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C’è una nuova «questione romana», non quella dei rapporti tra Stato e Chiesa, ma quella del rapido declino della capitale d’Italia. Potremmo oggi ripetere le parole con le quali l’ambasciatore francese a Roma Gramont, nel 1860, sintetizzava il suo giudizio: «C’est ici que l’Orient commence» (è qui che comincia l’Oriente). Con l’Unità d’Italia, Roma si era sollevata al rango delle capitali europee. Ora è una città in stato di abbandono. Le strade sono intransitabili a causa delle buche. Nei casi più gravi, vengono tenute chiuse per evitare incidenti, ma così impedendo alla gente di raggiungere le proprie abitazioni. Vi sono lavori pubblici che attendono da quarant’anni d’esser fatti. Per la pulizia di strade e giardini, in alcuni casi diventati pattumiere, si ricorre ormai al «fai da te»: si paga qualche extracomunitario di buona volontà, che provvede. Se un albero crolla, lo si circonda con qualche segnale di pericolo e lo si lascia per terra. Alcuni luoghi pubblici, anche i portici di una delle principali basiliche, sono intransitabili perché vi sono persone accampate, che hanno fatto della strada la propria casa. Tolleranza e incuria regnano sovrane. I trasporti pubblici non funzionano, per cui tutti ricorrono ai mezzi privati, con conseguenze gravi per traffico e ambiente. I vigili urbani sono diventati una entità astratta. Gli amministratori locali vivono sulla luna, invece di girare per le strade e constatare in che condizioni sono.
Questo degrado – di cui ho tratteggiato solo i lati più evidenti - non è cominciato da oggi, ma si è ora improvvisamente accelerato. Mentre Roma ritorna a grandi passi verso il livello di una città medio-orientale, Milano corre, e ai romani che visitano la “capitale morale” pare di esser in un altro Paese.
Poiché una nazione e uno Stato non possono tollerare questa situazione, occorre un piano straordinario per Roma, che impegni tutto il Paese, che renda concreta quella “promessa” che si legge nella Costituzione: “Roma è la Capitale della Repubblica”. Questo piano straordinario dovrebbe partire da tre punti.
Il primo è affidare le funzioni di rappresentanza a una persona diversa dal sindaco. Occorre riconoscere che oggi i sindaci di Roma, di una città dove risiedono due capitali (quella dello Stato e quella di una potenza mondiale, la Chiesa cattolica), sono caricati di una funzione da ciambellani, debbono ricevere capi di Stato, visitare pontefici, accompagnare personalità straniere in visita. Questo assorbe energie e “vizia”, abituando chi dovrebbe gestire e amministrare a stare sotto la luce dei riflettori, accanto ai grandi nomi della vita internazionale.
Il secondo è dare alla capitale un ordinamento speciale, come molte delle capitali del mondo (la Costituzione dispone espressamente che “la legge dello Stato disciplina il suo ordinamento”). Un ordinamento speciale che riconosca una realtà ineludibile: la duplicità di funzioni del potere locale romano, che è chiamato anche ad agire come capitale, quindi nell’interesse della intera nazione. Ciò significa, che accanto al rappresentante scelto dal popolo, vi sia un gestore che goda dei poteri necessari a intervenire sullo svolgimento delle attività di interesse generale: ad esempio, un organismo politico, un ministro senza portafoglio che faccia sentire nella città gli interessi del Paese e un organismo tecnico che dia attuazione alla cura di questi interessi Questo era inizialmente chiaro ai “padri fondatori”: Quintino Sella, tra gli altri, pensò che la “città amministrativa” non dovesse essere lontana dalla stazione ferroviaria, perché non doveva servire i romani soltanto, ma anche tutti i cittadini italiani. | {
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新型コロナウイルスの集団感染が確認されたクルーズ船、「ダイヤモンド・プリンセス」で新たに70人の感染が確認されました。クルーズ船の乗員・乗客で感染が確認されたのは合わせて355人となりました。
厚生労働省によりますと、横浜港に停泊しているクルーズ船「ダイヤモンド・プリンセス」で16日、検査結果が判明した289人のうち新たに70人の感染が確認されました。
このうち症状がない人は38人だということです。これまでクルーズ船で延べ1219人の乗員・乗客に検査が行われた結果、感染が確認されたのは合わせて355人となりました。
厚生労働省によりますと、感染が確認された355人のうち18人が重症となっていて、集中治療室で治療を受けている人もいるということです。
ほかにも感染が確認されていない１人が重症だということです。
感染が確認された人のうち日本人は半数近い169人で、そのほか、アメリカやオーストラリアなど合わせて21の国と地域の人たちの感染も確認されています。
また、年齢別では20代が16人、30代が13人、40代が18人、50代が29人、60代が75人、70代が151人、80代が51人、90代が２人と、60代以上が８割近くとなっています。
感染が確認された人たちは順次、医療機関に搬送されています。 | {
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It’s curious to see so many people arguing about whether the Western practice of yoga is cultural appropriation or not, when most of the authors writing pieces about the topic do not belong to the cultural, spiritual, or religious tradition that is responsible for yoga.
While I don’t think all yoga is cultural appropriation — it really depends on the setting and intention of its teaching — I do believe that it has been altered, sometimes negatively, as a practice by many people and companies, who seek to use it as a means to increase their profit potential when in reality, yoga should be free and is actually concerned with removing ones attachments to such things (money, status, property) as they are transient in life.
While Indian spiritual leaders like BKS Iyengar, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Vishnudevananda brought Yoga to the West, I am quite sure they did not imagine that it would turn into a practice that would become bought and sold, its identity completely dissociated from the BROWN people who first imagined and practiced it. Nor did they imagine it would turn into a highly sexualized practice used to market “yoga pants” or flaunt the shape of ones physical body.
A screen capture from the popular video produced by CollegeHumor, “If Gandhi Ever Took a Yoga Class,” which pointed out some issues with Western Yoga.
Swami Vishnudevananda teaching yoga to people of different cultures.
As an American Indian, I am constantly subjected to images such as the one below, which are somehow wholly representative of the only yoga-practicing population:
Peculiarly, I find it very difficult to find images of Indian people doing yoga…
Screenshot from Janelle Monae’s Music Video for “Yoga.” Main lyric: “Baby Bend Over/Let your booty do that Yoga.”
Here’s what yoga might have looked like in the beginning — a circle of loinclothed “heathens” or “idolworshipping Hindoos” practicing together:
Loinclothed Indians doing yoga taught by Swami Sivananda
A rare image of Geetha Iyengar, daughter of BKS Iyengar, and another Indian woman IN A SARI practicing yoga.
Ask yourself this…when was the last time you saw or heard from an Indian yoga teacher? Or really saw people of multiple different races being used to “market” yoga or meditation classes?
When people from a given cultural background no longer have a part to play in the celebration, teaching and understanding of their own culture, something is probably off. But more importantly, when I see people who aren’t even Indian or Hindu arguing over whether or not yoga is cultural appropriation, then I definitely know something is wrong — because we are so removed from the discussion of yoga that we are no longer even sought out to give our opinion on the matter.
For what it’s worth, here’s mine.
I think everyone should have the right to benefit from practicing yoga because it’s quite honestly saved my life, and I know it’s helped millions of other people. Spreading such a practice across the world has been a gift to many. Restricting people from practicing yoga due to their skin color or heritage is certainly something that would be condemned by Hinduism, the religion from which yoga is a part of, and would certainly be condemned by the gurus who traveled to America to teach yoga.
The real issue lies with the fact that so many people practicing yoga today are completely ignorant about the roots of yoga, and often misuse it as a result. If I could have a penny for every time someone suggestively asked me whether I was -wink- more flexible because of my yoga training, I would become a millionaire. If I could also have a penny for every time I’ve seen a couple practicing “couples yoga” in the park together that then devolved into a make-out session or a public display of their physical abilities, I would be a billionaire.
The purpose of yoga isn’t ever to flaunt our powers or our abilities. It is a deeply spiritual, personal practice that involves far more than just asana, as well. It is about conquering the ego, being humble, and connecting to the inner happiness that wells in all of us. It is something that, for years, I struggled with, because of the way many of my cultural and religious practices were treated in America. But it is also something I have come to embrace and fiercely identify with. However, as a Hindu and an Indian living in America, I also realize that I should claim no ownership of this practice.
Yoga is not a gift to only Indians or Hindus — I have hundreds of friends who learned yoga alongside me of all nationalities, religious beliefs, ethnicities, physical abilities, and even sexual orientations. Many of my yoga teachers — starting from the very first, have been white. I respect and value them as gurus, passing down the message and the beautiful teaching of yoga. The distinctions of race and creed mean nothing because yoga is about the oneness of all of humankind.
Yoga is a gift to humanity. It is a gift we use so to create peace inside of our own minds and bodies, so that when it comes to interacting with others, yes, even people of different races, religious creeds, nationalities, etc., that we will be able to make peace there as well. I have no doubt that the more people practice and internalize the teachings of yoga, the less conflict we might experience as a planet.
But I will say this: there is potential for people’s practice of yoga and the manner of its distribution and consumption (as it has become a commodity) to offend those who hold spiritual and religious ties to the practice. There have been multiple occasions where I’ve seen individuals wear T-shirts with “OM” written on them, when I knew that they didn’t fully understand the use of that word, and were only doing it to be edgy, exotic and unique. I also know there are multiple examples of other religious groups re-branding yoga into their own faiths, which to me, is hurtful.
Yoga is dedicated to a heathen lord, apparently.
I just can’t.
There is also potential for Indians and Hindus around the world to feel honored that the practices of their ancestors are so renowned, and so helpful to people around the world.
What there isn’t room for is the ability for people who are not being potentially appropriated from, to say whether yoga is or isn’t cultural appropriation — nor is it okay for people that associate with yoga on a deeper and religious or cultural level to be cut out of the conversation completely.
So, today, I’m asking you — Indians, Hindus, Buddhists, practitioners of yoga with cultural or spiritual ties — do you think Western yoga is cultural appropriation? How do you feel? Have you ever had a negative experience with Western practice of yoga? What about a time when you felt happy and empowered to witness the dissemination of your ancient culture? Make your voices known, because if you don’t, the opportunity may be lost. | {
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That weekend road trip is starting to look pretty affordable.
For the first time in nearly four years, the national average price of gas is set to drop below $3.00 per gallon, according to American Automobile Association. At that rate, the AAA estimates the lower prices are helping consumers save $250 million per day compared to the days of summer when prices averaged a hefty $3.68 per gallon.
“Consumers are experiencing ‘sticker delight’ as gas prices unexpectedly drop below $3.00 in much of the country,” said Bob Darbelnet, CEO of AAA. “Lower gas prices are a boon to the economy just in time for holiday travel and shopping.”
The fall in prices, according to the AAA, ends a streak of 1,409 days in which prices remained above $3 per gallon, averaging $3.52 per gallon and as high as $3.98 per gallon during that 46-month period. Prices on Friday averaged $3 per gallon, down 6 cents from a week ago.
Prices – which vary by region depending on the taxes imposed – have already dropped below $3 in 60% of all U.S. stations with at least one in every state offering cheaper fuel, the AAA said.
“It has certainly been a long time coming – the decline in gas prices has lasted basically since late June, and could continue even further if oil prices can break through and close under” $79 per barrel, according to a blog post by Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.com, which found 35 states have already hit new lows in prices for 2014 and that 21 now feature prices under $3.
Cheaper gas prices are mostly the result of oil prices, which has fallen dramatically the past few months.
Concerns about oversupply in the markets are driving the decline. Brent – the global benchmark – sank to its lowest level since November 2010 earlier this month at $83.47 a barrel. Some of the decline is due to supply glut driven by increased American production, but also from more pumping in Libya and Iraq.
Prices have recovered slightly and Brent was trading Friday at $85.01 a barrel, down $1.23 or 1.4%.
This week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration had predicted that prices would fall below $3 soon.
The AAA predicted lower prices should carry through the holidays because of lower demand and typical seasonal trends. However, prices may begin to creep up in the spring from refinery maintenance, increased demand and a return to a more expensive blend of gasoline used in the summer.
“Paying less than $3 for gas is a welcome holiday gift that may not last nearly as long as many would hope,” Darbelnet said. “It is possible that lower gas prices will soon be a faded memory, so enjoy it while you can. The days of paying more than $3 per gallon for gas have regrettably not gone away.”
This article originally appeared on Fortune.com
Contact us at [email protected]. | {
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Reveal season for The Witchwood – the next Hearthstone decks with only odd cost cards and decks with only even cost cards , not to mention new mechanics like Echo and Rush. And a whole lot of random Shaman spells.
“ Toki is a time traveller... and tinkers with bending time and alternate timelines.
Best case scenario.
Not quite as good.
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Since this is the first set of the year, the introduction of The Witchwood also means a new Standard rotation, so we’ll be saying goodbye to Whispers of the Old Gods, One Night in Karazhan and Mean Streets of Gadgetzan. All those cards will still be playable in Wild, of course, but in Standard it means big changes - there'll be no more Jade and no more Old Gods, for instance. It’s going to be a whole new world, and the drastically reduced card pool means that the new cards will have a chance to really shine.Speaking of which, IGN has a new card to reveal – one of the two Mage legendaries in the set – Toki, Time-Tinker:As you can see, Toki is a 6 mana 5/5 with the battlecry “Add a random legendary minion from the past to your hand.” What does that mean? It means she’ll only pull legendaries that are exclusive to Wild – even if you’re playing in Wild. Those legendaries can be from any class too. Chromie and tinkers with bending time and alternate timelines. I'm not sure why she's a tinker as opposed to a tinkerer, but the idea is that she creates a portal to the past and calls for help from legendaries whose time in the sun has passed.It’s a very cool idea, but to be honest, this is not likely to be a card that sees much competitive play, as Toki’s base stats aren’t strong enough to justify the insane variance on what you could potentially get from her battlecry. Sure, if you high roll you might get Sylvanas Windrunner, Ragnaros the Firelord, Loatheb, Dr. Boom or Emperor Thaurissan, but even then you’ll still need to pay the mana to play the card.If you low roll, you might end up with Wilfred Fizzlebang, Rend Blackhand, Majordomo Executus, Nat, the Darkfisher, C’Thun, Finja, Madam Goya or Mayor Noggenfogger. (Not that the appearance of The Mayor could ever really be considered a low roll.)That said, if your whole strategy is grinding your opponent out, and your deck is full of cards that generate value, I think that on balance the card you get will likely be playable. The meta would have to be super slow to allow that, however, and it’s questionable whether you’d ever want this kind of randomness in a deck like that. I guess that the sort of deck that would run something like Cabalist’s Tome (which won’t be in Standard after the rotation, but gives you three random Mage spells for five mana) might think about including this. The difference being, of course, that Cabalist’s Tome had the potential to save you from being killed (Ice Block, Frost Nova etc) or give you lethal via burn. Very few of the cards you can get with Toki really offer you those possibilities. We’ve also seen a similar card revealed for this set – the Rogue legendary: Face Collector, which, while pulling from the format you’re playing in, as opposed to only pulling from Wild, seems a little stronger, as the Echo keyword – and its low cost – means it can effectively give you two or three shots at a good random legendary minion. Toki requires you to bounce it or use a copy or Brann-like effect, and that’s not something you’re likely to do. On the other hand, Face Collector doesn’t really fit the usual Rogue tempo gameplan, whereas a more controlling Mage is much more able to take the tempo loss from Toki.I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but at first blush Toki feels like a spicy meme creation machine first and foremost. She’ll go in decks that are hoping to high roll into something insane and broken... and that's its own kind of fun.Want to know what's up with The Witchwood? You can see which cards have been revealed to date here , and be sure to check out the hilarious initial reveal video from Team 5 if you haven’t already seen it:Cam Shea is senior editor in IGN's Sydney office and tries to spend as much time as possible in Japan. He's on Twitter | {
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The Sunderland landscape has been irrevocably changed since Martin's seemingly inevitable arrival on Wearside. As well as the much improved form and results there seems to be a sweepstake going at the Academy as to who can score the best goal, boy have there been some beauties! Which leads us nicely on to this week's Top Ten where I will try and put all of the goals in an order of greatness, no easy feat I can assure you!
So without further ado...
10. David Vaughan vs. Blackburn
What better place to start than with the first goal of the O'Neill era and an incredibly important one at that. Sunderland had fallen behind to a Vukcevic goal after our defence allowed Samba time to get a shot away on goal from a Blackburn freekick. Keiren Westwood was only able to palm away the stinging shot straight onto the head of the Montenegrin midfielder who couldn't miss. As the game wore on Sunderland piled on the pressure and just when it seemed it was going to be one of those frustrating afternoons David Vaughan latched on to a loose ball from a weak Adam Henley clearance and spanked a spectacular drive past a montionless Paul Robinson. Queue bedlam and a Sunderand crowd that could sense a winner...
9. Stephane Sessegnon vs. QPR
There have been a number of players that have flourished since O'Neill's arrival adding more weight to the case that he is one of the best man-motivators in the game and our exciting Beninese playmaker is one such player. Sess doubled Sunderland's lead at Loftus Road shortly after halftime capitalising on a miscued headed clearance from Danny Gabbidon to race in on goal and leave Paddy Kenny mesmerised by his quick feet before slotting the ball home into an empty net.
8. David Vaughan vs. Wigan
The first of two back-to-back goals from Sunderland's impressive follow-up to the shock victory over Manchester City just days earlier, which will be no great surprise as they were some superb strikes. David Vaughan makes the number eight slot with yet another rocket and Sunderland's fourth goal of the evening. The move started with a probing run from James McClean on the right hand side, darting into the area, before the ball broke the Sessegnon who's shot was charged down. Wigan were far from safe however as the ball spun away across the area where Vaughan was on hand to meet it with a thumping first time left footed shot which nearly took Nicklas Bendtner's Danish bonce off on its way into the top corner.
7. Craig Gardner vs. Wigan
We'll stay at the DW Stadium for number seven of our run down, this time for the opening goal of the contest, an absolute rocket of a freekick from easily thrity-odd yards out in the swirling wind and rain just before half-time. Craig Gardner hit a curling drive that would see even Roberto Carlos nod in appreciation, as his shot made the Wigan wall about as much use as a copy of the Watchtower through Keiran Richardson's letterbox.
6. Seb Larrson vs. Blackburn
Whilst number ten on our list inspired the Sunderland fans it was a piece of Swedish magic that had us believing in the Martin O'Neill affect. With the clock at 90:00 Sunderland were awarded a freekick in what has now become known as "Seb territory" and it was one of those moments where you could feel comfortable in nudging the person next to you and daring to whisper "its in this" and bloody hell did the beautiful little fella deliver!
5. Stephane Sessegnon vs. Norwich
In a game which saw Sunderland climb to eighth in the table after bringing to an end Norwich's six-match unbeaten run there were two fantastic goals, one of which might feature later in the list... spoiler alert. Number five on our run down goes to Stephane Sessegnon's goal which showcased the threat that O'Neill's Sunderland pose on the counter. Sess started the move himself beating Bradley Johnson in the centre circle with a neat nutmeg before galloping forward. McClean looked the more obvious option to Sessegnon's left however the crafty forward deftly placed the ball into the path of Fraizer Campbell on the right flank with a flick of his boot. Rather than admire his work Sess embarked on a lung-busting run into the box to meet Campbell's inch perfect cross with a well-timed header.
4. Craig Gardner vs. Swansea
Craig Gardner originally caught Steve Bruce's eye as the goal scoring midfielder we were missing and he has certainly began to exhibit his eye for goal as of late with his stunning late strike against Swansea being the pick of the bunch. Just as Sunderland seemed to be squandering a number of chances to kill the game off it was Gardner's twenty-five yard volley which finally clipped the Swans' wings and sent the Stadium of Light into a state of delirium.
3. Fraizer Campbell vs. Norwich
There is no-one on this list more deserving of such a stunning goal then Fraizer Campbell. The popular forward had spent eighteen months battling back from two cruciate ligament injuries and had resorted to smuggling himself in with the Sunderland fans to get his fix of the action in a number of not so convincing disguises. So when Campbell marked his return with an unstoppable dipping volley from outside of the area to open the scoring the joy of the fans could only be matched by that on Fraizer's face.
2. Ji Dong-Won vs. Manchester City
There are moments in football that you will never forget and Ji's late, late winner against Manchester City is one of them. In a game which saw SAFC frustrate Mancini's expensively assembled side an unlikely hero was born. With injury time draining away Sebastian Larsson managed to feed the ball to the left wing before his legs gave up from underneath him. The Korean's natural instinct once in possession was to play for time and head for the corner but as he passed O'Neill's technical area he was roared on to goal by his manager. Noticing the gaps in City's defense the lanky forward played a neat one-two with Sessegnon and despite a hint of offside managed to round Joe Hart before stabbing the ball home whilst desperately winning a seemingly lost battle to keep his feet. The Korean had sealed an unlikely victory for his side and was keen to join in the fans' celebrations although this may be a decision he since regrets.
1. Stephane Sessegnon vs. Swansea
Our talented playmaker completes his hat-trick of appearance on this top ten with his outrageous effort against Swansea. After a frantic opening fifteen minutes Sunderland finely put together a meaningful passage of play which saw Sessegnon work a superb move with the youngster James McClean on the left wing before opening his body to shape a ridiculous effort into the far top corner. Not even the inform Michel Vorm stood a chance of getting anywhere near it and to be honest I don't think there is a keeper around that would have stopped such and magnificent shot. For the sheer technique and vision that such an effort required Sessegnon has made it to the top of the list. | {
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Interested in æternity? Get in touch:
GitHub | Forum | Reddit | Telegram | Twitter | Facebook | Mail | {
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ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences
Natalie Bennett’s Green Party came under fire today after research found that it has fewer black and ethnic minority candidates than any other major party - including Ukip.
Only four per cent of the party’s general election hopefuls are from minority communities, according to a study by the Constitution Unit at University College London. Of 357 Green candidates selected so far, 15 have BME backgrounds and the other 342 are white.
The proportion of selected candidates with BME backgrounds was nine per cent for Labour, 11 per cent for the Conservatives and 10 per cent for the Liberal Democrats.
Even Nigel Farage’s Ukip, which calls for stronger immigration controls, has 24 BME candidates, which is six per cent of its total. However, neither Ukip nor the Greens has picked a BME candidate for a winnable seat.
Cross-party group Operation Black Vote said voters would find the Green Party record surprising and urged them to do more to promote BME talent.
Ashok Viswanathan, OBV’s deputy director, said: “I’m not surprised at all. The fact is all the parties have failed to put into practice a comprehensive programme to recruit, retain and promote BME talent.” He said there was no evidence that BME communities were less interested in the environment or other Green policy issues.
“If you speak to the Black Environmental Network, they have a huge database of people who are concerned about green issues,” he said.
“Issues like the environment directly affect inner-city dwellers, who include many black communities.”
Jennifer Hudson, co-author of the study called Parliamentary Candidates UK, said: “Few would have guessed the Greens to trail Ukip. The lack of diversity amongst Green candidates is particularly noteworthy given the election of Shahrar Ali — one of the party’s two deputy leaders — and the first BME deputy of a UK parliamentary party.”
Mr Ali is standing in Brent Central.
Benali Hamdache, the Green Party’s equalities spokesman, said it was still announcing candidates and collecting data about them. “Once we have this data we can better reflect on how much more we have to do on increasing the diversity of our candidates,” he said.
“What we do know is that one in seven candidates in London is from a BME background — and we have people from all walks of life standing for the Greens up and down the country.”
He added: “The Green Party is committed to standing up for the rights and concerns of BME communities and we need to ensure we’re doing that not only through our policies but in the way we do politics as well.
“That’s why we have quotas for BME candidates in European Elections, a BME network to recruit candidates and support their candidacy, and it’s why we launched a group dedicated to representing BME members of our party at our recent spring conference.” | {
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From Rexburg’s Standard Journal :
Idaho gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell will be mixing what he calls doctrines from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into his gubernatorial campaign in a series of meetings slated for LDS elders only. In January, Rammell will kick off a series of special meetings targeted specifically at “faithful priesthood-holders of the LDS Church” to discuss the so-called “White Horse” prophecy.
Borrowing a line more commonly used by the LDS leadership to explain Mormon temple ceremonies, the candidate described his rallies as sacred, not secret :
“There is nothing secret about the meeting — it’s just the sacred nature of the things we will be talking about,” said Rammell. “We are going to talk about (LDS Church founder) Joseph Smith’s prophecy that the Constitution will be hanging by a thread and that the Latter-day Saint elders will step forward and save it.”
Mormon women are barred from holding the LDS priesthood, but the GOP hopeful provided a further explanation for their exclusion from the campaign meetings:
Rammell said that though LDS women were not invited because of lack of space, he hopes that the men will take the message home to their wives.
And what message might some critics take home from Rammell’s announcement? As the Standard Journal notes: “In the past, Rammell has been criticized for using his faith to further his campaign.”
Whether the aspiring Republican is guilty of that in this instance will be the subject of in-depth follow-up coverage by the Standard Journal, just as soon as its reporters have obtained the ecclesiastical clearance required to attend Rammell campaign events.
(image h/t Steven Pope)
In other political news:
Utah native and Brigham Young University alumnus Matthew S. Petersen has been elected to serve as chairman of the Federal Election Commission in 2010.
David J. Harmer, Mormon congressional candidate: The Spirit prompted me to run, because I am strong like Captain Moroni.
(Gen. JC Christian, patriot, provides additional commentary: Captain Moroni for Congress)
And … Meet Ben McAdams, Utah’s newest state senator:
Ben McAdams, a senior adviser for Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker, will become Utah’s newest state senator … McAdams, who is married and the father of three children, told the delegates he would work for fairness and equality. “I plan to be a visible ally for gay and transgendered Utahns,” he said. “We are agents of change.“
More Mormons like Ben McAdams, please. | {
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In the continuing effort to improve the lives of natives in under developed countries and decrease deforestation the Danish Company Pesitho has developed the ECOCA “Life in a Box”. When connected to a solar panel the unit stores energy in a built in battery and serves multiple functions. Its heating element provides enough energy to allow the cooking of most meals by the family without the need for firewood. This directly decreases deforestation, reduces the labor required for wood gathering, saves money the family would spend buying fuel and eliminates the health hazards from wood burning.
Please visit the web site www.gorillahabitat.com for continuous updates and connect with us on Instagram and Facebook to contribute to the dialogue. | {
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Los Angeles, USA: A customer looks at the many possible hairstyles of the US president, Barack Obama, at a barber shop
Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images | {
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Although it’s a little short on memory when it comes to heavy-duty multi-track audio editing, a passively cooled Pi runs completely silently, which makes it easy to create clean voice recordings with minimal background noise.
These instructions will work perfectly on any Debian-based Linux distro, such as Raspbian or Ubuntu MATE. As you’re going to be recording raw PCM audio, we recommend using a reasonably large microSD card if you plan to keep previous recordings for posterity.
Although we’ll be exporting the audio files at a lower quality, we recommend recording at a minimum sample rate of 44.1 kHz. This is Audacity’s default setting, so you won't need to change anything.
Create a Podcast Machine: kit you'll need
A microphone
Speakers or headphones
Audacity
Google account
Internet connection
>STEP-01: Get connected
Connect your speakers and microphone to your Pi. You can get away with using your TV’s built-in speakers via an HDMI connection, but connecting headphones to the 3.5 mm analogue port makes for a more private editing experience.
A USB gaming headset with a built-in microphone will do in a pinch, but we recommend a USB condenser mic for better quality voice recording. We’re fans of the Blue Microphones Yeti, but you can get good budget options such as the Blue Snowball iCE and Samson Go Mic for less than £50.
>STEP-02: Record your podcast
Install Audacity by opening a Terminal window and typing:
sudo apt-install audacity
Open the program, and make sure it is using the correct audio input and output devices by checking the device pull‑downs on the taskbar, or by opening Preferences from the Edit menu.
Before you start recording, we recommend writing a script or prompts to work from. If you stumble, just pause, go back a few sentences and start again – you can cut out the error later. For easier editing and processing later, it is often more convenient to break longer recordings into 10- or 15-minute chunks.
>STEP-03: Edit and process
Once you’ve finished recording, it’s time to edit out any errors and use a few effects to improve the recording’s quality.
To reduce background noise such as computer or fan hum, highlight a few seconds of audio with only background noise. Select Noise Reduction from the Effect menu and select Get Noise Profile. Then select your entire track, open Noise Reduction again, and hit OK.
To balance and amplify your recording if it’s too quiet, select the entire track and apply the Normalize effect using its default settings. Finally, go to File > Export Audio, and encode your recordings as MP3s – we recommend 96kbps joint stereo for voice.
>STEP-04: Create your blog
Go to drive.google.com and log in to the Google account you want to use. If you don’t already have a Google account, you can sign up for one on this page.
Go to blogger.com and sign in using your Google account. Create a Blogger or Google+ account. When the main Blogger interface loads, hit the Create New Blog button. Pick a name, custom blogspot URL, and theme.
To allow MP3 embedding, go to Settings > Other and switch the Enable Title Links and Enclosure Links settings to Yes. Now select Save Settings at the top right-hand corner of the screen.
>STEP-05: Upload your podcast
In Google Drive, create an appropriately named folder. Set the folder’s privacy to allow ‘anyone with the link’ to view the files in it. Upload your first MP3, right-click on it and select Get Shareable Link. Copy the link.
Return to Blogger and hit the New Post button. Give your podcast an appropriate title and description, using the Title field and Post Body respectively. In the Post Settings box on the right, select Links. Paste your MP3’s URL into the Enclosure Links field and give it a MIME type of audio/mpeg3. Hit Publish, and we're ready to go live.
>STEP-06: Launch your media empire
Go to Feedburner and sign in with your Google account. Paste your blog’s main URL (yourcustomurl.blogspot.co.uk) into the Burn A Feed box, tick ‘I am a podcaster’, and click Next.
Select the feed you want to use – we prefer the longer-established RSS option, but Atom works too. Feedburner will ask you to confirm the title and the address you want to use.
Your podcast is ready for subscribers, but you should click Next to fill in extra information for the iTunes podcast directory. Feedburner tells you what you need, including an image and a more detailed description, and can even provide listener stats.
Optimise analogue audio quality
The Pi’s headphone port can add unwanted background noise. To minimise this, set your mixer volume to 100 percent and use a good-quality power supply.
Get your Podcast listed for other folks
For extra exposure, list your podcast on online directories. The most important is iTunes, which you can you join here. | {
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In May 2017, Uber announced it had hired a renowned University of Toronto professor to lead a Toronto-based team that develops autonomous car technology.
The ride-hailing company also pledged $5 million for the university's brand new Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
While the move drew praise from academics, others derided the notion that taxpayers should pay the salary of a professor whose intellectual property (IP) would go to a foreign corporation.
"The Canadian government has in fact been funding AI (artificial intelligence) research for over three decades," Jim Balsillie, the former co-CEO of BlackBerry, told The Canadian Press in an email.
"The problem is that it all it went to foreign multinationals who now charge Canada for the use of technology that our taxpayers paid for."
Canada has staked out a prominent place on the frontiers of machine-learning research, with deep-learning pioneers such as Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton nurturing talent in Montreal and Toronto.
But critics say governments continue to pour cash into research at the expense of commercialization — the process of converting lab work into the next Uber or Google — opening the door to foreign tech giants that have gobbled up hard-won intellectual property on the cheap and licensed it back to local players at steep rates.
"We sell our IP, our ideas, our AI research before it's in the market. If you sell it then, you sell it for as cheap as it could be," said Jim Hinton (no relation to Geoffrey), a Waterloo, Ont.-based intellectual property lawyer and consultant.
Hinton says universities sometimes sign agreements that effectively hand over the fruits of AI research to their tech company partners, turning innovation hubs into branch plants for foreign corporations.
Fewer than half of the roughly 100 machine-learning patents developed in Canada between 2007 and 2017 have stayed in Canadian hands. The rest are owned by foreign companies such as Microsoft, IBM and Google. (Arnd WIegmann/Reuters)
Foreign companies own majority of patents
Canada has become a hot spot for big data analytics over the last few years, with Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Adobe and other global heavyweights announcing millions of dollars in investment in AI research hubs in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.
However, fewer than half of the roughly 100 machine-learning patents developed in Canada between 2007 and 2017 have stayed in Canadian hands, according to a study by the Centre for International Governance and Innovation, a think tank founded by Balsillie.
The rest are owned by foreign companies such as Microsoft, IBM and Google.
The wealth that those patents can generate via licensing threatens to drain top AI brains from north of the border.
Ian Gervais, co-founder of Toronto-based Statflo, which mines data from wireless carriers to identify consumer purchasing patterns, says his seven year-old startup has received government grants, but now draws most of its investment from U.S. companies.
"I think more government funding would help us stay here," he said. "When we started getting investment from American companies, we started tweaking what we wanted to do to tailor to ideas that they had," he said.
Martin Basiri, co-founder of the four-year-old ApplyBoard, which uses algorithms to match students with North American universities that fit their interests, feels differently, insisting businesses should not rely on "free money" from the government.
"The mindset has to change in Canada," he said. Government grants are "the cream on the cake, but you have to make your own business regardless and compete globally."
Balsillie has several solutions in mind.
"You cannot commercialize ideas unless you own them, so the first step is to start generating owned IP that can be
commercialized inside high-growth Canadian firms," he said.
While speaking at the launch of an AI lab opened by Japanese auto supply giant Denso Corp., Quebec Premier François Legault said the objective of AI is not just to do research, 'it's to have applications.' (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)
Could federal supercluster funding help?
One tactic is to create a government-backed IP collective, often known as a sovereign patent fund, which protects publicly funded research and development and monetizes the "innovation assets" it guards. Japan and South Korea have seen some success with this method, according to a study from the Centre for Digital Entrepreneurship and Economic Performance.
The patent fund could accompany a policy shift, already at work in Israel, that attaches strings to government funding to ensure that IP works to the commercial benefit of Canadian companies.
Politicians are aware of the problem.
"The objective with artificial intelligence is not only to do research for the sake of research; it's to have applications," Quebec Premier Francois Legault said last month at the launch of an AI lab opened by Japanese auto supply giant Denso Corp.
In 2017, Ottawa launched its $125-million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, joining the U.S., China and France in adopting a national plan. The government has also announced the creation of five innovation "superclusters," one of which aims to harness AI and robotic technologies to transform the supply chain space.
However, the payoff has yet to materialize.
"I haven't seen anything yet to see that the supercluster funding will help generate or retain intellectual property for Canada," Jim Hinton said, stressing the need for a "collective effort" to acquire IP assets from around the globe.
In Hinton's view, the country has yet to prove it can cast off the mantle of a raw intellectual resource economy and fashion marketable products with the virtual stamp, "Made in Canada." | {
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Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. When you get the chance to talk to a legend like Sam Neill you don't bat an eye if they say the only time he's available is 2:30am. It's not that he was toying with me or anything. Mr. Neill was shooting a film in Australia and very graciously carved out some time in his day.
The funny thing is I'm a bonafide night owl, so I didn't mind the late night interview at all. The same probably can't be said for poor publicist Katrina Wan who had to stay up and connect the call, but I was bright eyed and bushy-tailed when the phone rang.
How could I not be? I was that kid that saw Jurassic Park eight times over the summer of 1993. I'm the weirdo that calls In the Mouth of Madness John Carpenter's most underrated film. I'm willing to overlook my blanket dislike of Paul WS Anderson's entire career to enjoy Event Horizon.
Sam Neill's career up to this point is incredible and he's is still going strong, working his ass off and raising the quality of every single movie he's in. Even though he gave me half an hour we only really scratched the surface of his work. I could have easily talked with him for 2 hours about Jurassic Park alone.
We start off with his latest flick, The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box, which just hit VOD Friday, and then dive into a few career highlights including slipping into the shoes of the anti-Christ in Omen III, how awesome John Carpenter is, a particularly interesting weekend trip with Tim Curry during the making of The Hunt for Red October, some sad talk about John McTiernan and a bit about the practical dinosaurs created by Stan Winston in Jurassic Park.
He has some great stories to share, so I hope you guys enjoy the chat!
Quint: Thanks for making some time to talk to me tonight. I understand you're having to fit this into your busy work schedule.
Sam Neill: I've been shooting today, but I'm happy to talk to you.
Quint: I'm a big, big fan of your work, but as a precursor to all that I have to say that I've spent a lot of time in New Zealand and I'm quite fond of your wine (Two Paddocks, website here).
Sam Neill: You've begun this interview very well. (laughs)
Quint: The acting stuff is fine, too, but mostly thanks for the wine.
Sam Neill: You bet.
Quint: I'm not sure if they've told you what we're doing here, but I'd like to start off talking with you about The Adventurer and then cover some of your career on the whole if that's alright.
Sam Neill: Sure, absolutely.
Quint: The first thing that caught my eye about The Adventurer was the fantastic cast they built. Michael Sheen, Lena Headey, you... Was that something you knew going in? Is that something that appealed to you about the project?
Sam Neill: Yeah, obviously. I didn't know Aneurin Barnard. I think he's got a great future, he's a very talented young fellow, but I didn't know him and I didn't know his work, either. Oh no, I had seen him play David Bailey in a television movie about the '60s (We'll Take Manhattan). He was fantastic in that, so I did know his work a little bit.
Lena Heady is a very old friend of mine. I've known her for 20 or 30 years. Michael Sheen, of course, I know his work very well and he's amazing. Ioan Gruffudd... I never know how to pronounce his name, but I'm sure you do!
Quint: I don't either, so don't feel bad.
Sam Neill: I know his work pretty well, too, so yeah. The cast was a major attraction for me.
Quint: I have to imagine that's a big part in choosing whether to join a project or not... knowing that you have some support on the screen has got to be reassuring.
Sam Neill: Definitely. It's like playing tennis. I'm a very mediocre tennis player, but if I'm playing with someone better than me, my game tends to lift. I still don't win, but I tend to play a little bit above myself.
Quint: You seem to relish playing the baddie in this movie, which I always appreciate. I first came to know your work when I was a goofy kid who worshipped Jurassic Park, but the more I've dug into your work I've come to prefer you playing a bad guy. There's a fantastic light in your eye when you do and you really sink your teeth into those roles.
Sam Neill: I have an appetite for scenery and I like to chew it once in a while. This seemed to be a perfect opportunity. He's a full blown villain. It's a film, and a book for that matter, that pays homage to a lot of those Edwardian swashbuckling mustache-twirling... caricature is the wrong word, but they're fully blown characters.
Quint: Yeah, I know what you mean. Drawn broadly and with a lot of flair, not really trying to understand the villain too much. I mean, there's not much you can do to really ground a dude that enslaves children!
Sam Neill: That's right. People like this really enjoy being bad. It's good to be bad and actors like me love being bad, too. Villains are such fun, they really are.
Quint: One of your big breaks was playing the ultimate villain. I don't know how much worse you can get than the anti-Christ (in Omen III)...
Sam Neill: He was a much sadder character, really. I always thought the way to play the anti-Christ was, to quote from the Rolling Stones, as a man of wealth and taste, but also as a man of infinte loneliness.
Quint: And that comes across in the films. That's actually something I really like in both Omen sequels. Damien isn't flat out evil. He's conflicted about his destiny and doesn't fully embrace it. I was pleasantly surprised going into both sequels because at the end of the first movie I just kind of expected the sequels to be about evil Damien.
Sam Neill: They had to give it a whole new spin, really. The first one's a very good film, I think and anytime you have a child who is mysteriously very evil and capable of terrible things that's very scary. It's not so scary when it's a grown up because lots of grown ups do bad stuff.
Quint: Right. Making Damien someone the audience can sympathize with is a pretty hefty challenge. I mean, if anybody's going into a sequel to The Omen they know the main character is essentially Satan. I don't know, that's something I love about movies... you can force an audience to empathize with someone or something in a way they probably never would in real life.
Sam Neill: Sympathy with the devil.
Quint: The next movie I want to bring up is one of my favorites. I don't think it's talked about nearly as much as it should be: In the Mouth of Madness.
Sam Neill: It does have a small, but loyal following.
Quint: I've noticed that following is growing. I mentioned on Twitter just before the interview that was revisiting it and I got a whole lot of responses from other fans.
Sam Neill: I think it's one of John (Carpenter)'s better films. I love John. He's a very interesting character. It was a curiously relaxing film to do because I could go wherever I wanted with it. It was hilarious fun. I was just talking about Mouth of Madness today with (a fellow actor) who is playing a character in this film I'm doing now that comes under severe pressure and goes a little bit (crazy). That was the best fun with Mouth of Madness, all that stuff where he's in a padded cell covered in crosses. You don't get to do that every day.
Quint: Well, most of us don't, anyway. It's a great arc because your character in the movie starts off as such a cocksure dude at the beginning and all that slowly crumbles as the movie goes on, leading to that great ending. Now, I saw that when it was released and I vividly remember being creeped out by the very meta imagery of you watching yourself on screen... while I was watching you on screen! It made an impression on me, that's for sure.
Sam Neill: (laughs) It's unusual, that's for sure.
Quint: You worked with John before that, right? You were in Memoirs of an Invisible Man.
Sam Neill: That's right.
Quint: By the time you got to Madness, had you developed a shorthand with him? Obviously, it sounds like you get along with him as a person, but to come back and work with him again shows that you also trust him as a filmmaker.
Sam Neill: If John Carpenter asks you to do something you do it! I was pleased that he wanted to work with me again. It's always nice when they pick up the phone a second time.
Quint: I keep mentioning character actors, but Madness is another one that is just filled with fantastic faces. In the first five minutes there's David Warner and John Glover and later on Charlton Heston...
Sam Neill: Charlton Heston, yeah. It must have been Heston's last films, I think. I don't know an awful lot about his career, but I think he retired fairly soon after that, didn't he?
Quint: He definitely slowed down. I think he did some voicework and day player jobs. Since every scene of Heston in Madness takes place in his office, I imagine you guys shot him out pretty quickly, yeah?
Sam Neill: He wasn't there for very long, but long enough to tell great stories about Ben Hur and the westerns he made and that kind of stuff. I love working with people who have been around. He had splendid stories to tell about the stuff he had done.
Quint: Had you ever gotten to work or meet Ernie Borgnine?
Sam Neill: Never, unfortunately.
Quint: I was lucky enough to talk with him a bit before he passed and he was exactly like that. He had boisterous stories from all points in his career. With the slightest provocation he'd jump into a story, like about Frank Sinatra on the set of From Here to Eternity.
Sam Neill: Years ago, when I was doing Omen in London, it was my first movie away from Australia or New Zealand, and I was staying in a little hotel in Piccadilly and I was climbing the stairs to my room and a small man came down the stairs with his wife. I did a double take and it just came out of me. I said, “Oh my God! Shit! It's Eli Wallach!” He said, “Hello, hello!” and sort of passed on. I felt an idiot. That's as close as I got to having a talk with Eli Wallach.
Quint: I actually met him once. He came through Austin while promoting his autobiography and did a screening of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The dude's still sharp and he must be in his 90s. So maybe you'll have another chance encounter with Eli Wallach!
Sam Neill: I'd like to read his autobiography, actually.
Quint: It's really good! It's called The Good, the Bad and Me.
Sam Neill: Speaking of bad guys... How could anyone be as bad as Eli Wallach? He sets the bar high.
Quint: You can tell that in a weird, disturbing way he's really enjoying himself when he plays a baddie.
Sam Neill: That's the key to any good bad guy. If he's miserable it's not much fun at all, but if he's really having a good time being bad, how fun is that?
Quint: I remember he told a story about Leone insisting that Tuco had his gun on a string around his arm instead of a holster. He said that Leone kept trying to get him to do this thing where he'd kind of twitch his arm and pull the gun up to his hand, but every time he'd try it he'd miss the gun and it's swing right into his nuts.
Sam Neill: (laughs)
Quint: Needless to say, he didn't do that very much in the movie. Going back to Carpenter, one thing I wanted to bring up is his talent for visual storytelling. Composition, framing, blocking... he's a master...
Sam Neill: And he hasn't made enough movies lately. He should be making one every year!
Quint: If I was the God of Movies that would happen. I don't know, maybe one of us needs to hit the lottery or something and we can start the Carpenter Film Fund.
Sam Neill: Yeah.
Quint: You've worked with a lot of really great visual storytellers. John McTiernan's another one that comes to mind.
Sam Neill: Yeah, and John McTiernan is in jail at the moment, which is really upsetting and disturbing to me. I'd really like to see him out of there.
Quint: I don't know too much about his case other than it involved tapping phones and stuff, but just selfishly as a movie fan I want to see him out and making movies.
Sam Neill: It just seems completely disproportionate. I don't know a lot about the case myself, but it just seems wildly disproportionate that he's spending a long time in jail. My God, it's ridiculous!
Quint: I know there's petitions and stuff for him to be released. Again, I don't know too much about it, so I don't want to scream “Let him out!” and then find out he really did something crazy, but my understanding is it wasn't violent or anything.
Sam Neill: It just seems wildly disproportionate. But, like you, I'm not an expert in jurisprudence.
Quint: So, let's talk about the good ol' days, then! What I love about The Hunt for Red October, besides the fact that it's such a great idea for a thriller in the first place, is that John McTiernan as a filmmaker was kind of riding at his highest when making the movie. He seemed to be at his peak. Every directorial decision reeks of confidence. Could you talk a little bit about working with him on the movie?
Sam Neill: It's a movie that's immaculately cast. You're halfway there if you do that. To have Sean (Connery) as the Captain and Alec Baldwin, who is phenomenal... I have to tell you, it wasn't the best fun to make because we were on an all male set! (laughs) It was on a Russian submarine with a lot of blokes and all the crew were male, for some reason, so it was like being in some awful locker room for about 6 weeks.
Tim Curry was on board, people like that...
Quint: I'm a huge fan of his, too.
Sam Neill: I don't think they'd allow this now, but Tim and I went out on an American nuclear sub for a weekend before we started filming.
Quint: Really?
Sam Neill: We're not even American nationals! They just asked the submarine cast “Does anybody want to go on a nuclear sub for the weekend?” I said, “Yeah! You bet!” No one else volunteered, just me and Tim Curry from memory. What a fascinating experience. Post 9/11 I don't think they'd offer that anymore. It was a real privilege.
Quint: What did you guys do? Was it exciting for a few hours and then you realized you're stuck in a metal tube for two days?
Sam Neill: We had a whole weekend submerged! I got to steer the submarine...
Quint: No, really?!?
Sam Neill: Yeah! We got to see most of the submarine. There were parts of the sub where there were armed Marines. That was kind of interesting. They said, “I'm sorry, sir. You cannot go beyond this point.” I said, “Absolutely fine by me!” (laughs) You can't argue with an armed Marine.
Quint: Especially when you have no place to hide. Good call.
Sam Neill: It was cool. I got a cabin to myself, all that stuff. It was brilliant!
Quint: Did that help you in any way prepare for the actual film or did that end up just being a fun perk of the gig?
Sam Neill: Well, Tim Curry and I were the experts onboard. We'd done it! (laughs)
Quint: You mentioned Mr. Connery. Considering you played his righthand man, almost every scene you have is with him. Much like McTiernan as a director, Connery strikes me as a guy that just exudes confidence. Was he a fun guy to act with or did he take everything really seriously?
Sam Neill: I was a little bit awed by him, to be honest. You don't feel entirely relaxed in his company. He's a little bit scary! I found him a little bit scary, but I learned an awful lot from him.
Quint: In what way?
Sam Neill: You know, watching what he does with the camera. It's very interesting to see how he works. He's a consummate professional. There's always something to learn and there's a lot to learn from someone like Sean.
I don't play golf. His principal interest is golf. I despise golf. I cannot think of anything I'd sooner not do, so we didn't really have any sport in common.
Quint: But you did have a profession.
Sam Neill: We had a profession, yeah. I think there was a certain amount of mutual respect. There was a great amount of respect on my part and some respect on his. I'd like to think so, anyway.
Quint: You both had to speak Russian together, so there's that as well.
Sam Neill: You know when the submarine is being towed out of the harbor at the beginning?
Quint: Yeah.
Sam Neill: We spent two or three days on the top of that conning tower. That was a build. They built that submarine... and it sank! Not when we were on board, but it sank and they had to cut it loose! It was being towed for some wide shots. That's what I heard. I'll confirm that from McTiernan once they let him go.
Quint: That's scary. At least it didn't sink when you were on it.
Sam Neill: Well... the rest could have been history
Quint: It would have been a hell of a way to go out.
Sam Neill: Save me, Sean! (laughs)
Quint: Before I let you go, we have to talk a little about Jurassic Park. It came out the summer I turned 12, which is the perfect age for a little boy to see that movie.
Sam Neill: My son was the same age. You're right.
Quint: You have Spielberg working his pop culture fantasy magic, which always speaks to kids anyway, and you add dinosaurs into the mix, which is like crack for young boys. So, that movie had a huge impact on me and it's one that still impresses me when I revisit it today. Every time I rewatch it I find myself blown away by the work Stan Winston and his team did with the dinosaurs, which actually helps make the early CG that much more impressive. The mixture of practical and CG helps hide the illusion and draws you into the world.
Sam Neill: I think that's absolutely right. Look, it's Stan's models, his puppets, that make the CGI work. Anybody can do whatever they want with CGI now, but mostly I just don't believe it. It always looks like CGI, but there's something about the three-dimensionality, the actuality of Stan's puppets which is so clever, so tactile and so real that you believe it when it cuts to something that's generated by a computer.
Quint: I think even people who don't know a whole lot about how movies are made still recognize when the illusion is executed well. There's no trick to something like Transformers, for instance. It could be amazingly detailed and perfectly conceived, but when you see it on the screen you know exactly how it got there, know what I mean?
Sam Neill: From an actor's point of view you get to a stage where you believe in them, too. There was a scene in Jurassic 3 where I'm surrounded by velociraptors. It looks like its curtains for Alan Grant. We took about a day to shoot that and each velociraptor had a team of puppeteers hiding in the bushes somewhere. I'd be standing around waiting for something to happen and I'd just catch a movement out of the corner of my eye. You'd turn around and one of them would look at you. They're moving all day. They were kind of standing around like I was, just waiting for something to happen... just kind of tapping their feet and winking at me. It was funny!
Quint: Funny? I'd find that terrifying! I know if I was in that situation that would trigger some primal fight or flight code buried deep in my DNA, some passed down memory of being hunted by a large predator.
Sam Neill: On the contrary, it's more like it's empathy from one actor to another. We're just actors waiting around. “Can we just get on with this? Or could we go off?” In my case it would be a tea break, in their case they'd go off and eat a chicken or something.
Quint: I totally get that and I think it's really nice of you to be thinking of your costars like that.
Sam Neill: (laughs)
Quint: So, let's talk about when you got the gig. It must have been an exciting project. You had to know leading an adventure film for somebody like Steven Spielberg was going to be a game-changer. Do you remember how you felt in those early days, before you started shooting, but after you got the role?
Sam Neill: I don't know if I ever saw it as a game-changer, but I was completely entranced with the idea of working with Spielberg. I still see myself as being fortunate in that regard to this day.
Quint: Thanks for your time, man. I really appreciate it.
Sam Neill: Eric, it's been a pleasure.
There are a myriad of films I would have loved to have discussed with Mr. Neill (Dead Calm, The Piano, Event Horizon, Daybreakers and A Cry in the Dark all jump to mind) and I ran out of time on my Jurassic Park geek-out, but I can't complain. I really enjoyed myself and I hope that comes across.
Thanks for reading along!
-Eric Vespe
”Quint”
[email protected]
Follow Me On Twitter | {
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Ninjas in Pyjamas CEO Per Lilliefelth has come out in defence of Emil "HeatoN" Christensen following the organisation's alleged accounting violations.
Earlier in the week, a report by Aftonbladet Esport revealed that the ex-owners of Ninjas in Pyjamas, including Emil "HeatoN" Christensen, are to stand trial over accounting irregularities which occurred when the organisation was owned by former parent company Stockholm E-Sport Produktion AB.
HeatoN and the other two former owners - who remain anonymous - are accused of failing to pay employment tax on the salaries of NiP's players. The issue was brought to the authorities by an auditor who requested a financial statement from Stockholm E-Sport Produktion AB, which sold its assets to a new company, called Ninjas in Pyjamas AB, before filing for bankruptcy.
HeatoN was unaware of the state of NiP's finances, insists Per Lilliefelth
The scandal will not affect NiP's current operations, stressed HeatoN, who told police that it was one of the other owners who was responsible for managing the company's finances.
And Per Lilliefelth has now leapt to the defence of HeatoN sharing new details about the finances of the organisation back then and revealing that one of the other former owners was embezzling money from the company.
"Nobody thought that the business side of NiP performed any worse than the team as the CEO kept on running the business," he wrote. "The revenue during this period was not enough to keep the business running in the company, which at this time was Stockholms Esport Produktion AB. "The money coming in was simply not enough to send the team around the world to compete. As the team won and prize money coming in, the CEO did not pay taxes in order to keep the money so he could keep the organization running. A negative spiral begun, which only the CEO had knowledge of. Emil was kept in the dark. Current management does not believe this happened out of bad intentions or that it was even planned, the team was just not profitable enough. "This continued through 2012 and 2013, until Emil eventually found out in 2014. The story of the discovery might be amusing to some, but it left Emil alone in potential disaster. One day, the CEO at the time texted Emil to inform he that he was hospitalized and hard to reach. As a result of this Emil gained access to the bank to take control to make sure the team ran smoothly during this period. He got access to the bank, where he discovered that his unfaithful partner was healthy and spending the team money in Thailand. "Emil was fortunate enough to discover this in time, and a friend of his initiated a rescue to save NiP. There was no time to loose in order to make sure the players received their salaries and were able to play for the fans. "During this process Diglife came in and funded a new company, Ninjas in Pyjamas Gaming AB at the end of February 2014. This was done in order to save NiP and provide Emil with tools to continue building his passion, NiP and electronic sports."
You can read Per Lilliefelth's full statement on the issue by clicking here. | {
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Sinatra the husky was found in Florida 18 months after vanishing in New York. Here's the remarkable story of how he got home. | {
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When it comes to one of the most high-profile issues before the Legislature — medical aid in dying — most House members are remaining silent about their position.
Civil Beat called all 51 members to find out where they stood on a bill to let doctors prescribe lethal drugs to terminally ill patients after the Health Committee, chaired by Rep. Della Au Belatti, shelved it last month without a vote. The Senate had passed it two weeks earlier, 22-3.
More than 30 representatives did not return messages seeking information about whether they support or oppose aid-in-dying legislation.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
The seven-member committee’s indefinite deferral of Senate Bill 1129 kept the measure from reaching a floor vote by the full House. This lets lawmakers who fear political repercussions, like religious groups mobilizing their constituents to oust them next election, dodge the issue altogether or talk about it in terms that still leave their position vague.
“There was a reluctance in the House to take on a controversial issue. That’s my read on it,” said Mary Steiner of Compassion & Choices, a national nonprofit that advocates for expanding options at the end of life.
“People are dying, people are needing medical aid in dying, and I personally feel terrible that we weren’t able to help them this year,” she said.
Steiner and other supporters of the bill plan to press skittish House lawmakers to reconsider the measure next legislative session, or perhaps the following year.
The support might already be there.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Interviews with lawmakers, lobbyists and others who fought for and against the bill indicate that a majority in the House — perhaps as many as 31 members — may now support the concept of medical aid in dying, which is also referred to as physician-assisted suicide and death with dignity.
But ultimately, the overwhelmingly Democratic chamber’s power brokers decided it was too soon for Hawaii and had concerns about adequate safeguards to prevent abuse.
Majority Leader Scott Saiki, who supports medical aid in dying, said he did not poll House members to gauge their support but thinks it’s roughly split in the middle.
“It’s the kind of issue that is so complex, but also emotional, and it’s really up to the members to decide for themselves how they want to vote on a bill like this,” Saiki said. “Who am I to ask a member to vote a certain way on an issue like this?”
Lawmakers still felt pressure. Groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Democratic Party were urging them to pass the bill. The Roman Catholic Church, the hospice care industry and others were opposed.
The medical community was split. And experts on both sides acknowledged holes in the legislation.
A Bill ‘Beyond Repair’
The House Health Committee received almost 800 pages of written testimony and heard from concerned citizens and representatives of various organizations for more than three hours during its March 23 hearing, even after limiting public comment to one minute per person.
Ultimately, the votes weren’t there to pass it out of the committee, which includes Belatti, and Reps. Marcus Oshiro, Andria Tupola, Bert Kobayashi, Sharon Har, Dee Morikawa and Chris Todd.
Belatti, like many of her House colleagues, including Kobayashi and Todd, said she supports the concept of medical aid in dying but could not back the bill in its present form or find a way to amend it that would alleviate concerns about insufficient safeguards.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
“With something of this significance, when you have testimony from agencies that are weak, and that don’t show a complete commitment to this policy decision that is so important, the committee was within its rights to kind of slow this process down,” she said.
There are lessons Hawaii can learn from the five other states that have such a law, she said, adding that moving the measure through the legislative process over the past two months has helped further a broader public discussion that will continue after this session ends in May.
The bill was based on Oregon’s law, which was enacted in 1997. Senate Bill 1129 would have allowed “mentally competent adult residents who have a terminal illness with a confirmed prognosis of six or fewer months to live to voluntarily request and receive a prescription medication for self-administration so that they can die in a peaceful, humane manner.”
A similar measure, House Bill 201, was introduced by Speaker Joe Souki and Reps. Jarrett Keohokalole, Angus McKelvey, Scott Nishimoto and Saiki. It never received a hearing. That was also the case for House Bill 550, introduced by Reps. Calvin Say and Ken Ito.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Heading into the Health Committee hearing, many political observers assumed Belatti, Todd, Morikawa and Kobayashi would pass the bill. But as the hours wore on, Todd and Morikawa shifted their positions. In the end, even Belatti and Kobayashi were not sold on it.
“I really hope that the public recognizes that this bill was really considered by the House members and the decision to defer was not made lightly,” Saiki said.
Oshiro and Tupola opposed the bill, and generally oppose medical aid in dying. Har did not return messages seeking comment but lawmakers and lobbyists considered her a “no” vote. Their questioning of experts focused on potential dangers.
Morikawa, who did respond to requests for comment, said during the hearing that she grew up supporting euthanasia. But life experiences, including the deaths of her parents from cancer, have caused her to question her stance.
“I’m torn with this decision,” she said. “I think that what we need to do is work more on this if this is what we want to do.”
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Tupola, one of five Republicans in the House, cited Dr. Rae Seitz’s testimony in a statement she put out supporting the deferral of the bill. Har, too, noted Seitz’s comments as compelling. Seitz, a palliative care expert who supports the concept of medical aid in dying, told the committee that “Hawaii’s health care community is not yet prepared.”
“I was concerned with the bill because of issues with death certificate accuracy, no mandate that the medication be taken in a controlled environment with a witness, lack of enforcement and no definition for ‘self-administration,’” Tupola said.
Oshiro echoed those concerns, describing the bill as “beyond repair.”
“I take this seriously. It’s literally life and death,” he said.
He explained how hard it was for him to not support the measure. Before the hearing, Oshiro said he gave John Radcliffe a hug and apologized to him for not being able to back the bill despite their decades-long working relationship.
Radcliffe, a longtime lobbyist and arguably one of the most influential figures at the Capitol, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and has been fighting to get the legislation passed with the support of Compassion & Choices.
They are also pushing the matter in court, though that lawsuit is not expected to be decided for months or even years if it is appealed. They sued the state, seeking to clarify whether there are laws prohibiting medical aid in dying and if there are, whether they violate the state constitution.
Policy Not Made On Personal Stories
For those House lawmakers who did respond to Civil Beat’s requests for comment, their views on medical aid in dying were largely shaped by morals, matters of protocol, personal experiences and in some cases, miracles.
“I’ll tell you straight up: I believe in miracles,” Rep. Romy Cachola said. “That’s the reason why I’m against it, because there’s a lot of miracles happening. A person diagnosed to be only a few months away (from death), before you know it they’re recovered and are really contributing members of society.”
“It’s just a common sense thing to do,” Rep. Kaniela Ing said. “I generally think people want to make sure that they retain as much control of their end of life and in order for them to do so we need to pass this sort of compassionate legislation.”
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Staff members fielded calls for other lawmakers. Rep. Lynn DeCoite’s secretary said she defers to the committee chair when voting. Rep. Justin Woodson’s assistant said he would prefer not to comment. And Rep. Cedric Gates’ office worker said he didn’t have time to talk about the bill.
Lawmakers’ concerns mostly centered around the safeguards and a series of “what-if” scenarios. Should a witness be present when the lethal medication is taken by the patient? What qualifications should the medical professionals giving the terminal diagnosis have? How are records kept?
Belatti said it was the Legislature’s job to “balance the right to choose with protecting those who are most vulnerable…There must be a broader discussion about safeguards and oversight to this ‘aid in dying’ proposal.”
Her fellow committee members and those who offered testimony gave Belatti credit for hearing the bill, allowing her colleagues to ask their questions and ensuring time for discussion with the experts and concerned parties who attended. She could have just killed it by not giving it a hearing.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Even if the bill had passed the Health Committee, there was still another hurdle before it could go to a vote by the full House.
Its next stop would have been the Judiciary Committee, chaired by Nishimoto. Its 11 members include Belatti, Oshiro and Morikawa.
The other seven members — Reps. Joy San Buenaventura, Tom Brower, Aaron Ling Johanson, Chris Lee, Mark Nakashima, Bob McDermott and Cynthia Thielen — are mixed on the issue.
Buenaventura said she supports the concept of medical aid in dying, but hadn’t looked at the bill yet.
McDermott, a conservative Republican, opposed the bill.
“It’s not for man to decide when life begins or ends,” he said. “Everyone has a story of a family member who has died a slow death, and I have my own story, but we don’t make policy based on anecdotal stories. I’ve seen firsthand how pain medicine works, and it takes the pain away.”
A Matter Of Timing
This was the farthest medical-aid-in-dying legislation has made it in the Hawaii Legislature since 2002, when a similar measure cleared the House but died in the Senate Health Committee.
Senate Bill 1129 is technically still alive.
House rules allow a bill to be “recalled” from a committee 20 days after it was referred to that committee if one-third of the chamber’s members vote in favor of the recall. But Saiki said a recall is not going to happen this session because it would “shortcut” the process.
Back in 2002, the Senate recalled a death-with-dignity bill after the Health Committee deferred it. But when it went down to the full chamber, senators voted against it 14-11.
Saiki said passing the bill next session could be “a little bit problematic,” since 2018 is an election year. But he said the interim should be spent in the medical community working to shore up support.
“I remain optimistic” that aid in dying will eventually pass, he said. “It’s just a matter of timing.”
For Steiner, too, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when.”
“This is an issue that is going to come back again and again until it passes,” she said. “We really thought that this was going to be the year for medical aid in dying in Hawaii. It’s unfortunate that our hard work did not pay off this year.”
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Several lawmakers and lobbyists said it felt similar to when the Legislature took up gay marriage in a 2013 special session. That bill passed after groundwork was laid in years prior to legalize same-sex civil unions.
“People here are still sensitive to the gay marriage thing. That still has some echoes,” said Rep. Richard Creagan, a medical doctor who supports death with dignity.
“It’s not taking rights away from people,” he said. “It’s just giving rights to people.”
Colin Moore, a political science professor at the University of Hawaii, said he was surprised the bill did not pass this year. He thought it had momentum coming out of the Senate and broad community support.
“The state Legislature is always a very cautious body despite being a one-party state,” he said. “But their level of caution does creep on the level of cowardice. That’s troubling to me. This is their job. They are elected to make these difficult decisions.”
Here’s the list of lawmakers who did not return Civil Beat’s messages seeking comment for this story, with links to their Capitol websites which include contact information. | {
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A pair of fights between up-and-coming prospects has been added to the Nov. 10 UFC Denver Fight Night card.
Mike Trizano, who won the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in July, is going to take on Luis Pena in a lightweight bout. Trizano (7-0) won a split-decision over Joe Giannetti to win the show’s lightweight tournament. Pena (5-0) was also on the show but suffered a foot injury in the quarterfinals.
Also added is a fight between light heavyweights Alonzo Menifield and Saparbeg Safarov. Menifield (7-0) earned a contract on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series after beating DaShawn Boatwright with an eight-second technical knockout. Safarov (8-2) began his mixed-martial arts career undefeated but has lost his two matches since joining the UFC in December 2016.
The event marks the 25th anniversary of UFC 1, which took place Nov. 12, 1993 at Denver’s McNichols Sports Arena.
UFC Fight Night card | {
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“Frankly, the Calgary game to me represented everything I have come to know about this team and what we need to do to improve upon it,” Fletcher said. “... I don’t question the heart of this team at all, but we just found a way to shoot ourselves in the foot and made it really hard on ourselves. We’ve got to close that game out, and that’s the mind-set, that’s the attitude [needed]." | {
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If you're a fan of the Seattle Sounders, you owe Adrian Hanauer a little something. The businessman became managing partner of the squad in 2002, eventually attracting investors like Paul Allen and getting the team into MLS. So if the Sounders make you happy, how bout you do Hanauer a favor and buy his Leschi 3-BR for $3.985. The 5,350 sq. ft. Northwest Contemporary is situated on 46 feet of Lake Washington waterfront and the painting-laden home features tons of amenities including a substantial master suite, grand foyer, NanaWalls on two levels, a home theater, spa, dock and outdoor kitchen.
· 1130 Lakeside Ave S [Estately] | {
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Tuesday’s Rugby News
Tuesday’s rugby news has some big names returning for the Brumbies, Hunt given the nod at 10, a second place finish for the Women’s Sevens team and Wales criticised for their concussion protocols.
Pocock and Moore set for comeback The Brumbies will be boosted in their Super Rugby season opener as coach Stephen Larkham has announced that “everyone is available for selection,” including former Wallaby captains Stephen Moore and Davis Pocock. Moore was surprisingly named fit to make his long-awaited return from an ACL injury suffered in his first Test as captain against France in June last year. Moore has progressed “ahead of schedule” and surpassed expectations that he would miss the first few rounds of Super Rugby. Larkham has not revealed whether the 92-Test stalwart will start in the No.2 jersey, or on the bench behind Josh Mann-Rea.
Hunt given 10 jersey The Reds will start the Super Rugby season with the code-hopping Karmichael Hunt at the five-eighth position, with Richard Graham preferring Hunt to 2013 Wallabies No. 10 James O’Connor and rookie Duncan Paia’aua. “Karmichael was very clear in his communication, was decisive and as a consequence we got on the front foot,” Graham said of Hunt’s trial match against the Crusaders. While Graham prefers his prospects on the wing, O’Connor was also a full participant in training and he appears to have recovered from a knee injury he sustained in France in late December.
Women’s Sevens lose close final The Australian Women’s Sevens team has suffered a narrow loss to New Zealand (17-10) in the Cup Final at the Brazil Sevens. The Aussie team put in a spirited second half display with two tries but could not overcome a 10-0 half-time deficit. “We had our chances and we can only learn from these losses,” said coach Tim Walsh. “Despite I think being the better team, we did not get the result we deserved.” With two legs of the six round series gone, Australia are second in the World Series standings – with the top four securing automatic qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. | {
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Backed by the White House, corn-state governors and solid blocks on both sides of Congress’s partisan divide, the politics of biofuels could hardly look sunnier. The economics of the American drive to increase ethanol in the energy supply are more discouraging.
American corn-based ethanol is expensive. And while it can help cut oil imports and provide modest reductions in greenhouse gases compared to conventional gasoline, corn ethanol also carries considerable risks. Even now as Europe and China join the United States in ramping up production, world food prices are rising, threatening misery for the poorest countries.
The European Union has announced that it wants to replace 10 percent of its transport fuel with biofuels by 2020. China is aiming for a 15 percent share. The United States is already on track to exceed Congress’s 2005 goal of doubling the amount of ethanol used in motor fuels to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012. In his State of the Union speech in January, President Bush set a new goal of 35 billion gallons of biofuels by 2017. In June, the Senate raised it to 36 billion gallons by 2022. Of that, Congress said that 15 billion gallons should come from corn and 21 billion from advanced biofuels that are nowhere near commercial production.
The distortions in agricultural production are startling. Corn prices are up about 50 percent from last year, while soybean prices are projected to rise up to 30 percent in the coming year, as farmers have replaced soy with corn in their fields. The increasing cost of animal feed is raising the prices of dairy and poultry products. | {
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Molten leading (or, fluid line-height) Epilogue The technique described here became known as CSS locks. It is theoretically interesting for all kinds of properties (not only line spacing), but its usefulness is limited because we can't efficiently query elements — and tying single elements' dynamism to media queries causes difficulty. See also, Chris Coyier's summary of the math, and this brief Shop Talk Show exchange we had.
This is not a demo. I’m only explaining a need as I see it. I don’t have the JS chops to make it real. Maybe you do?
Updates
Original post
When a responsive composition meets a viewport, there are different ways to fill space. What interests me most here is a fundamental triadic relationship in typesetting — that of a text’s font size, line height, and line length. Adjusting any one of these elements without also adjusting the others is a recipe for uncomfortable reading, which is one reason designers have such a difficult time with fluid web layout.
One way to fill space is to scale text while keeping its proportions intact. This preserves the size/leading/measure relationship, and can work really well for some experiences (see Mark Hurrell’s post on orientation and fluid grids). But an increase in font size can be jarring to readers; A larger font size affects reading distance comfort. If I were to rotate my iPad while reading, and the text scaled up, I can imagine needing to hold the device a few inches farther away as a result. This is not what designers want to have happen to text intended for reading. In retrospect, this was a bad example. Some designers and readers may not want this to happen, but others epxect rotating a device to scale the type.
Another way to fill space is to use fluid widths. The problem in this case is that CSS line-height is tied to font-size , which is rooted in browser font sizing and environmental resolution, while line length is based on width , which is rooted in viewport dimensions. So a carefully balanced relationship among font size, line height, and line length easily breaks down. We end up with line lengths that feel too long, font sizes that seem too small, line spacing that feels too tight or loose.
What we need is a fluid way to set line height. Web designers should be able to define line height as a range, like we do with min- and max-width . I made a simple page to visualize how I’m thinking about this. Molten leading would maintain a specific font-size while adjusting line-height based on width. In other words, I would essentially like to tween a paragraph from this:
width: 15em; line-height: 1.3;
To this:
width: 36em; line-height: 1.4;
So that it would be possible to find line height dynamically at any given point in between:
width: 30em; line-height: 1.371428571;
To find that line-height value, I used this formula: ((current width − min-width)/(max-width − min-width)) × (line-height − min-line-height) + min-line-height = line-height. With actual values, that’s: ((30em−15em)/(36em−15em)) × (1.4−1.3) + 1.3 = 1.371428571.
What I’m not sure about is how to get the min/max widths of an element that are needed for this formula. If CSS authors routinely defined elements’ min-width , max-width , line-height , and some kind of min-line-height , that’d of course be ideal for this:
p { max-width: 36rem; min-width: 15rem; line-height: 1.4; -js-min-line-height: 1.3; }
But that’s not always practical. Often, the width limits of a given text block will be determined by percentage-based inheritance (66% of the parent element, which is 85% of its parent element…). It’d take some box model math to identify those narrow/wide limits. A script would have to figure out, for a given element, how wide/narrow can this grow?
If it’s possible to glean that information from existing CSS rules, then the only thing designers would need to define explicitly is a minimum line height. That value could be passed as a function argument, or maybe found in the CSS by looking for that -js-min-line-height rule in my example above.
This feels like a step toward more natural typographic behavior on the web. I’m just not sure where to go from here.
Also, for what it’s worth, Andy Clarke talked about this in 2010. His solution was to use media queries:
Type tip: As the width of the measure (line width) becomes wider, leading (line-height) should be increased to aid readability. How can we solve this, and adjust the amount of leading as the width of a browser window changes? With CSS3 Media Queries.
What I’m talking about is augmenting CSS with range rules (effectively, min/max line-height) that don’t yet exist, but should for the sake of fluidity. | {
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If Aamir Khan wants, he can give challenge to the Indian government for removing the word ‘Satyamev Jayate’ from the monuments and Indian currency.
According to the cgkhabar.com, Aamir Khan has patented the name of his show ‘Satyamev Jayate’. Aamir Khan can give challenge anyone on using this word and also demand compensation for this because of this patent.
Subhash Mahapatra of Bhavaneshwar has given petition in the local court against Aamir Khan for this.
Aamir Khan is not present in the court on this petition and his lawyer take another date again and again.
Now ‘Satyamev Jayate’ is also shown in China apart from India. Although, in China the name of the show will be same or not, it is not confirmed.
Uday Shankar, who is the CEO of Star India has given the information that the rights of this show are also given to a Chinese company. | {
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It has become cliché to say that it’s hard to find a good defenceman in the NHL. That belief obscures a far more interesting and useful truth: Good defencemen are often available, and at a far lower acquisition cost than they should be.
The reason would appear to be that NHL teams are still sorting out for themselves what makes a good defenceman.
Brent Burns is a good example of the trend. Burns, a second-team all-star last season and the most-used defenceman on the San Jose Sharks, was traded at the age of 26, right in the heart of his career.
It’s tempting to think the Wild didn’t know what they were giving up, but given that Burns had scored 17 goals and averaged more than 25 minutes per game the year they traded him, it’s hard to excuse the deal in which they acquired Charlie Coyle. Burns also dramatically outperformed the Wild average in terms of shot metrics (Corsi and Fenwick). Even the Sharks, beneficiaries of the deal, took years to realize Burns was best as a defenceman rather than a right winger.
Anton Stralman is another famous recent example of miscalculation by an NHL team. An analytics darling going back to his time in Columbus, he bounced around the league and was let go by the New York Rangers in the summer of 2014. Tampa Bay signed him to a five-year deal as an unrestricted free agent at the insanely low cap hit of $4.5 million, and he’s been an exceptional top-pair defender with the Bolts ever since.
Montreal’s Jeff Petry fits the bill, too. His career started in Edmonton and from a young age he had the thankless job of playing top-pairing matchups on the worst team in the NHL. That obscured his value and at the 2015 trade deadline the Canadiens were able to get him for a song (a second-round pick). He’s now playing all situations and more than 22 minutes per night as that team’s second most-used defender.
If these sound like aberrations, they are not. Most defencemen playing top-four minutes in the league today were acquired via trade or free agency, rather than being homegrown prospects their teams developed.
Here’s a look at how every defender playing top four minutes in the NHL was acquired by their current team:
No. 1 defencemen are the hardest players to acquire, but they can be had. Sometimes, it involves a willingness to pony up cash, as was the case with Ryan Suter in Minnesota and Zdeno Chara in Boston. Other times, it’s a function of the salary cap. Salary concerns forced Chicago to part with Dustin Byfuglien and Nick Leddy, both of whom lead their current teams in average ice-time.
Outside that No. 1 position, NHL teams really don’t have much excuse for failure to find talent. Half of all No. 2-3 defencemen landed with their current teams after a trade or July 1 signing — and more than two-thirds of No. 4 defencemen were not drafted by their current teams.
The difficulty isn’t that players aren’t available. The real trouble is figuring out which players will be able to handle top-four minutes, identifying the Petrys and Stralmans and separating them from poorer contracts like the ones handed to Kevin Bieksa or Brooks Orpik.
The obvious name out there right now is Jacob Trouba, the young Winnipeg defenceman who is one of three tremendous right-shot options the Jets have on the back end. Trouba’s shot metrics over his first three NHL seasons point to a player who isn’t a guaranteed No. 1 defenceman, but one who should certainly evolve into a top-pair guy and might end up being a cornerstone piece.
Another commonly cited name as potentially available is Dougie Hamilton, whose shot metrics are incredible. When he’s on the ice, Calgary out-shoots the opposition 55-45 (shots and missed shots); when he’s off the ice the Flames get out-shot 54-46 by the same metric. He’s big, fast and an excellent offensive player.
Anaheim has a surplus of defencemen, particularly with Shea Theodore constantly pushing for minutes. Something has to give there and increasingly it looks like Cam Fowler won’t be the one to move. Either Hampus Lindholm or Josh Manson would be a great addition to any NHL blue line, with Lindholm in particular boasting underlying numbers that scream elite-level talent.
On the cheap side of the spectrum, Edmonton’s Brandon Davidson is an interesting possibility. He is young, was excellent in any situation last season, boasts a varied skillset and is an obvious potential casualty to expansion. The trouble with him is that there isn’t a long track record to assess.
Free agency is pretty shallow past the obvious names (Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner) but Cody Franson remains intriguing. He has obvious weaknesses (speed) but he’s big, has long experience against tough opponents and has offensive abilities that haven’t been given much of a chance buried behind Rasmus Ristolainen and Zach Bogosian. On a low-risk contract, Franson could very well impress.
The point in all of this is that there are defensive options out there. It’s just a matter of finding them. | {
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イタリアのサルビーニ副首相は、欧州にとって本当の敵はユンケル欧州委員長と欧州連合（ＥＵ）の官僚らだと名指し、予算に制限をかけ開かれた国境を推進していると非難した。この発言を受け、イタリアの国債と株式は急落した。
イタリアのサルビーニ副首相とフランスの極右政党・国民戦線（ＦＮ）のマリーヌ・ルペン党首（８日） Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg
サルビーニ氏は８日、ローマで開かれたイベントにフランスのマリーヌ・ルペン極右政党・国民戦線（ＦＮ）党首と同席し、雇用創出に注力する勢力とユンケル委員長やモスコビシ欧州委員（経済・財務・税制担当）ら緊縮財政を優先する勢力は来年の欧州議会選挙で対戦すると述べた。
サルビーニ氏は「ブリュッセルの塹壕（ざんごう）にこもっているユンケル氏やモスコビシ氏ら欧州の敵と、われわれは闘っている」と述べ、「過去数年間の緊縮政策はイタリアの債務を増やし、イタリアを貧しくした」と続けた。
イタリアの政権幹部がＥＵの基本原則を攻撃する新たな戦線を敷いたことを受け、金融市場の圧力は増している。８日の市場で同国10年債利回りは2014年以来初めてとなる3.5％を突破し、3.63％まで上昇した。ロンドン時間午後２時６分時点では前週末比16ベーシスポイント（ｂｐ、１ｂｐ＝0.01％）上昇の3.59％。主要株価指数のＦＴＳＥ・ＭＩＢ指数は2017年４月以来の安値に低下した。
欧州委員会ではモスコビシ委員とドムブロフスキス副委員長（金融安定・金融サービス担当）がイタリアのトリア財務相に宛てた書簡で、財政赤字を国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）の2.4％とする同国の予算案について、財政の軌道から「大きく逸脱」していると指摘した。サルビーニ氏と共に副首相を務めるディマイオ氏はこの批判に動ぜず、反緊縮への賛同の声は欧州全体で強まるだろうと語った。
欧州の敵はユンケル欧州委員長やモスコビシ委員だと話すイタリアのサルビーニ副首相 Source: Bloomberg)
原題： Salvini Says Juncker’s Austerity Regime Europe’s Real Enemy (2)（抜粋）
Italian Markets Convulse After Budget Standoff With EU Deepens | {
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Following an increasing number of allegations of ill-treatment of children in Israeli military detention, UNICEF conducted a review of practices related to children who come into contact with the military detention system, from apprehension, to court proceedings and outcome. The report gives 38 recommendations for improving the protection of children.
It is understood that in no other country are children systematically tried by juvenile military courts that, by definition, fall short of providing the necessary guarantees to ensure respect for their rights. All children prosecuted for offenses they allegedly committed should be treated in accordance with international juvenile justice standards, which provide them with special protection.
The report has been assigned extra weight in the Israeli media because UNICEF is not one of the UN bodies regularly dismissed as having an anti-Israel bias. | {
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Major League Baseball’s developmental Arizona Fall League will see some changes this season: Most notably, the six teams will begin play in September rather than October so that prospects who don’t make the September call-up list can continue playing sooner rather than later. In addition, many restrictions regarding which players teams can send to play in Arizona have been lifted, at least for now.
With the changes on the field comes a change to the league’s overall brand. MLB unveiled an updated logo, rearranging and revising elements from the league’s previous logo (above). The new logo maintains a warm color palette, the “Arizona” typeface, and a blazing sun as the primary visual element, but introduces a dark blue and a kind of post card–style dimensionality to the overall look and feel.
Of course, any mention of the Arizona Fall League would be incomplete without mentioning the teams themselves, including my favorite, the Surprise Saguaros (which is both a great team name and a really good prank, if you could figure out how to pull it off).
The 2019 Arizona Fall League will debut September 17 and run through October 27.
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BEREA (92.3 The Fan) – When the season begins Joe Thomas will block for his 19th different starting quarterback since 2007.
Rookie DeShone Kizer hopes he’ll be his last.
Kizer will start Saturday night at Tampa Bay and he appears in line to get the nod Sept. 10 against Pittsburgh. The announcement comes a week after Thomas said that the rookie wasn’t ready to start.
“That guy’s seen quite a few quarterbacks obviously and my ultimate goal is for him to not see another one,” Kizer said. “And in order to do that, I’ve got to continue to show him the type of worker that I am and how much time I’m putting in off the field in my preparation and making sure he can go out and get the wins that he absolutely deserves.”
Head coach Hue Jackson has moved Kizer along gradually during training camp and in the preseason. He’s gone from the No. 3 QB off the bench to now starting.
“I think it’s the best way to do things,” Kizer said. “And this process that coach Jackson told me the first day I was drafted has been dead-on, straight-on. There’s been open communication, I’ve taken the gradual ride up and I think that it’s helped me big-time in my confidence in understanding the different positions, from being a rookie who was at rookie camp, working in with the ones, being a third quarterback and the second quarterback and first allowing me to grow in my confidence and be able to step out there now and potentially be the starting guy.”
No Regrets – Brock Osweiler’s days with the Browns appear to be numbered after Jackson’s decision Wednesday morning. If the warmups during Wednesday’s practice are any indication, maybe he should start packing now.
“I have no regret on anything that’s taken place since I’ve been here,” Osweiler said. “I truly believe I’ve laid everything out there on the table. I’m very proud of what I was able to show my teammates and the coaching staff.”
Osweiler will not play Saturday night because Jackson wants to “see these young guys” but he is holding out hope he still has a future in Cleveland.
“Until we have an official day one starter, I feel like I have a great opportunity here,” Osweiler said.
It’s likely that the Browns will begin heavily shopping Osweiler, if they haven’t already done so, before just cutting him and having to eat all of his $16 million salary.
Secondary Help – The Browns signed defensive back Christian Bryant Wednesday.
Bryant, a Cleveland native, former Glenville high school star, is officially in his second NFL season out of Ohio State.
Originally selected by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 draft, Bryant has appeared in 12 career games – 9 with the Rams in 2015 and 3 with the Cardinals in 2016.
Welcome Back – Running back Isaiah Crowell (groin), tight end David Njoku (ankle), defensive tackle Caleb Brantley (shoulder), OL Gabe Ikard (concussion), and CB Marcus Burley (facial laceration) returned to practice Wednesday.
Injury Report – DE Nate Orchard (groin), DE Cam Johnson (knee) did not practice Wednesday. | {
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– Tiggere sjikanert, slått og sparket etter NRK-dokumentar
Politiet undersøker opplysninger om at tiggere skal ha blitt utsatt for vold på åpen gate i Bergen.
Publisert Publisert 19. april 2017
REAKSJONER: Marcos Amano ved Robin Hood-huset i Bergen har snakket med tiggere etter tirsdagens Brennpunkt-dokumentar. Foto: Eirik Brekke | {
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In a serious breach of security, the private and confidential data of Pakistanis got compromised due to government officials sharing their passwords that were used to access NADRA data.
According to details shared with ProPakistani, the data breach occurred when NADRA gave access of its servers to Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), which wanted to digitize citizens’ data by linking CNICs with every other department, including but not limited to education, health, police and land registry.
There is currently no evidence available with ProPakistani whether a bigger dump of entire database was extracted or not
As part of the process, access to NADRA data was given to authorized users in different departments in Punjab, who then allegedly shared their credentials leading to data being extracted and being sold online for a nominal price.
Update:
We have noticed a video being shared on Whatsapp claiming that PITB and NADRA have been hacked and data has been leaked online, which is untrue according to the information we have right now.
Please note that the leakage of data through hacking and misuse of authorization (sharing your password with friends) are different types of breaches and must be distinguished accordingly.
So if someone tells you that PITB or NADRA are hacked, we can confirm that it’s untrue.
The information about Pakistani citizens sold online included names, addresses, driving licenses associated with CNIC numbers, criminal records, call details, location, whether or not someone has taken a loan and so on.
The data was sold in private groups on Facebook and Whatsapp as well as directly by those who have or had access to the system. In one case, call records of any cell phone number were being sold for Rs. 100 only.
NADRA says that it’s aware of the situation and claims that PITB was responsible for the safety of the data. It said that a deadline has already been given to the Punjab IT Board to resolve the matter.
Dr. Umar Saif, while speaking with ProPakistani, said that PITB is actively revoking access of the people who misused their access and said that departmental inquiries and action has been taken against the responsible personnel.
According to Dr. Saif, all reported instances have been resolved and they are actively looking for any breach of authorization to block the access.
It must be noted that neither PITB nor NADRA was hacked, but data was stolen as officers with access sold the data to individuals
There is currently no evidence available with ProPakistani whether a bigger dump of entire database was extracted or not, but we can confirm that dozens of officials have access to PITB developed systems which can reveal pretty much all information about Pakistani citizens and this access was misused.
As a reference, some 30 officials have access to the criminal record of Pakistani citizens in Punjab.
Similarly, other departments may have a similar number of officials with direct access to critical data.
It’s no secret that security is often an afterthought in Pakistan. The current case makes it clear that in addition to weaknesses in security infrastructure, we can’t even rely on the processes being foolproof.
ALSO READ
NADRA Has Issued Over 72,000 CNICs to Illegal Foreigners
An approach towards security can never be reactive, it has to be proactive. And controls need to be put in place to immediately identify a potential breach when it happens, rather than when it’s reported.
In addition to severe punishment for people who were trusted with access to sensitive data to serve as a deterrent, the relevant authorities need to urgently review their security processes and infrastructure.
Thanks to the InfoSec Security Team for the tip | {
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A small carnivorous marsupial long thought extinct in New South Wales has been discovered in the far north-west corner of the state.
The crest-tailed mulgara was known only from fossilised bone fragments in the state for more than century.
But a team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) made the unexpected discovery during a recent project in Sturt National Park near Tibooburra.
UNSW scientist Reece Pedler said he could hardly believe it when he saw the animal.
"There was a lot of excitement when we looked in to a trap and there was a mulgara," he said.
"I had to pinch myself. I certainly wasn't expecting to find one.
"Twenty-five years ago, if you wanted to find them you'd have to go to the Simpson Desert.
"But over the last 20 years, since rabbit calicivirus has brought some real changes to arid ecosystems, this little critter's been making a massive comeback."
The devil's cousin
The small carnivorous marsupial is closely related to the Tasmanian devil, and Dr Pedler said like the devil, they would eat just about anything.
"They are non-specialist little carnivores. They scavenge meat and insects," he said.
"I've seen them eating mice and small birds, even roadkill rabbit."
Unlike their larger, more well-known cousin, the mulgara had few defences against introduced species.
UNSW scientist Rebecca West said Australia's small mammals barely had a chance against dogs, cats and foxes.
"A lot of these species were in that weight range of animals that are really susceptible to predation and they hadn't evolved with those predators," she said.
"These new beasts rocked up on the block with different hunting skills to the ones they were used to dealing with, and they just couldn't cope."
The crest-tailed mulgara discovered in a National Parks trap at Sturt National Park. ( Supplied: UNSW )
New hope for program
The discovery of the mulgara was made all the more significant on the eve of the launch of the Wild Deserts program.
The project hopes to eradicate cats, foxes and rabbits from two 20-square-kilometre fenced enclosures in Sturt National Park, before introducing seven different locally extinct mammals, including the mulgara.
Dr Pedler is a Wild Deserts project co-ordinator, and said the timing of the mulgara's return was perfect.
"Given this work we're about to undertake removing cats, rabbits and foxes from a really large area, the timing couldn't be more perfect," he said.
"It provides a real opportunity for the mulgara to do really well at this site, as well as a whole range of native species. "
It is hoped the construction of the enclosures will begin in 2018, and the first of species to be introduced to the area, the greater bilby, will be released in 2019. | {
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With this 1855 chart, Daniel McCallum, general superintendent of the New York and Erie Railroad, tried to define an organizational structure that would allow management of a business that was becoming unwieldy in its size. The document is generally recognized to be the first formal organizational chart.
Historian Caitlin Rosenthal, writing in the McKinsey Quarterly, points out that the chart was a way for McCallum to get a handle on a complex system made more confusing by the new availability of data from the use of the telegraph (invented in 1844). Information about problems down the track was important to have—it could help prevent train wrecks and further delays—but the New York and Erie’s personnel didn’t have a good sense of who was in charge of managing this data and putting it into action.
The chart put daily responsibilities in the hands of the divisional superintendents of the railroad’s lines. The superintendents, in turn, had to provide McCallum and the central office with reports on their operations. Rosenthal writes: “McCallum … designed a system of hourly, daily, and monthly reports that enabled him to calculate practical metrics, such as cost per ton-mile and average load per car.” The railroad’s board would use this data to improve operations.
Besides being historically significant, the chart is beautiful to regard. Designed by McCallum and drafted by G.H. Henshaw, a civil engineer, the chart draws from the natural motifs popular in the Victorian aesthetic. Looked at from afar, the whole resembles a tree laden with fruit or blossoms. Up close, the individual “branches” illustrating groups of employees who worked on the trains have the rough, natural look of vines, twining alongside the straight lines of the tracks that they service.
Click on the image to reach a zoomable version. Thanks to David Kirsch for the suggestion. | {
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Lucian Morar, primarul orașului Ulmeni, din Maramureș, nu vrea să primească pensie specială și spune că va renunța la acest privilegiu. El consideră că este o nedreptate la adresa celor care au muncit o viață și nu se bucură de aceleași sume confortabile de bani la pensie.
Lucian Morar, primul primar din România care ia această decizie, îi îndeamnă și pe alți edili să îi urmeze exemplul.
“Cred că trebuie să promovăm principiile morale. Oamenii ne-au trimis în demnităţi foarte înalte, pentru a avea un statut anume. Mă voi bate pentru respectarea acestui principiu solid. Nu este normal să abuzăm, acceptând privilegii. Îmi doresc să începem acest demers din Maramureş. După ce am anunţat, joi, că doresc să renunţ la pensia specială, sute de oameni m-au abordat, fie pe reţelele de socializare, fie faţă în faţă şi mi-au spus că se alătura acestui demers.
Sunt oameni sinceri, care au muncit în condiţii foarte grele şi care beneficiază, în prezent, de pensii foarte mici. Sunt foarte optimist în ceea ce priveşte reuşita demersului meu, care este susţinut de Partidul Mişcarea Populară. Sunt sigur că va fi un succes. Îi îndemn pe primari şi pe parlamentari să îmi urmeze exemplul. Cred că este momentul să intrăm într-o stare de normalitate şi de bun simţ”, a declarat acesta, potrivit Axanews.ro.
Primarul spune că acordarea pensiilor speciale este un „măr otrăvit” oferit de PSD pentru a cumpăra influența primarilor, în special a celor din mediile rurale și mici urbane. El a mai declarat că primarii, care oricum au salarii decente, vor beneficia și de pensii mai mari, pentru că și contribuția lor va fi una mai semnificativă. | {
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Primer Equipo
CAPARRÓS, EN RADIO MARCA: "TENEMOS OPCIONES E ILUSIÓN POR QUEDAR LO MÁS ARRIBA POSIBLE"
El director de Fútbol del Sevilla FC pasó por Directo Marca Sevilla en el mediodía de este jueves
Con el final de 2018 siempre se tiende a hacer balance, por mucho que en el caso del curso futbolístico, apenas si se ha cumplido poco menos de la mitad del recorrido. Eso sí, en breve se abre la ventana de fichajes. De esto y de mucho más habló este jueves el director de Fútbol del club, Joaquín Caparrós, en Directo Marca Sevilla, de Radio Marca: "Si no hay entradas lo mismo no es bueno que haya salidas. Nuestra idea es, si viene alguien, que estuviera aquí incluso ya, pero no es fácil. Se negocia con clubes, agentes y jugadores, pero nada es sencillo, aunque es verdad que somos un club muy apetecible para la mayoría de los jugadores. Buscamos dos perfiles, de rendimiento inmediato y a otros de margen de mejora. Si no viene nadie no será por una cuestión económica". Precisamente sobre el balance, el utrerano pedía cautela: “Cuando vas a planificar, los objetivos se marcan en junio o julio y se consiguen o no en mayo del año siguiente. Tenemos que esperar al final. A día de hoy estamos contentos en todos los aspectos. El cuerpo técnico, el entrenador, la plantilla… todos están teniendo un buen rendimiento". Y es que este Sevilla ilusiona y mucho: “Tenemos nuestras opciones para aspirar a lo máximo y la ilusión de quedar lo más alto posible. No descarto nada en el fútbol y menos con la cantidad de puntos que quedan en juego. No descarto a nadie en la pelea”. "Nuestra idea, si viene alguien, es que estuviera aquí ya, pero no es fácil"
También habló de posibles salidas en enero y le preguntaron por Luis Muriel: "Tiene mercado y lo quieren, pero no hay nada concreto". Además, se atrevió con un período de recuperación de Maxime Gonalons: "Según el servicio médico va todo muy bien y lo mismo está con nosotros a finales de enero". En cuanto a las renovaciones se mostró esperanzado: " “Estamos deseosos de renovar a Sarabia. Creo que se hará esa renovación y también la ampliación de contrato de Banega. Valoramos muchos a estos dos jugadores y soy optimista". Para terminar, también se le preguntó por la situación accionarial y Caparrós reconoció que el propio presidente le ha transmitido tranquilidad: "Las de Francisco Guijarro hoy son declaraciones muy importantes que todos los sevillistas queríamos oír de los accionistas. Me lo creo, porque es impensable que nuestro estadio se vaya de ahí y si lo dicen ellos y me lo dice personalmente el presidente, nos tiene que dar tranquilidad que nuestro estadio y nuestra ciudad deportiva estén donde tienen que estar". | {
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Rick Santorum was on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and was questioned about his comments that “not all Muslims are Jihadists, but all Jihadists are Muslim.”
Santorum declared that most Muslims are not doing enough to stop the spread of radical Islam and cited CAIR as an example.
As Santorum was speaking about CAIR and their inept ability to stop radical Islam, Mika Brzezinski interrupted and asked, “Well why aren’t you working on white men with guns?”
“You’re telling Muslim-Americans they all need to come out and talk about the tiny percentage of their community that has kind of, quite frankly, reeked havoc, but yet, you look at the data of white men with guns reeking havoc on this country. Why aren’t white men coming forward? Why don’t you call on them to do that?” as she said with disgust.
Brzezinski interrupted Santorum again when he said that guns were not the problem. “No, let’s talk about the white men,” she said. | {
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[ AD HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS STORY ]
Actor star Jason Momoa made an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Wednesday to talk about his new campaign for a plastic-free environment.
The “Aquaman” star talked about recently shaving his beard to promote Mananalu, his new line of water packaged in aluminum cans in an effort to eliminate single-use plastic bottles, a new rock climbing wall at his home and pets, among other topics.
While on the show, Momoa showed off his ax-throwing skills by aiming the weapons at “plastic water bottle” targets pinned to a wood board. For every target that he hit, he won $1,000 to $5,000.
When all was done, Momoa raised $31,000 for local nonprofit, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, which organizes beach cleanups and educates others about caring for their coastlines.
The money was donated by Shutterfly and showcased on a giant check held by Momoa and Degeneres.
Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, founded in 2010 by a group of eight ocean-loving friends, was thrilled about the donation.
“Jason is doing what we locals are taught from our early days, respect for our elders, our environment, and take action to help your community,” said Kahi Pacarro, co-founder of Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. “He not only helped take the message of plastic pollution mainstream [Wednesday], he showed how influential people can and should create real change and then he started a business that will reduce the use of millions of single-use plastic bottles.
“We’re forever grateful for his support,” Pacarro said, “and can’t wait to show him and the rest of the world how donations like these are put to use hosting amazing cleanups across Hawaii and educational outreach across the country.” | {
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In the history of SSC Napoli one small Argentinean is the dominating figure. Countless are the articles and books written on the joy and grandeur he brought to Naples in the years between 1984-91. This article on the other hand is about the top five Napoli players through the ages not named Diego Armando Maradona. To put that into perspective it’s a bit like writing a piece on Christian legends not named Jesus!
As with all lists of this kind there are tough choices to be made and not all players who might have deserved a spot can get one. Few can question, however, that these five players have played an instrumental part in the club’s history. They are arranged alphabetically. An attempt to arrange them by importance would be arbitrary and unfair.
Amedeo Amadei
The attacker Amadei is not only a Napoli legend. A good argument could actually be made for the position that he is first and foremost a Roma legend. He spent the best part of his illustrious career in the capital before going on to Inter and, as his last club, Napoli in 1950. He stayed in Naples for six seasons as a player before exchanging the pitch with the bench as he with the support of the powerful club president and shipping magnate Achille Lauro took the job as manager.
Amadei was a skillful forward who managed to score seven goals in his just 13 national games. He came to Napoli after rattling the net 42 times in 70 games for Inter. In Napoli he had to use 171 games to score 47 goals, but he remained one of the team’s biggest stars. A status that was later confirmed by his election as manager.
His years as “Misterai???, the term Italian players use for the manager, were not exceedingly successful but not horrible either. A 4th place was the best result for Amadei’s men. He left the position in 1959, but quickly came back only to be fired in 1961 as the club was fighting, unsuccessfully as it turned out, against relegation.
At the end of his career Amadei was a legend of the Italian game. In the 1970’s he took the position as head coach of the Italian womenai??i??s national team albeit at a time where the feminine version of the game was still quite undeveloped on the peninsula.
Giuseppe Bruscolotti
The big defender started his career in the small town of Sorrento in the picturesque peninsula south of Naples. Being from the region it was written in the stars that he would one day play for Napoli. After two seasons in the Sorrento, led by another Napoli legend Giancarlo Vitali, Bruscolotti joined the light blue in the summer 1972. He would stay there for 16 seasons.
Giuseppe Bruscolotti was not a technical wonder but he controlled the defense year in and year out. As players came and went he stood tall while working his way into the record book as the player with most appearances for Napoli ai??i?? 511 all in all. Nicknamed ai???Pal e’ Fierrai??? meaning Iron Pole in Neapolitan dialect he was a player who could cause damage on those pesky forwards from the northern teams.
Bruscolotti never played in the Italian national team, and his many years in Napoli brought few triumphs even if the team was generally challenging in the top of the league. He won the Coppa Italia in 1976, but only in 1987, his second to last season came his biggest moment when he at last saw the complete triumph as the team, led by Maradona who had taken over Bruscolotti’s captain’s armband, won Lo Scudetto. In his last season he was playing very little, but it seems like he just wanted a chance to play with the iconic crest on his jersey. A symbol he had fought for more than a decade and a half. And who can blame him?
Careca
The Brazilian attacker with the birth name AntA?nio de Oliveira Filho came to Napoli in the summer 1987 just after the club’s first and historic league title. After banging 25 goals for SA?o Paolo in the season leading up to his transfer and five for Brazil at the 1986 world cup he was a proven goal scorer and a proof that the directors of Napoli were not resting on the laurels.
Careca soon became a success as he teamed up with Maradona and Bruno Giordano to form the aptly named Ma-Gi-Ca trident in the Napoli attack. During Careca’s time in Naples the club won the UEFA cup in 1989 and another Scudetto in 1990. Careca was a fast and clever player who was never challenged as his team’s main target man. He shared the scoring duties with Maradona in a Neapolitan version of the classic ai???small guy/big guyai??? partnership.
In his last three seasons after the 1990 title Napoli was on the wane. Maradona left and other key players also started to flee as the club’s economy was deteriorating. Careca stayed longer than he had to in loyalty to the fans and the club that brought him his most memorable moments. After forming a new partnership with the young Gianfranco Zola, Careca left to end his career in Japan. He left a club on rapid decline but also a club rich on sweet memories.
Antonio Juliano
For almost two decades (1962-1978) the Napoli midfield was dominated by Antonio Juliano who by the end of his Napoli career, had notched up 505 games for the Partenopei, which at the time was a clear club record before Giuseppe Bruscolotti would break it in the late 1980’s. The mid 1960’s was a hard time for the club as they had to spend a couple of seasons in Serie B, but as the 1970’s approached they became a steady force in Serie A and even managed to win the 1976 Coppa Italia. That title was Juliano’s only important one, not counting the Anglo-Italian League Cup in 1976 and the Coppe delle Alpi in 1966, as a Napoli player. He just missed the 1962 season where the Partenopei won the cup and promotion to Serie A.
Juliano hovered in the outskirts of the Italian national team for large parts of his career. He was in the squad for three world cups, 1966, 1970 and 1974 but played only one actual world cup match ai??i?? the famous 1-4 defeat against Brazil in the 1970 final. He didn’t go completely without triumphs though as he played in the 1968 European Championship that Italy won on home turf.
After a final season playing for Bologna Juliano retired from active duty on the pitch and became a director in Napoli instead. In that position he played a key part in bringing first the Dutch star Ruud Krool and later the great Maradona to the club. The titles Juliano had a hard time winning as a player came in numbers as he served the club from the board rooms.
Attila Sallustro
One of the earliest Napoli legends and still one of the greatest, Sallustro played 260 games during his 12 years at the club. He arrived in 1925 at the club Internaples which would become AC Napoli and later SSC Napoli and stayed all the way to 1937 where he chose to play two seasons at a lower level in the neighboring town of Salerno. In his career with SSC Napoli and Internaples, Sallustro scored an impressive 111 goals in 268 games.
Sallustro was born in Paraguay to Italian parents. The family moved to Naples when he was a teenager and the local club became the natural goal for the young attacker who showed great talent and also great fairness as he, due to his wealthy background, refused to receive any wages from the club.
In the early years of Sallustro’s Napoli career the league was divided into two parts. In 1926 Napoli recorded the their worst league finish as they ended the season with only one point after 18 games with only seven goals scored, one by Sallustro, and a staggering 61 conceded. The club should have been relegated but was saved due to ai???geographicalai??? reasons. The club, and the city, was simply too big to relegate.
Things luckily got better for Sallustro and Napoli as the Serie A was created and the club became a mainstay in the top ten. Due to the competition from mainly Giuseppepe Meazza Sallustro only played a meager two national games for Italy, but in Naples he was, and is, a legend. A short but ill-fated intermezzo as manager, taking over from Amadei, in 1961 didn’t change that.
The future?
Napoli’s history is packed with great moments and great players. As it looks now the future is as well. Maybe in 50 years an article like this one can be written on Marek Hamsik, Paolo Cannavaro or Lorenzo Insigne. Hamsik and Cannavaro are already in the top ten of players with most appearances. But do they have what it takes to become legends? Only time will tell.
Article written by ThorbjA?rn Thaarup
ThorbjA?rn is founder of http://ponderingcalcio.net/
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Tonight you might want to sleep with your lights on because Shadow Demon has returned.
In today’s update you will find your usual collection of fixes and new features including parity with Dota’s 6.74 release and the ability to share unit control with your team mates.
Thanks to everyone that jumped on the Test Build and helped us test this update.
The full changelog is available here. | {
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If you’re in the market for a new gaming laptop, you’d be hard pressed to find a better value than this $799 ASUS. This model’s packing a 15.6" display, Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics, and even a whopping 512GB SSD. Plus, it looks like a normal laptop for a normal person, with none of the neon lights and weird aggressive angles that plague so much gaming gear.
More Deals | {
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His flexibility on issues has earned him a reputation as a flip-flopper, but we think it actually will be an asset in dealing with Congress. It shows he is not rigid ideologue.
Romney has an excellent vice presidential choice in Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who is not the extremist that Democrats have portrayed. Ryan is bright and thoughtful, and his congressional experience complements Romney's background in the private sector and state government.
That business skill cannot be overstated. Romney's leadership will inspire businesses to re-invest in workers and products, re-building the economy. | {
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Published: - Nov 22, 2017
The president of the United States affirmed that this decision should have been made long ago
Leer en Español: Corea del Norte: su regreso a la lista de patrocinadores del terrorismo
President Donald Trump put North Korea back on a list of State sponsors of terrorism, a designation that allows the United States to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. This move that could undermine diplomatic efforts to halt the rogue State's nuclear aggression. The international community, including South Korea, Japan and Australia, support Trump's decision.
North Korea will join Sudan, Syria, and Iran as countries that the State Department identifies as those that have “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism”. North Korea was previously on the list of terrorist States but it was removed in 2008 by the administration of George W. Bush, when China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US held various conversations about disarming its nuclear facilities. The talks eventually halted, but Asian country stayed off the list; in 2017, the situation changed.
Daniel Sneider, visiting scholar at Stanford University's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, explains that these kind of actions send mixed messages about Washington's intentions, “Pressure is presumably intended to lead to some type of diplomacy, but the designation will only confuse North Korea and make it difficult for its leadership to respond to future diplomatic signals.”
Since the arrival of Donald Trump to the White House, he has vowed to seek a complete denuclearization in the Korean peninsula and has threatened North Korea with “fire and fury” if it endangers the United States. President Trump ordered an end to the policy of “strategic patience” that was pursued by President Barack Obama, in the hopes that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, would eventually agree to negotiate.
“This just continues to tighten the pressure on the Kim regime”, said Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson minutes later, “all with an intention to have him understand that this is only going to get worse until they are ready to come and talk”. Tillerson affirmed that the Treasury Department will be announcing further sanctions as part of the designation soon.
John Bolton, a former State Department official and United Nations ambassador under Bush administration, praised Trump’s decision for finally taking an aggressive stance against North Korea’s government. “It’s exactly the right thing to do,” he said. Bolton, who argued against removing North Korea from the terrorism list in 2008, said he does not believe restoring the designation will bring Kim the negotiating table, but it is the only way to make him understand that we are seeing the reality about its program and about the regime.
North Korea has not conducted any missile tests since September 15th, raising cautious optimism for a possible de-escalation in the region. However, expert Robert Galluci, the chief US negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis, noted that the country has conducted few or no significant missile tests in the past and it is unclear whether the current hiatus is political or technical. “Right now, it is hard to say what the options for North Korea are, but something sure is that it has been calmed for two months and this can imply that the situation was under control, but with the last move of the White House, we cannot guess the response. I do not think they will come to negotiate, probably it means nothing to them”.
Latin American Post | Carlos Eduardo Gómez Avella
Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto | {
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What is Anarchism? Anarchism is a way of understanding — and changing — the world we live in, to create a society in which people freely co-operate together as equals. Anarchists understand that we all can guide our own lives and communities much better than bosses, politicians, or bureaucrats — no matter if they’re in government buildings, corporate headquarters, or the office down the hall. Anarchists are opposed to all systems that attempt to exploit, control, or discriminate against others, like capitalism, government, racism, and sexism. Above all we insist on acting upon values which most people already hold dear: freedom, participation, solidarity, cooperation, and democracy. Gimme another quote! »
Anarchism is a way of understanding — and changing — the world we live in, to create a society in which people freely co-operate together as equals. Anarchists understand that we all can guide our own lives and communities much better than bosses, politicians, or bureaucrats — no matter if they’re in government buildings, corporate headquarters, or the office down the hall. Anarchists are opposed to all systems that attempt to exploit, control, or discriminate against others, like capitalism, government, racism, and sexism. Above all we insist on acting upon values which most people already hold dear: freedom, participation, solidarity, cooperation, and democracy.
An anarchist society means
people directly affected make decisions,
not professional politicians.
What might this look like?
For safety and justice, the elimination of poverty caused by capitalism means there will be far less crime than we see now.
To the extent that crime remains, communities will work to resolve conflict and assist and restore victims — as well as rehabilitate and hold accountable those who harm others. Anarchist Black Cross Federation
An Anarchist FAQ: What about crime?
Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America (book, PDF) | {
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Photographers who were asked to judge the Monochrome Awards, a black-and-white photography competition that charges entry fees ranging from $15-$25 tell PDN that they never judged the competition. The stories of these photographers, and the refusal of Monochrome Awards representatives to respond to PDN’s questions about the organization and one of its organizers, Sebastian Markis, suggest there may be a connection between the Monochrome Awards and the International Photographer of the Year awards, another competition that came under scrutiny recently and is suspected of falsely promoting its jurors. Markis is also involved in a third organization, Monovision Magazine, which runs a black-and-white photography competition, PDN has learned.
The mystery behind these three contests has us asking: Who is Sebastian Markis?
As we reported Tuesday, the IPOTY competition was called into question when several of the photographers identified as judges for the competition revealed they had not been involved in the judging. They posted an open letter on social media questioning the integrity of the contest.
Peter Braunholz, one of the photographers who had been falsely listed as an IPOTY judge, pointed out that one of the past organizers of IPOTY, a person calling himself “Sebastian Markis,” is now an organizer of the Monochrome Awards. Markis had asked photographers Nicola Davison Reed and Allison Barnes to judge the Monochrome Awards, but neither of them saw any entries. Barnes says that she was listed as a judge in 2016, never judged, and then was listed again in 2017 without her permission. “I have asked them to remove my name several times,” Barnes told PDN. But an announcement of the 2017 Monochrome Award winners on Photogrvphy.com lists Barnes as a judge. “I think it’s terrible that they are using the name of known photographers to get people to submit their work,” Barnes says. “I was even contacted by an artist who was submitting their work because I was listed as one of the jurors. Unfortunately, I had to tell them that it was not so.”
Ben Nixon was also listed as a judge for the 2017 competition. Nixon told PDN, “They never followed up with me after I agreed to be a judge.” He judged the contest only after he saw that judging was already taking place.
PDN tried to contact Monochrome Awards. A representative of the competition— who did not identify his- or herself by name—said in an email that Markis used to be involved with IPOTY but left “when the owner of the website changed” in 2016. The Monochrome Awards did not reply to PDN’s request for more information about Sebastian Markis or the company that owns either of the competitions.
Sebastian Markis has a Facebook page and more than 2,500 Facebook friends, many of them photographers, but there is no personal information on the Facebook page, and the majority of the wall posts are links to Monovisions Magazine, which reprints press releases and posts interviews with photographers. Sebastian Markis also contacted several photographers about judging the Monovisions competition. Monovisions has not responded to PDN‘s questions about Markis, and about who owns Monovisions Magazine and the Monovisions Photography Awards.
Emails Markis sent to jurors for the Monochrome and Monovision awards are basically identical. “There will be a lot of media exposure and social media viral on this event,” Markis wrote to a judge of the Monovisions competition. “As one of our Judges, your name and logo certainly will get benefits from this exposure and viral (partner websites, press releases, certificates, etc.).”
So who is Sebastian Markis? A person with this name is connected to at least three online photography competitions. The websites of these competitions list no contact people, addresses or company names. Has anyone had contact with this person? Is Markis a well-meaning but disorganized photography enthusiast who has collected money from photographers for sloppily run contests? Or is this an elaborate scam?
The announcement of the 2017 Monochrome Awards claims that the competition “received 8942 submissions from 87 countries.” If this is true, even if all of the entries were for the amateur competition fee of $15, the organizers would have collected more than $134,000. The professional winner received $2000, while the amateur winner received $1000.
UPDATE:
Curator and writer Hester Keijser has pointed out the websites for the IPOTY, Monochrome Awards, Monovisions Photography Awards, and six other photography publications and contests appear to be owned and operated by the same enterprise. According to the internet research tool SpyOnWeb, which uses publicly available information to track website ownership, these nine sites are linked to the same Google Analytics ID.
fineartphotoawards.com; iphotographeroftheyear.com; monoawards.com; monovisions.com; ndawards.net; photocontestguru.com; photogrvphy.com; seethatart.com; www.ndawards.net
There are further connections between these sites, according to SpyOnWeb. The website of Monovisions Magazine shares an IP address with photographer Maciej Leszczynski. The ND Magazine and ND Awards sites share an IP address with the website of photographer Martin Stavars. PDN tried to reach Stavars two days ago because he is listed as a judge for the Monovisions Photography Awards. Stavars never responded.
PDN has also learned that in 2013, Sebastian Markis emailed a photographer to invite her to submit her work to ND Magazine.
According to the domain lookup tool WhoIs, the IP location for the Monochrome Awards site is in Poland.
Related:
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS A SCAM? JUDGES RAISE ALARM AND ORGANIZERS GO SILENT | {
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LOS ANGELES — XBIZ is pleased to announce the finalist nominees for the 2019 XBIZ Cam Awards, presented by MyFreeCams.com.
Set for Thursday, May 30, the XBIZ Cam Awards celebrates the top personalities powering the growth and popularity of adult cams and custom clips.
The XBIZ Cam Awards debuted in 2017 at the world-famous Versace Mansion, while 2018’s gala took over one of Miami’s most extravagant properties — LIV nightclub at the world-renowned Fontainebleau Hotel.
The glitzy ceremony crowns independent talent with the most prestigious symbol of success, honoring today’s top cam models and clip artists with the most coveted of community honors.
Voting will begin on Wednesday, April 17 and continue until May 29, so stay tuned to XBIZ.com for the official announcement and vote links next week.
And the finalist nominees for the 2019 XBIZ Cam Awards are:
Best Female Cam Model
Asiri Ocean
Chronic Love
Dawn Willow
Emily Bloom
Hannah James
HottyTeen69
Kristie Bish
MalibuBomb
Mary Moody
MeganKroft
Mollybrooke
Molly Stewart
Realhousewifexxx
Skyler Lo
SureCakes
Best Male Cam Model
Brock Cooper
Camran Mac
Cheston Stone
FunMrSmith
Jaden Storm
Jared Nation
Johnny Hands
Johnny Stone
Leo West
Liam Jacobs
Ricky Rodeo
Tannor Reed
Thony_grey
Tyler Hill
Wes Myers
Best Fetish Cam Model
Cassandra Cain
FeetGoddesss
GoddessKyaa
GoddessIshtarX
GoddessLilith66
GoddessValora
Mistressalexya
NikkiFetish
SeductiveGoddess
ThatCamGirlBoo
Best Cosplay Cam Model
Caitie Rage
Catjira
Elise Laurenne
Elise Rivers
Emilia Song
GoldenFuckingGoddess
KitKendal
Lara Loxley
LikeMyAshe
LuxNeon
Best Inked Cam Model
Catherine Tayler
Cutexezra
Elle Panda
Elouise Please
GoAskAlex
Jasper Ahptik
Kali Roses
LilKittenLuna
Melissa Dawson
SheenXSheen
Best BBW Cam Model
DesirableBottom
Destiny Diaz
Erika Xstacy
FitSidney
Gaberiella Monroe
LustyBustyLark
Miss LingLing
Raquel Love
RubySinclaire
Taylor HouseWifeSwag
Best MILF Cam Model
Alena Croft
ChellieDD
Devonxxx
DiamondDollxx
Jenny Blighe
Lacey Bender
Melissa Dawson
Savannah Steele
Velvet Skye
Veronika Rose
Best Trans Cam Model
Aranxahot4u
Ashanti Aleyce
Aubrey Leigh
Casey Kisses
Christina Monroe
Holly Hawkes
Korra Del Rio
Kylie Maria
TsBlondieNYC
VicaTS
Best Cam Model Duo
19Honeysuckle
Blonde Rider & RobXXXRider
Gina Gold & Bo Blake
Whaaaaaaaat (Lacey & Jeff)
Macy Kennedy & Ricky Rodeo
Megan Sky & Mason Haven
Philip Logan & JP Philips
Spunky & MrSpunks
TightCouple
TruStori3z
Rising Cam Star — Female
AdaniaBelle
AdorableHarlot
Alaska Rose
Belle Creed
Chanel Luvana
kissingkate10
Quincy
Sarah_YMC
TheEmmaBelle
Trixzie_
Rising Cam Star — Male
Alvin Kasey
Jesse Prather
Liam Jacobs
MaxZeyh
Parker Jacobs
Paul Cassidy
PetesEvans
RoughRider420
Saenzmarco4
Sam Shock
Best Female Clip Artist
AngelDeLuca
Ari Dee
Chrissy LeBlanc
Elle Faye
Emma Choice
Korina Kova
Larkin Love
Lena Spanks
Lilcanadiangirl
Lydia Love
Mellyboo
Princess Alexa
Reya Sunshine
SmartyKat314
TheEvaDeVil
Best Male Clip Artist
Brock Cooper
Colby Jansen
Johnny Goodluck
Johnny Stone
Kai Bailey
Lance Hart
Mark Rockwell
Oliver Davis
Ricky Rodeo
Sam Teck
Shaundam
ShreddZ
Steve Rickz
Timothy Champagne
Tru Luv Hefner
Best Fetish Clip Artist
Brie White
Candy Glitter
Cassandra Cain
Ceara Lynch
THEODORA
Divine Goddess Jessica
Miss Whitney Morgan
Sally D'Angelo
Vicky Vixxx
Violet Doll
Best Cosplay Clip Artist
Catjira
Ellie Idol
Felicia Vox
Jade Skye
Lana Rain
Little Puck
Lyra Fae
Princess Berpl
Purple_bitch
VeronicaChaos
Best Inked Clip Artist
Ari Dee
Ava Austen
Cattie Candescent
Eliza Bathory
Honey Gold
Jenevieve Hexxx
Kezia420
Pheebz
Samantha Mack
Tru Luv Hefner
Best BBW Clip Artist
Annabelle Rogers
Buxxxom
Destiny Diaz
Estella Bathory
Kaleena Skye
Kristi Maxx
Leila Lewis
Lila Lovely
Marilyn Mayson
Nirvana Lust
Best MILF Clip Artist
Cory Chase
Goddess Brandon Areana
Jenny Blighe
Lacey Bender
MandyBabyCams
Reagan Foxx
Sally DAngelo
Sofia Rose
Veronika Rose
Xev Bellringer
Best Trans Clip Artist
Aubrey Leigh
Icy D. Winters
JessicaFappit
Kimber Haven
Kylie Maria
Natalie Mars
Nicky Dicky
Raven Roxx
TsBlondieNYC
VicaTS
Best Clip Artist Duo
AKGINGERSNAPS
AngelDeLuca & SamiDeLuca
Elle Panda & Daddy Panda
Jack Ripher & HarloweBlue
Lexi Luv & Jake Franco
Lindsey Love & Mike Love
MyPerfectHarem
MySweetApple
TightCouple
TruStori3z
Rising Clip Star — Female
Ashlee Juliet
Brea Rose
Gem Stoned
Hookahqueeen
Kit Mercer
Melissa Songbird
Mz Kim
Raevyn Rose
SadbaffoonMV
Taylor Noir
Rising Clip Star — Male
Alex Saint
Bootydevine
Brad Newman
Cullen's Cuties
Dave Dixon
Jackie Knight
Jesse Prather
Johnny Phoenix
Sam Shock
Wesley Woods
Social Media Influencer
Allie Eve Knox
Bailey Rayne
Chris Crocker
Elise Laurenne
Ella Silver
Emily Bloom
FitSidney
HottyTeen69
Mary Moody
Natasha Nice
Industry Crossover Star
Abigail Mac
Athena Rayne
Brenna Sparks
Brittany Benz
Dani Daniels
Lauren Phillips
Natasha Nice
Romi Rain
September Reign
Zoey Taylor
Community Figure
Amberly Rothfield
Carter Dane & Alex Mecum
Destiny Diaz
Ginger Banks
Harriet Sugarcookie
HottyTeen69
Joey Kim
Melody Kush
Taylor HouseWifeSwag
Vicky Vette
Models and performers, producers and affiliates qualify for free admission to XBIZ Miami, while XBIZ.net members receive discounted registration.
For more information, visit CamAwards.XBIZ.com and XBIZMiami.com and follow the hashtag #XBIZMiami on Twitter and Instagram. | {
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By Grigory Stangrit (Allboxing.ru) and Alexey Sukachev
Undefeated WBA "regular" light welterweight champion of the world Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-0, 9 KOs), who fought just once in 2013 (and stopped two-time former champion Souleymane M’Baye), has big plans ahead of him for 2014. Khabib and his brother/trainer Shafidin talked about their current state with Grigory Stangrit of Allboxing.ru.
Here are some most interesting excerpts:
About the current state of Khabib's injured hand, Shafidin said: “We would like to tell our fans, that Khabib’s rehab period is over. Few know that Khabib’s hand hasn’t been functioning at 100%. He couldn’t use it at all. He couldn’t move it. We at first thought just about making it move properly. When there was improvement in the beginning, the initial positive signs, I personally thought it would take a year at least for a full recovery. But in a good clinic we have been able to get back [to the normal state] in just a few months”.
About their future plans, Shafidin said: “Right now both hands are working almost perfect. Seeing that Khabib’s rehab process was nearing its end, his manager Vladimir Hryunov took the control of situation and flew overseas to the States to meet Bob Arum. The most important thing is that we have a date set on April 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The most likely opponent for us is Jessie Vargas (23-0, 9 KOs), who is ranked #9 by the WBC at welterweight. It’s not a done deal yet but chances are very high [that we face Vargas next].
About his feelings on being a part of Manny Pacquiao’s PPV, Khabib said: “Actually, I’m not feeling anything special at the moment. When the event comes, when I arrive in America to see all of the community, fans, reporters, my opponent – then it can be different."
About training plans, Khabib said: “I’ll depart to the States two months before the fight. I intend to conduct a whole camp there. Maybe we shall spend three weeks in Albuquerque with our friend Rustam Habilov of the UFC, and then relocate closer to Vegas." | {
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Manali: Despite statewide anti-drug campaigns and cannabis destruction drive, cases of charas seizure have increased in Kullu district. The police department is now taking help of geographic information system (GIS) mapping to locate cannabis fields in Kullu.
Himachal police and narcotics control bureau have marked about 2,500 bigha of land under cannabis cultivation with help of GIS in remote areas of Kullu. Statewide anti-drug campaigns have failed to control the production and smuggling of charas in Himachal Pradesh. Police claim it is not easy to finish this trade within few days but efforts are on to control the production.
Kullu police had seized 38.7kg of charas in 54 cases under NDPS Act in 2015. They have registered 73 cases till July 31 this year and seized 79.3kg charas at nakas and during raids.
Inspector general police Ajay Kumar Yadav said nearly 2,500 bigha of land under cannabis has been marked and special campaign to destroy the plants will start from August 22. "Apart from police and NCB teams, help will be sought from panchayats, forest and revenue departments, NGOs, NCC, NSS, mahila mandals and yuvak mandals to destroy the weed. We are committed to root out this menace from the society," he said.
High quality cannabis is generally grown in high altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh. Maximum numbers of cases under NDPS Act are recorded in both Kullu and Mandi districts. Cannabis is cultivated in April and May and it becomes ready to extract its resin by rubbing palms on leaves after August end. Cannabis destruction campaigns also start in August and September months.
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Namajunas ready to defend title against Andrade
Rose Namajunas reflects on her road to becoming one of the top fighters in the UFC ahead of her bout vs. Jessica Andrade. Order UFC 237 on ESPN+ https://plus.espn.com/ufc/ppv | {
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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A mother and her boyfriend are facing charges after an 8-month-old suffered more than 20 fractures, deputies said.According to a Harris County Sheriff's press release, Kardea Lockett, 18, and Nicholas Tyler, 19, brought the infant to the Northwest Medical Center emergency room on March 14 after a soft spot had developed on the child's head.Lockett gave the hospital different versions of what happened, so doctors contacted investigators.Lockett claimed her child fell trying to crawl and stand next to a piece of furniture, but a CAT scan showed that the injuries were not consistent with the incident."A CAT scan found that the infant had over 20 different forms of healed and new fractures," a press release read.The disturbing details of the abuse are listed in court documents. It indicates that the infant suffered injuries all over the boy's body including his legs, arms, ribs, back and mouth.When investigators interviewed Lockett and Tyler, they told them different stories and had inconsistencies in their statements about how the infant was injured.The two are both charged with injury to a child by omission and injury to a child with serious bodily injury.The child's grandmother told Eyewitness News that she had spoken to her daughter and maintained her innocence."I'm not going to say she was there and saw that. She doesn't have that in her. She is my love child," Deonna Janice said.Lockett is in jail with a $20,000 bond. Tyler, who is not the father of the child, has not been found.Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and/or arrest of the suspect in this case. | {
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Protesters in southern China demand justice after the deaths of two fellow workers.
Two migrant construction workers died after being severely beaten by their employers over wage issues in southwest China’s Dujiangyan city in Sichuan province, sparking mass riots.
Some 1,000 policemen were deployed to keep several thousand protesters at bay following the incident on Oct. 11 evening, eyewitnesses and reports said.
According to a Chinese Internet message board posting, some 3,000 people took part in the demonstrations and blocked a key road in the city. A dozen of them have been arrested for questioning as the mob smashed police cars to vent their anger.
A day later, hundreds of protesters maintained their demand for justice from the police, joined by curious onlookers.
The two killed were among workers who demanded unpaid wages from their local employers, resulting in a fight and the duo being severely beaten.
They are believed to have died at the hospital.
Protesting conditions
In recent months, a series of suicides and strikes have hit factories in southern China as workers protested against labor conditions.
Most bosses of factories where the incidents occurred responded by increasing salaries and improving working conditions.
Taiwan-invested Foxconn, which assembles Apple's iPhone, said in June it had signed an agreement with two property management companies to take over the running of on-site housing for 450,000 of its migrant workers.
Foxconn also announced salary increases in June after 11 Chinese employees, including 10 in Shenzhen, apparently committed suicide by jumping from buildings this year.
Critics have blamed harsh working conditions at the plant for the suicides, as China faces a wave of industrial action at foreign-invested companies over pay and working conditions.
Some observers expect more strikes as reports of improved working conditions in Foxconn and other plants spreads in southern China.
Reported by Fung Riyao for RFA's Cantonese service. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.
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ROME (Reuters) - European parliamentary elections in May will shake up the political landscape and help Italy in its budget battles with Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday.
FILE PHOTO: Italian Deputy PM Luigi Di Maio speaks at the 5-Star Movement party's open-air rally at Circo Massimo in Rome, Italy, October 21, 2018. REUTERS/Max Rossi/File Photo
The European Commission last month rejected Italy’s 2019 budget, saying it flouted a commitment to lower the deficit and did not guarantee a reduction in the debt, the second highest in the euro zone as a proportion of GDP.
Italy’s coalition, comprising the anti-establishment 5-Star-Movement and far-right League, has refused to change the main points of the budget, saying it will boost the economy via tax cuts, a lower retirement age and higher welfare spending.
Di Maio told Corriere della Sera daily he was confident that Rome and Brussels could avoid a collision, predicting that the Commission would take a different approach after May’s elections which might boost anti-austerity parties.
“...citizens will vote in the European elections and will cause a big shake up,” said Di Maio, who is also leader of the 5-Star. “We are ready to discuss things around a table, but they cannot ask us to massacre Italians.”
Di Maio reiterated that the government was willing to sell real estate assets, reduce waste and introduce safeguard clauses to ensure the deficit will not exceed the target of 2.4 percent of output in 2019. But he said: “The main reforms of the budget must remain in place”.
The European Commission is expected to start disciplinary steps against Rome next Wednesday, a procedure which could eventually end in unprecedented fines for Italy.
Separately, the chief of Italy’s richest regional business lobby, criticized the ruling parties for using the budget as a tool to boost their own popularity.
“We are very worried about the decision that have been taken and that are putting (the economy) at risk,” Carlo Bonomi, head of regional industry lobby Assolombarda said in a interview with state-owned television RAI on Sunday.
Italian industrialists reckon the lack of investments as the main problem of the Italian budget drafted by the populist coalition, Bonomi added.
“The clear project is to cash in the electoral dividend rather than boosting the economy,” he said.
The European elections are shaping up to be a battle between centrist, pro-EU parties and nationalist far-right formations that want to stop immigration. | {
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University of Houston courts oil and gas for work on carbon management
The University of Houston recently launched its Center for Carbon Management in Energy that will connect faculty, scientists, students and the oil and gas industry to develop a strategy for a low-carbon future for the energy industry. NEXT: See recent energy consumption by type. less The University of Houston recently launched its Center for Carbon Management in Energy that will connect faculty, scientists, students and the oil and gas industry to develop a strategy for a low-carbon future ... more Photo: Sshepard/Getty Images Photo: Sshepard/Getty Images Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close University of Houston courts oil and gas for work on carbon management 1 / 17 Back to Gallery
A low-carbon future will remain a fantasy unless oil and gas companies agree to participate, according to University of Houston energy experts.
The University of Houston recently launched its Center for Carbon Management in Energy that will connect faculty, scientists, students and the oil and gas industry to develop a strategy for a low-carbon future for the energy industry.
The center, funded by a $500,000 university seed grant over two years and anticipating donations from member companies, aims to position the industry known to be the worst greenhouse gas emissions offenders as instead the leader in reducing the environmental impact of carbon worldwide. The center will develop technology, draft policy proposals and perform research on the capture, storage and utilization of carbon.
From HoustonChronicle.com: Texas Democrats caught between climate change and the energy economy
Oil and gas companies have a vested interest in developing carbon capture and utilization technology. By pumping carbon into the ground during the production process, energy companies can get more barrels out. As the U.S. heads toward becoming a net exporter of petroleum, anything to get extra barrels beckons, and a new tax credit for companies willing to capture and store carbon emissions doesn’t hurt either.
Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer at the University of Houston, says getting companies to think about carbon as an asset rather than an expense is an imperative transition if the U.S. wants to meaningfully reduce its carbon footprint.
Experts at the university said that based on discussions with industry partners, they believe oil and gas companies’ shareholders are driving the strides on carbon management.
“They have significant shareholder pressure to start moving on this,” Krishnamoorti said.
Chevron Corp., Occidental Petroleum Corp. and others have been using carbon in this way for years, particularly in West Texas’ Permian Basin. But, finding a way to use the artificial carbon dioxide that they created in production, instead of what is naturally occurring, is more difficult.
Currently, the majority of carbon dioxide that Occidental uses is produced from natural underground reservoirs. If it could, on an industrial scale, be captured from emissions sources and then used to pump oil, greenhouse gas emissions would substantially decrease, experts at the University of Houston say.
PIVOT: UH Energy Research Park to refocus on tech commercialization
Some environmentalists say this process, known as enhanced oil recovery, continues reliance on fossil fuels instead of moving toward renewable energy sources. But, Charles McConnell, a former assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy and the director of the center, said that is not a realistic approach to solving the problem.
“We all know that we need to get to a low carbon future, but you can’t simply stop what we’re doing today without it being massively disruptive to industry and people’s lives,” McConnell said.
He said the center will aim to be an unbiased leader in how to achieve a low-carbon future, with efforts driven by oil and gas production, petrochemicals and electric power sectors.
The center, launched two weeks ago, will work over the coming months to find member companies to participate or donate. The university expects to have several big energy companies signed on by April.
“They are the ones with the technical know-how, and the size, scale and capital required to tackle this issue,” Krishnamoorti said. “It’s not going to come from the ‘Googles and Microsofts,’ or the government incentives. There isn’t enough incentive in the world.”
[email protected]
Twitter.com/erinmdouglas23 | {
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En rad märkliga upptäckter har lett till att Stockholms stad valt att polisanmäla de tre entreprenörer som skött vintersäsongens snöröjning i Stockholms stad, Svevia, Peab och Tylömarks.
Bland annat har revisionsfirman granskat registreringsnumren på de fordon som skött bortforslingen och dumpningen av snö i kommunen – totalt 10 000 lossningar i veckan. Och enligt driftrapporterna har flera av snödumpningarna utförts av personbilar, skrotbilar och i ett fall till och med en golfbil.
Lossade snö på löpande band – från samma fordon
Men de opraktiska fordonen är inte det enda som förbryllat revisionsfirman som granskat snöröjningen.
Enligt polisanmälan har trafikkontoret vid ett flertal tillfällen fakturerats för en betydligt större lastvolym än de aktuella fordonen klarar av.
Entreprenörer ska ha tagit betalt för 23 kubikmeter per utförd snöutlastning, trots att Transportstyrelsens registreringsuppgifter visar att lastbilen bara haft en flakvolym på 13 kubikmeter.
Enligt revisionsfirman har det också skett snöutlastningar inom orimligt snäva tidsrymder, med noll minuter mellan tippningarna, med ett och samma fordon. | {
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A drug that fights a common parasite preying on people with weakened immune systems has spiked in price by 5,000 percent to $750 per pill.
Daraprim (pyrimethamine) treats toxoplasmosis, the second most common food-borne disease, which easily affects people suffering from AIDS and cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 60 million people in the United States may carry toxoplasmosis which can affect the brain potentially leading to blindness and brain damage.
Turing Pharmaceuticals of New York raised the price of Daraprim from $13.50 per pill last month after buying the rights for the drug from Impax Laboratories.
“This is a tremendous increase," said Judith Aberg, a spokesperson for the HIV Medicine Association. “Even patients with insurance could have trouble affording the medication. That's because insurance companies often put high-price drugs in the ‘specialty’ category, requiring patients to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. Patients whose insurance plans require them to pay 20 percent of the cost — a common practice — would shell out $150 a pill.”
The disease can be life threatening and it’s transmitted by eating under-cooked meat, cooking with contaminated knives and boards, drinking unclean water, and contact with infected cat feces. Pregnant mothers can pass it to their children, and organ transplant patients can get it through an infected donor.
“It [Daraprim] makes the difference between whether people see or don’t see, whether babies grow to live happy lives with families or not,” said Rima McLeod, medical director at the University of Chicago Toxoplasmosis Center.
Aberg says there are no alternative drugs for Daraprim and other treatments aren’t strong enough.
Craig Rothenberg, a spokesperson for Turing defended the price increase by saying it will fund further research for toxoplasmosis treatments. He also said the company is working with hospitals and providers to offer co-pay assistance programs, and no-cost options to uninsured patients.
“There has been no innovation in dealing with toxoplasmosis,” Rothenberg said. “That has been a long neglect in the patient community.” | {
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Hi guys! I have not uploaded to DA for a LONG time. Going to start frequenting pieces on here more often. If you like my stuff please follow! Also for more art and animated stuff looky here ---> conorsmithart.tumblr.com/ | {
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KID is an integrated marketing communications and IT agency based in Bangalore, India, offering a broad suite of clever yet simple integrated business solutions. We create, execute or support advertising strategy, content, design and technology solutions for print and digital media.
KID work with you as partners to create the right image for your brand and company via simple, yet effective ideas. KID helps clients the world over achieve strong results with ease.
Our knowledge, skills and experience are well executed in advertising strategy, graphic design, content, digital marketing, packaging design, web and mobile app development and continuous support for your business.
Our key professionals have over 16 years of hands-on experience in advertising design, which includes working with ad and marketing agencies in UK, US and AU and with small and medium companies across the world. | {
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At the Conservative Political Action Conference today, long-shot Republican presidential candidate John Kasich argued that we should "Uberize the federal government."
Kasich didn't go into much detail about what this means, but it's a line that he's been using for weeks on the campaign trail. And Kasich is not the only one who has pointed to Uber as a symbol for everything that's right with capitalism. Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and former presidential candidates like Jeb Bush and Rand Paul have all touted Uber on the campaign trail.
There's something a little bit backward about this, as Uber is most popular in big cities with less than universal car ownership and lots of Democratic voters. But that's part of the reason talking about Uber is good politics for Republicans. It could help the party appeal to young, urban professionals who lean toward Democrats on cultural grounds but might find things to like in the GOP's economic message. It helps to drive a wedge between Uber-using urban professionals and more traditional — or more deeply ideological — liberals who see Uber's "gig economy" model as a threat to worker rights.
Of course, Uber itself cares less about presidential politics than about local regulation, where things tend to be less partisan in practice. Some Republican officeholders have been hostile to Uber, while many Democratic ones have been supportive. When the rubber meets the road, ordinary interest-group politics wind up mattering more than ideological considerations. But that doesn't stop Uber from being a potent tool in national politics, serving as a symbol for liberal fears and conservative hopes.
Why Republican candidates love Uber
Innovative businesses being held back by outdated regulations is a favorite conservative theme. And Uber makes an ideal poster child for this message. Uber was enabled by the invention of smartphones, and it solved a concrete problem — slow and unreliable taxi service — that many people encountered in their regular lives.
Taxi companies and their allies in city government are cast as the villains in the Uber morality play, trying to impose burdensome and arbitrary requirements on a company that had invented a better way of doing things.
Marco Rubio has been touting Uber for two years. He tweeted in support of Uber during last year's confrontation with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and in October he offered what Business Insider described as a "full-throated defense" of the ride-hailing company.
Ted Cruz compared himself to Uber at last year's CPAC, arguing that he and his conservative followers were going to disrupt politics in much the same way that Uber has disrupted the taxi business.
Kasich has done more than talk about Uber. Last December he signed legislation, favored by Uber, that formally recognized ride-hailing services. Uber favored the legislation because it preempts regulation by meddlesome local governments in cities like Cleveland.
It's natural for conservatives to side with a business fighting regulators, but the inclination to highlight this particular business has a lot to do with political demographics. Republican voters tend to be older and more rural than Democrats. Uber has a young and disproportionately urban customer base. If Republicans can turn Uber into a salient example of government regulation, it could broaden the GOP's demographic appeal without compromising on conservative principles.
Uber divides liberals
Best of all for Republicans, Uber makes a great wedge issue. Some liberals dislike Uber on ideological grounds, but others — especially in the media, politics, and technology centers of New York, Washington, and San Francisco — are regular Uber customers.
On one side of this debate are old-school liberals with strong ties to the labor movement and urban political machines. For them, Uber is a conventional story about worker and consumer rights. Labor unions believe Uber is flouting the law by classifying workers as independent contractors rather than employees. And they would love to unionize Uber's fast-growing workforce.
More broadly, conventional liberals are suspicious of claims that deregulation and innovation will benefit workers and consumers in the long run. They view Uber's "gig economy" as part of a broader trend toward declining worker power. They blame decades of deregulation — under both Republicans and centrist Democrats like Bill Clinton — for this trend, and believe stricter regulation of Uber could be part of a larger trend toward stricter regulation of labor markets more generally.
In a high profile campaign against Uber last year, Bill de Blasio primarily focused on congestion concerns, but he also mentioned workers' rights as a major concern.
On the other side of the debate are liberals — many of them Uber customers — who see Uber as an innovative company fighting entrenched special interests. While they might be sympathetic to theoretical arguments for government regulation, they remember what the taxi market was like before Uber came along.
Recognizing that in practice it needs friends in big liberal cities, Uber has worked hard to cultivate this base of support. Uber hired Obama strategist David Plouffe in 2014 to help the company craft its political strategy, and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has hailed Obamacare for helping Uber drivers get health insurance.
Hillary Clinton wants to attract supporters from both of these camps, so she has carefully hedged her bets. Last year, she credited "on-demand" companies like Uber with "creating exciting opportunities and unleashing innovation" while also acknowledging that the company is "raising hard questions."
The divide isn't as stark at the local level
While Republicans campaigning for national office have made a point of praising Uber, things have been more complicated at the state and local level. In Philadelphia, a Republican majority on the Philadelphia Parking Authority (which is appointed by state, not city, officials) has fought Uber's expansion. Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, vetoed pro-Uber legislation in 2014 (her Republican successor has been more favorable to Uber). Last year, the Orlando Airport Authority, chaired by a Republican appointee, had a big feud with Uber, as did the city government in conservative San Antonio, Texas.
One reason for this divide is that presidential candidates don't actually have much skin in the game. Car services are mostly regulated at the state and local level, so the next president won't have much power to help or hurt Uber. So it's easy for Republicans seeking the presidency to employ pro-Uber rhetoric without committing to any specific policy positions.
Meanwhile, state and local officeholders have to worry more about the practical aspects of regulating Uber. Republicans have to worry about political pressures from taxi companies and others who are threatened by Uber's rise. And they have to worry that an excessively laissez-faire approach could fail to properly protect consumers and workers.
The opposite point applies for Democrats. Liberal politicians who are sympathetic to anti-Uber arguments in theory have to contend with the fact that thousands of constituents are regular Uber users, which helps explain why Democrat-controlled states like California and Colorado have passed Uber-friendly legislation.
And that means that national Republican enthusiasm for Uber isn't necessarily a good thing for the company. The Republican Party would love to make Uber into a partisan wedge issue. But if they succeed, it won't be good for Uber, because the policy decisions Uber cares about most are made by mayors and city councils in big cities. And those are going to be in Democratic hands for the foreseeable future. | {
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In thriller and slasher movies, the "Final Girl" is a popular trope: "the last woman alive to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story." But what happens to final girls when the movie ends?
The gentle conversation game Final Girls, by spideyj (who describes herself as "just a person who likes playing and making games"), imagines a group therapy session led by a very familiar-looking "Ellen". In the group, girls from popular horror films talk over the effects of their trauma and the lingering challenges of their everyday lives. It's not an occasion for wry film references or humor, nor is it salacious—rather it's a nuanced imagination of these women as whole people, with new hobbies, relationships and opportunities.
The "objectives" of the game itself are very loose—you as the player get to decide whether to encourage the women to open up about recent things that aren't easy to talk about, like having an anxiety attack during a date—or in the case of Laurie from Halloween, feeling happy about life even though the people around her are still struggling.
It's a free, simple browser experience with some surprising depth, using familiar characters to express constructive compassion toward people who suffer from trauma or anxiety, and to provide a remarkably pragmatic look inside an imagined group therapy environment. | {
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A Chicago fire department diver looking for a man who fell off a boat into the Chicago River has been killed.
The department said in a statement that its "prayers go out to the family of Firefighter Juan Bucio." It says on Twitter he "tragically passed away answering a call of a person in the water."
Police say the man fell off the boat Monday night. Bucio was killed and two other divers were injured while searching for him.
Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago said the 46-year-old Bucio was in the water with a dive partner when the partner lost contact with him.
“His partner turned around and he was missing. It was that quick,” Santiago said.
He said Bucio later was pulled from the water and was pronounced dead at Stronger Hospital, The Chicago Tribune reported.
The man who fell off the boat hasn't been found. The other two divers are hospitalized in stable condition.
Two firetrucks parked facing each other near the Cook County medical center with their ladders up, which is custom when a firefighter dies on duty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report | {
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With the financial technology’s industry leaders gathered today in San Francisco at the Finovate Spring conference, browser-based algorithmic trading platform startup Quantopian is taking the next step toward letting the curious individual investor take on Wall Street’s best and brightest. Having previously only allowed paper trading on historical data sets, the company today launched paper trading on live market data sets, as well as a limited pilot of its Live Trading product.
Ultimately, Quantopian users will be able to test and refine their trading algorithms via paper trading on live market data, and with the flip of a button turn those same algorithms loose with real money at stake via the Live Trading product.
This seamless integration is key, and also rare in the industry, with most institutional-grade products demanding that algorithms be rewritten between the paper-trading and live trading environments. In addition to being an overall pain in the ass, this structure also introduces additional technical risk in that it’s easy to make an error in rewriting the algorithms. Quantopian has bridged the gap between idea and execution better than any consumer-facing product that I’m aware of.
“Anyone with a mind for finance and a knack for development should be able to put their ideas to work and reap the benefits of quantitative finance for themselves,” Quantopian founder and CEO John ‘Fawce’ Fawcett says. “Through paper trading and the Live Trading pilot program, we’re making it possible for quants to put their money where their minds are.”
Quantopian users looking to develop algorithmic trading strategies can begin by accessing the platform’s 10 years of historical market price data. Those interested in incorporating other securities or data sets such as commodity prices, currencies, short interests, obscure indexes, and derived trading signals can use its Fetcher product to import any external data set into the platform. Quantopian can clean, normalize, and sort any time-series and comma delimited data set, regardless of its source.
When Quantopian launched, the idea was to make a simple yet powerful product that opened up the world of quant-trading to engineers, mathematicians, and statisticians not working on Wall Street. And while the company has generated considerable interest among this audience, it’s been equally well-received among current professional traders looking for a quick and easy way to test trading concepts or trade personal assets outside their work.
One of the more interesting aspects of Quantopian is its opportunity to create a community around quantitative trading within which market participants might one day share ideas and strategies. And while the company has yet to monetize, one concept put forward by its founders is to create a marketplace where entrepreneurially-minded quants can offer access to their algorithms or proprietary data for a fee.
The use of Quantopian’s first-party data and paper-trading tools in algorithm building and testing will likely be free forever, according to its founders, but the company will likely eventually charge a subscription fee or implement transaction fees around Live Trading. That said, Quantopian is not a broker dealer and has no plans to be, which limits both its monetization options and its exposure to regulatory risk. Rather, the company integrates with the APIs of several popular online brokerages and routs trades through them without having to manage customer accounts.
Fawcett and his team – now seven strong – began developing Quantopian 19 months ago and raised a $2.1 million Seed round from Spark Capital and GETCO in January 2013. The Boston-based startup faces little competition currently in the consumerization of quant trading market and has managed to strike up cooperative relationships with several large brokerages and first-party market data sources.
To the extent that consumer-facing quant trading becomes a big business – anything but a sure bet at this stage – there is ample opportunity for competition from any financial services company that makes a living by charging clients fees for managing their money. By the time this becomes a reality, however, Quantopian is likely to have a significant head start in both product and community development, as well as market awareness.
Given this, Quantopian’s biggest risk appears to be that the universe of potential quant traders is relatively small. After all, it’s not like “Joe the Plumber” is likely to develop an algorithm that considers how fluctuations in the price of the crude oil and in the Brazilian unemployment rate impact the price of three month Euroyen futures. Additionally, curious individual investors have a variety of alternative investing platforms to choose among, including Motif’s popular thematic trading product which now has the backing of Goldman Sachs. Existing quant-trading communities such as QuantConnect also have the potential to either challenge or foster the Quantopian platform depending on the type of relationship the companies choose to create.
For the startup to build a massive business, it either needs to gain a disproportionate percentage of this limited consumer market, or to continue attracting Wall Street and eventually implement enterprise-grade features with the associated hefty fees.
Quantopian is leveraging trends toward online social networks and cloud computing to turn what was previously a secretive and resource-demanding industry into one that’s accessible to any smart and curious individual. Today’s early version of the platform is just a fraction of the longer term vision laid out by the company’s founders. Whether they can continue to execute on this vision, and attract a sufficient audience to do so profitably, remains to be seen.
What’s clear, however, both at this week's Quantopian booth and throughout the Finovate conference, is that innovation around the category of individual investing is incredibly healthy right now. | {
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Raven haired punk babe Isabel Dark joins us for another scene here on VirtualPee and is in the lounge in lingerie which she wastes no time in stripping out of! She plays with her perfect tits and pulls her panties off before sitting back in her chair and masturbating her pussy. She really works her pussy lips and fingers herself at the same time. Afterwards, naughty Isabel lays upside down on her chair and starts to spray a stream of her golden pee all over herself, soaking herself through and getting pee on tits! Of course we capture the whole thing in this virtual reality porn scene where you can imagine you are right there in all the action! | {
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En driven webbnörd, med passion för öppen källkod samt fritt & snabbt Internet. @jonathansulo på Twitter. @jonathansulo på Instagram. @jonathansulo på WP.org. | {
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Not sure if you're ignoring friend request because you don't remember me Or because you do.
76,067 shares | {
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Sergio Perez: "I feel ready to do a good job for a top team, to be able to fight for the title, for the championship" © Sutton Images Enlarge Related Links Race:
Singapore Grand Prix Drivers:
Sergio Perez Teams:
Alfa Romeo
Sergio Perez has revealed that he hasn't been approached by any teams for his services in 2013 amid rumours McLaren wants him as a potential replacement to Lewis Hamilton.
Reports over the weekend suggested that McLaren had made contact with Perez over the possibility of him replacing Hamilton should he join Mercedes. Perez, however, said that he hasn't had any approaches and is ignoring rumours which he says are solely based on his strong second place in the Italian Grand Prix.
"In the position that I'm in when I have a good result - because I'm fighting for the points and sometimes I can get some good podiums - it's always the time when the rumours start," Perez said. "But then you have a bad race and then there are no more rumours and they are changing to the driver who had a good race. So in that respect I'm not really worried; I know that I have a very strong car for the next seven races so I hope I can deliver very strong performances."
When asked if any approaches had been made, Perez simply replied: "No."
Perez did admit, however, that his status as a member of the Ferrari Academy would not have an impact on the possibility of driving for any other team.
"No, not really. I have a nice connection to Ferrari through the Ferrari Academy but I'm just part of the Ferrari Academy, I'm not part of the Ferrari team. So it doesn't affect it."
With Luca di Montezemolo having said that Perez is not experienced enough to drive for Ferrari, Perez himself believes he's ready to perform at a top team.
"In respect to what Montezemolo said about the experience - I fully respect his opinion. I have to know my position, probably he means that to become a Ferrari driver you need more (experience) - I don't know, it's only my second year in Formula One. I feel ready to do a good job for a top team, to be able to fight for the title, for the championship, so in that respect I feel ready but I fully respect his opinion."
Looking at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend, Perez said his target would be to score another podium following his second place at Monza.
"I definitely have a very strong feeling. It's not similar to the Spa or Monza circuits but I think we should be quite good here. It's very difficult to know what to expect but I think we can be competitive here too and this is our target now to fight for the podium again." | {
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Fishermen live in stain of Venezuela's broken oil industry Venezuela's crumbling oil industry has turned Lake Maracaibo into a wasteland, threatening fishermen who depend on the water for sustenance while destroying the landscape around them
CABIMAS, Venezuela -- Nobody lives as closely with the environmental fallout of Venezuela's collapsing oil industry as the fishermen who scratch out an existence on the blackened, sticky shores of Lake Maracaibo.
The once prized source of vast wealth has turned into a polluted wasteland, with crude oozing from hundreds of rusting platforms and cracked pipelines that crisscross the briny tidal bay. Much of it coats the fishermen's daily catch of blue crab that has to be scrubbed clean before it's shipped to market in the United States and elsewhere.
The sludge smears fishing boats, clogs outboard motors and stains nets. At the end of each sunbaked workday, fishermen wash oil clinging to their hands and feet with raw gasoline. They say the prickly rash in their skin is the price of survival.
"This seems like the end of the world," said 28-year-old Lenin Viera, acknowledging the hard reality hundreds of fishermen like him face near the city of Cabimas: If they don't work, their families don't eat.
The world's largest crude reserves fueled an oil boom making Venezuela — a founding member of OPEC — one of Latin America's richest nations through the 1990s. The lake's namesake city, Maracaibo, with more than a million people earned the nickname "Venezuela's Saudi Arabia" for its high-end restaurants, luxurious shopping and bright lights adorning an 8.7 kilometer (5.4 mile) bridge spanning the lake.
But the boom has since turned to bust. Venezuela's production nationwide has crashed to one-fifth of its all-time high two decades ago. Critics blame the socialist revolution launched by the late, charismatic Hugo Chavez. His successor, President Nicolás Maduro, accuses the "imperialist" U.S. of leading an economic war bent on destroying his socialist nation.
Environmentalists say Lake Maracaibo was first sacrificed in the name of progress starting in the 1930s, when a canal was excavated so bigger oil tankers could reach its ports. Sea water flowed in, killing freshwater wildlife, such as some plants and fish. In a second blow, agriculture surged to meet the growing food demand, discharging fertilizer runoff into the lake, further ravaging the ecosystem with algae blooms.
Venezuela's communications ministry and the head of Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA didn't respond to written requests for comment for this story.
Today, the lake is an apocalyptic scene that's getting worse as oil-soaked gunk of trash and driftwood lines its downwind shore. A breeze running across the fetid banks sends the headache-inducing smell of petroleum from perpetual oil spills through the waterside villages of simple cinderblock homes with corrugated metal roofs, exposing people who depend on the lake for food and jobs.
This is not what 37-year-old Yanis Rodríguez envisioned for himself when he started fishing commercially as a teenager. He used to dream of one day buying a new car and sending his eight daughters to private school.
"But not anymore," said Rodríguez, who lives on rationed electricity and struggles to find sources of clean water for washing, cooking and drinking. "Everything is going from bad to worse."
Aside from potential long-term health risks from the polluted water, the dangers can be immediate. An explosion badly burned three fishermen recently when they fired up their boat's motor near a natural gas leak that bubbles up from the bottom of the lake, engulfing them in flames.
Villagers say they first noticed oil lapping ashore when the petroleum industry's downturn began under Chavez's rule. As oil workers from the once-proud state oil monopoly fled for more lucrative jobs abroad, the vast crude-pumping machinery fell into disuse and slow-motion decay.
Along a polluted shoreline called Punta Gorda one sweltering afternoon, a crew hauled in its catch of crabs — introduced to U.S. markets after a Louisiana oilman in 1968 spotted large numbers in the lake's oil fields and told his brother in the seafood business.
On the count of three, the barefoot fishermen leaned their shoulders into the rear of their boat, sliding it ashore over the spilled oil. In pairs, they carried heavy crates to the scale as the crabs clambered to escape, claws raised in self-defense.
Fishermen picked out oil-coated crabs from the bunch, tossing each one into buckets. Their wives, seated in the shade of a fishing hut, used toothbrushes and rags to clean them — sometimes shrieking in pain from being pinched.
The crabs were then weighed and trucked to processing plants for their eventual shipment to consumers in the United States, neighboring Colombia and locally in Venezuela, who have no idea the crab on their plates was caught in oil-soaked water.
Cornelis Elferink, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said consumers occasionally exposed to oil-soaked crab don't likely face a health risk. Elferink hasn't inspected Maracaibo's fishing industry, but he led a five-year study of seafood contamination after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Rather, the Venezuelan fishermen are the ones at risk from persistent long-term exposure, he said. The oily water, petroleum fumes and daily diet of the contaminated seafood expose the local villages to a host of potential health problems such as respiratory illnesses, skin lesions and even cancer, he said.
"The Venezuelan fisher folks are living a hellacious existence," Elferink said. "They're at the epicenter."
Simon Bolivar, 53, said he had been fishing in Lake Maracaibo since age seven. Like his fellow fishermen, he ends his workday plunging each foot into a bucket of gasoline, then rinsing oil from his hands and face. Bolivar says he's become used to the sting.
Amid Venezuela's political crisis and food shortages, he's lost 46 pounds (21 kilograms) in the last few years, relying mainly on crabs and other seafood he catches from the lake to feed his family.
"We should be afraid," said Bolivar, named for Venezuela's heroic founding father. "If we don't go fishing, we won't catch anything. Then, what will eat? No one's going to come and rescue us."
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Associated Press photographer Rodrigo Abd and writer Sheyla Urdaneta contributed to this report from Cabimas, Venezuela.
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Scott Smith on Twitter: @ScottSmithAP
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | {
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Talk show host Rush Limbaugh sought to reassure listeners Wednesday after the tally of local and national companies that have pulled their advertisements from his time slot topped 40, insisting that the show will go on and that the program is not losing revenue from the exodus.
At last count, 42 advertisers, two radio stations and two musicians have closed the door on Limbaugh following incendiary comments he made last week about a Georgetown law student who testified before Congress in favor of having birth control covered under insurance plans.
Limbaugh called the student, Sandra Fluke, a "slut" and a "prostitute." The conservative commentator apologized for his "insulting" comments in a statement posted to his website on Saturday and again on his radio show Monday.
Despite the apology, which Fluke said she did not think "changes anything," customers and listeners have taken to social media to inundate advertisers, stations and sponsors of Limbaugh's show with calls to boycott Limbaugh.
Limbaugh told his listeners today that "everything's cool," noting that many of the advertisers that have yanked their support are local and thus have little if any impact on the show's revenues.
"Nobody is losing money here, including us, in all this," Limbaugh said on his radio show Wednesday. "[The advertisers] are not canceling the business on our stations. They're just saying they don't want their spots to appear in my show. We don't get any revenue from 'em anyway. The whole effort is to dispirit you."
The conservative commentator estimated that as many as 18,000 companies could be advertising on any one of the 600 or so stations that broadcast his three-hour radio program.
"ABC News, who understands how this works and are purposely misrepresenting it, is out there ballyhooing that we have lost 28 sponsors," Limbaugh said. "Twenty-eight sponsors out of 18,000! That's like losing a couple of french fries in the container when it's delivered to you at the drive-thru. You don't even notice it."
While he would not name companies, Limbaugh said three new sponsors have signed onto his show in the past two weeks.
"None of what's happening is out of the ordinary," Limbaugh said. "It's just part of an onslaught to try to convince you that this show's history and our days are numbered. And I'm happy to tell you nothing could be further from the truth."
Here is the list of confirmed companies who have officially pulled their advertisements from the Rush Limbaugh radio show.
Service Magic home contractor Hadeed Carpets Accuquote Life Insurance Vitacost vitamin supplier Bonobos clothing company Sensa weight- loss program Thompson Creek Windows AOL Tax Resolution Services ProFlowers Legal Zoom online document creator Carbonite web security firm Citrix software maker Sleep Train Mattresses Sleep Number mattresses Quicken Loans Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Cascades Dental Consolidated Credit Counseling Services Constant Contact email marketing firm Philadelphia Orchestra Reputation Rhino online reputation consulting firm St. Vincent's Medical Center Cunningham Security Regal Assets precious medal investment group Freedom Debt Relief Norway Savings Bank Portland Ovations performing arts center Stamps.com
These companies say their ads were mistakenly run during Limbaugh's program and have contacted radio stations and media buyers to ensure their ads do not run during his program again. | {
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today at the 2014 NEXT Library Conference that the Chicago Public Library was awarded a grant of $400,000 by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today for the Library’s “Internet to Go” program. Chicago Public Library is one of 19 winners out of 700 Cities that applied to the Knight News Challenge; the challenge sought breakthrough ideas that strengthen the Internet for freedom of expression and innovation.
Chicago Public Library is already the largest provider of free Internet access through its 80 locations in Chicago communities. The Internet to Go program will now help to further bridge the digital divide by providing take home Internet access and digital training for people in digitally- underserved areas of the city.
“From day one we have worked to increase internet connectivity and knowledge for our residents, because today’s digital skills are 21st century workforce skills,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I thank the Knight Foundation for their support, because with this funding the Chicago Public Library will now be able provide free, easy-to-take home, high-speed Internet access that will serve as a game-changer for children and adults across Chicago, but especially in communities that have traditionally been underserved.”
The $400,000 grant made through the Chicago Public Library Foundation will allow Library patrons to check out WiFi hotspot devices for up to three weeks at a time, beginning first in six neighborhood branches where digital access is particularly low. The Library will also offer digital literacy and skills coaching as a part of the Internet to Go program. For those without computers, Library will experiment with a laptop lending program.
The importance of Internet access and digital literacy skills in today’s economy is clear. A 2011 study revealed that in-home broadband use in many of Chicago's lowest-income neighborhoods barely hits the 50 percent mark and is significantly lower in the lowest-income areas of the city. Preliminary data from the City’s computer access centers indicate that Chicago residents who have received technology training from those centers in targeted neighborhoods are 13 percent more likely to obtain employment or increase their net income. The Internet to Go program will lower the barrier to accessing the benefits of engaging online.
The City and Chicago Public Library strive to make every community a ‘smart community’ in which everyone is able to fully participate in the digital economy, by increasing the number of digitally-connected and technologically-savvy students, residents and businesses yields increased job placement, business growth opportunities and educational skills for the 21st century.
“The digital divide is solvable now, and the solution requires collective will and bold action. We are committed to increasing the number of digitally-connected children and adults in Chicago, and are so grateful to the Knight Foundation for supporting our vision through the Internet to Go program,” said Library Commissioner Brian Bannon.
"Chicago Public Library is breaking down the digital divides that keep people out of the Internet. That’s a great service. But there’s more: by creating access and digital literacy for everyone, they’re also allowing innovators from anywhere to contribute to our future. They’re enabling an ideal of democracy,” said Alberto Ibargüen, Knight Foundation president.
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org.
The Knight News Challenge on strengthening the Internet is funding breakthrough ideas that strengthen the Internet for freedom of expression and innovation. More at www.newschallenge.org.
Since 1873, the Chicago Public Library has encouraged lifelong learning by welcoming all people and offering equal access to information, entertainment and knowledge through innovative services and programs, as well as cutting-edge technology. Through its 80 locations, the Library provides free access to a rich collection of materials, both physical and digital, and presents the highest quality author discussions, exhibits and programs for children, teens and adults. CPL recently received the Social Innovator Award from Chicago Innovation Awards; won a National Medal for Library Services from the Institute for Museum and Library Services and was ranked number one in the U.S. and third in the world by an international study of major urban libraries conducted by the Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf in Germany. For more information, visit www.chipublib.org or call the Chicago Public Library at (312) 747-4050. | {
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Confession Bear
i am really looking forward
for protests to happen in the u.s | {
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Notwithstanding the most recent spate of mass shootings, over the past weekend, the prospects for gun-control legislation in Congress appear remote. The reason is no mystery. The National Rifle Association and its allies in the gun lobby maintain a firm grip on the Republican Party, including President Trump, and thus on veto power over the passage, or even the consideration, of measures to curb gun violence. But the power of the N.R.A. extends beyond its control of the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. It’s less well known that the N.R.A. has also transformed the judiciary and, in the process, rewritten our understanding of the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
For about two hundred years, the meaning of the Second Amendment was clear and mostly undisputed, despite the gnarled syntax of the text itself: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Generations of Supreme Court and academic opinion held that the amendment did not confer on individuals a right “to keep and bear Arms” but, rather, referred only to the privileges belonging to state militias. This was not a controversial view. The late Chief Justice Warren E. Burger said, in 1991, that the idea that the Second Amendment conferred a right for individuals to bear arms was “a fraud on the American public.” Burger was no liberal, and his view simply reflected the overwhelming consensus on the issue at the time.
But, starting in the nineteen-seventies, the N.R.A. undertook a patient and extensive effort to change the public, and eventually the judicial, understanding of the Second Amendment. As David Cole recounts in his book “Engines of Liberty,” the N.R.A. recognized that its path was blocked by binding precedents in the federal courts, so it turned to a state-by-state approach. Embracing and passing gun-rights legislation in the states, Cole writes, “fostered a legal culture in which the right to bear arms enjoyed a privileged place.” At the same time, the N.R.A. sponsored academic research that purported to show that the traditional understanding of the Second Amendment was incorrect. The movement reached its climax in 2008, when the Supreme Court, in Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller, rewrote its understanding of the Second Amendment, and concluded that the Framers of the Constitution had, after all, intended the Amendment to confer an individual right to bear arms. (As Adam Gopnik recently observed, Justice John Paul Stevens’s dissent had the better argument, but Scalia’s opinion had the five votes.)
Read More Past New Yorker coverage of mass shootings and the battle over gun control.
Cole, who is now the national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, draws an important parallel to the N.R.A.’s effort to transform the meaning of the Second—that is, the movement to guarantee a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Of course, these two efforts to change the political trajectory of the country went in opposite ideological directions. But the strategies behind them were remarkably similar. In both cases, the legal terrain, especially in the federal courts, was clearly hostile. In both, the movement for change began succeeding at the state level, and, in both, the culmination came at the Supreme Court. With regard to both gun rights and same-sex marriage, the Court ultimately yielded to a political movement that had mobilized legislators, academics, and ordinary citizens.
There is a lesson in these politically divergent victories for the current moment. Though the Supreme Court has been cautious since 2008 in expanding gun rights, there is every likelihood that the new conservative majority will frustrate federal or state legislative efforts to insure gun safety. In other words, even if Congress or states manage to pass laws restricting gun rights—including limits on assault weapons or even requiring universal background checks—there is a real possibility that a majority of the Justices will overturn these laws as violations of the Second Amendment.
But the lesson of the fight over gun rights—like that over the protection of same-sex marriage—is that the Constitution remains a political document that is subject to the ideological forces of the time. No victory, or defeat, is permanent. The Court changed the Second Amendment, and the Court can change it back again, in its original direction. This kind of change takes significant resources and enormous patience. At the moment, the future of gun control looks grim in all three branches of the federal government. Trump is President, the Republicans control the Senate, and conservative appointees dominate the Supreme Court. Control of the elected branches is up for grabs in less than a year and a half. Control of the Supreme Court will, of course, take much longer to change. But even the Court usually bends with public and political opinion over time, and that change may yet happen on guns. The grim lesson of recent weeks is that the need for that transformation has never been greater. | {
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This coming Monday is the 1,000th episode of WWE’s Monday-night Raw, an event that WWE has built up with all the subtlety of a Trish Stratus–Stacy Keibler bikini mud wrestling match. Almost as soon as last Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view ended, it seemed like a distant memory. In the following night’s Raw, WWE reset almost all the story lines, promoting the future while also pimping the higher-profile moments of Raw‘s history.
WWE has long been obsessed with the success of its flagship show. For years, commercial bumpers would be filled with graphics informing us that Raw is the longest-continually-running live weekly syndicated series ever or something to that effect; from what I could gather, the pertinent information was that Raw was a bigger deal than The Simpsons but not, say, NBC Nightly News. It is a stunning feat to produce 1,000 consecutive Mondays of (usually) two hours of live wrestling. Other wrestling outfits have hardly been able to put on pretaped shows. The now-defunct WCW — which gave WWE its only live-on-Monday competition in 1996 and 2001 — put up a challenge by stealing Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. But after a couple years, WCW fizzled out with all the grace of an old man coming off a bender. Which is to say: Congratulations, WWE. Seriously.
The thousandth episode of Raw, to which I’ll refer henceforth as “Raw 1000,” has been getting more hype of late than even WrestleMania sometimes does. SummerSlam, the second-most important pay-per-view on the WWE calendar, is only a month away and on Monday’s Raw it hardly got a sentence’s recognition. This makes sense, since Raw 1000 is stacked with content and the show’s ratings have been stagnant in recent years. WWE could use a big rating to legitimize the hype they’ve committed to themselves.
Monday night’s lineup is a bonanza of WWE history. The show will open with a DX Reunion — Degeneration X being the antiestablishmentarian posse of Shawn Michaels and Triple H. DX were like an nWo–meets–Andrew Dice Clay routine; their colors were black and neon green, which probably tells you everything you need to know. And yet, they were a seminal faction that expanded dramatically where the nWo could only expand numerically. Their turn in the spotlight is a highlight of wrestling history for wrestling fans older than 25. And though there’s something sad about seeing 45-year-olds reunite to slap their crotches, it’ll be good to see them back together.
What should you expect? Triple H and Shawn for sure, and probably X-Pac and/or the New Age Outlaws thrown in for posterity.
That’s not the only thing on Triple H’s schedule, however. He’s also scheduled to get a formal response from Brock Lesnar regarding Triple H’s challenge for a match at SummerSlam. In case you forgot, after the Extreme Rules PPV, Triple H hit the ring to address Lesnar’s new contract demands and ended up getting his arm broken by Lesnar. Several weeks later, Triple H challenged Lesnar. Paul Heyman, acting as Lesnar’s attorney and mouthpiece, initially demurred, and Triple H punched him. A week later, Heyman announced that Lesnar would appear on Raw 1000 to answer the challenge.
What should you expect? Lesnar and Triple H will fight at SummerSlam. All the rest is noise. But with Heyman involved, it’s grating, wonderful noise.
John Laurinaitis got the boot as Raw‘s general manager last month, and WWE has filled his spot with interims since then. But on Monday, the new Raw GM will be named by the Illuminati-esque WWE board of directors. According to WWE’s official promotional graphic, the options are former Raw and Smackdown GMs Vickie Guerrero and Teddy Long, and a mysterious silhouette. But Vickie is too tied up in managing Dolph Ziggler — winner of the Smackdown Money in the Bank match at Sunday’s PPV — to be a real candidate for the Raw job. And sentimentality aside, Teddy’s continuing onscreen usage is so bizarre that fans have mostly stopped asking why; regardless, he probably can’t be trusted on a live microphone from week to week.
What should you expect? Bet on the silhouette, but don’t expect it to have a new face. Judging by nothing but the chill that graphic gave me, I’m guessing it will somehow end up being Laurinaitis again. Or William Regal, because he’s friends with Triple H.
In the show’s highest-profile “match” — and I quote from WWE.com — “John Cena will cash in his Money in the Bank contract on WWE Champion CM Punk.” Cena won the Raw MITB match Sunday night, meaning he can force a WWE championship match whenever he wants. The way this normally works is the challenger waits until the champ is most vulnerable — after getting beat up, for example — and cashes in the MITB briefcase for a likely victory. Cena, on the other hand, announced on Monday’s Raw that he’d be challenging Punk on Raw 1000, thus forfeiting the element of surprise. This turn has been disappointing because Cena, as the biggest wrestler in the company, can have a championship match whenever he wants. All he has to do is challenge Punk to a match; he doesn’t need a briefcase. I’m not just talking about backstage politics — Cena has proven time and again that all you have to do is sass-talk a rival to get WWE to lock the two of you in a steel cage. Whatever Cena’s plan is with the briefcase, it’s about two steps too cute. But wait! See that boldface line up there? Notice that they specifically do not say “John Cena versus CM Punk,” which would be a much more, you know, straightforward way of saying the thing if the thing was actually going to happen. Also, recall that Big Show was involved in the Cena-Punk proceedings on Monday when it made sense — after Cena beat him at Over the Limit and then won the MITB match they were both involved in — for his feud with Cena to be shelved.
What should you expect? This won’t be what WWE is implying it will be. They sort of need Cena and Punk to wrestle, both because many of the show’s other headliners are doing non-wrestling things and because they’re halfway promising it. It’s also a bad idea to let your fans down on the biggest show of the year. But don’t expect a straight-up one-on-one match.
Shawn Michaels won’t be the only big name returning for Raw 1000. The Rock is also coming back. Last seen absorbing the crowd’s adoration after he beat Cena at WrestleMania, big-time movie star Dwayne Johnson is finally back from whatever movie he was filming, presumably kicking off his run for the WWE championship that he promised back in March. Will he wrestle? Probably not. But he’ll give us the impression that he very well might! In February 2011, after he promised to never leave us, he disappeared from April to September. In March, when he said he saw himself winning the WWE championship, he disappeared for four more months.
What should you expect? The Rock will talk a lot, coin a new, hashtaggable catchphrase, and mildly insult-slash-mend-fences with Cena. All this will stoke the flames for a WrestleMania XIX match against whoever is champion at the time.
As if the card needed further padding, WWE reached into its sturdy old bag of tricks and pulled together a last-minute love story: Daniel Bryan and AJ are getting married. Bryan and AJ were an onscreen item dating back to November. AJ helped Bryan maintain his place atop the card, most famously by getting mauled by Big Show, thus ending his match with Bryan before Show could win. In real-world terms, AJ helped ratchet up Bryan’s loathsomeness via his abuse of her. After Bryan dumped AJ, she turned her affection toward CM Punk and a bizarre love quadrangle ensued between AJ, Punk, Bryan, and Kane. Two Mondays ago, AJ, playing an increasingly unhinged character, asked Punk to marry her, but then Bryan interrupted and proposed to AJ himself. On Sunday, Punk defeated Bryan decisively and AJ was oddly uninvolved in the decision. The next night on Raw, Bryan forgave AJ for letting Punk win and proposed again. She said yes. Naturally, they set the wedding date for one week later — on the 1,000th episode of Raw.
The very mention of a wedding angle in wrestling is enough to make most fans anxious. It’s a long tradition, and not a particularly proud one. If you delve into the history of WWE weddings, you see that they all follow the same basic script: Party A marries Party B by common will, trickery, or force; then Party C objects and/or physically intervenes, and high jinks ensue.
The first WWF marriage was between Butcher Vachon and Ophelia in 1984. Captain Lou Albano objected on the grounds that Vachon had been married “five or six times before,” and because Ophelia was a virgin (although Vachon clarified that she was not, in fact, so pure, and Albano withdrew his objection). Then Dr. D David Schultz body-slammed Vachon; later, at the reception, he gave the bride a pie in the face as Vachon stood there impassively. The best part is Vince McMahon’s uncontrollable laughter and the drunken reception where the Samoan contingent force midget wrestler Sky Low Low to sing with them. The 1985 marriage of Uncle Elmer — a Hillbilly Jim hanger-on — and Jackie was even more ridiculous, except that it was an actual wedding, which goes contrary to the very fabric of pro wrestling.
The most famous wedding in WWF history was that of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. The pair was already married in real life, but because Savage played the heel and — much like Bryan — emotionally abused his ladyfriend, their onscreen union could only be consummated once Savage mended his ways. The WWF decided to play the in-ring ceremony totally straight, without interruption or other rasslin’ contrivance — with the exception, of course, of Savage’s white-and-gold wedding ring gear and Bobby Heenan’s snarky commentary. The reception, however, was famously crashed by Jake “The Snake” Roberts and The Undertaker, who hid a cobra in a gift box. My personal favorite moment was the toast by “Mean” Gene Okerlund to “the new bride and groom, mister and missus Macho.”
The other weddings run in quick sequence — a matrimonial fever dream. In 1999, Stephanie McMahon was tied to a cross and forced to marry the Undertaker in a sort of pagan ritual, until “Stone Cold” Steve Austin intervened. Later that year, Steph got the wedding of her dreams when she wed Test. Triple H derailed the proceedings when he informed the wedding party that he had married a comatose, post-bachelorette-party Stephanie at a Vegas drive-through chapel. This ceremony, such as it was, was really the high-water mark of the Attitude Era. It had implied kidnapping and rape, large-scale impropriety, and a healthy dose of Triple H’s throaty sexual innuendo voice. It turned out that Hunter and Steph were in cahoots all along. They renewed their vows months later in an in-ring ceremony that needed no interference, since Triple H hijacked it himself after learning that Stephanie had faked a pregnancy to keep his affection. “Stephanie,” he said, “as I look into your eyes tonight, I see you for what you truly are — a no-good lying bitch.” And then he beat up Vince.
There have been many other weddings, all vulgar and nonsensical and wonderfully awful in their own ways: Lita married Kane and then almost Edge, and Edge almost married Vickie Guerrero; Dawn Marie married Torrie Wilson’s dad and nobody cared; there was a gay marriage between Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo in 2002 that turned out to be a publicity stunt; the aforementioned Teddy Long got married to Kristal in 2007 but had a Viagra-induced heart attack before the final “I do”; and Goldust married his protégée Aksana not too long ago, which was strange because it was portrayed as a green-card wedding and Goldust has always been implicitly gay, but WWE glossed over those points because, at that point, was anyone paying attention?
But back to Daniel Bryan and AJ. Although their story line seems to be moving away from CM Punk at this point, the WWE writers will still find someone to object to Bryan and AJ’s union. The couple’s Monday match with The Miz and Eve may provide some foreshadowing.
What should you expect? There will be a wedding ceremony. Someone will intervene.
WWE doesn’t always succeed with these non-wrestling, peripheral story lines, but sometimes it strikes gold. The first episode of Raw was structured around Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, who had been a co-host of Raw‘s predecessor show, trying in vain to get inside the building. (He had been replaced by Imus in the Morning regular Rob Bartlett, whose what-am-I-doing-here shtick lasted all of four months.) And although the in-ring product sometimes seemed like a formality, that first episode of Raw featured matches between Shawn Michaels and a spaceman named Max Moon, as well as The Undertaker and a prehistoric weirdo named Damien Demento. Michaels and Undertaker won. Michaels will be at Raw 1000; there are rumors that Undertaker will be there too. Which would be wonderful: There are some parts of the past that we’re always happy to relive. | {
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Islamic State monsters are using a new method of torture called 'The Flying Carpet’ to force their prisoners to confess.
The terror group, based largely across Syria and Iraq, has begun strapping their prisoners to a wooden board that has hinges in the middle.
ISIS thugs can then bring the ends of each board together, which bends the spine of their victim.
The sick torture method has been exposed by rebel group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently.
One escaped prisoner said: "The ISIS prison wardens would speak continuously of the coming retribution.
"ISIS men would enter, place knives on our necks, and threaten to kill us.
"An ISIS member would occasionally enter carrying a prisoner’s amputated head, promising the others a similar fate."
ISIS thugs have also been using a method of torture which they call "ghost".
Describing the method, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said in a statement: "The prisoner often loses his ability to move his hands – dislocating his joints.
(Image: BBC)
"It can also cause damage to the brachial plexus, which are the nerves that control arm and hand moment, usually resulting in permanent disability."
One ex-prisoner to have spoken out is Abu Alnour, who was freed after managing to pay a £33,000 ransom.
He has spoken to Syrian human rights group Sound and Picture about his experiences.
(Image: Reuters)
Mr Alnour said: "I do not want to talk about the beating, the electric shocks and the daily insults, I would rather talk about the young Abdullah who went crazy inside the prison.
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"He was accused of being a former FSA fighter, and he had the biggest share of torture within our group, which consisted of 13 prisoners in a less than eight-square-metre-sized cell.
(Image: Reuters)
"One night we woke up and his voice was screaming.
"We later knew that some of ISIS members entered into the room and put severed head next to him and woke him up and when he saw the head he lost his mind." | {
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But Clinton is also building a big advantage over her socialist opponent when it comes to super-awkward exchanges with black activists.
The latest example comes from right here in Minneapolis, where Clinton campaigned on Super Tuesday. She hit up a coffee shop in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, and the former First Lady and Secretary of State was still standing there with a cup of joe in hand when a young black woman approached her and started a testy dialogue.
This video from NBC News captures Clinton's initial response to the woman, Stacey Rosana, a Democratic organizer and Black Lives Matter activist. The Hill reports that Rosana started the conversation by asking about Clinton's use of the word "superpredator" during the 1990s.
Rosana's confrontation recreated another uncomfortable moment for Clinton, who was met with the same line of criticism during a recent South Carolina fundraiser. The difference was that the South Carolina exchange came at a Clinton campaign fundraiser, and the young woman there was quickly ushered away. This scene played out in public, at a coffee shop, and Clinton had no choice but to engage.
In the clip, Clinton tells Rosana that she's met with "a lot of" representatives of the Somali community in Minneapolis, name-dropping Abdi Warsame, the first Somali-American city council member elected in America.
Rosana responds with something that's not quite audible about Warsame, shaking her head as she says it.
Clinton replies that she's "proud" of Warsame. When this still doesn't convince Rosana, Clinton offers some curt advice to the young activist.
"Why don't you go run for something, then?" she says. When Rosana says she's working for a Somali-American campaign — a reference to Ilhan Omar, who is challenging incumbent DFL Rep. Phyllis Kahn, of Minneapolis — Clinton says, "Well, good. Good luck to you."
She then breaks into a classic big Hillary smile.
Maybe the more appropriate expression was the slightly pained grin frozen on the face of Gov. Mark Dayton, who took in the moment from just off Clinton's left shoulder. | {
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Jia Lissa is a world famous adult model known because of her youth her beautiful red hair and her slim build body. Watch some unseen up close photos of Jia's wide open pussy. Her vagina is smooth soft wet and ready to go! This 18 year old girl Jia has a STUNNING furry meaty hole between her legs. Enjoy these rare up close pics. | {
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Primer Equipo
MONCHI: “ESTOY CONVENCIDO DE QUE GANARÉ ESTA APUESTA”
El director general deportivo del Sevilla FC indicó que “confiando tanto en el trabajo de Julen, merecía la pena afrontar un proyecto a largo plazo”
El director general deportivo, Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo Monchi acompañó a Julen Lopetegui en su presentación oficial como entrenador del Sevilla FC . Preguntado por la razón por la que el técnico vasco ha sido el elegido, Monchi apuntó que “coincide con que la idea que tenemos en la dirección deportiva. Es el entrenador que, buceando y viendo el mercado, nos aporta más confianza para que los objetivos que tenemos en mente, lo podamos cumplir. El presidente sabe que barajando las opciones que podían ser interesantes, que las había, desde que decidimos en la dirección deportiva que era él, solo ha existido esa opción ya no había ninguna duda, y solo había un camino para convencerle con argumentos para que estuviera hoy como entrenador aquí. Soy una persona tremendamente feliz por ello como director deportivo y como sevillista ”. Asimismo, respondió a si es arriesgado apostar por Lopetegui tras lo ocurrido con la selección. Al respecto fue tajante: “Seré un inconsciente porque lo único que veo es que voy a ganar”.
En cuanto a los posibles cambios en la plantilla, indicó que “una vez que ya tenemos al entrenador, hoy podemos darle el pistoletazo de salida a la temporada 19/20. Ahora lo que dice la hoja de ruta es que compartamos ideas, que vea Julen lo que hemos hecho en estos últimos meses y se confeccione la plantilla. Cambios va a haber, pero lo más lógico es que coincidamos y que saquemos una conclusión común. Yo trabajo siempre muy de la mano del entrenador porque considero que el entrenador siempre debe marcar las pautas en cuanto a los perfiles que necesita y a partir de ahí, tomaremos decisiones. El cuadro empieza a tener algunos colores, vamos a esperar a que termine el cuadro porque va a quedar muy bonito”.
“El cuadro empieza a tener algunos colores y va a quedar muy bonito”
Respecto a que el contrato sea por tres años, apuntó que “fundamentalmente es porque confiando tanto en el trabajo de Julen, merecía la pena afrontar un proyecto a largo plazo. Esto nos va a permitir trabajar en la línea más justa y siendo lo más ambiciosa posible. Sabéis que me gusta madurar las cosas y ver más allá, con este perfil y la dirección deportiva actual, merecía la pena apostar por un proyecto más a largo plazo”.
Preguntado por el objetivo que se marca el Sevilla para la 19/20, expresó que “el objetivo que siempre se marca nuestro equipo es ganar lo máximo posible para llegar lo mas arriba posible, no objetivos posibles. El objetivo es conformar una plantilla lo más competitiva posible, conseguir cuanto más puntos mejor y aspirar a llegar muy lejos en cada competición. Más que un objetivo, mi objetivo es cerrar una plantilla acorde al entrenador y a partir de ahí, ganar el mayor número de partidos posibles”.
"Mi objetivo es cerrar una plantilla acorde con el entrenador, y a partir de ahí, ganar el mayor número de partidos posibles"
Asimismo, se refirió a las renovaciones de Banega y Sarabia: “No hay novedad importante, son dos casos distintos. Poco puedo aportar en este caso. Esto no significa que estemos parados, estamos trabajando para convencer a Pablo de que renovar es la mejor opción. Ya comenté que estaba receptivo, lógicamente se ha seguido trabajando a partir de ahí, me refiero a que no hay ninguna novedad que sea noticiable”.
Por último, en cuanto a la posibilidad de que regrese Alberto Moreno apuntó que “de nombres, no hemos tenido apenas tiempo de hablar con el entrenador. Tenemos ya dos laterales zurdos y Wöber también puede jugar ahí. Vamos a sentarnos con tranquilidad, vamos a ver pros y contras de la plantilla, necesidades y si necesitáramos un lateral izquierdo, Alberto Moreno sería una opción dentro de los nombres que ya tenemos trabajados. Se pondrá encima de la mesa los nombres que entroncarían con el perfil que él quiere”. | {
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FATS RULE
You can talk about or post anything here except really obviously illegal stuff Moderator: Admin
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By Diane Dietz / The Register-Guard
With some low-population Southern Oregon counties on the verge of insolvency, the Oregon congressional delegation seems determined to get more money-producing timber harvests off the 2.4 million acres of federal Bureau of Land Management forests in Western Oregon.
Their actions — including the advance of a sweeping logging bill in the House — has made timber executives, environmentalists and rural residents all anxious, because nobody knows whether the bill will become law, and if it does what it will look like.
All the hard-fought rules governing logging on federal land in the Pacific Northwest for the past 30 years are up in the air.
Some provisions in House Bill 1526 would take Oregon’s O&C lands back to the peak logging of up to 1.6 billion board feet a year during the 1980s, before a string of court cases found that the harvest was breaking environmental laws and dropped the cut by 90 percent.
The sweeping bill would jeopardize salmon, spotted owls, old growth and watersheds — including those where most Oregonians draw their drinking water, said Sean Stevens, executive director of the Oregon Wild environmental group.
“It really is the worst attack on public lands across the country in a generation,” he said.
But county officials and timber executives fear provisions that would allow environmentalists to defeat the purpose of HB 1526 and keep the cut below 200 million board feet a year — leaving not enough logs for the mills or cash for the counties.
In the House, the O&C plan is being championed by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield.
In the Senate, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, is working on a parallel but unspecified bill. He said his measure would ensure the logging and suppress the litigation on the 2.4 million acres of Oregon BLM forests known as the O&C — short for Oregon & California — lands.
“The Oregon delegation is absolutely determined to fix this O&C situation. The alternative to not passing legislation is just completely unacceptable,” Oregon’s senior senator said. “If a bill doesn’t pass, a bad situation gets worse. I’m not waiting for that catastrophe.”
The O&C lands spread out across rural parts of Western Oregon in a checkerboard — from Columbia County to the north to the Oregon-California border to the south.
The lands exist as they are because in 1866, Congress gave the Oregon & California Railroad every other mile-square section of land, so the railroad could sell the land to settlers to finance construction of the rail line. Later, the lands reverted to the government.
Today, in Lane County, there are 270,000 acres of O&C land, including dense Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar forests, according to the BLM.
Lane County mill owners such as Seneca Sawmill, Starfire Lumber and Swanson Group Manufacturing buy timber from the lands — or hope to under the pending legislation.
The Eugene Water & Electric Board and the Springfield Utility Board draw water from rivers. Those waterways pick up sediment and residue from the land.
The House bill, introduced by Oregon Reps. DeFazio, Kurt Schrader, and Greg Walden, has been voted out of the House Natural Resources Committee — and is expected to come before the full House in coming weeks.
“Everything is racing down the tracks and we’re just trying to keep up,” said Karl Morgenstern, EWEB’s drinking water source protection coordinator.
Part of a larger bill
For all sides, the stakes are high.
The proposed O&C Trust, Conservation and Jobs Act that DeFazio fashioned is tucked inside a bigger logging bill promoted by Rep. Doc Hastings, a Republican lawmaker from Eastern Washington who has a 3 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters.
The larger bill removes the legal clout that environmentalists have used to stop logging — including in old-growth federal forests that are home to endangered species.
“It basically undoes Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, etc., with the goal of really ramping up (the federal) timber harvest to fund local governments,” Stevens said.
One provision, for example: If a federal official determines that a concern exists that proposed logging may affect the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species, the federal official “shall” issue a determination that the project will not jeopardize the continued existence of the species.
Clauses such as this make environmentalists call it the worst bill they’ve seen in many decades.
DeFazio isn’t surprised by their reaction.
“If they are talking about the whole bill, I would somewhat agree,” he said. “If they were talking about the O&C bill (inside the larger bill) I would disagree.”
DeFazio, with an 89 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters, said it’s the best bill he could get in negotiation with House Republicans, and it includes environmental plusses.
“It would set aside a million acres of old growth. It would double the size of the wilderness on the Rogue River. It would (designate), finally, the Devil’s Staircase wilderness,” he said.
The bill would also add wild and scenic designation to 130 miles on the Rogue and Clackamas rivers.
Land designated for logging would be governed by the state’s Forest Practices Act, which regulates logging on private land.
“We developed a bill that we think is balanced,” DeFazio said. “It’s not what I would have written but I’m in the minority. I had to work with (Rep.) Greg Walden who’s in the majority.”
High stakes for counties
But DeFazio is pushing a bad deal, Stevens said.
“Certainly he has problems with the larger bill, but you still have to ask the question: Who are you willing to cut the deal with, what package are you willing to give momentum to, by giving it your stamp of approval?” he said.
The stakes are also big for the 18 counties in Oregon that would get money from O&C timber sales. Federal logging revenue decades ago left Lane County government flush with cash. Those payments have since dwindled to a trickle, as O&C logging and temporary federal replacement money has all but dried up.
For smaller counties in Southwest Oregon, the O&C payments were more essential. Not long ago, they made up 81 percent of Douglas County’s discretionary budget and 75 percent of Josephine County’s budget.
“You had communities that were very, very dependent on certain harvest levels and the milling operations and forestry operations that went with it. It established the vitality of these communities. That has been very much affected,” said Allyn Ford, president of Roseburg Forest Products.
With residents unwilling to pay higher property taxes or other levies to make up the shortfall, rural counties face pot-holed roads and understaffed jails.
“Josephine County has real unemployment over 20 percent,” DeFazio said. “They have no rural sheriff’s patrols any longer. There’s a horrible case (last spring) of a woman who was raped, who called 9-1-1, and they just said, ‘Sorry we can’t send anybody.’ That can’t prevail. They’ve formed posses. The sheriff is very concerned about the idea of armed citizens doing law enforcement. Curry County is actually probably in worse shape than Josephine County.”
The prospect of greatly increasing logging on O&C lands brings the promise of money flowing into the anemic veins of the dependent counties — paychecks for all sorts of timber workers spent in crippled businesses.
“In many of these communities there isn’t much else there,” Ford said.
Conflicting plans
With the stakes sky high for environmentalists and for counties — and timber companies that want the logs — Gov. John Kitzhaber convened a 14-member panel to take DeFazio’s O&C proposal as a starting point and seek a compromise.
The group met behind closed doors for 16 days last fall.
“They really worked hard to try to make things happen,” said Ford, one of the participants.
But they failed.
Timber interests argue that the O&C lands were meant to be privately owned, and they note that Congress in a 1937 law said the lands should be used to produce a “sustained yield” for timber companies to log and the counties to reap payments. That law conflicts with the federal 1994 Northwest Forest Plan, which also governs the O&C lands, and aims mainly to protect environmental values.
“The (O&C forests) do not have the same role as, say, the national forest,” Ford said, “which were originally and still are federal lands. There was a basic disagreement on the purpose and role of the O&C lands.
“These lands are unique in terms of their historical relationship to the counties and to the dependent communities. This is not something that just fell out of heaven. There was a lot of history here,” Ford said.
Environmentalists want to keep the O&C lands for the public under the Northwest Forest Plan and federal environmental laws that protect the woods and the wildlife.
“We have the Northwest Forest Plan because we have 30 to 40 years of out-of-control logging that lead to the problems with dirty streams and drinking water being impaired — and impacts to owls, salmon and marbled murrelets,” Stevens said. “We kind of binged out (on logging) in the ’70s and ’80s and we had to go into rehab, and we’re still recovering.”
Industry and the counties could have gotten behind the DeFazio bill, as long as it would yield 600 million board feet of logged timber a year, Ford said. Environmentalists weren’t prepared to go over 250 million board feet a year.
“The people representing the environmental community want to set everything aside and, of course, the counties and the industry want to have a certain minimum income and harvest,” Ford said. “You put the two together and we were significantly far apart. We were too far apart to put together a compromise.”
State-hired consultants produced a 94-page report that details the conflicting views.
It includes seven options for regulating the O&C land while producing various levels of logging. Elements of those options are informing the effort underway in Congress.
“That’s where it’s going to have to be settled,” Ford said. “We’ve got conflicting laws. We’ve got conflicting needs.”
All say action is urgently needed.
Congress must act now on the O&C lands, both Wyden and DeFazio said.
Wyden said the current logging on O&C lands basically involves thinning and doesn’t produce a long-term harvest. “In less than a decade, if you keep the current thinning-only approach to managing O&C lands, harvest levels completely fall off the cliff,” he said.
DeFazio, meanwhile, warns of pending rulings by Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia.
The rulings are expected to give the “sustained yield” required under the O&C Lands Act of 1937 precedent over more recent federal laws protecting endangered species — and allow annual cuts exceeding one billion board feet.
Leon’s first ruling is in a 2010 case brought by the American Forest Resources Council and individual companies, including Swanson Group Manufacturing.
Historically, timber issues have been decided in federal courts in the west — where the forests are — and appeals would go to the liberal-leaning 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The outcomes of cases have generally favored environmental protection. Going to court in the nation’s capital allowed industry to avoid that.
Leon ruled in June that the BLM must consider the target harvest levels in its management plans as a legally enforceable commitment.
A second case on the O&C question was filed by the trade group American Forest Resources Council and Lane County companies Seneca Jones Timber Co., Starfire Lumber Co. and Swanson Group.
“It seeks to ratchet things up even more,” said Andy Stahl of the Eugene-based Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. “It seeks to expand the court’s order beyond the Roseburg and Medford (BLM) districts to include the Salem, Eugene and Coos Bay districts, and it seeks to retrospectively compel the BLM to sell the shortfall of timber since about seven years ago.”
That ruling could allow historic-level cuts of 1.5 billion board feet annually, DeFazio said. “That’s not sustainable. That would liquidate the old growth.”
“I’m hoping that after the first court decision, some of these groups will become a little more realistic,” DeFazio said. “There is a real threat out there. What I’m offering in terms of protecting the old growth, adding substantial wilderness, protecting the Rogue and managing in younger stands is a pretty good trade-off.
“To move this forward, it’s critical. The counties need a long term, predictable, sustainable base of revenues. This isn’t everything the counties need. We’re never going to get back to the (1980s) levels, which were hugely rich for the counties. We can’t go to that level of harvest. But we can sustain a level that exceeds today’s levels — particularly with courts beginning to force the BLM to do that.”
Striving for certainty
But Stevens of Oregon Wild doesn’t believe Leon’s first ruling will stand on appeal — and the second is even less likely to survive.
“Even if you give it a 50-50 chance, which is better odds than it has, you still have to ask the question: What’s the piece of legislation that I should pass to address that threat?
“What DeFazio has said is, ‘There’s a big threat here of increased logging, so I’m going to (pass a bill to) really increase logging to solve the problem,’” Stevens said. “He’s pointing out a problem and creating his similar problem.”
Wherever the lines and distinctions fall in the final bill, it’s widely agreed that Congress will seek to make the result ironclad and lawsuit-proof.
“That level of certainty has to be as reliable as the one Judge Leon has provided or the industry won’t accept it,” Stahl said.
“Similarly, environmental interests have to be confident that the lands to be preserved actually will be preserved. They’ll be happy with a couple wilderness areas, but, for the balance of the land, all this bill is giving them is the status quo, which is subject to whimsical change by the Forest Service. The level of protection for the protected lands needs to be made more robust,” he said.
Certainty, however, has not been found in the federal forests and the logging industry for decades.
In the years of the Great Recession, home sales plummeted, lumber prices dropped and finished lumber piled up around sawmills. Prices can be tanked by a glut of Canadian timber arriving on the market.
The housing market has been picking up steam for the past year, leading some to expect upward demand for lumber, bringing bigger bids for saw logs.
But, since May, the Federal Reserve allowed interest rates to increase, provoking by July a sharp drop in new home sales and threatening demand for lumber.
DeFazio’s bill builds in protection from market depressions. It requires the trust that’s managing the logging to accumulate a $125 million reserve fund that would pay counties even when log prices were too low to sell at a profit. “And then when the price goes back up, they’d have a backlog of timber to put on the market,” the congressman said.
Stevens wonders if a big increase in logging would solve the counties’ money problems.
“The financial straits that some counties are in are serious,” he said. “The question is: Do you use the same thinking as we did 30 years ago to fund them — by unsustainably extracting resources — re-creating the boom-bust cycle? The economy of the future is not going to be timber centric, so why force it to be again?”
A plan for compromise
The congressional legislation is making so many people in Oregon anxious because, like a blindfolded juggler, they’re not sure what elements are in play or where they are.
“With the DeFazio, Schrader, Walden bill — they’ve laid their hand on the table,” Ford said. “Everybody is waiting for Senator Wyden to see what he is proposing.”
The delegation’s plan is for the full House to pass the DeFazio bill, and for Wyden to introduce his bill and guide it through the Senate. Then, representatives of the two chambers — including Wyden and DeFazio — will hammer out a compromise.
So far, Wyden has only talked in generalities about what he wants done on Oregon’s O&C forests.
Wyden said he’s not interested in removing environmental protections from the lands because earlier attempts — including the so-called salvage rider legislation in the 1990s — didn’t increase the harvest and only kept the lawyers busy.
Wyden said he doesn’t want to put federal land into a trust for logging — although he’s not opposed to dedicating some lands to logging and other lands for preservation.
“In these kind of contentious natural resources issues, nobody gets exactly what they want,” he said. “Nobody gets exactly what they think they deserve. The question is: Can you get what you need?
“The environmental community has a strong point with respect to not setting aside the federal enviornmental laws. People have a right to protest at a timber sale. But they don’t have a constitutional right to a five-year delay.”
Wyden said he’d unveil his bill in the “next several weeks.”
“We’re just trying to figure out where to draw lines between lands that are suitable for harvest and lands that need to be protected for old growth and clean water,” Wyden aide Tom Towslee said. What’s the chance of passage?
Based on the legislative track record thus far, the website GovTrack.us gives the bill a measly 5 percent chance of passage.
Most congressional lawmakers are unfamiliar with the O&C lands, since they are located only in Oregon. That hinders and helps the bill’s chances.
Because the problem is exclusive to Oregon, lawmakers far removed may not know or care about what happens.
But because the problem is exclusive to Oregon, DeFazio said he could talk his Republican counterparts into old growth protections and wilderness designations that they would never agree to if they would set a precedent for all federal lands nationwide.
“It’s not part of the national forest system. It’s not part of the national park system. It is the O&C lands only,” he said.
Also, the Oregon delegation is aligned in favorable positions in their respective chambers.
Wyden is chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Walden is in the House Republican leadership. DeFazio is the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Now is the best chance for passage, DeFazio said. “If not now,” he said, “never, probably.” | {
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When Girls Play – Abella Danger And Desiree Dulce Working Out The Kinks
275 100% | {
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The California Supreme Court decided unanimously Monday that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement agencies may alert prosecutors that a deputy who might testify in a criminal case has a history of misconduct.
The decision was narrow, holding only that state confidentiality laws permit law enforcement agencies to alert prosecutors when an officer who is a potential witness has something in his or her background that might affect the outcome of the case.
Legal analysts said the ruling was likely to benefit the defense and possibly change the outcome of some cases but would not assure that relevant information about errant officers is disclosed.
The case before the court stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the L.A. deputies union to prevent former Sheriff Jim McDonnell from turning over to the district attorney about 300 names of deputies with a history of misconduct.
A divided Los Angeles-based state Court of Appeal ruled in 2017 that the list must be kept secret , even in pending criminal cases in which deputies with past misconduct were expected to testify.
In allowing police agencies to disclose the names of errant officers to prosecutors, the state high court tried to “harmonize” state laws that protect police personnel records with a 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case, Brady vs. Maryland, which said suppression of evidence favorable to the defense violated due process.
Despite strong wording in the ruling reminding police and prosecutors of their duties to disclose, Monday’s decision did not require law enforcement agencies to keep lists of problem officers so they could be readily identified to prosecutors.
Mark Harvis, an appellate lawyer in the L.A. public defender’s office, said some law enforcement agencies would probably continue to withhold relevant information.
“They have to inform the prosecutor of actual Brady stuff in a pending case, but where is the teeth in that if they don’t?” said Harvis, who was not speaking for his office. “Nobody knows about it.”
Even when prosecutors are alerted to problem officers, trial judges with broad discretion ultimately will decide what information in an officer’s personnel files gets disclosed, said Jason Whitehead, a Cal State Long Beach political science professor who has written about the judiciary and the justice system.
“Just like in the federal judiciary, where you have conservative and liberal circuits, the same is true in California,” he said.
The decision overturned the Court of Appeal ruling that barred the sheriff from giving prosecutors the names of deputies who had committed misconduct, including lying, taking bribes, tampering with evidence, using unreasonable force or engaging in domestic violence.
By law, prosecutors are required to disclose to defendants exculpatory evidence, including information that could diminish the credibility of police officers who worked on a case.
But California law has long protected the confidentiality of police personnel records, and law enforcement unions have sought to keep those records private.
Monday’s decision said that merely disclosing to prosecutors that a deputy was on a list of problem officers did not violate California law protecting personnel records.
Indeed, the court said, such an alert might be needed for prosecutors to fulfill their constitutional duty to give the defense evidence that might cast doubt on a defendant’s guilt, reduce a potential sentence or diminish the credibility of prosecution witnesses.
Once alerted that a deputy has a history of misconduct, prosecutors can then file a motion to obtain the deputy’s records. A judge would then review the officer’s records in chambers and determine if anything must be disclosed. If the information is potentially exculpatory, the prosecution must disclose it to the defense.
Interpreting state law to prevent alerts to prosecutors “would pose a substantial threat to Brady compliance,” Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye wrote for the court.
“There can be no serious doubt that confidential personnel records may contain Brady material,” she said. “An officer may provide important testimony in a criminal prosecution. Confidential personnel records may cast doubt on that officer’s veracity. Such records can constitute material impeachment evidence.”
Prosecutors have a constitutional duty to learn of any evidence favorable to the defense and disclose it, the court noted. But to succeed in a motion to obtain an officer’s personnel files, the prosecution or the defense must show there is good reason to believe the files contain potentially exculpatory evidence. Brady alerts help provide that reason.
Laws to protect police personnel files were largely intended to “shield information from the public’s eyes — not from the eyes of government officials who may need that information to satisfy a constitutional obligation,” the court said.
The decision noted that the L.A. deputies union, which fought disclosure, argued that Brady applied only to prosecutors, not police — a view the court called “distressing and wrong.”
“Law enforcement personnel are required to share Brady material with the prosecution,” wrote Cantil-Sakauye, a former prosecutor who is married to a retired police officer. “The harder it is for prosecutors to access that material, the greater the need for deputies to volunteer it.”
Police departments in at least a dozen counties, including San Francisco, Sacramento and Ventura, have had a regular practice of sending prosecutors the names of so-called Brady list officers.
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said it would comply with the decision. In a statement, the department said it would provide all information required to the district attorney’s office on a case-by-case basis.
“Because the Sheriff’s Department understands the needs of the community, we plan on sitting down with the District Attorney to work out an effective, efficient, transparent and open process for turning over the information,” the statement said.
An attorney for the deputies union did not respond to a request for comment.
Geoffrey S. Sheldon, who represented Los Angeles County in the case, said he believed that most law enforcement agencies in the state kept Brady lists and, until the 2017 Court of Appeal ruling, alerted prosecutors when an officer on the list was going to testify.
Monday’s “decision talks about insiders and outsiders,” Sheldon said. “We are talking about limited disclosure between two members of the prosecution team, and it is for a very noble purpose, which is Brady compliance.”
Although the court did not say whether prosecutors could share alerts with defense lawyers, Sheldon said he believed that would be possible. The defense lawyer would then file a motion for an officer’s records. A judge would review them privately, disclosing only what was pertinent to the case.
If an officer’s records showed dishonesty in the past, that information would have to be disclosed to the defense, Sheldon said.
But if an officer was placed on a Brady list for racial profiling, and the case at hand had nothing to do with race, the information probably would not be disclosed, he said.
Whitehead said the scope of Monday’s ruling will likely be clarified in future court cases. He said judges in more liberal counties will likely err on the side of disclosure whereas judges in other counties may be highly protective of police privacy.
“This is certainly a beginning” for transparency, he said. “We will see what the lower courts do with it.”
He noted there has been a national push for more police transparency, which in California led to the passage of two new laws last year that dramatically altered public access to police records.
Senate Bill 1421, which went into effect Jan. 1, allows the public to view investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, in addition to confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty.
But the law does not apply to a broader range of misconduct that can put an officer on a Brady list, including domestic abuse, sexual harassment, racial discrimination and bribery.
Another bill signed into law last year requires law enforcement departments statewide to make public body-worn camera video and audio recordings of officer shootings and serious uses of force within 45 days, unless doing so would compromise an ongoing investigation.
A Times investigation found the Sheriff’s Department kept a secret list of problem deputies for years but that it was never turned over to prosecutors.
Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra called Monday’s decision “a positive step forward in maintaining a fair and transparent criminal justice system for California.”
Times staff writer Maya Lau contributed to this report. | {
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Alan Gomez
USA TODAY
Guidelines the Food and Drug Administration issued Wednesday could expand women’s access to an abortion-inducing pill in states that have sought to limit its use.
The new guidelines strike directly against laws passed by several states — including North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — that require doctors to adhere to 16-year-old FDA regulations. Several other states have tried to limit use of the drug, but their efforts face legal challenges around the country.
The new rules allow women to use the medication for 70 days after the start of their most recent menstrual period, up from 49 days under the previous guidelines. The agency also lowered the dosage of the medication, called mifepristone, from 600 milligrams to 200 milligrams, and made it easier for women to get a prescription for the pill.
The previous requirements had been in place since 2000, but the FDA said in a statement that more recent scientific data showed that it was time for the update.
"After reviewing the supplemental application, the agency determined that Mifeprex is safe and effective when used to terminate a pregnancy in accordance with revised labeling," the statement said, referring to the brand name of the drug.
Future of Texas abortion case at crossroads
Abortion rights groups hailed the move as a long-needed dose of common sense given the history of the medication.
President Ilyse Hogue of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a network of groups dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedoms, said the abortion pill has proved through decades to be safer than Tylenol, Viagra and other common medications used around the world.
"Unlike state and federal anti-choice laws that restrict a women's access to an abortion, the FDA decision to make mifepristone available to more women in this country is based on science that shows this usage is safe and medically sound," Hogue said. "It's high time to put medicine back into the hands of medical professionals and take it out of politicians' hands."
Iowa court allows for dispensing of abortion pill remotely
Abortion opponents disagreed, arguing that lengthening the time that women can use the pill will lead to more "incomplete" abortions and more risks to mothers. President Troy Newman of Operation Rescue, a Kansas-based anti-abortion group, said pharmaceutical companies will use the FDA's decision to persuade more "vulnerable pregnant women" to use the "unpredictable" drug.
"The FDA should be more about protecting the public from exploitative and predatory uses of drugs rather than pandering to Planned Parenthood and the rest of the Abortion Cartel," Newman said in a statement.
Ohio's lawmakers had passed the requirement to follow FDA guidelines in 2004, but the law didn't take effect until 2011 because of a court order. From 2010 to 2011, when the law went into effect, surgical abortions dropped to by more than 75% to 1,234 from 5,862, according to state health department records.
Arizona's 'abortion reversal' law put on hold
By 2014, non-surgical abortions including the abortion pill were 5% of all procedures, compared to 13.2% in 2004.
Women's Med in Sharonville, Ohio, which ceased surgical abortion in 2014 after losing a legal battle with the state, still provides medication abortions. But it has used methotrexate injections rather than the abortion pill because administering Mifeprex according to the old FDA guidelines was too expensive and time-consuming, said Dr. Martin Haskell, the clinic's owner.
But Wednesday's FDA decision gives Haskell another cost-effective alternative for abortions — one he said he will consider offering to patients in the future.
Abortion rate at lowest level since 1973
“They’re finally catching up with reality,” Dr. Franz Theard, a physician who operates Hilltop Women’s Reproductive Clinic in El Paso, said of the FDA. Texas law requires pregnant women seeking abortions to first fill out paperwork, get an ultrasound and receive counseling.
They return 72 hours later to take mifiprex. Then they are sent home where they take a second drug, misoprostol, all in keeping with the FDA's 2000 guidelines because state law prohibits off-label use of drugs that can be used for abortions.
“We tell them, ‘Don’t go to work,’ ” because the procedure causes cramping, Theard said. But it is much less invasive than a surgical abortion and so trouble-free for some women that almost a third don't return for a recommended follow-up after the abortion.
Ind. Senate eliminates second ultrasound for RU486 use
In Arizona, where a court order has put its state law similar to Ohio and Texas on hold, lawmakers sent a new bill to the governor last week requiring abortion-inducing medications be administered according to FDA protocol that was in effect as of Dec. 31.
The legislation is sitting on Gov. Doug Ducey's desk, awaiting his signature or veto. Bill proponents are scrambling to figure out what to do.
"They will not be following the (current) FDA recommendations if this bill becomes law," said state Rep. Randall Friese, a Tucson Democrat and a surgeon who asked Ducey to veto the bill. "I'm hoping this information makes it to the governor's office to help him decide."
Contributing: Jessie Balmert, The Cincinnati Enquirer; Marty Schladen, El Paso Times; Alia Beard Rau, The Arizona Republic. Follow Alan Gomez on Twitter: @alangomez | {
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Apple’s Wednesday, September 9th event is shaping up to be one of the largest in the company’s history. The Cupertino-based company is planning to unveil several major new products on stage, including a pair of new iPhones with revamped internals, a sequel to the Apple TV, a larger version of the iPad Air, a refreshed iPad mini, and new Apple Watch accessories. The company is also likely to discuss at least two of its latest software platforms: iOS 9 and watchOS 2. We’ve reported the lion’s share of what is to come at next week’s event, so this article outlines everything we’re expecting and adds some new details…
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
Design, 7000 Series + Rose Gold:
In line with past “S-upgrades” to iPhone hardware, this year’s iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will retain the same designs as their predecessors, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. There will, however, be a slight increase in thickness on the two phones, but this shouldn’t be noticeable to the human eye nor affect compatibility with most protective cases on the market.
While the design and shape of the phones will remain, the devices will actually be made out of an improved alloy known as 7000 series aluminum. Apple first debuted the metal with the Apple Watch Sport last fall, and the company explains the benefits on its official website:
For Apple Watch, we created a new alloy of 7000 Series aluminum that’s 60 percent stronger than standard alloys. Yet it’s very light. Together with the Ion-X glass covering the display, it makes the Sport collection watches up to 30 percent lighter than our stainless steel models. It’s also exceptionally pure, with a beautifully consistent appearance that’s difficult to achieve with traditional aluminum alloys.
Besides the new casing structure, Apple will differentiate the new device with a new color option: Rose Gold. Some reports have called this new color pink, but our sources continue to stress that the color is “definitely Rose Gold in both name and appearance.” The shades of space gray, white/silver, and gold that Apple currently offers for the 6 line will make their way to the 6s portfolio.
Cameras + 4K Video:
This year’s iPhone upgrade will focus a lot on the cameras. Both the front-facing FaceTime camera and rear-facing iSight sensor are due for significant upgrades. On the front will be a much larger sensor that will record 1080p video and could have up to 5 megapixels of still resolution, based on reports from analysts. This would be a major transition from the current 1.2 megapixel sensor on the current line of iPhones. As Apple always notes, hardware is only one part of the story: the new front-facing camera will see improved software integration with a few new features:
Support for selfie panoramas
Support for slow-motion video
Support for higher-resolution front facing video recording
A software-based flash feature for lighting up the display when you take a picture in low-light environments
On the rear will be a 12-megapixel shooter that is capable of recording video in ultra-high resolution 4K quality. With the iPhones starting at fairly low capacities (more on that below), the inclusion of 4K video recording could pose a challenge for some users. We believe that Apple could be preparing an upgraded version of its iCloud storage backend in order to allow users to take and upload 4K video rather than storing the entire clip offline to their devices. Given storage limitations, it is likely that 4K will be a switch rather than a default recording option.
Force Touch Screen:
In addition to upgraded cameras, another major user-facing feature of the iPhone 6S line will be a Force Touch-based display. Sources say that Force Touch on the iPhone is only akin to the MacBook and Apple Watch in name, as the functionality is much more advanced. With that in mind, sources say Apple will likely call the Force Touch technology on the new iPhones by another name. Force Touch allows the iPhone 6s version of iOS 9 to sense different levels of pressure. According to sources, the new phones will be able to determine the difference between a tap, a standard press, and a deep press, adding a third level of sensitivity over the Apple Watch screen and MacBook trackpad.
While Force Touch on the Apple Watch is used to load additional overlay menus over the small 38mm and 42mm casings, and while the MacBook’s trackpad can sense a Force Click, the screen on the iPhones will be primarily used as a shortcut and navigational tool. Here are some examples from our earlier report on Force Touch coming to the new iPhones:
New to the Force Touch experience, a user can look up a point of interest in the Maps application, and then Force Touch on the destination to immediately begin turn-by-turn directions. Currently, if a user wants to start navigating to a destination, she must search for the point of interest, click the navigation logo on the map view, then click another button to actually start navigating. In this case, the Force Touch gesture will skip two steps.
In the Music application, a user can Force Touch on a listed track to be presented with some of the most commonly used actions. For instance, if a user deep presses on the listing for a song, a menu will appear to quickly add the song to a playlist or save it for offline listening. This Force Touch gesture would act as a substitute for clicking the actions button on the right side of each track listing in the Music app.
Another feature in testing, according to one source, are shortcuts that appear after Force Touching an app icon on the Home screen. For example, if a user deep presses on the Phone app icon, he could choose to shortcut directly to the Voicemail tab. This could also apply to deep pressing the News app icon and being taken directly to either the Favorites or For You tabs.
Some of the Force Touch gestures will come from Apple’s latest MacBooks. For instance, a user can Force Touch a link in Safari to see a preview of that webpage. The gesture also works for deep pressing on an address or contact name to see a preview of a map view or contact card, respectively. Similarly, a user can Force Touch a word to look up its definition.
We also explained the three primary interfaces for Force Touch:
No additional user interface as with the subtle integration on the new MacBooks A user interface that appears surrounding the finger where the Force Touch gesture is conducted A shortcut list toward the bottom of the display akin to a typical options list across iOS.
As with the Apple Watch, Force Touch on the iPhones will be tied to a haptic feedback engine to provide physical feedback to an iPhone user. We are told the consistency of the feedback is “nice.” As this will be touching your finger rather than wrist, it may feel more reliable than on an Apple Watch as well.
Update, Sep 5: We’ve learned a bit more about the new Force Touch display, known as the 3D Touch Screen. You can read those details in a new article here.
A9 Processor + 2GB of RAM:
Unsurprisingly, the new iPhones will have an updated, “far snappier” chip known as the A9 processor. Also in the cards: 2GB of RAM like with the iPad Air 2. More RAM will mean the ability to run more apps and web pages in the background without sacrificing speed.
Motion Wallpapers:
Another new addition to the iPhones is the presence of motion wallpapers on the lock screen. Like the Motion watch face on the Apple Watch, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users will be able to customize their new lock screen with animated clips of either bursting paint in many colors of koi fish. We’re told that the new wallpapers look “great,” despite not being lit up by an OLED display.
NFC + Cellular Chips
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will both feature new NFC chips that likely add a secure element processor, reducing the need for a separate chip. Apple, of course, uses the NFC chip for its Apple Pay mobile payments solution, so a more secure offering is certainly something that will be welcomed by users.
Both new iPhone models will also feature significantly improved cellular data performance. The devices will be capable of delivering up to twice the theoretical LTE download speeds thanks to the new Qualcomm chip. The chip is much more power efficient, as well, according to Qualcomm. Improved power efficiency will lend itself to improving the overall battery life of the iPhone.
Overall, the new iPhones are expected to include a significantly reduced number of chips compared to previous generations. One section of the board that previously had in excess of 10 components has been pared down to 3 main chips, simultaneously cutting the number of parts and increasing the power efficiency of the ones that remain.
Capacities, Prices + Lineup:
Despite the larger file sizes required by 12-megapixel photos and 4K video, the new iPhones will again start off at 16 GB of storage. In fact, the prices and capacities of the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be identical to the launch offerings of last year’s models. Here’s our breakdown of what to expect from the iPhone lineup on the afternoon of September 9th.
iPhone 6s:
16 GB — $199 (on contract)
64 GB — $299 (on contract)
128 GB — $399 (on contract)
iPhone 6s Plus:
16 GB — $299 (on contract)
64 GB — $399 (on contract)
128 GB — $499 (on contract)
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will stick around at $100 on-contract discounts per capacity, while the iPhone 5s will become Apple’s free on-contract phone. The iPhone 5c, according to sources, will be discontinued while the in-the-works iPhone 6c will not be launched this year.
Apple TV
Design and Ports:
The Apple TV upgrade in 2010 brought a smaller, black puck-like design and that look has been retained with both the 2012 and 2013 refreshes to the device. We’re told that the same aesthetic will continue with the new Apple TV. The new box is said to appear very similar to the current look but will be noticeably thicker, most likely in order to accommodate additional 802.11ac wireless components. The ports on the rear of the device, ranging from power to micro-USB to optical audio to Ethernet, will remain.
Remote Control+ Gaming Pads:
One of the main new features of the Apple TV will be the inclusion of a revamped remote control. The new remote will have the following features, according to sources:
A larger new design with a built-in touchpad for navigation
The hardware will still be made from metal, but the casing will be black in color to match the set-top-box
Larger, tactile buttons to activate Siri and go to the Apple TV’s home screen
A standard rocker switch for controlling the Apple TV’s volume output
A built-in microphone for Siri voice input
Accelerometers for motion control for some parts of the operating system and games
Replaceable batteries without the need to charge the controller.
In addition to the new bundled remote, the new Apple TV will support third-party Bluetooth controllers for gaming. Apple first brought support for controllers in iOS for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch a couple of years ago, but these accessories have not gained popularity. With a gaming focus on the Apple TV, perhaps these third-party offerings will improve in both functionality and usage.
A8 Chip + No 4K streaming:
Sources confirm that the new Apple TV will be powered by an A8 processor, which is a huge upgrade from the single-core A5 chip in the current Apple TV and an even bigger upgrade from the A4 chip in the preceding hardware. While a new chip with improved video processing capabilities is in the wings, the new Apple TV will lack support for streaming 4K video from both the internet and the next iPhones.
Search:
On the software side, one of the most anticipated features of the new device is system-wide, universal search based on iOS 9’s new Proactive Spotlight Search technology. Currently, Apple TV users have to search for content app-by-app. With this new Apple TV, there will be a single search field that can look for content across applications. Here is how we explained it in our previous roundup of what to expect from the new Apple TV:
Speaking of search, it sounds like one of the reasons behind making the new Apple TV software directly based on iOS 9 is for its new Proactive search support. In iOS 9, Proactive search brings new, more powerful and accurate system-wide search support. As Jeremy Horwitz also noted in March, one of the biggest omissions from the current Apple TV is system-wide search support. For example, a user cannot search for “James Bond” and see results across the iTunes Store, Netflix, the Crackle app, and the Apple Music library. Apple is said to be planning to fix that with the next-generation Apple TV software, but we are told that the company may wait to integrate the new search features until the Apple TV is populated with third-party applications.
Thanks to the Apple TV now running an iOS 9 core, it is likely that the search functionality will be able to work across apps from the Apple TV App Store. Of course, this will require developers to ensure search compatibility with their apps, but Apple’s apps should work with the universal search feature out of the box. As the Apple TV is an Internet streaming-based device, the search will work beyond content stored/cached for offline playback.
Siri + Interface:
While the internal hardware and functionality of the Apple TV will see a revamp, we believe that the new operating system’s design will more closely match a fresh coat of paint. In terms of features, Siri will be the main navigational tool for the new Apple TV. A source has told us that most of the operating system will be controlled by Siri and that the voice assistant will be pegged as the premier feature of the new Apple TV. Thanks to the microphone in the new physical remote, it will be much easier to search for content using the voice-based Siri system. For example, users will likely be able to search for a James Bond movie by saying “Search for Goldfinger,” or begin playback of an Apple Music playlist by saying “Play my Party Mix.”
The redesigned interface will be more similar to that of iOS. The overall interface will be similar to that of the current scrolling list of large icons, but with a refreshed and more modern look akin to iOS 9. The new Apple TV will also feature an App Store. Third-party applications support plus a full Software Development Kit for the Apple TV will be two tentpoles of the new device. This means that developers will be able to build apps for Apple TV just like they would the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Pricing, Capacities + October Launch:
The new Apple TV will cost more than the current $69 model, starting at $149, according to trusted sources. The current cheaper version will stick around, however, and gain the future cable replacement service. We’re told that Apple has developed a pair of capacities for the new Apple TV: 8GB and 16GB. If Apple does indeed launch both capacities, the $149 model will include 8GB of storage and the 16GB option will cost $199. If Apple chooses to launch solely the $149 model, they’ll up the memory to the full 16GB. This would double the current 8GB of storage available for media caching in the current Apple TV. However, the new model is capable of playing games and storing apps, so Apple will likely push for users to keep more space free.
iPad Pro
Design and Name:
The long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad has been referred to as the iPad Pro in many claims, and sources have now confirmed that iPad Pro will be the actual marketing name of the device. Codenamed J99 and J98 internally, the new models will feature a larger, 2732 x 2048 display that is encased in a thin bezel similar to the designs of both the iPad mini and iPad Air. Said a source, “it literally looks like a big iPad.” The device will have a similar aluminum back with curved edges, a FaceTime camera on the front, and an iSight camera on the rear. We can’t imagine why people would casually use a camera on a nearly-13-inch tablet, but perhaps it will be useful for App Store apps, video recording in professional settings, and for FaceTime.
Force Touch + Stylus:
Sources confirm that the iPad Pro will include a Force Touch based screen, similar to the one on the new iPhones, in addition to a stylus accessory. We’re told that the stylus, which will be bundled with the iPad Pro in box, will “not look like a traditional” one. The stylus will open up the door to enhanced drawing and design apps on the new iPad, and the integration with the Force Touch screen will allow the stylus and the iPad Pro to work differently based on the levels of pressure applied by the stylus to the iPad’s display. Additionally styluses will be sold separately.
Cases and Keyboard Accessories:
We are told that the iPad Pro will gain the usual suite of iPad accessories from Apple: Smart Covers and Smart Cases in the normal array of both colors and materials (polyurethane and leather). These will likely be priced a little bit higher than their smaller counterparts for the iPad mini and iPad Air due to the additional materials. We’re also told that the iPad Pro has been designed with wider support for Bluetooth keyboard, and it appears that Apple is also preparing a keyboard accessory of its own.
Speakers and Ports:
As can be seen in our schematics above, the iPad Pro will make use of its larger space to house stereo-style speakers: two on the top and a pair on the bottom. The top will feature a headphone jack as well, while the bottom will have a standard Lightning connector. The side will include the standard volume rocker panel. There have been rumors of additional USB-C ports on this device, but perhaps those were added in a revision to the device and are not shown in our few-month-old render above. Nonetheless, in the age of wireless networking, additional ports are likely unnecessary. After all, even the OS X-based MacBook is a single port machine.
iOS 9.1:
The iPad Pro will ship alongside iOS 9.1, the first milestone upgrade to iOS 9. The new OS is expected to include special improvements for the larger display, such as optimized versions of Split-Screen apps, Picture-in-Picture video playback, Notification Center, and Siri. Apple has also been working on a new multi-user mode for a future version of the iPad operating system, but it is unclear if that addition is ready to go for the iPad Pro this fall.
November Launch:
While the iPad Pro is expected to be introduced at this event, we are told that the product will actually begin shipping in November. Before the launch, Apple will put up the new devices for pre-order on its website. Pre-orders are expected to begin at the end of October. There are a few reasons for the lengthy lead time between the September announcement and November launch: Apple wants to market the device to enterprises, allow developers time to re-work their apps for the larger screen, and produce enough units for the launch.
iPad Mini 4
Design:
Last year the iPad mini was left behind in the update cycle in comparison to the upgraded and thinner iPad Air 2, as it solely gained the Touch ID sensor and in-app Apple Pay from the iPhone. This year, we expect the iPad mini 4 to come with a thinner design that matches the thickness of the iPad Air 2. It will likely be lighter as well thanks to the thinner aluminum casing.
New Cameras and Chips:
The current iPad mini includes last-generation FaceTime and iSight cameras, so it is likely that the HD quality of the front sensor will be upgraded while the rear camera will move from 5 megapixels to 8 megapixels in order to match the latest iPod touch and iPad Air 2. Moving closer to the latest iPhones and the iPad Air 2, it is likely that the new Mini will either incorporate an A8 chip or A9 chip. The current iPad mini includes an A7 processor, which first debuted all the way back in 2013.
Split-Screen Apps:
Thanks to the faster processor, the iPad mini 4 will unlock full Split-Screen apps for the first time on the 7.9-inch Apple tablet. The 9.7-inch iPad Air with the A8X chip will already support those iOS 9 features when they receive the Software Update this fall.
Apple Watch
New Sport Bands:
While unlikely to get actual stage time, we are told that Apple is preparing to announce a series of updated Apple Watch bands next week. The new bands will be new color options for the Sport Band line, according to the sources. Earlier this year, Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive showed off new Sport Band colors, ranging from red to purple, at private showcase events, so it seems like that at least some of those colors will show up on wrists beginning next week. Otherwise, we do not expect any significant Apple Watch hardware changes besides the possibility of new gold Apple Watch Sport colors.
watchOS 2:
In terms of software, Apple has been finishing up work on the Apple Watch’s first significant software update: watchOS 2.0. The new version of watchOS includes a new Nightstand Mode for timekeeping and managing alarms, the ability to run apps natively on the Watch for increased speed and access to hardware sensors, an Activation Lock for deterring theft, a trio of new watch faces, support for third-party watch face complications, and new options for the Digital Touch messaging service. Apple will likely announce a launch date for the new OS next week as well.
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Robótica
Pele artificial magnética permitirá acariciar seus Pokemons
Redação do Site Inovação Tecnológica - 23/01/2018
Os sensores e a pele eletrônica como um todo podem suportar flexão, dobramento e esticamento sem perder a funcionalidade.
[Imagem: D. Makarov]
Tatuagem eletrônica sensorial
O sucesso do jogo Pokemon GO popularizou o conceito de realidade aumentada: a percepção gerada por computador misturando os mundos real e virtual.
Até agora, esses aplicativos têm-se restringido a métodos ópticos para a detecção de movimento.
Agora, uma equipe alemã desenvolveu um sensor magnético ultrafino, que pode ser usado sobre a pele, permitindo uma manipulação sem toque de objetos físicos e virtuais.
A pequena estrutura de fios metálicos pode entrar na categoria emergente das tatuagens eletrônicas - junto às conexões metálicas vão minúsculos sensores capazes de detectar campos magnéticos.
"Nossa pele eletrônica rastreia o movimento de uma mão, por exemplo, alterando sua posição com relação ao campo magnético externo de um ímã permanente. Isso não só significa que podemos digitalizar suas rotações e traduzi-las para o mundo virtual, mas também podemos influenciar os objetos," disse Gilbert Santiago Bermúdez, do Centro Helmholtz de Dresden, na Alemanha.
Pele eletrônica
A equipe fez diversas demonstrações da técnica, incluindo controlar uma lâmpada virtual na tela do computador sem tocar na lâmpada ou em seus controles.
Para isso, um ímã permanente colocado em uma estrutura de plástico em forma de anel emula um seletor - como o botão de um dimmer que controla a luminosidade de uma lâmpada ou um botão de volume. O ângulo entre o sensor na pele eletrônica e o seletor virtual funciona com um parâmetro de controle que modula a intensidade da lâmpada.
"Codificando os ângulos entre 0 e 180 graus, de modo que eles correspondam a um movimento típico da mão ao ajustar uma lâmpada, criamos um dimmer - e o controlamos apenas com um movimento de mão sobre o ímã permanente," descreveu o professor Denys Makarov.
A equipe acredita que essa técnica fornece uma alternativa simples e barata para interagir com o mundo físico e com o mundo virtual de uma forma que não é possível com as tecnologias atuais, que, para capturar o movimento do corpo por meios ópticos, exigem câmeras, acelerômetros e um poder de processamento significativo.
"Como nossas folhas de polímero não têm nem mesmo três micrômetros de espessura, você pode facilmente usá-las em seu corpo. Apenas a título de comparação: um cabelo humano normal tem aproximadamente 50 micrômetros de espessura," disse Makarov.
Bibliografia:
Artigo: Magnetosensitive e-skins with directional perception for augmented reality
Autores: Gilbert Santiago Cañón Bermúdez, Dmitriy D. Karnaushenko, Daniil Karnaushenko, Ana Lebanov, Lothar Bischoff, Martin Kaltenbrunner, Jürgen Fassbender, Oliver G. Schmidt, Denys Makarov
Revista: Science Advances
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao2623
Outras notícias sobre:
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This article is from the archive of our partner .
Earlier this week, Pope Francis plucked two lucky 5th graders from Perugia out of a crowd in Vatican City to ride along with him in the Popemobile. This was just the latest of the Holy See's "Dancing in the Dark" moments; earlier this year, Francis stopped the three-ton Mercedes to give an ecstatic Argentine priest from his old Archdiocese a lift through St. Peter's Square.
Wikimedia The Popemobile, despite its unimaginative moniker, is a modern iteration of the sedia gestatoria, a throne of sorts upon which popes were once ferried on the shoulders of a dozen or so papal footmen. Since the introduction of the Popemobile some 80 years ago, the vehicle of the pontiff has often symbolized the intricacies of the post.
papamóvil at the ready. They nod to the realities of the position's import—bulletproof glass and armor plating became standard in most of the pontiff's transports after the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. The geographical reach of the Catholic world is also embodied by the global fleet of Popemobiles—regular host countries like Mexico and Chile have their ownat the ready.
Yet one could argue that Pope Francis, being Pope Francis, has not overlooked what many would consider a commonplace aspect of being the Holy See and has found a way to connect the Popemobile to his doctrines.
has changed the dynamic not only by picking up strangers, but also by eschewing some of the traditional vanity plates of the Popemobile and choosing a five-year-old Ford Focus as his go-to ride. Pope Francis has done away with the modified throne aspect of the car in some models, and even ditched his Mercedes to adopt a second-hand 30-year-old Renault with 190,000 miles on it for personal sojourns within Vatican City. So far, he
The new car was in fact a gift to Francis from a 70-year-old priest from northern Italy, Father Renzo Zocca. Zocca previously wrote the pontiff a letter saying he had used the same car for decades and wanted to give it as a symbolic gift after the pope's comments on humility.
Other times, Pope Francis forgets the Popemobile entirely and just walks or hitches rides with others. Last month, Pope Francis opted to catch the bus with cardinals and bishops to a retreat outside of Rome, rather than take his own ride. He carried his own bags.
To the chagrin of his security detail, Pope Francis has made a more frequent habit of riding in an open air vehicle, reflecting a desire for more engagement. (Last week, he jumped off the Popemobile after his sermon to take Palm Sunday selfies with the crowd.) The pontiff rode in one such car to and from Easter celebrations earlier today in Vatican City, where he spoke to the 150,000 tourists and pilgrims.
AP
In his address, Pope Francis made pleas for peace in places like Syria and Ukraine, but also decried the poverty that violence creates.
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.
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Consumers now have a new choice of fuels for their vehicles. The Shell V-Power Petrol and Diesel launched yesterday are suitable for all vehicles. The fuels are categorised as unleaded fuels. According to Brunei Shell Marketing Company's Head of Commercial Business, the obvious difference is the formula in V-Power - capable of cleaning, removing rust and reducing carbon dioxide in the engine.
In an interview, Awang Muhammad Adini bin Haji Muhammad Daini said Shell V-Power will make it easier for car distributors to bring in new vehicles. BSM is giving consumers another choice by trying the company's latest premium fuels, the Shell V-Power, that have additives to clean and provide efficient power to vehicles. Consumers can buy the current fuels but could also try the V-Power. There should be no problems since the V-Power was designed to be backward compatible to suit new and old vehicles. Awang Muhammad Adini added BSM also recommends that in order to enjoy the cleaning capability, the new fuels should be used continuously to maintain engine performance.
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Why's the Dingo Depressed?
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Ate A Baby One time - And that's all anybody remembers about me
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María Antonio Reyes tells the story of her journey from El Salvador to the United States. Haya El Nasser
When gangs in Apopa, on the edge of the Salvadoran capital, San Salvador, told Reyes’ older sons that they would be killed if they went back to school, she felt she had no choice but to send them away. The gangs were forcing her to give them $50 every two weeks out of her paltry income selling perfume door to door. She had already lost a brother to gang murder.
“He went out to buy groceries and never came back,” she said.
Last year her 18-year-old, Milton Samuel López Reyes, made the journey, which included a three-day walk through the desert. Her 20-year-old son quickly followed.
When gangs approached Brian, she said she had no choice. She saved the $7,000 she needed to hire a coyote to guide her and Brian from El Salvador to Mexico and across the U.S. border.
“[The gangs] wanted me to join them,” Brian said. “They wanted me to give information” about money that his siblings in the U.S. might be sending home.
Brian and María Reyes’ journey from El Salvador included 12 days on a bus across mountains, a boat crossing of the Rio Grande and a long walk to a highway that led them to a Border Patrol station. The two were booked, fingerprinted and detained.
“I was afraid they would send me back,” Reyes said. Luckily, she has two sisters in San Bernardino, California, which meant she could leave while awaiting a court hearing, which is not scheduled until next April because of backlogs.
Border Patrol drove them to a spot where they could get transportation. They paid $50 for a taxi to San Antonio, where they bought bus tickets to California. They arrived May 10.
She’s safe. So is her son. And she is has been reunited with her older sister, Catalina — who still bears scars on her arm, shoulder and face from knife attacks by gangs back home — and nine other relatives in the area.
Reyes smiles. Brian smiles. They made it. but this is far from being a fairy tale with a happy ending. The two break down and cry when they talk about Reyes’ 1-year-old, Anderson Alejandro, whom they left behind with his father.
“On one hand, it feels good because my sons are here,” Reyes said. “But it feels bad because I’m thinking about my [other] son.”
She also worries that the gangs will pounce on her husband to get at any of the money his family in the U.S. may send him. | {
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All politics is local, the saying goes, and Americans still agree. Forty-six percent (46%) of registered U.S. voters want decisions about re-opening the country after the coronavirus to be made by state and local officials. Only 15% think it should be a federal decision, according to the Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.
"Usually, of course, liberals want more control for the federal government. However, in this case, 64% want decisions made by state and local officials," Rasmussen said. "I guess there’s nothing like having a Republican in the White House – especially this Republican – to make those on the political left appreciate the value of federalism."
Image Just the News Daily Poll With Scott Rasmussen
"Voters are almost always more comfortable with decisions being made closer to home, and that is certainly the case with the lockdowns," Rasmussen said. "This makes sense since the impact of the coronavirus is likely to be much different in different parts of the country. Still, 35% think both federal and state/local officials should be involved. A plurality (44%) of Republicans hold that view. Presumably that’s because they want the president to play some role in the process, especially given the tension about how and when to re-open society."
Respondents were asked: “When it comes time to end the lockdown, who should make the decisions about when to re-open activities and businesses in your area – the president and the federal government or state and local officials?" They replied as below:
15% The president and the federal government
46% State and local officials
35% Both
2% Neither
1% Not Sure
The national survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted April 16-18, 2020 by Rasmussen, a polling veteran. Margin of sampling error: +/- 2.8% for full sample.
Rasmussen said that in his most recent book, The Sun is Still Rising: Politics Has Failed But America Will Not, he makes the case that decentralization of power is the future of American politics.
"Over the past four decades, while the political system has been growing more centralized, America’s culture has been moving in the opposite direction," he said. "Following the invention of the microchip and what I call the Great Turnaround, everything in America has been decentralizing – everything that is except our political system. The disconnect between a decentralizing society and a centralizing government is simply not sustainable. It’s also the reason that so much of our political dialogue seems so irrelevant or toxic. Twenty-first century politics is simply out of synch with 21 century America."
To see the full demographic cross-tabulations for this polling question, click below:
To see the methodology and sample demographics for this polling question, click below: | {
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Itching to create complex, digital logic circuits? How about giving SmartSim a try.
If the name is new to you, SmartSim is a digital logic circuit design and simulation package that lets you “create your own custom components and including them in other circuits, as if they were any other built-in component. These larger circuits can then also be included in other designs as sub-components.”
SmartSim was created using the Vala object-oriented programming language, the GTK+ and Cairo graphics libraries by then 16-year old sixth form student Ashley Newson from Oxford, UK. He fully believes in the Free Software development philosophy and thus released SmartSim under the GNU General Public License version 3.
SmartSim gives you the ability to create hierarchical designs, interactive simulations, and is touch screen-friendly. For a teenager, Ashley is not just a good coder, but a good writer as well. Read his history of SmartSim here.
You may download SmartSim for Linux, Raspberry Pi. and Windows here. | {
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UNPRLD Corruption Restock! YoYoExpert
Unparalleled teamed up with FPM to bring their latest idea to life. FPM is a precision manufacturing company that wanted to create a yo-yo to really break into the market of budget metals. They worked together to remaster an Unparalleled concept yo-yo that never made it to production and it came out better than either of them could have hoped!
The Corruption is geared for pure performance. It is a no nonsense design with zero extra frills and beautiful clean lines. It has a simple engraving, a super soft grind finish, and all the performance that you expect from Unparalleled.
Comfortable in the hand yet fast on the string, easily maneuverable yet stable through complex tricks, the Corruption has impeccable performance at an impressive price! | {
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Highlight: The BLUBOO Edge blends exceptional design with an extremely affordable cost.
BLUBOO may not be a name that most people in the U.S. are familiar with, and that’s ok as BLUBOO doesn’t generally sell phones in the U.S. That being said, it’s still possible to get your hands on devices from the Chinese brand and we have reviewed a number of them before. The latest that we’ve been able to get our hands on is the BLUBOO Edge which, very much resembles the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in just about every way when it comes to the design aspect. Right off the bat, that seems to be a good thing for anyone who really enjoys the style of the Galaxy S7 Edge but doesn’t necessarily care for the price or the user interface. The BLUEBOO Edge, then, serves as a means to provide a style that consumers want without breaking the bank, something which is evident by the cost of the BLUBOO Edge as it comes in at around $142, which is a far cry from the price you’ll pay for the Galaxy S7 Edge. That being said, it isn’t always just about the design, and you’ll likely want to know how the BLUBOO Edge performs and functions on a daily basis, just as we were, as that’s a truly important factor in deciding on a phone that’s going to be your daily driver. The good news is that smartphones have come a long way and it’s no longer an immensely difficult or nearly impossible task to get a really good smartphone at a reasonably affordable price that doesn’t forfeit too much on the hardware and specification side of things. With that being said, let’s take a look at what the BLUBOO Edge has to offer and how it held up during our time of use.
Specs
When it comes to the specs, the BLUBOO Edge is looking pretty decent. It has a 5.5-inch display on board, with a resolution of 1280 x 720 which is HD. This is considerably less than many smartphones out there but there are certainly going to be some compromises when you have a phone at this cost. Moving on and the BLUBOO Edge also comes equipped with a MediaTek MTK6737 Quad-Core processor paired with a Mali-T720 GPU for the graphics processing, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, as well as a microSD card slot for expandable storage if more than 16GB is needed.
The phone is running with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera that’s interpolated to 13-megapixels, while a front-facing camera resides at 5-megapixels and is interpolated to 8-megapixels. You’ll find a gravity sensor, a proximity sensor, a light sensor, and an accelerometer inside the device, as well as support for Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n. For connectivity to cellular networks, the BLUBOO Edge supports 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G WCDMA 850/2100, and 4G FDD-LTE 800/1800/2100/2600. The BLUBOO Edge also carries a 2,600mAh non-removable battery and it runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.
In The Box
Like many Chinese smartphones BLUBOO packs in a little bit something extra with the Edge. Inside you’ll find the phone itself, as well as the standard wall adapter and USB charging cable, although the wall adapter is made for China so you won’t be able to use the one packaged in the box in the U.S., and will need to use its USB cable with a U.S.-compatible wall adapter. In addition to these items BLUBOO also packages a screen protector with the phone which, is already applied to the device so you don’t have to put it on yourself, and it comes with a case, which is more than what you’ll get with just about any other smartphone these days.
Hardware Design & Build
Th BLUBOO Edge may be a low-end smartphone in terms of cost and specifications used, but you would never know it by the outside of the device. It takes heavy inspiration from the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge right down to the home button with an integrated fingerprint sensor, as well as the curved-edge display. Putting the design similarities aside, the BLUBOO Edge is a pretty decent looking phone and it blends exceptional design with an extremely affordable cost. It uses a glass panel on the back with a steel frame that wraps all the way around the device with nice contoured edges and corners that make it comfortable when holding it even for extended periods of time. On the front you’ll find the home button/fingerprint sensor at the bottom, and the front-facing camera and ambient light sensors at the top. It also features extremely slim bezels on both sides of the screen which certainly add to the allure of the overall look that this phone carries, and it just goes to show that a stylish smartphone, something which was once reserved for those paying a higher premium, is now something which just about anyone is capable of getting their hands on.
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On the bottom of the device you’ll find the single speaker that this phone has, along with the microUSB charging port and the 3.5mm audio port for plugging in headphones. On the top is where the SIM card slot is located and like any other smartphone which has a non-removable back you’ll need a SIM ejector tool to pop the slot out so you can insert the SIM into the phone. The up and down volume keys are situated on the left-hand side of the device while the power button is located on the right. Flipping things over to the back, BLUBOO has placed the rear-facing camera in the middle just below the top edge, and it protrudes a little bit just like it does on the Galaxy S7 Edge. The LED flash module is even located to the right of the camera sensor and there’s an integrated heart rate sensor so you can capture your heart rate at any point using the built-in app.
Display
The screen quality on the BLUBOO Edge is quite underwhelming on paper, which is to say the least a particular detail I found to be astounding when using it. While it’s certainly easy to tell that this device only has a 1280 x 720 resolution display during some points, at other times I found the screen to be quite crisp with color popping off the display rather vividly and almost forgot that I was only working with an HD display. The screen was bright enough to use in direct sunlight even without having to turn the brightness settings all the way up which was nice to see, and although black levels aren’t as deep as they would be on the Galaxy S7 Edge thanks to Samsung’s Super AMOLED panel technology, those not looking for the absolute best of the best won’t be disappointed by what they see in the BLUBOO Edge.
While screen clarity was decent enough, and there didn’t seem to be any issues with things like light bleed or burnt images, I did seem to have some trouble with response time every so often. This is due to the digitizer used and although it wasn’t happening every single time I went to interact with it, it was often enough that it was extremely noticeable and would cause me to have to attempt at tapping on the same thing two or even three times on more than one occasion before I ended up getting into the menus or apps that I was attempting to use. This was only a minor inconvenience but one which could make a bigger difference to some users and it unfortunately places doubt on whether or not it would get worse over time as the phone gets older. Other than this one particular issue, I didn’t have any other problems with the screen. Also an interesting point of note, is that even though this is called the BLUBOO Edge and it has a very similar design style to the Galaxy S7 Edge, the curved-edge screen is not as pronounced here, and the edges don’t actually function so the Edge part of the name is simply all about aesthetics. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the phone does look nice and this includes the use of the curved edges, but it could easily fool some consumers into thinking this was a function of the device if they don’t look too carefully.
Performance
With a MediaTek MTK6737 processor inside and only 2GB of RAM at its disposal, I wasn’t expecting any sort of miracle with the performance of this device, and although I did get better performance out of the phone than what I was expecting, it’s not hard to tell that there is a difference between the BLUBOO Edge and something that will cost even just $100 more. While the performance issues didn’t surface most of the time the phone was being used, I did see a noticeable lag once in a while that would cause the phone to just hang in a certain spot after touching an app icon or attempting to scroll through the settings menu. Since this only happened every so often this was again just a minor issue, but it’s one that made the phone feel a little less capable than it would have it weren’t an issue that was present at all. That being said, this is something that is unfortunately that is going to be a problem from time to time with phones in this price range.
The good news, though, is that gaming performance was mostly ok, and this is something that probably wouldn’t be expected if you noticed the lag problem first. Although it’s entirely possible that performance in such games as Modern Combat 5 could be attributed to the great optimization of the game’s software that was put in place by the development team, the phone also likely has at least something to do with how smooth things felt. It wasn’t as good of an experience as playing a game on a high-end device, but with a big 5.5-inch screen and a quad-core CPU inside, those looking to play games on a device like the BLUBOO Edge won’t be too disappointed with the results, if they’re even disappointed at all. Overall performance on the phone was decent and it felt above what I was expecting to get when I powered it on to use it for the first time.
Fingerprint Sensor
Fingerprint sensors are becoming increasingly more common these days and even phones below the price point of $200 can have one integrated into the device. While some phones place the fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, BLUBOO has integrated it into the home button on the front, and while I personally prefer to have the fingerprint sensor on the back like on my Google Pixel, as it simply plays into the way I hold the phone, having the sensor on the front can also have its advantages if you’re constantly using the phone with both hands as the sensor is right where your thumbs will be. This made it easy to access the sensor and use it to unlock the device, and I had absolutely no issues setting up my fingerprint to be used. Surprisingly, I had almost no problems using it either, as the fingerprint sensor only missed one of my authorization attempts. It’s pretty accurate for an entry-level phone and perhaps the only complaint with it might be the speed at which it unlocks. While accuracy is certainly present here, the time it takes to unlock the device with the fingerprint sensor both from a sleeping screen and from the lock screen was just a little bit slower than it is on any other phone I’ve personally ever used that had this feature. That said, many consumers might not ever notice the slight decrease in unlock speed, and if you’re more concerned with the accuracy, then you’ll be happy with the results that BLUBOO has managed to achieve.
Wireless Connectivity
As this is an unlocked Chinese device, there are some networks which aren’t going to work. You can’t use it with Verizon or Sprint, but any GSM carrier service should work just fine, such as T-Mobile or AT&T. I personally use Project Fi, so unfortunately I wasn't able to check out the call quality of the phone over the network, but the BLUBOO Edge does support both 2G and 3G networks for T-Mobile and AT&T, so if you have either of those carriers the phone should work just fine. The only downside is that network speeds will be limited to 3G at a maximum as the 4G LTE bands that the Edge supports are not the same ones used in the U.S. You can find all of the network connectivity support below.
2G: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G: 850/900/1900/2100
4G LTE: 800/1800/2100/2600
Sound Quality
The BLUBOO Edge has one single speaker and it’s located on the bottom of the device. This immediately led me to think that I wasn’t going to have a pleasant experience with audio on this device for every situation, such as playing games, but this actually didn’t turn out to be much of an issue for me as the speaker is placed to the right of the charging port so it was not as easy to cover up with the palm of my hand when turning the phone to the side to play games or hold the device when watching videos. The sound was a little bit better when listening to music as the phone would lay flat either on the face or on its back and the speaker remains uncovered and unimpeded. There shouldn’t be any misconceptions, though. The BLUBOO Edge is still an entry-level device and there’s only so much you’re going to be able to get out of a phone like this when it comes to quality. The sound on the BLUBOO Edge is going to feel lacking if you're an audiophile, however, the sound will be more than passable for anyone who just wants something that works and sounds decent.
Benchmarks
While the BLUBOO Edge isn’t the most powerful smartphone out on the market it’s more than capable of handling your everyday tasks and it got us through the day with ease. We ran it through the same benchmarks that we put every device through which is 3D Mark, Geekbench 4, and AnTuTu. It received some pretty low scores which suggests that the BLUBOO Edge is a phone that can’t handle things like multitasking, but it’s also important to remember that benchmarks are just benchmarks and aren’t exactly what you will get with real-world use. You can see the results of each benchmark in the screenshots below.
BLUBOO Edge Benchmarks 2
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BLUBOO Edge Benchmarks 6
Battery Life
With a 2600mAh battery inside and a 5.5-inch display, I thought that the battery was going to last little bit less time than what I got out of it. Of course, it certainly helped to have a screen that was only HD resolution. If this was a 5.5-inch display that had Full HD or Quad HD resolution the battery may very well have lasted even less time. During my time of use with this phone I was getting just over 4 hours of screen on time, although I didn’t generally use the phone for four straight hours, so the battery was easily able to last me through the day. I never once had to charge it until I was ready to go to sleep which was a big plus. It’s also important to note that I don’t typically turn my screen brightness all the way up as it usually sits at about 50% or less, and if you’re someone who puts their brightness all the way to the top than your mileage may vary here.
BLUBOO Edge Battery 1
BLUBOO Edge Battery 2
Software
The software experience here is really not a whole lot different from a lot of other Chinese smartphones out there. The user interface appears very similar to other devices we’ve reviewed in the past, and like many of the Android devices that come out of China the BLUBOO Edge doesn’t have an app drawer so everything is just laid out for you on additional home screens as you install more applications. This might not be to everyone’s liking, but the good news is that the BLUBOO Edge does come with the Play Store pre-installed, so you can simply install a third-party home launcher and have the app drawer back if you prefer, as well as a fair bit of customization to go with it. In regards to the rest of the software, the settings menu looks fairly close to stock.
There are some additional software features included here that you won’t find as standard on many Android smartphones. BLUBOO has included a Turbo Download option which can be enabled from the settings, and while you can increasingly find this in more and more Chinese devices as well as some of Samsung’s own smartphones and tablets, it’s not a common feature that all brands are using, although it probably should be. One feature which is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it is the ability to swipe right on the main homescreen page, and after doing so you’ll be taken to a screen that shows your most commonly used applications. There are also some shortcut buttons to a few different services, like Bank, Bus Stop, Food, and Discount which basically use your location to find those particular places nearby, and below these is a news feed with links to news articles for various topics from business, to technology, to sports, to world.
BLUBOO Edge Software 3
BLUBOO Edge Software 4
BLUBOO Edge Software 2
BLUBOO Edge Software 1
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Camera
Armed with an 8-megapixel camera on the back, the BLUBOO Edge actually pushes out some pretty decent photos. This is helped in part due to the software that BLUBOO is using for the camera to push the photos to 13-megapixel quality and although it isn’t going to be a drastic change, it certainly helps some of the pictures come out with better quality than they would have without it. That being said the camera does have its drawbacks. The quality of images is absolutely terrible in lower light situations. Not only are the pictures grainy, but it’s harder to make out smaller details, this seemed to be more apparent with low-light situations inside, though, and less of an issue outside when it was starting to get dark. The good thing is that in the right light the pictures can come out decent especially considering the cost of this phone. Another unfortunate aspect however is that the shutter is much slower at completing the picture after tapping on the shutter button than I’d like. If you’re in a situation where you need to get the right shot and get it quickly, there’s no guaranteeing that you won’t miss the shot you want or need due to the shutter, and that’s a shame for the times that the images would actually come out pretty good for the hardware that’s been used here.
The software experience within the camera app is about the same as many of the other Chinese smartphones that run Android. You have a few additional camera modes alongside some basic camera options and settings. There are three actual camera modes including face beauty detection, your standard camera mode, and panorama. If you tap on the settings button you’ll find a slew of other options, like the color effect you can apply to your pictures before they’re taken, and you can change it so that your photos come out with a mono, sepia, negative, blackboard, or aqua effect. You can also modify things like the exposure and white balance, and you can alter the scene mode with options for auto, night, sunset, party, portrait, landscape, night portrait, theatre, beach, and others. Overall the camera software experience isn’t going to wow you but it has what you need to grab a decent photo.
The Good
Good battery life
Screen clarity was decent
Great looking hardware design
Decent picture quality overall
Accurate fingerprint sensor
The Bad
Awful low-light picture quality
Some issues with lag
Inconsistent accuracy with the digitizer
No 4G in the U.S.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it you have a few options when looking for a new smartphone, and you’re usually left trying to decide whether to compromise on quality or style or both, if it means that you’ll be able to save some money. While the BLUBOO Edge does seem to make some sacrifices here and there, none of these were so drastic that it tainted the entire experience of using the phone.
Should you buy the BLUBOO Edge?
That depends on what you want out of a device. If you most certainly need to have 4G LTE network speeds, then this is not the phone for you. If you don’t mind not having support for 4G, there are a handful of likeable qualities about the BLUBOO Edge, such as the great design, the camera, the audio quality, and the battery life, and it won’t cost you a whole lot to grab one as they’re available for around $142. | {
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Japanese pilot unable to bomb temple
Unverified
During World War II, a Japanese pilot is participating in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He has instructions on where to drop his bombs, which happens to be over the Hawaii temple (not located very near Pearl Harbor). As he flies over and sees the temple he just can’t drop his bombs. He later sees a picture of the temple and figures out it belongs to the Church. He is later baptized.
Many people really claim this story is true, but there is no verification for it.
For further study into this legend, please read “The Purported December 7, 1941, Attack on the Hawaii Temple,” Kenneth W. Baldridge and Lance D. Chase.
This paper combines presentations made by MPHS co-founders Baldridge and Chase during three different conferences on whether a Japanese pilot attempted three times – and failed – to bomb the Hawaii Temple during the overall attack on Pearl Harbor and other Oahu military installations on December 7, 1941. They describe how a single Hawaii eyewitness didn’t start telling his story until the 1960s, and that several variations of the widespread story now exist. They also bring in the account of missionaries tracting out the veteran pilot years later in Japan, who reportedly joined the Church and corroborated the account, and how that aspect of the story has also evolved over the years. None of these claims could be verified with documentation. Baldridge concludes the story is a Mormon legend he was unable to verify. Chase “remains uncertain.” | {
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Participants
In total, 12 healthy right-handed male completed the study (mean age 24.1 years; standard deviation 2.6). All participants were nonsmokers. Participants were told to abstain from any substance use for the duration of the study, and from the intake of alcohol, caffeine, green tea products, and citrus juices for 24 and 12 h before each study day, respectively. At the start of the study, a urine sample was collected for screening for amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and THC using immunometric assay kits. None of the participants were tested positive on any of the sessions. Participants were carefully screened using a semistructured clinical interview to exclude psychiatric or physical illness or a family history of psychiatric illness. The local State Ethical Committee (Ethikkommission Beider Basel) approved the study and all participants gave their informed written consent after the study procedure had been explained to them in detail. The study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT01615289).
Experimental design
A double-blind, vehicle-controlled, and within-subject design with randomized order of substance administration using an established protocol was conducted over four sessions (Bhattacharyya et al. 2012; Borgwardt et al. 2008). Participants received either 250 or 500 ml milk whey-based soft drink containing 13.75 and 27.5 g of green tea extract, respectively (Rivella, Rothrist, Switzerland), or a milk whey-based soft drink without green tea extract as control condition. Each participant was scanned four times with a 1-week interval between scans. Before each scanning session, participants swallowed a feeding tube for application of the test solutions. The doses of 250 (that were diluted to 500 ml to control for volume effects) and 500 ml were selected to produce an effect on regional brain functioning without provoking any toxic, psychiatric or physical symptoms, which might have confounded interpretation of the fMRI data and caused difficulties for participants to tolerate the procedure. As the intragastric administration bypassed the sensory systems, volunteers were prevented from guessing which treatment they were being given. An intravenous line was inserted in the nondominant arm of each participant at the start of the testing session to monitor substance whole-blood levels. All participants were physically examined before testing and their heart rate and blood pressure were assessed in 5-min intervals throughout the 1-h session.
Composition of test drinks
Rivella is a commercially available carbonated soft drink on the basis of milk whey. In 1999, a new flavor with a 0.05 % addition of standardized green tea extract was introduced. The control drink is most similar to the drink of interest, apart from the green tea extract, differs primarily in its lower carbohydrate content (2.5 g/100 ml difference). In detail, the test drink contains the following ingredients: water, milk whey 35 %, lactic acid, carbon dioxide, calcium cyclamate, acesulfame K, and the following minerals: sodium 130 mg/l, potassium 450 mg/l, magnesium 35 mg/l, calcium 165 mg/l, and chloride 330 mg/l. Additionally, it contains the following ingredients: green tea extract 0.05 %, ascorbic acid 120 mg/l, pyridoxine 30 mg/l, and fructose 25 g/l. Green tea extract is prepared from the dried green leaves of Camellia sinensis with a drug:extract ratio of 5.5:1, 47.5–52.5 % m/m polyphenols [high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)], 5.0–10.0 % m/m caffeine (HPLC), 0.3–1.2 % m/m theobromine (HPLC), and 1.0–3.0 % m/m theanine (HPLC). One gram of extract corresponds to 5.5 g of green tea leaves. To equalize carbohydrate, the control treatments were supplemented with 6.25 or 12.5 g of sucrose for 250 and 500 ml, respectively. To additionally blind volunteers to treatments, 250 ml treatments and controls were diluted to 500 ml with 250 ml of uncarbonated spring mineral water. This preparatory step also ensures equivalent rates of gastric emptying. Treatments were heated to room temperature and freed from carbon dioxide by stirring.
fMRI paradigm: N-back task
A rapid, mixed trial, event-related fMRI design was used with jittered interstimulus intervals incorporating random event presentation to optimize statistical efficiency (Ettinger et al. 2011). During the N-back task (Broome et al. 2009), all subjects saw series of letters with an interstimulus interval of 2 s. Each stimulus was presented for 1 s. During a baseline (0-back) condition, subjects were required to press the button with the right hand when the letter „X” appeared. During 1-back and 2-back conditions, participants were instructed to press the button if the currently presented letter was the same as that presented 1 (1-back condition) or 2 trials beforehand (2-back condition). The three conditions were presented in ten alternating 30 s blocks (2 × 1-back, 3 × 2-back and 5 × 0-back) matched for the number of target letters per block (i.e., 2 or 3), in a pseudo-random order.
Image acquisition and analysis
fMRI was performed on a 3T scanner (Siemens Magnetom Verio, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) using an echo planar sequence with a repetition time of 2.5 s, echo time of 28 ms, matrix 76 × 76, 126 volumes and 38 slices with 0.5 mm interslice gap, providing a resolution of 3 × 3 × 3 mm3, and a field of view 228 × 228 mm2. We analyzed fMRI data using SPM8 (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/spm/). All volumes were realigned to correct for head movements, mean adjusted by proportional scaling, normalized into standard stereotactic space (Montreal Neurological Institute), and smoothed using a 8 mm full-width at half-maximum Gaussian kernel. We convolved the onset times for each condition (0-back, 1-back, and 2-back) with a canonical haemodynamic response function. Serial correlations were removed using a first-order autoregressive model and a high-pass filter (128 s) was applied to remove low-frequency noise. Six movement parameters were also entered as nuisance covariates to control for movement. We focused our analysis on the 2-back >0-back contrast (main effect of task) to capture the highest possible WM load during the N-back task according to previous N-back fMRI studies (Deserno et al. 2012; Schmidt et al. 2013b).
Differences in local brain activity between the different treatment conditions have previously been reported (Borgwardt et al. 2012); here, we extended this study by conducting an effective connectivity analysis using DCM (Friston et al. 2003), which was restricted to the bilateral superior parietal lobule (SPL) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG). As this previous analysis revealed significant differences in fronto-parietal activity especially between the 500 ml doses (Borgwardt et al. 2012), we restricted our connectivity analysis to these two conditions only. The selection of our ROIs were based on the following evidences: (a) the previously published 2-back >0-back contrast of this data (Fig. 1a; Borgwardt et al. 2012), (b) the previous functional connectivity studies emphasizing the importance of fronto-parietal coupling for WM (Gazzaley et al. 2004; Sauseng et al. 2005), and (c) the previous DCM studies of WM (Deserno et al. 2012; Schmidt et al. 2013b). The treatment-specific fronto-parietal network was detected using an anatomical mask taken from the Automated Talairach atlas in the WFU Pick Atlas toolbox (Tzourio-Mazoyer et al. 2002) consisting of the bilateral SPL and MFG. Statistical significance was assessed at the cluster level using the nonstationary random field theory (Hayasaka et al. 2004). The first step of this cluster-level inference strategy consisted of identifying spatially contiguous voxels at a threshold of p < 0.001, without correction (cluster-forming threshold; Petersson et al. 1999). Finally, a familywise error (FWE)-corrected cluster-extent threshold of p < 0.05 was defined to infer statistical significance.
Fig. 1 a Local maxima with the bilateral superior parietal lobule and middle frontal gyri induced by the main effect of task (2-back >0-back contrast) after the administration of green extract or the of the control substance (FWE cluster level corrected at p < 0.05). b Model space tested in this study. 1 right SPL, 2 left SPL, 3 right MFG, and 4 left MFG. In particular, we contrasted models in which the 2-back WM condition was allowed to modulate, within both hemispheres: (F1) the parieto-frontal connections, (F2) the fronto-parietal connections, or (F3) both. These three intrahemispheric options were crossed with four possibilities which interhemispheric connections might be modulated by the 2-back WM condition, i.e., (a) none (first column of Fig. 1b), (b) the interhemispheric connections between parietal areas (second column of Fig. 1b), (c) the interhemispheric connections between frontal areas (third column of Fig. 1b), or (d) both (fourth column of Fig. 1b). As a result, our model space consisted of 12 alternative models, each of which was fitted to the data from each individual subject Full size image
Effective connectivity analysis: DCM
DCM10 (revision number 4290) as implemented in SPM8 was used to analyze effective fronto-parietal connectivity during WM processing. In DCM for fMRI, the dynamics of the neural states underlying regional BOLD response are modeled by a bilinear differential equation that describes how the neural states change as a function of endogenous interregional connections, modulatory effects on these connections, and driving inputs (Friston et al. 2003; Stephan et al. 2007). The endogenous connections represent coupling strengths in the absence of inputs to the system (task-independent), while the modulatory effects represent context-specific and additive changes in coupling (task-induced alterations in connectivity). The modeled neuronal dynamics is then related to the measured blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal using a hemodynamic forward model (Stephan et al. 2007). Here, we explicitly examined how the coupling strengths between frontal and parietal regions are changed by the 2-back condition (modulatory effect).
Model design and time series extraction
Across all models tested, we assumed the same network layout of connections between right and left SPL and MFG. Specifically, SPL and MFG were reciprocally connected within both hemispheres, with additional interhemispheric connections between all regions. Similar to a recent DCM study of WM (Ma et al. 2011), the visual input (driving) entered the SPL bilaterally (Baizer et al. 1991; Nakashita et al. 2008). Starting from this basic layout, a factorial structured model space was derived by considering where the modulatory effect of the 2-back WM condition might be expressed within both hemispheres (for a graphical summary of the model design see Fig. 1b). Subject-specific regional time series from the SPL and MFG were extracted from spherical volumes of interest with 12 mm in diameter that were centered on the condition maxima of the 2-back >0-back contrast within the anatomical mask taken from the Automated Talairach atlas in the WFU Pick Atlas toolbox (Tzourio-Mazoyer et al. 2002) using the first eigenvariate of voxels above a subject-specific F-threshold of p < 0.001 uncorrected. When a subject had no voxel above threshold at the group maxima (Fig. 1a, Table 1), we selected the nearest supra-threshold voxel within the mask. One subject revealed no activated voxels under these criteria and was therefore excluded from the connectivity analysis.
Table 1 MNI coordinates (x, y, z) of the treatment maxima during working memory processing Full size table
Bayesian model selection and Bayesian model averaging
Bayesian model selection (BMS) was used to determine the most plausible neurophysiological network given the data as expressed by a series of competing DCMs. BMS rests on comparing the (log) evidence of a predefined set of models (the model space). The model evidence is the probability of observing the empirical data, given a model, and represents a principled measure of model quality, derived from probability theory (Penny et al. 2004). We used a random-effects BMS approach for group studies, which is capable of quantifying the degree of heterogeneity in a population while being extremely robust to potential outliers (Stephan et al. 2009b). This method considers the model as a random variable and estimates the parameters of a Dirichlet distribution, which describes the probabilities of all models considered. One common way to summarize the results of random effects BMS is to report the exceedance probability (EP) of each model, i.e., the probability that this model is more likely than any other of the models tested, given the group data (Stephan et al. 2009b). Given that different models may be found to be optimal across treatments and statistical comparison of model parameter estimates is only valid if those estimates stem from the same model, Bayesian model averaging (BMA) has been recommended as standard approach for clinical DCM studies (Seghier et al. 2010; Stephan et al. 2010). BMA averages posterior parameter estimates over models, weighted by the posterior model probabilities (Penny et al. 2010). Thus, models with a low posterior probability contribute little to the estimation of the marginal posterior.
Statistic of DCM parameters
Following BMA, we used the resulting posterior means from the averaged DCM for examining between-treatment differences. In this paper, we focused on WM-induced changes in connectivity. Thus, we tested for group differences in the modulatory effects only. We then used a paired t test, testing which of the connectivity parameters differed across the 500 ml treatments.
Statistics of WM performances
Beyond previous analyses of reaction times and number of errors (Borgwardt et al. 2012), WM performances were objectively quantified using signal detection theory using the formula d′ = z(Hits)−z(FA), where FA reflects false alarms (Macmillan and Creelman 1991). Hit and false alarm rates of zero or one were adjusted as previously described (Macmillan and Kaplan 1985). Paired t test was used to assess between-treatment differences in WM performances. | {
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BEIJING — The theory goes like this: Parts of the US government — nobody is quite sure which parts, but parts nonetheless — have no desire for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program. They love North Korea’s nuclear weapons, the theory goes, because it provides a convenient excuse for the US to keep military assets in South Korea and Japan.
This might sound crazy if you’re in the US. US leaders from Bill Clinton, to George W. Bush, to Barack Obama have spent decades trying to persuade North Korea to give up its banned nuclear and ballistic missiles programs through endless rounds of talks and sanctions.
But in China, where suspicions of US motives in the region run deep and there is little faith in government transparency, the theory has been judged plausible by everyone from casual news consumers to journalists and academics with influence on North Korea policy.
“The US is using North Korea’s nuclear weapons as an excuse,” Lu Chao, director of the Border Study Institute at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, a government think tank, told BuzzFeed News. “The real goal is strategic — it’s to reshape the balance of power in northeast Asia. That’s what I believe.”
That lack of trust underscores a key challenge for a new administration as it contends with an increasingly confident and aggressive North Korea. President Donald Trump has made clear he believes China has the power to shape North Korea’s behavior. But the festering mistrust between Washington and Beijing may prove to be a major obstacle to the two countries effectively working together to pressure Pyongyang.
The theory that the US is secretly rooting for Pyongyang’s nuclear program isn’t a mainstream viewpoint, according to Chinese journalists and academics. But the belief that the US approaches North Korea policy with a hidden motive — the containment of China — has become widely accepted in Chinese policymaking circles.
“Of course there is a lack of trust,” said Zhang Liangui, a professor at the Central Party School and one of the country’s top North Korea experts. “China suspects that the US has ulterior motives when it comes to North Korea.”
It isn’t just China coming up with theories that leave the other side of the negotiating table baffled. The Chinese thinkers interviewed for this story pointed out that the US has its own theories about China’s point of view on North Korea that appear ridiculous to them. For instance, most Chinese scholars believe the collapse of the North Korean regime is extremely unlikely, and China bristles at the suggestion by many in the US — including Trump — that China could engineer the collapse of the North Korean government as easily as flicking a light switch.
Over the past few weeks, though, the divide has taken on a heightened importance. Chinese questions about the motives of the US have resurfaced as the US deployed parts of an advanced missile defense system called the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to South Korea, a move that has incensed China. Beijing sees THAAD as an escalatory move by the US that does little to curb the North Korean nuclear program — but many Chinese policymakers think it could potentially help contain China. | {
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Objective: Field studies of twentieth century hunter-gathers (HG) showed them to be generally free of the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Consequently, the characterization of HG diets may have important implications in designing therapeutic diets that reduce the risk for CVD in Westernized societies. Based upon limited ethnographic data (n=58 HG societies) and a single quantitative dietary study, it has been commonly inferred that gathered plant foods provided the dominant energy source in HG diets.
Method and Results: In this review we have analyzed the 13 known quantitative dietary studies of HG and demonstrate that animal food actually provided the dominant (65%) energy source, while gathered plant foods comprised the remainder (35%). This data is consistent with a more recent, comprehensive review of the entire ethnographic data (n=229 HG societies) that showed the mean subsistence dependence upon gathered plant foods was 32%, whereas it was 68% for animal foods. Other evidence, including isotopic analyses of Paleolithic hominid collagen tissue, reductions in hominid gut size, low activity levels of certain enzymes, and optimal foraging data all point toward a long history of meat-based diets in our species. Because increasing meat consumption in Western diets is frequently associated with increased risk for CVD mortality, it is seemingly paradoxical that HG societies, who consume the majority of their energy from animal food, have been shown to be relatively free of the signs and symptoms of CVD.
Conclusion: The high reliance upon animal-based foods would not have necessarily elicited unfavorable blood lipid profiles because of the hypolipidemic effects of high dietary protein (19–35% energy) and the relatively low level of dietary carbohydrate (22–40% energy). Although fat intake (28–58% energy) would have been similar to or higher than that found in Western diets, it is likely that important qualitative differences in fat intake, including relatively high levels of MUFA and PUFA and a lower ω-6/ω-3 fatty acid ratio, would have served to inhibit the development of CVD. Other dietary characteristics including high intakes of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals along with a low salt intake may have operated synergistically with lifestyle characteristics (more exercise, less stress and no smoking) to further deter the development of CVD. | {
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If the words “Post Menstrual Cycle Syndrome” are enough to make you shudder in horror, then you’re not alone.
As if it wasn’t bad enough that you had to deal with period pain before and during your menstruation, now you have to deal with the dull aches and pains that accompany the end of your menstrual cycle. It’s enough to make you believe that you should just accept the fact that for every day of the month, you’re going to experience some form of intense period pain.
So if you’re suffering from period like pain after your period, what exactly is going on in your body – and how can you put a stop to the symptoms?
Well, first it’s important to illustrate that your menstrual cycle never stops. It might feel that way, especially when you’re finally done with your flow, but your menstrual cycle is a continuous process that prepares your body for pregnancy. At the very beginning of your menstrual cycle – which happens just after your period ends – your body is increasing its hormone production to prepare itself for a baby. As the hormone levels increase, the ovaries are prompted to release an unfertilized egg into the uterus.
When the egg is released, it attaches to the uterine wall, which has been lined with nutrient-rich blood in anticipation of providing nutrition to a fertilized egg and, eventually, a fetus. For the next two weeks, the egg sits against the uterine wall, waiting to be fertilized by sperm.
However, when menstruation begins to hit the final stretch of its 28-day cycle, the body realizes that it’s not about to get pregnant; therefore, the hormone levels drop. When hormone production starts to decrease, that prompts the uterus to start contracting and seizing up in order to remove the egg – and the uterine wall – along with it.
The uterine wall and egg is shed in the form of your period, and will continue to shed for approximately three to five days. When your flow is finally over, that’s when your menstrual cycle begins all over again.
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into prepping your body for pregnancy – so it’s no wonder you’re experiencing plenty of post pain!
Now that you know the process behind your menstrual cycle, it’s easy to see why you’re experiencing twinges of after pain once your flow has been completed. Not only have your muscles undergone a week of contractions and seizures, but your body has also been put through its paces trying to keep up with hormonal changes.
In short, your body is exhausted from your previous menstrual cycle – and with your new menstrual cycle starting back up, it doesn’t have much time to recover.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what you can do to help naturally and effectively ease your post period pain.
Get Plenty of Rest
This advice might seem a bit hard to stomach, especially if you have a busy schedule to keep up with.
But make no mistake, your body is tired – and if you don’t give it time to recuperate, your post pain will keep getting stronger and more painful.
Think of yourself like a marathon runner who just completed a grueling race.
When you’re finally done with the race, what’s the best way to recuperate?
Rest your muscles?
Or go immediately for another run?
You’d rest your muscles, of course. So if you want to eliminate your post period pain, turn off the late night TV, draw yourself a warm bath and treat yourself to the kind of rest and relaxation that will make your body feel peaceful again. Try to refrain from drinking or eating heavily that night, as you need your body to restore itself back to its natural health and vitality.
Speaking of your diet, that leads us to the next tip…
Follow The Half-Plate Rule
If you’re experiencing plenty of after pain, then you need to stock your diet with the nutrients you need to give your body a major health boost. If you want to do this without going through another lecture about nutrition – after all, who has the time for that – then follow this simple rule to make sure you’re getting all the nutrition you need to fight back against your PMS blues.
Make sure that half of your plate is filled with a fruit or vegetable.
For example, if you’re eating breakfast, fill up half of the plate with a banana or freshly cut strawberries. For dinner, put delicious greens and vegetables on half of your plate. With regards to the other half, make sure a lean meat and a healthy starch takes it up.
By following this half-plate rule, you can max out your nutritional value without having to make nutrition label-reading your second hobby.
Make Nutrition Even Easier…
Of course, there’s an even easier way to make nutrition work for you. After your menstrual cycle, your muscles are tired, aching and in desperate need of vitamins, minerals and herbs to bring them back to health.
Unless you know the exact combination of nutrients you need, it can be hard to determine if you’re supplying your body with the right fuel – and if you’re effective tackling your post period symptoms.
That’s exactly where Period Vitamin comes into play. Period Vitamin is a revolutionary new supplement that’s been specifically formulated for menstruating women. This supplement is the first of its kind to contain a powerful formula of vitamins, minerals and herbs, all of which have been proven to help women relieve any and all of their common PMS symptoms.
From breast tenderness and menstrual cramps to aching muscles and fatigue, Period Vitamin can help you breeze through your period without the muss and fuss.
If you want to get rid of lingering pain from period and blues, then it’s time to add Period Vitamin to your PMS-fighting arsenal. Discover Period Vitamin today, and enjoy a pain-free tomorrow! | {
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Bệnh chàm khô không chỉ với người lớn, nó hiện đang cũng rất phổ biến ở trẻ. Bệnh thường xảy ra khi da trẻ quá khô, nứt nẻ lâu dần dẫn đến tình trạng viêm da ở trẻ em. Trẻ bị chàm khô xảy ra thường bởi sức đề kháng còn yếu nên cơ địa của trẻ cũng dễ dị ứng hay bởi trẻ tiếp xúc trực tiếp với những yếu tố dễ gây kích ứng như hóa chất, môi trường nhiễm khuẩn, bụi bặm hoặc ăn những loại thực phẩm dễ gây dị ứng.
Nguyên nhân khiến bé bị chàm khô
Hiện nay, nguyên nhân bệnh chàm da hiện vẫn chưa được các nhà nghiên cứu công bố xác định chắc chắn. Nhưng, qua nghiên cứu và điều trị thì chuyên gia cho rằng chàm khô xuất hiện có thể là bởi sự kết hợp giữa những yếu tố môi trường cùng gen di truyền.
Những yếu tố có khả năng gây bệnh và làm cho bệnh trở nên nặng hơn bao gồm:
Khí hậu.
Tâm lý.
Da khô.
Nhiễm trùng.
Nhiệt độ.
Các chất gây kích ứng.
Những chất thường gây dị ứng như hóa chất, khói thuốc lá, lông thú nuôi,…
Triệu chứng nhận biết trẻ bị chàm khô
Theo các chuyên gia da liễu chia sẻ: Bệnh chàm khô thường rất dễ nhận biết và phân biệt với những dạng bệnh chàm đồng tiền, chàm môi hay những dạng chàm khác thông qua các dấu hiệu thường thấy bên ngoài như:
Những mảng da tấy đỏ, ngứa rát sưng phù xuất hiện trên da trong thời gian đầu, sau đó là các hạt nhỏ li ti màu trắng tạo thành mụn nước nổi trên bề mặt da khiến da bị ngứa rất dễ nhầm lẫn với mụn nước của bệnh tổ đỉa.
Những mụn nước nay thường có kích thước nhỏ 1-3mm, theo thời gian to dần mọc thành từng mảng dày.
Mụn nước có thể tự vỡ hoặc vỡ do tác động bệnh ngoài gây chảy dịch.
Mụn nước khô đi để lại từng mảng dày, lớp da mới dần được tái tạo.
Nêu không còn tình trạng mụn nước tái phát thì da sẽ trở lại bình thường, không gây nên sẹo. Một vài trường hợp bệnh tái phát nhiều lần có thể để lại sẹo bởi tổn thương của lớp thượng bì trên da da.
Các vị trí thường gặp khi bị chàm khô
Bệnh chàm khô là căn bệnh da liễu ngoài da, do đó có thể xuất hiện tại bất cứ vị trí nào trên cơ thể. Nhưng qua ghi nhận thì bệnh chàm khô thường xuất hiện nhất ở các vị trí như:
Chàm khô thường xuất hiện ở mặt.
Hay xuất hiện ở tay, kẽ tay và ở những ngón tay.
Có thể ở chân, mu bàn chân hay ngón chân.
Chàm khô xuất hiện ở nang lông.
Những cách trị chàm khô hiện nay
Phương pháp tốt nhất để có thể điều trị khi bé bị chàm khô là tìm hiểu chính xác nguyên nhân cũng như những yếu tố gây bệnh để điều trị. Việc điều trị chàm khô ở trẻ em hiện nay là chú tâm làm giảm những biểu hiện của bệnh như giảm khô da, giảm ngứa. Đối với trường hợp diện tích da bị chàm lớn, nhiễm trùng, các bác sĩ có thể cân nhắc kê toa sử dụng kháng sinh điều trị.
Một vài cách trị chàm khô theo Hiệp hội Eczema Hoa Kỳ khuyên người bệnh nên áp dụng bao gồm:
Trị chàm theo y học hiện đại
Dưỡng ẩm cho da trẻ bị chàm khô
Những sản phẩm kem dưỡng ẩm có chứa thành phần dầu và nước, trong đó hàm lượng dầu cao hơn sẽ rất tốt trong quá trình điều trị bệnh chàm khô. Nên chú ý thường xuyên bôi cung cấp độ ẩm cho trẻ 2 lần mỗi ngày.
Thuốc steroid
Trong các trường hợp tình trạng bệnh nhẹ, mới khởi phát thì có thể điều trị thông qua việc giữ ẩm và vệ sinh sạch sẽ cho da. Những, khi chàm phát triển nhiễm trùng nhẹ, các bác sĩ sẽ yêu cầu trẻ cần sử dụng thuốc mỡ tại chỗ với steroid nồng độ thấp.
Phần lớn các trẻ bị chàm khô khi đến khám tại các bệnh viện đều đã ở mức độ vừa và nặng. Do đó, cần phải sử dụng thuốc steroid với nồng độ thấp hoặc trung bình để có thể kiểm soát những triệu chứng của bệnh.
Thuốc steroid sẽ an toàn khi sử dụng đúng cách, cần làm theo đúng các chỉ dẫn.
Chú ý:
Chỉ nên bôi steroid tại các vùng da bị bệnh đỏ, thô ráp, ngứa,…
không nên bôi lên các vùng da lành.
Không nên dùng trong thời gian dài tại những vị trí có nếp gấp như háng nách, đùi,…
Không nên sử dụng ở mí mắt.
Đối với da mặt nên dùng steroid nồng độ thấp.
Không nên sử dụng quá 2 lần một ngày.
Thuốc kháng histamine
Đây là thuốc giúp làm giảm những dấu hiệu ngứa ở trẻ, cha mẹ không được tự ý mua dùng cho trẻ mà cần đến các bác sĩ kê toa.
Cũng tùy thuộc và cơ địa mỗi người là khác nhau mà thuốc có tác dụng nhanh hay chậm. Khi trẻ hấp thụ thuốc nhanh, những biểu hiện của bệnh biến mất ngay trong thời gian đầu sử dụng thuốc mặc dù là một tín hiệu tốt tuy nhiên không nên ngưng sử dụng thuốc ngay bởi đây là căn bệnh dễ tái phát cần điều trị hiệu quả.
Cách trị chàm khô tại nhà tự nhiên
Sau đây là một số mẹo chữa bệnh chàm bằng các nguyên liệu từ thiên nhiên bạn có thể cân nhắc áp dụng cho mình.
Chữa bệnh chàm khô với lá ổi
Lá ổi là một nguyên liệu thiên nhiên rất phổ biến và cách chữa bệnh chàm khô an toàn bằng lá ổi cũng là một phương pháp được nhiều người ưa thích. Bởi tính an toàn, dịu nhẹ, tính chất kháng viêm; diệt khuẩn của lá ổi.
Cách làm:
Rửa sạch lá ổi, có thể ngâm cùng nước muối sau đó rửa lại bằng nước sạch để loại bỏ các tạp chất.
Cho lá ổi đã rửa sạch vào nồi nước; đun sôi khoảng 5 – 7 phút rồi đổ ra chậu; chờ cho nước nguội bớt rồi sử dụng để không bị bỏng.
Ngâm vùng da bị chàm vào nước lá ổi khoảng 15 phút. Khi ngâm kết hợp chà xát bã lá ổi nhẹ nhàng để loại bỏ tế bào chết trên da.
Trà xanh trị chàm khô hiệu quả
Cách chữa bệnh chàm khô bằng lá trà xanh cũng là một trong những phương pháp trị liệu phổ biến. Lá trà xanh có tính bình; vị đắng có tác dụng thanh nhiệt giải độc, đồng thời chống ngứa; tình trạng oxy hóa có khả năng khử trùng tốt.
Cách làm:
Chuẩn bị một nắm lá trà xanh thật tươi và một ít muối hạt. Sau đó bạn ngâm lá trà xanh vào muối để lá được sạch, khoảng 30 phút bằng rửa lá trà xanh với nước sạch và vò nát.
Lấy lá trà xanh đã giã đem tất cả đi nấu, sau khi sôi để nguội và dùng để tắm hoặc ngâm vùng bị chàm.
Lưu ý nên sử dụng khi nước còn ấm và xoa bóp thật nhẹ nhàng những vùng da có chàm. Phương pháp này đòi hỏi bạn phải kiên trì chữa bệnh trong thời gian dài thì bạn mới thấy được hiệu quả mang lại.
Cách trị chàm khô bằng lá trầu không
Chuẩn bị 1 nắm lá trầu không tươi, vò nát lá trầu không để lá tiết ra tinh dầu
Rửa sạch vùng da bị chàm, dùng khăn lau khô.
Lấy tinh dầu chà nhẹ lên da, để yên trong 15 – 20 phút, sau đó rửa lại bằng nước sạch.Nên dùng lá trầu không tươi vì chúng chứa nhiều tinh dầu hơn.
Ngoài ra bạn có thể sử dụng lá trầu không để đun nước và ngân rửa vùng da bị chàm khô.
Trị chàm khô bằng dầu dừa
Dầu dừa là một nguyên liệu vô cùng tốt cho da và được ứng dụng vào nhiều phương pháp làm đẹp cũng như chữa các bệnh ngoài da hiệu quả. Bạn có thể ứng dụng cách trị chàm khô bằng dầu dừa qua 2 cách sau đây:
Cách 1: Sử dụng dầu dừa để bôi ngoài: Cách này khá đơn giản và dễ thực hiện nên được rất nhiều người áp dụng. Bạn chỉ cần rửa sạch vùng da bị chàm bằng nước ấm trước khi thoa dầu dừa. Sau đó lấy một ít dầu dừa nguyên chất thoa lên vùng da bị tổn thương khoảng 15 – 20 phút. Rửa sạch lại với nước và lau khô da tránh gây nhiễm trùng da.
Cách 2: Ăn dầu dừa rất tốt cho người mắc bệnh chàm. Thay vì sử dụng dầu ăn hàng ngày, bạn có thể sử dụng dầu dừa để nấu các món ăn. Dầu dừa không chỉ không chỉ hỗ trợ trị bệnh chàm rất hiệu quả mà còn tăng thêm mùi vị ngon hơn hấp dẫn hơn
Những lưu ý khi sử dụng dầu dừa để trị chàm khô tại nhà:
Bạn phải chú ý làm sạch da trước và sau khi bôi dầu dừa để không tạo môi trường cho vi khuẩn xâm nhập.
Sử dụng dầu dừa đúng liều lượng và tuyệt đối không nên lạm dụng phương pháp này quá nhiều.
Sử dụng kem trị chàm chiết xuất từ thiên nhiên
Trên thị trường hiện nay có rất nhiều các loại kem có công dụng trị chàm khác nhau. Tuy nhiên, chàm là một căn bệnh da liễu mãn tính nếu không được điều trị đúng cách có thể gây viêm nhiễm da, bệnh tái phát dai dẳng ảnh hưởng đến cuộc sống người bệnh.
Để điều trị an toàn người bệnh nên tìm đến các dòng sản phẩm an toàn, được chiết xuất từ thiên nhiên có thể dưỡng ẩm và chăm sóc da nhằm vừa loại bỏ được các triệu chứng của bệnh lại có thể ngăn bệnh tái phát trở lại.
Người mắc bệnh chàm khô nên ăn gì?
Người mắc bệnh chàm khô nên bổ sung cho cơ thể nhiều hơ những loại dầu như: Dầu cá, dầu anh thảo, dầu hạt lanh. Bởi đây đều là những loại dầu này có vai trò ngăn ngừa sự hình thành các yếu tố gây viêm protaglandin, từ đó giảm thiểu các dấu hiệu trong bệnh chàm.
Ăn nhiều các loại thực phẩm giàu kẽm như bột yến mạch, đậu Hà Lan, lạc, gạo nâu,… do chúng giúp phòng ngừa khả năng bùng phát của bệnh. Kẽm còn có tác dụng giúp đẩy nhanh quá trình chữa lành tổn thương trên da của cơ thể thông qua việc điều hòa sinh sản các tế bào cùng quá trình tổng hợp protein.
Bổ sung Vitamin A nhằm thúc đẩy tăng cường hệ thống miễn dịch của cơ thể, tăng cường sức đề kháng cũng như những tế bào lympho, ngăn ngừa các tác nhân có hại dẫn đến bệnh. Cụ thể là tăng cường ăn nhiều những loại rau quả và trái cây có màu cam như đu đủ, cà rốt, xoài…
Uống nhiều nước: Cải thiện tình trạng da khô bằng các tăng cường bổ sung nước cho cơ thể, hàng ngày nên uống khoảng 2 lít nhằm duy trì tăng cường độ ẩm cho da.
Một vài thực phẩm có nguy cơ kích ứng gây dị ứng cho da ảnh hưởng đến tình trạng bệnh nên tránh như: Đậu phộng, đậu nành, những chế phâm từ lúa mì và sữa, ngô, những loại hải sản và thực phẩm có chất bảo quản.
Hạn chế tiếp xúc với những chất độc hại như xà phòng, hóa chất,…
Trên đây là những thông tin bổ ích về bệnh chàm khô ở trẻ em cũng như cách trị chàm khô hiệu quả mà các bậc cha mẹ cần chú ý ghi nhớ giúp bảo vệ sức khỏe của trẻ ngay từ hôm nay.
Xem thêm: Chàm sữa ở trẻ sơ sinh Là gì? cách chữa chàm sữa cho trẻ sơ sinh. | {
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The CMs are expected to press for more flexibility on spending while providing inputs for the Budget, the officials added. The CMs are expected to press for more flexibility on spending while providing inputs for the Budget, the officials added.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s Union Budget for 2015-16 is likely to mark a seminal shift in the annual exercise by freeing up funds to the tune of almost Rs 3 lakh crore and allowing states the flexibility to spend the resources given their priorities. This is expected to be done by wielding the axe on centrally sponsored schemes which will be restricted to a handful. As much as 85 per cent of the total Rs 5.75 lakh crore of Plan Budget this year is tied to various schemes that are conceived by the central government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who as Gujarat chief minister argued that states know best to utilise the money, is likely to give the first indications of a changed approach in a meeting with all chief ministers soon. He will address state CMs within a few days of chairing the first meeting of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) scheduled for February 6, senior officials said. The CMs are expected to press for more flexibility on spending while providing inputs for the Budget, the officials added.
Several states including Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have for long been demanding such flexibility in funding. A chief minister, who did not wish to be named, said, “Tying up funds to schemes devised by the central government makes little sense. It need not be 0 per cent. But 85 per cent is unacceptable.”
While the previous government did start with the process of snipping away at the centrally sponsored schemes (CSS), Modi may just wield the hammer. The bulk of these schemes may be done away with, in the event handing out more unhinged resources to states. At present, there 66 CSS with a budgeted provision of Rs 2.52 lakh crore for 2014-15.
“The Budget may reduce the number of CSS to single digits (no more than ten). These could be largely pan-India schemes in key areas like health, education, housing and physical/social infrastructure,” said an official.
The CSS include the previous government’s flagship schemes such as MGNREGS (job guarantee), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. These are fully or partly funded by the centre and implemented by the states. While the centre initially demands only a token contribution from states in many of these schemes, much of the burden is passed on to states in subsequent years, another chief minister said.
The expenditure management commission under former RBI governor Bimal Jalan — it recently submitted its interim report to the Finance Minister — is learnt to have recommended that the number of CSS be significantly pared. In 2011-12, there were 147 CSS with a total budget allocation of Rs 1,80,389 crore. The number of schemes has been reduced to less than half now — 66, to be precise.
CSS is the biggest component of central assistance to state plans. The other component, block grants to states, is a grant and states have full flexibility in utilising this, but this is just 15 per cent of the total Plan funds. (See chart).
Besides the central assistance to state plans, the resources used for central sector schemes (these are distinct from CSS) account for 41 per cent of the Plan funds. These funds are allocated to 70 central ministries and departments and implemented by them. Again, states cannot spend these resources for any other purpose.
The dismantling of the Planning Commission and its replacement by NITI Aayog, which focuses more on policy, has anyway rendered redundant the old regime of central fund releases for state plans. “Ideally, all CSS should go. The centre will save on intermediation costs and in the long term, there would also be higher implementation efficiency in terms of outcome yields on every rupee spent,” said Dhirendra Swarup, former secretary, department of expenditure.
But even bigger a driver for the proposed new mechanism of central transfers is the Fourteenth Finance Commission which is said to have proposed a 42 per cent share for states in central gross tax revenues. This is a substantial step-up over the current 32 per cent level. A 10-percentage point increase in tax devolution would leave the centre poorer by about Rs 136,000 crore or one per cent of GDP.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
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By Roger Harrabin
Environment analyst, BBC News
Ministers are accused of failing to pump money into green projects Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been accused by a think tank of failing to harness his economic stimulus for the benefit of the environment. The New Economics Foundation says that among rich nations, the UK has invested the least in clean technology. It called UK performance pathetic, but the Treasury said the fiscal stimulus could not be looked at in isolation. It said it expected to drive over £50bn of investment in the low-carbon sector between 2008 and 2011. Meanwhile, three other reports out on Monday call for world leaders to use the financial crisis to create a new economy that benefits the environment. They say the world financial stimulus package can improve security for energy, food and water supplies if it is invested wisely. The analysis by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) criticises the UK for spending just over £100m - 0.0083% of its national wealth (GDP) - on genuinely new and additional measures to benefit the environment. Andrew Sims, the report's author, said: "This is a fraction of the amount given to RBS staff in bonuses. The prime minister says he is creating green jobs but this is a fantasy. The government's performance is pathetic." 'Comprehensive framework' A Treasury spokesman said it was unfair to look at the green element of the fiscal stimulus in isolation. He said: "The UK already has a comprehensive policy framework in place, expected to drive over £50bn of investment in the low-carbon sector between 2008 and 2011, including supporting renewable energy, upgrading grid infrastructure, enhancing energy efficiency and improving public transport. "This must be considered when comparing different countries' approaches to low-carbon investment and the development of a low-carbon economy." Meanwhile Lord Stern, a former UK Treasury chief economic adviser, is launching a report commissioned by the German government. It calls for massive investment by the G20 nations in energy efficiency and new electricity grids; supporting markets for clean technology; pushing up the price of emitting carbon; and initiating large-scale demonstration projects for carbon capture and storage and concentrated solar and energy storage. His study expresses confidence that G20 leaders can build a low-carbon economy which brings the world back on track for growth and prosperity. In the UK, a report by Greenpeace, the Federation of Master Builders and the Liberal Democrats accuses the government of missing an open goal by creating jobs through new roads and subsidies to car firms when the cash could have been spent on more insulation. They say this creates more jobs for the money, while also cutting energy demand and emissions. 'More work needed' The report says the government's new green measures will delay the growth of UK carbon emissions by five-and-a-half-hours by the end of 2011. Another report, this time by HSBC, suggests that South Korea and China have spent more than 1% of their GDP on green growth. Pavan Sukhdev, the banker who heads the UN's green economy drive, told BBC News: "The UK needs to recognise this is a competitive situation. "They need to compete into the future where there will be a cost for carbon, there will be low-carbon development models in rich and poor nations, and the UK will do itself and its entrepreneurial community an injustice if it does not provide them with at least the same competitive position that the rest of the world has. "I think a bit more work is needed with Prime Minister Brown."
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Lobbyist Insists His Meeting About 'TPP IP Issues' Wasn't About TPP IP Issues
from the pants-on-fire dept
The lead American negotiator was Ralph Ives, who was promoted to Assistant USTR for Pharmaceutical Policy soon after the negotiations concluded. He was aided by Claude Burcky, Deputy Assistant USTR for Intellectual Property. Less than three months after the Australia agreement was signed, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that both men would take jobs at pharmaceutical or medical device companies. Their new employers stood to benefit from some of the pro-patent-holder provisions of the treaty. Ives took a job at AdvaMed, a trade group representing medical device manufacturers. Burcky moved to the pharmaceutical and medical device company Abbott Labs.
But AdvaMed disputes an accusation from Love that it has been lobbying USTR on patent issues. "Neither AdvaMed nor Ives has ever provided USTR comments on a provision of the TPP IP chapter," an AdvaMed spokeswoman stated by email.
On Wednesday, an AdvaMed spokeswoman told me that the intellectual property chapter of the TPP was not discussed at any of these meetings. She noted that "Ragland was the lead negotiator for the transparency issues and procedural fairness provision of the TPP." She says that those issues, not IP issues, were the focus of Ives's conversations with Ragland.
As for the "TPP IP issues" e-mail, AdvaMed says that Gunn is simply in the habit of using "TPP IP issues" as a shorthand for all of the issues that he works on, which also includes non-IP issues of interest to medical device companies. The AdvaMed spokeswoman, after consulting with Ives, said that despite the meeting's title, intellectual property issues did not come up during that Feb. 1 conference call.
Peter Maybarduk, who works on pharmaceutical issues at the advocacy group Public Citizen, says that he never gets e-mails like that from USTR. "We don't get any request for our take on this or that. If we ask to meet with Probir [Mehta of the USTR's Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation] for example, he'll meet with us. We'll have a conversation. Those conversations have gotten better over time. But it's a complex diplomatic exercise, it's not like a frank exchange of information about what is actually happening."
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We recently wrote about the ridiculous revolving door between the USTR and various copyright and patent maximalist lobbying organizations. If you want to know why the USTR always is pushing for maximalist positions, that's a good place to start. Our post was commenting on an article by Tim Lee at the Washington Post, in which he highlighted numerous examples of the revolving door between maximalist lobbying groups and the USTR. One of his very first examples was former top USTR official Ralph Ives, who signed a big deal, and then quickly went to work for a lobbying group that represents medical device manufacturers. Here's what Lee wrote:Later in the piece, Lee quoted Advamed angrily denying that Ives was lobbying USTR on intellectual property issues:Okay. That was on November 26th at 2:22pm ET. Less than four hours later, Jamie Love over at KEI released a bunch of FOIA'd documents , showing 127 pages of emails between various industry lobbyists and the USTR concerning intellectual property issues on the TPP agreement. Tim Lee noted that not only do those emails show a very cozy relationship between IP lobbyists and the USTR, they show very clearly that Ives was, in fact, lobbying on IP issues. Here, for example, is an email showing a meeting that is scheduled involving the USTR and various "cleared advisors" including Ives, and the subject matter is listed as "TPP IP issues."Elsewhere in the documents, they show Ives asking for a meeting to "debrief" with Jared Ragland, the Director of the Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation at the USTR. Ives makes his request at 4:51pm on a Tuesday. Ragland has confirmed the meeting by 3:12am Wednesday morning. Ives reached out to Ragland another time elsewhere in the emails. Two other times in the emails, Ragland is seen emailing Ives directly asking for some advice.But, no, Advamed insists, they never ever talked about intellectual property issues.Lee asked Advamed to explain and they insist that Ives and Ragland talked aboutissues, not IP. And that meeting that was supposedly all about "TPP IP Issues"? Advamed insists that the guy who sent that email, Medtronic lobbyist Trevor Gunn, simply misspoke, because he has a habit of calling anything an IP issue:Let's take a show of hands. How many people actually believe that the former lead negotiator for the USTR on an important intellectual property section of a bilateral trade agreement, who quickly moved to a big medical device lobbying firm, who was clearly in regular contact with the "director of the office of intellectual property" and who was also in a meeting with top USTR officials whose only listed topic was "TPP IP Issues" did not actually talk to USTR officials about IP? We'll wait.Of course, this is just part of the problem with the total lack of transparency from the USTR. The whole thing is set up to favor these kinds of back room deals, in which "friends" of the USTR (including former USTR officials), now working for maximalist organizations who are hellbent on keeping out competitive innovations, strongly influence the procedures. Elsewhere in the emails, you see a very close relationship with top RIAA official, Neil Turkewitz, who passes along news items to USTR officials (including about the original leak of the March 2011 TPP IP chapter -- the last one that we had seen prior to the recently leaked August version). He also reaches out to set up a meeting for RIAA boss Cary Sherman to express his concerns about the USTR including "limitations and exceptions" to copyright in the TPP. This was big news at the time because the USTR has never included such things (rather than "limitations and exceptions" they should be called "rights of the public") in a trade agreement. Of course, he shouldn't have worried. Later revelations showed that the USTR put in a system to limit fair use , not spread it.Either way, you see a very cozy relationship between the USTR and maximalist lobbyists. Lee also asked Peter Maybarduk, who's been focused on pharmaceutical issues for Public Citizen and has been heavily active in TPP issues, if the USTR ever emailed him the way they email lobbyists, and the answer, of course, was not at all:Reading the emails between lobbyists and the USTR suggests a much chummier relationship... and that's clearly reflected in the dangerous proposals the USTR is pushing. They favor those few companies, but harm competition, innovation and the public. Protecting a few powerful legacy players at the expense of everyone else is the worst of crony capitalism. Just the very fact that it appears the lobbyists themselves are pretending that they're not discussing IP issues with the USTR shows pretty clearly that even those lobbyists know what's going on is a disgusting abuse of crony capitalism to advance their own personal interests over those of the American public or economy. Shameful.
Filed Under: copyright, jared ragland, lobbying, patents, ralph ives, revolving door, tpp, tpp ip chapter, ustr
Companies: advamed | {
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