance that there’s been gigantic change in the media business, a native format has appeared. So with TV, it was soap operas, daily talk shows, sitcoms, one-hour and 30-minute newscasts, and those things didn’t exist before television.
LaFrance: There were soap operas on the radio. I know what you’re saying, though.
Huh: Yes, right. Thank you for that clarification. But sitcoms, for example — or let’s take a step back — the phenomenon of rock stars only emerged after television because it used to be that you would listen to artists. Rock and roll came about because young people adapted to television, and said, “Not only am I going play music well, but I’m also going to do things on stage that are visually appealing because there’s this new format called television.” Look at something like : Yes, right. Thank you for that clarification. But sitcoms, for example — or let’s take a step back — the phenomenon of rock stars only emerged after television because it used to be that you would listen to artists. Rock and roll came about because young people adapted to television, and said, “Not only am I going play music well, but I’m also going to do things on stage that are visually appealing because there’s this new format called television.” Look at something like the Nixon/Kennedy debate
LaFrance: The classic Journalism 101 example.
Huh: Yeah, exactly. So it pains me to see that journalism isn’t rethinking everything from scratch. For me, I’m looking at content from scratch. Okay, how do you actually rebuild content from the bottom up? We’re at a conference about Internet culture, viral videos, and really it’s more of a celebration and academic dissection. But at the end of the day, we’re glomming onto this brand new format. : Yeah, exactly. So it pains me to see that journalism isn’t rethinking everything from scratch. For me, I’m looking at content from scratch. Okay, how do you actually rebuild content from the bottom up? We’re at a conference about Internet culture, viral videos, and really it’s more of a celebration and academic dissection. But at the end of the day, we’re glomming onto this brand new format. I’d like to think that 10 to 20 years from now, this is not uncommon, this is not unusual, and we would remember this time as maybe a time of innocence and naïvité a little bit, because we didn’t perhaps recognize what we see today as the future. The reason memes have become a native of the Internet — you literally couldn’t have this cycle of creation and remixing and destruction and recontextualization without the Internet.
LaFrance: When we look at news that intersects or overlaps with meme-y culture, I think of something like Buzzfeed. They have the immediacy and seem to want their stuff to get spread around quite a bit in a way that is hard to imagine offline — trying to turn : When we look at news that intersects or overlaps with meme-y culture, I think of something like Buzzfeed. They have the immediacy and seem to want their stuff to get spread around quite a bit in a way that is hard to imagine offline — trying to turn a random girl standing behind Ron Paul into a thing, for example.
Huh: I think what Buzzfeed is doing what Huffington Post did with SEO. I don’t think what they’re doing is meme-like, I think they’re just creating social bait. They’re not among the memes of Internet culture other than, oh, this thing gets a lot of shares because it feels authentic and homegrown, just as search-engine optimization grew the Huffington Post. : I think what Buzzfeed is doing what Huffington Post did with SEO. I don’t think what they’re doing is meme-like, I think they’re just creating social bait. They’re not among the memes of Internet culture other than, oh, this thing gets a lot of shares because it feels authentic and homegrown, just as search-engine optimization grew the Huffington Post. With us, we’re really part of Internet culture, and that’s where we want to be. We’re trying to get more people to make more stuff that will get featured in Buzzfeed. We want to be the source of all that. And we don’t want to do it ourselves — we want to give our users a platform to do so. I think from a philosophical perspective, Canvas — Chris [Poole]’s company — and we have more in common because we’re they’re to regenerate content, recontextualize it and give people the platform to do so.
LaFrance: When you look at this kind of re-invention, what if anything do you think needs to be carried over from the old days?
Huh: That’s a very good question. There are things I would like to see carried over from the old days.
LaFrance: And when I say the old days, that can mean today.
Huh: Yeah, yeah. I’m glad because you have to see yourself 10 years out. What do we need to preserve? Well, back in the 1890s when journalism had its heyday…
LaFrance: Well…
Huh: …depending on who you ask. You know, muckrakers and the golden age of newspapers. They had a very, very different standard. I’m going to be a little bit meta and say I don’t really care what gets carried over as long as the outcome is a better society. And “better” is a very subjective term, so I’ll define that. More diverse in terms of ideas, a broader community that cares about the truth and the facts, a much more vigorous debate, and a more civil debate. : …depending on who you ask. You know, muckrakers and the golden age of newspapers. They had a very, very different standard. I’m going to be a little bit meta and say I don’t really care what gets carried over as long as the outcome is a better society. And “better” is a very subjective term, so I’ll define that. More diverse in terms of ideas, a broader community that cares about the truth and the facts, a much more vigorous debate, and a more civil debate. Those are the outcomes I’m looking for. It doesn’t necessarily mean that journalists have to do those things in order for that outcome to occur. And I would caution people from mixing those things together. So, civil society emerged even though journalists were doing crazy stuff in the 1890s, and that’s okay. We learned that there isn’t a linear progression of ideas. Like, Cheezburger didn’t come from a bunch of guys going, “How do we make cat pictures funny?”
LaFrance: “These cats look pretty good, but they could be a lot funnier.”
Huh: Yeah, so it wasn’t “It’d really be more interesting if we put captions on them. How do we create a hub site about Internet memes and culture? Then we’ll aggregate a bunch of stuff and give people tools to do more.”
LaFrance: So it has to be organic.
Huh: I don’t think it has to be organic, I think it’s going to be organic, and we don’t have much choice in that. When you connect every person on the planet with one another, things organically emerge. And for a guy who comes from the world of user-generated content, who wakes up every day and goes, “yeah, there will be content in our inbox,” and it’s how our business operates, I have a far more trusting view of how society will behave. : I don’t think it has to be organic, I think it’s going to be organic, and we don’t have much choice in that. When you connect every person on the planet with one another, things organically emerge. And for a guy who comes from the world of user-generated content, who wakes up every day and goes, “yeah, there will be content in our inbox,” and it’s how our business operates, I have a far more trusting view of how society will behave. And I think it’s my job as an entrepreneur to create systems and platforms that encourage that kind of creativity. That’s what my role is. It’s not about worrying about how do we directly influence. In this election cycle, people have approached us and said, “You really know how to make this content work for young kids. We’ve got to get these young kids. We want to do all this stuff and make sure we have memes and everything,” and it’s like maybe not. Maybe stick to what you’re good at, and be open-minded, but don’t force it because it’s not going to feel authentic.
LaFrance: I saw : I saw a tweet recently, it was something along the lines of imagining how board meetings these days involve old men sort of frantically saying “apps! apps!” to one another.
Huh: I bet you there are a lot of board meetings right now where you have people going, “how do we make these [affects French accent] mémés?”
LaFrance: One thing I’ve been thinking about, and I’m curious for your perspective on, is whether and how gamification has a place in the future of journalism.
Huh: [Laughs] There’s already a game of journalism, and it’s called “I want to be the editor.” Some people go to college and say “I want to be a reporter” or “I want to be a writer.” Then it’s “I want to be a desk editor,” then, “I want to be the editor.” So with gamification, we’ve added a lot more nuance and language to it, but the fact of the matter is it’s occurring in every day life. There are people who write to the editor and say, “I think you should print my letter” — it’s part of their game. You can either exclusively call it out, or you can implicitly make that more part of the process.
LaFrance: Do you think that gamification, however that might manifest itself, should be more part of the process?
Huh: I think that it should, but I’m afraid. I’m afraid that it’s going to be done poorly. I think that people don’t understand the real unintended consequences of applying gamification to a layer involving honesty. Any time there is an explicit incentive, people change their behavior, right? The reason Cheezburger does not pay its users for content is that if we do, it isn’t fun any more. And we’d much rather spend our money creating a platform that’s for fun than cutting people a 25-cent check every six months. That’s just not what we’re interested in doing. : I think that it should, but I’m afraid. I’m afraid that it’s going to be done poorly. I think that people don’t understand the real unintended consequences of applying gamification to a layer involving honesty. Any time there is an explicit incentive, people change their behavior, right? The reason Cheezburger does not pay its users for content is that if we do, it isn’t fun any more. And we’d much rather spend our money creating a platform that’s for fun than cutting people a 25-cent check every six months. That’s just not what we’re interested in doing. People have to acknowledge — kind of going back to my original thought — when you want to create something native to the Internet, you have to really start from the ground up. And if you want to be a gamified media organization, you have to start with that from the ground up. You can’t just add a layer of gamification and think that it’s going to make anything better. There’s unintended consequences that you might not realize for years.
LaFrance: Regarding honesty, I : Regarding honesty, I recently talked to [game designer] Jesse Schell, who has lots of ideas about gamification and the extent to which games are becoming ubiquitous in everyday life. Talking to him about journalism, he talks about the need for a system quantifying credibility on the Internet.
Huh: Credibility for who?
LaFrance: For the public, for anyone thinking, “There’s so much information, who do I believe?”
Huh: I disagree. I totally, absolutely, positively, wholeheartedly, absolutely disagree.
LaFrance: All right, let’s hear it.
Huh: I think — among entrepreneurs, too — there’s an idealistic notion that there is a truth, a singular one truth. Among journalists, there is “the truth,” slightly liberal, slightly populist, but most of the time it’s “We’re the truth.” If you ask the people who watch Fox News who is credible, they’ll tell you Bill O’Reilly is credible. Maybe I disagree. Maybe I believe that he stretches truths a lot, but the fact of the matter is, it’s human biology to seek out shared perspective. : I think — among entrepreneurs, too — there’s an idealistic notion that there is a truth, a singular one truth. Among journalists, there is “the truth,” slightly liberal, slightly populist, but most of the time it’s “We’re the truth.” If you ask the people who watch Fox News who is credible, they’ll tell you Bill O’Reilly is credible. Maybe I disagree. Maybe I believe that he stretches truths a lot, but the fact of the matter is, it’s human biology to seek out shared perspective. Creating a singular measure of credibility is a slippery slope to censorship. Like, “Oh, these people are not credible, so maybe we should all act in concert to not print their things,” or discard them. The world’s greatest ideas come from the crazies, the people on the fringe. For a while, they’re not credible, but then one day they are. So that’s a very, very dangerous idea. It smacks of centralized mind-control to me. And I’m probably extrapolating from what he’s saying really to the extreme, and I’m sure there are good ideas, but a universal credibility measure? Even if they could create such a thing, why would you? It’s very Orwellian. I don’t like that idea at all.
LaFrance: You think it goes against encouraging people to think critically for themselves?
Huh: Yeah. Imagine if they had that in Libya, and Libya had its own standard of credibility. It’s completely terrifying. One day the revolution occurred but those people who were totally not credible for decades are empowered. But when you have an Orwellian system of credibility, then you suppress movements like that.
LaFrance: Just to push back a bit, with regard to the concept of truth, there actually are facts. It’s not always as simple as “this happened today,” but how does that come into play when you think about credibility and the future of the news?
Huh: Right. Facts are very important. Facts are absolutely important. What society’s gotten really good at — we’re actually really good at the facts. What we’re really bad at is the dissemination of value-added interpretation of the facts. : Right. Facts are very important. Facts are absolutely important. What society’s gotten really good at — we’re actually really good at the facts. What we’re really bad at is the dissemination of value-added interpretation of the facts. If you look at great journalists, it’s not because they were able to convey the facts, it’s because they were able to convey part of the emotion on the things that are subjective to the right audience. Like Anderson Cooper down in New Orleans. That was his break-out moment and he was like, “this is B.S.” He kind of went off the rails a little bit, and became a guy who decided that he was a guy who was going to say what he wanted to say. I want more of that in journalism. It’s a very, very dangerous tool, because it’s a tool of emotion but I think we are lacking that. I think journalism became very sterile. This thing called objectivity is B.S. We are being subjective merely by deciding what to cover and what we decide not to cover. I don’t like the term “partisan papers,” but I’m okay with the idea of more differentiated perspectives.
LaFrance: When it takes shape, will others describe Circa as partisan one way or the other?
Huh: I have no idea yet. But this idea of being partisan and being upfront about that, even with Cheezburger, we want you to self-identify and self-express your sense of humor. But we also want to get the idea that you are multi-faceted. Some people will be partisan about a specific angle but we don’t all follow into these two clean buckets. Sometimes someone goes to commenting of one website and they’ll be a real dick about something, but they’ll go to another website and they’ll be really, really nice.
LaFrance: When you look around the Internet at organizations that are doing journalistic work, who do you see as getting it at least partly right?
Huh: I think : I think The Atlantic is doing a really interesting job. I think The Daily Beast is doing a really interesting job.
LaFrance: What, specifically, resonates with you about them?
Huh: I think The Atlantic is trying to be high integrity yet push the envelope. I think The Daily Beast is trying to push the envelope, and figure out where they stand. I’m looking for publications that are like teenagers. I think this is the part of the process where if you know who you are, then you might not make it. : I think The Atlantic is trying to be high integrity yet push the envelope. I think The Daily Beast is trying to push the envelope, and figure out where they stand. I’m looking for publications that are like teenagers. I think this is the part of the process where if you know who you are, then you might not make it. I think The New York Times is going through this process right now, asking themselves the question of, “Who are we going to be in 20 years?” I actually think they’re asking it 50 years out, and I think that’s a little too long, but they are very kind of — how do you call it? — they’re a somewhat academic group, and they seem to think about themselves from outside of themselves, which is what you want. So The Daily Beast and The Atlantic come to mind, but I actually think the best journalism comes from people who are blogging part-time. They don’t have an agenda other than finding the truth.
LaFrance: Who’s an example of someone like that? | {
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In India, electricity from solar supplied to the grid is now cheaper than that from diesel generators.
Recent figures from market analysts Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) show that the price of solar panels fell by almost 50 per cent in 2011, resulting from economies of scale.
They are now just one-quarter of what they were in 2008. That makes them a cost-effective option for many people in developing countries. | {
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In February this year there appeared in Physics World an article entitled Constant Failure by Robert P Crease of Stony Brook University, in which he showed in how many formulae of physics and mathematics 2π turns up, rather than π. This article struck a chord with me, since even after many years I remember the feeling of "cognitive dissonance" when being taught that the formula was 2πR rather than πD.
I felt it a bit much, though, suggesting that Archimedes might have been mistaken in choosing to calculate the ratio of circumference to diameter rather than to radius. In those days, the fundamental dichotomy seems to have been between the geometers who thought of circumference, diameter and their ratio, and the astronomers who used the radius in their calculation of chord tables.
Hipparchus used a radius of 3438 which is the nearest integer to the number of minutes in 1 radian, but Ptolemy preferred 3600 as this is easier to calculate within the sexagesimal system. The work of these astronomers, further developed by Hindu and Arabic mathematicians, gives us our trigonometry of today.
In particular, Aryabhata published in 499 A.D. the Aryabhatiya in which he invented the sine function (radius!) as more convenient than the chord, but nevertheless computed the most accurate value of π (diameter!) known in ancient times. However al-Kashi, who was very much an astronomer and trigonometer, set a new record in precision in his Treatise on the Circumference in July 1424, a work in which he calculated 2π to nine sexagesimal places and translated this into sixteen decimal places.
The Greek geometers did not think of their ratio as a number. To them, number, magnitude and ratio were three distinct concepts. Then who first did? As it might say at the beginning of a tale from The Thousand and One Nights, "there were three brothers from Baghdad", namely the Banu Musa in the 9th Century, who are first recorded as having described this ratio as a number.
The first person to use π to represent the ratio of the circumference to the diameter (3.14159...) was the Welshman William Jones in 1706. But the radius fought back, with the word 'radian' first appeared in print in 1873, in examination questions set by James Thomson (brother of Lord Kelvin) at Queen's College, Belfast.
He used the term as early as 1871, while in 1869 Thomas Muir, then of St. Andrew's University in Scotland, hesitated between 'rad', 'radial' and 'radian', adopting 'radian' after consultation with James Thomson. (A Welshman, an Irishman, and a Scotsman – is it a Celtic conspiracy?)
Even the difference between the two versions of Planck's constant ℎ and ℏ (aka the Dirac constant) depends on whether one is thinking physically in terms of frequency ν or mathematically in terms of angular velocity ω. Physics is not Applied Mathematics! | {
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I was drawn to yoga because of my love of movement and dance. The shapes made with the body, a practice called asana, are both beautiful and powerful. They catch the eye of passerby’s; drawing intrigue and amazement.
While practicing asanas one can feel empowered, elated and blissful.
People often comment, “Wow, I could never be that flexible.”
“I’m not good at yoga.”
Each time I hear this comment, I am fascinated by the misconception of yoga. I know there is a deeper reason for this; a reason I aim to explore everyday.
Something inside me always told me I wanted to be a yoga teacher. For years, it was on my list of dream accomplishments, a calling that quietly pulsed from within. In 2014, everything fell into place and I traveled to India to study Hatha yoga with Rishikesh Yog Peeth. I wanted to learn in the place where yoga originated thousands of years ago without really knowing why.
I was enthralled to study the body: the way muscle groups work together, to learn which asanas could aid in preventative care of the human system and how breath work can relax the mind.
However, what I truly began was a journey of self discovery.
In learning to teach yoga, I became a student of life.
I learned that yoga is more than exercise, it is a way of life; a philosophy in being human. A way to better understand our own existence. Yoga is much more than meets the eye. My teachers exclaimed bluntly in true Indian fashion on day one of our teacher training: “We cannot make you a yoga teacher. We can merely give you a piece of paper that allows you to teach asana. If you want to become a yoga teacher, that will be your decision for the rest of your life.” In India, in order to be a true yoga teacher you must dedicate your life to your practice, by either going deep into meditative practices which require you to be in solitary confinement for years or by pursuing yoga academically and earning a Doctorate degree. In India it is agreed; yoga is the study of the mind, how the ego reacts, how your intuition guides you, and how your body responds to the breath that is life. In yogic philosophy, this study takes lifetimes.
Another powerful saying I learned during my days in India, as our eager minds soaked up yoga teachings:
“We are here not to bend the body, but to bend the mind.”
So while, I might never be a guru in this lifetime, I do try to look beyond the surface of things. I try to heighten my awareness each day by observing my emotions and the interactions of others.
I try to notice self-doubt when it comes up. I try to observe my emotions when I feel like I’m not good enough. I try to take struggles and turn them into fuel for my soul. I believe that yoga is not only asanas and inspirational messages; yoga is falling, struggling, crying, and beginning to look your fear in the face and instead choose love. Yoga, in the words of my teacher, is the fearless expression of self. Therefore, yoga is self and self is love.
Yoga is Self love.
So I implore you. You are good at yoga. It’s inherent. You are inherently good at being human, therefore you are good at yoga. It’s not about being flexible. It’s not about looking good in leggings (although if you keep at it, people will marvel at your confidence). As you study yoga, you will embark on a path to Self love. There is a distinct difference in the self that controls our ego, the same voice that tells us that we are not good enough and the higher Self of which we are all a part of.
This higher Self is more difficult to understand. It’s seems at first intangible but it manifests all around us. It’s the reason we feel so connected when we look at the stars or walk through the woods. It’s the reason music speaks to us and why sometimes we feel the urge to help strangers out of random compassion. It’s the reason we feel humbled in the presence of great beauty.
I rest my case. You are good at yoga. Everyone is. | {
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Actor Terry Crews filed a lawsuit Monday against the talent agent Adam Venit, who he says allegedly groped him last year at a party, and Venit's employer William Morris Endeavor, alleging assault, sexual battery, emotional distress and negligence, among other claims.
According to the document, which has been obtained by ABC News, at the time of the incident, Crews was represented by WME. After he informed his agent about what he says happened, "WME took no action at that time against Venit ... likely because Venit is a significant moneymaker for WME."
Crews has since fired his WME agent.
"It is now time to hold Venit accountable for his sexual predatory behavior and to hold WME accountable for its conduct in condoning, ratifying, and encouraging Venit’s sexual predatory behavior," the lawsuit reads. "Indeed, a message needs to be sent to those in power who abuse those over whom they exert influence and control that abusive and sexual predatory behavior will not be tolerated."
A request for comment from Venit or WME was not immediately returned to ABC News.
This lawsuit, which demands a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages, comes less than a month after Crews filed a police report on Nov. 8, a source inside the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to ABC News at the time.
Read: Actor Terry Crews filed a police report as a crime victim, says LAPD source
Related: Terry Crews names alleged sexual assaulter: 'I will not be shamed'
A week later, Crews, 49, appeared on "Good Morning America" to name the agent he says harassed him at an industry event in West Hollywood, California. Crews said that he'd never met Venit, but even so, the agent stuck his tongue out at him and then squeezed the actor's genitals.
"I have never felt more emasculated, more objectified. I was horrified," Crews said. "It's so bizarre. I wake up every morning wondering, 'Did this really happen?'"
"People need to be held accountable," he added. "This is the deal about Hollywood. It is an abuse of power. This guy, again, he's one of the most powerful man in Hollywood, and he looked at me at the end as if, 'Who is going to believe you?'"
PHOTO: Adam Venit arrives for an event on Nov. 6, 2011, in Los Angeles. (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images FILE) More
While Venit did not respond to ABC News requests for comment at the time of the interview, William Morris Endeavor stated, "Adam Venit was suspended following the internal investigation into the matter."
Crews originally spoke out via social media in October about the alleged incident, writing, "This whole thing with Harvey Weinstein is giving me PTSD. Why? Because this kind of thing happened to ME. My wife n I were at a Hollywood function last year n a high level Hollywood executive came over 2 me and groped my privates."
Weinstein has been accused by dozens of women of sexual misconduct, but he has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex. | {
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Update: A bill is heading to a full City Council vote that could upend the filing requirement. Read our update for more information on the bill.
Reverend Terrence Griffith of the New African Baptist Church in South Philadelphia received a letter in the mail last month that took him by surprise. The letter included a list of documents that the church needed to submit to the Office of Property Assessment (OPA) by March 31 to continue to be exempt from property taxes. The letter was dated January 21, but was not received until mid-February. The church had a little more than a month to comply.
“I really didn’t even understand the purpose of the letter because it was the first time we really received a letter like that,” he said.
The First African Baptist Church is one of around 6,500 properties owned by nonprofits in Philadelphia, according to OPA. Starting this year, all of them must file the following documents by the deadline:
the owner’s articles of incorporation and bylaws
the owner’s IRS letter of determination of exemption under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3)
the owner’s most recent income and expense statements and its statement of assets and liabilities
the owner’s most recently filed federal Form 990, if any
a statement of all fundraising activities conducted by the owner
a copy of each lease between the property owner and the lessee (if the property is leased)
a copy of the recorded deed for the property
an affidavit attesting to the correctness of the submitted information
These documents must be submitted annually, in accordance with a City Council ordinance passed in 2013, or the nonprofit’s property tax-exempt status could be revoked.
“The main purpose of the requirement is to certify that all nonprofit corporations owning property in the City of Philadelphia are eligible for an exemption from [property] taxes if they are currently the beneficiary of such an exemption,” wrote Mark McDonald, press secretary for the Nutter Administration, in an email.
From our Partners
In effect, this means the requirement is designed to weed out properties that are tax-exempt but should not be, either because the owner of the property no longer has tax-exempt status or because the property is not used towards the nonprofit’s charitable mission — not allowed under the state constitution’s definition of a “purely public charity.”
Due to complications surrounding the roll out of the Actual Value Initiative, the city-wide property value reassessment, the requirement was delayed a full year. The resource-drain of implementing AVI also led to nonprofits not being notified about the requirement until the letters were sent out, according to McDonald.
For some nonprofits, confusion quickly turned to anger.
During the last week of February, the Black Clergy of Philadelphia, of which Griffith is the president, among other religions organizations, began voicing their concerns to City Council members that the filing requirement was an undue hardship, if not illegal.
“In our opinion, this requirement is rather far reaching,” Griffith said.
Two bills have emerged in response to the outcry: one that would extend the deadline into June, introduced by Councilman David Oh, and another that would get rid of it entirely, introduced by Councilman Jannie Blackwell.
Oh and Blackwell both stressed that many religious organizations don’t have the administrative capacity of larger nonprofits, and are likely to miss the filing deadline as a result. The difference is in how they are responding to this fact. Blackwell said the annual filing requirement is simply too burdensome. Oh said he think the requirement makes sense, but he wants to provide more time.
In the meantime, OPA is in talks with City Council to extend the deadline, according to McDonald and Blackwell. A 30-day extension is also available by request.
Even if the deadline is extended, the requirement has implications beyond whether it’s a logistical barrier to nonprofits. It is one of the first attempts by the city government to create its own tool for challenging the tax-exempt status of its resident nonprofits — a power usually in the hands of the state and federal government.
With religious organizations in an uproar and City Council already looking into amending, if not reversing the law, will the requirement survive its first year?
Better Records, More Money
In 2013, a series of investigative reports by Holly Otterbein for WHYY and the Daily News found that OPA had lost key documents pertaining to dozens of tax-exempt properties. Otterbein also identified a number of owners of tax-exempt properties who had lost their nonprofit status without the city’s knowledge.
That same year, then-Councilman Bill Green (now on the School Reform Commission) began looking at ways to address the issue, and in February he introduced the bill that created the requirement. He was explicit in a number of media outlets, including Generocity.org, that the goal was to update the city’s records (potentially unearthing more situations like those discovered by Otterbein) but also to get more nonprofits to pay taxes on properties not being used for their charitable mission.
In addition, he said at the time that he anticipated the filing requirement pressuring some large nonprofit institutions to offer Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT), which are essentially non-tax payments. The idea that the intent of the requirement is to target larger nonprofit institutions, such as hospitals and universities, has survived Green leaving City Council.
Griffith noted that he was given the impression from City Council members after reaching out last month that “the intent when Council passed the bill was really not to target churches, but to deal with other big nonprofits — I guess like universities — who the city believes are getting away with making profit and not paying taxes.”
Councilman Oh said he also believed the intention of the requirement, in large part, was to target larger nonprofits.
“We have many universities that don’t pay property taxes, and when they purchase a commercial piece of property — for example, a very large piece of property — it comes off the tax rolls,” Oh said. He added that the requirement would allow the city to identify when these properties are not used for a charitable purpose.
“We are a city that has a lot of universities; we are a city with a lot of churches and religious institution; we have a ton of nonprofits, and that’s all great. Except they don’t pay property taxes,” Oh said.
He added that the loss of tax revenue due to nonprofits owning large amounts of land is a real problem given that the city depends on the property tax to fund education.
For Laura Otten, director of The Nonprofit Center at LaSalle University, which researches and tracks the nonprofit sector, the intention of the requirement is also clear.
“The whole reason Philadelphia is doing this is to collect more revenue,” she said.
McDonald said that no major nonprofit institutions (such as the city’s hospitals or universities) have reached out to OPA with any kind of complaint.
Instead, the argument against the requirement is coming from religious organizations, which arguably have less to give the city in terms of revenue but much more to lose if their tax-exempt status was taken away.
Illegal? Or just inconvenient?
Otten said she has not noticed much concern over the requirement, with the exception of the recent outcry.
“Quite honestly, if you look at the list of documents that need to be provided, they’re all preexisting, and I think that most folks — I don’t know what percentage — probably are feeling pretty confident that they’re not going to have an issue.”
Project HOME, for example, which owns 17 properties around the city, has not expressed any concern over the requirement, and is prepared to submit it.
“As far as I know, it’s not something that we’re all worked up about,” said Laura Weinbaum of Project HOME.
Otten said she suspects that the reason religious organizations in particular are upset about the requirement is because they are not used to regularly submitting documents. She noted that religious entities (churches, synagogues, mosques) do not have to file any annual documents.
She added that pulling together the documents from the list shouldn’t be more difficult than applying for a grant, a common practice for nonprofits, although not necessarily for churches.
But it’s not just a matter of finding the documents for Griffith, who said his church, despite being over 200 years old, has all the required documents. He said it comes down to legal principle.
“If the [Internal Revenue Service] has granted you exemption status, and if the state exempts you, the question is, does the city have the legal authority to require churches to provide 11 documents?” He asked.
Griffith said that the Black Clergy of Philadelphia is prepared to take the issue to court, whether the deadline is extended or not.
“If you’re exempt, you’re exempt,” he said. “Nonprofits do not pay taxes. That’s the bottom line. That’s why they are nonprofits. If you want redefine what a nonprofit is, then the city needs to go to the federal government and fight that battle with the federal government.”
Otten said she is sensitive to this argument. “I understand philosophically how folks might want to protest this, because it’s yet another whittling away at this label of a tax-exempt organization.” But, she added, filing the documents themselves shouldn’t be a problem.
Next Monday, March 16, there will be a City Council hearing to discuss the issue. Griffith said the religious community will be out in full force.
Photo via Alex Vuocolo
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President Trump hasn’t been settling on a single strategy to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
Indeed, Trump has touted several different stances over the past 36 hours to fulfill the GOP campaign promise to dismantle Obamacare.
He started off this week pushing for a “repeal and replace” plan, under which an alternative approach to health care would be promptly implemented. He later switched to advocating doing nothing, allowing Obamacare to simply “fail” and give him more leverage in negotiations. He then pushed for a so-called clean repeal, which would give the Republicans two years to figure out Obamacare’s replacement. Finally, on Wednesday, he returned to repeal and replace.
Photo Illustration by Yahoo News; Photos: AP
During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to repeal and replace the bill, but since taking office he has struggled to pass the legislation through a Republican-controlled Congress. The House version of the bill passed in May by a narrow margin, but key Republican senators have since balked at various proposals.
Below is a timeline of Trump’s changing positions on health care:
Nov. 13, 2016: Repeal and replace
In his first interview after becoming president-elect, Trump told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he would repeal and replace Obamacare.
“We’re going to do it simultaneously,” he said of the strategy, saying he’d keep parts of former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. “It’ll be just fine. We’re not going to have, like, a two-day period and we’re not going to have a two-year period where there’s nothing. It will be repealed and replaced.”
2017: Repeal and replace
Trump has called for a “repeal and replace” strategy throughout much of the year.
Hopefully Republican Senators, good people all, can quickly get together and pass a new (repeal & replace) HEALTHCARE bill. Add saved $'s. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017
Story continues
So impt Rep Senators, under leadership of @SenateMajLdr McConnell get healthcare plan approved. After 7yrs of O'Care disaster, must happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2017
July 17, late evening: Repeal now, replace later
But by mid-July, Trump had changed his mind. On Monday of this week, the president endorsed an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act immediately and to work on a replacement plan later.
“Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate,” Trump tweeted. “Dems will join in!”
July 18, morning: Let Obamacare fail and create a new plan
Tuesday afternoon, Trump switched up his message once more, stating that he wanted to let Obamacare fail first.
“As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan,” Trump tweeted at 7:58 a.m. “Stay tuned!”
As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
“Let Obamacare fail,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. “I’m not going to own it.”
The president said he was disappointed in Congress for not passing the repeal and replace bill. If Congress lets Obamacare fail, Trump said, it would force Democrats to join the Republicans and work to develop a stronger solution.
July 18, mid-morning: Clean repeal again
Trump appeared to change course again on Tuesday, when Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday that he and Trump supported a clean repeal strategy.
Pence said in a speech that he and the president “fully support” McConnell’s effort to pass a clean repeal bill.
“President Trump and I fully support the majority leader’s decision to move forward with a bill that just repeals Obamacare and gives Congress time, as the president said, to work on a new health care plan that will start with a clean slate,” Pence said. The vice president, who had played a key role in ushering the legislation through the House, urged lawmakers to “replace now and replace later,” in his speech.
July 19: Back to repeal and replace again
Trump urged Republican lawmakers Wednesday to continue working toward a repeal and replace plan to dismantle Obamacare.
“We have to repeal and replace Obamacare,” Trump said at a lunch with some senators Wednesday. “We can repeal it, but the best is repeal and replace.”
“[The Republican health care bill] will get even better at lunchtime,” Trump tweeted before his lunch with GOP senators.
The president also told senators that they should stay in Washington until they can come to an agreement.
“Frankly, I don’t think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan,” Trump said. “Because we’re close. We’re very close.”
Read more from Yahoo News: | {
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A fancy dress company has been criticised by psychiatrists for selling a Halloween costume they say stigmatises mental illnesses.
Escapade's "psychotic nympho" dress has straitjacket sleeves, a lace-up collar and optional face paint for the "seductive goth" look.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists said it was one of the worst examples of such an outfit it had seen.
Escapade has not yet responded to the BBC's requests for a comment.
'Misleading the public'
A description of the costume on Escapade's website says it is a "sensual outfit" that "expresses a lot of deep desires without you having to utter a single word".
The company also sells other outfits with the word "psycho" in it, including the "cell block psycho" costume and "psycho nurse Sally".
Dr Tony Rao, a psychiatrist and member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said outfits of this kind stigmatised those with mental illnesses by suggesting people should be afraid of them.
He told the BBC: "If you're going to use words like "psychotic" and associate it with "nympho", very pejorative, dramatic and shocking terms that are designed to get sales, then I think that is misleading both the perception of mental illness and misleading the public in promoting the idea that it's something we should be afraid of."
In recent years a number of retailers have withdrawn similar items from sale after they were criticised.
In 2013, Tesco and Asda withdrew two Halloween outfits - a psycho ward costume and a mental patient outfit - following complaints.
The retailers apologised and agreed to make donations to the mental health charity Mind.
Dr Rao said there were "far fewer offensive costumes" for this year's Halloween, but he said those that are sold set back the public perception of mental illnesses "several decades".
This could contribute to people being discouraged from seeking treatment, he said.
"The royals, reality TV stars, music stars, have done an excellent job in encouraging people to keep the conversation going about reducing stigma.
"But what these costumes are doing is portraying an ignorance of those with severe mental illness, which is still in some ways seriously misunderstood by the public."
Escapade has yet to respond to requests for a comment. | {
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Photo: The Howard Stern Show
Howard took time on Monday to remember a man known simply to Stern Show fans as Evil David Letterman, a nickname he received due to his own speaking voice sounding nearly identical to the famed late-night host’s.
“Dave was not an impressionist,” Howard explained on air this morning. “He was just a random guy who happened to sound exactly like David Letterman.”
Other Stern Show staffers gathered in the studio to share their own experiences of working with Evil Dave, including Will Murray who recalled how hard it was to get Dave on the phone. “He didn’t have a cell phone number, he didn’t have an email,” Will told Howard. So, to get a hold of Dave, Will would have to contact one of Dave’s co-workers and ask them to put Dave on the line. Dave would then read the bits over the phone while at work, sometimes even asking those around him to keep quiet.
Getting Evil Dave to properly pronounce words could be challenging at times, though. Will also told Howard about how many takes he’d often have to sit through before Dave got his line right. Take a listen to Evil Dave trying his best to say celebrity names in the audio clip (below).
Though working with him took time and patience, Will told Howard he had nothing but fond memories of Evil Dave. “He was the best. I loved this guy,” Will said.
Sal Governale also spent countless hours in the studio with Evil Dave, whom he remembered as having an insatiable appetite for the Stern Show’s complimentary orange juice and potato chips which he enjoyed whenever he came up for a visit. Sometimes Dave even claimed he couldn’t work unless he got more free snacks since they gave him the energy needed to keep recording lines.
“It’s like potato chips and orange juice did for him what spinach did for Popeye,” Howard joked.
Evil Dave on the Stern Show in 2008 Photo: The Howard Stern Show
Appearing on the Stern Show for the first time in 1999, it didn’t take long for Evil Dave to become a fan favorite. Once while waiting on hold to talk to Howard, actor Alec Baldwin heard one of Evil Dave’s bits play over the air and later praised the impression during his interview, saying “he nailed it.”
As for the real David Letterman, he was always a good sport about his Stern Show counterpart. During his 2017 interview with Howard, Dave laughed about the impression and revealed he’s even had fans come up to him to say they heard him on the Stern Show when it was actually Evil Dave they heard on air.
“His David Letterman was so good, he really didn’t need another impression,” Howard said. “Evil Dave made us laugh a lot over the years and he will be missed.”
Also check out: Hear Evil Dave Letterman Prank Call a Rabbi Who Finds Him Hilarious | {
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Failure Discovered During Pre-Election Testing on Systems Used Widely Throughout U.S.; Company Failed to Perform Maintenance
Letter Sent from County to Federal Officials Last Week; Has EAC Notified Other Jurisdictions as Per Their Federal Mandate?...
John Gideon Byon 11/3/2008, 3:05pm PT
Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) received this letter [PDF] well over a week ago from Oakland County, MI, concerning ES&S precinct-based optical-scan systems that "yielded different results each time" the "same ballots were run through the same machines"...
The issue is this - four of our communities or eight percent - reported inconsistent vote totals during their logic and accuracy testing with the ES&S machines. The same ballots, run through the same machines, yielded different results each time.
...
ES&S determined that the primary issue was dust and debris build-up on the sensors inside the M-100.
...
Unfortunately, they [local clerks] are prohibited from performing any maintenance/cleaning on the machines as it voids the warranties. ES&S has not performed any preventative maintenance under the state contract, since the machines were delivered three years ago.
This problem, discovered during pre-election "Logic & Accuracy" testing of the systems, would hardly be the first time that ES&S has failed to deliver on maintenance contracts, adversely affecting voters and election results in the bargain. We saw many similar problems during the 2006 primary election cycle. These precinct-based scanners are used throughout the nation, as ES&S is the nation's largest distributor of voting systems in the U.S.
The EAC received this letter a week ago, and we're trying to learn when it was finally posted to their website. But, more importantly, as they have a mandate via the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 to serve as a "clearinghouse" for such voting system problems, has the EAC sent a warning about this issue to any other jurisdictions where the same equipment or company is used?
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Perovskite solar cells typically comprise electron- and hole-transport materials deposited on each side of a perovskite active layer. So far, only two organic hole-transport materials have led to state-of-the-art performance in these solar cells1: poly(triarylamine) (PTAA)2,3,4,5 and 2,2ʹ,7,7ʹ-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9ʹ-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD)6,7. However, these materials have several drawbacks in terms of commercialization, including high cost8, the need for hygroscopic dopants that trigger degradation of the perovskite layer9 and limitations in their deposition processes10. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is an alternative hole-transport material with excellent optoelectronic properties11,12,13, low cost8,14 and ease of fabrication15,16,17,18, but so far the efficiencies of perovskite solar cells using P3HT have reached only around 16 per cent19. Here we propose a device architecture for highly efficient perovskite solar cells that use P3HT as a hole-transport material without any dopants. A thin layer of wide-bandgap halide perovskite is formed on top of the narrow-bandgap light-absorbing layer by an in situ reaction of n-hexyl trimethyl ammonium bromide on the perovskite surface. Our device has a certified power conversion efficiency of 22.7 per cent with hysteresis of ±0.51 per cent; exhibits good stability at 85 per cent relative humidity without encapsulation; and upon encapsulation demonstrates long-term operational stability for 1,370 hours under 1-Sun illumination at room temperature, maintaining 95 per cent of the initial efficiency. We extend our platform to large-area modules (24.97 square centimetres)—which are fabricated using a scalable bar-coating method for the deposition of P3HT—and achieve a power conversion efficiency of 16.0 per cent. Realizing the potential of P3HT as a hole-transport material by using a wide-bandgap halide could be a valuable direction for perovskite solar-cell research. | {
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I like how you worked the composition and perspective into the piece. At first I thought you might've wanted to move AJ to the left a tiny bit, but upon further examination I think you did the right thing. It confirms for the viewer that she's further away and higher off the ground; instead of looking like she went romping around in the Poison Joke again. | {
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Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA April 6, 2013 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
America is mad upon her idols and her college sports are one of them.
WBC will picket the Final Four at the Georgia Dome as a reminder to this nation – “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:3). Anything you give more care to than to God is an idol and college sports is one of America’s favorite idols.
You care more about your brackets and who wins than you do about your souls. You prop the players up be gods. The only thing you brutes – players, coaches, fans, and sports media alike – worship more than your nasty sex parts/lives is your sin-riddled over-hyped sports arenas and activities. No hope for any of you. But you won’t go into the Final Four Atlanta orgy-of-gross-drunken-nasty-reveling without being warned by the faithful servants of WBC, with this core message, timely and topical at this hour: FAG MARRIAGE DOOMS NATIONS!
Put the basketball down ladies, and pick up a picket sign! Every NCAA Final Four microphone/camera should hear/see only shame and sorrow for the sins of this nation; and that platform should be used to warn your fellow man to flee the wrath to come, by mourning for your sin and stopping it. Do that NCAA limelighters, or go home.
World Changers Church International in College Park, GA April 7, 2013 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Creflo Dollar’$ multi-million-dollar mini$try-of-greed is based on the false doctrine of “pro$perity gospel.” The poi$on he hawks is that God owes you financial pro$perity, no matter what. Instead of discerning the signs of the times, and telling this rebellious nation of proud sinners that the wrath of God is on this land, he lives a high-roller lifestyle off the backs of gullible cursed people, pumping them up with feel-good lies about what a bellhop God is for them.
Not one word is mentioned on this whorehouse’s website regarding the way you are supposed to live your life. But guess what is front and center as one of their 9 beliefs? “tithes and offerings should be freely given to your local church. The local church is the place of membership where God has called you to receive His Word on a consistent basis and to grow spiritually.” Wake up people – it’s all about the money. If Creflo ever said “except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish” (Lu 13:3) you’d stop coming. For shame! Creflo should be using the millions of dollars he’s milked from his congregation to warn this nation: GOD WILL NOT HAVE FAG MARRIAGE!
Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, GA April 7, 2013 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM
The lying pastor at Beulah pines for Dollar’$ fame and fortune, and joins the parade of so-called mega pastors, who tell mega-lies, for mega-bucks, to a mega-cursed bunch of faux-Christians. Only one message fits today, and if you don’t say these words, don’t pretend to be a preacher: FAG MARRIAGE DOOMS NATIONS! For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables, 2Tim4:3-4.
If Jerry Black stood up in the pulpit and said GOD WILL NOT HAVE FAG MARRIAGE his pews would empty out. Of course he won’t say that, and he certainly won’t tell you that the filthy Christians of this nation are to blame. You won’t uphold the simple standard set forth by God regarding marriage (one man, one woman, for one lifetime) so you have no ability to properly speak to the issue. CHRISTIANS ARE TO BLAME FOR FAG MARRIAGE!
The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta, GA April 7, 2013 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
For all the filth found at Atlanta’s faux-christians, at least they’re not internationally famous for pimping pedophiles like Pope Frankenstein and his bevy of raping priests. Over one billion people on the earth call themselves catholic and by extension are guilty for every single child that has been raped by the filthy priests.
There is very little done at a catholic whore house that can be scripturally supported. When you are steeped in idolatry it’s a slippery slope to child rape. Shame on every person who walks through those doors. Do you think that God cares about the building being on the national registry of historic places, your stain glassed windows, or arches? You bow down to idols, worship Mary, pretend that a man can be a mediator between other men and God, baptize babies, etc. Raped children can’t be a shock to you. Your depravity is what has led this nation to having fag marriage. FAG MARRIAGE DOOMS NATIONS! AMERICA’S DESTRUCTION IS IMMINENT! | {
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YORKTOWN, Virginia (KTRK) -- Talk about some fake news.A pizza man in Virginia is facing charges after he accused a pregnant woman and her boyfriend of armed robbery for demanding a refund on a messed up order.Noah Klein, 19, is charged with making a false report after he told his boss and then police that Kristina Crockett robbed him at gunpoint.Crockett said she and her boyfriend told Klein they wanted their money back after their pizza arrived late and in an inedible state."It looked like it had been kicked down a football field, and chunks of pizza were missing," Crockett toldCrockett, who is eight months pregnant, left to get some food, but she said what happened next really freaked her out.The woman found five officers with guns drawn on her boyfriend and cousin when she returned home."How do you get from returning a pizza and getting your money back to five cops and everybody is being separated and talked to and I can't go into my apartment?" Crockett said. "So, it was nervous and stressful."The York Poquoson Sheriff's Office says the driver was upset he had to return the pizza, so he filed the false report."With the report of an armed robbery allegedly occurring at that residence, we're going in with at least a mindset these people may be armed and we have to take precautions to make sure the citizens around that area are safe," said Deputy Dennis Ivey, Jr.Crockett said she was terrified knowing the pizza man's claim could have had serious consequences for her family. | {
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Διατήρηση του ΕΝΦΙΑ τουλάχιστον έως το 2031 προβλέπει έκθεση αποδοτικότητας των επενδύσεων που θα ενταχθούν στον νέο αναπτυξιακό νόμο που κατατέθηκε στην Βουλή.Ειδικότερα, όπως προβλέπεται στην Έκθεση Αξιολόγησης Συνεπειών Ρυθμίσεων του νέου νόμου, τα εκτιμώμενα κρατικά έσοδα από τη λειτουργία των επενδύσεων που θα ενταχθούν στον νέο αναπτυξιακό νόμο ανέρχονται σε 1,45 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ τη περίοδο 2016-2031.Υπενθυμίζεται πως ο ΕΝΦΙΑ είχε αρχίσει ως ένα έκτακτο τέλος, το γνωστό «χαράτσι», το 2011, όμως στη συνέχεια μονιμοποιήθηκε.του φόρου πριν τις εκλογές του Ιανουαρίου του 2015, που τον έφεραν στην εξουσία, όμως ο ΕΝΦΙΑ φαίνεται τώρα ότι παγιώνεται.Αναλυτικά η έκθεση από τον ιστότοπο της Βουλής
Πηγή: skai.gr | {
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The Economist recently argued that streetcars are “a waste of money,” citing their high capital costs and inefficiencies as a means of transport. Others have argued that streetcars can be a catalyst for creating dynamic, vibrant urban environments. Both arguments hold some truth. Along with other forms of light rail – as well as metro and bus rapid transit (BRT) – streetcars can be a high-capacity transport option that improves urban mobility, quality of life, and the environment while providing an alternative to private vehicle use. In many instances, however, other forms of public transport may be more cost-effective investments. Cities should undertake comprehensive evaluations that consider the benefits and costs of each public transport system prior to their implementation.
Streetcars as a placemaking tool
Streetcars have become increasingly common in the United States, with 23 existing systems and another 12 currently under construction. Though they typically travel more slowly and cover shorter distances than other forms of public transport, streetcars can help shape the identity of urban corridors and foster transit-oriented development (TOD). The Portland Streetcar, for example, only travels about six and a half miles per hour, yet it was able to trigger $2.3 billion in private investment due to the increased value of land with streetcar accessibility. Proponents of streetcars argue that they are more appealing than comparable bus services, and are thus better able to attract new riders and tourists. Some cities may not focus on integrating streetcars with the rest of the transport system, and will instead use streetcars as a placemaking tool for specific corridors. Europe’s streetcars, typically called trams, differ from their North American counterparts. These trams typically travel longer distances and are isolated from road traffic, making trips faster than those in the United States.
Bus rapid transit spreading rapidly
Two of the most prominent alternatives to streetcars and light rail projects are bus rapid transit and metro. BRT is a bus-based mode of public transport that operates on exclusive right-of-way lanes. It is a relatively low cost, high-capacity transport option that is spreading rapidly to cities around the world. Originally developed in Latin America in the 1970s, 180 cities now have or are implementing BRT systems, a significant portion of which are in Latin America and Asia. Few high quality BRT systems exist in the United States, where only 360,000 passengers use BRT per day compared to 11,000,000 per day in Brazil. High quality BRT systems feature integrated stations, busways, and information technologies, and can reach relatively high speeds when using express services or fully separated lanes in expressways. BRT capital costs are 4 – 20 times lower than light rail systems, and 10 – 100 times lower than metro systems, with similar capacity and service level.
Successful BRT systems can lead to significant economic development and time savings for users. In Istanbul, the typical Metrobüs passenger saves 52 minutes per day, while Mexico City stands to save $141 million in regained economic productivity as a result of travel time reductions from one BRT line. Similar to streetcars, BRT has the potential to generate significant transit-oriented development. For example, Cleveland’s HealthLine BRT generated $5.8 billion in investment, though the project only cost $168.4 million to construct. Unlike electric streetcars, however, BRT systems can be major producers of harmful particulate matter when clean buses and fuels are not used.
Metro: A key transport option for large, dynamic cities
Despite requiring huge capital costs, metro systems have the highest capacities and speeds of major public transport options. Metro systems are able to carry more than 30,000 passengers per direction per hour, and can allow business districts in large cities to continue growing, where service by road would be increasingly frustrated by congestion. Metros have relatively high distances between stations, and thus require bus or intermediate public transport services for last-mile connectivity. Currently, 187 cities have a metro system, and this number is set to grow. Metro systems exist in cities throughout the world, with the highest concentration in Europe, Eastern Asia, and the eastern part of the United States. They can be an important piece of sustainable mobility in populous cities, as 16 cities have metro systems with average daily ridership above 2 million passengers.
Cities should consider the benefits and costs of each transport option based on the city’s specific context, budgets and objectives. High quality public transport can be used to reduce road congestion, provide environmental benefits, reduce travel time and costs, shape urban form, and support vulnerable and low-income populations. For each form of public transport discussed, governments should couple investments with zoning changes that increase density and promote mixed-use, transit-oriented development. By investing in the right mix of public transport options, cities can create a culture of sustainable mobility rather than one focused on car use.
Dario Hidalgo also contributed to this post. | {
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Facebook is joining SFO by banning single-use plastic water bottles at all of its new offices worldwide.
The social media giant, one of the Bay Area’s fastest-growing companies, said Wednesday it won’t have plastic water bottles in new employee cafeterias in Burlingame, Fremont, San Francisco or Sunnyvale. Instead, the company will install water-filling stations.
The company’s existing Menlo Park headquarters is also being retrofitted with filling stations, with the goal of cutting local plastic bottle usage in half. New offices in Los Angeles, Chicago and Austin will also ban plastic bottles.
Critics say plastic bottles are harmful to the environment by increasing pollution and consuming fossil fuels during manufacturing and transportation.
Facebook agrees.
“It's really about us thinking about our sustainability goals ... and being a good corporate steward,” said Juan Salazar, Facebook's director of local policy and community engagement. “This is the standard we set for the company going forward.”
The ban appears to be the largest among any private employer. Facebook has nearly 40,000 employees as of June, and Salazar said around half work in the Bay Area.
Facebook’s ban comes a month after SFO banned plastic water bottles, an unprecedented move at a major airport. Flavored water can still be sold in plastic bottles, and regular water can be sold in glass or aluminum containers.
Facebook has vastly outgrown its Menlo Park headquarters and now has a presence in four Bay Area counties.
The company’s newest office totals 1 million square feet in three buildings in Sunnyvale and is holding an opening ceremony on Wednesday. Known as Moffett Towers II, the offices will include 739 conference rooms and workrooms and two cafeterias, with plans to house 5,000 employees by 2021.
Sunnyvale banned city spending on water bottles in 2008. San Francisco passed a similar ordinance in 2014.
“This fits very well, and we're excited that Facebook is following a similar program,” said Connie Verceles, manager of Sunnyvale’s Economic Development Division.
Verceles said she wasn’t aware of other local companies banning plastic water bottles, but has seen employers shifting towards promoting reusable water bottles.
Facebook is on pace to become one of the largest employers in Sunnyvale, which has become a hotbed for tech expansion. Business registry data shows Google with 9,800 workers, Juniper Networks with 5,100 workers and Lockheed Martin with 4,610 workers, Verceles said.
A number of municipalities including Concord and West Tisbury in Massachusetts have banned single-use water bottles, along with the University of Vermont in Burlington.
Roland Li is a Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @rolandlisf | {
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コナミアミューズメントは9月12日、東京ゲームショウ2019において、ゲーミングPCや周辺機器の制作・販売事業に参入すると発表した。PCブランド名は「ARESPEAR」。アミューズメントマシンのノウハウを活かし、eスポーツ選手に最高のデバイスを提供すると意気込む。
コナミグループは同イベントで、建設中の「コナミクリエイティブセンター銀座（KCC銀座）」に、eスポーツの複合施設を開設することも発表。オープンは2020年初頭を予定している。
同施設は、eスポーツに最適な設備を整えたとうたう配信用スタジオ「esports 銀座 studio」、eスポーツの選手、実況解説者、大会運営演出スタッフなどの人材を育成する「esports 銀座 school」、eスポーツ専門の体験型ショールーム「esports 銀座 store」で構成する。esports 銀座 storeでは、ゲーミングPCや周辺機器、配信者向けの設備などを取り扱うとのこと。 | {
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The sister of a young man with mental health issues who was stunned and then fatally shot by police at his home in Brampton Monday evening says the incident inexplicably escalated “within seconds.”
“I was literally, I was standing right there. I turned this way and I turned back, and by the time I turned back the officer had the gun in his hand, and within seconds, he shot him,” Michelle Campbell told CTV News in an interview Tuesday.
She said her brother “didn't move” before being stunned to the floor.
“He didn't attack anybody. He didn't say anything. He had a weapon in his hand, a knife in his hand, but he stood there.”
D’Andre Campbell, 26, was pronounced dead Monday night.
He had been home with his mother and several siblings when police responded to their house on Sawston Circle shortly after 5:30 p.m. after receiving a call about a domestic disturbance – a call D’Andre’s family said he placed himself.
According to the province’s Special Investigations Unit, an arm’s length agency that investigates any case where police are involved in a death or serious injury, two officers stunned D’Andre with conducted energy weapons before one of the officers fired multiple shots at him.
Michelle Campbell, D’Andre’s eldest sister, said she was in the basement when she heard a commotion and came upstairs.
She said she saw her brother get stunned twice before he was shot.
"He was Tased twice. He was already on the floor," she said.
Crews on scene attempted CPR, but couldn’t save the young man.
D’Andre’s brother, Dajour Campbell, spoke with CP24 at the scene Monday night and said that police had been called to the home multiple times in the past due to his brother’s mental health issues.
“That’s why I’m saying I’m confused. They came to the house 1,000 times, multiple times. I don’t know why this time they decided to shoot him,” he said.
Michelle Campbell said the family is now looking for answers and wants to see better training for police on how to deal with mentally ill people who are in crisis.
Peel police said Tuesday that they do have a number of programs designed to teach officers how to deal with people in crisis.
“We here in Peel Region have nearly 20 partnerships, training courses, and different initiatives to support our officers on the front line and to help individuals who are in crisis get the support that they need,” Const. Akhil Mooken said.
As per protocol, the police force will not comment on a specific case while the SIU is investigating.
But Michelle Campbell said the training that currently exists may not be enough.
“They need to give right training. They had two young officers,” she said.
Campbell's aunt, who did not want to be identified, called him "a fun-loving guy."
"He's not an aggressor, but with someone with a mental illness, things do happen because they're not able to control their emotions at times," she told CTV News Toronto.
Vernol Gordon, a family friend, said D’Andre was the sort of guy who “loved to socialize.”
He added that the tragic situation is a ‘no-win’ situation for everyone.
“I feel sorry for the officer. I feel really bad for the family. There's no win-win in this one,” Gordon said.
D’Andre was the third of eight siblings.
Four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned by the SIU to probe his death. The SIU has designated one subject officer and four witness officers in the case.
- With files from CTV News Toronto’s Tracy Tong | {
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Why is Annual Maintenance Contract AMC for any business is so important? | {
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Everyone has their own little manners self-promotion, but James Patterson's seems particularly bold.
Though he may be the world's best-selling author, Patterson recently raised a few eyebrows in the literary world when the promotional material for his latest book, The Black Book, seemed to quote none other than the man himself.
Underneath a giant red headline reading, "Patterson at his best", his quote reads: "I think The Black Book is my best work in 20 years. Better than Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls."
It's certainly strange whichever way you frame it, though Patterson has always been open about the fact he employs co-authors on his books, expanding upon a narrative framework provided by Patterson, who then either personally rewrites or provides notes on their drafts.
Still, the author's praise for his own book elicited a fair amount of besument from several prominent authors, including Stephen King, who has in the past labelled Patterson's work as "terrible". | {
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The first thinkers to look for explanatory causes (ἀιτία) in natural phenomena (rather than gods controlling events) were the Greek physiologoi or cosmologists. The reasons or rules (λόγοι) behind the physical (φύσις) world became the ideal "laws" governing material phenomena. The first cosmologist was Anaximander (610-546), who coined the term physis (φύσις) and perhaps even the cosmological combination of cosmos (κόσμος), as organized nature, and logos (λόγοσ), as the law behind nature. The Greeks had a separate word for the laws (or conventions) of society, nomos (νόμος). Heraclitus (535-475) claimed that everything changes ("you can't step twice into the same river") but that there were laws or rules (the logos) behind all the change. The early cosmologists' intuition that their laws could produce an ordered cosmos out of chaos was prescient. Our current model of the universe begins with a state of minimal information and maximum disorder. Early cosmologists imagined that the universal laws were all-powerful and must therefore explain the natural causes behind all things, from the regular motions of the heavens to the mind (νοῦς) of man. The physiologoi transformed pre-philosophical arguments about gods controlling the human will into arguments about pre-existing causes controlling it. The cosmological problem became a psychological problem. Some saw a causal chain of events leading back to a first cause (later taken by many religious thinkers to be God). Other physiologoi held that although all physical events are caused, mental events might not be. This is mind/body dualism, perhaps the most important of all great dualisms. If the mind (or soul) is a substance different from matter, it could have its own laws different from the laws of nature for material bodies, and agents might originate new causal chains. The materialist philosophers Democritus and his mentor Leucippus were the first determinists. With extraordinary prescience, they claimed that all things, including humans, were made of atoms in a void, with individual atomic motions strictly controlled by causal laws. Democritus said: "By convention (nomos) color, by convention sweet, by convention bitter, but in reality atoms and a void." νόμῳ χροιή, νόμῳ γλυκύ, νόμῳ πικρόν, ἑτεῇ δ’ ἄτομα καὶ κενόν (Diels Kranz, fragment B125) Democritus wanted to wrest control of man's fate from arbitrary gods and make us more Democritus wanted to wrest control of man's fate from arbitrary gods and make us more responsible for our actions. But ironically, he and Leucippus originated two of the great dogmas of determinism , physical determinism and logical necessity , which lead directly to the traditional and modern problem of free will and determinism Leucippus stated the first dogma, an absolute necessity which left no room in the cosmos for chance. "Nothing occurs at random (maten), but everything for a reason (logos) and by necessity." οὐδὲν χρῆμα μάτηῳ γίνεται, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκ λόγου τε καὶ ὑπ’ ἀνάγκης The consequence is a world with but one possible future, completely determined by its past. Some even argued for a great cycle of events (an idea borrowed from Middle Eastern sources) repeating themselves over thousands of years. The consequence is a world with but one possible future, completely determined by its past. Some even argued for a great cycle of events (an idea borrowed from Middle Eastern sources) repeating themselves over thousands of years. The first major philosopher to argue convincingly for some indeterminism was probably Aristotle. First he described a causal chain (ἄλυσις) back to a prime mover or first cause, and he elaborated four possible causes (material, efficient, formal, and final). Aristotle's word for these causes was ἀιτία, which translates as causes in the sense of the multiple factors responsible for an event. Aristotle did not subscribe to the simplistic "every event has a (single) cause" idea that was to come later.
Then, in his Physics and Metaphysics, Aristotle also said there were "accidents" caused by " chance (τυχή)."In his Physics, he clearly reckoned chance among the causes. Aristotle might have added chance as a fifth cause - an uncaused or self-caused cause - one he thought happens when two causal chains come together by accident (συμβεβεκός). He noted that the early physicists had found no place for chance among their causes. Aristotle opposed his accidental chance to necessity: Nor is there any definite cause for an accident, but only chance (τυχόν), namely an indefinite (ἀόριστον) cause.
(Metaphysics, Book V, 1025a25) 2a It is obvious that there are principles and causes which are generable and destructible apart from the actual processes of generation and destruction; for if this is not true, everything will be of necessity: that is, if there must necessarily be some cause, other than accidental, of that which is generated and destroyed. Will this be, or not? Yes, if this happens; otherwise not.
(Metaphysics, Book VI, 1027a29) Tracing any particular sequence of events back in time will usually come to an accidental event - a "starting point" or "fresh start" (Aristotle calls it an origin or arche (ἀρχῆ) - whose major contributing cause (or causes) was itself uncaused, e.g., it involved irreducible chance (today's quantum indeterminacy). Tracing any particular sequence of events back in time will usually come to an accidental event - a "starting point" or "fresh start" (Aristotle calls it an origin or arche (ἀρχῆ) - whose major contributing cause (or causes) was itself uncaused, e.g., it involved irreducible chance (today's quantum indeterminacy). Whether a particular thing happens, says Aristotle, may depend on a series of causes that goes back to some starting-point, which does not go back to something else. This, therefore, will be the starting-point of the fortuitous, and nothing else is the cause of its generation.
(Metaphysics Book VI 1027b12-14) In general, Whether a particular thing happens, says Aristotle, may depend on a series of causes thatIn general, many such causal sequences contribute to any event, including human decisions. Each sequence has a different time of origin, some going back before we were born, some originating during our deliberations. tertium quid beyond beyond chance and necessity Beyond causal sequences that are the result of chance or necessity, Aristotle felt that some breaks in the causal chain allow us to feel our actions " But if it is manifest that a man is the author of his own actions, if we are unable to trace conduct back to any other origins than those within ourselves, then actions of which the origins are within us (ἐν ἡμῖν), themselves depend upon us (ἐφ' ἡμῖν), and are voluntary (ἐκούσια - willed).
(Nichomachean Ethics, III.v.6, 1113b21-22) Beyond causal sequences that are the result of chance or necessity, Aristotle felt that some breaks in the causal chain allow us to feel our actions " depend on us " (ἐφ' ἡμῖν). These are the causal chains that originate within us (ἐv ἡμῖν). Aristotle defends chance (τυχή) as providing a break in any causal chain, but he never says that human free choices are made by chance. Instead, he introduces a tertium quid, a "third thing" that is neither chance (τύχη) nor necessity (ᾶνάγκη). For Aristotle, our decisions are " Aristotle defends chance (τυχή) as providing a break in any causal chain, but he never says that human free choices are made by chance. Instead, he introduces a, a "third thing" that is neither chance (τύχη) nor necessity (ᾶνάγκη). For Aristotle, our decisions are " up to us " (ἐφ ἡμῖν), a phrase that comes closest to our modern free will. Aristotle knew that many of our decisions are quite predictable based on habit and character, but they are no less free nor we less responsible if our character itself and predictable habits were developed freely in the past and are changeable in the future. Aristotle knew that many of our decisions are quite predictable based on habit and character, but they are no less free nor we less responsible if our character itself and predictable habits were developed freely in the past and are changeable in the future. This is the view of some Eastern philosophies and religions. Our Karma has been determined by past actions (even from past lives), and strongly influences our current actions, but we are free to improve our Karma by good actions.
One generation after Aristotle, Epicurus argued that as atoms moved through the void, there were occasions when they would "swerve" from their otherwise determined paths, thus initiating new causal chains. Epicurus argued that these swerves would allow us to be more responsible for our actions, something impossible if every action was deterministically caused. For Epicurus, the occasional interventions of arbitrary gods would be preferable to strict determinism. Epicurus did not say the ...some things happen of necessity (ἀνάγκη), others by chance (τύχη), others through our own agency (παρ’ ἡμᾶς).
...necessity destroys responsibility and chance is inconstant; whereas our own actions are autonomous, and it is to them that praise and blame naturally attach. λέγει ἐν ἄλλοις γίνεσθαι ἃ μὲν κατ’ ἀνάγκην, ἃ δὲ ἀπὸ τύχης, ἃ δὲ παρ’ ἡμᾶς, διὰ τὸ τὴν μὲν ἀνάγκην ἀνυπεύθυνον εἶναι, τὴν δὲ τύχην ἄστατον ὁρᾶν, τὸ δὲ παρ’ ἡμᾶς ἀδέσποτον, ᾧ καὶ τὸ μεμπτὸν καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον παρακολουθεῖν πέφυκεν
(Letter to Menoeceus, §133) Epicurus did not say the swerve was directly involved in decisions . His critics, ancient and modern, have claimed mistakenly that Epicurus did assume "one swerve - one decision" and that "free " actions are uncaused. But following Aristotle, Epicurus thought human agents have the autonomous ability to transcend necessity and chance (both of which destroy responsibility), so that praise and blame are appropriate. Parenthetically, we now know that atoms do not occasionally swerve, they move unpredictably whenever they are in close contact with other atoms. Everything in the material universe is made of atoms in unstoppable perpetual motion. Deterministic paths are only the case for very large objects, where the statistical laws of atomic physics average to become nearly certain dynamical laws for billiard balls and planets. Parenthetically, we now know that atoms do not occasionally swerve, they move unpredictably whenever they are in close contact with other atoms. Everything in the material universe is made of atoms in unstoppable perpetual motion. Deterministic paths are only the case for very large objects, where the statistical laws of atomic physics average to become nearly certain dynamical laws for billiard balls and planets.
So Epicurus' intuition of a fundamental randomness in nature was correct. And he agreed with Aristotle that there is another basic kind of causes beyond necessity (άνάyκη) and chance (τυχῆ). They both said our actions are " up to us " (ἐφ' ἡμῖν or παρ’ ῆμᾶς). How exactly determinism and chance relate to autonomous agent causality is not made clear by either of them, and it remains a challenge for theories of free will We know Epicurus' work largely from the Roman We know Epicurus' work largely from the Roman Lucretius and his friend Cicero Lucretius, a strong supporter of Epicurus, saw the randomness as enabling free will, even if he could not explain exactly how, beyond the fact that random swerves would break the causal chain of determinism. Again, if all motion is always one long chain, and new motion arises out of the old in order invariable, and if the first-beginnings do not make by swerving a beginning of motion such as to break the decrees of fate, that cause may not follow cause from infinity, whence comes this freedom (libera) in living creatures all over the earth, whence I say is this will (voluntas) wrested from the fates by which we proceed whither pleasure leads each, swerving also our motions not at fixed times and fixed places, but just where our mind has taken us? For undoubtedly it is his own will in each that begins these things, and from the will movements go rippling through the limbs. Lucretius' "first beginning" (primordia motus principium) seems to be a reference to Lucretius, a strong supporter of Epicurus, saw the randomness as enabling free will, even if he could not explain exactly how, beyond the fact that random swerves would break the causal chain of determinism.Lucretius' "first beginning" (primordia motus principium) seems to be a reference to Aristotle 's starting point (ἀρχῆ)) and a kind of causa sui that would start additional new causal chains under the control of the mind ("just where our mind has taken us"). The Latin original libera in "whence comes this freedom" has often been translated as "free will," influenced perhaps by the centuries-old free will debate. But Lucretius himself clearly distinguishes the "free" (libera) from the "will" (voluntas). Cicero, a severe critic of Epicurus, unequivocally denies fate, strict causal determinism, and God's foreknowledge. If there is free will, all things do not happen according to fate; if all things do not happen according to fate, there is not a certain order of causes; and if there is not a certain order of causes, neither is there a certain order of things foreknown by God. Although he defends human freedom, Cicero ridicules the presumptive Epicurean idea of a Epicurus saw that if the atoms travelled downwards by their own weight; we should have no freedom of the will [nihil fore in nostra potestate], since the motion of the atoms would be determined by necessity. He therefore invented a device to escape from determinism: he said that the atom while travelling vertically downward by the force of gravity makes a very slight swerve to one side. This defence discredits him more than if he had had to abandon his original position. Cicero, a severe critic of Epicurus, unequivocally denies fate, strict causal determinism, and God's foreknowledge.Although he defends human freedom, Cicero ridicules the presumptive Epicurean idea of a chance swerve as the cause of our decisions . (Note that Epicurus did not involve chance in decisions that are " up to us ." For him chance simply breaks the chain of causal determinism.) Cicero's implication has created the mistaken notion that for libertarians, chance is the direct cause of action
It was the Stoic school of philosophy that solidified the idea of natural laws controlling all things, including the mind.Zeno of Citium, the original founder of Stoicism, had a very simplistic but powerful idea of the causal chain compared to Aristotle. Zeno said that It is impossible that the cause be present yet that of which it is the cause not obtain. ἀδύνατον δ’ εἴναι τὸ μὲν αἴτιον παρεῖναι, οὖ δέ ἐστιν αἴτιον μὴ ὑπάρχειν. Zeno said that every event has a cause , and that cause necessitates the event. Given exactly the same circumstances , exactly the same result will occur. The Stoic influence persists to this day, in philosophy and religion. Most of the extensive Stoic writings are lost, probably because their doctrine of fate, which identified God with Nature, was considered anathema to the Christian church. The church agreed that the laws of God were the laws of Nature, but that God and Nature were two different entities. In either case strict determinism follows by universal Reason (logos) from an omnipotent God. Stoic virtue called for men to resist futile passions like anger and envy. The fine Stoic morality that all men (including slaves and women) were equal children of God coincided with (or was adopted by) the church. Stoic logic and physics freed those fields from ancient superstitions, but strengthened the The Stoic influence persists to this day, in philosophy and religion. Most of the extensive Stoic writings are lost, probably because their doctrine of fate, which identified God with Nature, was considered anathema to the Christian church. The church agreed that the laws of God were the laws of Nature, but that God and Nature were two different entities. In either case strict determinism follows by universal Reason (logos) from an omnipotent God. Stoic virtue called for men to resist futile passions like anger and envy. The fine Stoic morality that all men (including slaves and women) were equal children of God coincided with (or was adopted by) the church. Stoic logic and physics freed those fields from ancient superstitions, but strengthened the dogmas of determinism that dominate modern science and philosophy, especially when they explicitly denied Aristotle's chance as a possible cause
The major developer of Stoicism, Chrysippus , took the edge off strict necessity. Like Democritus, Aristotle, and Epicurus before him, he wanted to strengthen the argument for moral responsibility , in particular defending it from Aristotle's and Epicurus' indeterminate chance causes. Whereas the past is unchangeable, Chrysippus argued that some future events that are possible do not occur by Whereas the past is unchangeable, Chrysippus argued that some future events that are possible do not occur by necessity from past external factors alone, but might (as Aristotle and Epicurus maintained) depend on us . We have a choice to assent or not to assent to an action. This is a controversial idea and may be inconsistent with orthodox Stoic doctrines, since it suggests the existence of alternative possibilities and the capacity to do otherwise Chrysippus said our actions are determined (in part by ourselves as causes) and fated (because of God's foreknowledge), but he also said correctly that they are not necessitated, i.e., pre-determined from the distant past. Chrysippus would be seen today as a Chrysippus said our actions are determined (in part by ourselves as causes) and fated (because of God's foreknowledge), but he also said correctly that they are not necessitated, i.e., pre-determined from the distant past. Chrysippus would be seen today as a compatibilist , as was the Stoic Epictetus . He also has a strong element of agent-causalism.
Alexander of Aphrodisias (c.150-210), the most famous commentator on Aristotle, wrote 500 years after Aristotle's death, at a time when Aristotle and Plato were rather forgotten minor philosophers in the age of Stoics, Epicureans, and Skeptics. Alexander defended a view of moral responsibility we would call libertarianism today. Greek philosophy had no precise term for " free will " as did Latin (liberum arbitrium or libera voluntas). The discussion was in terms of responsibility , what " depends on us " (in Greek ἐφ ἡμῖν). Alexander believed that Aristotle was not a strict determinist like the Stoics, and Alexander himself argued that some events do not have pre-determined causes. In particular, man is responsible for self-caused decisions, and can choose to do or not to do something, as Chrysippus argued. However, Alexander denied the Alexander believed that Aristotle was not a strict determinist like the Stoics, and Alexander himself argued that some events do not have pre-determined causes. In particular, man is responsible for self-caused decisions, and can choose to do or not to do something, as Chrysippus argued. However, Alexander denied the foreknowledge of events that was part of the Stoic identification of God and Nature.
Most of the ancient thinkers recognized the obvious difficulty with chance (or an uncaused cause ) as the source of human freedom. Even Aristotle described chance as a "cause obscure to human reason" (ἀιτιάν ἄδελον ἀνθρωπίνᾠ λογισμῶ).
Modern Classicists and Historians of Philosophy on Free Will
Carlo Giussani
The complete conception of the will according to Epicurus comprises two elements, a complex atomic movement which has the characteristic of spontaneity, that is, is withdrawn from the necessity of mechanical causation: and then the sensus, or self-consciousness in virtue of which the will, illuminated by previous movements of sensation, thought, and emotion, profits by the peculiar liberty or spontaneity of the atomic motions, to direct or not to direct these in a direction seen or selected. (Cyril Bailey translation)
In his 1896 Studi lucreziani (p.126),Giussani put forward the idea that Epicurus' atomic swerves are involved directly in every case of human free action, not just somewhere in the past that breaks the causal chain of determinism. This goes beyond Epicurus and leads to the mistaken conclusion that the swerves directly cause actions
Cyril Bailey
It is a commonplace to state that Epicurus, like his follower Lucretius, intended primarily to combat the 'myths' of the orthodox religion, to show by his demonstration of the unfailing laws of nature the falseness of the old notions of the arbitrary action of the gods and so to relieve humanity from the terrors of superstition. But it is sometimes forgotten that Epicurus viewed with almost greater horror the conception of irresistible 'destiny' or 'necessity', which is the logical outcome of the notion of natural law pressed to its conclusion. This conclusion had been accepted in its fulness by Democritus, but Epicurus conspicuously broke away from him: 'it were better to follow the myths about the gods than to become a slave to the "destiny" of the natural philosophers: for the former suggests a hope of placating the gods by worship, whereas the latter involves a necessity which knows no placation'. Diogenes of Oenoanda brings out the close connexion with moral teaching: 'if destiny be believed in, then all advice and rebuke is annihilated'. If any ethical system is to be effective it must postulate the freedom of the will. If in the sphere of human action too 'destiny' is master, if every action is the direct and inevitable outcome of all preceding conditions and man's belief in his own freedom of choice is a mere delusion, then a moral system is useless: it is futile to tell a man what he ought or ought not to do, if he is not at liberty to do it. Here at all events 'destiny' must be eliminated. It is a more fatal enemy than superstition, for it means complete paralysis: spontaneity — voluntas — must be at all costs maintained. But why, in order to secure this very remote object, should a protest against 'inexorable necessity' be made at this point in the physical system? It would have been easy, one might think, to accomplish the immediate purpose of securing the meeting of the atoms in their fall through space by some device, such as the Stoic notion that all things tend to the centre,' which should not be a breach of the fundamental law of causality, instead of this sporadic spontaneous deviation. And in what sense can this 'swerve' be said to be vital for the freedom of the will, with which Lucretius so emphatically connects it? The answer must be looked for in the very material notions of Epicurus' psychology, which may be briefly anticipated here. The mind (νοῦς) is a concentration in the breast of an aggregate of very fine atoms, the same in character as those which, distributed all over the body and intermingling with the body atoms, form the vital principle (ψυχή). This aggregation of atoms may be set in motion by images, whether coming directly from external things or stored up as an 'anticipation' (πρόληχις) in the mind itself. Suppose, for instance, that in this way there comes before my mind the image of myself walking: ultimately the atoms of the mind being themselves stirred, will set in motion the atoms of the vital principle: they in turn will stir the atoms of body, the limbs will be moved and I shall walk. But before this can happen another process must take place, the process of volitional choice. When the image is presented to the mind it does not of itself immediately and inevitably start the chain of motions which results in the physical movement; I can at will either accept or reject the idea which it suggests, I can decide either to walk or not to walk. This is a matter of universal experience and it must I not be denied or rejected. But how is this process of choice to be explained on purely material lines? It is due, said Epicurus, to the spontaneous swerving of the atoms: the act of volition is neither more nor less than the 'swerve' of the fine atoms which compose the mind. The fortuitous indeterminate movement of the individual atoms in the void 'is in the conscious complex (concilium) of the mind transformed into an act of deliberate will. The vital connexion, indeed the identity of the two processes is clearly brought out by Lucretius at the close of his exposition of the theory: 'but that the very mind feels not some necessity within in doing all things, and is not constrained like a conquered thing to bear and suffer, this is brought about by the tiny swerve of the first-beginnings in no determined direction of place and at no determined time'. It is not merely, as has been suggested, that Epicurus decided to get over two difficult problems in his system economically by adopting a single solution, but that he perceived an essential connexion between them: if freedom is to be preserved, it must be asserted at the very basis of the physical world. The 'swerve' of the atoms is, no doubt, as the critics have always pointed out, a breach of the fundamental laws of cause and effect, for it is the assertion of a force for which no cause can be given and no explanation offered. For if it be said that the atom swerves because it is its nature to do so, that is merely to put 'nature' as a deus ex machina on a level with 'necessity' as it was conceived by some of the early physicists, a force which came in to do what could not otherwise be explained. But it was no slip or oversight on Epicurus' part which a more careful consideration of his principles might have rectified. On the contrary it was a very deliberate breach in the creed of 'necessity' and is in a sense the hinge on which the whole of his system turns. He wished to secure 'freedom' as an occasional breach of 'natural law'. If criticism is to be brought against him, it must not be on the technical ground of inconsistency in this detail, but on the broader ground that in his system as a whole he was attempting the impossible. To escape from the old notion of the divine guidance of the world, the Atomists had set up a materialist philosophy directed solely by uniform laws of cause and effect. Democritus saw that this, if pursued to its logical conclusion, must lead to an unflinching determinism, which with more scientific insight perhaps, but less care for his ethical precepts, he had wholly accepted. Epicurus, unwilling in this way to risk his moral system, tried to escape from the impasse without abandoning a materialist position. Such a compromise is in reality impossible: a wholly materialist view of the world, which excludes altogether the spiritual and the supernatural, must lead to determinism, and there is no real path of escape, except in the acknowledgement of other than material conditions and causes. From the point of view of ultimate consistency, the 'swerve' is a flaw in Epicureanism, but it is not to be treated as a petty expedient to get over a temporary difficulty, or an unintelligent mistake which betrays the superficial thinker. It may not be uninteresting to notice that a parallel difficulty arises for modern thinkers and that a solution not unlike that of Epicurus' atomic swerve has sometimes been propounded.
(Bailey, The Greek Atomists and Epicurus, pp. 318-321) Of what nature then is this self-initiated movement? In the individual atom it is automatic, spontaneous, and wholly undetermined in occasion or direction. Is the movement of the mind in will merely the result of such a movement in one of its component atoms, or even the sum of many such movements? If so it too must be automatic and undetermined. When the image of action is presented to the mind, it is impossible to foretell in what way the movement will occur, or even whether it will occur at all. In other words the mind is not really self-determined, but is at the mercy of wholly undetermined movements inside itself, and freewill after all its careful preservation turns out to be nothing better than chance. This is indeed the conclusion reached by one modern critic, and it is not to be wondered at that he is unwilling to believe that Epicurus himself can have rested the claim for freewill on the atomic 'swerve'. But the solution of this difficulty lies once again to the Epicurean conception of a compound body (concilium, conciliatus). The compound is more than a mere aggregate of independent atoms: it is their union in a complex, which has a new individuality of its own in which it may acquire qualities and even powers which are not possessed by the individual component atoms. The soul or mind is a compound body of such peculiar constitution in the nature of its component atoms and their motions among themselves, that it acquires the power of sensation or consciousness. The automatic swerve of the individual atoms then is translated in the complex of the mind into a consciously spontaneous movement, in other words into a movement of volition. 'The complete conception of the will according to Epicurus, Giussani argues in an admirable summary of his position, 'comprises two elements, a complex atomic movement which has the characteristic of spontaneity, that is, is withdrawn from the necessity of mechanical causation: and then the sensus, or self-consciousness in virtue of which the will, illuminated by previous movements of sensation, thought, and emotion, profits by the peculiar liberty or spontaneity of the atomic motions, to direct or not to direct these in a direction seen or selected.' In other words the blind primitive 'swerve' of the atom has become the conscious psychic act. It may be that this account presses the Epicurean doctrine slightly beyond the point to which the master had thought it out for himself, but it is a direct deduction from undoubted Epicurean conceptions and is a satisfactory explanation of what Epicurus meant: that he should have thought that the freedom of the will was chance, and fought hard to maintain it as chance and no more, is inconceivable. And if the further question is asked how can a complex of blind spontaneous movements of atoms become the conscious act of volition of the mind, we are only thrown back once more on the ultimate difficulty, which has made itself felt all through this account of the soul. For indeed, if we look back over it, we find that here and there crudities of thought or incoherences in the connexion of ideas have been noted, yet as a whole the general theory is self-consistent and complete; but at the back of it always lies the difficulty which must beset Epicureanism or any other form of materialism: can the movement of insensible particles produce or account for consciousness? That all forms of consciousness have their physical counterpart, that sensation, thought, will are accompanied by material movements of parts of the physical organism is credible, and indeed scientific investigation seems to be revealing this parallelism more and more clearly to us. The more material thinkers of our own time are content to say that consciousness 'supervenes' as an 'epiphenomenon' on the movements of matter: Epicurus went the step farther and was prepared to say that consciousness, sensation, thought, and will are the movements of the soul-atoms. Such an idea is to most modern minds, as it was to the majority of philosophers in Epicurus' day, unthinkable: between the one set of facts and the other there is a great gulf fixed: nothing can bridge the gulf that lies between the most elementary sensation and the atomic vibrations which accompany and condition it. If we accept a purely materialistic system in any form, its conclusions will have to be mutatis mutandis something like those of Epicurus: but he has done nothing to bridge over the abyss or to make the gulf seem less wide. Consequitur sensus, inde voluntas fit, his pupil says glibly, but each time rouses in us the same feeling that this is just what can never be understood. And if it is impossible to accept his account of the nature of the soul and its workings, so the inference from it cannot be admitted. If the soul is a mere atomic complex, a 'body', then no doubt like the body it perishes and cannot have any sort of existence after death. But if that account be unsatisfactory, then the problem of survival remains open: the soul may or may not survive bodily death, but the question cannot be decided on the basis of a purely material analysis. It is impossible in dealing with a material system to refrain from pointing out its fundamental weakness, but in an attempt to estimate Epicurus as a thinker, it is less profitable to quarrel with his base-principles than to think of the superstructure he has built upon them. And once again in examining the account of the soul, for all its weaknesses, we are conscious of the workings of a great mind, capable of grasping alike broad ideas and minute details of elaboration. We are certainly not left with the picture of a moral teacher, who merely patched together any kind of physics and metaphysics to back up his ethical preaching.
(Bailey, The Greek Atomists and Epicurus, pp. 435-37)
In 1928 Bailey agreed with Giussani that the atoms of the mind-soul provide a break in the continuity of atomic motions, otherwise actions would be necessitated. Bailey imagined complexes of mind-atoms that work together to form a consciousness that is not determined, but also not susceptible to the pure randomness of individual atomic swerves, something that could constitute Epicurus' idea of actions being "up to us" (πὰρ' ἡμάς).
David Furley
If we now put together the introduction to Lucretius' passage on voluntas and Aristotle's theory of the voluntary, we can see how the swerve of atoms was supposed to do its work. Aristotle's criterion of the voluntary was a negative one: the source of the voluntary action is in the agent himself, in the sense that it cannot be traced back beyond or outside the agent himself. Lucretius says that voluntas must be saved from a succession of causes which can be traced back to infinity. All he needs to satisfy the Aristotelian criterion is a break in the succession of causes, so that the source of an action cannot be traced back to something occurring before the birth of the agent. A single swerve of a single atom in the individual's psyche would be enough for this purpose, if all actions are to be referred to the whole of the psyche. But there is no evidence about the number of swerves. One would be enough, and there must not be so many that the psyche exhibits no order at all; between these limits any number would satisfy the requirements of the theory. The swerve, then, plays a purely negative part in Epicurean psychology. It saves voluntas from necessity, as Lucretius says it does, but it does not feature in every act of voluntas. There is no need to scrutinize the psychology of a voluntary action to find an uncaused or spontaneous element in it. The peculiar vulnerability of Epicurean freedom — that it seemed to fit random actions, rather than deliberate and purposive ones — is a myth, if this explanation is correct. We can now understand why the swerve gets no mention in Lucretius' account of voluntary action. It gets no mention because it plays no direct part in it. The theory of the swerve asserts merely that our actions are not caused conjointly by the environment and our parentage. There was no need for Lucretius to mention this in his account of the psychology of action, any more than there was for Aristotle to insist on his negative criterion of the voluntary in De Motu Animalium. It may be objected that a swerve in the psyche must have been supposed to produce some observable effect. But not even this is true. We have already glanced at Lucretius' doctrine that the mind has before it innumerable simulacra which never reach the level of consciousness, because the time interval during which they are present is imperceptibly small. But if the impact of those complicated atomic configurations which constitute simulacra could have no observable effect, it is a safe inference that the minute swerve of a single atom would be undetectable. So we can, after all, make use of the Epicurean concept of the concilium in our explanation. I argued previously against Bailey's use of it in saying that "what in the individual atom is a matter of chance, in the conscious complex of the animus is 'conscious chance.'" It is impossible to see how the random motion of an individual atom can by itself account for the end-directed motions of the complex of which it is a part. It is perfectly reasonable, however, that the random motion of a single atom should be concealed by the fact that it is just one element in a complex. The Epicurean psychology of action, if I am right, was in outline as follows. Each person is born with a psyche of a particular character, determined by the proportions of atoms of the four different kinds which constitute a psyche. From the beginning of life, reactions occur between the psyche and the external world, through the medium of atomic eidola which flow from all objects and may reach the psyche through the sense organs and the mind. From the beginning, the child experiences feelings of pleasure and pain; in atomic terms, pain is a disturbance of the motions of the psyche atoms caused by a lack of something, and pleasure is either the restoration of the undisturbed motions which constitute tranquillity, or else the state of tranquillity itself. The child learns to associate external objects with one or other of these feelings. A feeling of something lacking constitutes a motive to make good the lack, and so creates an impulse towards an object in the external world which the child has learned will supply the deficiency. A person's feelings, and therefore his motives and his behavior, are to some extent determined by his genetic inheritance of a psyche of such and such a constitution. But the motions of the psyche (and it is in its motions that all its character and action consists) are not determined ab initio, because a discontinuity is brought about by the atomic swerve. The swerve of an atom or atoms in the psyche means that the inherited motions are disturbed, and this allows new patterns of motion to be established which cannot be explained by the initial constitution of the psyche. There is both continuity and discontinuity. The character of the person is to some extent still determined by the initial constitution of his psyche, because the proportions of atoms of different types in it remain the same. But to a much greater extent his character is adaptable, because the motions of the atoms are not determined and can be changed by learning. A person learns by experience. He learns what desires must be satisfied, and what objects satisfy them, simply by constant repetition of the experience of desire and satisfaction. He can learn by individual trial and error, or by precept and example from others. If he is indoctrinated in the Epicurean philosophy, he learns to distinguish desires which arise from nature and must be satisfied from those which arise from nature but need not be satisfied and from those which do not arise from nature and are best eliminated. He learns that the limit of pleasure is the absence of pain, and so ceases to feel pain through desire for some extra pleasure. His feelings become disciplined, so that an improper object—one that brings more pain than pleasure in the long run—no longer arouses desire in him. He learns not so much to reject some of the things he desires as to cease to desire the things he ought to reject. The wise Epicurean is not to be pictured as asserting himself by repeated "acts of volition" against the temptations of the world, but as having learned not to be tempted. His "freedom" does not consist in being presented with possible alternatives, and in choosing one when he might have chosen the other. It consists rather in the fact that his psyche is the product of his own actions and is not unalterably shaped by some "destiny" from the time before his birth. The weakness of this theory of "freedom," both in its Epicurean and in its Aristotelian form, is to be found chiefly in its refusal to consider the processes of character formation. When Aristotle says that children should be brought up from the beginning to feel pleasure and pain in the right objects, he obviously does not consider such education to be equivalent to compulsion. He stresses that educators and lawgivers use punishments and other incentives to make people behave in the right way, and at the same time insists that the acts which create virtuous dispositions are not to be referred to causes outside ourselves." It is curious that he does not see this as a problem, since it was clearly raised by Gorgias in his Praise of Helen, almost a century before, when he offered as one of his excuses for Helen's behavior the possibility that she was persuaded by argument. It might well have arisen, too, from a consideration of Democritus' ethical opinions. Part of the explanation is probably that persuasion was commonly seen as an antithesis to compulsion? But Aristotle should have seen the need to reestablish this antithesis, since he had to some extent broken it down himself in talking of a class of actions which were a mixture of the voluntary and the involuntary. If Aristotle had seriously examined the reasons why he took the results of education to be "in our own power," he would have been compelled to specify more exactly what he meant by saying "the source is in us." He might then have been led to say that the criterion of morality (that is to say, the criterion that determines whether an action is liable to moral appraisal or not) is to be found precisely in our ability to be influenced by persuasion as opposed to force. If he had stressed this, then I think Epicurus might after all have thought the swerve unnecessary (unnecessary, that is to say, in his psychology; it was still needed in his cosmology). For in his theory, the effects of persuasion would be similarly explained whether the swerve were there or not. Persuasion is by words, and words, in the crude atomism of the time, do their work by collisions, through the medium of the sense organs. The swerve is not needed for them to have this effect. I leave it to others to decide whether the Epicurean theory, without the swerve, would have been "determinist" as opposed to "libertarian," because I do not yet see how to define this particular antithesis. But if it would be determinist, I think it would be a sort of determinism that is compatible with morality.
(Furley, Two Studies in the Greek Atomists, pp.232-236)
In 1967 Furley examined the ideas of Giussani and Bailey and de-emphasized the importance of the swerve in both Epicurus and Lucretius so as to defend Epicurus from the "extreme" libertarian view that our actions are caused directly by random swerves . (Bailey had also denied this "traditional interpretation.") Furley argues for a strong connection between the ideas of Aristotle and Epicurus on autonomous actions that are " up to us ."
In the same year 1967, Huby suggested that Epicurus was the original discoverer of the "freewill problem." Huby noted that there had been two main free will problems, corresponding to different determinisms , namely theological determinism (predestination and foreknowledge) and the physical causal determinism of Democritus.
It is unfortunate that our knowledge of the early history of the Stoics is so fragmentary, and that we have no agreed account of the relations between them and Epicurus. On the evidence we have, however, it seems to me more probable that Epicurus was the originator of the freewill controversy, and that it was only taken up with enthusiasm among the Stoics by Chrysippus, the third head of the school. The outlines of Epicurus' approach are familiar enough. He took over the atomic theory of Democritus almost unchanged, but introduced one significant new point, the swerve of the atoms, a slight change of direction that could occur without any cause. According to tradition this was to solve two problems for him: the change of direction would enable atoms otherwise falling all in the same direction and at the same speed to collide and so enter into larger combinations, and the fact that it occurred without cause would break the otherwise continuous chain of causation and so allow room for freedom of action by men, whose minds were composed of atoms and therefore subject to the same laws as everything else. In spite of the poverty of our evidence, it is quite clear that one main reason Epicurus had for introducing the swerve, or rather the swerve as a random, uncaused event, was as a solution to the problem of freewill. Unlike Aristotle, he fully appreciated that there was a problem. He believed in free will, because it seemed to him manifestly clear that men could originate action, but he could not, like Aristotle, regard this as the end of the matter. We may not think much of the solution he offers, but he deserves full credit for appreciating the problem. There are now two main points to be cleared up: (1) was Epicurus the first to appreciate the problem, or was he anticipated by the Stoics or someone else? (2) If he was the first, how did he come to do so, and what exactly was the nature of the problem as he saw it? ...we have to explain why Aristotle was so resistant to determinism, and Epicurus so impressed by it. The answer must surely lie, in part at least, in their differing attitudes to Democritus. Aristotle was indeed steeped in Democritus, and had a considerable admiration for him, but at the same time found his system quite unacceptable. We can see why this was so. Aristotle's thought was dominated by a teleological view of causality, in which the paradigm of what guides change is the tendency of an organism to develop into a certain kind of thing. This made the idea of a causal chain in which the future is entirely determined by the past strange and irrelevant. ...in Book K (1064b 35) Aristotle takes his stand on the point that we know very well that some things happen kata symbebekos, which is in opposition to ex anankes, and that, in this context, means causally determined in our sense. What happens kata symbebekos is, then, undetermined. Aristotle then had two reasons for rejecting determinism, (i) that some things obviously happened kata symbebekos, and (ii) that men had free will [Aristotle only says some actions are "up to us."] At the same time it is putting it too strongly to say that he rejected determinism: rather it seems that it was for him a non-starter. This is clearly in sharp contrast to the views of Epicurus and the Stoics, both of whom made valiant if unsuccessful attempts to reconcile freedom and determinism. ...the fact remains, on the evidence of Cicero and Lucretius, that Epicurus still ultimately traced the freedom of the will to the swerve of the atoms. How exactly he did this remains a mystery. The philosophical, as distinct from the historical, conclusion of my argument is twofold, first that it was possible for men like Plato and Aristotle to hold many educational and psychological beliefs in common with us without being aware of any freewill problem because they had no notion of thorough-going psychological determinism, and, second, that once the problem had been formulated it was appreciated by philosophers of many different schools throughout later antiquity as if it were indeed a natural problem.
(Pamela Huby, "The First Discovery of the Freewill Problem", Philosophy, 42 (1867), pp.353-62)
Richard Sorabji
Sorabji's 1980 Necessity, Cause, and Blame surveyed Aristotle's positions on causation and necessity, comparing them to his predecessors and successors, especially the Stoics and Epicurus. Sorabji argues that Aristotle was an indeterminist , that real chance and uncaused events exist, but never that human actions are uncaused in the extreme libertarian sense that some commentators mistakenly attribute to Epicurus.
This book centres on Aristotle's treatment of determinism and culpability. One of the advantages of studying Aristotle's treatment of determinism is that we get a sense of what a multiform thesis it is. Arguments from causation are by no means the only ones that have been used to support it, and Aristotle is the grandfather, even if not the father, of many of these arguments. I am not myself convinced by any of the arguments for determinism, nor by the arguments that it would be compatible with moral responsibility. But in order to discuss the question, I shall have to consider some very diverse topics: cause, explanation, time, necessity, essence and purpose in nature. These are all subjects of intense controversy today, and time and again Aristotle's discussions are intimately bound up with modern ones. Often, I believe and shall argue, we can benefit from going back to the views of another period, views which are sometimes refreshingly different from our own. I shall try to explain, when necessary, where those differences lie. The discussion will not be confined to Aristotle. I shall try to supply a historical perspective and a sense of continuity, by seeing how the views of his successors and predecessors fit on to his own. But at the same time it will remain a central aim to build up a picture of Aristotle's own position on determinism and culpability, by tracing it through the many areas of his thought. By determinism I shall mean the view that whatever happens has all along been necessary, that is, fixed or inevitable. I say 'whatever happens', meaning to cover not merely every event, but every aspect of every event — every state of affairs, one might say. I shall make no further attempt to define necessity, although various kinds of necessity will come to be distinguished as we go along. I have deliberately defined determinism by reference, not to causation, but to necessity. I have not defined determinism as a view which denies us moral responsibility. The latter idea, often known as `hard' determinism is comparatively rare, and was rarer still in antiquity. Many determinists have tried to argue that it is not a consequence of their position. I believe that it is a consequence, but not usually an intended one. I have spoken of things as having 'all along' been necessary, because there would be little moral interest in a view which declared that things became necessary at the last moment, or irrevocable once they had happened. Indeed, Aristotle admits the point about irrevocability; what he denies is that everything has been necessary all along. I shall be representing Aristotle as an indeterminist; but opinions on this issue have been diverse since the earliest times... It is not always recognised that Aristotle gave any consideration to causal determinism, that is, to determinism based on causal considerations. But I shall argue that in a little-understood passage he maintains that coincidences lack causes. To understand why he thinks so; we must recall his view that a cause is one of four kinds of explanation. On both counts, I think he is right. His account of cause, I believe, is more promising than any of those current today, and also justifies the denial that coincidences have causes. There is another strut in the causal determinist's case. Besides the view that everything has a cause, he holds that whatever is caused or explicable is necessitated. If this idea is once accepted, he has a powerful argument, already wielded by the Stoics, against the indeterminist: any action that is not necessitated becomes causeless, inexplicable and hence a thing for which no one can be held responsible. On this issue, regrettably, Aristotle is less firm; he wavers on whether what is caused is necessitated. But insofar as he sometimes implies that it is not, we will be better placed, later in the book, to understand the argument of Nicomachean Ethics III 5. In denying that voluntary actions have been necessary all along, Aristotle need not be implying that something is uncaused. The best-known arguments in Aristotle on determinism have to do with time rather than cause. In Int. 9, he tries to reply to the deterministic 'sea battle' argument which is based on considerations of time and truth...I shall distinguish certain further deterministic arguments based on the necessity of the past, or on divine foreknowledge. The only one of these arguments articulated by Aristotle (and opposed by him) is the sea battle argument. But he is a more or less remote ancestor of many of the others, and of some of the answers to them. I shall have shown by the end of Chapter Eight why I think Aristotle an indeterminist. I do not believe that he came close to the determinism of Diodorus Cronus, or of the author of the sea battle, nor that he treated coincidences as necessary. In a later chapter (Fourteen), I shall further deny that he treated all human action as necessary. But it will be time in Chapter Nine to guard against the ascription to him of too extreme an indeterminism. His occasional denials that natural events can ever occur of necessity seem to be contradicted elsewhere. Certainly, his belief that there is purpose in nature does not require, and is not thought by to require, the denial of causal necessitation. To show why such a denial is not required, I shall have to try to show how Aristotle's purposive explanations in biology work. It will be argued that they work in several different ways, and that most of these ways leave Aristotle immune to modern criticisms of purposive explanation in biology. Criticism of Aristotle here has been widepread and vitriolic; I hope to show that it is largely mistaken.
(Necessity, Cause, and Blame, pp. ix-xii)
[If] some of our decisions are not necessitated, it by no means follows that they are uncaused or inexplicable. If this is correct, it should answer the causal determinist's argument that, if some of our decisions are not necessary in advance, they will be inexplicable and mysterious happenings of which we cannot be held responsible. The answer suggested here is that from our decisions being unnecessitated it would not follow that they were inexplicable, or uncaused. The above reflections have implications not only for the common charge against the indeterminist - that he renders decisions inexplicable, but also for some of the premises that are typically used for establishing the determinist's case. For we have been led to doubt the premises that every state of affairs has a cause and that whatever is caused is necessitated. Even these two premises together would not be enough to yield the determinist's view that whatever happens is necessary in advance. To obtain that result, he may appeal to the idea of a sequence of causes: each state of affairs has a prior state of affairs as its cause. If this seems implausible, because the dent in a springy cushion is caused by the contemporary presence of a weight, it will suffice if in any causal chain a proportion of the causes are prior. On the other hand, if the determinist allows that a cause is only a part of some necessitating conditions, he will have to be willing to argue that the complete set of necessitating conditions commonly exists in advance of its effect.
(p. 32)
Aristotle accepted the past as fixed, in the sense that past events were irrevocable. But future events cannot be necessitated by claims about the present truth value of statements about the future. Aristotle does not deny the excluded middle (either p or not p), only that the truth value of p does not exist yet. Indeed, although the past is fixed, the truth value of past statements about the future can be changed by the outcome of future events.Sorabji claims that he can separate necessity from causality, with implications for causal determinism. In particular, he defends indeterminists against the charge that libertarian decisions are unintelligible.
The appeal to the totality of laws and of initial conditions brings us closer to the classic formulation of causal determinism by Laplace. [But], the current state of physics no longer offers the encouragement that was once expected. By an ambitious extrapolation from the successes of Newtonian mechanics in the field of astronomy, Laplace was able to think of science as on the determinist's side. But the majority" of quantum physicists now maintain that their science actually contradicts determinism. or certain micro-events are not made necessary in advance of their occurrence. Sometimes an attempt is made to admit this conclusion, but reduce its interest, by maintaining that indeterminacy at the level of micro-events will not lead to indeterminacy at the level of the large-scale events that concern us in real life. But against this we have already noticed examples of a small-scale indeterminacy being amplified into a large-scale indeterminacy through radio-active material being connected to a bomb or a living organ.
(pp. 35-6) None of this is intended to rule out the causal determinst's view as possible. I do not know how to do that. But it is meant to place an onus on him to argue for his case, if he wants it to seem at all plausible. I cannot say that I think of it at the moment as having any plausibility. And I should certainly hope that it was false. For I believe it is determinism that rules out moral responsibility and other things we believe in. I believe it is a necessary, though a sufficient, condition of our being morally responsible agents that actions should not all along have been necessary. I do not think the indeterminacies of quantum physics help in any direct way to preserve moral responsibility. What is important is that, in the different sphere of human conduct, there should be actions which are explicable without being necessitated.
(pp. 37)
I come now to the question of how determinism is related to involuntariness. Many commentators nowadays hold one or more parts of the following view. Determinism creates a problem for belief in the voluntariness of actions. Regrettably, but inevitably, Aristotle was unaware of this problem, and so failed to cope with it. Indeed, the problem was not discovered until Hellenistic times, perhaps by Epicurus, who was over forty years junior to Aristotle, and who reached Athens just too late to hear his lectures. In Aristotle's time no one had yet propounded a universal determinism, so that he knew of no such theory. His inevitable failure to see the threat to voluntariness is all the more regrettable in that he himself entertained a deterministic account of actions, which exacerbated the problem of how any could be voluntary. I shall argue that this account misrepresents the situation. First, Aristotle is aware of the idea that everything is determined, whether causally or non-causally. He considers a non-causal determinism in Int. 9, and a causal determinism not only in Metaph. VI 3, but also in Phys. II 4, where he remarks that some people had denied that there was such a thing as chance, on the grounds that a cause could always be found for everything (195b36 — 196a11). Admittedly, he takes the falsity of determinism as fairly obvious in Metaph. VI 3, and feels little need to discuss it in NE III, or in GC II 11. Indeed, in the last passage he asks whether all coming to be is necessary, but whether any is. None the less, he does sometimes produce arguments against determinism (Int. 9, 18b26 — 19a22; Phys. II 5, 196b14; GC II 11, 337b3-7). And he also thinks that in the light of its falsity, he needs to do some explaining, and to show how there can be events without a cause (accidental conjunctions, Metaph. VI 3), or how some predictions can avoid being already true (Int. 9, 19a22—b4, on the traditional interpretation). What Aristotle failed to discuss was not determinism, but something that William James was later to call 'hard' determinism,' the view not only is determinism true, but that also, because of it, there is no thing as moral responsibility or voluntary action. The commentators mentioned above are right insofar as they only want to say this. But what is debatable is whether we should see Aristotle's silence about `hard' determinism as simply a failure to see a problem, and how far the subsequent Hellenistic period differed from Aristotle in their readiness to discuss 'hard' determinism. Determinists in antiquity did not make it a triumphant conclusion that all actions are involuntary. Rather, they would have thought it an objection to their view, if they had to banish voluntariness. There is a whole battery of arguments, which turn up in treatise after treatise, urging against determinism, that it would do away with many of our conceptions about conduct and morality. In the De Fato of Alexander of Aphrodisias (fl. c. A.D. 200), where many of these arguments are used, it becomes clear that the Stoics, against whom they were directed, replied not by conceding the point, but by urging that fate did not exclude the standard moral concepts (chs 13-14, 33, 35-8 Occasionally, they seem to have gone over to the offensive, and argued like certain modern philosophers,5 that the standard moral concepts actually presuppose determinism. But... they felt little attraction towards 'hard' determinism, even if their founder Zeno (fl c. 300 B. C.) deployed an argument in an ad hominem way which is used also by hard determinists, that our moral practices are inevitable, whether justifiable, or not (Diogenes Laertius 7 1 23). Most ancients would have said, and so would Aristotle, that, if there is a genuine incompatibility between determinism and voluntariness, this is so much the worse for determinism, not for voluntariness; and even in modern times, 'hard' determinism is much rarer than 'soft'. Aristotle himself, so far from failing to observe any incompatibility between determinism and our ordinary ways of thinking about conduct, actually tended to see such incompatibilities too readily. Moreover, so far from his successors starting a new tradition, they are often simply echoing Aristotle's own comments, when they argue that there is an incompatibility, and that it counts against determinism. We have seen that Aristotle thinks voluntariness incompatible with an action's having all along been necessary, and further that he goes so far as to argue (wrongly) against determinism that it is incompatible with the efficacy of effort or deliberation (Int. 9, 18b31-3, 19a7-8). This latter was echoed in one of the famous named arguments of antiquity, the Lazy Argument, according to which belief in determinism would make us lazy. A related argument, which we have already noticed, appears in NE II 5 (1113b21-30), where Aristotle claims (again wrongly) that since punishment and honours influence conduct, good and bad conduct must be up to us. Aristotle may here have been ignoring, rather than answering, the idea that wicked conduct is determined, and may have been concentrating instead on the point that our conduct is in some way dependent on us. But his successors used arguments like this one in order to attack determinism, and he too might have been willing to use the argument against a determinist, if he had felt himself to be confronted by one. Aristotle often repeats that we do not deliberate about what is necessary (NE III 3, 1112a21-6; VI 1, 1139a13; VI 2, 113967-9; VI 5, 1140a 31—b1; VI 7, 1141b10-11; III 3, 1112a30-1 with III 5, 1113b7-8; EE II 10, 1226a20-30; Rhet. I 2, 1357a8), and only once comes at all close to adding the desirable qualification 'unless we do not realise that such and such a course is necessary'. If determinism is incompatible with deliberation, it will also be incompatible with praxis, the distinctively human kind of action, and with moral virtue, both of which presuppose deliberation. Similar views on the relation of deliberation to determinism reappeared among Aristotle's ancient and modern successors. And they also turned against determinism the comment, which Aristotle makes in another context, that we cannot bestow praise and blame for what happens of necessity (NE III 5, 1114a23-9; EE II 6, 1223a10; II 11 1228a5), although we can bestow honour, e.g. on the gods (NE 1101b10 — 1102a4). Those who think that determinism endangers voluntariness have every right to disagree with Aristotle's view that our ways of thinking about conduct endanger determinism. But they should recognise it as an alternative view. It misrepresents the situation to suggest that Aristotle was merely not yet in a position to appreciate the problem; he would not have agreed that the problem was one for believers in voluntariness. And the succeeding age would have supported him.
(pp. 243-6)
Sorabji considers the suggestions that quantum uncertainty disproves determinism, and he finds that Aristotle described "starting points" (ἄρχαι) for new causal chains that resemble probabilistic quantum events.Finally, although he thinks Aristotle was not aware of the " problem " of free will vis-a-vis determinism (as first described by Epicurus ), Sorabji thinks Aristotle's position on the question is clear enough. Voluntariness is too important to fall before theoretical arguments about necessity and determinism.
R. W. Sharples
Sharples' great translation and commentary Alexander of Aphrodisias On Fate appeared in 1983. He described Alexander's De Fato as perhaps the most comprehensive treatment surviving from classical antiquity of the problem of responsibility (τὸ ἐφ’ ἡμίν) and determinism . It especially shed a great deal of light on Aristotle's position on free will and on the Stoic attempt to make responsibility compatible with determinism.
Although there are passages in which it is recognised that there is something problematic in holding someone responsible for an action that a god has foretold he will perform, it is generally misleading in the interpretation of the literature of the fifth century B.C. and earlier to assume that the difficulty is always as obvious or as important as it seems to us. The mechanistic atomism of Democritus (born 460-457 B.C.) may well seem to us to raise difficulties for human responsibility, and it seemed to do so to Epicurus, but Democritus himself apparently felt no such problem. The question of the relation between destiny and human choice is raised, in mythical form, at the end of the Republic of Plato (c. 429-347B.C.), in a passage that was to be important for later discussion; but it only attains its full significance in the context of a theory claiming that all events in the physical world are governed by a rigid determinism, and this is not present in Plato, for whom what admits of absolute regularity with no exceptions is to be found among the Ideas rather than in sensible phenomena. The classic notion of determinism — of a system in which every state of affairs is a necessary consequence of any and every preceding state of affairs — is almost entirely absent from the approach to the physical world of Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) also; more important for him is the contrast between, on the one hand, the absolute necessity and invariance which applies to the motions of the heavenly bodies, to mathematical truths, and to certain attributes of beings in the sublunary world — the mortality of all men, for example — and, on the other hand, the irregularity and variation of many aspects of the sublunary world, where the most that can be said of many things is that they happen for the most part but not always, and where there are many accidental connections that fall outside the scope of scientific knowledge — concerned with what is always or usually the case — altogether. Aristotle's picture of the consequences of an event is not one of chains of cause and effect interwoven in a nexus extending to infinity...Aristotle can assert that there are fresh beginnings (archai), not confined to human agency, without supposing that there is a deterministic causal nexus occasionally interrupted by undetermined events; he simply does not see the question in these terms. He does discuss the question whether all events are determined by necessary chains of causation at Metaphysics E 3 1027a30 — b14, and there denies this possibility insisting that not everything is necessary; but here as elsewhere it is not clear that he distinguishes between (i) the claim that there are events which are not predetermined, and (ii) the lesser claim that there are some things that do not always happen in the same way — which does not exclude their being predetermined by different factors on each occasion. He certainly holds that there are events which result from chance rather than necessity; but as has often been pointed out his treatment of chance events in terms of coincidence is not incompatible with determinism. He is in fact interested in a different question, that of explanation; it may well be that chance events have no scientific explanation, without their thereby involving indeterminism. It would indeed be rash to claim that there are no passages where Aristotle intends to assert freedom from determinism as later philosophers would understand it; but this is not, in dealing with the universe as a whole, his main concern. And Aristotle's emphasis on other questions, particularly that of the presence or absence of a variation which may well be entirely predetermined, was highly influential on later thinkers, Alexander among them, who were concerned with the problem of determinism. Aristotle did however discuss the issue of the analysis of responsible human action in a way which, although it does not form part of a treatment of determinism in the world as a whole, was nevertheless to be influential when this topic was later discussed. In Nicomachean Ethics III.1 he defines voluntary (hekousion) action as that where there is no external compulsion, so that the source (arche) of the action is in the agent, and where the agent is not ignorant of the particular details of what he is doing. In this chapter he is concerned with the practical, quasi-legal problem of the imputability of actions to their agents, rather than with a philosophical analysis of freedom of choice, but the question of the presence or absence of external compulsion was to be important in later discussion. In Nicomachean Ethics III1.5 Aristotle asserts that responsible actions — those which 'depend on us' — involve the possibility of choosing otherwise (1113b7). He then meets the objection that a man's character may be such that he cannot choose other than actions of a particular sort by arguing that, since dispositions develop as a result of actions, even if a man cannot now choose not to act in a certain way, it is his responsibility that he came to be like this in the first place (1114a3-31). This argument, however, only pushes the problem back into the past, till one comes to influences in our childhood — natural endowment, training and education — for which we can hardly be regarded as responsible. Aristotle is not indeed arguing against the background of a determinist system, and it would be a mistake to press his argument too closely so as to extract deterministic implications from it. It seems that he is operating with basically libertarian assumptions, starting from the position that responsibility involves freedom to choose between different courses of action, and dealing with difficulties arising from the determination of action by character only as a subordinate issue. It is true that 'the possibility of choosing otherwise' could be interpreted in a qualified sense which would make it acceptable to a determinist, but there is no explicit indication of this in Aristotle's text, and it seems likely that such ,attempts to reconcile determinism and responsibility only arose later as a reaction to the explicit assertion of the necessity of choosing between determinism and indeterminism. However, Aristotle's treatment is not entirely satisfactory, and its limitations and difficulties do become apparent when later thinkers, and above all Alexander, use it as a basis from which to argue against determinism. It is with Epicurus and the Stoics that clearly indeterministic and deterministic positions are first formulated. Epicurus (341-270 B.C.) claimed that human freedom could only be maintained in the atomist system by the unpredetermined swerve of certain atoms from the paths which they would otherwise follow. The problems of this position, which seems to reduce responsible human choice to pure randomness, have often been pointed out; however, analogous problems seem involved in any attempt to treat responsibility in terms of the possibility of choosing otherwise, if this is to be combined with a rational explanation of why men do, or should, choose in a particular way. The Stoic position, given definitive expression by Chrysippus (c. 280-207 B.C.), the third head of the school, represents not the opposite extreme from that of Epicurus but an attempt to compromise, to combine determinism and responsibility. Their theory of the universe is indeed a completely deterministic one; everything is governed by fate, identified with the sequence of causes; nothing could happen otherwise than it does, and in any given set of circumstances one and only one result can follow — otherwise an uncaused motion would occur. Fate is also identified with providence and with god, and thus with pneuma or spirit, the divine active principle — or perhaps better the instrument or vehicle of the divine will — which penetrates the entire universe, bringing about and governing all processes within it and giving each thing its character. Chrysippus was however concerned to preserve human responsibility in the context of his determinist system. His position was thus one of 'soft determinism', as opposed on the one hand to that of the 'hard determinist' who claims that determinism excludes responsibility, and on the other to that of the libertarian who agrees on the incompatibility but responsibility by determinism. The Greek to eph' hemin, 'what depends on us', like the English 'responsibility', was used both by libertarians and by soft determinists, though they differed as to what it involved; thus he occurrence of the expression is not a safe guide to the type of position involved. The situation is complicated by the fact that the debate is in Greek philosophy conducted entirely in terms of responsibility (to eph' hemin) rather than of freedom or free will; nevertheless it can be shown that some thinkers, Alexander among them, have a libertarian rather than a soft-determinist conception of responsibility, and in such cases I have not hesitated to use expressions like 'freedom'. The expression 'free will' is employed in discussions of the problem in ancient Latin writers. Chrysippus argued that we are responsible for those actions which, even though they are predetermined, depend chiefly on ourselves rather than on external factors. (Epicurus, by contrast, insisted that free actions must be free not only from external necessity but also from necessitation by factors internal to the agent). Certain ancient authors put forward arguments for praise, blame, punishment and reward in a determinist system with no appeal to responsbility — arguments which may therefore be classified as hard determinist. The wrongdoer should be punished for the protection of others whether or not he is responsible for his actions, just as noxious plants or animals are destroyed. A Stoic source for these arguments cannot be ruled out, for the Stoics may well have reinforced soft-determinist arguments justifying praise, blame, punishment and reward by others not referring to responsibility. In addition to physical, causal determinism one may also speak of 'logical' determinism. In chapter 9 of his De Interpretatione, the famous 'Sea-Battle' passage, Aristotle poses the problem that, if a prediction is either true or false, it seems that what is predicted must in the one case necessarily occur and in the other necessarily not occur. Aristotle's own solution to the problem is obscure. Both Epicurus and the Stoics accepted a connection between the truth or falsity of the prediction and the eventual outcome's being predetermined, Epicurus rejecting determinism and consequently denying that all future-tense propositions are true or false, the Stoics arguing that all propositions are true or false and using this as an argument to support determinism. Carneades (214/3-129/8 B.C.), the founder of the sceptical New Academy, argued against both schools that the necessary connection between the truth of the prediction and the occurence of the event is simply an indication of what is meant by describing a proposition as true, and does not have any deterministic implications. The predominant interpretation of Aristotle's own position in later antiquity was that a prediction of a future contingent event does have a truth value — it is true or false — but not a 'definite' one," this position first appears in the last section of quaestio 1.4 attributed to Alexander, but is not found in the de fato. It was probably advanced as a defence against those who attacked Aristotle as denying that predictions of contingent events had any truth value at all; Cicero indeed attributes this position to Epicurus and not to Aristotle (whom he regards as a determinist), but we know that both Stoics and others had attacked Aristotle for holding such a view. A form of logical determinism which the Stoics however found less acceptable was that involved in the Master Argument of Diodorus Cronus (fl. c. 315-284 B.C.), a member of the Dialectical school.From the premisses 'all that is past and true is necessary' and 'what is impossible does not follow from what is possible,' Diodorus claimed to infer that only what is, or will be, true is possible. Both Chrysippus and his predecessor Cleanthes (331-232 B.C.), however, rejected this conclusion, Cleanthes rejecting the first premiss, Chrysippus the second. For the Stoics there are things that are possible even though they will not happen and even though it is predetermined that they will not. Nevertheless, Cicero (106-43 B.C.), in his de fato, and other anti-determinist critics of the Stoics claimed that this was not compatible with their determinist position, and that they were committed to Diodorus' definition of the possible whether they liked it or not. The issue is really one of the point of view taken. Even in a determinist system it may be useful to distinguish between things which could happen (given certain circumstances) but may or may not actually do so, depending on factors which may be obscure to us, and others which cannot happen at all. But those who are opposed to determinism are likely to find all such distinctions beside the point as long as it is still admitted that the actual outcome in each case is predetermined. Cicero's treatise, of which unfortunately only the later part is extant, apart from a few fragments, is of particular importance for its presentation of the arguments advanced by Carneades, from whom the greater part of the treatise seems ultimately to derive. Just as in the case of the problem of the truth of predictions Carneades endeavoured to show that both the Stoic and the Epicurean position rested on a common misconception, so in the case of physical determinism he argued that there was a middle ground between universal determinism on the one hand, and the occurrence of uncaused events on the other. Chance events are caused, in that they have accidental causes, but not predetermined; human actions are not uncaused because their cause is in the nature of voluntary motion itself. Both these claims are similar to ones made by Alexander. It was probably Carneades, too, who made popular a series of arguments from the alleged practical consequences of determinism, reflected in later authors and among them Alexander (f. XVI-XX). Our information on the place of Carneades in this tradition would probably be much better if we still possessed the lost part of Cicero's de fato.
Alexander throughout speaks as if fate and necessity, for the determinists, were identical; the Stoics may indeed have been prepared in certain contexts to say that all things were necessary, but it does not seem that they laid such emphasis on the necessity of all things as does Alexander in stating his opponents' position. But since Alexander finds his opponents' attempts to separate fate and necessity trivial, from his own point of view his presentation of the determinist position is legitimate. It follows, however, that his statements must be used with considerable caution as evidence for the Stoic position. Alexander's own position becomes apparent not only in the constructive argument of de fato but also in his polemic against the determinists, though the structure of his treatise has the consequence that his own position is not always clear — his arguments against the determinists are often dialectical, and he is concerned to refute them on diverse topics rather than to construct a systematic position of his own. One crucial point that is however clear is that Alexander's own conception of responsibility is a libertarian one. He objects not just to determination of our actions by external causes alone, but to that resulting from a combination of internal and external factors; it is not enough that an individual contributes something to the result, if that contribution is predetermined. This shows that his repeated descriptions of responsbility in terms of the power or capacity for opposite courses of action"' are to be understood in terms of an unqualified, unrestricted possibility. At the same time, like Carneades, he claims to avoid the Stoic charge of introducing uncaused motion. Epicurus is nowhere mentioned in the de fato in connection with determinism, but only with reference to his denial of divine providence; possibly consideration of the Epicurean atomic swerve would have exposed difficulties in Alexander's own position. He stresses the connection between responsibility and reason, which shows that his libertarian conception of responsibility is not just one of arbitrary caprice; at the same time, he faces very real difficulties in combining his libertarian position with an account of the rational element in human behaviour, and does not really solve it. (For the Stoics and Neoplatonists, on the other hand, freedom is located not in the possibility for alternatives but precisely in choosing the most rational course of action.)'"
Sharples thinks that the problem of determinism and responsibility was not realised, in the form in which it was eventually passed on to post-classical thinkers, until relatively late in the history of Greek thought - at least not until after Aristotle.As to the thought of Alexander himself, Sharples notes that in his attack on the Stoics Alexander does not name any individual thinkers and makes his arguments very general.
Don Fowler
[The discussion of the swerve in Book II of De rerum natura] has received brilliant treatment from D. J. Furley in a work which is in many ways a model for the analysis of ancient philosophical texts. Yet it still seems to me that there is more to be said. I want here to try briefly to offer a fresh analysis of the argument of the vital paragraph 251-93, and to situate it within an Epicurean context. Inevitably this will involve criticism of Furley; let me state again at the outset my admiration of his work.
("Lucretius on the Clinamen and 'Free Will'", Συζήτησισ: Studi sull'epicureismo greco e romano offerti a Marcello Gigante, (Naples, 1983), p.330)
I turn to the overall interpretation. Lucretius is arguing from the existence of voluntas to the existence of the clinamen; nothing comes to be out of nothing, therefore voluntas must have a cause at the atomic level, viz. the clinamen. The most natural interpretation of this is that every act of voluntas is caused by a swerve in the atoms of the animal's mind. The σημείωσις of L. 2. 125-41 is exactly parallel; the visible motions of the dust-particles are a σημεῖον [ἀπὸ τῶν φαινομένον] (128 significant) for the invisible atomic motions which are their cause. There is a close causal, physical relationship between the macroscopic and the atomic. Furley, however, argued that the relationship between voluntas and the clinamen was very different; not every act of volition was accompanied by a swerve in the soul-atoms, but the clinamen was only an occasional event which broke the chain of causation between the σύστασις of our mind at birth and the 'engendered' state (τὸ ἀπογεγεννημένον) which determines our actions. Its role in Epicureanism is merely to make a formal break with physical determinism, and it has no real effect on the outcome of particular actions.
(p.338) For Furley, both of these accounts are essentially ones of stimulus and response; action follows automatically upon perception, and the nature of the action is determined by our constitution, the sort of person we are. In accordance with this, he analyses the passage from De rerum natura Book 4 as follows: (1) Simulacra meandi must strike our minds, among the innumerable other simulacra which are always abroad in the air (881-885). (2) The mind must be focussed, as it were, on walking, so that these simulacra form an image while others do not (882-886). (3) Voluntas fit . . . animus sese ita commovet ut velit ire (883, 886). (4) The mind transmits motion to the limbs, bit by bit (887-891). Here the occurrence of voluntas is consequent on the focusing of the mind. But that is not what Lucretius says; a more accurate analysis of the paragraph would be: (1) 881-2. First simulacra strike the mind, as explained previously. (2) 883-5. Next voluntas occurs; for the mind does not begin any action before the process of 'prevision' has taken place. An imago is formed of what the mind anticipates. (3) 886-90. Therefore, when the animus moves itself in such a way as to want to go, straight away it transmits its motion to the anima. Then the anima strikes the body . . . Lucretius is concerned in this passage with how we move when we wish to, not with how we come to wish to move; hence there is no explanation of how voluntas occurs. But there is certainly no evidence for the idea that voluntas is caused by sense perception directly, and hence that there is no room for the occurrence of a clinamen in the soul-atoms. Simulacra are striking our mind all the time, but we do not 'see' them unless we concentrate on them in an ἐπιβολή τῆσ διανοίας, as Lucretius explains in 4. 802-17. What we concentrate on depends on our voluntas. Once the image is clearly visualized — once we have a φαντασία — then indeed the bodily reactions proceed from that automatically. But voluntas comes before, not after, the production of the image; as K. Kleve remarks, 'wir können selbst wählen, welche Bilder wir bemerken wollen, d.h. auf welche Bilder wir unsere Aufmerksamkeit (ἐπιβολή) richten wollen'. Furley argues that we cannot situate voluntas at this stage 'because Lucretius goes to great lengths to give a causal explanation of why the mind focuses on some things rather than others'. The passage referred to is 4. 962-1036, and in particular 973-83. But Lucretius is clearly there describing an exceptional and involuntary experience which offers an analogy for the phenomenon of dreaming. There is no suggestion that that is what ordinary perception and thought, still less action, are like. There is therefore no reason to doubt that in 4. 881-90 Lucretius situates voluntas before the act of ἐπιβολή and therefore no reason to see voluntas as causally conditioned by perception. Ample room is left for the clinamen to fill; and indeed what else could fill it?
(p.341) For Lucretius, voluntas takes place in the mind, the animus, but it is also a purely physical occurrence. There is no disembodied faculty of the will separate from the physical constitution of the animal." Voluntas is not, moreover, in Lucretius' view merely the object of introspection; we can see it occurring in others. It takes place when the mind decides to focus on certain simulacra in an ἐπιβολή τῆσ διανοίας, and is thus situated between sense perception and the formation of a specific φαντασία which leads to action. It is caused by a random swerve in the downward motion of an atom or atoms in the 'fourth substance' of the animus, which causes an alteration in the atomic motions which eventually leads to a specific action. What action, if any, a swerve issues in is determined by which atoms swerve and by the constitution of the animus. On any particular occasion, what action the animal will take is unpredictable, but over a series of actions his reactions to the external world will be broadly consistent with the sort of being he is. This theory has usually been greeted with contempt, in ancient and modern times. And its special problems are undoubtedly immense, quite apart from those which face any traditional account of the will as a distinct psychological phenomenon. But it is also a bold imaginative scheme, and an attempt to produce a precise physical account of puzzling psychological problems; it is surely, other considerations apart, a more interesting theory than a mere rehash of Aristotelianism would have been, however philosophically more respectable. It was not the whole of Epicurus' answer to the problems of human freedom; I have not touched at all on Epicurus' denial of a truth-value to statements about the future, which was designed to refute logical determinism as the clinamen did physical. The relationship between this move and the introduction of the clinamen is not clear, and requires further study. But I hope I have shown that the theory of the clinamen as presented by Lucretius is a self-consistent, reasoned theory in itself, firmly embedded in the Epicurean system as a whole and designed to answer real philosophical problems, rather than merely an awkward embarrassment.
(p.351-2)
(Don Fowler, "Lucretius on the Clinamen and 'Free Will'", Συζήτησισ: Studi sull'epicureismo greco e romano offerti a Marcello Gigante, (Naples, 1983) 329-52)
In his 1983 thesis, "Lucretius on the Clinamen and 'Free Will'," Fowler criticized Furley's limits on the swerve and defended the ancient - but seriously mistaken - claim that Epicurus proposed random swerves as directly causing our actions . This mistaken claim has become common in current interpretations of Epicurus.(The thesis is reprinted as Appendix A in Lucretius on Atomic Motion, 2002, p.407)
A. A. Long and D. N. Sedley
Epicurus' problem is this: if it has been necessary all along that we should act as we do, it cannot be up to us, with the result that we would not be morally responsible for our actions at all (especially A, E 3, F 1, G). Thus posing the problem of determinism he becomes arguably the first philosopher to recognize the philosophical centrality of what we know as the Free Will Question. His strongly libertarian approach to it can be usefully contrasted with the Stoics' acceptance of determinism (see 62). Epicurus certainly saw the Democritean atomism which he had inherited as vulnerable to such a challenge, since it made all phenomena, including human behaviour, fully accountable in terms of rigid physical laws of atomic motion, and hence necessary: see A 2, C 13-14, E 3, G. It is perhaps the most widely known fact about Epicurus that he for this reason modified the deterministic Democritean system by introducing a slight element of indeterminacy to atomic motion, the 'swerve' (on which see also 11H with commentary): E 2-3, F, G. But taken in isolation such a solution is notoriously unsatisfactory. It promises to liberate us from rigid necessity only to substitute an alternative human mechanism, perhaps more undependable and eccentric but hardly more autonomous. Epicurus' remarks in A 1, where 'that which depends on us' (or 'that which is up to us') is contrasted with unstable fortune as well as with necessity, suggest that he meant to avoid this trap. In order to see how, we must defer discussion of the swerve for now..
The swerve is not even mentioned in the surviving papyrus fragments [B,C] of Epicurus' book on the issue of responsibility from which B and C are drawn But the book still sheds abundant light on the question. In C he conducts a running debate with a Democritean determinist. Democritus himself, we are told, simply failed to see the implications of his determinism for human action (C 13-14). Epicurus' principal target in C 2-12, on the other hand, is someone who consciously applies mechanistic determinism to all human behaviour, including his own. He probably has in mind such fourth-century Democriteans as his own reviled teacher Nausiphanes — the heirs of Democritus derided C 13, as perhaps also implicitly in G. (The early Stoics have sometimes been identified as his target, but cf. 62 with commentary; 'natural philosophers', A 2. would not normally be used of Stoics, in any case.) In C 1 Epicurus is arguing that since we start with a wide range of potentials ('seeds') for character development our actual direction of development is not physically predetermined but 'up to us'. There are physical influences, but we can control them (cf. 15D 7-8). If it were they that controlled us, our moral and critical attitudes to each other would make no sense (C 2). This leads him into his anti-determinist digression, which continues until its express conclusion at C 15. The determinist may simply regard these attitudes as themselves necessitated (C 3). But this does not save him from the charge of self-refutation (C 5, and perhaps already in the very fragmentary C 4): his own critical attitude in this very debate still implies what he wishes to deny, that the parties to the debate are responsible for their own views. The determinist will resort to the defence that he is compelled to behave in this way; when challenged once again for continuing to argue, will repeat the defence; and so on ad infinitum. Epicurus' objection to this infinite regress (C 6) is not that it is in itself vicious, but rather that it leaves the inconsistency untouched: at every stage of the regress the determinist's behaviour in continuing to argue his case as if with a responsible agent contradicts his thesis that everything, including our beliefs, is mechanically necessitated. In the second stage of the digression, C 8-12, Epicurus suggests that determinism cannot amount to a substantive thesis about the world, and that its application of 'necessity' to human agency will turn out to be no more than a change of terminology. First (C 8) comes an appeal to 'preconception' (on which as a criterion, see 17 above). We all share a preconception of our own agency as that which is responsible for our behaviour: to defuse the evidential force of this, the determinist would have to show how the alleged preconception has come to embody a faulty 'delineation' (cf. 17E 2, 5) of the facts. (Compare Epicurus' own grounds for dismissing the alleged preconception of the gods as provident, 23B—C below.) If he cannot, the preconception remains valid and the determinist's contribution is merely a new name for it. Second (C 9), his thesis is pragmatically empty. Since he denies us an internal source of self-determination (an 'auxiliary element or impulse in us') he can never expect his arguments to dissuade us from any action. In this Epicurus contrasts him with someone who has a proper grasp (as recommended in A 1) of the difference between the necessitated and the unnecessitated, and who consequently can expect to dissuade us from actions which would involve resisting necessity (C to) perhaps, for example, dissuade us from a vain desire to evade the inevitability of death, because unlike the determinist he can appreciate that while death is necessary our wishes are up to us. Third (C II), the determinist leaves himself no tools for analysing 'mixed' actions (as they are called by Aristotle, Nicomachean ethics in. I), those performed freely but reluctantly in avoidance of a greater evil, since he is unable to distinguish the voluntary from the necessitated elements in them. The final stage of the argument, C 13-14, is pragmatic, appealing to the disastrous practical consequences that would have ensued had Democritus remembered to apply his thesis of universal necessitation to himself. No illustration is given, but one easy example would be the abandonment of decision-making (cf. 55S). It is remarkable how closely the internal structure of this anti-determinist argument matches that of 16A's anti-sceptic argument, with the sequence of a self-refutation challenge (C 3-7; cf. 16A 1), an appeal to preconception and word-meaning (C 8-12; cf. 16A 2-3), and a pragmatic argument (C 13-14; cf. 16A 9-10). So too its function as a digression added late in the book to justify the preceding positive account of psychological causation matches the role of 16A in relation to Lucretius' preceding positive account of sense-perception. None of this is likely to be mere coincidence. For scepticism and the kind of mechanistic determinism envisaged here were seen as joint consequences of Democritus' reductionist atomism. If phenomenal properties were reducible to mere configurations of atoms and void, it seemed to follow that the atoms and void alone were real while the sensible properties were arbitrary constructions placed upon them by our cognitive organs. The result was scepticism about the sensible world, which had become the characteristic stance of most fourth-century Democriteans (see further, 1 and 16). Similarly, if the 'self' and its volitions were reducible to mere sequences of atomic motion in the soul, human action would easily appear to be mechanistic, fully explicable in terms of primary physical laws, with no additional explanatory or descriptive role left for such psychological entities as belief and volition. And that is just the kind of theory under attack in C (cf. especially C 2, 9). Given the extent of this parallelism between scepticism and determinism, and between Epicurus' respective refutations of them, we might expect his own positive alternatives to them to be similarly comparable. And so they are. Just as his answer to scepticism is to affirm the reality of phenomenal properties and the truth of sense-impressions of them (see on 7 and 16), so too his answer to mechanism is to affirm the reality and causal efficacy of the self and its volitions as something over and above the underlying patterns of atomic motion. This plainly emerges from B, despite the lack of context and certain difficulties of interpretation. Epicurus is speaking of self-determining animals. (Volitional autonomy is not restricted to human beings, cf. F 1-2; but elsewhere in the book, j in vol. 2, wild animals seem to be excluded, as lacking self-determination and hence as exempt from moral criticism, though not from hate.) Their misbehaviour is quite explicitly said (B 1-4) to be attributable not to their atoms but to their selves and their 'developments'. The latter term, which is crucial to the entire book's discussion, is explicated at B 5. The kind of 'development' which contributes psychological autonomy is one which is distinct from the underlying atoms in a 'differential' way ('transcen | {
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World Athletics Championships on the BBC Venue: London Stadium Dates: 4-13 August Coverage: Live across BBC One and Two, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and app. Click for times
Mo Farah lit up the London Stadium once again as he survived a brutal collective effort from his rivals to storm to his third consecutive world 10,000 metres gold.
Roared on by a capacity crowd as loud as anything experienced here during his Olympic triumphs five summers ago, the Briton almost fell twice late in the race as an epic contest developed, before kicking down the home straight in trademark fashion to finally pull away.
These are Farah's final track championships, and not since his golden run of victories began seven years ago has he been tested like this.
Yet he proved himself equal to those physical and tactical challenges, his young son and three daughters joining him on the track afterwards as the celebrations rolled around the arena.
Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei was in his wake for silver and Kenya's Paul Tanui third, the winning time of 26 minutes 49.51 seconds just three seconds off Farah's personal best.
The time reflects the pressure Farah was put under, the pace surging in the middle stages, the moves coming from all around as his rivals threw everything they had at him.
Much has changed since 2012, with Farah's controversial coach Alberto Salazar the subject of an US Anti-Doping Agency investigation, but this felt like a throwback to those golden nights in east London, the stadium awash in partisan fever and Union Jacks.
Farah makes history once again
Farah could win a seventh world gold when he competes in the 5,000m
As he came out onto the track for the start Farah had gestured at the crowd for more noise, and he did so again as the contest began to develop.
Coming into this final he had eight consecutive 10,000m victories under his belt, including gold at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016, two golds at the Worlds and another at the European Championships.
And from the start his rivals looked to work together to upset his plans, Cheptegei and Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor taking the field through the first 1,000m in a brisk two mins 39 secs.
Kamworor, Tanui and their fellow Kenyan Bedan Muchiri hit the front at 4,600m, throwing in a 61-second lap before Ethiopia's Abadi Hadis surged again.
Farah was content to sit in sixth and seventh as Eritrea's Aron Kifle then took it up, followed by Uganda's Timothy Toroitich and then Cheptegei again, and only at 800m did the 34-year-old make his move.
With 600m to go Farah still led, and he would not relinquish it despite being tripped so badly with 300m left that he took a step off the track.
But there was no stopping him, the capacity crowd screaming him home once again.
'Anything is possible' - Farah
Farah received his medal shortly after beating Cheptegei (left) by less than a second, with Tanui third
Farah, who will begin the defence of his 5,000m crown in heats on Wednesday, described his 10,000m win as "amazing".
He told BBC Sport: "I had to get my head around it and I got a bit emotional at the start. I had to get in the zone.
"It wasn't an easy race. I work on everything and it's been a long journey.
"What a way to end my career in London. It's special.
"Anything is possible in life if you train hard. To all the kids out there, if you want to be like me it is possible if you work hard."
Is that all you've got? - Reaction
Farah's time was his best since 2011
2005 marathon world champion Paula Radcliffe: "It was the best of all of Mo's victories. Yes, 2012 kicked it all off but tonight they really took it to him and made it a tough race and he handled it."
BBC 5 live commentator Mike Costello: "It was astonishing the discipline he showed to win and he looked so in control it was almost like his great hero Muhammad Ali to George Foreman in the Rumble of the Jungle when he said 'is that all you've got?'"
1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and BBC commentator Brendan Foster: "That was the best ever. Mo's last ever 10,000m in a Championship in his favourite stadium. He was hurting in the middle. He brought the crowd to their feet. He is a ruthless running machine."
BBC athletics commentator Steve Cram: "If he had only ever won this race tonight it would have been a phenomenal achievement, but it's another gold to add to his achievements. To have 10 global gold medals is incredible. He's a true British sporting hero."
Bolt safely through as British quartet impress
The other great retiring superstar, Usain Bolt, remains on course for his own golden farewell after easing through the first round of the 100m.
Bolt was far from happy with his start - afterwards describing the starting blocks as the worst he has used - but recovered to win his heat in 10.07 secs.
All three Britons - CJ Ujah, James Dasaolu and Reece Prescod - will join him in the semi-finals, Prescod clocking a new personal best of 10.03 for third in his heat.
Britain's Laura Muir, Jess Judd, Laura Weightman and Sarah McDonald all qualified safely for the semi-finals of the 1500m on a fine opening night for home athletes.
In one of the most competitive events at these championships, British record holder Muir ran a controlled race to come through her heat, with both Judd and McDonald producing personal bests as the big medal contenders - Faith Kipyegon, Caster Semenya and Genzebe Dibaba - underlined their threat.
Holly Bradshaw is also into the pole vault final after a first-time clearance at 4.50m. | {
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The shift away from oil and coal is long overdue and paramount to building a future with clean energy. And while renewables like wind and solar are a vital part of this shift, we must also consider the needs of the 21st century American power grid and what we can do both to protect our environment and power our modern-day economy.
America needs a strategic mix of diverse fuel sources in order to reduce the financial burden on consumers while also protecting the environment and growing the economy. We all need heat and electricity for our homes and businesses. Natural gas is an integral part of that strategic mix.
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In order to protect our environment and fuel our economy, there is no better complement to renewable energy than natural gas. Natural gas dwarfs coal and oil in terms of safety of procurement. Underground natural gas pipelines have a smaller carbon footprint and a significantly better safety record than the transportation of coal and oil.
Moreover, in the last two decades, the increased usage of natural gas has correlated directly with improved local air quality and public health, due to natural gas’s reduced carbon emissions and greater efficiency. Times have changed for the better with the shift to cleaner fuels like natural gas.
As part of the global push to reduce carbon emissions, America is uniquely positioned to use natural gas to meet these goals.
Our country holds the largest cache of natural gas in the world, with enough to meet our energy needs for about 90 years. Why forfeit this asset?
Since 2005, U.S. natural gas production has increased by 50 percent, and it now generates 32 percent of our electricity. According to the American Gas Association, 62 million homes and 5.4 million businesses rely on energy from natural gas.
And considering our reserves of natural gas, these numbers are set to rise — all because consumers sought to diversify their options, rather than remain a captive market to earlier energy sources. As such, natural gas is providing a significant boost to the American economy.
In 2016 alone, the manufacturing industry contributed $2.18 trillion to the US economy — working hand-in-hand with natural gas producers. Considering the steadily increasing employment of natural gas, we can expect more economic growth looking forward — that’s more than what can be expected from that which has been promised by the recent Trump tax cuts.
As a lifelong Democrat who served at the Democratic National Committee, worked on five presidential campaigns and spent more than two decades in the private sector, I support the Democratic push for cleaner energy. I worked with Vice President Al Gore Albert (Al) Arnold GoreCruz says Senate Republicans likely have votes to confirm Trump Supreme Court nominee 4 inconclusive Electoral College results that challenged our democracy Fox's Napolitano: 2000 election will look like 'child's play' compared to 2020 legal battles MORE and his staff to make environmental awareness and protection not only a prominent social issue, but also a key economic one.
As far back as 1986, working for former Congressman Joe Kennedy Joseph (Joe) Patrick KennedyDemocrats see fundraising spike following Ginsburg death Massachusetts town clerk resigns after delays to primary vote count Bogeymen of the far left deserve a place in any Biden administration MORE’s Citizen’s Energy, and trading on the natural gas spot market, I learned, first hand, the importance of our breaking into the marketplace to compete in order to provide alternative energy sources to middle class consumers at affordable prices.
In the name of Democratic free-enterprise, competition in the energy sector — be it coal, oil, solar or gas —will work to give us cleaner energy sources at lower costs. Committing to a strategic mix of energy sources will spare us extended debates, coupled with inaction, that result only in us squandering our resources rather than harnessing them in a manner that drives and energizes what is our true economic growth engine — the American middle class.
David L. Mercer is president of Mercer & Associates, Inc. and former deputy national finance director at the Democratic National Committee. Mercer previously served as a regional marketing representative for Citizens Energy Corporation, marketing and transporting fuel nationally. | {
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Super Awesome Showdown: Space Love Adventure We return to a war torn planet Hathina, as its invaded by the forces of Vlad Tempest and the Space Romanian Army! The Prince of Space Romania has found the Quasar Crystal of Psychic Energy to be in the possession of King Hyperion. His Daughter is Princess Neptunia is kidnapped and held for ransom! However, Vlad's plan will end in tears if the heroes of Super Awesome Showdown have anything to say about it! | {
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Welcome friends! I love helping crafty people be creative. On my blog you will find inspiration from projects I made, along with helpful hints and free SVG files I have created. | {
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I look forward to getting my period every month... because it's a pretty solid indicator that I'm not pregnant.
2,765 shares | {
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At Tokyo Game Show 2012, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts for PC Browsers, an upcoming social web browser game with a tentative title. Since then, some screenshots and information has been released, but we still know relatively little about the title.
Today, we have discovered that Korean publication INews24 have published some information about the game. The game, which they refer to as "Kingdom Hearts online game", is being developed by a Korean studio known as "Studio EX", which was recently acquired by Disney. Series director Tetsuya Nomura mentioned in October that the game was being developed externally, so this checks out.
The article also mentions that the title is expected to become multi-platform, and released on smartphones as well as on the web browser. We have obtained a direct translation of the relevant part of the article, thanks to kalnet from KH13, and this translation can be read below. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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“Running with Scissors” was a very funny episode, but the ending scene is what really made me think.
Marco literally spend 16 years fighting his way looking for Hekapoo so he could prove himself worthy of owning a pair of Dimensional Scissors, possibly not realizing he would ever find the real Hekapoo. He obviously grew accustom to the world, Hell I might even think he lost all hope of ever going home and embraced his new life, which he obviously did and really seemed to have enjoyed it.
I was wondering though, when he did manage to find to get Hekapoo, had Star never shown up, would Marco ever wanted to go back? Even when Star did show up, Marco was already thinking of staying with the life he spent outside of earth, he really did enjoy the adventure he always wanted, how excited he was telling Star everything he did. He was more than ready to stay had Star not been there and convinced him otherwise.
But after everything that has happened to Marco in the 16 years, to everyone’s shock, he comes back as a teenager again and finds out that he was only gone for at least 8 minutes. How shocking would that be, to find out that after experiencing years of survival and most likely hardships, to come back as if nothing happened. Marco has forgotten his own laptop’s password, he basically forgotten how he was before leaving in the first place. Marco was always known as the “safety kid” at the beginning of the series, but as the series went on, he most likely started to grow out of it, but now, how will he readjust to his life back home, has literally lived at least 30 years and half those years were spent surviving, now he has to relive those years with the experienced left in him, those types of memories can’t be forgotten by themselves, at least not in real life. It’s like a soldier coming home, you can’t expect them to return to their old lives with some problem, it happens a lot and it must be very difficult for them to suffer through them.
Marco wanted to prove he could earn those Dimensional Scissors, and he did. Now he reaps the reward and all that comes with it. In the end,
Was it really worth it?
if the show does play up to the possibilities, it could be interesting, or not, either way this episode really was something and it’s already one of my favorite episodes. | {
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SOME FISHERMEN REEL IN THEIR CATCH ALONG THE SHORE. >> THERE’S NO STRETCH -- STRESS. MAX: HE HAS BEEN DOING THIS MORE THAN 40 YEARS. RENEWING HIS FISHING LICENSE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. >> THEY HAVE ALL THE STAMPS, SOME PLACES DON’T HAVE THE STAMPS YOU NEED FOR OFFSHORE. MAX: OTHERS HAVE NOT BEEN TAKING THE APPROACH AS OF LATE. >> THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IT HAS INCREASED. WE REALIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME FRAUDULENT WEBSITES OUT THERE THAT ARE PAYING FOR ADVERTISEMENTS BASED ON THE TOP OF INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES TO SELL HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES. MAX: DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE SPOKESPERSON SAID WEBSITES ARE ACTING AS A NECESSARY BROKERS. >> YOU DON’T NEED TO HAVE THIS BROKER BETWEEN. THEY ARE CHARGING UP TO 100% EXTRA MAX:. MAX:SOME ARE ALSO TAKING PERSONAL INFORMATION LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS TO AVOID OVERPAYING AND GIVING PERSONAL INFORMATION, HERE ARE THE FOUR WAYS TO OBTAIN A LICENSE OR FRISCH -- FISH AND WILDLIFE. A SPORTING GOODS STORE, OR BAIT AND TACKLE SHOP APPROVED I FISH THEM ALL MY. THROUGH THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM ONLINE, OR BY PHONE. USING ONE OF THESE SERVICES IS THE SAFEST WAY TO ENJOY’S PFISHING -- ENJOY FISHING ALL SUMMER LONG.
Advertisement California wildlife officials investigate sites acting as license brokers More than 650 customers used websites Share Shares Copy Link Copy
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is warning prospective hunters and fishermen about several websites acting as a go-between in order to obtain licenses. CDFW first became aware of the issue about two months ago when just one or two people issued complaints with the department. At that point, the department thought perhaps something suspicious was happening, or it was result of user error. Weeks later, the complaints began to stack up, and CDFW discovered several websites serving as hunting and fishing license brokers. "In the past couple months, it's increased pretty significantly, and we realized that there are some fraudulent websites out there that are paying for advertising space on the top of internet search engines to sell hunting and fishing licenses from the state of California," said Jordan Traverso, CDFW deputy director of communications, education and outreach. "What they're essentially doing is brokering a deal between our actual automated license data system and the customer, which isn't necessary."In some cases, the websites are charging customers 100 percent of the cost of a fishing license, which is about $48.50, Traverso explained.Some of the complaints have involved the websites reaching back out to customers to ask for more money or for personal information, like a military identification number or social security number, Traverso said."They're actually in-taking personal identity information and for what they're going to use it for, I really don't know," she said. CDFW is investigating to see if it's more widespread than this initial discovery and has sent cease and desist letters to the websites. Here are the three sites the department has identified so far:onlinefishinglicense.comfishinglicense-usa.comhuntinglicense.onlineTraverso said 656 customers to date have used these sites, but it's not clear the degree to which each person has been impacted. Some, she said, actually received their licenses."The bottom line is that it's completely unnecessary. It's fraudulent for them to say it's needed at all or that it helps at all," she said. "You can go directly to our website and get your fishing license and hunting licenses from the department."Here are the four ways to obtain a license, according to CDFW:Through a CDFW license sales office Through an independent license sales agent authorized by CDFW (such as a local sporting goods store, large discount store, or a bait and tackle shop) Online through CDFW's Automated License Data System (ALDS) Over the telephone through CDFW's authorized Telephone Sales agent. Telephone Sales can be reached at (800) 565-1458.Customers who believe they've used one of these websites are urged to report their experience to CDFW at [email protected]. | {
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Ministry of primary industries takes part in project to create a new hops and beer for export
This article is more than 1 year old
This article is more than 1 year old
Bureaucrats in New Zealand have decided to get into the craft beer game, contributing millions to help the industry develop its own unique “Kiwi” hops flavour.
The ministry of primary industries wants to develop “a super-premium hops” and craft beer in an attempt to emulate New Zealand’s success with wines such as sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.
The ministry is contributing $5.3m to the seven-year research and development project in conjunction with a brewery and hops grower, which is contributing $7.95m.
'Desperate for a shag': pranksters target New Zealand's bird of the year poll Read more
The aim of the research is to create new varieties and cross-breeds of hops that will be identifiably “Kiwi” from the first sip, much like Marlborough sauvignon blanc is known for its distinctive gooseberry flavours.
New Zealand has a thriving craft beer scene with about 200 companies in operation. The number has increased by 300% in the last decade. However only a small quantity of hops is grown in New Zealand and access to markets is limited.
A number of niche breweries have been absorbed by corporations, including Dunedin’s Emerson brewery being sold to Australia’s Lion and Wellington’s Tuatara beer being bought by New Zealand’s DB breweries.
Martyn Dunne, the director general of the department of primary industries, said the project aimed to produce craft beer destined for the global craft beer market, where consumers are encouraged to drink – and pay – for craft beers as they would fine wines.
The programme is forecasting craft beer revenue to grow to $98.5m a year by 2027, which is $82m more than the revenue forecast without the programme.
New Zealand has earned a reputation as a binge-drinking nation, with one in five residents drinking at hazardous levels, and one in eight binge drinking at least once a week. A third of all police incidents in New Zealand involve alcohol and on the weekends 60-70% of all emergency room admissions are related to alcohol. | {
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