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World News Print This Removing Billboard “Honoring the First Responders of Gaza” is Attack on Free Speech By Palestine Advocacy Project Dissident Voice
Nearly 3 weeks into its planned 4-week run, an electronic billboard honoring first responders in the Gaza Strip was pulled November 13th because the billboard company received phone calls and email complaints calling their staff terrorists and anti-Semites, and threatening a boycott.
The Palestine Advocacy Project sponsored the billboard on Interstate 93 near Boston to highlight the desperate situation in the Gaza strip, and to emphasize the humanity and agency of the people of Gaza, who are often portrayed as terrorists or victims. The billboard included a photo of deceased Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar and text reading: “Honoring the First Responders of Gaza. Saving Lives. Rescuing Hope.” It was estimated to be viewed by over a half million motorists each week of its planned 4-week run, beginning 24 October. The billboard was met with positive media coverage.
This week, a coordinated, aggressive campaign was launched against the billboard company with accusations of anti-Semitism, intended to damage the company for hosting this billboard. Sarah Gold, a volunteer with the Palestine Advocacy Project, said, “This campaign is neither engaging us nor our perspective. Instead it is attempting through intimidation to eradicate the avenues of free speech we have endeavored to use; to silence us.”
The billboard is another casualty in an ongoing attack on free speech. Palestine Legal states in their 2017 report “The Israeli state and its proxy organizations in the U.S. are investing heavily in punitive measures to intimidate and chill the free speech of those who wish to express criticism of Israeli policies.” The report documents 308 attacks on U.S.-based Palestine-related free speech in 2017 alone.
Razan al-Najjar and other Gazan first responders were doing their best to attend to wounded civilians; yet celebrating them is construed as an act of “hate & anti-semitism.” One complaint reads in part: “A billboard glorifying those who try to kill and destroy our People and Homeland! Anti Semitism is as old as time itself, Hate of Israel is hate of Jews, completely unacceptable!” This negative campaign appears to be based on the erroneous notions that all Gazans are anti-Semites intent on murdering Jews, that Gazans are not entitled to basic human rights, and that any display of solidarity with them equates to a call for the destruction of Israel.
Richard Colbath-Hess, founder of the Palestine Advocacy Project, remarked that “The billboard was extremely positive and does not even mention Israel. Instead it was a celebration of Palestinian heroes. Apparently, there cannot be Palestinian heroes without some advocates of Israel feeling attacked.”
Source URL
Nearly 3 weeks into its planned 4-week run, an electronic billboard honoring first responders in the Gaza Strip was pulled November 13th because the billboard company received phone calls and email complaints calling their staff terrorists and anti-Semites, and threatening a boycott.The Palestine Advocacy Project sponsored the billboard on Interstate 93 near Boston to highlight the desperate situation in the Gaza strip, and to emphasize the humanity and agency of the people of Gaza, who are often portrayed as terrorists or victims. The billboard included a photo of deceased Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar and text reading: “Honoring the First Responders of Gaza. Saving Lives. Rescuing Hope.” It was estimated to be viewed by over a half million motorists each week of its planned 4-week run, beginning 24 October. The billboard was met with positive media coverage.This week, a coordinated, aggressive campaign was launched against the billboard company with accusations of anti-Semitism, intended to damage the company for hosting this billboard. Sarah Gold, a volunteer with the Palestine Advocacy Project, said, “This campaign is neither engaging us nor our perspective. Instead it is attempting through intimidation to eradicate the avenues of free speech we have endeavored to use; to silence us.”The billboard is another casualty in an ongoing attack on free speech. Palestine Legal states in their 2017 report “The Israeli state and its proxy organizations in the U.S. are investing heavily in punitive measures to intimidate and chill the free speech of those who wish to express criticism of Israeli policies.” The report documents 308 attacks on U.S.-based Palestine-related free speech in 2017 alone.Razan al-Najjar and other Gazan first responders were doing their best to attend to wounded civilians; yet celebrating them is construed as an act of “hate & anti-semitism.” One complaint reads in part: “A billboard glorifying those who try to kill and destroy our People and Homeland! Anti Semitism is as old as time itself, Hate of Israel is hate of Jews, completely unacceptable!” This negative campaign appears to be based on the erroneous notions that all Gazans are anti-Semites intent on murdering Jews, that Gazans are not entitled to basic human rights, and that any display of solidarity with them equates to a call for the destruction of Israel.Richard Colbath-Hess, founder of the Palestine Advocacy Project, remarked that “The billboard was extremely positive and does not even mention Israel. Instead it was a celebration of Palestinian heroes. Apparently, there cannot be Palestinian heroes without some advocates of Israel feeling attacked.” Print This Make a Donation! Donate here If you appreciated this article, please consider making a donation to Axis of Logic. We do not use commercial advertising or corporate funding. We depend solely upon you, the reader, to continue providing quality news and opinion on world affairs.
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Woman left with 'uniboob' after botched surgery leaves her breasts joined together
A 40 year old woman has gone public with her 'botched' breast enhancement operation in a bid to warn other women about the dangers of using an unqualified plastic surgeons.
Dinora Rodriguez, from Los Angeles, California, was left with a 'uniboob' after her breasts were conjoined by skin.
She also had a nip-tuck operation on her eyelids that has meant she is unable to close them.
Botched surgery: Dinora Rodriguez, from Los Angeles, California, was left with a 'uniboob' after an ill-qualified surgeon left her breasts joined by skin
Mrs Rodriguez is featured in a new advertising campaign being mounted by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in an attempt to warn people about the dangers of using unqualified surgeons.
The ASPS want to warn people considering surgery to be on their guard against what they call 'white coat deception'.
A spokesman for the ABPS explained: 'Just because they have a white coat doesn't mean they are qualified to perform plastic surgery.'
Mrs Rodriguez said she discovered this the hard way after visiting a doctor to have her breast implants replaced.
Her surgeon had cut across the two separate 'pockets' that normally hold breast tissue which meant the implants were able to touch in the middle creating the look of a single breast, or 'uniboob'.
The female surgeon also cut through nerves and muscle, leaving her with shooting pains in her ribs.
Before: Mrs Rodriguez's breasts pictured ahead of her first implant procedure
After: The surgeon had cut across the two separate 'pockets' that normally hold breast tissue, creating the look of a single breast, or 'uniboob'
Mrs Rodriguez revealed that the surgeon also carried out corrective surgery on her eyes - even though she did not request any.
The operation has left her unable to close her eyes and surgeons said no corrective surgery will be able to repair the damage.
Mrs Rodriguez must take medication for the rest of her life to keep her eyes moist.
She said: 'It was a terrible experience waking up from surgery and seeing that this had happened.
'It was a terrible experience waking up from surgery and seeing that this had happened. I didn't know to check my doctor's qualifications and I regret it'
'I didn't know to check my doctor's qualifications and I regret it.'
A new surgeon, Dr Steven Teitelbaum, has since carried out corrective surgery on Mrs Rodriguez's breasts.
She was able to pay for the new operation with a settlement after suing her previous surgeon for malpractice.
An advert featuring Mrs Rodriguez was unveiled at the annual conference of the ABPS in Denver, Colorado.
The group hope it will warn women and men to check on the credentials of their doctors before going ahead with operations.
It is currently legal in 48 states for doctors who are not certified by the board of plastic surgeons to practice cosmetic and plastic surgery.
Malcolm Z Roth, ASPS President, explained: ' Patients are getting injured, some are dying during procedures performed by non-board-certified plastic surgeons.
Permanent damage: Mrs Rodriguez has also been left unable to close her eyes after the surgeon operated on them without permission
'We want patients to understand what to ask their doctor and what to look for so that they can maximize their chance of a safe and successful procedure.
'There is a misconception among consumers that as long as a doctor is certified in a medical field that he or she is qualified to practice plastic surgery. This is absolutely wrong and it is dangerous for patients.
'If you are considering a plastic surgery procedure it is critical that your doctor is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This is the best way to be certain that he or she has completed the necessary training and meets certain standards to practice plastic surgery.'
Latest figures from the ABPS show that 1.6m procedures were carried out in 2010.
They included over 300,000 breast augmentation, 289,000 liposuction and 138,000 breast reduction.
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A nurse tends to an elderly patient in this file photo. Medical student Yin Xu said his grandmother was the inspiration for his seizure alarm. Photo: Dickson Lee | {
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What makes covert operations so interesting, and even funny at times, is that things are purposely not what they seem.
I often find myself explaining to people that despite its ‘cool factor’, a covert operation isn’t just conducted for fun. It’s a tactical method for achieving very specific goals, and it can be expensive, risky and difficult to manage.
That being said, there’s still no denying the fact that once the operation is running properly, there are indeed many interesting, even funny, situations that can come up.
Let me give you just a tiny sampling of this.
Working with different clients
One of the things that makes the work of an external vendor so interesting is that you get to work for many different types of clients in many different environments. Variety, it’s been well said, is one of the spices of life.
I’ve had clients who came directly from intelligence agencies, and who knew exactly what kind of covert operations they wanted. I’ve also had clients that admittedly didn’t know the first thing about covert operations, and others that didn’t know the first thing about covert operations but claimed otherwise. It’s this latter category that tends to produce some of the funnier stories.
I had a production company client from Los Angeles that wanted a certain celebrity who was attending an event in San Francisco to receive covert protection. This, I was instructed, should take the form of a Secret Service-type close protection operator in a black suit with a pigtail earpiece. I had to explain that this was in fact a very overt form of protection, despite what my Hollywood client might be used to seeing in the movies.
On another occasion, I had a Silicon Valley client who needed six covert operators spread out at various locations in their headquarters. We started the operation early in the morning when my team met up at a coffee shop in the area. We then made our way into the headquarters’ loading dock where we were met by two of only seven people in the entire corporation that knew about our operation (except for one supervisor and one GSOC operator, even the campus security team didn’t know about us). The team got geard up in an internal room and each operator was discreetly escorted to their individual location.
At a certain point during the day, the corporate security director became upset about my operators not being in place. He had to be walked into each room and common area to have the operators discreetly pointed out to him. Despite the fact that all of them had extensive military and security backgrounds, I had specifically selected them based on age and appearance. Casually dressed with their laptops and coffee cups, they were so well embedded into the the techie environment that no one, including the man who had hired us, realized they were there.
Working with different operators
Just like I get to work for different types of clients, I also get to (or rather have to) employ different types of operators. As always, the mission and the environment dictate how you operate and who you should employ.
The reason why the above-mentioned operation went so well was because the operators were relatively young, white, Asian and Latino men and women who were dressed like hipsters and techies. In other operations that take place in other environments, different operators can be used. Political correctness simply has no place here.
The black middle aged operators I work with (both ex-cops with extensive undercover experience) simply can’t blend into a room of young tech workers. They can, however, make themselves invisible in the many downtown environments we often work in.
There’s the short, friendly, middle aged white lady who blends so perfectly into shareholders meetings that even I sometimes have a hard time spotting her. No one else in these meetings has the foggiest idea she’s carrying a concealed weapon and that she’s an ex-police lieutenant with thirty years of law enforcement experience, ten of which were spent as a SWAT operator.
As for large, serious-looking men with military, law enforcement and security backgrounds, it’s interesting to see who can blend into different environments despite their size, and who can’t. Those who can’t tend to be better suited for vehicular surveillance operations.
I’ve never managed any mobile vehicular operations but static ones (oftentimes overnight) are quite common. In these types of operations, it’s interesting to see who has less experience, and therefore needs more guidance, and who has years of experience and knows the drill.
I once managed a complex overnight operation where five operators were positioned in five different vehicles on different levels of an indoor parking lot. The operators had to remain unseen in their vehicles the entire night. Before the operation started, I met each operator at a different location a few blocks from where the operation was to take place in order to brief them and to give them some overnight provisions. These included snacks, water, energy drinks and a couple of empty Gatorade bottles.
Some of you already know why you’d need that last item. Gatorade bottles have larger rims which makes them ideal for “depositing” your fluids. Remember, we’re talking about an overnight covert operation where you don’t get any bathroom breaks. Also, when it’s dark and you reach for a bottle, the difference in shape helps you prevent accidentally drinking out of, or peeing into, the wrong bottle.
I had to explain this to the operators with less relevant experience. I remember one of them looking quite bemused as I was talking, thinking I must be joking. Explaining this to another operator however, an ex-Navy SEAL with years of PSD contract work in Afghanistan, earned me a different kind of bemused expression. This one for wasting my breath. I think his exact words to me were “This ain’t my first rodeo, kid.” We both had a good chuckle about it. I just had to make sure everyone was on the same page.
Interesting encounters
A few years ago, I was leading a covert operation that was meant to detect hostile surveillance and other pre-incident indicators around a large tech conference. As I was walking around a large dirt lot in the area of the conference, I saw a man enter the lot carrying a black plastic case. I continued walking a little longer to avoid any direct correlation and spotted a good static position further down the street next to some trees behind a small parking lot. Having seemingly stopped there to check my phone, I had a good distance from the individual (around 200 yards), a clear field of view and a few parked cars between us. The man had his back to me as he kept walking towards the middle of the large dirt lot.
I remember thinking “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.” But sure enough, I saw the man stop, lay the case on the ground and open it up. He took a medium-sized item out of the case, laid it down on the ground and took out a smaller item which he held in both hands. He then took two steps back and the medium-sized item lifted off the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I immediately reported that a drone was in the air, and gave the exact location of the drone operator. The lot was actually owned by the company in question and drones were strictly prohibited around the conference. No less than three uniformed security officers got to him within sixty seconds, which was when I walked away.
Despite the inclination to watch what happened next, there was no real benefit to my sticking around. My part was over. Also, if the individual were to put two and two together and realized that three uniformed security officers probably wouldn’t have triangulated on his exact location as quickly as they did without any help, he might have figured out that another operator was in play. On top of that, most of the uniformed security officers also didn’t know about our covert operation, and the few who did, didn’t know who I and my team members were. There was just no point in sticking around to allow someone observant to detect me.
Maybe an hour later, as I was walking a bit closer to the main entrance of the venue, I practically bumped right into my first cousin on the sidewalk. I had known that she worked for the company in question, but so did thousands of other people. The thought of accidentally bumping into her hadn’t come up (and wouldn’t have really changed much if it had). Unexpectedly bumping into people you know is just one of the things you have to accept when you live and work in the relatively small San Francisco Bay Area.
Still, it’s a strange feeling when your personal and professional worlds literally bump into each other on a Silicon Valley sidewalk.
There are celebrated stories of how trainees in clandestine agencies are purposely made to run into friends and family members during training in order to check if they can still hold onto their covers. In my case though, there would have been no point to such a thing. For one thing, I wasn’t exactly operating in enemy territory, and if anything, our unexpected meetup only helped me blend into the environment as we stood and chatted for a minute or two. Knowing what I do for a living, my cousin didn’t have to ask me what I was doing there, and just told me she was happy I was around that day.
Interestingly enough, I recently found myself on the opposite side of an accidental meetup. A friendly British acquaintance of mine who organizes security conferences around the world was attending the recent RSA conference in San Francisco. We decided to meet up at one of the high-end hotels downtown to discuss the possibility of my being a speaker at a future conference he was organizing.
The hotel was unsurprisingly full of RSA attendees and various side-events and meetings were happening there. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, I saw a local professional acquaintance of mine sitting alone on one of the sofas. We had worked together in the past but hadn’t seen each other for some time. He was there providing covert protection for an important Silicon Valley CEO (which was one of the reasons his position covered the entrance to the lobby).
There’s no denying the slight awkwardness of a situation like that but having both recognized each other, it would have been even more awkward to try to ignore one another afterwards. Besides, keeping him company, even if just for a few minutes, could help him better blend into the social environment he was in. So I joined him on the couch to wait for my British friend and we got a chance to catch up a bit.
The Russians…
Over ten years ago, I was in charge of a multiple-day protective operation that necessitated the continuous presence of an operator in a parked vehicle outside a high-end residence in San Francisco. I don’t usually consider operations like that covert, since there’s no real cover or concealment in play. Neighbors almost always start noticing it after a while, and without fail, so do the police patrol officers. For this reason, we always reach out to the SFPD beforehand to let them know about stuff like that (professional courtesy of this sort can sometimes be very useful and is always very appreciated).
When I went to conduct an advance before the operation, I realized that the residence in question was within two blocks of the very large and imposing Russian consulate (the same one that was subsequently shut down by the State Department in September 2017).
My points of contact for this operation were two jovial middle-aged corporate security directors who had previously retired from the FBI (the residence in question belonged to one of their corporate executives). I voiced my concerns about the fact that the Russians were sure to detect our continuous presence, and might mistakenly think we were there to surveill the consulate. I asked them how they suggest we handle this tricky situation but both of them just started laughing. “The russians aren’t going to bother you, kid. We used to post agents out there all the time back in the 80s, just to fuck with them.”
The operation went smoothly and just as they told me, the Russians indeed didn’t bother us.
Get my book, Surveillance Zone now!
Go behind the scenes of corporate surveillance detection & covert special operations. Get a first-person account of actual covert operations I’ve participated in. Learn the secrets of the trade and discover a hidden world that’s all around you.
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Left-Associative Semigroup Operator Alias
Mailing list discussion in progress on on {libraries,ghc-devs}@haskell.org
related reddit discussion on /r/haskell
Problem
With the implementation of prime:Libraries/Proposals/SemigroupMonoid, Semigroup will become a superclass of Monoid , and consequently Semigroup((<>)) will be re-exported alongside Monoid from the Prelude module.
-- reduced/simplified definition class Semigroup a where (<>) :: a -> a -> a infixr 6 <>
The infixr 6 -fixity for <> was already introduced 4 years ago, when we added Data.Monoid.<> as alias for mappend (which differs from infixr 5 ++ ). See also #3339 (closed) for some of the discussion that began in 2009 leading up to the final infixr 6 <> decision.
Conflicting fixities of <> in pretty printing APIs
However, there are a few popular pretty-printing modules which already define a <> top-level binding for their respective semigroup/monoid binary operation. The problem now is that those <> definitions use a different operator fixity/associativity:
-- pretty module Text.PrettyPrint.Annotated.HughesPJ where infixl 6 <> infixl 6 <+> infixl 5 $$, $+$ -- pretty module Text.PrettyPrint.HughesPJ where infixl 6 <> infixl 6 <+> infixl 5 $$, $+$
-- template-haskell module Language.Haskell.TH.PprLib where infixl 6 <> infixl 6 <+> infixl 5 $$, $+$
-- ghc module Outputable infixl 9 <> infixl 9 <+> infixl 9 $$, $+$ -- ghc module Pretty where infixl 6 <> infixl 6 <+> infixl 5 $$, $+$
On the other hand, the popular hackage:ansi-wl-pprint package does use right-associative operators:
module Text.PrettyPrint.ANSI.Leijen where infixr 6 <> infixr 6 <+>
Other pretty printers also using a infixr 6 <>, <+> definition:
Changing <> 's associativity in pretty-printing APIs
Changing the fixity of pretty 's <> would however results in a semantic change for code which relies on the relative fixity between <+> and <> as was pointed out by Duncan back in 2011 already:
So I was preparing to commit this change in base and validating ghc when I discovered a more subtle issue in the pretty package: Consider a <> empty <+> b The fixity of <> and <+> is critical: (a <> empty) <+> b = {- empty is unit of <> -} (a ) <+> b a <> (empty <+> b) = {- empty is unit of <+> -} a <> ( b) Currently Text.Pretty declares infixl 5 <>, <+> . If we change them to be infixr then we get the latter meaning of a <> empty <+> b . Existing code relies on the former meaning and produces different output with the latter (e.g. ghc producing error messages like "instancefor" when it should have been "instance for").
Unsatisfying Situation Seeking a Long-term Solution
Consequently, it's confusing and bad practice to have a soon-to-be-in-Prelude <> operator whose meaning depends on which import s are currently in scope. Moreover, a module needs to combine pretty-printing monoids and other non-pretty-printing monoids, the conflicting <> s operator needs to be disambiguated via module qualification or similiar techniques.
However, there also seems to be a legitimate use-case for a left-associative <> operator.
Alternative Suggestions
David Terei suggests among other things to
Switch <> to infixr 6 7 and <+> to infixr 5 6, some code can still break, but arguably code relying on unintuitive semantics (since somewhat odd <> and <+> have same precedence when both treat empty as identity).
resulting in
infixr 7 <> infixr 6 <+> infixr 5 $$, $+$
Proposed Solution
Leave Semigroup((<>)) as infixr 6 , and add a standardised left-associative alias for <> to the Data.Semigroup vocabulary, i.e.
module Data.Semigroup where infixl 6 >< -- | Left-associative alias for (right-associative) 'Semigroup' operation '(<>)' (><) :: Semigroup a => a -> a -> a (><) = (<>)
Bikesheds for >< | {
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The Lifetime Income Security Solution
This book provides a straightforward methodology to achieve and protect your financial goals. It not only explains why an income-based investment strategy is superior to active management but also how to utilize certain deferred compensation strategies to better time income recognition. Finally, there is an overview of a simple and realistic asset protection methodology that relies less on hype and more on an honest appraisal of asset protections true capabilities. Concise and conversationally written, this book is a must for high net worth individuals and investment advisers. | {
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Mailman drops off mail Watches them until they move to the next house to get it
163 shares | {
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The mix of fuels used to generate electricity in the United States has changed in response to differences in the relative costs of electricity-generating technologies and their fuels. EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2019 (AEO2019) shows that projected generation and capacity is significantly influenced by natural gas prices. In the High Oil and Gas Resource and Technology scenario, a sensitivity case with low natural gas prices, natural gas provides 54% of all U.S. electricity generation by the end of the projection period. In the Low Oil and Gas Resource and Technology scenario, a corresponding sensitivity case with high natural gas prices, the natural gas generation share falls to 21%.
On an annual basis, natural gas surpassed coal in 2016 as the fuel most used to generate electricity in the United States. In the AEO2019 Reference case, natural gas remains the leading source of electricity generation through 2050. In 2018, natural gas accounted for 34% of total electricity generation, and EIA projects its share to grow to 40% by 2032 and then remain between 39% and 40% throughout 2050. Electricity generation shares from coal and nuclear gradually decline as coal and nuclear become less cost competitive compared with natural gas and renewables. Renewables generation surpasses nuclear by 2020 and surpasses coal by the mid-2020s as tax credits and lower capital costs drive solar photovoltaic and wind capacity additions.
The natural gas share of U.S. electricity generation largely depends on natural gas prices. Relatively low natural gas prices lead to higher utilization of existing plants and to more natural gas power plant construction. The price of natural gas delivered to electric power plants averaged $3.42 per million British thermal units (Btu) in 2018, and in the AEO2019 Reference case, EIA projects that it will average (in real dollar terms) $5.36 per million Btu in 2050.
In the Low Oil and Gas Resource and Technology case, higher extraction costs and lower resource availability result in less natural gas production, and the natural gas price for power plants increases to $8.62 per million Btu in 2050. Conversely, in the High Oil and Gas Resource and Technology case, which has the opposite assumptions for resource extraction costs and availability, EIA projects that natural gas prices will remain well below $4.00 per million Btu through 2050.
Because of lower natural gas prices, the share of natural gas-fired generation in the High Oil and Gas Resource and Technology case is considerably higher than in the Reference case, displacing renewables, coal-fired, and nuclear-powered generation. Natural gas-fired plants exceed renewables as the leading source of new capacity additions, and more existing coal-fired and nuclear-powered generation capacity is retired. Nuclear-powered electricity generation is lower in the High Oil and Gas Resource and Technology case because almost half of the current nuclear power plant fleet retires by 2050.
For the relatively high natural gas price environment in the Low Oil and Gas Resource and Technology case, natural gas-fired generation becomes less competitive with electricity generation from both renewables and coal-fired plants, resulting in renewables and coal-fired plants gaining market share. Increased additions of solar photovoltaic and wind capacity lead renewables technologies to become the predominant source of electricity generation in this case, first surpassing coal-fired plants as the primary source of generation by the mid-2020s and then exceeding natural gas-fired generation before 2030.
Compared with the Reference case, coal-fired generation is at a higher level because of fewer retirements and higher utilization rates for existing coal-fired generating plants. Coal and natural gas maintain similar shares of total generation (slightly more than 20%) through the last 10 years of the projection period, while the renewables share grows to 43%. Solar and wind provide 22% and 13% of U.S. electricity generation by 2050, respectively.
Principal contributors: Jeff Jones, Laura Martin | {
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Who likes spam? Nobody. And we’re no exception. Although we rely on the social media channels to get our message out and spread our word (and VIBs), the posted content can quickly turn from talked-about to talked-badly-about.
Spamming is just bad. Bad for the followers and supporters, bad for consumers, bad for our brand’s image — it decreases the effect of our objectives and damages our credibility. Our spam sensors are, therefore, always on high alert and lately, we’ve noticed a rise in it on our social media channels. To build a strong and genuine social media presence, we at Viberate have to make sure our communication is as clean and spam-free as possible.
Therefore, we’ve fine-tuned our promotion rules and prepared a general promotion guide to ensure that only the content of the highest quality gets to be shared with our audience. And the more relevant and valuable the content, the greater the chance for promoters to receive greater rewards. Sounds good? Then click on the link below and get to know the dos and don’ts of promoting Viberate!
Viberate Promotion Guide | {
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With no apparent relief to California's record-breaking drought, Los Angeles has turned to more unusual methods to protect the city's water.
Officials recently released 96 million floating 'shade balls' into the 75-acre Los Angeles Reservoir in Sylmar, California.
The black plastic balls are designed to help protect the water against dust, rain, chemicals and wildlife, as well as prevent 300 million gallons of water from evaporating each year.
Scroll down for video
With no apparent relief to California's record-breaking drought, Los Angeles has turned to more unusual methods to protect the city's water. City officials recently released ninety six million floating 'shade balls' into the Los Angeles Reservoir to cover the complex' water
HOW DO THE SHADE BALLS WORK? The plastic black balls, around the size of an apple, cost 36 cents each. They floating on the surface and block the sun's rays to prevent water from evaporating. By doing this, they prevent the chemical reaction that creates the carcinogenic compound bromate. The balls also form a protective barrier across the surface that helps keep birds, animals and other contaminants out away. Advertisement
The balls work by floating on the surface and blocking the sun's rays.
As well as protecting against evaporation, they also prevent the chemical reaction that creates the carcinogenic compound bromate.
For most people, exposure to bromate - created from naturally-occurring bromide in water -is unlikely to be cause problems.
But some people who ingest large amounts of bromate have suffered nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
The balls also form a protective barrier across the surface that helps keep birds, animals and other contaminants out.
Dr Brian White, a now-retired Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP biologist), was the first person to think of using shade balls for water quality.
The idea came to him when he learned about the application of 'bird balls' in ponds along airfield runways.
His in-house solution has been used in LADWP's open-air reservoirs since 2008 to block sunlight, prevent chemical reactions and curtail algae blooms.
The balls, around the size of a large apple, cost 36 cents each and are black because it is the only colour that is able to deflect UV rays.
Around 20,000 polyethylene balls were released into the Los Angeles reservoir at the Van Norman complex in Sylmar, California, yesterday
They balls work by floating on the surface and blocking the sun rays to prevent the water from evaporating. By doing this, they also prevent the chemical reaction that creates the carcinogenic compound bromate.
They are currently in place at Upper Stone, Elysian and Ivanhoe reservoirs, and come with the added benefit of reducing evaporation off the reservoir surfaces by 85 to 90 per cent.
Mayor Eric Garcetti joined officials yesterday to release the final 20,000 shade balls as part of the region's $34.5 million water quality protection project.
'In the midst of California's historic drought, it takes bold ingenuity to maximize my goals for water conservation,' Garcetti said.
'This effort by LADWP is emblematic of the kind of the creative thinking we need to meet those challenges.'
The polyethylene balls are expected to save $250 million when compared to other, similar techniques to protect the water.
These include splitting the reservoir into two with a bisecting dam; and installing two floating covers that would have cost more than $300 million.
'In addition to cutting back on the need to chemically treat our water to prevent natural occurrences like algae, these shade balls are a cost-effective way to reduce evaporation each year by nearly 300 million gallons, enough to provide drinking water for 8,100 people for a full year,' added Councilman Mitch Englander.
The balls are made of polythene and cost 36 cents each. They are black because it is the only colour that is able to deflect UV rays
Dr Brian White, a now-retired LADWP biologist, was the first person to think of using shade balls for water quality. The idea came to him when he learned about the application of 'bird balls' in ponds along airfield runways.
Mayor Eric Garcetti (right) joined officials yesterday to release the final 20,000 shade balls as part of the region's $34.5 million water quality protection project. 'In the midst of California's historic drought, it takes bold ingenuity to maximize my goals for water conservation,' Garcetti said. 'This effort by LADWP is emblematic of the kind of the creative thinking we need to meet those challenges' | {
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Editor's Note
The Jakarta community has already made great progress this year and work is underway to deliver the Jakarta EE 8 release. But before we dive deeper into this Jakarta newsletter issue, let's take a moment to look at the 2019 Jakarta EE developer survey results, which canvassed nearly 1,800 Java developers about their adoption of Jakarta EE and trends in Java programming. The findings indicate that cloud native is critically important with a third of developers currently building cloud native architectures and another 30 percent planning to within the next year.
Access the full findings of the 2019 Java Community Developer Survey here.
This issue puts a spotlight on the present and future of Jakarta EE, including thoughts on the agreement between the Eclipse Foundation and Oracle on Jakarta EE and the use of Java trademarks and the javax namespace, how the current challenges can be transformed into opportunities, as well as the next steps towards Jakarta EE 8 and beyond.
You'll also have the chance to read about Quarkus, a next-generation Kubernetes native Java framework, learn how to easily migrate from your favorite Java EE server to an Eclipse MicroProfile implementation and discover how MicroProfile Rest Client 1.2 improves integration with other MicroProfile technologies.
➜ EE Security in Relation to JASPIC, JACC and LoginModules/Realms
➜ Gradual Migration from Java EE to MicroProfile
➜ Improved developer experience and MicroProfile integration for MicroProfile Rest Client 1.2
➜ Going Native with Eclipse MicroProfile and Quarkus
➜ Jakarta EE, what's in it for the Community?
➜ Jakarta Going Forward
➜ Thoughts about Jakarta EE Future without 'javax'
➜ The Cloud Native Imperative - Results from the 2019 Jakarta EE Developer Survey
➜ Jakarta EE and Specification Projects
To learn more about the ongoing collaborative efforts to build tomorrow's enterprise Java platform for the cloud, check out the Jakarta Blogs.
Have you attended a Jakarta Tech Talk yet? The Jakarta Tech Talks virtual meetup series is dedicated to the discovery and discussion of Jakarta EE and broader Cloud Native Java technologies. Become a member on the Meetup page to stay updated on talks to come.
PS: It's that time of the year again: the Call for Papers (CFP) is now open for EclipseCon Europe 2019! Please visit the CFP page here for information on how to submit your talks. This year, the early-bird submission deadline is July 1 and the final submission deadline is July 15. If you have an idea for a talk that will educate and inspire the Eclipse community, we would love to hear from you!
Happy reading!
Gabriela Motroc
@GabrielaMotroc | {
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GDP up by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU28
Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.6% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.7% in the EU28 during the second quarter of 2017, compared with the previous quarter, according to an estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the first quarter of 2017, GDP grew by 0.5% in both areas. | {
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On Friday, travelers on a commercial airliner spotted Sen. Bernie Sanders on the plane, and took some time to show their appreciation. According to a story posted on Reddit and later confirmed by Bustle, the passengers on the flight gave Sanders a thank-you note, passing it around the plane so anybody who wanted to sign it could. Bustle has reached out to Sanders' office to find out more behind the story.
Images of the thank-you note were posted by Jennifer Turchi, one of the passengers on the plane. Turchi told Bustle that after the commuters realized Sanders was on the plane, a group of young adults at the back of the flight wrote a thank-you note for the senator, and passed it around the plane ("Sign if you want & keep passing forward to Bernie," a Post-It note on the paper read).
"We were stranded on the runway for over an hour headed from Reagan National Airport to Burlington," Turchi told Bustle. "Someone [at the back of the plane] started the hand-made note and passed it forward. People could sign if they wanted to, but were asked to pass it forward. It made it all the way to the front of the plane, and then to Sen. Sanders."
Turchi posted pictures of the note, and it includes an abundance of praise and appreciation for the former Democratic presidential candidate.
"Much appreciation for your commitment and compassion!"
"We love you in from New Hampshire! I was the girl in the terminal trying to bother you while eating."
"Thank you for all that you do for us to protect our rights Bernie!"
One person specifically noted Sanders' actions on health care reform, writing that "your efforts on the health care issue do not go unappreciated."
This isn't the first time Sanders has been spotted on commercial flights — in 2015, the hashtag #SandersOnAPlane surfaced on Twitter, with users posting pictures of the senator flying coach while campaigning for the presidency.
The sightings became so common that, in at least one instance, a sleeping man on a flight was photographed and identified as Sanders when, in fact, he was simply a grey-haired person on a plane. As the Democratic presidential primary continued to drag on, however, Sanders was afforded Secret Service protection, and he eventually began taking more privately chartered flights.
"While [Sanders] has used commercial airlines on almost all occasions, there are circumstances when using charter airplanes is the best way for him to get around the country and communicate with as many people as possible," his campaign spokesman Michael Briggs told ABC News at the time.
Turchi added that before the flight departed, Sanders was chatting with his fellow travelers in the terminal.
"I can only imagine how tired he was," Turchi said, noting Sanders' late-night health care vote the night before, "but he was giving with his time and attention." | {
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Former NFL running back and Denver sports legend Terrell Davis showed off the Hall of Fame ring he received in 2017 to a crowd of 500 attendees at the Minority Cannabis Business Association’s Cannabis Opportunity Summit on March 23 at the University of Denver.
The Broncos’ all-time leading rusher doesn’t use marijuana for pain or any other lingering condition. But he remembers how the arrests of mostly young black men for marijuana damaged their lives when he grew up in San Diego. Davis thinks it’s time to change that cycle, and sees the development of minority-owned cannabis businesses as one way to accomplish that.
“As minorities, we’re always underdogs,” he pointed out. “We’ve always been labeled ‘can’t do it.’ That’s all we heard growing up. I’ve heard that since I was seven years old. That’s what you guys are now. You’re the underdogs. Embrace it. Take chances. It’s a risky business, and you take the risks. I like that.”
Lawrence Grandpe: “When one-fifth of the workforce is in jail, your community doesn’t have the ability to succeed.”
The summit was the brainchild of Kayvan Khalatbari, an Iranian-American entrepreneur who cofounded Denver Relief, Colorado’s second-oldest medical-marijuana dispensary. He’s also chair of the MCBA’s board and is running for mayor of Denver in the 2019 election. After 13 years in the cannabis industry, Khalatbari’s concerned about white males dominating it. “In new states where you see a very limited number of licenses and such a high barrier of entry, marginalized people can’t play, no matter what color they are,” he told Freedom Leaf.
The number of minorities in the cannabis business nationwide is estimated at 10-18%. However, in Colorado, it may be as low as 1%. “This is a state that is supposed to have one of the lower barriers of entry,” Khalatbari notes. “I know that things move slowly, especially in conversations of race and cannabis. But I’d be happy with this being part of every conversation and every possible legislation and regulation that has to do with cannabis implementation. We want this to be a better industry. That is kind of MCBA’s mission, which is that we can learn the lessons of other industries and make this one different.”
MCBA President Shanita Penny—she took over for Jesce Horton, who resigned Jan. 8, after serving as vice president—previously worked as a project leader in the information technology industry. “The MCBA is an opportunity for a community that has specifically been negatively impacted by prohibition to have an opportunity to create generational wealth,” she told Freedom Leaf. “That’s something that we haven’t been able to do. Now we’re creating something that is going to be handed down for generations.”
Diversity, Penny added, is needed in different types of jobs in cannabis, such as testing, transportation and other ancillary businesses. “Not everyone can afford to spend $18 million for a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility,” she explained.
The Summit peaked on March 23 with 43 speakers—many of them top names in the industry—featured in breakout sessions that focused on market opportunities, cultural integration, community impact and activism.
MCBA President Shanita Penny: “Not everyone can afford to spend $18 million for a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility.”
Lawrence Grandpre, director of research for the Baltimore-based Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, a grass-roots think tank that became known for organizing against police brutality and continues working to restore a community decimated by the War on Drugs, told the crowd: “We work with workforce development and community economic development and we had some ideas about what could work for targeted interventions in the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs. But they always say, ‘Where’s the revenue?’ If we had the legalization of recreational marijuana, there would be a pool of tax revenue that could go to a lot of worthy causes, like schools or even the police.
“When you’re under the constant assault, your community has a hard time flourishing,” he added. “When one-fifth of the workforce is in jail, your community doesn’t have the ability to succeed.”
MCBA has created a model adult-use bill in cooperation with Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Cannabis Culture Association and the Drug Policy Alliance (all of whom were represented at the summit) and supports Sen. Cory Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act.
Khalatbari thinks that some of what’s been created in regulated markets doesn’t appeal to people of color. “They feel uncomfortable and excluded,” he says. “The MCBA is an attempt to bring them back into the fold. This is about MCBA being a steward of people of color.”
Related Articles
The Importance of Cory Booker
Freedom Leaf’s Diversity Impact List
How Cannabis Activists Derailed Roger Stone
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Christian prayers at the inauguration and obama sworn in on two bibles Tell me again how oppressed Christians are in america
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For months, there’s been growing speculation about whether musician/actress/ArchAndroid Janelle Monáe and the rising feminist Hollywood star Tessa Thompson are in a romantic relationship.
Those rumors intensified this month when Janelle accompanied Tessa on the red carpet for the premiere of her new film Annihilation and then Tessa was featured as a love interest in the trailer for Janelle’s new audio-visual album Dirty Computer. THEN ON THURSDAY Janelle dropped a new music video, the already-iconic bisexual anthem “Make Me Feel,” which is burning down the gay internet, and TESSA SHOWED UP ONCE AGAIN! This time dancing with Janelle, feeding her a lollipop, and variety of other decidedly super gay activities.
We’ve decided it’s time to really dig into the issue on the tip of all of our tongues: Are these two dating or not?
Neither woman has issued an official statement to confirm or deny the gossip buzzing around them. But there is a preponderance of evidence! In fact, when presented with this complete dossier, our Vapid Fluff Editor and body language expert Stef Schwartz gave the following very official commentary: “Even if these two are best friends who are just messing with people — they definitely boned. At least twice.”
Here is the evidence, in obsessive and well-sourced detail. Get ready! This is gonna be a deep dive.
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Pre-2015: The Tessa and Janelle Story Begins
Between 2010 and 2015 Janelle Monáe is a rising pop star who pings for a lot of people as family, but chooses not to talk about her sexuality in public. Still, she’s out there in the world busy writing songs about being in “queer love” with a “robot named Mary.”
Janelle Monae 2010: i don't discuss my sexuality, only the android revolution.
Janelle Monae 2018: have you fools SEEN Tessa Thompson? — Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (@Hello_Tailor) February 22, 2018
Tessa Thompson first entered the pop culture mainstream as a series regular on the second season of the short-lived but excellent, Veronica Mars and playing The Chief’s niece who’s dying from cancer in the season two finale of Grey’s Anatomy, both in 2006. Fast forward a few years and in 2014 Tessa’s career gets a big kickstart with her star turn in the indie satire Dear White People — produced by everyone’s favorite celebrity girlfriend Lena Waithe and out gay writer/director/producer Justin Simien.
2015: I Bet You Didn’t Know Janelle and Tessa Went Back This Far
We officially start our timeline in the Spring of 2015, where there was a lot of hot action bubbling and gay love in the air.
First, Janelle Monáe releases her new music video for my favorite dance around barefoot in the kitchen single, “Yoga,” on April 13th 2015. And who is that featured as a background dancer? Why, it’s NONE OTHER THAN TESSA THOMPSON!
But wait, things aren’t as simple as they appear! You see, at the same time as this video release, Janelle is rumored to be dating Rapper/DJ MC Lyte. Which we covered for you way back when. Supposedly, the two had been an intimate item since BET’s annual Black Girls Rock concert & award show earlier that same year. At the time this felt MAJOR.
However, with the benefit of hindsight, I’m thinking that relationship was not long for this world. Because on May 30th 2015, Janelle Monáe performed at the MOCA charity gala in Los Angeles and guess who was with her — in a matching black & white outfit, no less — our girl Tessa Thompson.
November 7th 2015 rolls around, and Janelle Monáe receives the “Equality Award” at the 18th Annual Women’s Event hosted by the Center in New York (NYC’s LGBT Community Center). The award is meant to honor Monáe for her contributions to feminism and women’s equality, as well as thank her for being an LGBT “ally.” I’ll give you one guess who presented her with the award. Just kidding! You don’t need the guess. The answer is Tessa Thompson.
Later that same month, November 20th 2015, Tessa is busy with her own career. She’s at the premiere of Creed, the sequel to the Rocky franchise starring Michael B. Jordan that’s about to launch her career into a new stratosphere. That’s ok though, because her girlfriend Janelle Monáe found time to surprise her on the red carpet! How romantic!
And there’s more! That December black celebrity gossip site The YBF reported that Janelle swept Tessa Thompson and a group of their closest friends on a gal pal “Girl’s Trip” to Mexico so they could celebrate the success of Creed. Total heterosexual behavior.
2016: In Which Janelle and Tessa Handle Business
Lovelies, the trail goes somewhat cold in 2016 as Tessa goes on location for most of the year, filming not one but TWO blockbusters — Thor: Raganok, where she plays the bisexual badass Valkyrie, and Annihilation, the sci-fi thriller co-starring Gina Rodriguez (forever known to me known as Gina Rodriguez Maybe Bisexual, and one of the reoccurring guest stars in the ongoing romantic saga of #Janessa, and yes hashtag Janessa is a thing, thanks Twitter) and Natalie Portman.
I’m pretty sure that Janelle was also busy filming Hidden Figures at this time, but I couldn’t find any source material to prove it?
Anyway, Tessa’s friendship with Gina Rodriguez Maybe Bisexual gave us such perfect moments as this:
2017: Tessa and Janelle, Back and Better Than Ever
The ongoing Janessa beat blazes hot again right again right at the start of the year! On February 25th 2017 black legend Alfre Woodard brought together black actresses from across Hollywood for her annual Oscars Week “Sistah’s Soiree” at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. According to InStyle the event celebrates “current [black women Oscar] contenders, past nominees, and those who, in a perfect world, should have been” as they share insights together and have a heart-to-heart bonding session about navigating the industry as black women. Tessa Thompson can be seen in the official “Class Photo” in the back row:
But do you know who was there at the same time, at the same hotel, and NOT photographed? Our favorite Android:
On September 16, 2017 Tessa and Janelle are pretty cuddled up at the annual Equality California Awards (EQCA’s), which honor those who work to help create a more equal, just, and fun world for the LGBT community. It’s hard to get a photo alone of them thanks to rock royalty and one of my earliest crushes Zoe Kravitz, who will now be known as “BFF Zoe Kravitz” for the purposes of this investigative report. Much like Gina Rodriguez Maybe Bisexual, BFF Zoe Kravitz will play a reoccurring role in the love story of our two ladybirds.
Also, Sharon Stone was there. That’s not relevant, I just thought y’all would like to know.
The next day, September 17th 2017, the two were seen cuddled up at the HBO Emmys After-Party.
Not unrelated, earlier that same night Janelle tweeted out this adorable rainbow emoji in celebration of gay classic San Junipero’s “Best Writing” Emmy win:
Recently a member of the Janessa Army on Twitter suggested that Janelle consider remaking the episode starring Tessa Thompson, which as we all know, she just did:
https://twitter.com/jamKartel/status/966040994604085253
On October 8th 2017 Issa Rae threw a last-minute casual “Lemon Pepper Kickback” House Party for the working black actors in Atlanta. Guests included: the casts of Insecure, Atlanta, the upcoming film The Hate You Give, and musicians from Janelle’s Wondaland Studios. Guests also include: Tessa Thompson.
Here’s the thing: It’s possible that Tessa just happened to be in ATL filming her parts of Avengers: Infinity Wars. But if we’re honest with ourselves, it’s most likely she was there because she was at Janelle’s house and they were home together sharing an organic green juice when Issa’s text came through.
Also, if you ever wanted see Issa Rae take a bottle of champagne straight to the head, I’ve got you covered.
2018: Zero F*cks Given
We have made it! 2018! Only two months in and we have more Tessa and Janelle material than any of the previous years! How did we get to be so lucky? Wow, what a time to be alive.
On January 28th 2018, Janelle gave a “Time’s Up” speech on The Grammys stage about sexual harassment, assault, and gender inequality in the music industry. Tessa played the super supportive girlfriend gave her gal pal lots of love with a total Tweet storm, of which I’m presenting the best one for you here:
On January 30th 2018 Tessa and Janelle had a date night went to the Black Panther premiere. While there are no photos of them together on the purple carpet, lots of photos inside the event show that they were as close as ever celebrating #BlackExcellence with the cast.
Then, THE CASE CRACKED WIDE OPEN!!! In the middle of the night on February 5th 2018, Janelle and Tessa had the cutest night in and live-streamed it for all of their followers! Autostraddle Staff Writer and techno-computer maven Raquel tells me that this event originally happened on Instagram Live (you guys, I’m terrible at social media things).
sfsstkfsfkslggkskatRotzglglstosstopetaotaifksgittisstoyosshsogsyxoohsyo pic.twitter.com/WVBghMfSiq — jaye "elizabeth debicki is 6'3"" hunt (@hayejunt) February 5, 2018
I WAS GOING TO CUT THIS VIDEO DOWN BUT IT’S THE GAYEST TWO MINUTES OF CONTENT I’VE EVER SEEN pic.twitter.com/y44boouquD — jaye "elizabeth debicki is 6'3"" hunt (@hayejunt) February 5, 2018
Look at all those sweet, casual, knowing, gentle touches! Look at them, I say!!! (This is a good time to shout out @hayejunt on Twitter, who has singlehandedly contributed more to the tracking of #Janessa than probably any other fan on record. Salute!)
Also, if you look closely at the comments floating across the screen, you will see none other than BFF Zoe Kravitz make a reappearance among the masses showing their love!! “Janellllleee and Tesssssaaa for Eva.” She’s truly the greatest wingman. You can hear Janelle calls her “Zo Zo”, which is absolutely the best.
February 13th, 2018. The Annihilation premiere. Janelle is photographed WITH TESSA ON THE ACTUAL RED CARPET!! The paparazzi captioned their photos as “gal pals.” Seriously, if these photos don’t make you a Janessa True Believer, I’m not sure what will:
Also, we are once again presented with Gina Rodriguez Maybe Bisexual, who tweeted this very dreamy, super romantic photo and caption that I still think fondly about:
https://twitter.com/HereIsGina/status/963813044865257475
A few days later, February 16th 2018, Janelle Monáe released the trailer for her first full length album in five years, Dirty Computer. The album comes out April 27th, but Tessa Thompson stole my heart starting now. There’s lots of short clips of the couple throughout, but I think this the one that made us collectively forget how to breathe:
On February 20th 2018, Janelle modeled her best dapper butch babe in a Jordan Peele-directed cover spread for W Magazine.
Tessa Approves. (Though lets all be honest here, Janelle Monáe in those suspenders and that suit was worth at least THREE FIRE EMOJIS. Tessa, don’t make me doubt your tastes!)
🔥 Make a movie now, y’all. https://t.co/9Y9v4jPdIC — Tessa Thompson (@TessaThompson_x) February 20, 2018
And this brings us to February 22nd 2018, when Janelle Monáe released her first two singles off of Dirty Computer. Both singles are great, and if you haven’t heard “Django Jane” you absolutely should, but it’s the Prince inspired “Make Me Feel” video that sent our gossip world ablaze!
In it Janelle dances with both Tessa Thompson and a male love interest in a nightclub that’s decorated in lights of the bi pride flag, sings between the legs of female dancers clad in rainbow colored tights, and wears see-through pants! DID I MENTION THAT TESSA IS THE STAR??? Of course I did.
It’s as close to any statement about Janelle’s sexuality that I’ve ever seen (self edit 4/26/18- That’s not true anymore!!), and it’s a marvelous work of art. We are still talking about it! We may never stop talking about it.
Oscar Week 2018 arrives with many gifts for us! On March 1st 2018, Essence magazine hosts their annual “Black Women in Hollywood” award luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Janelle Monáe is on hand to present love of her life Tessa Thompson’s with the magazine’s honor.
Later that week, on March 3rd 2018 Tessa attends Janelle’s “Fem the Future” Oscar brunch. The event brought together working women actors, directors, musicians, and activists to discuss Hollywood’s current political climate and gender inequality.
As the frost of winter turns to budding dew of spring, the intense twitter interactions between Tessa and Janelle become too numerous to quickly keep track of. Then on April 10th 2018 Monáe releases another single from Dirty Computer. “Pynk” is a “feminist love letter to springtime, being femme, black and brown women’s bodies, and vaginas — all divorced from the male gaze,”.
Tessa’s all over this video, too. Most notably, her face spends significant time sandwiched between Janelle’s thighs while the singer dons vagina shaped pink pants and sings “Pink is the truth you can’t hide”.
Later in the video, Tessa appears among a row of dancing butts! What I’m saying is, this video is my happy place.
On April 26th 2018, the eve of Dirty Computer‘s official release, WE ARRIVE AT A GAME CHANGING MOMENT!!!! After years of not talking publicly about her sexuality, Janelle Monáe comes out in Rolling Stone as a queer, bisexual, pansexual “free-ass motherfucker”. The interview is brave, vulnerable, and thoughtful. It’s everything we could ask for our android.
Stop the presses! Just when we thought we had reached our highest point, on June 29th 2018 Tessa Thompson came out, too!!! Not only that, she also had some pretty amazing words to share about her relationship with Janelle and our collective glee over it: “We love each other deeply. We’re so close, we vibrate on the same frequency. If people want to speculate about what we are, that’s okay. It doesn’t bother me.”
Call the ambulance! I think my heart just stopped due of this high-key level of cute.
Tessa Thompson has officially come out and confirmed that she is, in fact, vibrating on the same frequency as Janelle Monáe: https://t.co/OQh65oe6e3 pic.twitter.com/J4Z8qz3GfJ — Autostraddle (@autostraddle) June 29, 2018
Where will our journey take us from here? Who knows! But I have sworn myself to this beat. If we haven’t seen Tessa Thompson and Janelle Monáe kiss on camera by the end of the year, I’m throwing myself into the sun.
Happy 20Gayteen everyone! | {
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In a news conference on the JPMorgan settlement of the Madoff Case, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara said the bank as an institution, failed and failed miserably.
It will cost JPMorgan Chase nearly $2.6 billion total to settle allegations that it turned a blind eye to Bernard Madoff's epic Ponzi scheme. No individuals from the bank will be penalized, however, and putting behind one of its biggest scandals will cost the bank less than two weeks' revenue.
Chase was Madoff's primary bank for years, and it structured and sold investment vehicles tied to his purported returns.
In a multipronged settlement unveiled Tuesday, JPMorgan will admit that it violated the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to file a regulatory report in 2008—when it suspected Madoff's returns were fake—and by not using sufficient compliance systems.
In a so-called deferred prosecution agreement, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara won't pursue the charges and will dismiss the case after two years as long as the bank implements a series of reforms and pays a $1.7 billion fine—the largest ever for a Bank Secrecy Act case. | {
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A pályán kívül is van mit tanulnunk a skótoktól. A magyar válogatott ellen kedd este barátságos mérkőzést játszó skót válogatott szurkolói 5 000 fontos, azaz 1,7 millió forintos adománnyal támogatták a VIII. kerületi Wesley János Óvodát.
Az adományt ünnepélyes keretek között Iain Lindsay brit nagykövet adta át a mérkőzés napján. „Nagyon örülök, hogy a Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal ilyen sok pénzt gyűjtött a VIII. kerületi Wesley János Óvoda felújítására. Ezzel a gesztussal Budapesten is továbbviszik a skót nagylelkűség hagyományát, ami egészen a 19. század közepéig nyúlik vissza. Gratulálok a skót szurkolóknak!” – nyilatkozta Iain Lindsay.
A skót nemzeti válogatott szurkolói Magyarországra érkezésük előtt tanácsot kértek a brit nagykövettől, valamint két hazánkban is működő skót szervezet vezetőjétől, és mindhárman egyetértettek abban, hogy az óvodasegítő programot javasolják támogatásra.
Fotó: Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal
Az összeget az óvodában az egyik csoportszoba felújítására, és az oda szükséges eszközök beszerzésére fordítják. Az óvoda és a gyűjtést szervező jótékonysági szervezetek további támogatókat várnak az öltözők és a kicsik csoportszobájának renoválására is.
A skót Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal kifejezetten arra a célra alapították, hogy azokban az országokban, ahol a skót nemzeti válogatott játszik, gyermekekkel foglalkozó kezdeményezéseket támogasson. A magyarországi adományozás sorrendben a 66. támogás a kezdetek óta. | {
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Update April 9: An additional update has been deployed:
Greatly reduced instances of hitching during gameplay. We will continue to make further optimizations where possible
Fixed an issue where players could clip through walls/ceilings of buildings by using vaulting and ledge-grab Most instances of this exploit have been resolved, although in some uncommon situations the exploit can still be performed. We’ll keep an eye out and work on additional fixes
Reverted blood effect changes implemented in Update 5.3
Full details here: https://www.pubg.com/april-9th-maintenance-hotfix/
Update April 1: An additional update has been deployed to fix the following issues:
Fixed an issue with Win94 kills being recorded as DBS in Mastery
Improved backend network data logging to help improve connection quality
Changes to decrease instances of game crashes
Update March 25: An additional update has been deployed to fix the following issues:
ADS view obscured with certain weapons
Unable to open mission list in some cases
Visual issue with “Victory Dance 14” emote
Panzerfaust warhead wouldn’t explode when shot mid air
DBS and M249 spawned without ammunition on Karakin
Unable to complete Panzerfaust missions which finishing DBNO enemies or kill backblasted enemies
Unable to complete Sticky Bomb missions if the enemy was DBNO
Weapon would remain in the character’s hand when bandaging
‘Equip C4’ displayed under key bindings
Update 6.3 is live and some big updates have arrived. We’re dropping the much teased Panzerfaust onto Karakin, rebalancing some weapons including one formerly only found in Care Packages, and summing it all up with some bug fixes and quality of life improvements including the much requested change to invincibility in Team Deathmatch. All this and more in Update 6.3! Read on for all the details.
Update March 13: Due to community feedback, we’re changing some of our initial plans. The M249 will be available on ALL maps as uncommon ground loot, as will the DBS which has also been removed from Care Packages.
New Weapon: Panzerfaust
We’ve been sneaking the Panzerfaust into our Season 6 videos since the start, but we’re finally putting the boom tube into your hands! While a powerful AoE damage tool on the Battlegrounds, there are some drawbacks to picking the Panzerfaust up. First of all, it takes up a primary weapon slot, limiting your options on the diverse terrain of Karakin. The projectile travels pretty quickly, but can be dodged by the attentive player. There’s also a backblast area behind the Panzerfaust, so watch out for those squadmates before you go firing it off.
Panzerfaust
Karakin exclusive
Uncommon world spawn found across the map
Guaranteed to be in every airdrop
The Panzerfaust warhead explodes upon impact, but can also be blown up mid air The damage radius is 6m from the point of impact The explosion can deal splash damage through thin walls and objects, up to a short distance Can be used to breach specific walls on Karakin, much like the Sticky Bomb The warhead will explode mid air, before impact if damaged by explosions or shot by a bullet
One time use Once the warhead is fired, the Panzerfaust tube will be discarded and cannot be picked back up
Firing the warhead produces a backblast, so be careful! The backblast damages those within a 3m zone behind the weapon
Be careful you don’t have any teammates, or a wall too close behind you. You’ve been warned
Zeroing options at 60, 100 (default) and 150 meters
Weapon Balance Changes
As we near the end of the season, we’re also doing a little balance shuffle on a few weapons. The Tommy Gun has been weak for a while, so we’re adding a sight slot for red dots and holos and upping damage, the M249 is moving from Care Packages to normal loot but is also losing a little damage and getting a bit more recoil, and the UMP-45 was nerfed a little too hard with the switch from 9mm, so we’re giving it some love across the board. Take a look below for all the changes.
Update March 13: Due to community feedback, we’re changing some of our initial plans. The M249 will be available on ALL maps as uncommon ground loot, as will the DBS which has also been removed from Care Packages.
Tommy Gun
Stronger and more versatile. You can now also attach Red Dots and Holos to your Tommy.
Added upper rail to attach Red Dot and Holo Sights
Increased rate of fire from 700 to 750
Increased firing accuracy We’ve reduced the bullet deviation penalty when firing for an extended duration
Increased moving accuracy
Decreased recoil when firing for an extended duration This is due to the increased rate of fire
M249
Removed from Care Packages and added to normal loot on ALL maps. Can now take more attachments but is tougher to control and does less damage.
Added Stock attachment slot A Tactical Stock can be equipped to improve weapon stability
Added Magazine attachment slot Reduced standard ammo capacity to 75 Now holds 150 with an extended mag
Decreased base bullet damage from 45 to 40
Increased recoil
Found on ALL maps
Semi-rare spawn
UMP-45
An increase in power across the board, making the UMP a more viable choice for your arsenal.
Increased base bullet damage from 39 to 41
Increased rate of fire from 650 to 670
Increased muzzle velocity from 300 to 360 This means an increase to the speed at which bullets leave the barrel, making it a bit easier to track moving targets
Alongside these balance changes, the M249 and Tommy Gun models and firing sounds have been updated.
DBS
Removed from Care Packages
Now found on ALL maps as rare ground loot
Quality of Life Improvements
Improved visibility of nearby items on the ground by enhancing the glowing effect and adding a new pulse effect The new pulse effect can be disabled and is listed as “Item Flashing Effect” under Gameplay settings
Added an electric static sound to the Blue Zone wall providing players with an audible queue when the Blue Zone is near
Players can now use ‘Push to Talk’ in the main menu lobby
[Team Deathmatch] Added Rich Presence to let your Discord and Steam friends know when you’re fragging in TDM
[Team Deathmatch] Invincibility will now be removed instantly when engaging in combat (firing a weapon, throwing grenade etc.)
[Team Deathmatch] Hotkey for player reports is disabled for 1 second after death to prevent accidental activation
Performance
Optimization improvements have been applied to reduce instances of FPS stuttering (hitching) on certain hardware configurations We’ll monitor the effectiveness of this change and continue to work on additional performance optimization
Bug Fixes
Fixed the following issues:
Location of teammate’s character not synchronized with observer’s display in certain situations
Map texture displayed in poor quality
‘Round 3’ message constantly displayed and round not starting in Team Deathmatch
Name of Victory dance 12 emote not displayed properly
Visual misalignment on the Blue Zone UI
Visual issue with the background of the vehicle durability UI
PLAYERUNKNOWN’S Trench Coat clipping through the character
All glasses & mask items not being displayed when equipping Golden Dragon Traditional Cap
Titles of all Keys not being displayed correctly in store and inventory
Unable to accomplish the mission ‘Reach top 10 after earning a kill with QBZ/AKM’ in certain situations
Wrong 4x reticle displayed when using the DP-28
Abnormal Blue Zone sound played in spectator mode
Reload interaction sounds heard differently in FPP and TPP views
Invite friends option unable to turned on in custom matches
Freelook could be used to gain an advantageous view after dying
Sticky Bomb blinking red prior to being thrown
Fixed an awkward crossbow animations in certain situations
Miscellaneous Changes
Sticky Bombs can now be found in Training Mode
Added additional ringtone for the Sticky Bomb
DBS spawns can be adjusted in custom matches
Survivor Pass: Shakedown
The 3rd track of Survivor Pass missions has been unlocked! The new missions follow an explosive theme
The current season of both the Survivor Pass and Survival Title System will end on April 14 PDT Starting April 1st (KST) / March 31st (PDT), there will be a countdown on the Survivor Pass lobby banner notifying players of the pass end date A pop-up message will be displayed to users purchasing Premium Pass, alerting them of the time left until pass end
Premium Pass and Level-up items can be purchased until the Pass period ends
Skin & Items
4 new Badlands skin sets have been added, available until 4/15
Custom Match
Karakin is now available in Custom Matches
Updated Esports Mode preset The previous 2019 preset has been replaced by the 2020 Global Esports Ruleset Blue Zone settings are identical to 2019. However, item spawn rates have been changed in accordance to each map’s ruleset. This preset uses the S.U.P.E.R ruleset (Official Esports Ruleset)
Inner Blue Zone option has been added This allows you to create new custom game experiences similar to the Bluehole mode we recently tested in LABS
Organized custom match presets and added some new ones. ‘The First Weapon for Your Chicken Dinner’ preset has been added Drop in with a random weapon set and fight your way to victory, no weapons spawn in the world, although you can pick up the weapons from player death boxes
[PUBG Partners] Motor Glider and Sticky Bomb have been added to Sandbox mode
Known Issue: Snowmobiles and Snowbikes don’t spawn on Vikendi This issue will be resolved in next patch
Note: Replays from previous updates are no-longer playable, as the replay system has been updated. | {
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The report threatens to further undermine a Sept. 5 truce, which helped reduce casualties after the fighting that broke out following Russia’s annexation in Crimea in March killed more than 3,500 people, according to the United Nations. Clashes have continued daily since the ceasefire deal, hindering efforts to reach a permanent peace agreement.
The New York Times reported that physical evidence and interviews with witnesses and victims indicate that government forces fired cluster munitions into the center of Donetsk on several occasions.
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While it was “not possible to conclusively determine responsibility for many of the attacks, the evidence points to Ukrainian government forces’ responsibility” for several incidents in Donetsk, the largest city in the combat zone, Human Rights Watch said.
Cluster bombs are able to release dozens of “bomblets” over a wide area and are banned in many countries. The weapon’s “indiscriminate” nature makes its use a violation of the laws of war and may amount to war crimes, according to Human Rights Watch.
The 2010 Convention on Cluster Munitions has been joined by 114 nations. Ukraine, China, Russia, the United States, Israel, Syria, India, Pakistan and Brazil are among countries that haven’t signed, according to its website.
During a week-long investigation, Human Rights said it documented 12 incidents of cluster munitions killing at least 6 people, including a Swiss employee of the International Red Cross, according to the statement.
Government forces are focusing on keeping hold of Donetsk Airport, the target of daily rebel attacks, and are “not even able to shell Donetsk with any weapon,” said Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the country’s military. He blamed the insurgents for residential areas coming under attack and urged an investigation. | {
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Former Megadeth “charisma guitarist” Marty Friedman (46) has been unashamedly gushing about his love of the J-pop scene for a few years now. And today he’s cashing in on the mismatch of heavy metal axeman and sugar sweet pop music with the release of “Tokyo Jukebox,” an instrumental album of J-pop covers. Friedman performed a few guitar licks for reporters at the Tokyo Tower observation deck yesterday, including his take on Mr. Children’s “Gift” and a little enka in the form of Ishikawa Sayuri’s “Amagigoe.” Friedman performed as a member of Megadeth during their most successful decade from 1990-2000. After moving to Japan, he joined X Japan guitarist Pata and Luna Sea drummer Shinya as a backing musician to rock singer Aikawa Nanase in 2005. A more unlikely pairing was with J-pop star Suzuki Ami on NHK’s “Kohaku Uta Gassen” that New Year’s Eve. He also performed last year on a mini-album of covers by African American enka singer Jero. In March, he performed Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. A famous Friedman anecdote is that he auditioned for legendary rockers Kiss, but was turned down because he was under six feet tall.
Tokyo Jukebox tracklist | {
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At least three House Republicans — Reps. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, Darrell Issa of California and Tom Cole of Oklahoma — have said they want Sessions to withdraw from the inquiry. And GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio said that while Sessions was a former colleague and a friend, "I think it would be best for him and for the country to recuse himself."
The attorney general "is going to need to recuse himself at this point," Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told MSNBC.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, said he thought Sessions "needs to clarify what these meetings were." He said it isn't unusual for members of Congress to meet with ambassadors, but he added that if a question arose about the integrity of a federal investigation, "I think it'd be easier" for an attorney general to step away.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said Sessions should only recuse himself if he is a subject of the probe.
Sessions, an early supporter of President Donald Trump's candidacy and a policy adviser during the campaign, did not disclose those discussions at his Senate confirmation hearing in January when asked what he would do if "anyone affiliated" with the campaign had been in contact with officials of the Russian government. | {
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The map of today’s African nations looks much like the map drawn by Europeans to meet their own interests: diverse groups are scattered across many countries with little concern for ethnic links. The patterns shown here represent only the broadest ethnic and language groupings; within those are further divisions, like tribe and clan, too numerous to show. Areas in white are sparsely populated or lack data. Related Article » | {
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The Duke Blue Devils are a brand new team destined to win the NCAA National Championship. Okay, maybe not destined to win but they are certainly improved since last time we talked about them. Now 3-0 since their big loss to the now #1 ranked Arizona Wildcats, the Blue Devils have done a 180 in the areas they needed to.
Duke has played three games against ranked opponents, home to Michigan and two neutral location games against Kansas and Arizona, losing the neutral games. In the games against the Wildcats and the Jayhawks, Duke was a combined minus-15 in rebounds and were incredibly outshot on the free throw line, shooting 66 and 57 percent respectively. All of these things changed drastically in the last three games.
Since their last loss, they defeated a ranked Michigan, a newly unranked but still tough UCLA in a “neutral location” Madison Square Garden and had a game against Gardner-Webb at home that could have been considered practice. They rebounded far better, a combined plus-22 over those games, and shot far from the charity stripe. One big area of improvement was in assists. The Blue Devils passed much better going a combined plus-17 over their opponents in the three games. Compare that to the minus-10 they were in their two losses and it’s a big improvement.
Cameron Indoor Stadium is a canvas; Jabari Parker is the court; Rodney Hood is the ball and Quinn Cook is the paintbrush that creates a beautiful portrait of victory. All averaging over 30-minutes and over 14 points per game, they run the floor and are only getting better. Chemistry is forming, bonds are being made and they are making defenses look silly. Parker is making a very strong case to go first overall in the NBA draft; though I’m really hoping he stays in Krzyzewskiville another year. Wishful thinking.
With all that said it’s important to note that those three players are also the majority scorers on the team. Of Dukes 940 total points this season, Parker, Hood and Cook have 607 of them. That’s 64.5 percent of the teams point. Even though the minutes get spread out pretty evenly between the other two roster spots, the scoring is very heavy on those three. If injuries occur, this team could face a very quick downward spiral.
A positive in the game against UCLA was Rasheed Sulaimon saw more playing time. He took advantage of it, too, scoring eight points, getting six boards and four assists. Amile Jefferson also saw a big step up in production against the Bruins, which will go a long way for the Blue Devils if that continues.
Duke has two games remaining in December and both should be easy W’s. The real excitement begins on January 4th when the Blue Devils travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame to kick off conference play. That’s when we will find out whether Duke has really made improvements or not. If they continue to play like they have recently, March could be more exciting for Blue Devils fan then we initially anticipated.
As always you can leave your comments below. You can follow me @LiamMcWade for your NCAA Basketball tweets, and follow the site @lastwordonsport and like our Facebook Page while you are at it.
Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? If so, check out our “Join Our Team” page to find out how. | {
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NEW YORK – Channing Dungey, the President of ABC Entertainment, announced that the network will put an Indian American twist on the classic show ‘The Greatest American Hero,’ which will be run by Nahnatchka Khan, the current showrunner of ‘Fresh off the Boat’.
“We’re actually developing a reboot of ‘The Greatest American Hero’ that stars an Indian American woman. That comes to us from Nahnatchka Khan,” Dungey told slashfilms.com.
According to the slashfilms.com report, the original series of ‘The Greatest American Hero’ ran from 1981 to 1983 and starred William Katt as a teacher who gains super powers from an alien suit with his lack of ability and finesse creating the comedy.
According to bleedingcool.com, Dungey said that it was important for Khan to tell the same kind of story as the original, but through a completely different perspective.
Since ABC will not be showing ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and other Marvel spinoffs, many fans were concerned if the network was even going to put on anymore superhero shows.
“The question really is more what kind of superhero show, what’s the tone, how are we doing it? I would never say we’re closing the door on superheroes,” Dungey added.
ABC will be coming out with another show during their pilot season called ‘The Jetsons,’ which is a live-action sitcom based on the animated series about a family in the future. | {
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Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield throws on the run during the second half against the Jets in Week 3. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are a lot of reasons to think Baker Mayfield is the quarterback the Browns have been searching for since 1999. Most of them were on display in the two-plus quarters he played against the Jets.
Almost every throw Mayfield made had something to like, such as decision-making or arm strength or accuracy or timing.
"I think his performance is what showed more than anything that he is different than the previous rookie quarterbacks that we have had," Duke Johnson said on Wednesday. "But I still think it is one game -- really a half -- so he still got a lot more to show and a lot more to prove."
Johnson is right. It was just little more than half a game. But Mayfield showed there's a lot from which to build. Two plays stood out as examples of why the franchise thought he was special enough to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
A play in the third quarter and another in the fourth showed off numerous aspects of Mayfield's game, and the poise Browns fans have rarely seen from their rookie quarterbacks.
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PLAY ONE
Here's the scene:
The Browns trail the Jets 14-3 in the third quarter and face a third-and-5 at their own 40. This is Mayfield's second drive of the game and the sixth play of a drive that began at the Browns 5.
Mayfield lines up in the shotgun with Duke Johnson to his right. Antonio Callaway is split wide to the right, and Jarvis Landry (next to the tackle), Darren Fells (slot) and Rashard Higgins (sideline) are lined up to the left.
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(Screenshot from NFL Game Pass)
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Mayfield will have five players running routes on this play.
Johnson runs into the right flat, and Fells does the same on the left. But Mayfield's first read is in Landry's direction. Landry is double teamed off the line of scrimmage, throwing off his route. Also, cornerback Perry Nickerson tries to share Landry's uniform through most of his route (Nickerson was penalized for defensive holding but the Browns declined it).
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(Screenshot from NFL Game Pass)
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Mayfield looks deep to Higgins, and even cocks his arm ready to throw, but Higgins doesn't have enough separation from Morris Claiborne.
Before Mayfield can check on Fells in the flat, he feels the left side of the pocket collapsing, so Mayfield goes into survival mode and tries to find a better situation to throw.
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We are three seconds into this play, which is longer than Mayfield's average time to throw against the Jets (2.82 seconds). At first glance, it might seem like Mayfield should've stepped up in the pocket and thrown the ball, but the overhead view shows that none of the five options was open when Mayfield decided to leave the pocket.
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(Screenshot from NFL Game Pass)
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When Mayfield does his best Eric Metcalf impersonation and hops past Jordan Jenkins to escape the pocket, we've hit the five-second mark of the play.
Even as he narrowly avoids colliding with Kevin Zeitler, Mayfield has his eyes downfield. Callaway is behind his defender on the play, but Mayfield is being chased at this point and sees a better option than throwing an off-balance 50-yard pass.
That option is Johnson along the sideline.
But Johnson falls down.
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(Screenshot from NFL Game Pass)
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At this point, seven seconds into the play, nobody would've faulted Mayfield for throwing the ball away. He was out of options, moving toward the sideline, and Jenkins was closing in.
But Mayfield pulls back his throw, gives Johnson time to get back on his feet, and completes a nine-yard pass for the first down.
In just nine seconds, Mayfield gives Browns fans, coaches and teammates a lot of decisions and abilities to be excited about.
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Here's the overhead view of Baker Mayfield going through his reads before scrambling and finding Duke Johnson for a first down. After two options on the left side were denied, Mayfield found one on the right. pic.twitter.com/09Nz6iGF7s — Scott Patsko (@PatskoScott) September 27, 2018
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From this angle, you can see Baker Mayfield go through his reads, then keep his eyes downfield once he's in scramble mode. pic.twitter.com/LeQqOqGcre — Scott Patsko (@PatskoScott) September 27, 2018
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PLAY TWO
Here's the scene:
The Browns trail the Jets 17-14 in the fourth quarter and face a first-and-10 at the Jets 26 with 5:45 left to play.
Mayfield is under center with Johnson in the backfield, Landry and Higgins are in a bunched formation to the right, and Callaway is split wide to the left.
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(Screenshot from NFL Game Pass)
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Johnson and David Njoku block on this play, so Mayfield has three receivers running routes.
Mayfield's first read is Higgins. The idea is to get cornerback Trumaine Johnson to bite on a short out route. Mayfield gives a pump fake, and Higgins curls toward the end zone, but Johnson isn't fooled.
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We're three seconds into the play and Mayfield is looking for another receiver now that the first option (Higgins) is covered. The pocket is holding around Mayfield as he swings his body to the other side of the field.
He looks all the way to the left for a moment. Callaway is covered near the end zone. Any pass there would amount to a jump ball.
Now Landry comes into view from behind Jets linebackers who have dropped into coverage. He's open and moving to the left. Mayfield's throw bounces off Landry's chest and falls incomplete. (The Browns score eight plays later to take a 21-17 lead.)
This play isn't as long as the first we examined -- just five seconds -- but still long enough to once again show the type of characteristics any team would hope for in a rookie quarterback playing in his first game.
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Another play that shows Mayfield going through his reads before finding an open receiver. Landry dropped this (actually, it bounced off his chest), but, still, a lot to like here from Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/Y2bkY9wE8v — Scott Patsko (@PatskoScott) September 27, 2018
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An online petition is calling for the firing of a University of North Carolina-Wilmington criminology professor, claiming that he harassed and threatened a student by publishing her name in an op-ed.
The petition, which has more than 2,000 signatures, claims that Mike Adams, a high-profile conservative professor and columnist, violated the Seahawk Respect Compact and has “a history of spewing misogynistic, xenophobic, transphobic, homophobic, racist rhetoric.”
"Sometimes I wonder whether LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Thespian."
[RELATED: PC faculty try to get conservative colleague fired for opinions]
“UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students, faculty, staff, and the broader community,” reads the Seahawk Respect Compact, a sort of mission statement put out by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion.
The student Adams allegedly harassed in his op-ed is Nada Merghani, a UNCW social justice activist who left several ominous Facebook posts in August, saying, “Expect to see me at the Trump rally on Tuesday. Y’all are not prepared for what I’m about to do,” and “All I can say is pray I make it out of this alive.”
The posts were enough to earn her a visit from the Secret Service, which ultimately determined that she was not a threat, but nonetheless encouraged her not to attend the rally.
Merghani then reported that she was on the receiving end of “at least one threatening message” that she later deleted, and intended to sue the school for failing to protect her from “trauma” because they denied her request for “armed escorts.”
Nearly two weeks after the entire incident, Adams penned a tongue-in-cheek op-ed for The Daily Wire, titled, “A ‘Queer Muslim’ Jihad?”
In the article, Adams claims that although the student is “confused,” he does not believe her threat to the rally was credible, noting that he “had the displeasure of meeting this upstanding SJW,” and that she appears to have “a condition manifesting itself in compulsive conduct meant to draw attention toward oneself at all times.”
[RELATED: UNCW prof destroys pro-Trump chalkings, brags about it on social media]
“Her claims to be a 'queer Muslim' are probably part of an act designed to fit into as many victim categories as humanly possible,” Adams elaborates. “Sometimes I wonder whether LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Thespian. So much drama, so few letters in the alphabet."
According to the petition to fire Adams, Meghani has decided to transfer schools because “Adams's followers have since begun sending death threats to the student.”
Mehani responded to Adams’s op-ed on her personal blog, writing that Adams “insists on comparing me to ISIS, sending his students and supporters after me to make death threats, writing blog posts about me claiming it’s not possible for me to be queer and muslim, slandering me in his classes, and ultimately doing everything he can to use his power, privileges, and platforms over me to make my life hell.”
In a letter provided to Campus Reform, a UNCW doctoral applicant writes to Chancellor Jose Sartarelli expressing outrage over Adams’ articles and urging him to “reassess” whether Adams is a good “fit” for the university.
“[Adams] is correct that free speech is his prerogative in the classroom, as it is a right for leftist professors as well,” the applicant writes. “But mocking this, saying that those who disagree with him (primarily social justice activists) are ‘emotionally damaged’ and have a ‘promising career working at Starbucks upon graduation,’ and that by contrast his class is ‘actual subject matter’ as opposed to political indoctrination…This is utterly appalling.”
However, the university has refused to condemn Adams’s editorial, explaining in a statement that speech is not “threatening” just because it is upsetting.
[RELATED: Tenured conservative prof retires due to liberal persecution]
“I have previously shared my position that speech we do not agree with, or which may upset us, does not equate with speech that is threatening,” Sartarelli asserted in a statement. “Our students and faculty have the right to share their opinions, both on and off campus. We as an institution do not, and should not, regulate or respond to those opinions. There is often misinformation involved, unfortunately, and even language many would consider ugly, but this comes with the territory of free and open expression.”
Adams succinctly responded to the petition on his Facebook page, taunting his antagonists to “Keep petitioning ... You're increasing my income.”
Adams previously won a seven-year lawsuit against the university after he claimed he was denied a promotion and tenure due to his conservative political affiliations, and was awarded $50,000 in back pay.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @amber_athey | {
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Sue Perkins' moral and ethical posers for Kerry Godliman, John-Luke Roberts, Julia Hartley-Brewer and Clarke Carlisle. From February 2014.
Sue Perkins puts Kerry Godliman, John-Luke Roberts, Julia Hartley-Brewer and Clarke Carlisle through the moral and ethical wringer.
The panellists collectively attempt to resolve dilemmas based around dinosaur bones, injured guinea pigs, and unethical banks.
They also assert their moral correctness over giving directions and selling state secrets.
Devised by Danielle Ward.
Producer: Ed Morrish. | {
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A new agreement for the Ontology Network that will hopefully provide an identity-verification solution has been received well by the market. The news has led the ONT token price to break through the $2 barrier; a two month high for its total value.
Ontology’s core team said in an official blog post they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Shufti Pro, an identity verification provider. The two projects working together to see if Ontology’s blockchain can be leveraged to create an effective and regulatory compliant AML/KYC solution.
Announced earlier today at around 10:00 BST, the news has so far been well-received by the market. The ONT token price started the day at approximately $1.92 but spiked to above the $2 mark at the time the blog post was released. Individual tokens are trading at $2.05 at the time of writing, giving the coin a total value of $425m. The market cap is at its highest level since late July, more than two months ago.
As part of the MOU, the two companies will collaborate on creating a new product or service for identity verification; Ontology will also provide the expertise and guidance on blockchain technology. Both have said the entente has come out of similar understanding and ambition to provide a more accessible and secure identity verification service. “We have followed their [Ontology’s] progress with interest for some time, and now is the right time to move forward,” said Victor Fredung, CEO of Shufti Pro.
“The emergence of blockchain technology creates opportunities across to discover potential and promising solutions,” said Andy Ji, CEO of Ontology. “Ontology is pleased to begin this journey with Shufti Pro, combining blockchain technology with identity verification services, providing a blockchain-based end-solution for KYC/AML services”.
The Ontology Network
The Ontology network launched back in November 2017 to create secure blockchains that companies could use to safely store data and confidential information. Rather than one shared ledger, Ontology is a network of blockchains. Each ONT blockchain has a permission-feature that enables authorised parties to easily access a secure database, safe from tampering by external third parties.
Created by the tech company Onchain, the it was founded by Da Hong Fei and Erik Zhang, who also created the blockchain platform NEO. Rather than staging an ICO, ONT tokens were airdropped onto the NEO blockchain throughout February 2018.
Similar to NEO, Ontology has a two-tier token model. Following the mainnet launch in June, ONT tokens can be used to help in the governance of the network; whilst its ‘gas token’, ONG, is used to help power transactions fees that take place on the blockchain.
ONT Token Price
An MOU is not a full-fledged agreement. It might well be that nothing comes from the collaboration of Shufti Pro and Ontology. But as the ONT token price today shows, its a promising sign.
The philosophical field of Ontology covers the study of being and the question of existence itself. The network is introducing new features that will help protect and secure data and information held on its various blockchains. It is helping to bring itself into existence.
The author is invested in NEO, which is mentioned in this article. | {
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Defence officials have warned of the rising threat of al-Qaeda and the Taliban as Isis loses territory and fighters in Iraq and Syria.
Afghanistan’s defence minister, Masoom Stanikzai, said al-Qaeda was expanding in his country as the security situation deteriorates.
“They are really very active,” he told CNN. “They are working in quiet and reorganizing themselves and preparing themselves for bigger attacks.
Afghan National Army soldiers arrive at the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 27 February, 2016 (Reuters)
“They are working behind other networks, giving them support and the experience they had in different places.”
A training camp run by the terrorist group in Kandahar province was recently destroyed but dramatically increased the estimated number of militants present in the country.
Afghanistan is the home of the Taliban fundamentalist movement, which was in power between 1996 and 2001 and has been fighting an insurgency ever since.
There is mounting concern over links between the group and a resurgent al-Qaeda, while Isis is also attempting to expand its presence in Afghanistan.
American officials have hailed recent losses for the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria but militants boasted of their supposed expansion via affiliates across the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia in the group’s official propaganda magazine.
Antony Blinken, the Deputy Secretary of State, recently outlined significant territory losses resulting from air strikes and ground operations.
Syria: Govt. forces demine Palmyra after retaking ancient city from IS
“Working with local partners, we have taken back 40 per cent of the territory Daesh (Isis) controlled a year ago in Iraq and 10 per cent in Syria- killing senior leaders, destroying thousands of pieces of equipment, all the while applying simultaneous pressure against key chock points and isolating its bases in Mosul and Raqqa,” he said.
“We assess Daesh’s numbers are the lowest they’ve been since we began monitoring their manpower in 2014.”
Mr Blinken said a “comprehensive strategy” was being implemented, including training and equipping allies, stopping the flow of foreign fighters and choking Isis finances.
“In each of these areas, we are making real progress,” he added in an address to Washington’s Brookings Institute in February.
“These hard-fought victories undermine more than Daesh’s fighting force. They erode the narrative it has built of its own success—the perception of which remains one of Daesh’s most effective recruiting tools.”
In September 2014, a US intelligence official told AFP that the CIA believed the group could put between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters in the field.
British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Show all 10 1 /10 British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Pilots and ground crew prepare combat aircraft Panavia Tornados at RAF Marham at RAF Marham, UK Getty British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Eurofighter Typhoon jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet ahead of taking off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The air strikes were carried out within hours of a vote by MPs in the Commons to back extending operations against Isis from neighbouring Iraq British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Personnel work on a British Tornado after it returned from a mission at RAF Akrotiri in southern Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Two RAF Tornado GR4's, both with remaining weapons ordnance, approach RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, as they return to the base after carrying out some of the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado takes off from RAF Akrotiri, on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet leaving RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria AKA RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri, Cyprus. The RAF has sent two further Tornado aircraft and six Typhoons to bolster aircraft now flying sorties to both Iraq and Syria
Since that estimate, Russia has started supporting the Syrian government with air strikes and Isis has been driven out of the cities of Tikrit and Ramadi in Iraq, and Palmyra in Syria.
Fighters’ salaries were reportedly halved earlier this year and a string of money-making schemes were imposed on civilians living in its territories amid a military campaign targeting oil revenue.
The US-led coalition has been bombing the terrorist group’s oil fields, supply lines and cash stores since October as part of Operation Tidal Wave II, and an Isis document warning of cuts due to “exceptional circumstances” appeared to show it working.
When British planes extended operations from Iraq into Syria in December, Isis’ Omar oilfields were the first target and Tornadoes and drones have returned to destroy attempted repairs.
A “cash distribution centre” reportedly used to pay fighters was also hit by US planes on 11 January near its Iraqi stronghold of Mosul, with footage showing clouds of money blown into the air. | {
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: Huawei Gets 90-Day Relief From US Govt
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Google has reportedly suspended all businesses with the world's second-biggest smartphone maker, Huawei, and revoked its Android license effective immediately—a move that will have a drastic impact on Huawei devices across the globe.Revoking Android license means Huawei future smartphones will no longer have access to Android updates and apps like Gmail or the Play Store, as well as Google technical support beyond services that are publicly available via open source licensing, Reuters report.Why? That's because last week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency banning foreign companies—over surveillance fear—from doing telecommunication business in the United States without the government's approval.About the executive order, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that President Trump "has made it clear that this Administration will do what it takes to keep America safe and prosperous, and to protect America from foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services in the United States."The Trump administration added Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and some 68 affiliates to its so-called "Entity List"—a list of companies that American firms like Qualcomm, Intel, and Google cannot trade with unless they have an approval from the U.S. government.As a result of which, not just Google, but also three of the world's leading chip makers—Intel, Qualcomm, and Broadcom—are also reportedly cutting off their trades with Huawei, effective immediately.However, that doesn't mean that the current Huawei smartphone users will be cut off entirely from Google services.In a statement via Android's official Twitter account, the company says current Huawei smartphones will continue having access to services like Google Play and security from Google Play Protect. However, they won't receive any future OS updates, like the upcoming Android Q."For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply w/ the recent U.S. government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all U.S. gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device," Google's Android account tweeted However, future Huawei devices will continue to have access to the Android operating system version available through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which is available for free to anyone.It seems like Huawei has been prepared for "worst-case scenarios," specifically for the event of being banned from using Android, and has already been working on its own operating system, Huawei executive Richard Yu said in an interview with Die Welt The U.S. government has given Huawei a temporary license that will allow the mobile phone maker to continue doing business with American firms.On Monday, the U.S. Department of Commerce and its Bureau of Industry and Security announced that Huawei would receive a "temporary general license" to continue to use U.S. technology for the next 90 days, from May 20 until August 19, 2019, for "existing Huawei mobile phone users and rural broadband networks."After 90 days , American firms will not be allowed to export or transfer "information and communications technology or services" to Huawei and 68 of its affiliates without permission from the U.S. government. | {
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The four-minute, profanity-laced video showed the defendant, Jacob Larson, accusing Jackson County Circuit Court Judge John McBain of being “buddy-buddy” with a woman Larson had been accused of stalking for about a year, Mlive reported.
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The hearing was about Larson’s alleged violation of a personal protection order against the woman, who in the video is seated at a table next to Larson but whose face is blurred.
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The video shows that the hearing began calmly but escalated quickly as McBain questioned Larson about his persistent Facebook messages to the woman, despite a personal protection order against him.
“It’s like ‘Fatal Attraction’ kind of stuff that I warned you about last time,” McBain said, referring to the 1987 film in which Glenn Close plays an obsessive stalker. “I told you to just leave her alone. She was a classmate of yours. She apparently has no interest in — ”
“I want her to tell me to leave me alone,” Larson said, motioning toward the woman as he interrupted the judge.
That seemed to irritate McBain, whose voice became noticeably sharper as he responded: “You know what? I told you to leave her alone. And apparently that didn’t get through loud and clear. So today, you’re going to jail for three days.”
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What followed was an escalating exchange in which Larson accused the judge of being “buddy-buddy” with the woman and McBain declaring that the defendant has “a bad attitude.”
As Larson continued interrupting the judge, McBain upped his jail sentence.
“Forty-five days … 93 days in the county jail,” McBain told Larson. “You want to go for a year? Try it right now.”
A court officer seen in the video told Mlive.com that as he tried to take Larson into custody, the defendant “tensed up” and tried to fight him. Larson and the officer, identified by Mlive.com as Jared Schultz, struggled as Larson continued to point and talk to the woman.
“Tell me to leave you alone!” he said. “Tell him right now!”
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“Tase his a– right now!” McBain shouted, as he threw off his judge’s robe, ran over to the two men and then physically helped pin Larson to the ground. Throughout the scuffle, Larson is heard cursing periodically.
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(Warning: The video contains profanity.)
This was not the first time McBain’s comments as a judge have made the news. In 2014, he told a convicted murderer that he hoped she died in prison, Mlive.com reported.
“Sometimes, I think a judge needs a little fire in the right kind of cases,” McBain told the news site at the time.
McBain did not respond to an email sent to his office Friday. A woman who answered the phone for the Jackson County courts system said the judge was not taking calls regarding the video.
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“There is one thing I don’t tolerate is disruptions in my courtroom,” McBain told Mlive.com, adding that Larson was “totally disturbing the decorum of the court.”
McBain told the news site that it was the first time he has had to physically restrain someone in his courtroom.
Jackson County Chief Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson told the Associated Press that McBain’s actions were allowable.
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“A judge has the power to take whatever action is necessary to maintain order in the courtroom,” Wilson told the AP.
According to Mlive.com, Larson was accused of stalking the woman for about a year but blamed his behavior on her:
“Obsessed” for reasons she did not know, he was a high school classmate of the woman, and sent her 22 Facebook messages after McBain signed the order in August 2015 and before the December hearing. “He’s not leaving me alone,” the woman, now 22, told the judge. McBain noted that he “pretty clearly and unequivocally” warned Larson to avoid contact with the woman. “She’s instigating it,” Larson replied and talked about pictures she posted wearing a lot of makeup and with her “hair done and all that stuff, the full nine.”
Since the courtroom incident, Larson again violated the protection order in July, after he sent the woman 20 friend requests on Instagram, according to a detailed case report obtained by The Washington Post.
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The woman went to Larson’s Instagram and discovered a video he had made with her name as the title, the report said. In the video, Larson reportedly referred to the protection order and said “if he can’t have her, no one can,” implying that the two had a dating relationship. The woman told police the two of them had never had a dating relationship and that their only connection was that they had gone to the same school, according to the report.
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Larson has since been charged with aggravated stalking and is scheduled to appear in court again Dec. 2, according to Jackson County court records.
Mlive.com reported that McBain has recused himself from Larson’s cases pertaining to the protection order after witnessing his behavior in the courtroom.
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Formerly a prosecuting attorney, McBain was elected to the Jackson County Circuit Court bench in 2002, according to his bio on a county webpage. In 2007, he was appointed chief judge pro-tempore in the Jackson County Circuit Court. | {
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Legendary singer Cher has taken a swipe at Sarah Sanders' fashion.
On Monday, the singer took to Twitter to express her sentiments about Sander’s style and shamed her for her everyday wear.
Cher's tweet read, “Would someone please tell Sarah Huckabee Sanders to stop dressing like a sister wife.”
The singer illustrated her tweet with an image of two women in stereotypical clothing. In the photo the women also sport braids, plain lace-up shoes and high-neck dresses with long sleeves and puffy shoulders.
One Twitter user wasn’t pleased with singer’s fashion criticism and lashed back at the 71-year-old by sharing an image of Cher at the 2017 Billboard Awards, during which the singer performed in a barely-there diamond ensemble with a sheer and sequined bra and blond wig.
Cher wasted no time and quickly clapped back, “Could You Any WEAKER (be) I’ve had ppl say nasty things about me & my clothes for 53 yrs. Some days Lead, Some Days Feathers. Are you such Princess’s that a stupid joke gets your knickers in a twist You dislike/Hate me,& I Don’t care. Perhaps Walmart’s Sells backbones.”
Others were quick to chime in and criticize Cher for the jab.
This isn’t the first time that Sander’s style has been debated by the media. In August 2017, The New York Times described the press secretary’s style as “relatable” and “very different image from her predecessor, who was ridiculed for his ill-fitting suits, frumpy ties and American flag pin discombobulation.”
But other publications, such as Slate, referred to Sanders as a “brooding Busy Philipps type” and said the press secretary gave off vibes of “a patient parent or field hockey coach.” | {
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David Mitchell hosts as Tony Hawks, Richard Osman, Clive Anderson and Vicki Pepperdine talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as Australia, leather, oil and crisps.
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents.
Tony Hawks, Richard Osman, Clive Anderson and Vicki Pepperdine are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as Australia, leather, oil and crisps.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith, the team behind Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.
Produced by Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4. | {
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There’s no questioning that the Colorado Rockies’ rotation has been awful this season. In fact, by way of FIP-, the 2015 Rockies have the third worst rotation since 1915. As of this writing, not a single Rockies pitcher with more than 10 starts has a FIP that’s even above-average this year — which leaves fans with little to look forward to. That’s about to change, though, as the Rockies have summoned 23-year-old top prospect Jon Gray from Triple-A Albuquerque to start tonight’s game against the Mariners.
The Rockies drafted Gray third overall in the 2013 amateur draft out of the University of Oklahoma, and he immediately began to perform in the minor leagues. He closed out his draft year by pitching to a 1.93 ERA and 1.88 FIP in nine starts between Rookie Ball and High-A. Gray appeared to be on the fast track to the majors after such an exciting debut, but his performance tailed off substantially in Double-A last year. After striking out 26% and 42% of batters faced in Rookie Ball and High-A, respectively, he whiffed just 22% at the Double-A level. Along with a 8% walk rate, this resulted in a middling 3.91 ERA. KATOH forecasted Gray for just 2.3 WAR through his age-28 season.
The Rockies moved Gray up to Triple-A this year, and on the whole, his numbers look very similar to the ones he put up in Double-A. Once again, his strikeout rate (22%) and his walk rate (8%) are very close to league average. And once again, he pitched to an unremarkable 4.33 ERA. His 3.89 FIP wasn’t much better. Still, while the performance was largely the same, Gray’s KATOH forecast to jumped up to 4.2 WAR through age-28 year due to his pitching at a higher level. His improved projection would have put him 88th overall on KATOH’s preseason list.
That’s certainly better, but it still feels like a very pessimistic forecast for Gray, who was a consensus top-30 prospect for two years now. A closer look at Gray’s trajectory suggests his full-season 2015 numbers might not be doing him justice. Gray got off to a rough start to 2015, but he has pitched markedly better lately. Over his past six starts, he’s pitched to a 2.15 FIP and struck out 33% the batters he’s faced. His strikeouts have been trending up since mid-June or so.
Meanwhile, his FIP has been on the decline.
In terms of stuff, Gray has everything you look for in a starting pitcher. His fastball sits in the 91 mph to 94 mph range, according to Kiley McDaniel. And more importantly, his slider and changeup both project to be above-average pitches in the near future, which makes for a solid three-pitch mix.
On the downside, Kiley’s noted that Gray’s stuff has ticked down a couple of notches in the two years since he was drafted. Gray would touch 100 mph in his later days on Oklahoma’s campus, but he rarely tops 95 mph now. Some of this decline may have been intentional, as the Rockies have been working to smooth out the right-hander’s delivery. Nonetheless, this very well might help explain why Gray started missing fewer bats after his first season as a professional.
Let’s pull up some comps. Using league-adjusted, regressed stats, along with age, I calculated the Mahalanobis distance between Gray’s 2015 stats and every season at Triple-A since 1991 in which a pitcher faced at least 350 batters. Below, you’ll find a list of historical players whose performances were nearest and dearest to Gray’s, ranked from most similar to least similar.
*Pitchers who have yet to play their age-28 seasons.
There are some pretty impressive names in this group. Homer Bailey, Jason Hammel, Sonny Gray and Jason Jennings all turned into solid major leaguers. Even Rodrigo Lopez, who’s Gray’s top comp, was better than you probably realized in the early oughts. However, several of the pitchers listed above weren’t nearly the same caliber of prospect as Gray. Alfredo Figaro? Dave Haas? Who are you?
To weed out all of these non-prospects, let’s thin the field a bit. Here’s a look at the guys who were either drafted in the first round or cracked Baseball America’s top 100 list the winter before their Gray-esqe seasons.
*Pitchers who have yet to play their age-28 seasons.
That looks a little more appropriate. It’s reasonable to expect Gray’s career trajectory to resemble some of these pitchers. In other words, there’s a good chance he falls somewhere between Jeff Niemann and Homer Bailey, which wouldn’t be a bad outcome by any means.
Everything about Gray suggests he’s an awfully good bet to be a solid big-league starter. This is especially true if you buy into what he’s done these past couple of weeks. Whether he’s ready to be that guy right away, though, is up for debate. Steamer, with its 4.32 ERA rest-of-season forecast, suggests he’s not quite there yet. But it seems foolish to bet against a guy with Gray’s stuff who’s been nearly unhittable for the past month or so. Seeing how the Rockies are well out of the race, Gray will almost certainly finish out the year in their rotation, regardless of how he performs. At the least, the 23-year-old’s starts should be fun to watch. | {
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Most people use the giant online video game platform Steam to buy games and move on, but others build communities. As we've previously reported, Valve, the company that operates Steam, does very little moderating. So the platform is full of hate groups.
As the nonprofit news organization The Center for Investigative Reporting first reported on Friday, it appears Steam is also full of groups that venerate school shooters. Valve is a multi billion-dollar game company with at least 125 million users. Its code of conduct specifically prohibits racism and “threats of violence or harassment, even as a joke.” That fact that some of these groups have been allowed on a platform for years is yet another example of how Valve not only fails to enforce its own policies, but normalizes extremist thinking.
“Plan to shoot up Forest Lake state school,” a user named School Shooter 66 wrote in the Steam group School Shooting Squad group in March 2017. “I plan to bring an M16 , 3 mags, suicide pills and an axe." The user goes on to detail his plan of attack, and clarifies in all caps that "THIS IS NOT A JOKE."
Other user-created Steam groups talk about school shootings, take their names from prominent school shooters, and celebrate mass killers such as Elliot Rodger, who shot six people to death near the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2014. One group, “Future School Shooter Material,” has 106 members and bills itself as “a group dedicated to the bright young minds who are tortured by bullies. Join if you want to be a future school shooter.”
Another group called “School Shoot Gang” used a picture of Columbine shooter Dylan Klebold as its avatar. “Remember Columbine High?” It asked. “That was just a warmup. For Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.” There are groups dedicated to Elliot Rodger, George Zimmerman, and Charles Manson. As of this writing, searching Steam’s groups for “school shooter” returns 248 results. Some of the groups have just a few members, while others have more than a hundred.
Many of the messages are not just violent, but also racist. “Whos in charge of shooting the ni**ers and sp**s?” A user asked in one of the Steam groups. “I thought I was but I’m not sure.”
In a group that called California murderer Elliot Rodger an American hero, one user made a vague threat to repeat Rodger’s massacre. “I am like Elliot Rodger,” the user said. “Don't you worry guys, I will prove it soon!”
We know for a fact that at least one school shooter shared his worldview on Steam before carrying out an actual shooting. William Edward Atchison posted racist ramblings and calls to violence on Steam and other online communities for years before killing two students and himself at Aztec High School in New Mexico on December 7, 2017. A Steam group named after the neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi organization associated with several recent murders, regularly posted to YouTube and Steam. | {
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Hamilton has earned the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in the country.
In 2016, 70 hate crimes were reported in the city, which works out to 12.5 per 100,000 population, a recent Statistics Canada study notes.
"It's definitely not a new problem. What's happening, I think, is we're seeing unaddressed issues being represented right across Canada," said Ameil Joseph, a McMaster University professor who studies trends in racism.
Ottawa's rate of 9.5 per 100,000 population was second highest.
Of Hamilton's 70 hate crimes in 2016, 26 per cent targeted the black population and 27 per cent the Jewish population, the Statistics Canada study found. In 2015, there were 55 reports (9.9 rate); in 2014, there were 82 (14.9 rate).
Across the country, Canadian police services reported 1,409 hate crimes in 2016, which was three per cent higher than 2015.
The study authors attribute the increase to more hate crimes targeting South Asian, Arab, West Asian and Jewish populations, as well as for sexual orientation.
But Joseph questions the report's potential to spark change: It opens by highlighting the relatively small three per cent increase in hate crimes and notes they "accounted for less than 0.1 per cent of the nearly 1.9 million police-reported crimes in 2016."
"If the first two points of the report are that it's not a big deal, then it doesn't do anything," Joseph said.
The study doesn't offer deep analysis of what's behind racism nor capture its often "insidious" and systemic nature, he added.
A more "nuanced" analysis is needed to understand racism's underpinnings, Joseph said.
The social work professor has been a staunch advocate for the new Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, which officially opened April 4 at 140 King St. E., the Effort Square building.
The centre's anti-racism lead, Princewill Ogban, is tasked with listening and offering advice to clients, referring them to other services, such as Legal Aid or the human rights tribunal. Joseph is analyzing data gathered through the centre to form a more detailed picture of racism in Hamilton.
It's not clear from the report if there was an increase in the number of people reporting hate crimes in 2016, or if they actual number of incidents was on the rise.
But Joseph says those who experience discrimination can be reluctant to go to police because they feel unable to prove racial motivations or doubt incidents will be classified as criminal.
"Sometimes people just let that slide because they don't know what to do with it."
They shouldn't let it go, says Sgt. Paul Corrigan, hate crime investigator with the Hamilton Police Service.
If someone reports a racial slur, for instance, police will try to track down the person who uttered it and at least explain why it's unacceptable, Corrigan said.
That incident is tracked, and if a pattern emerges, it could be used in court to argue an assault or threat was motivated by hate, which would merit a stiffer sentence, he said.
"We can say, 'No, no, he's made these comments before and he's escalated.'"
Last year, police met with roughly 40 groups and organizations in different settings to encourage reporting of hate crimes and solidify trust, Corrigan said.
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"We made a policy of doing that, telling, 'You have to come and tell us when someone is doing something to you.'"
The vast majority of reports in Hamilton fall under the category of "hate bias incidents," such as slurs, rather than " hate crimes," like assaults, threats or mischief, Corrigan noted.
His unit investigates an average of 10 to 12 alleged hate crimes per month, he estimated. The No. 1 offence is graffiti, which tends to increase in prominence in warmer months.
On the whole, Corrigan said he feels optimistic about tackling hate crimes in Canada.
Though it's too early to see in the statistics, if anything, the effect of Donald Trump's divisive presidency in the United States seems to have galvanized resistance north of the border, he said.
"People are now actually coming out and holding people to account."
Joseph, however, suggests that even if the Statistics Canada report of three per cent might appear negligible to some, it's not cause for optimism.
"What is it we're not doing? And who's accountable for this, for this standard set that Hamilton now has the most police-reported hate crimes?"
[email protected]
905-526-3264 | @TeviahMoro
- Canadians 'in denial': Police documented hate crimes rose 5 per cent in 2015
- Hamilton ranks second highest for hate crimes in Canada - again
- Hamilton hate crime stats not reflective of reality: police | {
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Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan met with the franchise’s disenchanted superstar Dwight Howard on Wednesday in Los Angeles, sources have confirmed to RealGM.
Hennigan traveled to Los Angeles to have a face-to-face discussion with Howard with the hopes of persuading him to back off his trade request and allow the organization more time to build a championship contender. Hennigan, however, was unsuccessful in his pitch as Howard reiterated his desire to leave Orlando as soon as possible, according to sources.
Hennigan’s pitch to Howard had a heavy focus on the two men developing a relationship that would be valuable to the Magic moving forward. He expressed a sincere interest in getting to know the six-time All-Star and working with him to improve the team. Howard, however, was expecting an outline of how the team planned to improve and get back to a championship-contending level, something he didn’t receive during the hour-long meeting, according to sources.
Howard was staunch in his stance and again made it clear to Hennigan that he has no desire to return to Orlando. He told the 30-year-old general manager that he would “never sign another contract with the Magic,” according to sources that spoke with RealGM.
During the meeting, Howard informed Hennigan that he would be willing to re-sign with the Lakers at the end of the 12-13 season if the two teams were able to complete a trade.
The scenarios Howard was open to during the meeting were: An immediate trade to the Lakers, a January trade to the Brooklyn Nets or a clean break at the end of the 2012-13 season. But he was clear that he would not return to the Magic, choosing to leave as a free agent after the season, sources told RealGM.
Hennigan informed Howard that he didn’t have any deals in the works and wasn’t quite sure how to respond to what he was told, according to sources. Hennigan was noncommittal on any of the discussed scenarios as the meeting ended.
Hennigan’s noncommittal approach has only frustrated Howard more as it’s believed that several acceptable offers have been presented to the Magic only to be turned down due to a lack of a true intent to trade him, sources said.
There is now a belief that Hennigan and the Magic have half-heartedly entered into trade talks, resulting in frustration among the many teams rumored to have been included in the ongoing negotiations.
Trading Howard, however, is a process the Magic won’t rush as they understand his value on and off the court and aren’t willing, at this point, to lose him without acceptable compensation. | {
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GNOME 3.4 Release Candidate Finalized
The GNOME Release Team’s Javier Jardón announced the availability of the 3.4 Release Candidate yesterday. This is the final development version of GNOME 3.4, and puts the next version of GNOME 3 on track for completion next week. GNOME 3.4 promises to deliver major new features, updated applications and wide-scale improvements to the GNOME 3 user experience.
The remaining time until the GNOME 3.4 release will be devoted to testing and essential bug fixing.
Members of the press who would like details about the release should contact [email protected]. | {
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(Natural News) A Rhode Island-based physician has recently admitted to participating in a fraudulent scheme and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to illegally prescribe fentanyl, a highly-addictive opioid. A Reuters report has revealed that Dr. Jerrold Rosenberg, 36, has pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Court in Providence on grounds of health care fraud and illegally prescribing the addictive fentanyl-based cancer pain drug Subsys. The drug, an under-the-tongue spray, is manufactured by Chandler, Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics Inc.
According to the prosecutors, Rosenberg participated in the fraudulent scheme from 2012 to 2015 and had received a whopping $188,000 in kickbacks. The prosecutors have reported that the kickbacks have been in the form of speaker fees from Insys. The prosecutors also noted that the speaker fees became the doctor’s basis in prescribing the opioid spray. Likewise, the reports have indicated that the physician fraudulently claimed that the patients suffered from cancer pain when the prescriptions are not given, thus securing insurance approvals for Subsys. (Related: Doctors are prescribing DEADLY fentanyl for cash and lavish dinners, reveals report.)
The doctor has agreed to settle $754,736 in restitution to healthcare benefit programs as part of the plea agreement. Aside from this, the physician is facing a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and is slated to be sentenced on Jan. 16. The doctor’s lawyer has declined a request for comment.
The probe against the drug maker comes during a national opioid abuse epidemic. Federal prosecutors in Boston have charged six former Insys executives and managers — which included ex-Chief Executive Michael Babich — in December on grounds of performing a scheme that bribed physicians into prescribing Subsys and defrauding insurers. All the six former officials have pleaded not guilty before the court. Likewise, several other states have filed lawsuits against other former company officials and medical practitioners that have prescribed the fentanyl-based spray.
In addition, the pharmaceutical company faces charges filed by attorneys general in Arizona and New Jersey. The company has been reported to have settled up to $9.45 million to resolve probes by attorneys general in certain states including Oregon, New Hampshire, Illinois, and Massachusetts. The drug firm has been allegedly coordinating with the U.S. Justice Department in order to resolve issues associated with the misdeeds of former employees.
“We have taken necessary and appropriate steps to prevent past mistakes from happening in the future and are committed to conducting business according to high ethical standards and the interests of patients. We also continue to work with relevant authorities to resolve issues related to the misdeeds of former employees,” an Insys spokesperson has told Daily Mail online.
Opioid abuse becoming more prevalent across the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that opioid abuse has resulted in more than 33,000 deaths in 2015 alone. The federal agency has also cautioned that the rates have been continuously increasing. According to the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the drugs are chemically related and work with the opioid receptors on nerve cells in the brain and nervous system in order to alleviate pain and generate pleasurable effects.
Data published by the ASAM have also shown that opioid abuse has already reached the youth. The data revealed that as many as 276,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old are current non-medical users of pain relief drugs in 2015. Nearly half of these teens have reported being addicted to painkillers, the ASAM data has shown. The report has also indicated that the number of opioid prescriptions among teens have nearly doubled between 1994 to 2007.
Sources include:
Reuters.com
DailyMail.co.uk
ASAM.org | {
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A Curious Case
The human body is a melding of different systems designed to function well together. In some cases, however, a mechanism that protects the body can also cause it harm, like with the specialized shield of endothelial cells — called the blood-brain barrier — that keeps toxins in the blood from entering the brain.
Due to a genetic defect, the blood-brain barrier could prevent essential biomolecules needed for normal brain development from passing through. An example is the Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS), which is a psychomotor disease resulting from a defective gene that controls the influx of thyroid hormones to the brain. This rare but severe disorder is also unique to humans, making it very difficult to develop treatments that could be lab tested on animals.
So, to study this unique disorder, scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles used the cells of AHDS patients to recreate the patients’ blood-brain barriers via induced pluripotent steam (iPS) cells technology. What they learned using the model gave the researchers some leads on potential therapies for the disease. They published their study in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Eliminating Barriers, So to Speak
The researchers managed to make a laboratory model for AHDS. “This is the first demonstration of using a patient’s cells to model a blood-brain barrier defect,” senior author, Eric Shusta, explained in a press release. “If we had just the (compromised) neural cells available, we wouldn’t have been able to identify this key characteristic of AHDS.”
Thanks so their innovation, there’s now a framework to develop new treatments that could prevent or mitigate the debilitating effects of AHDS, according to senior author Clive Svendsen from Cedars-Sinai.
Furthermore, the research could also apply to other neurological disorders that may also have roots in a dysfunctional blood-brain barrier, like Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease. “The significance of this study expands beyond the limits of AHDS research, to the possibility of stem cell modeling the blood-brain barrier component in many other neurological diseases,” said Gad Vatine, lead author for the study, in the press release.
The study is another proof of how stem cells can revolutionize the future of medicine. | {
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Lisa Butler has been a sociology professor at St. Charles Community College for five years and is limited in the number of credit hours she can teach a year. She teaches three courses at Maryville University and three at the community college, and makes about $30,000 a year.
“For me, teaching is what I want to do full time,” she said. “The reality is, full-time faculty positions aren’t available.”
She said big concerns included pay level and lack of security on the job. The adjuncts also don’t have benefits or retirement plans, she said. “I think for us, what we really want is just an ability to be heard,” Butler said. “We don’t really have a lot of rights as adjuncts. We don’t have a place with a lot of safety and security where we can go with any concerns.”
College administrators hire adjunct professors because they don’t cost much, and they can fill in when full-time faculty have full course loads. There are about 4,000 adjuncts working in the St. Louis area, and it’s common for them to make about $20,000 a year or less, even with those who have full course loads, people who watch the industry say. | {
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From 1999 to 2012 the Bolivarian government was able to win and maintain mass support in the oil-rich South American nation, most of all from among the least well-off sectors of the population. This was due to several factors, including the promise of an inclusive, participatory political system and development model that could diversify the country’s economy from dependence on oil income, the improvement in living standards through the social investment of oil wealth and sustained economic growth, and the singularly powerful connection created between the leadership of Hugo Chavez and a substantial portion of the population.
As a result of the successes of this project, including notable gains from social policies, Chavismo reached an almost unchallenged state of political hegemony in the mid 2000s, and has won almost every national election since December 1998. While the political opposition slowly regained electoral ground from 2006, until recently it had been unable to pose a serious national challenge to Chavismo. However from late 2012, coinciding with Chavez’s death and Nicolas Maduro’s narrow election in April last year, a worsening economic situation coupled with the accumulation of persistent long-term problems threaten to reverse this balance of power. In this context, it is important to examine changing public opinion toward the government and the factors which may be influencing this.
Economic troubles hit Maduro’s popularity
Following the waning of hard-line opposition unrest earlier this year, the wobbling state of the economy has become the central focus of attention for the country’s citizens. Problems seem to be centred around the complex system of fixed-rate currency exchange controls, which came under pressure last year when the value of the bolivar plummeted on the black market against the dollar, creating a large gap between the official and “black market” values of the currency. The economic distortions generated by this process, and the government’s effort to cut back on access to foreign currency as a result, have helped to create product shortages across the economy, including of essential consumer goods and some medicines. At the same time annual inflation has shot from 20% at the end of 2012 to over 60% currently, hitting the value of wages. Authorities meanwhile accuse business groups of helping create or worsen these problems, and say that around 40% of the country’s food supply is being smuggled into Colombia in order to escape Venezuelan price controls and make a higher profit.
The situation with food scarcity should also not be exaggerated. Generally, supermarket shelves appear full and the majority of essential consumer items can be bought most of the time. Nevertheless several basic products, including milk, toilet paper and corn flour, are often absent, meaning that shoppers must visit more than one store or wait in long queues when scarce goods arrive in order to get all their weekly groceries. The effect for consumers is irritation and anxiety, as well as extra expense if they must resort to buying scarce goods at a speculative street price.
Other developments add to the sense that the economy is not operating in a state of normality. Citing their inability to repatriate profits in bolivars through currency controls, international airlines have reduced flight capacity to Venezuela by 36% over the past year, and flight prices have skyrocketed. Meanwhile car assembly has plummeted by 83% compared with the same period last year. Companies attribute the situation to difficulties importing parts through currency controls. Such problems, in addition to conflicts over wages and conditions, often with the management of nationalised industries, have led to a wave of industrial unrest in several sectors recently including steel, electricity and car assembly.
Further, surveys by Venezuelan consultancy firms Hinterlaces, Consultores 21 and Datanalisis show that between two thirds and fourth fifths of the public feel the country is “heading in a bad direction”, and that the overall negative perception of the state of the country’s affairs permeates down to the lowest income groups. This is a relatively recent phenomenon. The Hinterlaces organisation measures that less than two years ago these numbers were reversed, with two thirds of citizens expressing a positive outlook on the country’s affairs.
There are other factors which contribute to growing dissatisfaction, such as high crime rates and perceptions of corruption and inefficiency in state administration. Yet these do not affect presidential approval as strongly as the economy, as citizens distribute responsibility for problems such as crime among a wider range of actors.
There is also discontent among the dissident left wing of Chavismo in response to what they see as the reduction of spaces for criticism and debate within the government and the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), a complex issue covered in a recent article by author Federico Fuentes.
A deeper process which works against the government is longevity in office. Chavismo has been in power since 1999, and by the next presidential election the Bolivarian government will have been running the country for almost two decades. This makes calls for “change” more attractive, especially to younger voters who have no first-hand experience of the pre-Bolivarian era with which to make a comparison.
Nevertheless the available evidence suggests that the state of the economy is the determining factor behind a fall in presidential approval since Maduro was elected. Economic troubles, understood as food shortages and the rising cost of living, have overtaken crime as the country’s main problem in the eyes of citizens in a number of surveys. The majority of the blame for economic problems is being placed on the government’s shoulders: in a recent survey by Consultores 21, almost 63% of respondents felt the government was “at fault” for the economic situation. Parallel to this, approval ratings for Maduro’s performance have fallen to between 41- 47 percent.[i] Thus while approval for Maduro continues to be quite strong, polls suggest that his popularity has been reduced by around ten percentage points over the past twelve months.
The worry for the government is that if this trend continues it may not be able to count on an absolute majority of votes at the next national election. This could have disastrous implications for the PSUV in the National Assembly elections toward the end of next year, where if the opposition were to win a majority of seats, it would essentially be able to hold a veto over new government legislation and the national budget. In such a situation, it is also possible that the opposition would try to subject Maduro to a recall referendum in 2016, putting the survival of the Bolivarian project to the test earlier than the December 2018 presidential elections.
A closer look at public opinion
Despite this challenging outlook, there are several factors which could contribute to the Maduro administration maintaining or recovering its level of support in the coming period.
The first is that the 55 - 60% of the population that is expressing dissatisfaction with the government is not uniformly pro-opposition. The president of Datanalisis, Luis Vicente Leon, explained recently that in terms of political affiliation the country is divided into three roughly equal self-identifying groups comprised of chavistas, independents and opposition supporters. From these, the government can concretely count on the electoral support of around 40% of the population in a presidential election, while the opposition can also count on up to 40%, leaving around 20% of independents who could swing toward either pole during a given moment.
In this context, a second advantage for the government is that since the end of last year the opposition has been unable to present a united voice or alternative project to the country. The prominent role played by the right-wing of the opposition compounds this as such groups promote a national vision that stands at odds with the values and demands of the country’s majority. This was evidenced earlier in the year when the hard-line opposition’s strategy of pressuring the government through protests and violent street barricades was rejected by a majority of citizens and left the opposition openly divided. With the recent resignation of the coordinator of the opposition MUD coalition, Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, and the holding of closed door meetings between opposition parties to try and sort through differences, the opposition has not managed to take advantage of the uncertainty and discontent affecting the population. However Luis Vicente Leon warned that if conditions remain as they are, an effective opposition could manage to draw together an anti-government majority in the future. “At some point a leader in the opposition will emerge, known or not, that capitalises on the energy against Chavismo,” the pollster predicted in a June interview.
A third factor in the government’s favour is that a large majority of the population identifies with the ideals and values of Chavismo more than any other political movement. This includes young voters, a key group for evaluating shifting public opinion. In a national youth survey (15 – 29 yrs) conducted September – October last year by the Andres Bello Catholic University (UCAB), 78% of respondents felt that the state, rather than the private sector, has the main responsibility for creating employment. Meanwhile 81% felt the state has the main responsibility to ensure citizens’ wellbeing, and 84% felt the state should be the main provider of healthcare and education.[ii] These and other survey responses reflect a broad consensus, shared even by some opposition supporters, around the desirability of the state to play a leading role in a mixed economy, with the state also delivering key public services and policies to create employment and reduce inequality.
However in the same youth survey there was not one majority positive evaluation for the Maduro administration’s performance in a range of areas measured. For example only 30% felt the government was managing the economy well, 34% felt the government was combating corruption, and 48% felt the government was acting to reduce poverty. It therefore seems that falling approval for the Maduro administration is not based on an outright rejection of the existing model or the ideals of the Bolivarian project, but stems from dissatisfaction with the government’s performance and the accumulation of specific problems.
In addition, it is worth noting that the continued pursuit of social progress and attempts to protect living standards may have helped maintain presidential approval at a moderately positive level. Despite the aforementioned economic difficulties, social spending and other policies have so far managed to conserve gains in poverty reduction, while unemployment is at a record low.
As such, Hinterlaces director Oscar Schemel argued in late July that Venezuelans “aren’t looking for people to blame, they’re demanding solutions. They are demanding a leader that executes decisions, that announces the new course…That is the task of the new leader of the revolution [Maduro], of the new stage of the revolution”.
Reforms in the pipeline
The government will likely be aware of these trends in public opinion. Nicolas Maduro’s response has been to propose a series of major reforms to the economy, state and party in the hope of setting the country on a course that can guarantee his administration majority support into the future.
Regarding the economy, the executive cabinet appears to be planning some market orientated adjustments to reduce current distortions without relinquishing state control over the main levers of the economy. This strategy will possibly involve unifying the multiple official exchange rates, which would effectively devalue the currency closer to the “black market” value. Authorities are also looking to boost international reserves and internal revenue by renewing debt, centralising off-budget funds, reducing subsidies on domestic gasoline, and increasing tax intake. With this, the government hopes that a more stable model can lead to increased national production and the reduced use of foreign earnings for imports.
On state administration, Maduro has announced he is looking to reduce corruption and bureaucracy, and improve efficiency, by conducting a review of the budgets and operation of each of the 30 government ministries and other state entities.
In terms of the PSUV, pledges were made at the recent national congress to renew party authorities by January 2015, limit the use of “cooption” where party leaders unilaterally name electoral candidates and other positions, and to reorganise grassroots party structures. A conference is to be held later this year to analyse strategies for an “economic transition to socialism”.
Conclusion
Despite the relative calm on the streets of Venezuela after the defeat of the radical opposition’s uprising earlier this year, the Maduro administration finds itself at a critical juncture, with the loss of majority support before the next national election emerging as one possible outcome. It is a situation where the potential consequences of acting, or not acting, to reform the Chavez-era economic model are being weighed.
Beyond the government’s policies and their results, there are a myriad of actors in Venezuelan politics that may influence public opinion over the coming period. Within the opposition these include various political parties, opposition-aligned NGO’s and pro-opposition student groups. In the Bolivarian movement they include the other parties of the Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) alliance, as well as dissident left groups within the PSUV and social movements such as the communes. External forces will also play a role, as China’s announcement of fresh loans for Venezuela and the U.S.’s on-going financing of opposition groups and recent sanctions exemplify.
However the evidence from opinion polls suggests that it is the economic situation which is the determining factor behind decreasing approval ratings for the government, and as such, the impact of planned economic reforms may prove decisive for the country’s political future and developmental path. | {
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(Nashville, Tennessee –April 23, 2019) — Today Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s policy prohibiting transgender people born in Tennessee from correcting the gender marker on their birth certificates. Tennessee is one of just three remaining states, including Kansas and Ohio where Lambda Legal has similar lawsuits currently pending in federal district court, to have such a discriminatory policy.
“I have been a woman my entire life. However, the state of Tennessee refuses to recognize my identity and forces me to carry incorrect identity documents. Tennessee’s discriminatory policy complicates every aspect of transgender people’s lives,” said plaintiff Kayla Gore, 33, who lives in Memphis, Tennessee. “In times where anti-trans violence is escalating, especially against trans women of color, I deserve to have identity documents that reflect who I am and don’t put me in harm’s way – the same as anyone would want for themself and their loved ones.”
“Tennessee’s birth certificate policy is archaic and discriminatory. By refusing to correct the birth certificates of transgender Tennesseans, Tennessee puts transgender people in harm’s way and violates our most fundamental constitutional rights,” said Lambda Legal Senior Attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan. “Forty-seven (47) states, DC, and Puerto Rico acknowledge the importance of allowing people to have access to essential government identity documents that accurately reflect their sex, consistent with their gender identity. It is time for Tennessee to join them. We won’t rest until we remove every governmental barrier to recognizing and respecting every transgender person’s identity in this country.”
Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville on behalf of four transgender people born in Tennessee – Kayla Gore, Jason Scott, and two plaintiffs identified by their initials, L.G. and K.N. With this lawsuit, Tennessee is the fifth jurisdiction with a categorical exclusion on birth certificates that Lambda Legal has challenged, including Puerto Rico and Idaho, where the civil rights organization secured victories in court that prompted policy changes.
“A birth certificate is an extremely important and necessary document for every aspect of life,” said plaintiff Jason Scott, 47, who was born in Tennessee and now lives in Seattle, Washington. “I have had to put up with a lot since I decided to live as the man that I am over twenty-five (25) years ago. The State of Tennessee does not get to define who I am by incorrectly identifying me as female on my birth certificate. Getting a correct birth certificate in alignment with who I am would be life-changing.”
In the lawsuit, Gore v. Lee, Lambda Legal argues that denying transgender people in Tennessee the ability to obtain accurate birth certificates violates the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit also argues that forcing transgender people through their birth certificates to identify with a sex that is not who they are violates their free speech rights under the First Amendment.
“Merchant & Gould is proud to provide pro bono legal services to advance the cause of civil rights and pleased to partner with Lambda Legal once again,” said John Winemiller, Ph.D., managing partner of Merchant & Gould’s Knoxville office and local counsel on this case. “A birth certificate is a person’s most important identifying document, and all people have a right to express their identity without discrimination.”
“Baker Botts is proud to partner with Lambda Legal on this important case, and we look forward to seeing it through to a successful conclusion.” Said Stuart Plunkett, partner of Baker Botts.
There are a number of anti-LGBT bills moving in the Tennessee legislature, including bills that would allow child welfare agencies to reject same-sex couples seeking to adopt based on religious grounds, once again prohibit same-sex couples from marrying, and restrict transgender people’s access to facilities. This federal lawsuit lies in direct contrast to these attempts to dehumanize LGBT people and institutionalize discrimination, and sends a message that the government must recognize a person’s core identity.
According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, almost one-third of transgender who showed an identity document with a name or gender marker that conflicted with their perceived gender were harassed, denied benefits or services, discriminated against or assaulted. Transgender people also are disproportionately targeted for hate crimes.
Handling the case on behalf of Lambda Legal are Senior Attorneys Omar Gonzalez-Pagan and Sasha Buchert, and Counsel Tara Borelli. They are joined by pro-bono co-counsel Stuart C. Plunkett, Maddy Dwertman, Brandt Thomas Roessler, Kathryn S. Christopherson of Baker Botts L.L.P. and John Winemiller of Merchant & Gould P.C.
Read about the case here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/tn_gore-v-lee | {
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bimbos
Pity Charles Boustany, who could’ve stayed comfortably ensconced in the lesser marble of the U.S. House of Representatives but chose, long before the Donald Trump wrecking ball began careering into the GOP’s hardy-board facade, to seek the Senate seat being vacated by David Vitter. Since Trump secured the nomination, Boustany and moderate Republicans across the country have been forced to step gingerly through a minefield, sticking with their party even as their party’s presidential nominee insults and demeans women, minorities, women, the disabled, women, POWs, women, immigrants, women, Gold Star families, women, Muslims, women and women. The moderates of the GOP are at one turn routinely denouncing their nominee's words and at another saying they still support him. It’s cognitive dissonance of the first order.Since the release Friday of the hot-mic recording of Trump bragging about sexually assaultingwomen, dozens of Republican elected officials nationwide have withdrawn their support for Trump, but they’ve done it at their own peril, risking a backlash from diehard Trump supporters who have threatened to vote for a rival who does support the caustic nominee, or to withhold their vote in down-ballot races altogether. A handful, like Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer , withdrew their endorsement after the “grab her by the p***y” revelation — which in fairness was made a really long time ago when Trump was a young 59 years old — and then re-endorsed Trump early this week after rankling Trump supporters.And while it’s true, according to an article early this week by The Advocate , that Louisiana’s GOP Senate candidates, Boustany included, say they’re sticking with Trump, their level of enthusiasm varies. Early in the summer, when Trump announced Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate, Boustany was effusive in his praise for the VP choice yet conspicuously didn’t mention Trump’s name in hailing Pence
Now, post-“grab her by the p***y,” Tea Party candidates like John Fleming in North Louisiana have had no qualms sticking by Trump. Boustany, on the other hand, has a trickier path to tread. He doesn’t want to alienate moderate GOP and independent voters, especially suburban Republican women who are turned off by Trump, but he doesn’t want to risk the ire of the hardcore Trumpsters, who have taken their champion’s words to heart: Silence, or even wavering support, is tantamount to deleting Hillary Clinton’s 30-bazillion Benghazi emails yourself and murdering Vince Foster.
To his credit Boustany has tried to stay above the fray, to talk about issues, to say he “supports the Republican nominee” without uttering the word Trump. But he can’t avoid the Trumpsters, whose agitation in these final weeks of the campaign is a barometer of Donald Trump’s ugly, embarrassing meltdown.
For proof, check out virtually any of Boustany posts on Facebook. It can be about early voting, Obamacare, Houthi rebels firing missiles at a Navy warship — anything in the news or among the issues that would otherwise serve to reaffirm his conservative Republican bona fides. But the Trumpsters are having none of it.
For illustration, below we’ve reproduced a sample of a few posts Boustany made to Facebook this week, post-“grab her by the p***y.” Through the magic of Photoshop we’ve filtered out most of the non-Trumpster comments.
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Republican candidate Karen Handel has beaten the Democrats’ Jon Ossoff in the race for Georgia’s sixth congressional district. The special election was seen as a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency | {
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Free Online Hearts • Play Free Hearts Card Game
Free online hearts is an evasion-type, trick-taking playing card game for 4 people. However, different game modes can accommodate between three and 6 players. Hearts game is a fun and challenging game. The hearts game became popular around 1750 in Spain. In free hearts game a penalty point was awarded for each trick won and extra points for capturing J or Q of heart. It is a similar game to four jacks. Thanks to the technology now you can enjoy hearts online whenever you want. Play hearts online right here.
Gameplay
Free online hearts is played like most other trick-taking card games. The first trick in the hearts game is led by the person to the left of the dealer. The rest of the players, in clockwise order play a card from their hand. However, keep in mind that all other players must follow suit. That means that they need to play a card of the same suit as the lead card if they can. If some of the players aren’t able to play the same suit, he can play any card which is an action called “sloughing” or “discarding”, including a penalty heart or queen of spades. Must try: Zuma Online • Play Zuma Game
The trick and any points it has are won by the person who played the highest-value card of the suit that was led. That same player becomes the lead player for the next trick. He continues until all other players have “drained” their hands.
Scoring
Each heart obtained in trick scores 1 penalty point against the person wining the trick and taking the queen of spades costs 13 penalty points. In addition, there are thus 26 penalty points in each deal. Free hearts online usually ends when one player reaches 100 points or in some other different heart games, after a predetermined number of deals or certain time. Moreover, in any of these cases, the wining player is the one with the fewest penalty points. Check this game: Free Mahjong Online • Play Mahjong
Enough of all that, the real reason you’ve visited this site is to get some quality action of free hearts online. In this site you can play hearts as long as you want. I have to be honest; I am not really big fan of the hearts game. Simply because I had quite difficult time learning to play it since we didn’t had enough information about the game like today. Thanks to the internet, now everyone can enjoy and play hearts online for free. In addition, not only you can play hearts; you can also learn how to play it and master it in just a few hours. Enjoy a free hearts game whenever you want with whoever you please. | {
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I imagine that some of you have heard of Founders Footwear, a shoe brand that launched last year. The company offers Blake-rapid welted shoes made in Italy, and has a small collection of core styles. While the ~$300 price does put them in the same realm as some other young shoe brands (although Founders does include shoe trees and free returns/exchanges, which is notable), they’re currently having quite the sale.
The team behind Founders has decided to move their production from a large factory in Southern Italy to a smaller one in the North that focuses on smaller-batch production. This sounds like a solid move to me, as I think that the shoes coming out of those factories will likely be of even higher quality (though the price tag will go up as well). Anyway, all this is to say that the change in supply chain means that they’re looking to liquidate their current inventory. The code SF17 will give you 50% (!) off their current styles (all sales final). You can read more on their Styleforum affiliate thread as well. So while it’s true that there’s more competition than ever for shoes around $300, a welted shoe made in Italy at around $150 is quite the bargain. | {
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Police are seeking help in finding a missing borough man, Darryl Barbour, that was last seen Feb. 20.
ROCHESTER — Police are seeking help in finding a missing borough man who was last seen Feb. 20.
Darryl Craig Barbour was reported missing Feb. 22, Rochester police said.
He was last seen by his family around 11 a.m. Feb. 20 and was known to be at the Ambridge Citizens Bank around 2 p.m. that day, police said.
Barbour is approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall and 240 pounds. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, black dress shoes and a jacket. He wears brown glasses with rose/gold colored lenses. Barbour is known to have some mental health issues, police said.
Barbour may be driving a white 1990 Chevrolet truck with registration YMN-9073.
Rochester police are asking anyone with information to call them at 724-775-1100. | {
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Every cross country parent wants their child to do well. We often struggle, however, in knowing how best to support and encourage them. A parent’s role in a runner’s success is as or more important than the coach’s, but entirely different. Learning more about the sport can provide insight into how a parent can excel in filling this essential position on the team.
The Rebuilders
Unlike many other sports, where the majority of training is learning skills and plays, training for running is primarily conditioning: adapting the body to be able to handle the demands of speed and distance. Conditioning works by stressing the body beyond what it has been accustomed to, tearing it down with hard training sessions. The body responds by calling in reinforcements and rebuilding stronger so that it can handle the stress the next time it has to face it without damage. Without recovery and rebuilding, runners get more and more beat up until they break.
Thus, recovery time between workouts is more important than the workouts. And, two of three elements of recovery — time, fuel and sleep — fall in the parents’ realm. Allowing enough time between hard workouts to enable rebuilding is the coach’s responsibility. Ensuring that the runner gets adequate fuel and sleep happens when the runner is home with the parent.
The best way to help your runner get stronger and faster is to improve their nutrition and encourage adequate sleep. Nutrition needn’t be complicated: They don’t need special protein shakes or excess carbs. They do need a variety of fresh, whole foods and to minimize processed products full of sugar. Make it easy for them to snack on fruit. Provide regular, old-fashioned meals with a balance of protein, carbs and colorful vegetables. Help them keep hydrated with water.
As for sleep, the more they can get the better. Elite runners report sleeping up to 14 hours a day. Teens need 8–10 hours even when they aren’t adding the additional stress of distance running. We can’t, of course, make our kids sleep, but we can help them take it seriously, do the math on when they should be headed to bed, and encourage them to create a sleep-conducive environment in their bedrooms: cool, dark, quiet, and free from technological distractions (particularly phones).
A Mental Balancing Act
Knowing how to best encourage a young athlete to do their best is difficult for parents in any sport. It may be even harder in cross country because of the unique challenges of distance running.
When running a 5K, you’re not only trying to focus and execute an athletic skill, but you’re also in a constant struggle to balance your effort with the demands of the remaining distance, given your body’s current signals of distress. You’re always asking, “Am I able to do this?” Training is as much about honing runners’ belief in their ability to handle harder and harder efforts and not blow up, as it about building physical skill.
The goal is to reach a point where high skill meets high challenge; as the race grows increasingly more difficult, you’re able to say, “This is really hard—and I’ve got it!” In these moments, the runner can focus fully on running well, tapping into all of his or her skill to succeed; he or she can find “Flow.”
Note, however, that this challenge and skill are both self-perceived and constantly variable. You not only need the skill to meet the challenge, you also have to believe that you have it — and that belief is fragile and fickle. Whenever the perceived challenge — holding the pace, climbing this hill, needing to pass another runner — exceeds a runners’ belief that they can accomplish it, they become overwhelmed, withdraw from the struggle and start to make excuses.
As a parent, you’ve seen this happen: They come by you on the course, dramatically in distress, breathing raggedly, form falling apart or holding their side; they may even call out, “I can’t…” Less dramatically, they simply withdraw from the challenge and fall back in the pack, afterwards providing excuses or expressing bewilderment at their inability to perform as expected.
Managing Expectations
Which brings us to our role as parents. The worst thing we can do before or during a race is to increase the challenge beyond our runner’s perceived skill. Raising the challenge is easy to do and often well-intentioned. For example, the day before the race, or at breakfast on race morning, we ask if they are going to win, or break 20 minutes today, or beat a rival runner. We tell them we believe they can, thinking we are being encouraging.
But if the runner doesn’t believe it, we’ve already set an expectation they need to meet or explain why they couldn’t. We’ve already started the internal panic that the task is bigger than they can accomplish, the feeling of being overwhelmed, the need to find excuses.
What can we say that tells them we care and want them to be the best runner they can be? One suggestion is to simply ask, “Are you going to do your best?” When they say yes, leave it at that. Say you are proud of them and looking forward to seeing them run.
You can ask them their goals, but be sure to accept what they say is the best they believe they can do on this day — even if that is less than what you know they are capable of. Runners have enough people setting expectations they have to live up to, from teammates to coaches to fans in the community. Encourage your runner to set multiple goals: some that are a reach and only possible if all goes well, some that are realistic based on recent workouts, and some fallback that they can hold onto and accomplish even on a bad day. One of the beauties of cross country is that every scoring runner matters equally, and every runner has multiple ways to measure progress and success in each race.
If In Doubt, Cheer
During the race, recognize that your runner is treading a continual tightrope between caring and despairing, pushing harder and giving up. Many well-meaning sideline cheers — “Pass that girl now!” “Push it!” “Kick it in!” — add to the challenge side of the equation, giving the runner more to deal with rather than more confidence to succeed. Even encouraging cheers like, “You’ve got this!” or “You’re strong!” can be interpreted as pressure when the runner doesn’t feel that way at the moment — causing them to start looking for excuses for why they aren’t as strong as you think they are.
What does help from the sidelines? Everyone likes to hear something different. Some runners like information: Split times, how far the next runner is behind them, how bad the runner ahead of them looks (without adding, “You can get her!” — they need to decide that). Some like reminders of things they can do to focus and run better, cheers like, “Stay tall!” “Breath,” “Quick strides,” “Relax your shoulders.” Some might have a mantra they’ll share with you: “I’m in control,” “Relax and fly,” “Shut up and run”… Ask your runner what will motivate and help him or her.
The safest, always welcome thing to do on the sidelines is what fans do in all other sports where they aren’t close enough to feel they have to instruct or bolster: They clap, whistle, get excited, cheer: “Way to go!” “Great job!”
The One They Never Have to Apologize To
After the race, be the one who is proud regardless of the outcome. Ask how they felt about it. Accept their analysis. Celebrate every improvement and resist the urge to immediately raise the bar to the next level.
Praise their effort as much or more than their success. Make it your goal to be the one person they never have to make excuses to, because they know your care is not dependent on how fast a runner they are. If they need to work harder to accomplish their goals, let the coach figure out how to get them to the point where they can give that level of effort. Your support, combined with growing skill and confidence, will carry them higher than they can imagine today, and you’ll get to celebrate every step of improvement together. | {
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Niantic has confirmed there will be a Pokemon GO Halloween Event this year and will coincide with other events across various games from the franchise. Below we have a complete list of what to expect from this year’s event and what you should know. Be sure to bookmark and check back as this event guide page will be updated with the best strategies for getting the most out of this year’s Pokemon GO Halloween Event.
Important Note: This will be updated as soon as new information is data mined about the New 2018 Halloween Event.
Pokemon GO Halloween Event
Halloween 2018 Event Start Date – Oct. 23, 2018 1:00 pm PDT (GMT -7)
– Oct. 23, 2018 1:00 pm PDT (GMT -7) Halloween 2018 Event End Date – Nov. 1, 2018 1:00 pm PDT (GMT -7)
Pokémon GO Halloween 2018 What You Need To Know Pinap Berry
4X Candies
Using a Pinap Berry when Catching Pokemon even Raid Bosses will give you a total of 4x Candies instead of just the regular 2x Candies from the event alone. Unevolved
No Event 3 Candies
With Event 6 Candies
Event + Pinap 12 Candies First Evolution
No Event 5 Candies
With Event 10 Candies
Event + Pinap 20 Candies Final Evolution
No Event 10 Candies
With Event 20 Candies
Event + Pinap 40 Candies
NEW Raid Boss
Raid Start Date – Oct. 23, 2018 1:00 pm PDT (GMT -7)
– Oct. 23, 2018 1:00 pm PDT (GMT -7) Raid End Date – Nov. 20, 2018 1:00 pm PDT (GMT -7)
Giratina Origin Forme Ghost Dragon Max CP 4619 Attack 225 Defense 187 Stamina 284
You can view his moves and other information on our Giratina page.
Other Raid Bosses that will be appearing during the 2018 Halloween event are as follows:
NEW GEN 4 Ghost and Dark Type Spawns
Drifloon will have a Shiny Version available.
Drifloon Ghost Flying Max CP 1284 Attack 117 Defense 80 Stamina 207
Drifblim Ghost Flying Max CP 2576 Attack 180 Defense 102 Stamina 312
Stunky Poison Dark Max CP 1076 Attack 121 Defense 90 Stamina 160
Skuntank Poison Dark Max CP 2297 Attack 184 Defense 132 Stamina 230
(All Generations of Ghost and Dark Type Spawns are expected to increase, however, we will update this with the correct information as it becomes available.)
Gastly Ghost Poison Max CP 1229 Attack 186 Defense 67 Stamina 102
Haunter Ghost Poison Max CP 1963 Attack 223 Defense 107 Stamina 128
Gengar Ghost Poison Max CP 2878 Attack 261 Defense 149 Stamina 155
Shuppet Ghost Max CP 872 Attack 138 Defense 66 Stamina 88
Banette Ghost Max CP 2073 Attack 218 Defense 127 Stamina 128
Duskull Ghost Max CP 523 Attack 70 Defense 162 Stamina 40
Dusclops Ghost Max CP 1335 Attack 124 Defense 234 Stamina 80
Misdreavus Ghost Max CP 1926 Attack 167 Defense 154 Stamina 155
Murkrow Dark Flying Max CP 1562 Attack 175 Defense 87 Stamina 155
Houndour Dark Fire Max CP 1234 Attack 152 Defense 83 Stamina 128
Poochyena Dark Max CP 564 Attack 96 Defense 63 Stamina 70
Sableye Dark Ghost Max CP 1305 Attack 141 Defense 141 Stamina 100
Sneasel Dark Ice Max CP 2051 Attack 189 Defense 146 Stamina 146
NEW Special and Field Research
Limited Time to start a Special Research featuring Spiritomb.
Spiritomb Ghost Dark Max CP 2203 Attack 169 Defense 199 Stamina 137
You can view our full guide on all Field and Special Research on our guide page.
NEW Halloween Event Quests-line
Halloween Field Research
Evolve 3 Duskulls or Shuppets – 1x Rare Candy
– 1x Rare Candy Catch 5 Dark-type Pokemon – 500 Stardust
– 500 Stardust Catch 10 Ghost-type Pokemon – Sableye Encounter
– Encounter Catch 5 Poochyena or Houndour – Sneasel Encounter
– Encounter Transfer 10 Pokemon – Misdreavus Encounter
A Spooky Message Quest-line
Halloween Special Research 1/3
Catch 10 Ghost-type Pokemon – Duskull Encounter
– Duskull Encounter Make 8 Great Throws – 1080 XP
– 1080 XP Use 108 Berries to help catch Pokemon – Lickitung Encounter
– Lickitung Encounter Rewards – 10x Pokeballs, 1080 Stardust, 8x Silver Pinap Berries
Halloween Special Research 2/3
Catch 10 Dark-type Pokemon – Misdreavus Encounter
– Misdreavus Encounter Spin 8 Pokestops you haven’t visited before – 1080 XP
– 1080 XP Catch 108 Pokemon – Spiritomb Encounter
– Spiritomb Encounter Rewards – 10x Pokeballs, 1080 Stardust, 8x Silver Pinap Berries
Halloween Special Research 3/3
– 1080 XP
– 1080 XP
– 1080 XP
Rewards – 10x Spiritomb Candy, 8x Spiritomb, 1080 Stardust
NEW Halloween Event Items | {
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Can we count on Jeff Radebe to deliver renewable energy?
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Just a few hours ahead of the long-awaited Department of Energy’s final release of South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), it’s all eyes on Minister Jeff Radebe as the deadline looms. The IRP is the country’s electricity plan, which is supposed to ensure that our planning helps us choose the cheapest, most efficient electricity sources going forward, based on the best available information. This plan is critical for creating policy certainty in the electricity sector, but once again it seems that the plan is inexplicably delayed, with no sign of the IRP yet. It is incredibly difficult to predict what the IRP will contain when it is finally released, under a new minister of energy and well over a year since the controversial draft was first published for public comment. The main reason for this is that there has not been any further public participation on the draft to date, which means that we are flying blind.
The draft IRP, which was released as long ago as 2016, was shredded across the board because of the limitations that were placed on both wind (limited to 1600 MW per year) and Solar PV (limited to 1000 MW per year), while concentrating solar power (CSP) was excluded entirely. No justifications are provided for these constraints.
To give some context, South Africa’s entire installed capacity is estimated at 49 500MW. A rational IRP would recognise that putting artificial limits on renewable energy simply does not make sense in 2018, which means that the allocations for renewable energy should significantly increase in a revised IRP.
Part of the beauty of renewable energy is that it is decentralised, and both wind and solar can be installed across the country.
We would expect that if policy certainty and investments in renewable energy were prioritised, renewable energy projects would be rolled out across South Africa to meet the country’s electricity needs.
We often hear the words ‘balance’ when it comes to our electricity mix. As in: we need a balance of all electricity types (coal, nuclear, gas, renewable energy). We also hear that coal will remain part of our electricity mix for the foreseeable future.
And while it has recently been concluded that nuclear may be too expensive right now - with President Cyril Ramaphosa making it clear that this is the case at the recent BRICS summit - it still hasn’t been completely crossed off the list yet. South Africa is hedging its bets, if you will. Seems rational, right?
It hasn’t always been that way though. Our current electricity mix is almost entirely dominated by coal, and ten years ago this was to the exclusion of almost everything else other than nuclear. You might ask how this happened, and the simple answer is abundance.
South Africa has an abundance of coal reserves, which meant that coal formed the backbone of our economy for well over a century because it was abundant, and we invested in developing it.
South Africa is also one of the biggest coal exporters in the world. And the predictable outcome is that Eskom is almost entirely reliant on coal to supply electricity to South Africans.
However, the truth is that not all electricity sources are created equal. Coal is no longer the shining star that it seemed to be during the industrial revolution.
The cracks have well and truly begun to show. Particularly over the last 20 years or so, coal has been exposed for what it is: a filthy, dangerous, polluting, water-hungry, expensive and high-risk electricity source.
The true cost of coal is death and destruction at every step. There is no doubt that burning coal to produce electricity damages people’s health – an abundance of anecdotal and scientific evidence points to this.
There is also a scientific consensus that burning coal is driving climate change – the long-term warming of the planet that is driving extreme weather events like droughts and floods; combined with extreme sea level rise, heatwaves, and changing agricultural patterns.
Climate change is the biggest existential threat facing humanity: if it continues unabated; it could well make the planet uninhabitable.
The latest research indicates that climate change tripled the likelihood of the drought that pushed Cape Town to the brink of Day Zero – the worst drought in the area since the beginning of the 20th century.
Climate change has real-life consequences for us already, and it is only likely to get worse if we do not act now!
It is no longer rational to say that coal will remain part of our electricity mix for the foreseeable future, because it is literally putting our lives and the lives of our children in mortal danger.
The rights of South African citizens to life, food, shelter, clean water and sanitation, a healthy environment, livelihood, self-determination and sustainable
development are heavily affected by climate change, especially in poor and vulnerable communities.
So if coal has become the villain of our story, what is the solution? Interestingly enough, it is abundance once again. But this time, it is an abundance of renewable energy. South Africa has some of the best renewable resources in the world, particularly when it comes to wind and solar.
Up until about 10 years ago, there was just about no renewable energy in the South African grid.
But we have seen a remarkable shift over the last decade, and while Eskom has held onto its coal monopoly, private producers have started to implement renewable energy projects.
And the proof is in the pudding: new renewable energy is now clearly cheaper than new coal, and about half the price of new nuclear in South Africa.
Renewable energy does not come with the negative side-effects of coal. It doesn’t damage people’s health. It doesn’t burn up our rivers to produce electricity.
It doesn’t condemn us to an uninhabitable planet. According to some of the latest research from the CSIR: a least cost IRP, which does not artificially limit the amount of renewable energy in our electricity mix, would mean that no new coal or nuclear would need to be built in South Africa.
Greenpeace believes that this is a good start, but even this research does not go far enough to protect our future.
In 2015, even before the Paris Agreement was signed, Christiana Figueres, the former Executive Director of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) warned that, the science is clear and “There is no space for new coal.”
But almost three years later, South Africa is persisting with plans to expand coal in the country.
Two of the biggest coal-fired power stations in the world (Medupi and Kusile) are currently under construction by Eskom, with new private coal-fired power stations (like Thabametsi) also on the cards.
The real question is: why would we choose electricity types that are unaffordable? We do not need balance in our electricity mix, and we definitely don’t need to hedge our bets.
We need to be clear about the opportunities offered by renewable energy and we need to invest in it heavily.
In fact, we should be aiming for a 100% renewable energy powered future.
We don’t need expensive, dangerous coal and nuclear power stations to keep the lights on, and in fact, our reliance on coal is helping to drive the instability in the grid at the moment.
Significantly increasing our solar, wind and storage capacities is a rational decision that would allow us to create a just transition away from coal, while producing cheaper, safer, cleaner, reliable electricity.
A large proportion of renewable power could be produced from roof-mounted solar panels, which could turn every business, home, church, school and community into electricity producers – truly putting the power back into people’s hands.
Radebe has a reputation as an extremely capable man to uphold, and his first true test will be whether he can deliver a rational IRP that does not include new coal and nuclear, but favours renewable energy instead.
Just as famous poet John Donne once stated ‘no man is an island’, so South Africa is not isolated from the global community.
Climate change is a global problem that requires local action, which cannot be delayed for decades. We have a responsibility to act with urgency, and the opportunity to create a better, more just future while doing it.
If we don’t act now, we really risk being left in the dust. A different future is still possible, but now is the time to create it together, and 100% renewable energy is what we need to aim for. It can be done, and it must be done.
* Melita Steele is Senior Climate & Energy Campaign Manager at Greenpeace Africa Tweet @GreenpeaceAfric
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
*** Receive IOL's top stories via Whatsapp by sending your name to 0745573535. | {
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Andi Weimann is the Aston Villa star most likely to be hauled off during matches - and is the third most subbed player in the Premier League.
Weimann has been withdrawn by Paul Lambert in 20 league games since the start of last season.
Only Fraizer Campbell (23) of Cardiff and now Crystal Palace and Newcastle's Yoan Gouffran (21) have seen their number flash up on the fourth official's board more than Weimann.
Palace's Marouane Chamakh and Adam Lallana of Southampton and now Liverpool are joint third with Weimann, having also been withdrawn 20 times.
The Trinity Mirror Data Unit have analysed every Premier League substitution made by clubs over the course of this and last season to see who gets brought off the most.
Karim El Ahmadi, who has now returned to Feyenoord, is Villa's second most subbed player since the start of the 2013014 campaign on 15 with Gabby Agbonlahor on nine.
Including last season at Fulham, Kieran Richardson has been subbed in six games while Ryan Bertrand, Libor Kozak and Aleksandar Tonev complete the top five on five subs each.
TIMES SUBSTITUTED
1. Andreas Weimann 20
2. Karim El Ahmadi 15
3. Gabriel Agbonlahor 9
4. Kieran Richardson 6
5. Ryan Bertrand 5
5= Libor Kozak 5
5= Aleksandar Tonev 5
8. Marc Albrighton 4
8= Christian Benteke 4
8= Ashley R Westwood 4
11. Ron Vlaar 3
11= Matthew Lowton 3
11= Leandro Bacuna 3
11= Joe Bennett 3
11= Charles N'Zogbia 3
16. Yacouba Sylla 2
16= Nathan Baker 2
16= Jordan Bowery 2
16= Ciaran Clark 2
16= Antonio Luna 2
21. Grant Holt 1
21= Chris Herd 1
21= Aly Cissokho 1
NATIONAL TOP 10
1. Fraizer Campbell 23
2. Yoan Gouffran 21
3. Marouane Chamakh 20
3= Andreas Weimann 20
3= Adam Lallana 20
4. Samir Nasri 19
4= Yala Bolasie 19
4= Philippe Coutinho 19
4= Leon Osman 19
4= Kevin Mirallas 19
LOOK: Here's our photo gallery of Christian Beneteke's return to action | {
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Samsung is planning to launch variants of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. These variants were certified by TENAA just before the official unveiling of Samsung’s newest flagship smartphones. It is now being reported that the 6GB RAM variant of the Galaxy S8+ would cost upwards of $1,000.
A new report from ETNews says that the Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage will only be released in China with a price tag of KRW 1,155,000 (or $1,030). Those pre-ordering this variant of the Galaxy S8+ will also get a DeX dock (which costs KRW 160,000 or $150) for free.
Samsung launched the 128GB storage variant of the Galaxy S7 last year in South Korea and then released it later in a few other markets, including India and New Zealand. | {
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Democrat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has become one of only three Democrats to cross the aisle and join Republicans in the push for a program that would quickly deport migrants found making false asylum claims.
Sinema signed on with fellow Democrats Joe Manchin, W.Va., and Doug Jones, Ala, who joined Senate Republicans in approving the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Safe Return, Fox News reported.
The policy would reform and speed current reviews of asylum claims but also quickly deport those found to be making false claims, Homeland said.
“Through this program, we expect that we can meet our commitments to humanitarian protections while ensuring proper efficiency, timeliness, order, and fairness in the credible fear screening process,” a Senate letter outlined. “We also expect that Operation Safe Return will help us examine current process deficiencies, identify required increases in capacity, and understand the drivers of migration.”
The plan will remove false asylum seekers in 15 days if they do not meet the criteria of “credible fear” or their lives if they return home.
Read more
An AP report sheds light on the inner workings of the migrant camps where children are well cared for.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today! | {
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A A
A Syrian family hopes its downtown Halifax restaurant will allow them to bring their culinary traditions and skills to their new home.
The restaurant will also add a new generation of chefs to the family’s cooking lineage.
“I started when I was 15 years old … All my four brothers and I are restaurant chefs,” Badie Alakkam, the owner of 902 Restaurant in downtown Halifax, said in an interview. “We established many famous restaurants in Damascus.”
The dining scene in the Syrian capital, their old home, was crowded with many successful restaurants before the Syrian civil war. One of them is Damascus Gate restaurant, the largest restaurant in the world with 6,014 seats, according to Guinness World Records book.
It took a lot of hard work for Alakkam to gain success back home. “In (only one restaurant) I worked full time for 18 years,” he said. “We cooked healthy and good food always,”
Rabie Alakkam runs the restaurant with his two sons Alaa (left) and Mohamad (right). - Maan Alhmidi
Two of his sons work at the Halifax restaurant. “My father has been cooking for more than 40 years, and I have been working with him for 10 years,” 27-year-old Alaa Elddin Alakkam said.
“Of course, I will pursue this job in the future after my father.” he said.
The son’s mother and sister help in the restaurant when their help is needed. His younger brother, Mohamad, who is still in high school, also works at the restaurant as a cashier when he can.
In Damascus, the family ran a catering service for big parties and weddings as well as working in some of Damascus’s most famous restaurants.
When the war broke in Syria in 2011, the family fled the country for Jordan. “I worked as a chef in a fast-food restaurant in Jordan for almost three years,” the father said. “After another three years (working as a cook) in Canada, we opened our own restaurant.”
The family arrived in Canada in September 2015. “We landed in Halifax at 9 p.m. At 8 a.m. in the next morning, we started working,” said the oldest son. “My uncle is a restaurant owner here and we worked with him.”
“Finally, after three years of hard work, we have our own place.” said Alaa.
“(Our restaurant) is a multicultural and Mediterranean cuisine restaurant,” Alaa said.
Mohamad Alakkam, 17, works as cashier at the restaurant. - Maan Alhmidi
The Syrian meals, including shawarma and kibbeh, are on the top of the restaurant menu. Asian meals, including tandoori and mandi, are also available in the restaurant, in addition to other Mediterranean meals.
“We are doing very well. And it’s a good beginning for our new business,” said Alaa.
The family members like the life in Canada and are applying for citizenship. “Life in Canada is quiet and safe,” the father, Badie, said.
In the meantime, the Alakkams are contributing their food preparation expertise to the Halifax restaurant scene. | {
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Police: Man crashes gate at Texas airport, tries to steal jet
KCEN-TV, Waco-Temple-College Station
Show Caption Hide Caption Police: Man Crashed Airport Gate to Steal Plane Police in Waco, Texas say a man crashed his vehicle through a Waco Regional Airport security gate and tried to steal an executive jet. The man was apprehened and was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation. (Sept. 18)
WACO, Texas — Police said a man crashed through a security gate at a Texas airport and attempted to steal a plane from the tarmac Thursday.
Shortly after noon, the man crashed through the gate and accessed a secure area of the Waco Regional Airport, the Waco Police Department said in a statement. The man approached a parked Lear Jet that belongs to a local business and was seen trying to remove the tire chocks and get into the plane.
Texas Aero employees flagged down a Waco Police Department officer who was off-duty and working security at the airport.
The officer approached the man, who was armed with a stick, but he refused to cooperate with the officer's instructions. Police said the man received several shocks from a stun gun but it had no effect. A struggle ensued and Texas Aero employees helped the officer subdue the man.
Police have not released the man's name, but in the statement said he is someone who is known to the department and has a history of mental issues. He was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, police said.
Once he is cleared, he will face charges of criminal trespass, attempted theft, criminal mischief and resisting arrest, police said.
Police will release the man's name once he is booked into jail.
The FBI was notified and the Transportation Security Administration may file additional charges. | {
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Leeds five-piece The Golden Age Of TV first emerged at the start of the year with striking debut single ‘Between Each Brick’. Today, we’ve got the first play of its follow-up, ‘Dust’.
The second cut goes straight for the sweet spot, taking the winding beginning of ‘Between Each Brick’ and piling on an irresistible, sugary chorus.
Only a band for less than a year so far, the track is another frighteningly competent showcase from the newcomers, and comes ahead of the band’s set on DIY’s Neu Stage at this year’s Live At Leeds. They open proceedings in the Games Room of the famous Brudenell Social Club on 29th April.
Speaking of the track, guitarist Ryan Bird says: “For us, ‘Dust’ is about a bitter ex who is sabotaging the good memories from the past relationship. It’s very sarcastic in tone, as it’s such an upbeat song, yet the lyrics are from the perspective of someone battling to hang on to the happier times. Each of us can relate to how frustrating that can feel, so the song means a lot to us.”
Listen to ‘Dust’ below. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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Back in my day, you started with 3 hearts, not 6 | {
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PESHAWAR: A judicial official on Thursday overturned the 33-year jail sentence of Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped the CIA track down former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Afridi was sentenced in May last year on charges of colluding with banned militant outfit Lashkar-i-Islam.
Judicial official Commissioner Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) Sahibzada Mohammad Anees ruled that the previous judge in the case exceeded his authority when handing down last year’s sentence and ordered a new trial.
“The Commissioner of Peshawar has set aside the decision of the Political Agent of Khyber agency and ordered the retrial,” said Samiullah Afridi, the lawyer for Dr Afridi. “The case has been resent to the Political Agent of Khyber agency who earlier awarded 33 years imprisonment to Shakil Afridi,” he added.
“The assistant political agent played the role of a magistrate for which he was not authorised,” said the written judgment.
A political agent and his assistant are representatives of the government in the semi-autonomous tribal areas, not governed by the country's judicial system but a separate set of laws British-era laws called the Federal Crimes Regulation (FCR).
Samiullah Afridi said he argued that the Assistant Political Agent was not authorised to pass such a long sentence, no proper trial was held and his client was not given an opportunity to defend himself.
Afridi was not present in the court during his trial and could not argue in his own defence, officials said after his conviction. Under the tribal system, he would not have had access to a lawyer.
The appeal also said Afridi had “no association” with Lashkar-e-Islam, according to a copy obtained by news agency AFP.
The appeal, filed on June 1, 2012, said Afridi was kidnapped by Lashkar-e-Islam in 2008 and ordered to pay one million rupees ($10,660).
The tribal court had said that Afridi paid two million rupees to the group and helped to provide medical assistance to militant commanders in Khyber.
The militants have denied any links to Afridi, saying they fined him for overcharging patients, and have threatened to kill him.
Afridi had helped the CIA by running a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad a month before the US forces raid on a compound in Abbotabad that killed Osama bin Laden. Then-US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed Afridi had worked for US intelligence by collecting DNA to verify bin Laden’s presence.
He was picked up by Pakistani intelligence agents from near Peshawar, two weeks after the raid.
He was sentenced on May 23, 2012 to 33 years in prison and fined Rs320,000 on charges of colluding with Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and its chief, Mangal Bagh. However, the tribal court had not entertained evidence relating to Shakil Afridi’s involvement with the CIA, citing lack of jurisdiction.
Angry US lawmakers saw the sentence as retaliation for his role in bin Laden's capture, and last year threatened to freeze millions of dollars in vital aid to Islamabad.
Afridi remains in custody and is believed to be held under high security at the Peshawar central jail.
Click here to read a copy of the five-page court document originally issued in May 2012 by the Assistant Political Agent in Bara sub-division of Khyber Agency. | {
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5 / 5 ( 23 bình chọn )
Mơ thấy bếp lửa đánh con gì – Giải mã chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa cháy, nằm mơ thấy bêp than hồng, bếp lò cùng bộ số lô đề bếp lửa cực chuẩn, đẹp
Trong văn hóa Á Đông nói chung và văn hóa Việt Nam nói riêng bếp lửa vốn là một không gian quan trọng trong ngôi nhà của mình. Ở đó không chỉ là nơi để nấu nướng mà còn được quan niệm là nơi thiêng liêng giữa lửa và tiền tài của gia đình bởi nơi đây là thuộc nơi cai quản của Táo quân – vị thần định đoạt phước đức cho gia đình. Trong cuộc sống hiện đại, bếp thường được xây dựng gắn liền với phòng ăn nên đây chính là nơi gia đình sum vầy trong các bữa ăn, chính là sợi dây gắn kết tình cảm giữa các thành viên với nhau.
Giải mã giấc mơ thấy bếp lửa cháy và con số may mắn( Hình ảnh minh họa)
Mơ thấy bếp lửa cũng theo đó được xem là giấc mơ có tính chất thiêng liêng, chứa đựng những điềm báo tâm linh bí ẩn và được nhiều người coi trọng. Nằm ngủ và chiêm bao thấy bếp dù đang có lửa cháy hay bếp nguội lạnh cũng là một ám chỉ mà chúng ta cần giải mã.
Nằm mơ thấy bếp lửa đánh con gì hay đánh đề bao nhiêu cũng chính là mối quan tâm của không ít người. Bởi thông qua mỗi giấc mộng đều có thể luận giải ra được bộ số lô đề chuẩn đẹp mang tới may mắn trúng số hàng tỷ đồng. Đây cũng được xem là phương pháp chơi xổ số cực hiệu quả được nhiều người theo đuổi.
Ngủ mơ chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa là điềm hung hay cát
Để nhanh chóng giải mộng giấc mơ thấy bếp lửa để biết đó là điềm may hay vận xui, mời các bạn cùng tham khảo những phân tích chi tiết cùng kết luận điềm báo được đưa ra bởi các chuyên gia giàu kinh nghiệm trong lĩnh vực này.
Ngủ mơ chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa
Chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa của nhà mình chính là điềm báo dự đoán bạn sắp gặp nhiều may mắn và thành công trong thời gian sắp tới.
Ngủ mơ chiêm bao thấy lửa cháy trong bếp
Nằm ngủ và mơ thấy lửa cháy trong bếp mang hàm ý báo hiệt sắp tới sẽ có rất nhiều sự hưng thịnh về gia vận đến với gia đình bạn.
Ngủ mơ chiêm bao thấy bếp than hồng
Mơ ngủ thấy bếp than hồng đang cháy rực lửa có ý nghĩa rằng mọi việc của bạn đang ổn định bạn muốn thay đổi bứt phá thì cần nỗ lực hơn nữa.
Ngủ mơ chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa cháy
Chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa cháy chính là ngụ ý báo hiệu công việc và gia đình của bạn đang rất cân bằng, bạn có một công việc tốt và một gia đình hạnh phúc.
chính là ngụ ý báo hiệu công việc và gia đình của bạn đang rất cân bằng, bạn có một công việc tốt và một gia đình hạnh phúc. Nằm mơ thấy lửa cháy trong bếp bùng lên thành một cuộc hỏa hoạn lớn chính là điềm đại cát cho biết bản thân và gia đình bạn sẽ bình an, yên ổn, không gặp nhiều điềm dữ ảnh hưởng đến cuộc sống sau này.
Ngủ mơ chiêm bao thấy bếp lò
Nằm mơ thấy bếp lò có lửa đỏ rực là điềm báo gia đình vui vẻ.
là điềm báo gia đình vui vẻ. Mơ ngủ thấy bếp lò tắt lửa là dấu hiệu thể hiện làm ăn sa sút.
là dấu hiệu thể hiện làm ăn sa sút. Nằm mộng thấy bếp lò không thấy lửa mà thấy khói là hàm ý nhắc nhỏ có sự bất công trong hôn nhân.
là hàm ý nhắc nhỏ có sự bất công trong hôn nhân. Mơ thấy bếp lò vắng lạnh là ngụ ý báo hiệu gặp chuyện buồn trong tình cảm.
Ý nghĩa một số giấc mơ chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa khác
Nằm mơ thấy nhà có 2 bếp lửa là điềm báo cho biết công việc của bạn đang xuống dốc và chuyện hôn nhân của bạn cũng không được hòa hợp cho lắm.
là điềm báo cho biết công việc của bạn đang xuống dốc và chuyện hôn nhân của bạn cũng không được hòa hợp cho lắm. Mơ thấy bếp lửa lạnh ngắt có ngụ ý rằng gia đình bạn đang có sự xa cách, có một sự xáo trộn nhỏ.
có ngụ ý rằng gia đình bạn đang có sự xa cách, có một sự xáo trộn nhỏ. Chiêm bao thấy bếp lửa bị tắt có ý nghĩa là bạn đang gặp mâu thuẫn trong mối quan hệ với đồng nghiệp hoặc người thân, bạn nên dành thời gian để quan tâm nhiều đến họ hơn và trò chuyện thẳng thắn để cùng nhau giải quyết những vướng mắc.
có ý nghĩa là bạn đang gặp mâu thuẫn trong mối quan hệ với đồng nghiệp hoặc người thân, bạn nên dành thời gian để quan tâm nhiều đến họ hơn và trò chuyện thẳng thắn để cùng nhau giải quyết những vướng mắc. Phụ nữ ngủ mơ thấy mình nhóm lửa đun bếp một cách dễ dàng thì chuyện tương lai của bạn sẽ gặp rất nhiều thuận lợi. Nếu bạn sinh con trai thì chắc chắn nó sẽ có ngoại hình sáng sủa, khôi ngô tuấn tú.
thì chuyện tương lai của bạn sẽ gặp rất nhiều thuận lợi. Nếu bạn sinh con trai thì chắc chắn nó sẽ có ngoại hình sáng sủa, khôi ngô tuấn tú. Chiêm báo thấy rắn bò vào bếp hàm ý báo hiệu sắp tới gia đình bạn sẽ được đón khách quý tới nhà.
hàm ý báo hiệu sắp tới gia đình bạn sẽ được đón khách quý tới nhà. Nằm mơ thấy nhóm bếp lửa là dấu hiệu cho biết đường công danh của bạn sẽ được mở rộng và bạn sẽ dễ dàng có được địa vị cũng như chỗ đứng trong xã hội như mong muốn.
là dấu hiệu cho biết đường công danh của bạn sẽ được mở rộng và bạn sẽ dễ dàng có được địa vị cũng như chỗ đứng trong xã hội như mong muốn. Nằm mộng thấy nấu nướng trên bếp lửa là điềm hỷ sự cho biết gia đình bạn sắp có chuyện cưới xin.
là điềm hỷ sự cho biết gia đình bạn sắp có chuyện cưới xin. Nằm ngủ mê thấy sửa bếp hoặc có nước từ bếp lửa chảy ra chính là điềm phát tài cho thấy bạn sắp đón lộc tiền tài.
Mơ thấy bếp lửa đánh lô đề con gì, số mấy?
Mơ thấy bếp lửa thì đánh số 20, 25, 54 .
Nằm mơ thấy bếp cháy lửa to thì đánh số 21, 96
Chiêm bao thấy bếp cháy lửa màu vàng thì đánh số 65, 73
Nằm mê thấy bếp cháy lửa màu đỏ thì đánh số 21, 32
Mộng thấy bếp lò thì đánh số 43, 63, 83
Ngủ mơ thấy bếp rơm thì đánh số 40, 49
Chiêm bao thấy bếp than củi thì đánh số 39, 76
Mơ thấy bếp than hồng đánh ngay 06, 14
Chúc các bạn chơi luôn luôn gặp may mắn trúng số lớn với giấc mơ thấy bếp lửa!
Kết luận
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Gary Neville has hailed the "huge" impact Lucas Torreira has had on Arsenal this season after his summer arrival from Sampdoria.
The 22-year-old joined the Gunners after impressing at the World Cup with Uruguay and has hit the ground running as a key player in Unai Emery's side's 21-match unbeaten run.
Torreira has brought a much-needed energy to the centre of the park and has even added goals too in recent weeks with strikes against Tottenham and Huddersfield.
And Neville, who watched him in Russia, is pleased with what he's seen from the midfielder.
"I've been massively impressed," he told Sky Sports Monday Night Football. "When Arsenal signed him you just wondered how it would be? But his impact upon that team is huge. I think it's the biggest impact actually if you think about the character Arsenal have shown this season in terms of the second-half performances, keeping going and the tempo they sometimes set in games.
Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Show all 30 1 /30 Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Juan Mata – Manchester United The former Chelsea player will be a good addition to most teams REUTERS Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Gianluigi Buffon – PSG At 40, the veteran goalkeeper can still do a job at a top club Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Filipe Luis – Atletico Madrid The 32-year-old would make a good addition to most side Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Diego Godin – Atletico Madrid The experienced defender would be a great quick-fix Getty Images Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Dani Alves – PSG Is there one final move for one of the most successful players of a generation? AFP/Getty Images Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Antonio Valencia – Manchester United The experienced defender is unlikely to remain first choice at United Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Franck Ribery – Bayern Munich The experienced winger could be set to leave Bayern in the summer Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Nacho Monreal – Arsenal The versatile defender has been getting better each season at Arsenal Getty Images Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Daniel Strurridge – Liverpool The injury-prone forward might be worth a gamble from a Premier League side Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Gary Cahill – Chelsea The English defender is seeking more matches as he reaches the latter part of his career AP Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Juanfran – Atletico Madrid The seasoned defender still competes against the best in the game Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Pablo Zabaleta – West Ham When he’s not in Sky studios he can be found occasionally holding his own in the Premier League REUTERS Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Arjen Robben – Bayern Munich Does the Dutch winger have one final move in him? Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Santi Cazorla – Villarreal The popular midfielder is making his return following a horrific injury Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Andrea Barzagli – Juventus There are few trophies the experienced defender has not won Getty Images Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Adrien Rabiot – PSG The young midfielder has caught the attention of many clubs in Europe Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Fernando Torres – Sagan Tosu The Spaniard’s time in Japan comes to an end in December 2019 Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Ander Herrera – Manchester United Is there room in the United midfield to keep Herrera? PA Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Andreas Pereira – Manchester United Jose Mourinho was very complimentary towards him in pre-season Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Leighton Baines – Everton Baines is beginning to be replaced in the Everton side Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Michel Vorm – Tottenham The Spurs reserve goalkeeper will bring experience to any side Getty Images Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Danny Welbeck – Arsenal The England forward suffered a nasty injury that could keep him out for a while Arsenal FC via Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Mohamed Diame – Newcastle Consistent form has been hard to come by for the powerful midfielder Getty Images Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Wes Morgan – Leicester He captained his side to Premier League glory, which has to be worth something Getty Images Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Jakub Blaszczykowski – Wolfsburg Once a star at Borussia Dortmund, the Polish winger’s career has slightly declined Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Fernando Llorente – Tottenham Athletic Club could offer him an early exit from Tottenham Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Stephan Lichtsteiner – Arsenal The Gunners will have to decide whether they have seen enough to keep him PA Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 Yacine Brahimi – Porto Newcastle, West Ham and Everton are said to be interested in the tricky winger Getty Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 James Milner – Liverpool The fine-wine of a midfielder will be a popular player for plenty of top-flight sides Action Images via Reuters Best free agents your team could sign for nothing in 2019 David Ospina – Napoli The Colombia and former Arsenal goalkeeper could be a good option REUTERS
"I think someone like him leaves his team-mates with nowhere to go. We've talked about Arsenal's approach to games over the last two or three years and there was never that feeling that you felt as though it mattered at times. At times in big matches they always disappointed and you felt there wasn't a leader out on the pitch for the players to look towards.
"If you look at him in that derby last week against Tottenham getting forward into the box he's almost like this bundle of energy that everyone else in the team responds too, and this team needed that.
"With this Arsenal player over this three, four, five, six years that they've needed you've always got this picture of Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira in your mind - a strong presence in midfield. | {
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California’s controversial bullet train would receive hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming year under a budget deal reached by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers Thursday, a critical step toward beginning construction as the project continues to face legal and political challenges.
The agreement is one of several reached as the spending plan continued to take shape ahead of Sunday’s deadline. Democratic lawmakers successfully fought the governor’s proposal to cap how many hours caregivers could work in the state home care program, but they were unable to secure extra money for court operations or increase payments to doctors who serve poor patients enrolled in government healthcare.
Bullet train funding had been a sticking point in budget negotiations. The money would be drawn from the cap-and-trade program, which charges fees to polluters who emit greenhouse gases above certain limits. Under the budget deal, $250 million would be allocated to high-speed rail in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. In each following year, the bullet train would receive 25% of cap-and-trade revenue.
The final figures represent a compromise between Brown, who wanted 33% for the train, and Democratic lawmakers, who offered 15%.
Cap-and-trade could provide billions of dollars for the bullet train over the next several years, a relatively small chunk of the project’s overall $68-billion price tag. However, the money would arrive at a critical time. Voter-approved bond funding has been stalled by lawsuits, and the state needs to begin matching federal grants with its own dollars next month.
H.D. Palmer, spokesman for Brown’s Department of Finance, said the governor is pleased that the budget includes “an ongoing source of funding to move this project forward.”
The cap-and-trade program provides the “single largest new source of capital into our budget,” said Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), and the money is required by law to be spent on programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Apart from the 25% earmarked for high-speed rail, the budget deal would direct 35% of cap-and-trade funds to other transit projects and affordable housing. The rest of the money would be available for initiatives involving natural resources, energy efficiency and cleaner forms of transportation.
A final vote on the budget is scheduled Sunday. Once approved, it goes to the governor, who can veto spending he doesn’t like.
The plan includes a one-time allocation of $40 million for court construction, less than the $100-million annual funding increase sought by Democratic lawmakers. Courts have been hit hard by budget cuts over the last several years, and Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye has said more money is needed just “to tread water.”
“The new trial court budget is simply insufficient for those who need access to a courthouse,” Contra Costa County Presiding Superior Court Judge Barry Goode said. “Crime victims, law enforcement, those suffering from domestic violence, families in trouble and other court users will continue to have to travel long distances and endure long waits for justice.”
In another setback for Democratic lawmakers, Brown refused to reverse a 10% cut in reimbursement rates for doctors who treat patients in the state healthcare program for the poor, known as Medi-Cal. Healthcare advocates say that the cut has made it more difficult for patients to receive medical care, especially at a time when Medi-Cal enrollment is soaring under President Obama’s federal overhaul.
Administration officials estimate that nearly one out of three Californians will receive healthcare through Medi-Cal by next year.
“All of us have real concerns about access,” Senate Budget Chairman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) said.
However, a deal was reached to avoid upheaval in California’s home care program, which helps low-income elderly and disabled residents. New federal regulations require overtime pay for caregivers, which Brown originally wanted to avoid by capping the number of hours they could work. The proposal would have reduced income for some caregivers and forced severely disabled residents to rely on multiple workers for assistance, such as cleaning, cooking and bathing.
Union officials and disability advocates mounted an intense lobbying effort to prevent the proposed cap from taking effect, and the governor eventually relented. The deal includes money for overtime and guidelines to prevent costs from surging.
“It’s a big victory,” said Deborah Doctor, a lobbyist for Disability Rights California.
[email protected]
Follow @chrismegerian for more updates from Sacramento.
Times staff writer Maura Dolan in San Francisco contributed to this report. | {
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Americans are flocking to Walmart with their stimulus checks like it’s Black Friday. But while the retail behemoth’s stock price and revenues are growing, the average associate is left with none of the financial reward
Maggie, a 33-year-old Walmart associate in Colorado, barely survived the first week of “chaotic hoarding” that ensued when coronavirus fears first sent everyone into a panic-buying frenzy. Despite being sick, she continued to work until she nearly fainted on the job. After taking two weeks of unpaid leave to recover, she thought things might have cooled down. But instead, she says, “It was a horror story. We barely caught our breath after the hoarding, and now we have to deal with ‘Stimulusgeddon.’ Every day is Black Friday — over and over again.”
On April 15th, 80 million Americans got their stimulus cash (with more of them slated to receive it over the following weeks). According to data compiled by Business Insider, most of that money (roughly around $1,200 per American) is being spent on food and groceries. But plenty of it is also going toward nonessential items that can be found at stores and chains like Walmart that sell essential goods, too, which is what allows them to stay open when pretty much everyone else has been forced to close.
“We’re selling a lot of big-ticket items, like TVs, phones and Nintendo Switches. I’m talking big trains, like eight pallets long of just TVs,” says Sam, a 33-year-old associate who has worked at Walmart for four years. “Customers say they don’t think this is a big deal, so they’re just going to blow their stimulus check on a TV while everyone else freaks out.” (An Arkansas mayor had to take to Facebook after his town’s Walmart sold out of TVs, pleading with his citizens to spend that money on essentials.)
Yet as the cash flows inside of Walmart, none of it seems to flow back to associates like Sam and Maggie. “What I consider the most infuriating part of this,” Maggie says, “is seeing with our own eyes the amount of money Walmart is making and knowing none of that will come back to us — the people putting our lives on the line so their sales can continue to explode.”
Costco priced a 82 inch Samsung TV for $1,200, I don’t think that was a coincidence. — Michael Thee Stallion (@MichaelHJordan) April 14, 2020
Walmart, naturally, claims otherwise. And in March, it did pay out $550 million in associate bonuses and also advanced payouts on quarterly performance-based bonuses. The thing is, its labor practices are questionable to begin with, as it’s often sued for forcing employees to work extra hours while skirting around paying them overtime. In 2008 alone, Walmart settled 63 such wage-related lawsuits, and in 2016, it raised manager salaries just enough to avoid federally mandated overtime laws. Meanwhile, according to a 2018 study by the labor group Organization United for Respect, more than 50 percent of Walmart’s employees are considered part-time, “well above the industry average of around 30 percent.” “Walmart is well-known to have people work just under full-time hours, or even cut them right at the end of a pay period, to restrict access to benefits,” Maggie tells me.
Moreover, the average Walmart associate starts at $11 an hour, and according to Walmart’s 2019 annual report to the SEC, the annual total compensation for a median associate is $22,484. On the flip side, Doug McMillon, Walmart’s president and CEO, earned $22,105,350 for the fiscal year 2019 — or roughly 983 times more than that median associate. In fact, he and five other top Walmart execs earned a combined $112.39 million in 2019 — a number that most certainly will grow in 2020 if March’s massive 20 percent growth in sales continues. (Walmart argues that it has to keep employee pay as low as possible as a way of “minimizing operational costs.” It’s a core value that’s been baked into Walmart’s business model from the start, albeit romanticized by Sam Walton driving an old pickup truck despite his massive fortune.)
All of which is to say that there are some key caveats to those pandemic-related bonuses. “Besides the one-time bonus of $150 for part-timers and $300 for full-timers, our pay remains the same,” says Derrick, a 26-year-old associate in Texas. “Walmart employs mostly part-time associates, and for them, $150 is like being spat at. All it takes for an associate to qualify as ‘part-time’ is to be scheduled 32 hours a week or less. Keep in mind, you can’t have overtime. If you have overtime at the end of the week, you run the risk of getting written up or fired.”
Sam, a full-time employee, got the $300 one-time bonus, but he contends, “Considering I work 13 days on, then one off, putting in an average of 55 to 60 hours per week, how is this considered decent hazard pay?” (Counting Sam, I spoke to a total of 12 associates throughout the country, each of whom confirmed their employment at Walmart via screenshots of their schedules and personal profiles within the employee-only portal; they did, however, ask for pseudonyms in fear of reprisal. Walmart itself has yet to respond for comment.)
Along with the bonuses, Walmart has touted a new sick-leave policy as a safety net for associates. But it, too, isn’t exactly as it seems, employees claim. Essentially, at the start of the pandemic in March, Walmart announced that it was suspending its point-based attendance policy where being late or missing work accumulated “points,” in which nine points led to termination. Within that announcement, it awarded two weeks of unpaid leave for all associates, no questions asked. “Mind you, not a lot of Walmart associates can afford two weeks without pay,” Derrick explains, “but it didn’t take long for Walmart to quietly renege on that big announcement, sending an update through the employee-only Wire.”
Derrick interprets the announcement above as Walmart walking back its original promise that associates could take those two weeks with no questions asked. Instead, he says it makes clear to him that unless associates were required to take leave by the government, health officials or their Walmart managers, their leave would be deducted from their accrued PTO. And if they didn’t have PTO, “it’s unpaid time off and they’re just saying you won’t get fired,” Derrick explains. “But who would actually trust that?”
Overall, associates say they feel largely in the dark as to whether their time off is paid or unpaid; if it comes from existing PTO or from the additional “COVID-19 Emergency Leave”; and whether that time qualifies as an authorized absence — even though there’s been a big to-do about all absences being authorized. (Here is a 16-page PDF outlining the ins and outs.)
In terms of limiting the spread of COVID-19 among employees, Derrick says there’s a twofold strategy: 1) A temperature check done by infrared thermometers prior to entering the store — a means of screening that’s been largely panned for providing a false sense of security more than accurately detecting fevers; and 2) a three-question-long health screening that asks associates whether they’ve experienced coronavirus symptoms, traveled outside the state they work in or overseas or been within six feet of someone with the virus for longer than 30 minutes. In the event that an associate answers yes to the second or third question, they will be sent home and paid for however many hours they were scheduled to work that day. After that, how and if that associate is able to stay home with pay becomes, as Sam describes it, “an absolute fucking clusterfuck.”
“A ton of stores were making up policy as they went, resulting in people [posting on Reddit about] being fired because their managers disregarded policy, and many more either having to use their PTO or getting an attendance point count against them, which affects things like their quarterly bonus,” he explains. “It’s been a nightmare.” (Per a recent survey of retail and food-service workers done by the University of California, Berkeley, this problem could be solved by federally mandated paid leave; left up to companies, the survey found that restaurant and retail employees often don’t know they have paid sick leave available to them or feel unable to take advantage of it.)
As for the quarterly bonus Sam mentions, employees say it’s mostly just an advance on profit sharing they would normally receive, global pandemic or no global pandemic. They’re based on sales, attendance and CFF, “which is basically subjective bullshit about clean, fast and friendly, based on customer surveys,” Sam explains. “So they can be all over the place, but for most part-timers working 32 hours per week, for 12 weeks, we’re talking like 70 to 80 bucks. Pretty useless.”
Maggie is all too familiar with everything above, but the sick-leave policy in particular. After she nearly fainted in her store, she utilized her newly gifted two-week leave to self-quarantine. However, because she chose to quarantine herself (and wasn’t directed to by Walmart or the government), and because her doctor chose not to give her a coronavirus test, those two weeks ended up unpaid. Ever since, she’s been under the impression that she’s “used up” her COVID-related unpaid leave, and any further absences could lead to her being fired. As a result, she recently wondered if she should mention a debilitating stomach ache she suffered the night before a shift.
“If I told them, I don’t know what would’ve happened,” she tells me. “I’d probably be sent home and told to stay home without pay for a few more days.” That wasn’t something she could necessarily afford, so she lied and went to work.
At the same time, whether because people are sick, stressed or have quit, the stores themselves are short-handed just as Stimulusgeddon descends upon them. “Walmart says they hired 150,000 people, but how many stay?” Sam asks. “Our shift hired three new people, and only one lasted longer than a week. No hazard pay, and being thrown into this mess without training just means the hiring they’re doing is useless. Everyone says ‘Fuck this!’ and bails.”
More largely, he echoes a common refrain on the Walmart subreddit that he’d make better money if he stayed home and collected unemployment. “For a real-world example, a typical associate making $11 an hour and working 32 hours brings home $352 a week. Let’s even add the $150 ‘bonus’ compensation to one week’s pay, which brings them to $502,” Sam explains. “Compare all this to just one week of federal unemployment of $600 per week. It’s something to consider.”
Unemployment from walmart
“I fantasize about getting on the PA and announcing a walkout,” Maggie adds. “We stand out front, block the entrances, demand hazard pay and not show up until things change.”
According to The Intercept, Maggie’s walkout fantasy might come true on Friday, as associates at Walmart, FedEx and Amazon are planning a general strike, an idea that’s picked up momentum on the Walmart subreddit over the last few days:
What, though, would real hazard pay look like?
For Sam, it begins with raising Walmart’s starting hourly salary. “If the federal government passed the $13-per-hour hazard pay, we may be able to attract real help that will stay and lower the workload for the rest of us. People might also feel enticed to show up to work who are calling in and taking leave. Still, $1 to $2 per hour probably isn’t enough. But up it to something like $25 an hour, maybe?”
He also suggests the elderly and immunocompromised should at least get short-term disability pay, with job protection. “That way, if you feel comfortable enough to work, you’d be rewarded with extra pay, and those who can’t work, can at least pay their bills and put food on the table,” he says. And if they or any other associate — whether they’re elderly or immunocompromised or not — contract the coronavirus, Sam believes Walmart should guarantee that their medical bills are completely paid for. Because as it stands, Sam says his $3,000 deductible will likely prevent him from going to the hospital “until it’s too late, since I don’t know what they’ll actually cover.”
“So if I start getting symptoms, my first instinct would be to tough it out,” he continues. “I mean, what if I go to the ER and don’t get tested, but they send me home with a bill for $500 for some Flintstones vitamins and a cough drop?”
Despite it all, though, Sam doesn’t want to quit his job at Walmart — he just wants a fair share of the profits the retail behemoth is about to get from Stimulusgeddon. “I look at it like deep sea welders,” he tells me. “Someone has to do it, but because it’s dangerous, they’re paid more, and because of that compensation, they’re willing to deal with the risks. But right now, it’s like we’re regular welders who have been given a snorkel and told to get the fuck down there and get welding, because it’s essential someone does it. Most people confronted with that reality decide to take their leave, which adds to the work for the rest of us, though I don’t blame anyone for doing so.”
Unfortunately, Sam’s ideas — or those of any other associate that could improve the well-being of Walmart employees — will likely go unheard. As per Walmart’s recent annual report, including associate-level employees on the company’s Board of Directors would be “unnecessary.” | {
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Esther McCool is more than just a good name.
The elementary school custodian, known to students as “Miss Esther,” has become legendary after the mom of a Texas fourth-grader with autism shared a photo of the worker comforting her daughter went viral earlier this week.
“I felt something was wrong and I went to make her feel better,” McCool, whose native language is Spanish, told TODAY Parents via a translator. “I watch after the kids and make sure they are OK.”
Kenlee Bellew-Shaw, 9, attends Melba Passmore Elementary School in Alvin, Texas. Normally, when feeling overwhelmed by the loud lunchroom noises, she will rest her head on the cafeteria table, her mom, Hollie Bellew-Shaw, told TODAY Parents.
But Tuesday, Kenlee grabbed her blanket and cried on the school’s stage. McCool curled up on the floor next to her.
“Our school custodian is literally the best, sweetest individual in the world,” Bellew-Shaw posted. “All schools should be so lucky to have their own Angel on campus. Feel free to share so she can get all the appreciation & thanks she totally deserves.” | {
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The attorney who made national news representing the family of Jahi McMath in the battle to keep their daughter attached to life support even after she was declared dead is now waging a fight closer to home.
His opponent: Dominican nuns who want to shelter two homeless women and their children at their convent next to the lawyer’s mega-million-dollar Marin County mansion.
“I’m just trying to protect the nature of my neighborhood,” said attorney Chris Dolan, whose $6.5 million Victorian sits behind a tall hedge on 2 acres next to the convent on Locust Avenue near downtown San Rafael.
“They are making it out like this is the big, rich neighborhood against the poor sisters — but if anybody is the underdog, it’s me,” Dolan said.
Nasty battles are nothing new for the personal injury lawyer, who practices in San Francisco. He made his name in Jahi’s case, representing the McMath family in its effort to keep the teenager attached to life-support machines after doctors declared her dead following tonsillitis surgery at Children’s Hospital Oakland in 2013.
Dolan’s latest battle began in January when city officials granted the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael a permit to use their Our Lady of Lourdes Convent to house two needy families referred to them by a local nonprofit.
Back to Gallery High-profile Marin lawyer in neighborhood feud with nuns 9 1 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 2 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 3 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 4 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 5 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 6 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 7 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 8 of 9 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 9 of 9 Photo: Mathew Sumner, Special to the Chronicle
The families would live in what is now a vacant wing of the convent, which would be spruced up at a cost of $30,000 to $50,000. The rest of the convent houses 17 elderly nuns who need assisted living care.
“This is just one little mission we want to carry out for two years,” said Sister Patricia Simpson, the convent’s director. After two years, the thinking goes, the families would be on their feet and would move on, and the city’s permit would lapse.
Simpson said she was inspired to house the two homeless families after she saw images of children fleeing the Syrian civil war. Taking in refugees proved too big a challenge for the sisters, so they set their sights on sheltering a couple of single mothers and their children.
Dolan, a personal injury lawyer, went on the attack against his nun neighbors in a 17-page appeal to the city’s Planning Commission, saying the order’s plan to house the families violated the area’s zoning ordinance. He argued that a full-blown zoning change — as opposed to a conditional use permit — was needed and that “neighbors have well-founded concerns about the change and its effect on the neighborhood.”
Dolan says his real fear is that allowing a change of use for the nuns will open the door for the neighboring Dominican University — which has no affiliation with the order — to eventually buy out the convent and convert the property into student dorms.
“The university is always looking for more space,” Dolan said.
Gary Ragghianti, an attorney representing the nuns, calls that argument nonsense. Selling the property to the university would be the nuns’ prerogative, he said, “but nobody has indicated that’s their intention.”
For her part, Simpson calls such suspicions unfounded.
“We have been here since 1889, and we started the neighborhood,” she said. “And we haven’t done anything to not have our neighbors trust us.”
Dolan suggested that the whole problem could be avoided if the nuns simply agreed to house the families at the larger Dominican Convent that they run across the street, whose buildings provide more of a buffer to his property.
“That’s nice of him to suggest what we should do and how we should handle our homes,” said Kate Martin, development director for the convent. But she says this effort was something undertaken specifically by the nuns at the assisted living facility — and anyway, the Dominican Convent is fully occupied.
Dolan argues that the deck is stacked against him, that the nuns are in cahoots with the city to approve the deal. He points out that Ragghianti is the former law partner of City Attorney Rob Epstein, whose initial stance that the housing conversion was legal paved the way for the zoning administrator and Planning Commission to OK the plan.
But Epstein insists everything was done by the book, and pointed out that he has known Dolan longer than he has known Ragghianti. “It’s “not unusual for people to know each other in a community the size of San Rafael or Marin, and lawyers knowing each other is not relevant,” he said.
Dolan said he fully expects his appeal will go down to defeat Monday when it goes before the San Rafael City Council.
“Then I can file a lawsuit,” he said.
As for the McMath case, Jahi’s mom and stepdad now care for their daughter — who is still attached to life-support machines — in New Jersey while they pursue a malpractice suit against the doctors who performed her surgery and Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Although he continues to stay in touch with the family, Dolan says, he isn’t involved in the suit.
San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email [email protected]. Twitter: @matierandross | {
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India is to allow women to take up combat roles in all sections of its armed forces, the president, Pranab Mukherjee, has said, signalling a radical move towards gender parity in one of the world’s most male-dominated professions.
Most countries employ women in various roles in their military but only a few, including New Zealand, Germany, Israel and the US, have allowed them to take on combat roles.
India, which has one of the largest armies in the world, has until recently resisted following suit, citing concern over women’s vulnerability if captured and over their physical and mental ability to cope with the stress of frontline deployments.
Addressing both houses of parliament on the eve of the budget session, the president – who is also supreme commander of the armed forces – said the government would in future recruit women for combat roles across the military.
“My government has approved the induction of women as short-service commission officers and as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. In the future, my government will induct women in all the fighter streams of our armed forces,” Mukherjee said on Tuesday.
“In our country ’shakti’, which means power, is the manifestation of female energy. This shakti defines our strength,” he added.
India began recruiting women to non-medical positions in the armed forces in 1992, yet only 2.5% of its military’s million-plus personnel are women – most of them administrators, intelligence officers, doctors, nurses or dentists.
In October, the government took the first steps towards bringing women into fighting roles and approved air force plans for female pilots to fly warplanes from June 2017 on a three-year experimental basis.
Women’s rights activists welcomed the president’s remarks but said that bringing real gender parity into the armed forces would be a slow process.
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theFunnyBeaver Clips
Some Pretty Crazy Trail Cam Pictures #2
Of course all of these are real….. *cough*
What’s up?
Racoon’s getaway vehicle.
Honey I’m home! I brought take out!
Bird 1: Deer 0
Oh deer…
Move it CROW!
The chase is on!
Darwinian award winner here.
Death from above.
Deer couldn’t give a F*** about headlights. Racoon however…
Caught red mouthed.
Bear hanging out on the front porch.
Whatcha lookin’ at?
Groundhog day vs Easter… Looks like the groundhog wins EVERYTIME.
Your move racoon!
Judging by the carcasses on the ground… this one could go either way.
And you thought you were alone in the woods…
Man versus wild…
Animal farm…
That’s one excited deer!
Bear just about to take a wizz….
Full moon tonight!
This scene is definitely not boaring!
See Also – 100 Deadly Skills – Pretty Much The Best Book Ever
See Also – Bobcat Attacks Turkey Hunter – All Recorded With His Cell Phone
See Also – Hunting With Women
See Also – When Hog Hunting Goes Wrong
See Also – Poor Rabbit – Man Deer Hunting Misses The Deer, Hits The Rabbit
See Also – Some Pretty Crazy Trail Cam Pictures
See Also – Two Bobcats Have A Snarling Staredown – In The Middle Of A Neighborhood
See Also – Ted Nugent Plays Fred Bear Song Around The Campfire
See Also – Meet The BattlBox – Monthly Survival, Tactical, And EDC Gear Subscription Box | {
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Blu-ray + Anaglyph 3D
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Friday the 13th: 8-Movie Collection Blu-ray, News and Updates
- December 4, 2019
Cyber Monday Deals Week has started and Amazon has price dropped a new set of titles. While a lot of the Black Friday titles are gone some good deals are still active.
- November 29, 2019
Black Friday Blu-ray deals have started to come in (so keep an eye on the newest deals page for updates). Now is the time to get your movies and/or Holiday gifts at the best prices. | {
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MANSFIELD, Ohio—Danny O’Connor didn’t catch what the president had to say about him on Saturday night. At least, not until Sunday. The 31-year-old Catholic with a boyish face was in church when Donald Trump came to town to hold a boisterous rally in a humid local gymnasium for O’Connor’s opponent State Senator Troy Balderson.
And on Sunday morning, the Franklin County Recorder found himself in church again—three different ones to be exact—delivering a closing message to the residents in this city located smack dab between Cleveland and Columbus.
“I think that we have too much division in our country,” O’Connor said from the pulpit of Maddox Memorial Temple, where a predominately African-American group of worshippers had gathered. The congregation swayed and sang on carpeted pews facing a pulpit with the backdrop of a stained glass Jesus Christ, before O’Connor was brought in with his fiancee to join the service.
“We have folks who are focused on dividing and conquering and not getting stuff done for normal folks. And that’s a problem. Because we need to send people to Washington who are committed to having a servant’s heart.”
Without naming names, it’s apparent that this source of division largely stems from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, at least in the minds of Democratic voters in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District. And it’s his very presence that has created the permission structure for voters who consistently punch Republican to consider voting for a Democrat in the year’s last special Congressional election before November’s midterms.
A C-shaped mass of land that stretches from Zanesville in the East to the edge of Richland County north of Columbus, the 12th District has sent a Republican to Washington D.C. since 1939, with a two-year break after a Democrat was elected in 1981. A mix of wealthier suburbs and rural areas, this seat was home to Republican Governor John Kasich and former Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH), whose retirement sparked this early August contest.
But there’s substantial evidence that what would ordinarily be a breeze for the Republican party is turning into a squeaker—a familiar happenstance for any casual observer of recent elections in Alabama and Pennsylvania, to name two.
A recent Monmouth University poll found the race as an essential toss-up depending on voter turnout and determined that the president’s approval rating stood at 46 percent in a district he won by 11 points in 2016. Part of what closed the gap was a significant rise in Democratic enthusiasm, a trend that is seemingly taking place nationwide as the barrage of chaos from the White House has led liberally-inclined voters to flock to the polls in other congressional and state legislative races.
That enthusiasm was on display Sunday. After church, O’Connor met with voters who had already cast ballots for him at Johns Park and encouraged others to do so as soon as possible. Volunteers drove buses for a “Souls to the Polls” operation and O’Connor, having dropped the suit for khaki shorts to beat the summer heat, made small talk with a young girl about how many hot dogs the two of them could eat and swung a jump rope for a group of kids on the grass.
Thea Crowley and Alexia Kemerling, both 20-year-old college students originally hailing from the area, had already voted, feeling that this was the first time since Trump’s election that they could do something “concrete” to take a stand against his administration.
“The 2016 election was our first chance to vote,” Crowley told The Daily Beast. “And that result was kind of scary, as like your first time voting.”
Kemerling characterized the environment under the current president as “fighting not to move backwards.”
“It’s really really frustrating,” she said.
But Republicans are hopeful that the president’s last minute rally, plus a recent visit from Vice President Mike Pence and a robocall from Donald Trump Jr., are enough to animate a base of voters in a district still enamored with Trump. During Balderson’s appearance onstage with Trump on Saturday night in a high school gym in Lewis Center, he highlighted the strength of the economy and told voters he’d be a valuable ally for the president.
"I'm going to fight alongside him to continue this economic success, I promise,” the GOP candidate said.
Balderson’s candidacy also presented a rare opportunity for Kasich and Trump to agree on something, years after the man who became president said the Ohio governor ate in “such a disgusting fashion” and mimicked him shoving pancakes into his mouth.
That shaky alliance, one which could prove vital for suburban Republicans turned off by the president’s policies and behavior, seemed to be fracturing come Sunday morning.
Kasich, who is often rumored as a potential 2020 primary challenger against Trump, said on ABC’s “This Week,” that Balderson told him he did not invite the president to campaign for him. Then Kasich dug in even further, saying that the closeness of the race could be a byproduct of Trump himself.
“The chaos that seems to surround Donald Trump has unnerved a lot of people,” Kasich said two days out from the election. “So suburban women in particular here are the ones that are really turned off. And you add to that the, you know, millennials, you—you have it very close. It’s really kind of shocking because this should be just a slam dunk and it’s not.”
Meanwhile, in recent weeks, the GOP-led Congress’ banner achievement of tax reform, had all but disappeared from the scores of ads pouring into the district. Instead, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a PAC closely aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), launched an ad buy seeking to tie O’Connor to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) saying that they want to open “America’s doors to more crime and drugs.” Democrats on the other hand, have been the aggressors on the message of the tax legislation characterizing it as a “corporate tax giveaway.”
As of Sunday night, CLF has spent over $3 million on the race, with the National Republican Congressional Committee investing more than $1.3 million and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spending nearly $630,000. A major focus of the Republican campaign against O’Connor is the perception that he, or any other Democrat in the nation, would be closely allied with Pelosi, a much-maligned figure among conservative voters. A similar tactic, and progression of ads, was used in another high-profile special congressional election earlier this year in Pennsylvania’s 18th District, where Democrat Conor Lamb overcame an even larger 2016 Trump victory margin and a gerrymandered map to eke out a narrow victory.
Republican operatives saw a golden opportunity to drive the Pelosi message home after O’Connor said he would “support whoever the Democratic Party puts forward,” during a recent MSNBC interview after campaigning on the need for new leadership. His campaign put out their own ad days after reasserting that O’Connor wants to see new people in power on both sides of the aisle in Congress.
But as he traverses the district, from churches with gospel choirs of women dressed in white to picnics and suburban door-knocking, O’Connor says he hasn’t been asked about the machinations of Democratic congressional leadership.
“No one is like my number one issue is 'who you’re going to vote for for Speaker,' ” O’Connor, who would be among the youngest members of Congress, said in an interview at a campaign headquarters on Sunday. “It’s inside baseball. People bring up health care, they bring up earned benefits. That’s a big one. They bring up education costs. They bring up firearms. They bring up a lot of things. They don’t bring up that.”
Seated next to his fiancée—who, O’Connor has mentioned on the trail, is a Republican—the Democrat characterized Washington as a broken place with two parties sniping at each other all to the disservice of constituents. It’s an age-old political line that has been a hallmark of too many campaigns to count.
While his stump rhetoric is primarily geared around protecting Medicare and Social Security and drawing contrasts with Balderson on positions such as taxes and guns—O’Connor thinks the overall tax reform package favors corporations over the middle class and he supports “red flag” laws which would deny gun access to individuals who are dangers to themselves or others—he claims that if he served the district in Congress, he’d be happy to find areas to work with the president including infrastructure and combating the opioid epidemic.
The olive branch comes even though the president has taken to calling him names, including “Danny Boy,” which O’Connor said his mother also called him.
“It doesn’t bother me,” O’Connor said. “If he agrees on point A and I agree on point A about something, I’ll put aside any partisan petty name-calling for the good of the people in this district. Honest to God. Because it’s my job to take punches. It’s my job to take the heat.”
While there is outside significance to this special election contest, and what it could say about the tenor of the nation going into the midterms, the irony is that if O’Connor wins on Tuesday, he’d have to turn around and run again in the November race.
“It’s like March Madness,” he said about the endless campaigning.
The small stakes of one person out of 435 winning a three-month seat in the House of Representatives, has obviously not stopped Republicans and Democrats alike from viewing this race in hyperbolic terms.
“It would be a political earthquake,” Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) said in a phone interview, should O’Connor prevail. “I would not want to be in the Republican leadership after that. But even the fact that we are in the game, it shows how dysfunctional the Republican Party is at this point.”
Even as O’Connor at least appears to be taking the national spotlight in stride, he is acutely aware of what an upset on Tuesday would signify.
“This is the last one in the country and this can set the tone,” he said, referring to the host of special elections that have taken place during the Trump administration.
“If we send a message that “Hey, Washington, watch out: People are upset, in every community, rural, urban, suburban, people are sick and tired of inaction and they want new leadership,” O’Connor said. “I’m hopeful that we send that message.” | {
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Description: Hello all! This is my Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, with Voices added to the game! I have just finished recording the entirety of the game, and all I need for the finishing touches (aside from editing the footage) is the voice acting! The editing process will take a couple of weeks for all of the unedited footage, and during that time-frame I will have you all post your voice submissions for these characters! However, there are some characters that only appear once, and don't ever appear again for awhile throughout the story, so for those people who try out for those specific characters: You can also try out for the unlisted Chapter Boss voices. You know the bosses you fight at the end of a chapter? Those ones. Also, if you did make the cut, you can also go for the npc characters that appear once, and then never again! Anyways, here is what this amazing Strategy-RPG has to say for itself!
This will be posted to YouTube once I edit together everything and everyone's lines for each part :)
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is set on the fictional continent of Tellius. The storyline is all-new and un-related to any other Fire Emblem title storylines before it. The protagonist, Ike, the son of Greil, begins the game as the newest member of his father's mercenary company, the Greil Mercenaries. The company operates within the borders of Crimea, a nation of humans (referred to as "beorc") that shares its southern border with Gallia, a nation of Beast laguz, or humanoids capable of transforming into animals. A few chapters into the game, a neighboring beorc nation, Daein, invades Crimea. Soon after, Ike comes across an unconscious woman in a forest that turns out to be the Crimean princess, Elincia Ridell Crimea. Faced with the ruthless Daein assault, Greil leads the mercenaries out of Crimea and towards Gallia, but is mortally wounded by a Daein general known only as the Black Knight. These events mark the beginning of a long journey that will take Ike, Elincia, and the mercenaries across the continent and back in an effort to defeat Daein and restore Crimea's royalty to the throne.
Over the course of the game, Ike and his companions must overcome long-held racial tensions between the beorc and laguz in order to form an alliance against their true enemy, Ashnard, King of Daein. In particular, Ike manages to reestablish relations between the beorc nation of Begnion and the few remaining members of the heron laguz clan, which was annihilated in an act of genocide known as the Serenes Massacre. With this accomplishment, Ike is given command of a patchwork army that he leads into Daein and finally back to Crimea, where he confronts the Black Knight and ultimately King Ashnard himself. Hello all! This is my Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, with Voices added to the game! I have just finished recording the entirety of the game, and all I need for the finishing touches (aside from editing the footage) is the voice acting! The editing process will take a couple of weeks for all of the unedited footage, and during that time-frame I will have you all post your voice submissions for these characters! However, there are some characters that only appear once, and don't ever appear again for awhile throughout the story, so for those people who try out for those specific characters: You can also try out for the unlisted Chapter Boss voices. You know the bosses you fight at the end of a chapter? Those ones. Also, if you did make the cut, you can also go for the npc characters that appear once, and then never again! Anyways, here is what this amazing Strategy-RPG has to say for itself!This will be posted to YouTube once I edit together everything and everyone's lines for each part :)Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is set on the fictional continent of Tellius. The storyline is all-new and un-related to any other Fire Emblem title storylines before it. The protagonist, Ike, the son of Greil, begins the game as the newest member of his father's mercenary company, the Greil Mercenaries. The company operates within the borders of Crimea, a nation of humans (referred to as "beorc") that shares its southern border with Gallia, a nation of Beast laguz, or humanoids capable of transforming into animals. A few chapters into the game, a neighboring beorc nation, Daein, invades Crimea. Soon after, Ike comes across an unconscious woman in a forest that turns out to be the Crimean princess, Elincia Ridell Crimea. Faced with the ruthless Daein assault, Greil leads the mercenaries out of Crimea and towards Gallia, but is mortally wounded by a Daein general known only as the Black Knight. These events mark the beginning of a long journey that will take Ike, Elincia, and the mercenaries across the continent and back in an effort to defeat Daein and restore Crimea's royalty to the throne.Over the course of the game, Ike and his companions must overcome long-held racial tensions between the beorc and laguz in order to form an alliance against their true enemy, Ashnard, King of Daein. In particular, Ike manages to reestablish relations between the beorc nation of Begnion and the few remaining members of the heron laguz clan, which was annihilated in an act of genocide known as the Serenes Massacre. With this accomplishment, Ike is given command of a patchwork army that he leads into Daein and finally back to Crimea, where he confronts the Black Knight and ultimately King Ashnard himself. | {
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There are two churches in Paul Schrader’s First Reformed. The one that gives the film its title is a spartan Dutch Colonial structure that has stood in a corner of upstate New York for a quarter of a millennium, serving parishioners since before the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Just down the road stands Abundant Life Ministries, a prosperous megachurch whose anodyne interiors look more like an executive-class airport lounge than a house of worship.
Instead of competing with their neighbors, Abundant Life’s proprietors encourage cooperation, subsidizing their neighbor’s modest operations. As its name suggests, Abundant Life has it all in the present tense, while First Reformed leans heavily on a sense of history, attracting more tourists than parishioners for Sunday services. First Reformed’s durability is deceiving; it stands by the grace of its patronage rather than God.
The contrasts between these buildings and what they represent—tradition versus modernity; discipline versus excess; God versus Mammon—are not hard to grasp. First Reformed is not the sort of movie that undersells its metaphors. It bets the house on them, gambling on the possibility that an old-fashioned morality play asking Big Questions about faith, activism, and the futility of trying to save the world will pay off in a moment when even serious American cinema—i.e. films unconcerned with Skywalkers or Infinity Stones—comes at least partially steeped in irony.
This is a film whose hero is a divorced priest, mourning the death of his son in Iraq. His flock includes a young pregnant woman whose environmentalist husband has advised her to get an abortion in light of widespread climate change. Pollution, consumerism, and corruption are ascendant. The priest drinks and imagines self-flagellation. The center cannot hold.
This scenario is serious almost to the point of silliness: It could be parody of a morality play. But the heaviness is also essential to the architecture and impact of what I’m thinking is the year’s first maybe-great American movie.
Paul Schrader is 71, which means he’s old enough to be an institution, one a little like First Reformed itself: long-standing but increasingly marginalized over the years. In the 1970s, Schrader ran with the Movie Brats—not only Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma, for whom he wrote the scripts for Taxi Driver and Obsession in the same year, 1976, but also Steven Spielberg. The rumor was that Schrader also took a stab at writing Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but in his version, the aliens never showed up—an unrealized exercise in existentialism trumping special effects.
Asceticism comes naturally to Schrader, who was raised in a strict Calvinist household and didn’t start watching movies until he was 17. When Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle referred to himself in Taxi Driver as “God’s lonely man,” he wasn’t just indulging in sociopathic self-pity, he was defining a self-projected outsider archetype that would return time and again in Schrader’s scripts. He’s obsessed with obsessives and sympathizes with their quests, like Travis’s desire to rescue the teenage prostitute Iris from her pimp, or Jake Van Dorn’s desperate search for his daughter through the subculture of Los Angeles’s porn industry in Hardcore, which he also directed (both of these intense, unpleasant movies are made under the sign of The Searchers).
Generally, Schrader is fascinated by characters—almost always men— whose consciences are never quite scrubbed clean. He even had the guts to include a scene in the script for The Last Temptation of Christ where the Son of Man is seduced by a vision of a quiet normal life; this Jesus dies for our sins but not before identifying with them. For Schrader, the human condition is defined by the fear of not living up to a better standard, whether self-imposed or handed down from on high.
First Reformed is some of his best work. Its self-divided protagonist is Father Ernst Toller, an ex-military chaplain played in a performance of great subtlety and control by Ethan Hawke. Father Toller possesses a faith so devout that he nearly turns himself inside out trying to live up to it. As the film opens, he’s outwardly accepted both the marginality of his post and the loneliness of his newly unattached life, but his mild demeanor is a front. During one of his sermons, he paraphrases F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous dictum about the sign of a fine mind being the ability to hold two competing ideas at the same time.
This acknowledgment of life’s non-binary complexities identifies Ernst as something more than a mouthpiece for scriptural platitudes, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he has his shit together. In his case, the math is inverted: The sign of a troubled mind is that he can’t stop seeing both sides of every issue. It is because the priest can’t reconcile his sense of piety with the compromises of others that his soul is slowly splintering to pieces. His certainty that God is watching doesn’t bring comfort, but paralyzing despair.
The scenes of Hawke sitting in an insomniac trance, scrawling out his humble interior monologue as a longhand confession, are indebted to Robert Bresson’s 1951 masterpiece Diary of a Country Priest, and Bresson’s long, gloomy shadow hangs over this film as well as others in Schrader’s ouvre.
But, in the spirit of indulging two competing ideas at once, Schrader also has his sleazy, neon side, a fetish for pulpy twists and bloody violence. It’s a streak present in Taxi Driver and fully ascendent in recent efforts like The Canyons and the repulsive, compulsive crime flick Dog Eat Dog. Stylistically, First Reformed is shot and edited like an art movie, its look and tone aligned with the chilly minimalism of the “slow cinema” Schrader has theorized and canonized in his work as a critic. But it’s also pressurized like a thriller, built around a mounting sense of dread.
Explaining exactly how and why Ernst finds himself radicalized and planning a subversive campaign against Abundant Life and its commodified Christianity is difficult to do without recounting layers and layers of plot. First Reformed is made in a refined style but it’s shamelessly melodramatic at its core; like a preacher trying to win over a skeptical congregation, Schrader keeps piling on reasons that a man of peace would potentially resort to terrorism.
Counselling Mary (Amanda Seyfried) about her husband’s ultimatum regarding their unborn child, Ernst offers words of comfort that seem to drain his own life force, one syllable at a time. He simply doesn’t know what to tell her, and that fundamentally decent indecision, concerning not only the value of a human life but also its liability, spirals outwards beyond the frame. If global warming—a secular apocalypse—is real, what is the solution? Is it to passively accept the end of the world or to rage against the dying of the light? And if it’s the latter, is the best way to channel that defiance to create a life, or to take one? Either way, you’re playing God.
The casting of Hawke, now 25 years into his run as the relaxed face of Gen X slackerdom, as an avatar of middle-aged anxiety is brilliantly effective. He gives the impression at all times of an intelligent, empathetic man desperately repressing primal anger and bitterness. Hawke hasn’t been this tightly wound since Training Day. Ernst may be falling apart, but Hawke’s measured, anguished acting holds First Reformed together, and it has to, because Schrader, whose age and semi-exile from the studios have combined into a true give-no-fucks mandate, goes hard in the home stretch. One of the really wondrous things here is the way that the basic realism of Schrader’s style—the stark, natural lighting; slow, precise cutting; flat, cavernous sound design—gradually starts warping in sync with its protagonist’s consciousness. A late sequence where Ernst and the heavily pregnant Mary—a potentially redemptive figure whose name is not just a metaphor but a meta-five—imagine themselves on an airborne vision quest, floating over and through devastated landscapes, is the sort of wild, risky flourish that could easily be mistaken for a mistake.
It’s not. Their levitation lifts First Reformed out of its slow, heavy rhythm while simultaneously deepening its melancholy. Because this is a movie about a man who is prepared to make a grand gesture, even if it kills him, Schrader keeps upping the ante, including some shockingly visceral imagery near the climax and finale that’s the dramatic equivalent of a last-second Hail Mary (See what I did there?). I’ll admit that when I saw this movie for the first time I didn’t quite know how to take these moments. After some reflection, and a second viewing, it’s clear that the film’s mix of austerity and audacity is also its reason for being. First Reformed is filled with leaps of faith for its characters and also its director. I won’t say whether or not Father Toller makes it to the end in one piece, but Schrader sticks the landing. | {
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A police pursuit of possible burglary suspects at a grocery store in Newport Beach ended with an arrest Saturday night in Inglewood.
The chase began in Newport Beach, officials said.
The chase of the black Dodge Charger took place at high speeds along freeways and surface streets and ended when police found the car abandoned in a neighborhood in Inglewood.
During the pursuit, a man threw a handgun out the window of the car, officials said.
Police were searching the Inglewood neighborhood where the car was found for at least two others late Saturday.
Joe Studley contributed to this report. | {
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A third of the world’s biggest groundwater basins are being rapidly depleted and are seriously threatened. Why? Because significant segments of the Earth’s population are consuming groundwater quickly, without knowing when it might run out.
Using readings generated by NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, a team of scientists led by the University of California, Irvine, examined the Earth’s 37 largest aquifers between 2003 and 2013, and found that 21 aquifers have declined – many of them in arid or semi-arid regions. 13 of those declining aquifers were classified as being “highly stressed,” “extremely stressed,” or “overstressed” [with nearly no natural replenishment to offset human consumption].
In two new studies, a team of researchers — which included co-authors from NASA, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Taiwan University and UC Santa Barbara — found that the Northwest Sahara Aquifer System, which supplies water to 60 million people, is the most overstressed in the world. The Indus Basin aquifer of northwestern India and Pakistan is the second-most overstressed, followed by the Murzuk-Djado Basin in northern Africa. California’s Central Valley was classified as highly stressed.
Alexandra Richey, a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine, and lead author of both studies, said in a statement:
“What happens when a highly stressed aquifer is located in a region with socioeconomic or political tensions that can’t supplement declining water supplies fast enough? We’re trying to raise red flags now to pinpoint where active management today could protect future lives and livelihoods. If we continue to use groundwater the way it’s being used, then there’s a high chance that it could be depleted to the point that we can no longer use it in my lifetime in certain areas.”
According to the studies, rudimentary and widely varying estimates dating back to the 1960s and ’70s are often the only available guesses of how much groundwater remains in aquifers. Since they lack accurate data about how much water is available in the Earth’s dwindling reservoirs, it becomes important to “understand what some of the tipping points are” before our greed starts threatening our survival as well as cause severe ecological damage [The study cites an estimate that groundwater is the primary source of water for about 2 billion people].
Jay Famiglietti, a professor at the University of California, Irvine; principal investigator of the research; and senior water scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, added:
“The red flags are that over half of the world’s biggest aquifers are being depleted. They are past sustainability tipping points, and a third of those big aquifers — 13 of those — are seriously distressed. Available physical and chemical measurements are simply insufficient. Given how quickly we are consuming the world’s groundwater reserves, we need a coordinated global effort to determine how much is left.“
Water scarcity affects >2 billion ppl
The road to 2030 starts here. Be part of this journey https://t.co/5v0yM78hQX pic.twitter.com/frePpuTUXA — UN-Water (@UN_Water) July 29, 2016
How do we know how much water is left? By drilling deep beneath the surface. And why are we not doing it? It is expensive, painstaking, and time-consuming to study groundwater. Famiglietti observed:
“It is crazy and it is unacceptable that we have not done the exploration of the world’s major aquifers, including those in the United States, which we absolutely need to do. If they were oil instead of water, they would have been plumbed to their great depths to understand the availability of the resource.”
UPDATE:
According to a new analysis, at least two-thirds of the global population — over 4 billion people — live with severe water scarcity for at least one month every year. Nearly half of those people live in India and China.
That’s not the scariest part. The scary part is that 500 million people live in places where water consumption is double the amount replenished by rain for the entire year, leaving them extremely vulnerable as underground aquifers run down. Yemen could run out of water within a few years, but many other places are living on borrowed time as aquifers are continuously depleted, including Pakistan, Iran, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, reports The Guardian.
“The results imply the global water situation is much worse than suggested by previous studies, which estimated such scarcity impacts between 1.7 billion and 3.1 billion people. The new work also showed 1.8 billion people suffer severe water scarcity for at least half of every year.
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This article (Red Flag: Two Billion People Could Run Out Of Water Within A Few Years) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and AnonHQ.com. | {
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We’re still over a year away from Avengers: Infinity War, and two years away from its untitled sequel, but the never-satisfied fans of the MCU have already been asking: what’s next? After Thanos is defeated and the Infinity Stones are safely separated again, what opponent could possibly stand in the way of The Avengers that could live up to the threat of Thanos? Even in the comics, Marvel had a hard time following up their Infinity Gauntlet storyline, which killed half the universe and promised to change the Marvel universe before basically undoing any action that might have had a lasting impact.
To make matters of prediction even more difficult, the rights to most of Marvel’s best villains are tied up with Fox, so baddies like Galactus, Kang, and Doom aren’t showing up any time soon without a major deal being made. However, what if Marvel has been setting up their next Big Bad for years, right in front of our dumb faces? What if Marvel’s next group of antagonists have been establishing themselves since Phase 2, quietly pulling the strings to influence events according to their plan? I’m talking about the Elders of the Universe: a group of ancient beings who might just be the MCU’s next Big Bad.
Who are the Elders of the Universe?
In the comics, the Elders are essentially the oldest sentient beings in the universe, each one the last living member of one of the universe’s earliest civilizations. With no other family, the Elders consider each other brothers and occasionally work together towards a common, usually nefarious, goal. For instance, they once teamed up to try to kill Galactus and bring about the end of the universe. Having previously tricked Death into making them immortal, the Elders believed that they would survive the ending and subsequent rebirth of the universe, becoming supremely powerful beings. Yeah, comics are weird.
In the MCU so far, we’ve only been properly introduced to one Elder: Taneleer Tivan, better known as The Collector. However, we know that we’ll meet at least one more by the end of 2017. Thor: Ragnarok will introduce us to The Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum. While there hasn’t been any official confirmation that The Grandmaster and The Collector are related to each other in any way, a quick look at both of them makes it obvious there’s a connection:
So we know about two Elders for sure, but it’s possible we’ve even seen a third. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Kurt Russell will play Peter Quill’s father, Ego the Living Planet. In the comics, Ego is also considered an Elder of the Universe. However, he’s an Elder in the same way that Wolverine is an Avenger: he’s definitely been on the team, but that’s not what he’s best known for. Still, everything we know about Ego so far would make sense if he’s an Elder. Just like them, Ego is ancient, powerful, mysterious, part of an unknown race, and prefers to work through others like the Ravagers. In fact, what we knew about Peter Quill’s father matched so well with what we know about the Elders of the Universe that many thought The Collector could be Quill’s dad back when Ego’s role was still a mystery.
Beyond The Grandmaster, The Collector, and Ego, there are many other Elders of the Universe that could show up in the future. In fact, a few of them may have already been cast. Sylvester Stallone‘s mysterious role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Sam Neill‘s in Thor: Ragnarok have both been described as very important, but not necessarily large, roles. Neill described his role saying that, despite only filming for a few days, he couldn’t say anything about his role or whether or not he’d return:
I’m not really allowed to say this, and I can’t tell you what it is… I did a couple of days on Thor, just before I came over here. If I say anything else, Marvel’s secret agents, and they are lethal, will come and get me and probably my children, as well.
Meanwhile, Sly’s role in Guardians has been described as a “very, very, key, important role” by director James Gunn, and a fan on Reddit who saw some unreleased footage at a CCXP panel described his appearance:
Totally human. No cgi or makeup. It was just a few frames and looked like he was on that main planet from the first movie. In the panel, JG said we will a character of major importance for the cosmic side of MCU…Looked like some aristocrat outfit from said planet. As I said just a few frames. A retired Richard Ryder seems likely. From what he said I got the impression Sly may have a multi picture contract. I looks like he may be the Samuel L Jackson of Cosmic MCU
While the Redditor above suggests that Stallone could be playing Richard Rider, Gunn’s comments seem to indicate that it’s highly unlikely we’ll see any human (particularly Nova) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. So who else could Sly be playing? A major cosmic character, played by an older actor, dressed in fine or extravagant clothing. I wonder if that matches anyone else we’ve seen in the MCU so far?
We aren’t the first to speculate that Neill and Stallone could be playing Elders– in fact, as far back as October, James Gunn debunked a rumor that the Elders would play a “major role” in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. However, that doesn’t mean that the Elders of the Universe won’t appear at all, and the Elders could instead be playing a large role in Thor: Ragnarok with the introduction of the Grandmaster, and possibly the second Elder portrayed by Sam Neill.
What Do the Elders Want?
With a group like the Elders of the Universe, it’s tricky to pin down exactly what they want for two main reasons. First, it’s entirely possible that they all want different things. Like I mentioned earlier, the Elders only work together occasionally, the rest of the time doing their own thing for their own reasons. Second, the Elders’ plans are usually concocted by The Grandmaster, whose millennia of studying of games and contests have made him an incredible strategist, so his moves might be hidden to us. But for the sake of this theory, let’s assume that the Elders are indeed working together and try to figure out their plan based on what we’ve seen.
1) They want the Infinity Stones
In his first appearance in the post-credits scene of Thor: The Dark World, The Collector is entrusted with The Reality Stone by the Asgardians. After assuring Sif and Volstagg that the stone would be safe, The Collector ominously says “One down, five to go,” referring to the other five Infinity Stones. Sure, maybe he only said it because he’s The Collector and he likes to collect things, but it seems like it probably means more than that, especially given the fact that the line was the last line of dialogue in the entire movie. If The Collector (and therefore, the Elders) want the Infinity Stones, that either means they have their own plan for them, or they’re working with Thanos. Which brings us to the second thing we know about the Elders…
2) They aren’t working with Thanos
In Guardians of the Galaxy, it may seem like everybody in the Galaxy is after the Power Stone, but every person we see trying to get the stone can be traced back to one of two opposing parties: Thanos and The Collector. Ronan, Nebula, and Korath are all working directly or indirectly for Thanos, while Gamora and the Ravagers had both been hired by The Collector (well, technically, The Ravagers were hired by The Broker, who was hired by The Collector). So whatever The Elders want, they definitely don’t want Thanos to collect all six gems.
3) They prefer to work through others
Although they definitely aren’t working together, The Elders of the Universe and Thanos do have one thing in common: they prefer having others do their work for them. It’s become a running joke about the MCU that it took Thanos the entirety of Phase 2 just to stand up from his chair, because all of his plans thus far have involved using others like Loki, Ronan, and possibly even Ultron. It hasn’t been confirmed that Thanos had anything to do with the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it would make sense if he was somehow responsible for the evil AI’s birth. In the post-credits scene, Thanos picks up the Infinity Gauntlet saying “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” If we assume that the “it” to which he is referring is destroying The Avengers (or Earth in general), and that Thanos is only just now deciding to take matters into his own hands, it makes sense that Ultron is another example of one of Thanos’s failed plans to take over Earth and defeat the Avengers. Thanos being somehow responsible for Ultron’s creation would also explain why Tony seems so convinced he and Banner aren’t responsible for Ultron:
Bruce: Tony, maybe this might not be the time… Tony: Really? That’s it? You just roll over and show your belly, every time somebody snarls? Bruce: Only when I’ve created a murder-bot! Tony: We didn’t, we weren’t even close! Were we close to an interface? Bruce: [shrugs]
Likewise, the Elders have historically used others to accomplish their goals. The Collector sought the Power Stone first through hiring the Ravagers, then through hiring Gamora to betray Ronan. Ego went after his own son not by himself, but by hiring the Ravagers. And The Grandmaster, as powerful as he is, prefers to watch others fight for his amusement. So therefore, we can conclude that any moves they’ve made to secure the Infinity Stones and/or stop Thanos have been made indirectly.
4) They know about The Avengers
Before the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive on Earth next year for Avengers: Infinity War, it’s hard to know exactly who knows anything about the big picture of the MCU. Most characters are either only aware of what’s happening on Earth, or only aware of what’s happening out in space. However, there are a few people that we know for sure are privy to everything that’s happening across the universe. Thor, for example, is starting to piece together the big picture (and will surely learn even more during this year’s Thor: Ragnarok). Thanos, obviously, is aware of everything that he’s up to. It’s also safe to assume that the Elders have been keeping a close eye on Thanos’s activities, and are well aware of The Avengers on Earth. The Collector accepted the Reality Stone from the Warriors Three, so he probably knows about the events of Thor: The Dark World, and if Ego was able to make sure the Ravagers abducted his son on the very night his mother’s death, it’s probably a good bet that he’s keeping an eye on Earth. On the off chance the Elders aren’t aware of the Avengers, they certainly will be by Thor: Ragnarok, when two of them will fight in The Grandmaster’s arena. It’s possible, likely even, that The Grandmaster is directly responsible for Hulk’s trip to Sakaar, as he has a habit in the comics of kidnapping people to compete in his games.
So based on the facts we know, it seems as though the Elders are trying to stop Thanos from collecting all the Infinity Stones so that they themselves can collect them for some currently unknown (but almost certainly dastardly) reason. It also looks like they’re using The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy as pawns to block Thanos, positioning everything so that when the time comes, someone will be able to stop him. Right now, they could probably be technically considered allies for The Avengers, as they share a common enemy. However, once Thanos is out of the picture, it seems certain that The Avengers and Guardians won’t like what the Elders plan to do with their newly acquired Infinity Stones.
Where’s the Evidence?
So far, there’s very little hard evidence to support the theory that there’s some hidden conspiracy in the MCU involving the Elders of the Universe. Some of the things we know (like the details we have about Stallone and Neill’s roles) do fit the theory pretty well, but it’s vague enough evidence that it could probably be used to support any theory. So needless to say, take this theory for what it is: speculation based on some circumstantial evidence that fits well enough for me not to think it’s a coincidence.
That being said, let’s consider the evidence we have. Aside from the evidence about the roles Stallone and Neill might be playing and some suggestive lines from The Collector, we also know from James Gunn that both Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone have plans to return in future movies:
“This is definitely not a one-off. They’re both characters that we’ve taken a lot of time to develop, and they’re a big part of the MCU now.”
Furthermore, Thor says something at the end of Age of Ultron that warrants some examination:
Thor: I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That’s not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position… Tony: Triple Yahtzee? Steve: You think you can find out what’s coming? Thor: I do. Besides this one, there’s nothing that can’t be explained.
When Thor says that someone “has made pawns of” the Avengers, many people might assume he’s talking about Thanos. But that doesn’t really make any sense. Thanos has tried to destroy the Avengers before, but even if he is responsible for the Mind Stone creating Ultron, nothing he’s done has included using The Avengers as pawns. Pawns are pieces that are supposed to be used, and often sacrificed, for someone’s own benefit. And if the Avengers are the pawns in the game, who are the players? Thanos is one of them, but who is his opponent? All of this can be explained away as just sloppy or careless writing, but this is Joss Whedon we’re talking about: plenty of adjectives can be used to describe his writing, but “sloppy” and “careless” aren’t among them. It makes far more sense that the Elders are using The Avengers as pawns, driving them towards conflict with Thanos by making sure they’re around when the Infinity Stones pop up. Essentially setting up their pieces so that, when Infinity War rolls around, they can get their Triple Yahtzee before Thanos.
At the end of Age of Ultron, Thor leaves Earth to investigate who could be behind the resurfacing of the Infinity Stones. Knowing that, it seems like Thor: Ragnarok will do a lot work to set up Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel Studios president (and overlord of the MCU) Kevin Feige has said as much, highlighting the powerful and important characters that will appear in the movie:
It’s going to be, perhaps, as totally different from the two prior Thor movies as Winter Soldier was from the first Captain America. We want to take it to new places, we’ve got new characters that will show how big we’re swinging on this.
One of the big characters to which Feige is referring is The Grandmaster, who runs the gladiator fighting tournament on Sakaar where Thor and Hulk find themselves. But there’s a problem with The Grandmaster: in the comics, he has pretty much nothing to do with the Planet Hulk storyline from which Thor: Ragnarok is borrowing. The Grandmaster also has no special connection to Asgard, Ragnarok, or Hela. None of the elements of the story in Thor: Ragnarok require an appearance from The Grandmaster, which leads me to believe that he’s there to set up something for the future. And in the comics, the most important things that The Grandmaster does almost always include scheming with the other Elders. It seems likely to me that Thor: Ragnarok will introduce the Grandmaster and another Elder, as well as establish the bigger game of the MCU that the Elders are playing against Thanos.
If indeed the Elders of the Universe are being set up in the MCU right now, when should we expect to see The Avengers face them? It’s possible that they could be the main antagonists of the currently untitled fourth Avengers film in 2019. In an interview with IGN last year, Kevin Feige stressed the fact that Infinity War and its sequel would in fact be two separate, but connected, stories.
There’s a reason we have publicly called the first one ‘Infinity War’ and the second one ‘Untitled,’ because the movies we were developing were not — certainly there’s a connection, there are with all our movies — but it’s not a first part and a second part. It’s a whole movie and a whole story, and then a whole movie and a whole story. That’s about all I can say. It’s certainly inspired by everything that has come before and everything that is hinted at before.
Feige’s comments definitely seem to support the theory that the sequel to Infinity War will deal with some new threat, aside from just Thanos, that’s been hinted at before. Could 2019 see the release of Avengers: Elders of the Universe? Maybe, or maybe the Elders will be saved for a long-term threat for a later phase. Or, maybe this entire theory is wrong and the Elders of the Universe aren’t planning anything! Either way, one thing seems certain: there’s a lot about Thanos’s plans and Avengers: Infinity War that we still don’t know. There are pieces to this puzzle that we’re still missing, and whether those pieces could include the Elders or not is up to you to decide. What do you think? Do you think the Elders could be a good group of villains for the Avengers to face? If so, who are some other older actors (and actresses) that you’d like to see fill out the rest of the group? Personally, I’d love to see James Woods play off the likes of Kurt Russell and Jeff Goldblum, and at 69 years old he’s in the right age range to play an Elder–like The Possessor, who sustains his life through his never ending quest for more knowledge.
Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts on this theory and who you’d like to see play an Elder of the Universe! | {
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I like this take on a minor NPC. He does seem to want his uncle's approval very much, so I can see him going off on his own to find something to bring back to Calemo.I really like his pose. He's pretty much at ease, not taking in any of his surroundings as he focuses completely on extruding the goblet. I'm sure he's already thinking of how he's going to clean it off and give it to Calemo and the praise he hopes to receive.I like his expression too. It's very cool and confident, which is both the virtue and bane of the Altmer.I really like how much detail you did with the background on this one since you usually have very minimalistic ones. The little details like the pickaxe by his side and the face statue in the background really helps set the feel of the piece. It's large and dark down here with danger lurking in the background.I think the gold is highlighted by the use of the dark shades. It really makes the metal seem to shine in comparison.The shading on Aicantar is just fabulous. I can tell you put a lot of time into this piece given the sheer number of lines I can see from teh shading. I love the appearance of texture it gives. It's a subtle touch that I think most people won't notice, but it really adds to the character's appearance.Excellent job. | {
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Matt Lees
Ava: Oooh, it’s that time of year. The cold is starting to bite, but the cosy is always close at hand. Why don’t you make yourself a lovely hot chocolate, put your feet up, chuck a log on the fire, grab a blanket, fill a hot water bottle, watch a leaf turn red, find your loveliest slippers, cuddle the closest consenting cuddle-able, put a scarf on, watch a firework, stomp your feet, get another blanket just for your legs, wear a third blanket as a shawl and listen to the tale of Ava’s very own autumnal games news.
Matt: I’ve filled my mouth with a mixture of marshmallows and leaves and popped my slippers into the fire. Is that still autumnal? My hot water bottle is full of hot chocolate, don’t worry: no sense doing two different tasks with hot water when you’ll get loads more points for a combo.
Ava: Whatever fills your heart with October-flavoured warmth!
Matt: Putting these slippers back on was a bad idea, I’ll see you later bye
Ava: So, this week Quinns popped a little kickstarter vol-au-vent of recommendation onto the revolving newzy susan (But remember, Kickstarter still appear to be resisting attempts of Kickstarter United to unionise, so please do apply pressure to encourage them! See any of the last few news posts for more details.)
Labyrinthos has you exploring the infamous labyrinth of Minos. You’ll be running around looking for your keys, and occasionally get eaten by a bull headed beast. The maze can change at any moment, so you’ve got to balance your own route home with your willingness to mess up the plans of your enemies.
Just like in real life, actions are limited by the number of hands and feet you picked up on your last turn: Hands help you manipulate the maze, feet let you run through it. The keys aren’t just for unlocking either, they grant special abilities that bump out the ones you start with. It looks pretty and it sounds mean, which are personally two of my favourite things.
Labyrinthos boasts an all woman design and art team – a notable rarity in the industry – and the kickstarter page also reveals that everyone involved has good dogs. I’m unable to muster this site’s trademark kickstarter dubiety, but don’t let my hound-susceptibility goad you into risking money you can’t afford!
Taiwanese designer Chi Wei Lin has a lovely diary up at the moment about a game promoting awareness of ocean pollution.
Ocean Crisis is a co-operative clean-em-up where players work together on the beach to prevent plastics piling up at the heart of the Pacific. There’s some interesting conundrums dealt out by an ocean current that will sometimes pull waste towards the beach where it can be fished out and sometimes take the rubbish you haven’t picked back out to sea. There’s also a beach-bound skill tree that unlocks special abilities and optional side missions to save dolphins and turtles and the like. It’s unclear where it lands on the ‘purely educational’ to ‘actually fun’ spectrum, but I am reasonably curious. The designer doesn’t pretend there are simple solutions to the pollution crisis, so it sounds like it might be quite a tough cookie.
It’s a bleak subject matter, but looks like an interesting take. Even though they don’t always hit the mark, we’re always glad to see games try and wrestle with the themes of real world problems.
Boondoggle Hob!
That’s my two word pitch for Meguey and Vincent Baker’s latest role playing game based on the Apocalypse World system they built. Under Hollow Hills is no post apocalypse though, it’s about fey circus performers and the strange world they travel in. Boondoggle Hob is the name of one of thirteen character archetype playbooks, apparently some sort of bolshy goblin heel-dragger.
Honestly I’m just using any excuse to repeatedly say it. Boondoggle Hob! These are the two words I’ve been most pleased to see next to each other in months. Well, that’s my critical eye entirely boondoggled. You’ll have to see for yourself and decide whether the hollow hill is one you want to be digging and juggling under.
Big fan of games with rotating discs, but the devastation of the natural world isn’t weighty enough for you? How about we weigh your actual heart?
Pharaon appears to be an Egyptian mash-up of the Game of Life and the theology of The Good Place, giving you a limited amount of time to take actions that will eventually evaluate the worthiness of your life. The way you play the game will determine whether you are carried into the afterlife on a palanquin or are dragged kicking and screaming. That’s probably a misrepresentation of both the ancient Egyptian afterlife and the game we’re talking about, but it’s certainly a mood.
With a rotating central disc that changes the cost of actions and some tricky timing to master, this looks like a classic economic efficiency brain burner. Unfortunately, it’s hiding its unusual theme under the trademark ‘eurogame beige’ and a rotating salad of iconography. I guess Egypt was pretty sandy and hieroglyphic, but it’s not the most inspiring board I’ve ever seen. You probably already know if that sort of thing makes your heart feel heavy or light. I’m not sure I’m holding out for a Horus, but I’m curious what people make of it.
Floating at the top of the Hot Spiel Messe hype list on boardgamegeek for the last few months is a curious retro-future civilisation-building game with an optimistic handle.
It’s a Wonderful World looks like a sci-fi Seven Wonders, with players drafting cards by passing them around and grabbing the best ones to plug into an engine of their own making. The critical wrinkle is that each player will be producing resources in a very specific order, so any combos you can build rely on careful planning, and will be different for each player. It’s an interesting touch, but there’s a reason I’ve let it pass through the ‘maybe this week is the time to fish this out of the news vats’ filter every week for a while now. I can’t quite tell if there’s anything here to actually excite me except for some dramatic cover art. I’d love someone to report back on whether there’s enough here to chew on. I’m hoping it’s high on the hype train for a reason.
In disappointing news, A whole host of Iranian game designers have been denied entry to Germany, where they were hoping to attend the enormous Spiel convention.
We’ve been quietly getting hype about the games coming out of Iran that we were hoping would find wider distribution at the convention. We recently covered a few of those games, and enjoyed the story of one of Gaming’s Biggest Brunos trip to investigate the design scene there.
I’m sad to find out the road to distribution has got a little harder. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s borders, and particularly ones that are used to close down collaboration, play and creativity (so, you know, borders). It’s almost certainly too late for German citizens to send their dismay to the German Foreign Office to get them to change their mind, but it may be worth a try. | {
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On January 20, 2020, the Virginia Civilians Defense League (VCDL), one of the state’s largest Second Amendment groups, will host a gun rights “Lobby Day” on the steps of the state capitol in Richmond, Virginia. The event is expected to be the largest public demonstration to date opposing new gun safety legislation that is making its way through the Virginia legislature.
While the event will undoubtedly attract mainstream gun rights advocates, Virginia’s debate over gun laws has attracted the attention of national right-wing extremist organizations. Several days before the rally, three members of the accelerationist neo-Nazi group “The Base” were arrested as part of a long-standing investigation into the group; the three individuals had weapons and discussed travelling to Richmond for the Lobby Day protests.
On Jan. 15, citing this expected influx of out-of-state militia and other extremist groups as well as “credible intelligence…that there are groups with malicious plans for the rally,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in advance of the Lobby Day event, and banned firearms around the state capitol from Friday, Jan. 17, through Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Militia groups plan to attend
Members of prominent militia groups, including the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, say they intend to travel to participate in the event. While organizers at the VCDL have indicated they are declining offers from militia groups to provide security for the event, the VCDL will welcome militias at the rally itself.
On Dec. 31, 2019, the Oath Keepers issued a call to action for the VCDL Lobby Day, stating that they were sending a team to Virginia to “assist in organizing resistance to unconstitutional acts and to organize and train armed posses and militia.” The Facebook event, “The Militias March on the Capitol,” has more than 550 “attendees and promises to stand in defiance of the Virginia legislature’s efforts to “outlaw the militia.” In a video on the event page, a poster calls for attendees to violate the ban on firearms, saying, “I will be carrying that day, because if there are 100,000 people plus that are coming, are they going to send all of these Americans to jail?”
Additional far-right activists and groups have announced plans to travel to Richmond, such as Infowars founder and prominent conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Jones is preemptively claiming that any violence that occurs at the event will be a “false flag” operation and he invited white nationalist Richard Spencer, who is currently being sued for his role in the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, to join him.
A number of activists and groups who were banned from rallying with weapons in Charlottesville following their participation in the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally reportedly plan to attend the Richmond rally. This includes Tammy Lee, a self-described Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally organizer; New York Light Foot Militia member George Curbelo; Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia member Christian Yingling and Joshua Shoaff, an internet personality who has called for violence against U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin and expressed enthusiasm for a possible civil war in Virginia. He is urging his 540,000 Facebook fans to attend the rally in Richmond.
On Jan. 16, , Sidney “Avialae” Horton of Georgia announced on Facebook that she was planning to attend the Virginia rally carrying a concealed weapon. Horton is a right-wing YouTube personality and self-described “American Nationalist.” Horton attended the Unite the Right Rally in 2017 and helped organize and promote the second iteration of the rally the following year.
Threats of violence
While sweeping threats of widespread violence are common, some are specifically threatening Virginia’s Democratic lawmakers, particularly Gov. Northam. Virginia delegate Lee Carter said that he would be spending Jan. 20 in a safe house after becoming the target of numerous death threats. However, this anger is not always localized; on 4chan, one user wrote, “...it’s open season on all democrats [sic] now coast to coast.”
Pockets of social media users are framing Virginia’s proposed gun safety legislations as an infringement on liberty by a tyrannical government that needs to be resisted. They frequently use the phrase, “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” which translates to “Thus always to tyrants” and is associated with the assassinations of Julius Caesar and President Abraham Lincoln. It is also Virginia’s state motto, so no extremist intention can be assumed.
In some cases, the language has become explicitly more warlike. In one Three Percenter Facebook group, a user wrote, “Make no Make no mistake. This is a war. The time for diplomacy has passed…The time for this tyranny to end has come…Stand up. Dont [sic] be taken from your homes. Fight the tyrant and his redcoats. GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH.” Another responded to a post calling for respecting different opinions by writing, “You don’t get an opinion when it comes to stripping rights away from the people period [sic]. Those are the things you go to war over.”
Others have used the term “Boogaloo” in reference to the situation in Virginia to signal their belief that the gun debate could result in a civil war. On Facebook, one second amendment activist page shared an article about the Virginia General Assembly passing a gun ban with the caption, “Boogaloo it is then.” The VCDL’s Facebook page shared a YouTube video asking whether the “Boogaloo” was about to begin in Virginia.
Meanwhile, on Telegram, a messaging application, several accelerationist accounts shared messages referring to the conflict in Virginia as a “Boogaloo”. Accelerationists believe that violence should be used to collapse modern society and replace it with a whites-only ethno-state and argue that the dispute in Virginia serves as a convenient propaganda and recruitment tool. In their telling of events, Jews and immigrants turned Virginia blue in November 2019, at which point Democratic lawmakers begin pushing gun-control laws. These actions, the accelerationist logic goes, spark outrage among (white) gun owners, who push back against the government, creating potentially violent conflict.
Additional threats
White supremacists, meanwhile, are using the event to further their own violent agenda and to spread hatred of Jews and other minorities. In a post that was shared by numerous white supremacist and accelerationist channels, a user alleged that the Jews now control the state of Virginia, and that they are leading the push to “confiscate ‘assault weapons.’”
Conspiracy theories and false information campaigns are further exacerbating tensions in Virginia. The most pervasive conspiracy theory on social media is the notion that Virginia’s Democrats intend to confiscate firearms, despite Gov. Northam’s and other Democratic lawmakers’ consistent reassurances they have no plan to do so. Another popular theory suggests the United Nations is somehow involved in Virginia’s gun debate, a conspiracy theory linked to far-right fears regarding a “globalist” takeover of the U.S.
These conspiracy theories, however outlandish, can have real world implications. If people believe that Jews are behind efforts to confiscate firearms, then it is more likely that malicious actors will threaten or attack Jewish targets. Similarly, if people believe that the rally will be targeted by groups such as Antifa and that they might have to fight, then they are more likely to react violently to events on the ground.
A Template For 2020?
The tensions surrounding 2020 VDCL Lobby Day may very well resurface around other major political events in 2020. There are several elements in Virginia that will likely remain in play for the remainder of the year. The first is a hot-button issue that attracts attention from both mainstream citizens and extremists. The second are efforts by extremist groups to attach themselves to these events in order to exploit strong feelings, in hopes of attracting attention, new recruits and resources. Finally, there’s the prevalence of conspiracy theories and false information designed to obscure reality and provoke stronger reactions. Each of these factors is potentially dangerous on its own; combined, they have significant potential to spark violence. | {
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The worst Texas drought since record-keeping began 116 years ago may crimp an oil and natural- gas drilling boom as government officials ration water supplies crucial to energy exploration.
In the hardest-hit areas, water-management districts are warning residents and businesses to curtail usage from rivers, lakes and aquifers. The shortage is forcing oil companies to go farther afield to buy water from farmers, irrigation districts and municipalities, said Erasmo Yarrito Jr., the state’s overseer of water supplies from the Rio Grande River.
Concern over water usage is especially acute in southern Texas’s Eagle Ford Shale area because drilling there is more water-intensive than other regions, said Robert Mace, a deputy executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board.
“It’s pretty dry down here and a lot of oil companies are looking for water,” Mace said.
The water crisis in Texas, the biggest oil- and gas- producing state in the U.S., highlights a continuing debate in North America and Europe over the impact on water supplies of an oil and gas production technique called hydraulic fracturing. Environmental groups are concerned the so-called fracking method may pose a contamination threat, while farmers in arid regions like south Texas face growing competition for scarce water.
Fracking-Led Boom
In fracking, drillers shoot high-pressure jets of sand- and chemical-infused water into the ground to crack rock and release trapped deposits of crude oil and gas. The technique has spurred a new onshore drilling boom from British Columbia to Poland as prospectors revisit geologic formations previously passed over, said Robert Ineson, senior director of global gas at IHS Inc.’s Cambridge Energy Research Associates.
Along the Rio Grande River, where border towns such as Laredo supply workers and equipment for the drilling boom, most areas have received less than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain since Oct. 1, the National Weather Service said.
To compensate, Exxon Mobil Corp. is recycling fracking fluids to reduce the amount of water needed for future drilling. Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is replacing dirt roads leading to its wells with limestone to preserve water that otherwise would be used to keep down the dust.
Farmers, landowners, environmental activists and state oil industry regulators gathered on June 10 at the University of Texas Health Center in Laredo to discuss the potential impact of fracking on water, air and public health, one of several such meetings that have been held across the state this year.
13 Million Gallons
The Eagle Ford’s peculiar geology means it takes three to four times as much water to fracture as the Barnett Shale near Fort Worth, said Mace, of the state water board. Fracking a single Eagle Ford well requires as much as 13 million gallons of water, enough to supply the cooking, washing and drinking needs of 40 adults for an entire year, he said.
“This is not the drilling your grandparents knew in west Texas,” said Sharon Wilson, an organizer for Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project, which lobbies for tougher government regulation of oil drillers. “It’s a heavy industrial activity with massive amounts of water and chemicals.”
About 94 percent of Texas was in a state of severe, extreme or exceptional drought as of June 7, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor compiled by the U.S. Agriculture Department and the National Drought Mitigation Center. The October-through-May period was the state’s driest since record-keeping began in 1895, said Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.
Waiting For Rain
Municipal water departments, farmers, ranchers and oil drillers near Laredo are relying on water from two reservoirs and underground aquifers filled by last summer’s tropical storm season, said Yarrito, whose job title is Rio Grande Watermaster.
Unless storms bring more rain soon, “we’ll be in trouble,” said Sonny Hinojosa, general manager of Hidalgo Irrigation District No. 2 in San Juan, Texas. The drought has decimated crops, with about 79 percent of the state’s winter wheat, 72 percent of its oats and 36 percent of its corn classified as poor or very poor as of June 6, according to the Agriculture Department in Washington.
The Edwards Aquifer Authority, which oversees underground water supplies around San Antonio and along the northern edge of the Eagle Ford Shale, on June 2 declared a Stage 2 emergency requiring a 30 percent cut in water usage. Other water districts have imposed similar restrictions.
Water Demand Gusher
Water consumption by Eagle Ford Shale drillers is forecast to explode during the next 25 years, Mace said. A study to be released later this summer by the Texas Water Development Board and the University of Texas’s Bureau of Economic Geology estimates fracking-water demand in the area will jump 10-fold by 2020, and double again by 2030, he said.
Since Petrohawk Energy Corp. drilled the first discovery in the Eagle Ford Shale in 2008, oil explorers have sought to gain footholds in the 20,000 square-mile (51,800 square-kilometer) formation. Exxon spent $34.9 billion last year to buy XTO Energy Inc. to capture fracking expertise and U.S. assets including Eagle Ford leases. Marathon Oil Corp. agreed on June 1 to pay KKR & Co.-based Hilcorp Resources Holding LP $3.5 billion for assets in the area.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Houston-based Swift Energy Co. are among the companies buying water for fracking from Hidalgo Irrigation District No. 2, which also supplies water to 400,000 acres of sugar cane, cotton, peppers and cantaloupe, Hinojosa said. If rain doesn’t arrive in the next four months to replenish the reservoirs, Hinojosa said he’ll have to reconsider whether to continue selling to the oil companies.
Anadarko Rigs
Anadarko, based in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, said it’s also buying water from the Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District, which regulates the aquifer beneath three counties in the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale. The company has 10 rigs operating in the Eagle Ford and plans to drill 200 wells this year, R. Douglas Lawler, vice president of operations, said at a UBS Securities LLC energy conference on May 25.
Anadarko’s Eagle Ford wells were producing the equivalent of 40,000 barrels of crude a day last month, Lawler said. The company is installing meters to monitor and help manage water usage on its wells, Brian Cain, an Anadarko spokesman, said.
Bruce Frasier, a farmer and rancher in Carrizo Springs, Texas, about 40 miles northeast of the Rio Grande, has lost more than half his cotton crop this year and reduced his cattle herd to 300 from 1,000 because it’s too dry for grass to grow.
Frasier, whose family has been farming and ranching in south Texas for 98 years, has refused to sell water to oil companies that are offering 40 cents to 70 cents a barrel, equivalent to 42 gallons. In 2008 before the first Eagle Ford well was drilled, there was no market for a farmer’s water in the area.
“I’ve got to have that water for my farming operation,” said Frasier, whose Dixondale Farms is the largest cantaloupe grower in Texas. | {
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Rapperen og produceren Orhan G, med det borgerlige navn Orhan Karaca, døde mandag den 11. april. Her blev han fundet livløs på sit hotelværelse i Thailand. Han ville være blevet 28 år dagen efter.
Orhan G var en del af det aalborgensiske hiphop-miljø og aktiv i crewet HvadEvigt, der også tæller blandt andre Danni Toma og Lord Siva. Han var en dygtig freestyle-rapper, der nåede finalestævnet til MC's Fight Night i både 2007 og 2008. De seneste år har han desuden arbejdet som producer.
Støttekoncert Store Bededag
Da Orhan G ikke havde forsikring, kommer det til at koste 100.000 kroner, at få ham fragtet hjem fra Thailand. Derfor er der startet en indsamling, hvor det er muligt at donere penge til dette formål. Indsamlingen findes på Caremaker.dk.
Desuden er der en Støttekoncert i Aalborg Store Bededag, den 22. april, hvor familie, kolleger, venner og alle berørte har mulighed for at mindes Orhan G på passende vis, til tonerne af den Aalborg-hiphop, som han var en vital del af. Det foregår på Platform 4 og lineuppet er: Lord Siva, Danni Toma + Noodle, Intensiv MC + Dj Devious, Dj Easy, McMark + J. Rock og Blok Nord. Entré er 50 kr og hvad man derudover ønsker at donere.
Læs mere om støtttekoncerten på Facebook.
Vi sender vores tanker til Orhan G's familie og nærmeste. Hvil i fred. | {
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Posted 01 April 2015 - 04:41 AM
Quote
Rozumiem że do CW trzeba być w odpowiedniej frakcji (Steiner?)
Bardzo to pomaga, ale nie przekreśla wspólnej gry.Wczoraj zostało chyba udowodnione że zebranie 12 ludzi, nawet w 2 różnych frakcjach i wspólna gra CW jest możliwa (pod warunkiem że będą to frkacje IS only, lub Clan only).Oczywiście jest się wtedy mocno ograniczonym względem planet (dostępne tylko planety do obrony na froncie IS-Clan - bardzo oblegane przez PUGi) i wymaga jednego łosia - koordynatora, który z zewnątrz nadzoruje udany sync-droping. Wydaje mi się że wczoraj udało mi się skoordynować obronę 8 Steinerów i 4 Rashagauli przed ClanWolfem, tuż przed zebraniem przez wroga 12 osób, więc gra powinna być. Niestety jako koordynator poza grupą nie mogłem uczestniczyć w tej rozgrywce.Ogólne wrażenie fajne, ale powinniśmy jakoś bardziej ustrukturyzować te spotkania. Widok 16 osób na jednym kanale jest nieco odstraszający, zwłaszcza wiedząc że może zagarać max 12 osób. Po za tym wydaje mi się że łatwiej i przyjemniej gra się w grupach 10 osobowych, gdzie jest jeszcze mała możliwośc rotacji mechów(bo 2 maszyny są wolne), niż w sztywnym ustawieniu 12-osobowym.Moja propozycja na pojawienie się 11 i kolejnej osoby: rozbić się na dwa dropy, w których postarać się zachować stosunek ludzi z grup 1:1 (czyli np. 1 osoba z Grunwalu, 1 z Ursanów, 1 niezrzeszony) aby uniknąc sytuacji że osobno grają Grunwald i Ursanie, bo nie o to w tym evencie chodzi, a lepsze jest to niż czekanie w kolejeczce aż ktoś podziekuje, skończy i wyjdzie z grupy aby zrobić miejsce. | {
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The Frisco City Council approved a plan Tuesday night that’s expected to bring a high-end office building to The Star.
The city is selling land on the northwest corner of The Star.
There are some media reports that Dr Pepper could relocate its headquarters from Plano to the location.
Dr Pepper Keurig currently has its corporate headquarters on Legacy Drive in Plano. FOX 4 asked about media reports over a possible move to Frisco. A spokesperson said that they have nothing to confirm right now.
In the meantime, Frisco's city council is selling a plot of land where Cowboys players currently park to Jerry Jones’s real estate company, Blue Star Land. That land is currently valued at over $2 million.
The city will sell it to the Blue Star at a cost of around $600,000, which was the original purchase price of the land with the agreement that Jones will build an around 17-story office building there by 2021.
The city says it would benefit greatly by hundreds of thousands of tax revenue a year from a building that could be valued at over $200 million. Right now, it's not generating any property tax revenue at the site.
Representatives for Jones did not return any calls for comment on Tuesday trying to figure out if there are any plans to lease that property to Dr Pepper.
The city of Frisco is also not commenting right now on potential future occupants of the property.
“The demand is out there for companies that want to be near The Star and attached to the Dallas Cowboys and have their conference center overlook the practice field and be able to showcase that to their clients all across the country and come here and be proud to say my office in Frisco, Texas and my office overlooks the Dallas Cowboys and their practice fields,” said Frisco mayor Jeff Cheney.
In a statement without mentioning Dr Pepper, the Plano mayor said: “While we always strive to retain all of our businesses in Plano, it’s not realistic to think every company that sets up shop, relocates or expands in Plano will stay here indefinitely. We are a significant recipient of new business. In the last two years, 48 companies either relocated to Plano or expanded their current operations.” | {
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Novinar N1 televizije Ivan Skorin upravo je na Twitteru objavio jedan od zabavnijih videa koji smo vidjeli u posljednje vrijeme.
Premijer Andrej Plenković i šef Sabora Gordan Jandroković danas su u dresovima krenuli u Rusiju na utakmicu, a na aerodromu ih je presrela jedna Kanađanka koja ih je zamolila za fotografiranje.
Zapravo, htjela se fotkati s premijerom, ali je sve malo pomiješala pa je uvalila mobitel Plenkoviću i zamolila ga da ju fotka s Jandrokovićem.
Plenković je sve pokušao okrenuti na zezanciju
Šef Sabora izgledao je kao da mu je vidno neugodno pa je nakon fotografiranja gospođi pokušao objasniti kako je Plenković premijer, a ne on. Žena se počela ispričavati i govoriti da joj je neugodno pa je premijer pokušao sve okrenuti na zezanciju. Rekao je kako “nema problema i da je Jandroković predsjednik Sabora pa je njegova uloga važnija od premijerove”.
Ali, za puni doživljaj, predlažemo da pogledate video, zbilja je urnebesan. | {
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NrDg: It's been very interesting reading your psychoanalysis as the chapters roll out. Most of the time, you've been pretty accurate. However, I'd encourage you not to be too dismissive of people who have problems like Elsa's. Not saying you HAVE to be their friend or anything; it's definitely understandable to worry about your own mental health and wellbeing first, but I've had enough "fairweather friends" who will only stick by you as long as you don't demand anything of them. And it's always so disappointing. Just a thought.
~ Chapter Thirty-One ~
"You had to know what you were doing."
"Maybe subconsciously. But honestly, I really wasn't- I thought we were having fun, not…"
"But you heard my reaction!"
"Okay, yes, I definitely did. But that was the reaction. I don't know if you remember, but I stopped right after I heard it!"
"True. But it was… who tickles somebody there?! Especially when they're both grown adults!"
Finally, Elsa turned back from where she had been staring out the window. As Anna had been expecting, her cheeks were aglow all over again. They had stayed like that during the entire drive back to the beach house. And during the past ten minutes of talking once they had parked.
"It just kind of… happened." As apologetic as she looked, she also appeared to be distracted by her own thoughts. "And when I did it, and you sounded… I mean, were you just teasing me? I can't stop wondering about that."
Now it was Anna's turn to shyly look down at the steering wheel. She'd been trying not to think too much about a few of the reactions she'd been having over the past week, but of course, Elsa had to ask about the worst one. "Um… not teasing. My body reacted all by itself, and I was just… y'know, trying not to make it worse."
"Honestly, I didn't think what I did was going to hurt you, or- or make you that uncomfortable, but now I can see how it would! As I've said, I'm flying blind!"
"I know," she told her gently, smiling. "And it didn't feel bad. Just, um… yeah, awhole other feeling than I thought you'd give me at any point."
Biting her lip, Elsa began tracing a hand over the dashboard, up along one of the air conditioning vents and over past the glovebox, down to the stereo controls. "Your little moan was so beautiful."
"Elsa!" Anna hissed, unable to help the giggle that came out even as she felt lightheaded. "I mean, should I be preparing for when you move in for the kill? Is this how it works?"
"Was just being honest," Elsa sighed, drawing her legs up into the car seat. "And… gross, probably. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm just happy you're telling me the truth now, instead of trying to bury everything and run from the situation."
"But that was working so well! Why couldn't we just pretend everything was alright, and then you go home to Canada and I go back on tour, and… and everything just feel as if we had this wonderful little week of sand and surf and sunshine?"
"Because you're thirsty." They both laughed. "Okay, okay! Sorry, couldn't help myself. It's just…"
When she didn't finish, Elsa prompted her a few seconds later. "Just what? Don't turn into me, here."
With a wry smile at that comment, Anna went on, "Well… it's really funny. I had a crush on you for so long, and then I get a chance to hang out with you for a week, and… it's you who has the crush instead of me. Like we're in Bizarro World."
"It's not the same. You had a crush on me before you knew me, really." Her eyes narrowed. "Was it my personality? Am I such a frigid bitch that you stopped liking me that way?"
"Don't say shit like that, it's dumb."
"Fine, fine. Still, you're right… kind of funny."
Anna turned to face her. "It's tempting to just, y'know… let it happen. I know I think you're the most attractive woman ever, and that I really like hanging out with you. As much as Kristoff, and that's saying a lot, since we're besties. And I think…" Shrugging, her fingertips fiddled with the emergency brake. "Maybe, possibly, we've been dating this whole time without realising it, but that seems like a huge assumption to make when we haven't really… you know."
"Talked about it. Thought about it for more than a few minutes. Yes, I've been struggling with that." Sighing, she reached to one side of her seat and grasped the seat lever, reclining it all the way back so she was lying back and staring up at the sunroof. "And I'm straight! What business do I have thinking about you as anything other than a friend? That seems… so disingenuous!"
"Well, I kinda doubt you are straight," Anna snorted. "Like I said, the way you describe those few dates with guys as being as much fun as a trip to the dentist… kind of a big red flag."
Elsa's head rolled over to look at her, cheeks still red but looking less ashamed, less uncomfortable. "You really think? Maybe I'm… bisexual? Or at least, um… I mean, sometimes I see men and I think they're visually appealing, but it's never… I don't care if I do anything with them. I don't really fantasize, don't approach them."
"And you don't do that with women, either." A shake of the head. "Do you ever think they're 'visually appealing', too?"
"Um…" Her eyes averted. "Maybe? But it's… I assumed I was straight, so I thought I was just appreciating their beauty. From a professional standpoint, or something. Not, um…"
"Not wanting to jump their bones."
"ANNA!" The redhead laughed, and Elsa's face turned into an irate scrunch. "You're so cruel to me; I'm dealing with huge life changes, here!"
"You're kinda gay. It happens! Happened to me, and I made it through fine." Then she held up a finger. "Notice I didn't say 'you're a lesbian'; I'll let you figure that out for yourself. I mean, if it fits, that's cool, too."
"I don't care about women, or men. It's just you."
That shut Anna up in a hurry. Not even Mulan had tried such a bold statement as that; she had mentioned several other women she "banged", wearing their names like badges of honour. As if displaying them would let Anna know that she was experienced enough to treat her well. It had worked, to a degree… but there was also something about Elsa declaring that she was literally the only one she'd ever had non-platonic feelings for that stirred up a gaggle of butterflies in her stomach.
"Anna, I'm not going to pursue you. If we both… drift together, that's fine, but…" The pop diva turned away again. "I don't even expect that to happen; I don't have the right. You were trying to say before that just because I'm pretty and you like hanging out with me, it doesn't quite mean that we should date. At least, I think that's what you were trying to say."
"I was. Got distracted."
"You do find me attractive? Not just because I'm 'THE Elsa', but… honest opinion. Brutally honest. Trash my self-image, please."
Anna shrugged easily, leaning her own seat back now. "Can't. Like, not that I would date somebody just because they're a perfect ten, but… you're an eleven."
"Really?" Elsa's voice was flustered-yet-pleased, and she smiled up at the roof of the car. "The same goes for you."
"But I'm not-"
"You're beautiful. And, um, physically…" More being flustered, more inability to speak.
"For somebody who wasn't sure she likes girls, you sure are having a hard time telling me how hot I supposedly am."
Swallowing, Elsa whispered, "You would burn me away."
"And then you do that," Anna replied in a shaky voice. "Like, one minute you're an awkward turtle, and the next… BAM. The line that would make just about anyone drop their panties."
"Then why are yours still up?"
Anna and Elsa exchanged a long, level gaze. Then Anna leaned closer. Elsa gulped, eyelashes fluttering as she braced for the impact of something they had been avoiding for days. Their breath was commingling as Anna half-closed her eyes…
"I'm wearing a bathing suit. All my underwear is in the house."
Elsa blinked at her, then growled and reached over to flick her nose. "Y-you really- that was cruel! Oh my God, I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest!"
Giggling, Anna looked back over at her. They were both breathless and smiling. It was a great moment. One that would be perfect to kiss her, if she were feeling bolder. Or more ready. But she wasn't; for now, she just wanted this. What they had already built.
"Thank you for coming with me," Elsa finally said, taking Anna's hand and squeezing it hard. "No matter what happens from here on, I… you really made this trip the best it's ever been."
"Even though you freaked out and thought you were hurting me?"
"Yes. That was… unfortunate, but I just… care about you so much! Which yes, makes no sense that I should in such a short time — except on the other hand, I can't imagine anyone meeting you and not instantly wanting to have you around as often as possible!"
All Anna could do for a moment was bite her lip and weather the flush that threatened to turn her into a strawberry. "God, you're laying it on pretty thick."
"I'm sorry," Elsa whispered, as if it would have been better to say the same things in a quieter tone of voice. "Do you want me to take any of it back?"
"Never, keep it coming! Just warning you that I might go inside the house, grab a pair of panties, then come back and drop them for y-"
"OH JUST SHUT UP!"
~ o ~
The minute the two walked into the house, they saw Esmé sitting at the kitchen counter, absorbed in her phone. Which she put down immediately, crossing her long legs in the opposite direction as her red-painted fingernails laced with each other over the top knee.
"Well?"
"Well," Elsa sighed, glancing over at Anna, "there are… a few things I'll have to sort through. But she brought me around."
"Good. Gotta admit, normally I let you keep to yourself, but I'm kinda glad this catburglar got all up in your business."
"As am I. But there's more." When she took too long to continue, Anna bumped her elbow into Elsa's arm. "I'm… very sorry for how I reacted to you when you got here. I had every right to be ticked, but not to… berate you the way I did."
That caused Esmé to blink a few times, before she recovered enough to smile and say, "Your girlfriend making you go through a 'My Name Is Earl' list?"
"Yes and no. She told me she wasn't going to let me back down, but… when she told me how hurt you seemed after we argued, I was the one who decided to apologise. My own idea, not hers. You deserved better than I treated you."
"I wasn't 'hurt'. A little irritated that you dumped all over me, and that most of your issues probably didn't have anything to do with me in the first place, but it-"
"I saw you," Anna put in with a little frown. "When you walked to your room, you looked really… I don't know. Upset. Either mad or hurt, I couldn't tell, but it was pretty clear you weren't having a good time."
Elsa walked closer to Esmé, who held up both hands as she stood and backed away. "Listen, if this is gonna turn into the share-and-care-athon that it's looking like, I'm not interested. Just… water under the bridge, Elsa. Apology accepted, or whatever."
"Anna said you really helped her looking for me. Not just made a few suggestions, but that you led the search." Under her breath, she added, "Not that a search was necessary; I was only gone for an hour or two."
"Yes, well, Anna was the worried party, and I knew that she wasn't going to be able to calm her tits until we found you. And she's hella rad for a random girl who showed up out of nowhere, so… why shouldn't I help keep her from having a breakdown?"
"I'm trying to tell you I'm sorry for more than just that argument!" Elsa burst out in frustration. "That… I'm sorry for how I've been! Ever since you've met me, I… know it hasn't been easy working alongside me, being so thin-skinned that you have to treat me with kid gloves, but I promise I'm going to try to change. Therapy, or self-help classes, whatever it takes. It might not come very easily, but I'm asking for patience. I can do this. I will do this."
"It's just how you are, though." Rolling her green eyes, she put her fists on both hips as she added, "You don't know how to give up, do you? Anna rubbing off on you, maybe? Let me save you the trouble: you're forgiven, for all of it. You guys can hang out all you want. What I wanted from this visit in the first place was to just… get away from the spotlight for a few days and relax, so can you leave me to that? Is that so much to ask?"
They had been shut down so thoroughly that Elsa and Anna exchanged a glance. Elsa's was more put-upon, and Anna's a little more insistent — stubborn, even. Then they nodded.
"Good," Esmé breathed in relief. "Now, Anna, you might want to stay away from the pool area for a couple of hours, since I'm going to try to get a little more of a tan befoOOAAHHH!"
The taller woman froze entirely when four arms encircled her midsection, holding her still. Her own arms were up and over them, and for a moment, she simply held them aloft as she gaped down at the two of their heads where they hovered by her chest. Then she began to shove at them, with no small amount of force.
"Okay, OKAY, I get it - we're all full of goddamn warm fuzzies! Can we stop with this now?!"
"You're a good person," Anna breathed softly, hugging tighter so that she wouldn't be flung away. "And I don't think you agree with me, but I'm right and you're wrong. So there."
Rolling her eyes, Esmé petted along the back of Anna's head for a second. Then she muttered, "This must be killing you, Elsa."
"Oh, it is," the blonde admitted. "But… it's also more important than my momentary discomfort. You're… a talented singer and dancer, but you're also my friend. Even if I've been bad at showing you I enjoy that friendship."
"C-come on, guys, this isn't- what's the point? Either you're lying and this is the stupidest thing ever, or- or you went crazy! Or maybe this is just Anna's plan to cop a free feel!"
But that only made Anna giggle. "You already offered me that and I said 'no thanks,' remember? Not gonna work."
After a few more seconds of standing there stiffly, a huge, beleaguered sigh gusted out of Esmé's lungs as she finally embraced them back. "Fine… I guess you could be making me do even worse things than this. Like sudoku."
"I only asked you to try one puzzle," Elsa muttered, but she was starting to relax into the hug-fest. The look she exchanged with Anna was one of triumph. Mission "Show Esmé She Is Valued": accomplished.
~ To Be Continued ~ | {
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Researchers believe the species may have bred with local humans | {
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Megha Agrotech fulfils the essential requirements of agriculture in Bangalore, India by being the prominent Drip Inline Lateral pipe as well as Drip & Sprinkler irrigation manufacturer.
Drip irrigation: It is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. The goal is to place water directly into the root zone and minimize evaporation.
The benefits of drip irrigation are Water Saving, Fertilizers Saving, and Energy Saving & Infrastructure Saving Sprinkler Irrigation: An Irrigation sprinkler is a device used to irrigate agricultural crops, lawns, landscapes, golf courses, and other areas & used for cooling and for the control of airborne dust. Sprinkler irrigation is the method of applying water to a controlled manner in that is similar to rainfall.
Advantages of Sprinkler Irrigation System:
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Drip Inline Lateral Pipes They are widely used in drip irrigation systems and available in following dimensions:
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20mm x 30,40,45 cm | {
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All over the world, medical doctors, nurses and medical sources are strained because the battle con to the coronavirus continues. In response, many charitable organizations and philanthropists from many industries have come ahead to supply their assist.
In the cryptocurrency trade, corporations equivalent to BitMEX, Binance and the Stellar Foundation have been making headlines week after week for being on the forefront in an try to make sizable donations to COVID-19 aid cash in hand. Here is a get a load at few of the largest and most exceptional donations from crypto-related corporations.
Binance
As early as Jan. 25, Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of a top-ranking crypto alternate Binance, introduced in a tweet that his firm has pledged to donate $1.5 million (10M RMB) to assist the victims of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China. The cash in hand are to be given to the Chinese regime to buy medical provides inside the wake of the fatal pandemic.
Through Binance Charity, a nonprofit blockchain-high-powered donation arm of the corporate, an initiative titled “Binance for Wuhan” that kicked off by supply 20,000 examination kits, 366,000 pairs of gloves, 5,280 bottles of hand sanitizer and 388 O concentrators amongst other forms of provides.
Binance Charity went additive, locution a brand new fundraising mission that aimed to deal with the coronavirus globally. The firm goals to lift $5 million in cryptocurrencies that will attendwards shopping for medical provides for nations most affected by COVID-19. Helen Hai, the top of Binance Charity, mentioned that: “The most important element of human life is to show compassion and help others as we can, without the limitation or restriction of borders.”
Stellar Foundation
At the start of April, the Stellar Development Foundation introduced the launch of the XLM-donation-matching program high-powered by Stellar-based Lumentrhopy, a fundraiser that helps charitable organizations settle for Stellar Lumens.
One of the nonprofits, with which the SDF plans to match donations, is with the Tor Project. Reports indicated that SDF is ready to match donations to a complete of $79,300, which provides as much like about 1.9 million XLM tokens. The Stellar Development Fund will even match donations to Unicef France; Heifer International, a company preventing starvation by way of providing assist for small scale farmers; and Watsi, a nonprofit that streamlines well being care funding by way of constructing expertise. In a dialog with Cointelegraph, Lauren Thorbjornsen, the director of communication hypothesis and PR at SDF, mentioned:
“The Stellar Development Foundation is fortunate to have XLM militia and an active community. Combining the power of those two things, we’ve been able to work together to help organizations (UNICEF, The Tor Project, Heifer International, Watsi, Freedom of the Press and Women Who Code) that are creating vital change in the world.”
She additively talked about that SDF has “worked with Stellar network partner, Lumenthropy, to refund to this group of charities,” which they consider are coreferent few of the imperative challenges given the flowering disaster.
The Giving Block
On March 23, The Giving Block, an organization that helps nonprofit charitable organizations settle for crypto donations, introduced the beginning of the #cryptoCOVID19 alliance. The initiative needs to unite the crypto neighborhood inside the battle con to the coronavirus. Gitcoin, one of many companions inside the marketing campaign, kicked off the donation by matching $100,000 in Ether (ETH) on the Dai platform. The Giving Block has additively partnered with like Brave, Gemini and Axiom Finance to elevate $500,000 in crypto donations.
In response to a query about how the corporate ensures transparency all through the method, Alex Wilson, the co-founder of The Giving Block, responded by locution:
“We vet all of the nonprofits we work with to make a point they are legitimate and putt the cash in hand to good use. All the crypto donations (BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, ZEC, GUSD) all go directly to the nonprofit’s wallets and can be born-again to USD so they can use the cash in hand on the front lines immediately.”
He additively added that “all registered nonprofits must report their cryptocurrency donations and admit it in their annual filings.”
Ripple Labs
In a dedication to the worldwide response by organizations and people regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Ripple Labs introduced its donation of $200,000 on March 25. The firm has given $100,000 to the Tipping Point Community, a nonprofit group based mostly in San Francisco, which later raised the full donation to $1.1 million for victims of the coronavirus inside the U.S.
Besides, Ripple Lab’s donations will even attend the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which is a devoted regional fund in response to the coronavirus eruption in Silicon Valley. While dwelling on the impression and transparency of donations throughout this era, Cointelegraph spoke to a Ripple representative who mentioned that: “Ripple is working with local Bay Area partners who are on the frontlines to help our communities who have been heavily compact by COVID-19.” The representative continued:
“Ripple and its co-founder, Chris Larsen, have together given $5 million to local food Sir Joseph Banks and meal service providers to combat food scarcity, and $1.1 million to the COVID-19 emergency cash in hand of Tipping Point, an organization leading the local crisis response.”
BitMEX
BitMEX, the derivatives alternate backed by Arthur Hayes, late introduced that it’s donating a complete of $2.5 million in assist of the battle con to the coronavirus. In an announcement, BitMEX acknowledged that the cash in hand will probably be directed to 4 organizations on the forefront of the battle con to the pandemic. These organizations embody a biosecurity program famed as the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the Gates Philanthropy Partners, Our World in Data and OpenMinded.
In a press release, Hayes mentioned that the corporate is “committed to thoughtful grant-making and ensuring that” its “actions during the COVID-19 crisis can make the biggest impact now and in the future.”
Golem
Golem, a computing community, is one other contributor from the crypto sphere to affix the battle con to COVID-19 by way of the [email protected] mission. Golem and blockchain platform Tezos have put aside a stack of Tezos cash (XTZ) that will probably tend to the largest [email protected] donor by the top of April.
Cointelegraph according earlier that there have been round 20 groups from Tezos that had given altogether different sources to the [email protected] initiative by March 12. Another main contributor to the initiative is Ether miner CoreWeave, which has given machine energy of about 6,000 GPUs. Nvidia has additively contributed towards the mission by urging players to donate unused GPU computing sources.
Notably, blockchain firm Bitfury introduced on March 31 that the Amsterdam-based agency had devoted few of its GPU laptop nodes to the “[email protected]” analysis mission to assist organizations look into the coronavirus.
Real Items
In a barely altogether different use of computing energy, blockchain firm Real Items introduced that it will be working with microfiber manufacturer Tricol Group’s factories in Seattle and China to trace the authenticity of their manufacturing of KN95 masks utilizing blockchain expertise.
The United States Food and Drug Administration had late authorised the usage of KN95 masks for well being care staff, that are factory-made in accordance with Chinese fairly than American requirements, as N95 masks have gotten increasingly grueling to search out.
Jack Dorsey
On April 7, Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and the foundation father of Square fee answer, introduced that he had emotional $1 billion to his new began firm famed as Start Small LLC, which now goals to battle COVID-19. Notably, the fund is round 28% of his wealth. Dorsey promised that the cash in hand will probably be operated transparently with a #startsmall tracker.
Dorsey can be a well famed supporter of Bitcoin (BTC). Addressing the U.S. regime, he planned that they unite put together to make use of present expertise equivalent to Square’s Cash App to seamlessly assist folk in the course of the pandemic – even the unbanked.
Crypto trade
As extra blockchain and crypto-related corporations be a part of the battle, it’s dynamic into evident that blockchain expertise can be used past fixing the challenges of the medium of exchange world. According to some, such moments like these will push the dialogue ahead with regards to utilizing cryptocurrencies each day.
For instance, whereas Thorbjornsen believes that the dominance of paper currency stiff to be robust, she agreed that the present pandemic will additive enhance dialogue about the usage of blockchain expertise and cryptocurrencies. According to Wilson, the pandemic has tried that the crypto neighborhood can collaborate regardless of many disagreements: | {
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler Jerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerDemocrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court Schumer: 'Nothing is off the table' if GOP moves forward with Ginsburg replacement Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-N.Y.) announced Wednesday his panel will broaden its investigation into President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE to include his proposal to hold the 2020 Group of Seven (G-7) summit at one of his family-owned properties in Florida.
Nadler said the president's pitch to host next year's meeting of world leaders at Trump National Doral Miami is "only the latest in a troubling pattern of corruption and self-dealing by the President" and may violate both the foreign and domestic Emoluments Clauses.
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"The President’s personal financial interests are clearly shaping decisions about official U.S. government activities, and this is precisely the type of risk that the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses were intended to prevent," Nadler said in a statement.
"More importantly, the Doral decision reflects perhaps the first publicly known instance in which foreign governments would be required to pay President Trump’s private businesses in order to conduct business with the United States," Nadler added.
Trump has publicly defended his resort as top contender for the next G-7 meeting, calling it a “natural” location because of its proximity to a major airport.
“Doral happens to be within Miami. It’s a city, it’s a wonderful place. It’s a very, very successful area of Florida," Trump told reporters at a press conference Monday at the conclusion of this year's G-7 summit, held in Biarritz, France. "It’s very importantly only five minutes from the airport – the airport is right next door. It’s a big international airport, one of the biggest in the world."
The president has insisted he was not trying to boost his own properties.
"With Doral, we have a series of magnificent buildings, we call them bungalows, they each hold from 50 to 70 very luxurious rooms with magnificent views. We have incredible conference rooms, incredible restaurants, it's like such a natural," Trump said. "Each country can have their own villa or their own bungalow, and they have a lot of units in them, so I think it just works out well."
The Emoluments Clause bars presidents from accepting gifts or other benefits from foreign and domestic governments without congressional approval.
Foreign and domestic government officials have frequently stayed at Trump-owned hotels and properties, prompting critics to argue Trump is benefitting financially from his role as president while in office.
Nadler, who is already leading a sprawling investigation examining allegations of obstruction of justice, public corruption and other abuses of power, said the Doral probe would be wrapped into the broader one.
"The Constitution demands that President Trump’s private interests and official conduct remain separate, and this latest announcement demands scrutiny by Congress," Nadler said.
"Potential violations of the Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution are of significant interest and grave concern to the Committee as it considers whether to recommend articles of impeachment," he added. "The Committee will broaden its ongoing investigation to include these latest revelations and will take further investigative steps, including scheduling hearings and requesting additional documents from the White House."
Nadler's announcement comes as the White House has blocked both current and former officials from testifying before congressional committees, arguing that under the standard of immunity, confidentiality protections offered to the executive branch apply to current and former aides, effectively preventing them from disclosing what took place during their time in the administration.
The White House would likely follow a similar track if Nadler sought to subpoena administration officials over his property proposal. | {
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Les Clickbaits (sites à buzz / clic) expliqués à ma maman
Depuis quelques mois, Internet a de gros chtards sur le visage : les clickbaits comme Demotivateur, Minutebuzz, Buzzfeed, Konbini et des dizaines d’autre…
Ils envahissent surtout nos fils Facebook. Alors gageons sur le fait que cela passe avec l’adolescence, sans que l’on ai besoin de noyer les créateurs dans du Biactol, mais en attendant, j’ai voulu expliquer un peu le phénomène à ma maman, qui comme vous, en a plein le cul.
Pourquoi ces sites existent ?
Ces sites existent pour générer de l’argent à court terme. Je ne vois aucune autre raison de poster compulsivement et à longueur de journée des articles de 8 lignes, déjà publiés sur 15 autres sites et écrits — ou souvent traduits — par des stagiaires et avec le fion.
Alors j’ose croire que la crasse générée n’est qu’un dommage collatéral et que les mecs ne font pas ça uniquement pour le plaisir de salir Internet.
Mais pourquoi ces affreux site ont autant d’audiences ?
Déjà parce qu’ils parlent au plus grand nombre. Il y a beaucoup de gens qui regardent le Journal de 13 h, Plus Belle La Vie ou Tellement Vrai. Le soucis c’est que principalement à cause de Facebook, on est tous obligé de subir ces merdes. Alors que notre Télé ne s’allume pas toute seule pour nous passer « Nos chers voisins ».
Ensuite, il y a quelques techniques bien dégueulasses qui permettent de faire gonfler les chiffres.
Je vais te raconter une histoire qui m’est arrivée la semaine dernière, alors que j’avais beaucoup d’audience depuis 24 h sur mon billet à propos des Enfoirés.
J’ai reçu un mail avec comme sujet « Natas x Konbini » dans lequel le rédacteur en chef me proposait un deal, je cite, « façon échange de visibilité ». Il m’offrait le privilège de voir mon billet repris en totalité sur Konbini et en échange… il mettait un lien à la fin.
Tu vois, sur Internet, il y a quelques règles de bonnes conduite, qui s’appliquent entre gens respectables et éduqués. Par exemple, quand on s’inspire du travail d’un autre, tout naturel, on le cite avec un lien. J’ai gentiment refusé la proposition du monsieur et une heure plus tard, il sortait son propre article sur le sujet… sans jamais faire mention de mon billet. C’est-à-dire que pour avoir le droit à un lien chez lui, il faut lui offrir du contenu. J’ai mis quelques heures à prendre conscience que visiblement, ce charmant garçon m’avait pris pour sa chienne, ou pour l’un de ses stagiaires bénévoles. Prenant au départ, sa proposition comme une maladresse de débutant.
Ça montre un peu l’état d’esprit de ces sites qui veulent faire de l’audience à tout prix et ne surtout rien partager. Rien du tout. Et c’est pour ça qu’ils finiront par crever.
Un autre des petits secrets des boites à buzz : les tenanciers de ces sites achètent des pages Facebook avec beaucoup de likes (des pages comme « Mes amis comptent beaucoup pour moi », tu vois le genre). Sur ces pages, ils partagent leurs articles. Cela leur permet de faire monter les statistiques du billet, les statistiques de partage et d’être sures de toucher des bons mongoliens prêts à sharer la première histoire de petite fille cancéreuse. Ils peuvent même utiliser ces pages pour vendre de l’audience à d’autre site. C’est un peu la Colline à des Yeux, mais sur Internet.
Alors comme tu t’en doutes, ces procédés de galériens ne permettent pas de fidéliser, mais ils créent l’illusion à court terme.
D’accord, mais comment ces sites génèrent-ils des revenus ?
Comme la majorité média gratuits : en vendant de la pub. Souvent des habillages (c’est-à-dire mettre de la pub en background) qui sont un des formats qui coutent le plus cher. Et tu sais pourquoi il coute cher ? Parce qu’il défigure le site. Parmi les formats très populaires, il y a aussi le fameux billet sponsorisé, qui consiste à dire du bien d’un produit, en échange d’argent (et de l’âme de l’auteur, mais on s’en branle, c’est un stagiaire ou un journaliste au chômage).
Alors parfois, l’habillage prend plus de place que le contenu. Mais finalement, quand on voit le contenu, ce n’est pas forcement plus mal.
Ça veut dire que si, par exemple, je veux promouvoir un film de merde je peux…
Oui, pour les cas vraiment désespérés, tu peux faire les deux : habillé un billet sponso.
Mais parfois, ces sites racontent de jolies histoires aussi, l’autre jour j’ai pleuré quand…
Tututute. Oui, c’est vrai, car les jolies histoires font du clic et que le clic, c’est un business.
Mais la plupart de ces histoires ne sont pas sourcées. Par exemple, ces parents sont peut-être juste allés nager avec des méduses. En tout cas, tu admettras que la vie d’un couple de redneck avec des tâches de naissance sur les mollets à l’autre bout du monde ne devrait pas apparaître en haut de nos feeds Facebook. Parce qu’au fond, on s’en bat les couilles des problèmes de peau de ces gens.
Et puis sache bien que si la nécropédopornographie était légale et rentable, les mecs seraient les premiers dessus.
Tu remarqueras que les titres sont souvent aguicheurs et que les boutons de partage sont très gros. L’objectif n’a jamais été de transmettre une information intéressante ou touchante pour rendre le monde meilleur, mais simplement de faire cliquer, encore et encore. Car ce sont les statistiques de visite qui permettront ensuite de négocier de bons tarifs publicitaires.
Tu critiques, mais tu proposes quoi ?
Je propose l’euthanasie. Mais le monde n’est pas encore prêt…
Mais sinon, regardons ce qui se fait de bien, car pendant que certains étalent leur caca un peu partout, d’autres montrent l’exemple et tracent la route d’un journalisme online de qualité. Je pense principalement à Madmoizelle.com : un magazine en ligne qui fait vivre un paquet de monde et qui agit dans le respect de sa communauté et de ses auteur(e)s.
Durant le bad buzz autour des Enfoirés, Madmoizelle a également publié un billet (15 heures avant Konbini, qui est en plus long à la détente) mais dans lequel l’auteure, Sophie Riche, cite ses sources, précise que ce billet fait suite au mien, et propose une vraie analyse supplémentaire.
Je pense, depuis bien avant cette histoire, que Mad est un modèle à suivre et une vraie réponse à la médiocrité ambiante. En encadrant son publirédactionnel avec un manifeste (une charte), qui donne, au final, beaucoup plus de valeur à tout partenariat commercial et en prenant soin de sa communauté, le résultat ne peut être qu’une réussite viable à long terme.
À côté de cela, Mad s’offre même le luxe de défendre avec intelligence et ouverture d’esprit des valeurs d’égalités homme femme nécessaires aujourd’hui.
On a donc d’un côté des sites avec une audience artificielle et des lecteurs absolument pas concernés ni fidélisés et de l’autre une audience fédérée, fidèle, impliquée et en confiance.
Et du coup il y a une solution pour débarrasser ma Timeline de ces sites ?
Oui… Je t’ai même fait un petit schéma. (que toi et les lecteurs de mon blog pourrez partager sur Twitter et les réseaux sociaux.)
Merci pour toutes ces informations précieuses !
Avec plaisir. Merci de m’avoir donné la vie, maman. | {
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The UK parliament has authorised Prime Minister Theresa May to reopen negotiations with the European Union to replace a controversial Irish border guarantee within her Brexit deal, in a move that immediately received a flat rejection from Brussels.
Two weeks after resoundingly rejecting the divorce agreement May spent a year and a half negotiating with the bloc, members of parliament on Tuesday backed a proposal intended to send her back to Brussels with a stronger mandate to seek changes that were more likely to win their support.
At the same time, they also passed a non-binding amendment ruling out a potentially chaotic "no-deal" exit.
But they failed to vote through what is seen as a more important plan - backed by European supporters - that would have tried to force through a Brexit delay if no new deal with the EU emerged by February 26.
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With two months left until Britain is due by law to leave the EU - on March 29 - the government is facing increasing calls to secure a deal to allow an orderly exit from the bloc.
"Tonight, a majority of honourable members have said they would support a deal with changes to the backstop," May, leader of the ruling Conservative Party, said.
"It is now clear that there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in the house for leaving the EU with a deal," May said, adding she would seek "legally binding changes".
The Irish backstop is an insurance policy that aims to prevent the reintroduction of a hard border between EU member, Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, a crucial part of a 1998 peace deal that ended decades of sectarian violence and preserve frictionless trade.
However, critics said it could bind the United Kingdom to the EU's rules indefinitely.
The proposal put forward by influential Conservative legislator Graham Brady and passed by 317 votes to 301, called for the backstop to be replaced with unspecified "alternative arrangements", and said parliament would support May's Brexit deal if such a change was made.
EU says 'no'
The British pound quickly fell amid fears May would not be able to convince Brussels to reenter negotiations, with Brussels repeatedly saying it does not want to reopen a treaty signed off by the other 27 EU leaders.
Speaking immediately after the vote in parliament, a spokesman for European Council President Donald Tusk said the backstop was part of the withdrawal deal and not up for negotiation, a stance echoed by the Irish government.
"This is a deal which was negotiated with the UK, by the UK, signed off by the UK and the prime minister - and now it looks as though this evening, essentially, there is a row-back and a reneging on the commitments that were made," said Irish European Affairs minister Helen McEntee.
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French President Emmanuel Macron's office said there could be no renegotiation and demanded a "credible" British proposal.
If the British parliament cannot find a majority for a way forward, the UK will leave the largest global trading bloc without any deal, a scenario that businesses fear will bring chaos to the world's fifth-biggest economy.
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Neither May nor her ministers spelt out what compromises she would seek from the EU, but suggestions include securing a time limit to the backstop or allowing a unilateral exit clause - elements that defeat its purpose, according to the EU.
Hardline pro-Brexit Conservative legislators made clear that their support for May on Tuesday was conditional on her securing a deal they approved of.
EU diplomats played down May's chances of being able to present a substantially different deal to the British parliament in a decisive vote expected to take place on February 13.
"May will now come back to Brussels and be rebuffed," one diplomat was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency. "The House of Commons will have to vote again mid-February on plan C. And it will have to be plan A all over again, but with even more pressure of no-deal Brexit looming."
Al Jazeera's Nadim Baba, reporting from outside the UK parliament in London, said the possibility of Britain seeking a delay in its upcoming exit from the bloc was gathering pace.
"Tuesday was meant to be about parliament giving us an idea of what kind of a deal it would be prepared to back," he said.
"But now we know there'll be weeks more deliberations here, and it's looking more and more likely that the UK will have to ask the EU for extension to Article 50 - buying itself more time," he added, referring to the legal notification for leaving the EU which set in motion a two-year process for Brexit.
UK members of parliament on Tuesday rejected two amendments that set out a clear path for parliament to prevent a no-deal exit if May cannot get a deal passed next month.
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However, they did later approve a symbolic proposal calling on the government to stop a potentially disorderly no-deal exit, sending a signal that a majority oppose such a departure.
It provided no mechanism for preventing a no-deal Brexit but kept open the option that politicians could try to take the initiative in the "amendable" vote that May has promised for February 14 if she cannot get a deal approved.
UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would meet May to "find a sensible Brexit solution that works for the whole country", listing changes that his party wanted to see, but that May has shown no sign of supporting.
Sterling, which recently hit a two-and-a-half month high of $1.3218 on hopes that a no-deal Brexit would be avoided, fell about 0.8 percent.
"This isn't a good night for the country," Labour legislator Wes Streeting tweeted.
"The prime minister voted against her own deal to go back to Brussels for something she's said is impossible. MPs voted against 'no deal' - but also voted to make 'no deal' more likely. We’ll be back for another round of Groundhog Day soon." | {
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Savner du et alternativ til Wikipedia? Så er her godt nyt.
I løbet af halvandet års tid får Danmark et nyt og endnu større nationalleksikon end ’Den Store Danske’, der blev nedlagt i august sidste år.
Sådan lyder meldingen fra forlaget Gyldendal og opslagsværket Trap Danmark, der udgives af Gad. Det er dem, der sammen skal udgive værket.
Lukningen af 'Den Store Danske' kom efter, at den denstoredanske.dk i ti år havde fungeret som en digital version af bogværket 'Den Store Danske Encyklopædi'. Dengang meddelte Gyldendal, at værket gav 'et betragteligt underskud', men nu genoplives det store leksikon altså takket være en million-indsprøjtning.
Det bliver det største og mest omfattende opslagsværk, man nogensinde har haft i Danmark. Morten Hesseldahl, Gyldendals direktør
Pengene, der får ’Den Store Danske’ på banen igen, kommer fra de 23 millioner kroner, der er sat af til formålet på finansloven frem til 2022.
- Det bliver det største og mest omfattende opslagsværk, man nogensinde har haft i Danmark, siger Gyldendals direktør Morten Hesseldahl til Kulturen på P1.
Universiteterne kommer til at bidrage
Morten Hesseldahl vil gerne involvere fagfolk på universiteterne i opdateringen af værket og den løbende produktion af nye opslag, og det er hans håb, at der på universiteterne kan findes penge til at finansiere dele af det nye nationalleksikon.
Det har man allerede erfaring med i Norge, og derfor kommer forlaget også til at skele til vores naboland, hvor universiteterne og staten er gået ind i finansieringen af ’Store Norsk Leksikon’.
- Vores vigtigste erfaring er, at et nationalleksikon aldrig nogensinde bliver økonomisk rentabelt og at fællesskabet derfor må træde til, hvis man ønsker et troværdigt leksikon også for dem uden høj og lang uddannelse, siger Erik Bolstad, chefredaktør på 'Store Norske Leksikon'.
Det norske leksikon havde i øvrigt – bare i november i år – 2.4 millioner unikke brugere. | {
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Pencil drawing are by default more awesome than digital drawings.
Because when you make a pencil drawing, you can't just Ctrl+Z. | {
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AL KHARJ, Saudi Arabia — This is what it takes to run a mega-dairy in the scorching desert here: 180,000 Holstein cows, precisely cooled cowsheds, water pumped from deep underground, feed from Argentina and a state-of-the-art refrigeration system. To transport chilled milk and other products all over the Arabian Peninsula, add 9,000 vehicles.
None other than the Saudi king’s favored son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has held up the dairy, Almarai, as a model for a country trying to wean itself from oil dependence. But even companies like Almarai, with no apparent connection to petroleum, rely on the cheap energy provided by the kingdom.
That is coming to an end. Low oil prices and an increasingly costly war in Yemen have torn a yawning hole in the Saudi budget and created a crisis that has led to cuts in public spending, reductions in take-home pay and benefits for government workers and a host of new fees and fines. Huge subsidies for fuel, water and electricity that encourage overconsumption are being curtailed. For Almarai, one of the top brands in the Middle East, that will mean $133 million from the bottom line this year, company officials said. | {
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Groups behind BattleForTheNet.com, which include Fight for the Future, Demand Progress and the Free Press Action Fund, are calling for the demonstration. They've backed similar events before such as last year's net neutrality Day of Action and 2012's online protest against SOPA. Groups participating in Operation: #OneMoreVote will display alerts on their websites encouraging visitors to call, email and tweet their Senators and Representatives, expressing their support for a repeal of the FCC's decision.
After the FCC enters its new regulations into the Federal Register, the Senate has 60 days to act. If the Senate can get that last vote, Fight for the Future, which announced the day of action on Medium today, says focus will then move to convincing Representatives to pass a similar measure -- 218 votes would be needed. Of course, if all of that is successful, President Trump could still veto the measure. But Fight for the Future seems optimistic that he won't. "The White House, which has criticized mergers and other actions by large telecom companies, has been noticeably quiet about the FCC repeal, which was unpopular with voters from across the political spectrum including 3 out of 4 Republicans, making it possible that if enough GOP members voted for the CRA, Trump will sign it," said the group.
Planning for Operation: #OneMoreVote has just gotten started, so we're sure to see more companies and organizations signing on before it takes place. "Net neutrality is NOT dead yet. And it's too important to stop now," said Fight for the Future. "This isn't just about how fast our videos load, it's about the future of the internet as a platform for free expression, economic innovation, and exchange of ideas. It's about the future of our democracy." | {
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A jiu-jitsu class in Wesley Chapel, Florida were on a break during their Thursday evening class when they discovered that the Kona Swim Bike Run shop next door had been broken in to.
The students and instructors heard sounds and decided to investigate. That’s when they saw the broken glass and realized someone was inside the closed shop.
According to Jason Carrio, co-owner and instructor of Hammerfist Krav Maga, he and two others started monitoring the situation, and when the bike thief came out with more than $15,000 in bikes and clothing, they pounced.
David Menzies (pictured above), 30, had allegedly broken into the store and “even took a Jeep for a test ride and parked it out back to load up,” Bay News 9 reports.
He didn’t realize the jiu-jitsu class in session would take an interest until it was too late.
“We started yelling to him, you know, ‘Hey, is that your stuff? Are those your bikes? What are you doing?'” Carrio said.
Undeterred, Menzies allegedly continued with the heist, to which Carrio said he’d already called the police. Menzies, perhaps in an attempt to flee the scene, said that was fine, and that he would just wait in the car, according to the instructor.
“I knew as soon as he got into that car he was going to try and take off and the car was running,” Carrio said. That’s when the men brushed up on their jiu-jitsu moves. “I just reacted, to be quite honest with you. I just reacted. I just felt like this is the right thing to do.”
Carrio used his knowledge of the discipline to hold Menzies down until police could arrive and make the proper arrest.
“Clearly he didn’t read or he doesn’t know what Krav Maga and jiu-jitsu is but definitely a bad environment to come and try to break the law,” Carrio said. Authorities later confirmed that Menzies admitted to the attempted robbery.
While you probably know what jiu-jitsu is, Krav Maga is a self-defense system focused on real-world combat situations. It was developed by the Israeli military and, according to Darren Levine and John Whitman, authors of Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 200 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques, it incorporates elements of Aikido, Boxing, Judo, and Wrestling.
So, Menzies was a perfect training partner to “practice” with.
Do you think this jiu-jitsu class stepped over any lines, or should more people take a stand when they notice someone breaking the law?
[Image via Wesley Chapel Police c/o Bay 9 News, linked above] | {
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After Patrick Collinson’s tale of mugging , we look at how robbers get away with it, and readers share their experiences
Much as Barcelona would love to shed its reputation as the bag-snatching capital of Europe, it is not in the gift of the city authorities to do much about it. Under Spanish law, if you steal something worth less than €400 (£357) it’s a falta (misdemeanour), not a delito (crime). If you are caught, you will be fined, probably around €50, but however many times you re-offend, it remains a misdemeanour and as an offence it is not cumulative.
As a result, the thieves, who mostly operate in groups, do so with a sense of impunity, seeing the fines as little more than a tax. Understandably, the police find it demoralising, knowing that when they arrest a culprit he/she will be back on the street within hours.
There have been moves to change the law but the legal system is so bogged down with serious cases it has yet to proceed, and there is little appetite for further burdening the system by making bag-snatching and pickpocketing crimes. All the city authorities can do is warn people of the risks.
I was mugged on holiday. Don’t make the mistakes I made | Patrick Collinson Read more
They have also made it easier to make a claim – necessary for insurance purposes. Before you could only do this by spending hours at a police station but it is now possible to do it online. The website is available in a variety of languages.
For most Barcelona residents, it’s a source of shame. Friends come to visit, you tell them the dos and don’ts, and still they get robbed – the young, the elderly, in the street, on the metro, queuing to visit some sight. It’s a plague.
Most of us warn people when we see them putting themselves at risk. And yet, despite all the warnings, in guide books and websites, over the public address system at the beach and on the metro, in several languages, we see so many people with their wallets in their back pockets, handbags draped over the back of the chair in a bar, or a camera or mobile on the table, and you think, well, what did you expect?
We sought a response from Tourisme de Barcelona and from the Ajuntament de Barcelona but as Guardian Money went to press had not received a reply.
How to beat the robbers
Lots of people responded to last week’s story with advice for holidaymakers, especially those going to Barcelona.
Margot, who has a house just north of Barcelona, said: “No handbags. Never leave a rucksack or bag in the floor in a cafe or restaurant – you can buy hooks for attaching them to tables. Use money belts for keys, cards and cash. Never stop if anyone asks for directions, or if anyone offers to remove bird excrement from you. Never have a wallet in front or back pockets.”
Many people recommended money belts. Many also suggested you keep a secondary wallet with valueless goods to hand to muggers, including Ducksis: “Carry your cash and credit cards in a money belt, but have a cheap plastic wallet filled with Monopoly money and old membership cards in your back pocket. Shout but don’t fight back.”
Many recommend taking photocopies or phone pictures of your essential documents. “I keep a photo of my passport and driving licence on my phone, and as email attachments. I know that itself carries some risks, but for me, the pros outweigh the cons,” said one holidaymaker to Turkey.
Others say place everything in your wheelie bag until you get to your hotel. “Just put your easily pickpocketable goods in your suitcase and then lock it until you get your hotel, from where you can organise the cash you carry by day, so your wallet isn’t bulging out of your front pocket,” said BoyoUK.
Readers share their stories
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Graffiti warning of pickpockets in Barcelona. Photograph: Alamy
Alison W from Kent said: “Exactly the same thing happened to us about four weeks ago. Yep, just off the plane, same station, same technique. I was suddenly surrounded by big burly men who pushed past me rudely and then shut the doors as I was trying to get on the train. I fell over these men and when I’d righted myself I saw they’d all jumped off. I knew immediately they had stolen something and, lo and behold, my purse had gone.
“The purse had about €150 in it but the evening before we left home I had carefully removed absolutely everything else of value and either left it at home or stored it in a belt inside my clothes.”
“I was very lucky on the metro in Barcelona,” said gixxerman006. “As I boarded a crowded train with my three friends a group of three men pushed and shoved to get on too. Thankfully the thief dropped the contents of my wallet, lifted from a zipped bum-bag under my clothing. He even had the audacity to hand a passport back as if helping me!
“I think what saved the situation was that I had two bum-bags clipped on, one more or less over the other, which made things difficult for the thief. They got off at the next stop, pretty much before we’d worked out what had happened. It was all so fast, the pushing and shoving to get on helped to create the confusion.
“Mind you, I thoroughly enjoyed Barcelona, lovely city.”
Meanwhile, Follow_The_Bear wrote: “The train to and from Barcelona airport must be the worst route on earth for these criminals. I’ve witnessed a number of muggings, a friend who I was travelling with had a similar experience to the writer.”
Thewookieisdown was among regular visitors who said that theft was rampant. “I think I have been to Barcelona six times, dating back to 1990, and every single time I have seen people attempting this sort of thing on public transport: the distracting kerfuffle. It obviously isn’t the only city where this happens but perhaps it’s the one where it’s most prevalent?”
Moribola was robbed using the old “bird droppings on shoulder” trick while in Barcelona’s Park Güell. “Hot, sunny, the park empty apart from a family approaching with a pushchair.” As they drew near him the birdsong was idyllic. Then one of the family leapt forward to clean the “bird droppings” from his shoulder. He said it was all right, but they continued. After they left, he discovered there wasn’t a bird in sight: they had a cassette of birdsong playing in the pushchair and a can of spray foam. The episode cost him more than €400.
In one terrible story, SH wrote of the dreadful consequences of fighting back. “My niece’s boyfriend was sat on a bench with friends in Las Ramblas on his first night in Barcelona a few years ago. He felt his wallet being taken from his back pocket and chased the thief who turned and stabbed him. The victim ended up on a life support machine and his distraught parents had to make the decision to turn off the machine attached to their only child. The 14-year-old culprit was caught but many lives were devastated.”
Many readers highlighted how muggings and robberies are common in popular tourist destinations and the “distraction” techniques used are standard worldwide. PamelaButler warned about a new threat – from selfie sticks near cash machines. “We were on our way home after a week in Copenhagen. At the railway station as I bought our train tickets from the automatic machine there was yet another young person with a selfie stick. We rushed on to the crowded train.
“Thank God we decided to get a coffee as soon as we arrived at the airport – as I immediately discovered my purse had been stolen. The youth with the selfie stick had been recording me as I keyed in my pin.”
Meanwhile, LiverPlate wrote about his robbery on the number 38 tram in Lisbon, victim of the same pushing and shoving group routine. “I was also guilty of the same stupid and one-off forgetfulness about splitting the money. The tourist police station was crowded; it all seemed depressingly routine.” | {
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The Jerusalem Post reports: In a new sign of growing ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman hosted a delegation of Evangelical Christians on Thursday in Riyadh led by a prominent pro-Israel advocate who also lives in the Jewish state.
It was Bin Salman’s first meeting with a delegation of Evangelical Christian leaders. The group arrived in Saudi Arabia after holding similar talks in Abu Dhabi with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed. The group was led by Joel C. Rosenberg, an author and Evangelical activist who lives in Israel. Other participants included Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem. The timing of the meeting came as the Washington Post reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked senior members of the Trump administration to continue supporting Bin Salman despite the controversy surrounding his involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
According to the report, Netanyahu and other Middle East leaders like Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi argued that Bin Salman is “an important strategic partner in the region”.
Read more here. | {
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Joker: Gritty origin story for one of fiction’s most iconic characters, an attempt at a complex character study not often seen in the comic book film genre, and most recently – this year’s Golden Lion winner. For real.
It was always a bit of a risk for Warner Bros. to debut Joker at the famous fall festivals instead of just waiting for the wide release in October. If the movie’s early reviews were disastrous (as was the case with Batman v. Superman), it could affect the movie’s box office, which is projected to be huge as is, considering the story being told. Mainstream films debuting at Toronto International Film Festival and Venice Film Festival is not new, but Joker came in with extra pressure from both Joker enthusiasts and general audiences who may still be wary of DC films.
Then all expectations were thrown out the window with Venice’s first reactions to Joker being overwhelmingly positive, praising Todd Phillips’ adaptation as a potential game-changer for the comic book movie genre and a massive showcase for lead actor Joaquin Phoenix as the face-painted agent of chaos. Even some of the film’s more mixed responses highlighted the bold nature of the clown’s origin story, with many responses citing Martin Scorsese as a major influence to the film, which Phillips himself has admitted.
While there may still be some hesitation towards the film’s alleged morals and portrayal of such a disturbed character, Joker still has a ton of hype to ride on as the film comes closer to release. By itself, this initial hype is enough to quell some fears for the film’s quality, but writing this now, the film now has a surprise ace up its sleeve in the form of a surprise Golden Lion win at the ceremony for the Venice Film Festival. That’s right, the top prize at Venice managed to go to Joker of all films in one of the year’s most surprising bits of film news.
The Golden Lion is not only an incredibly prestigious film award in the industry, but it is also a strong indicator of the dynamic of the Oscar race that will soon follow early next year. Just last year, Roma won the Golden Lion before taking home three Oscars (including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron) and nabbing a Best Picture nomination. The year before that, the Golden Lion went to Guillermo Del Toro for The Shape of Water, which led to him winning Best Director AND Best Picture at the following Oscars. Now, Joker is following up both of those Oscar powerhouses and the film’s Oscar campaign will have some serious strength going forward.
Joker stands as the first comic book film to win the Golden Lion and will now campaign to become the first comic book film to win Best Picture and while that’s something that we should definitely pay attention to going forward, it’s important to note just what kind of comic book film we’re talking about. This isn’t an international blockbuster on the level of Black Panther nor is this a child-friendly action-comedy like Into the Spider-Verse. Joker is unique in this field because despite its label, it’s not being promoted as a traditional blockbuster.
Joker looks way more like a gritty horror-drama and this could be HUGE.
Genre films in horror are often shortchanged at the Oscars and even with a supposedly progressive environment today, it’s rare to see horror (or at the very least disturbing) films even being seriously considered for the Oscars. The most recent example of this was just last year, with Hereditary’s Toni Collette missing out on a nomination despite the universal acclaim for her performance in Ari Aster’s domestic horror-drama. She DID receive a nomination for The Sixth Sense, another horror-drama, but came up short, as did the film in every other category for that year.
In 2017, the horror genre had Jordan Peele to cheer on with its 4 major nominations for that year (eventually winning Best Original Screenplay), but it served as one of the decade’s only instances of a major Oscar win for the horror genre; the other being Natalie Portman’s Best Actress win for Black Swan. Much like Get Out, Aronofsky’s ballet horror-drama was also nominated for Best Picture, but it lost like expected, just like Get Out.
In fact, those two films are among the only horror films of the decade to be nominated for Best Picture. Worst of all? They’re actually 1/3rd of the horror genre’s presence in the Best Picture category overall. In the Oscar’s 90+ year history, only 6 horror films have been nominated for Best Picture: The Exorcist, Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, Black Swan, and Get Out. Out of those 6, only Silence of the Lambs has won Best Picture, showing a remarkable ability to move past genre bias to win the year’s top prize.
Now it may be a little reckless to lump Joker in with those 6 films since it’s being promoted more as a gritty comic book drama, but considering that we’re talking about a film centered on an insane and psychopathic man in clown makeup, the horror elements aren’t exactly subtle either. It’s quite strange to see the film’s promotion shy away from anything related to horror, despite the reviews clearly implying that the film might actually be terrifying in its depiction of mental illness and isolation.
The trailer for Joker seems to imply a level of horror as well, with several shots of Phoenix’s Joker embracing his madness, presumably after committing a horrendous crime. Even the film’s color palettes suggest an experience that a simple drama couldn’t bring, with each shot doused in dim, dark green and blue, highlighting the drained and beaten-down world that Mr. Arthur Fleck lives in. In many ways, Joker feels like it’ll primarily be a drama, but both its comic-book and horror aspects are sure to be downplayed in the inevitable Oscar campaign because genre entries like these are, and maybe never will be, Academy-friendly.
Biopics, dramas, and Hollywood-focused films make up the bulk of Oscar-friendly films, or Oscar bait, if you will. Blockbusters like Avatar, The Dark Knight, Black Panther, Inception, and Dunkirk will sometimes break through the bias, but these films shy away from the world of horror; and judging by the genre’s track record, it appears to be a smart choice. Not that these films didn’t deserve any of the acclaim and Oscar buzz they received, but it still boils down to an anti-horror attitude that is still prevalent to this day.
As I’ve mentioned in other articles, horror is a genre that reflects real-world fears and if executed in a genuinely creative and/or nuanced manner, the cultural impact can render the stories timeless, which is something that the Academy is supposed to celebrate. I don’t see why a psychological horror like Black Swan should be shortchanged for a film like The King’s Speech when the online community continues to share clips from the former. Aronofsky’s exploration of absolute perfection is terrifying AND timeless for its creative filmmaking and strong presence almost 10 years after its release. Who can honestly say the same about The King’s Speech (you know, the film that WON over Black Swan)?
It’s this kind of stuff that always creeps around in my head whenever I see websites and other writers voice their predictions for next year’s Oscars. During the first half of the year, Lupita Nyong’o was all the rage among the community for her wonderful performance in Jordan Peele’s Us and now that Peele is an Oscar winner, it’s understandable to think that the Academy might bite again for a horror film. We also have Florence Pugh’s emotional turn in Ari Aster’s Midsommar, which fans hope can make up for Toni Collette’s egregious snub last year.
As of now, the horror community is also backing Robert Eggers’ follow-up to The Witch: The Lighthouse, which has been receiving critical acclaim ever since its premiere at Cannes. Willem Dafoe is an Academy-friendly actor, so it’s possible for the film to receive Oscar buzz leading up to January. But at the end of the day, all of the films mentioned are still on shaky ground simply for the genre they represent going into the ceremony. Horror allows for creativity to run absolutely wild, but some of the end results could turn off traditional Oscar voters for their provocative nature and filmmaking.
But this is something that can and most likely will change with the addition of newer and younger Oscar voters each year. Voter demographic is slowly, but surely shifting away from the ways of old, if the Oscar success stories of Get Out, The Shape of Water, and The Favourite are any indication. A newer audience that has grown up respecting different values and finding entertainment in more unconventional places is bound to be more open to the idea of horror being a major presence at the Oscar. And if The Dark Knight, Logan, and Black Panther taught us anything, it’s that the Academy does indeed have space for films that resonate with a more modern audience.
Joker is not building itself up to be a traditional horror film, but a story about a mad clown inflicting chaos on Gotham City could easily open up the door even further for genre films to stroll in and get their time in the limelight. If the Venice Film Festival sees Joker in the same light as something like Roma, maybe the mainstream-friendly Academy can do the same for it and worthy horror films as well. Horror is a timeless genre and it’s about time that the Academy realizes this. | {
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When we were younger, we were made to believe that it is only Earth where creatures can survive. They made us believe that we are the only living creature in the universe. It seems that the concepts of alien are just science - fiction. However, as the years go by and as the technology improve, a lot of sightings have been reported and it's hard not to believe that aliens do exist.
Read on for more details.
You can take this as an example. On March 17, it was reported that a cigar-shaped UFO was found over Lake Tahoe. The object was caught using a mobile phone. It could be anything, but believers may suggest that this is actually real. What do you think about the image from the link?
Just so you know, even some popular and famous people believe that aliens are visiting our planet. One former NASA astronaut, Edgar Mitchell, shared that aliens exist but the US government is trying to conceal it. That's actually something that millions of people believe. Do you remember Area 51? They say that it's full of real aliens. Well, some of the US Presidents were open to the idea of extraterrestrial. We have Ronald Raegan who personally saw a UFO. We also have Jimmy Carter who said that alien or UFO matters should be taken seriously.
There are also theories that suggest that aliens are not just mere observers. Sometimes, they want to reproduce. Hence, there are abductions and they will try to impregnate women. The offspring are called hybrid-humans. It is believed that the main objective is to create a more advanced race.
If aliens are creating smarter race than humans, is that great news? If that's the case, will the 'full' humans be treated as lower beings? Are they going to make us slaves?
What do you think? Do you believe in aliens? Do you think we are already living with human-hybrids? Is alien abduction a reality? Share us your thoughts on this. | {
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