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Sur la zone à défendre (ZAD) de Sivens, où Rémi Fraisse est mort en participant au mouvement de contestation contre la construction d’un barrage, le 26 octobre 2014. REMY GABALDA / AFP
Un gendarme ayant commis une infraction en mission de maintien de l’ordre relève bien de la justice militaire, a tranché jeudi 17 janvier le Conseil constitutionnel, qui était saisi par la famille de Rémi Fraisse, tué en 2014 par une grenade tirée par un militaire.
Le père du militant écologiste mort à 21 ans à Sivens (Tarn), Jean-Pierre Fraisse, avait obtenu le 16 octobre de la Cour de cassation qu’elle transmette aux Sages une question prioritaire de constitutionnalité (QPC) sur la compétence des juges d’instruction statuant en matière militaire.
M. Fraisse demandait l’abrogation des dispositions de l’article 697-1 du code de procédure pénale, qui instituent, selon lui, « une différence de traitement injustifiée » entre les justiciables, selon que l’auteur de l’infraction commise dans le service du maintien de l’ordre est un gendarme ou un policier. En cas d’infraction commise dans ce cadre, un policier sera jugé par une juridiction ordinaire, contrairement au gendarme, qui relève d’une juridiction spécialisée en matière militaire.
Règles spéciales pour le maintien de l’ordre
Les avocats de Jean-Pierre Fraisse, Patrice Spinosi et Arié Alimi, ont dénoncé à l’audience le 8 janvier une justice « d’exception » pour les gendarmes, pourtant placés en mission de maintien de l’ordre « sous une même autorité civile », celle du ministère de l’intérieur ou du préfet. Les Sages ont déclaré « conformes à la Constitution » les dispositions contestées. Si celles-ci établissent bien une différence de traitement entre un policier et un gendarme, elles sont justifiées au regard du statut militaire des gendarmes et à leur régime pénal particulier.
« Les militaires de la gendarmerie demeurent soumis à ces règles spéciales dans leur activité de maintien de l’ordre. Par conséquent, ils ne sont pas placés, pour les infractions commises dans ce cadre, dans la même situation que les membres de la police nationale », ont estimé les Sages. « Dès lors, en dépit des similitudes du cadre d’action des militaires de la gendarmerie et des membres de la police nationale dans le service du maintien de l’ordre, le législateur n’a pas (…) instauré de discrimination injustifiée entre les justiciables », ont-ils tranché.
Une étape parmi les procédures
Bien que défavorable à Jean-Pierre Fraisse, la décision du Conseil constitutionnel n’est « qu’une étape dans une succession d’irrégularités procédurales », a réagi auprès de l’AFP Me Alimi. « La prochaine étape, c’est la Cour de cassation », devant laquelle « la question posée est de savoir si les gendarmes étaient en opération de maintien de l’ordre ou pas » quand Rémi Fraisse a été touché par une grenade lors de violents affrontements sur le chantier de la retenue d’eau controversée de Sivens, le 26 octobre 2014, avant de succomber à ses blessures, a affirmé Me Alimi. Les grenades offensives à l’origine de son décès avaient été par la suite interdites.
« On dit qu’ils n’étaient pas en maintien de l’ordre, car ils étaient sur un terrain privé et, dans ce cas, ça remettrait en cause l’instruction », a avancé l’avocat de Jean-Pierre Fraisse. Sera également contestée devant la chambre de l’instruction de la cour d’appel de Toulouse l’ordonnance de non-lieu en faveur du gendarme auteur du tir, rendue en janvier 2018.
Article réservé à nos abonnés Lire aussi Après Sivens, un nouveau barrage attise les tensions
Le Monde avec AFP | {
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More than 1,500 wildfires have ravaged California so far in 2014, more than twice the state sees in an average year. On ABC’s This Week, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, cited scientific research that links the increased number of fires to the state’s changing climate.
Host George Stephanopoulos asked Brown how he’d adapt to the future, given skepticism among Republicans in Washington. Short answer: not easily.
"That's a challenge," Brown said. "It is true that there's virtually no Republican who accepts the science that virtually is unanimous. I mean there is no scientific question. There's just political denial for various reasons, best known to those people who are in denial."
Brown then pivoted away from Washington to say that "we here in California are on the front lines, we got to deal with it."
PolitiFact decided to take a closer look at how Republicans in Congress perceive climate change. We are focusing on Republicans in Washington because that’s how the question to Brown was framed.
Republicans more skeptical about climate change
Recent national polls say that Republican voters are less likely than Democrats and independents to believe humans cause global warming. Among Republicans, tea party Republicans are even less likely to accept the science than the party base.
Among current Republicans in Congress, a group of 278, we were able to find many examples of politicians questioning climate change science to some degree.
Most recently, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., made waves for denying a link between human activity and climate change.
"I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it," Rubio told Jonathan Karl on ABC’s This Week May 11. "And I do not believe that the laws that they propose we pass will do anything about it. Except it will destroy our economy."
That’s in line with other prominent Republicans, such as House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas.
Organizing for Action, a group that backs President Barack Obama, published a lengthy list of climate change deniers in Congress, with evidence to back each one.
Still others, like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have notably changed on the issue, even after co-authoring legislation to address the issue.
Republicans who say they believe the science
We found relatively few Republican members of Congress who accept the prevailing scientific conclusion that global warming is both real and man-made. Brown’s office didn’t return our request for comment, so we are unable to compare our evidence to any that he might have.
That’s eight out of 278, or about 3 percent.
Are there others? It’s possible. Not every member of Congress has taken a clear stance on climate change, and we can’t read people’s minds. If we find more examples, we’ll update our list.
Former Rep. Jim Greenwood, R-Pa., told PolitiFact that the number of Republicans like himself who stand by climate change science has been shrinking in recent years, due to a more polarized Congress.
"There used to be a lot more of us," said Greenwood, who serves on the board of directors for the National Audubon Society. "A lot of us were very green in our voting records. That has changed. I think it's part of the phenomenon of the polarization of the Congress."
Agreeing with climate change science also could be a political liability for Republicans. In 2010, South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis lost a Republican primary to tea party challenger Trey Gowdy. Inglis blamed his loss , in part, over his belief in climate science.
Inglis has since formed the Energy and Enterprise Initiative, a conservative group that agrees with climate change science. Energy and Enterprise Initiative spokesman Price Atkinson said Republicans support efforts to reduce CO2 emissions but criticize the way Obama and Democrats want to go about it.
"There are many Republicans in Washington who accept, understand and agree with sound science regarding climate change, but it's the way forward that is more difficult for my fellow conservatives," Atkinson said. "We agree with fellow conservatives in opposing the president and the growth of government thru increased EPA regulations, which is precisely the worst way to reduce carbon emissions."
The charged political climate makes finding clear positions on climate change from many Republicans tough to come by, say experts who follow the issue.
"Most Republicans say the same thing behind closed doors: ‘Of course, I get that the climate is changing, of course I get that we need to do something — but I need to get reelected,’ " Audubon Society President David Yarnold told National Journal in 2013. "Somehow they’re going to have to find a safe place on this."
Our ruling
Brown said that "virtually no Republican" in Washington accepts climate change science. When it comes to on-the-record comments of members of Congress, Brown’s characterization is about right.
We found at least eight Republicans in Congress who publicly voiced support for the scientific consensus and many more conservative legislators who deny either a human link to the changing climate, or the fact that the climate is changing altogether.
A reason for caution, however, is comments from someone like Yarnold — who suggest GOP members of Congress acknowledge climate change science behind closed doors but avoid the talk in public for political reasons.
We rate Brown’s claim Mostly True. | {
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World leaders pledged on Friday to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 and to share them around the globe, but the United States did not take part in the launch of the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative.
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French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were among those who joined a video conference to launch what the WHO billed as a "landmark collaboration" to fight the pandemic.
The aim is to speed development of safe and effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19, the lung disease caused be the novel coronavirus - and ensure equal access to treatments for rich and poor.
"We are facing a common threat which we can only defeat with a common approach," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus said as he opened the virtual meeting.
"Experience has told us that even when tools are available they have not been equally available to all. We cannot allow that to happen."
During the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009, there was criticism that distribution of vaccines was not equitable as wealthier countries were able to purchase more.
"We must make sure that people who need them get them," said Peter Sands, head of the Global Fund to Fight on AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. "The lessons from AIDS must be learned. Too many millions died before anti-retroviral medicines were made widely accessible."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the objective at a global pledging effort on May 4 would be to raise 7.5 billion euros ($8.10 billion) to ramp up work on prevention, diagnostics and treatment.
"This is a first step only, but more will be needed in the future," von der Leyen told the conference.
'Common fight'
Leaders from Asia, the Middle East and the Americas also joined the videoconference, but several big countries did not participate, including China, India and Russia.
A spokesman for the U.S. mission in Geneva had earlier told Reuters that the United States would not be involved.
"Although the United States was not in attendance at the meeting in question, there should be no doubt about our continuing determination to lead on global health matters, including the current COVID crisis," he said by email.
"We remain deeply concerned about the WHO's effectiveness, given that its gross failures helped fuel the current pandemic," he later said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has lambasted the WHO as being slow to react to the outbreak and being "China-centric" and announced a suspension of funding.
Tedros has steadfastly defended the WHO's handling of the pandemic and repeatedly committed to conducting a post-pandemic evaluation, as the agency does with all crises.
Macron, Merkel, Ramaphosa, and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez were among those voicing strong support to WHO.
Macron urged all G7 and G20 countries to get behind the initiative, adding: "And I hope we'll manage to reconcile around this joint initiative both China and the U.S., because this is about saying 'the fight against COVID-19 is a common human good and there should be no division in order to win this battle'."
Merkel said: "This concerns a global public good, to produce this vaccine and to distribute it in all parts of the world."
Ramaphosa, chairman of the African Union, warned that the continent - with its generally poor standards of healthcare - was "extremely vulnerable to the ravages of this virus and is in need of support".
Vaccine trials
More than 2.7 million people have been infected with COVID-19 and nearly 190,000 have died from it since the new coronavirus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, according to a Reuters tally.
"As new diagnostics, treatments and vaccines become available, we have a responsibility to get them out equitably with the understanding that all lives have equal value," said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, which was WHO's second largest donor last year.
More than 100 potential COVID-19 vaccines are being developed, including six already in clinical trials, said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI vaccine alliance, a public-private partnership that leads immunisation campaigns in poor countries.
"We need to ensure that there are enough vaccines for everyone, we are going to need global leadership to identify and prioritise vaccine candidates," he told a Geneva news briefing.
Yuan Qiong, senior legal and policy advisor at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Access Campaign welcomed the pledges but called for concrete steps. "There shouldn't be any patent monopoly and profiteering out of this pandemic," she told Reuters.
(REUTERS)
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“Falar só dos árbitros ofende” é o título de um artigo de opinião publicado no site do jornal espanhol “As” e assinado por João Gabriel, director de comunicação do Benfica. O texto é a reacção do campeão nacional - que aproveitou para responder às queixas do FC Porto sobre as arbitragens - a um artigo no mesmo diário desportivo, da autoria de um jornalista espanhol.
“Em Portugal não caiu bem o desembarque de Lopetegui e o seu elenco de futebolistas espanhóis (Óliver, Tello, Marcano…) no FC Porto. Pelo menos é o que se deduz ao analisar o comportamento arbitral a favor do seu máximo rival: em nove dos seus 23 jogos no campeonato, o Benfica jogou com um futebolista a mais. Em três deles as expulsões foram decisivas”, lê-se no texto difundido na secção de futebol internacional do jornal de Madrid.
O Benfica respondeu ao artigo através de João Gabriel, que criticou o FC Porto. “É público que há uma ruidosa campanha contra os árbitros promovida por um clube português. O objectivo é claro e assumido, condicionar e coagir o seu trabalho na fase final da Liga”, escreveu o elemento do clube lisboeta.
“Infelizmente, às vezes joga-se demasiado fora do campo. Para os mais distraídos, ou os que acompanham com pouca frequência a liga portuguesa, há factos e números que vale a pena ter em conta: o Benfica é a equipa com o melhor ataque e a melhor defesa, venceu no estádio do FC Porto sem registo de protestos – excepto das bancadas –, obteve a maior goleada da temporada e é líder desde a 5.ª jornada”, afirmou o director de comunicação do Benfica.
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João Gabriel referiu ainda uma opinião recente de Vítor Baía. “Disse que ‘os árbitros só são desculpas para o insucesso’. Declaração valente e lúcida de quem não se identifica com esta campanha absurda”.
Segundo o director benfiquista, “ver o FC Porto queixar-se da arbitragem é igual a ver Fidel Castro queixar-se do comunismo cubano”. | {
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Bob Barry Sr., the man Bud Wilkinson selected to announce Oklahoma Sooners football games, has died from a heart attack at age 80.
The Norman resident was found at home Sunday morning by son Frank Barry. Neighbors noticed Barry Sr. had not picked up his newspaper or mail.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. John's Episcopal Church in Norman.
Barry Sr. ended a 50-year broadcasting career in March, when the OU men’s basketball team played Texas at the Big 12 Championships. The Classen High and OU graduate and Air Force veteran started his broadcasting career in 1955. He called Norman High School football games for KNOR before he was chosen out of 14 candidates to do OU football.
“I do think to this day that I had an advantage because Bud used to listen to me at Norman High where his two sons, Jay and Pat, played when he could go to the games,” Barry Sr. told The Oklahoman in September 2010.
Barry Sr. was radio voice of the Sooners from 1961-72. He switched to Oklahoma State, covering the Cowboys from 1973-90. Known in Oklahoma as “The Legend,” Barry Sr. returned to OU in 1991. In between his duties at either OU or OSU — and a 1973-74 stint as the University of Tulsa basketball play-by-play man — he worked for KFOR-TV from 1966-2008. Barry Sr. was the television station’s sports director from 1970-97.
He was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Bob Dotson, an NBC news correspondent who hosts American Story, worked at WKY-TV (now KFOR) from 1969-75. He told The Oklahoman on Sunday that Barry Sr.’s advice “set me on a path I follow to this day.”
“Broadcasting is a lot like writing on smoke,” Dotson said. “What is said soon blows away. But many of us will remember Bob Barry Sr. for all the thrilling sports moments he etched in our minds. We recall them like favorite old songs.”
Dotson said Barry Sr. told him to be one of a kind.
“That will give you a distinctive voice others will want to hear,” Dotson said. “You might not get every job you want, but someday, someone will say: ‘We need a Bob Dotson story.’ It’s tough to say goodbye to a guy like that, the man whose barefoot voice led us to so many happy memories.”
Barry Sr. worked 25 years side-by-side with son Bob Barry Jr. at KFOR. Barry Jr. is now its sports director.
“For 50 years, he made extraordinary contributions to help build our wonderful Oklahoma tradition and did so while maintaining a positive outlook that always saw the best in others,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement. “He was our eyes when we couldn’t see, our voice when unable to speak and our passion when we needed it expressed. We have lost a true legend in Bob Barry.” | {
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Since last Hallowe'en, a woman in Oregon has been circulating a letter she found in a box of decorative tombstones she bought at Kmart. The letter was written by a prisoner in a forced labor camp in China's Masanjia camp; he was imprisoned for practicing Falun Gong, a banned religion whose members have long been targetted for brutal suppression by the Chinese state. CNN located the ex-prisoner and interviewed him as he narrated a story of "inhumane torture" at the camp.
Their staff in Beijing spent months searching for the man. Finally, they found him and confirmed his identity, but didn't reveal it to the public. He is a follower of Falun Gong, which most of the world calls a Buddhist-Taoist spiritual movement but the Chinese government considers a dangerous cult. He was sentenced to two and a half years in the Masanjia labor camp.
He reports sleep deprivation, beatings, and other misery in the labor camp. Making Halloween decorations for no pay was actually a reprieve for the inmates. Still, he decided to send a total of six letters, somehow procuring two items that inmates weren't supposed to have: paper (taken from a re-education workbook) and a pen. He wrote the letter in bed, in the dark, avoiding the gaze of the guard who watched everyone while they slept. You know, to make sure they weren't doing anything subversive like sending letters to the West in the products they were packaging. | {
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Airbus hat mit einer Anpassung die maximale Passagierzahl beim A350-100 auf 480 erhöhen können. Damit zielt der Hersteller auf die Boeing 777 und 777X.
Noch gibt es keine Fluggesellschaft, die auch nur annähernd so viele Sitze in ihre A350-1000 stellt. In die Maschinen von Qatar Airways beispielsweise sind 327 Sitze in zwei Klassen eingebaut, bei Cathay Pacific sind es 334 und bei British Airways 331 (beide drei Klassen). Air Caraïbes stopft die Flieger am vollsten: 429 Reisende gehen in die A350-1000 der französischen Fluggesellschaft.
Dennoch hat Airbus die maximale Passagierkapazität beim größten A350 erhöht. Am 27. November genehmigte die europäische Luftfahrtbehörde Easa eine Version des A350-1000, die bis zu 480 Passagiere aufnehmen kann – 40 mehr als bisher. Möglich wird das durch modifizierte Notausgänge mit neuen Notrutschen mit dem Namen A+.
Zwei Bahnen statt nur eine
Die neuen Rutschen weisen zwei Bahnen auf, statt nur eine. Dadurch können im Notfall gleichzeitig mehr Passagiere den Flieger verlassen. Das beschleunigt die Evakuierung. Behörden schreiben bei jedem Flugzeugmodell generell vor, dass auch der letzte Reisende die Kabine nach 90 Sekunden verlassen haben muss.
Nicht nur 480 Sitze sind aber möglich. Die Notausgangsversionen können auch gemischt werden, und so sind auch Zwischenstufen machbar: 450, 460 oder 470 Sitze. Die Änderungen machen jedoch mehr Flugbegleiter nötig: Für jedes Paar Notausgänge mit A+-Rutschen müssen drei zur Verfügung stehen. Bisher brauchte es mindestens acht, ab 400 Sitzen neun Flugbegleiter.
Gegen 777-9 und 777-300 ER
Auch wenn derzeit niemand plant, einen A350-1000 alleine mit Economy-Sitzen in Zehnerreihen zu bestuhlen, könnte es Nachfrage für die Version mit mehr Plätzen geben. So kommt Airbus an das Konkurrenzprodukt 777-9 von Boeing heran. Bisher waren beim A350-1000 in drei Klassen standardmäßig 349 Passagiere und maximal 410 Passagiere möglich.
Zudem zielten die Europäer damit wohl auf heutige Betreiber von dicht bestuhlten Boeing 777-300 ER ab, glauben die Analysten von Airinsight. Air Canada packt etwa 433 Passagiere in ihre Maschinen des Typs, Emirates 427. Da könnte Airbus nun eher punkten. | {
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Teenagers in the future will spend their disposable cash on digital clothes for online avatars while buying an outfit in the real world which will last years, a leading “trend watcher” has forecast.
Maxwell Luthy is the director of the New York-based firm TrendWatching, and travelled to Australia for the first time this week to share with local businesses his advice for the world of tomorrow.
One of the key points Mr Luthy has been telling businesses to prepare for is the “end of excess” – a prediction by futurists and trend watchers that consumers will move away from conspicuous consumption which is increasingly seen as unethical and unsustainable.
Maxwell Luthy is the head of New York based ‘trend firm’ TrendWatching
Mr Luthy said there was already evidence that this impulse was shaping the way consumers made decisions. | {
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans overwhelmingly believe teachers don’t make enough money, and half say they’d support paying higher taxes to give educators a raise.
The findings of the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research come amid recent teacher strikes and other protests over low pay, tough classroom conditions and the amount of money allocated to public schools in several Republican-led states.
Tens of thousands of Arizona teachers voted last week to strike after rejecting an offer of a 20-percent raise, because it didn’t include a vow from state lawmakers not to further cut taxes before providing more money for the state’s schools.
“To educate children and barely get a living is obnoxious,” said Elaine Penman, a company manager in Tucson, Arizona, who added she and others went outside to cheer on protesting teachers who were marching by.
She’s among the 50 percent of Americans who say they’d pay a higher tax bill if it meant more money for teachers.
“I’m a parent and I benefit directly from what teachers do,” said Penman, who has two children in traditional public schools and one in a charter school.
In 2016-2017, the average salary for a public school teacher was $58,950, down slightly from the previous year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Overall, 78 percent of Americans said that’s not enough. Just 15 percent think teachers are paid the right amount, while 6 percent think they’re paid too much. In a 2010 AP-Stanford poll, 57 percent of Americans said they thought teachers are paid too little.
Americans in states with the lowest average teacher salaries — less than $50,000 a year — were slightly more likely to think teachers were paid too little and that the national average should be an important factor in determining salaries.
The AP-NORC poll found that parents and those without children are about equally likely to think teachers are paid too little. It’s a sentiment that crosses party lines, too. Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats, 78 percent of independents and 66 percent of Republicans think teacher salaries are too low.
Slightly more than half of Americans — 52 percent — also approve of teachers leaving the classroom to strike in their search for higher pay, while 25 percent disapprove. Among those who say they’ve heard about the recent teacher protests, 80 percent say they approve of such tactics.
The recent run of teacher protests began in March in West Virginia, where teachers won a raise after going on strike. The strategy soon spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado and Arizona, where educators joined together online and have held increasingly frequent protests during the past six weeks.
The poll found that 51 percent of Americans have been paying at least some attention to the protests. People living in states with the lowest teacher salaries were more likely to have heard about the protests than those in states with the highest teacher pay.
Americans believe state and local governments share responsibility with teachers and their unions for the disruptions caused by the strikes. Vernita Grimes, 68, of the District of Columbia, said teachers aren’t making enough money for the work they do and she supports them having the right to strike, “even though I know kids are losing valuable teaching time.”
But Caitlyn Scott, 27, of Kent, Ohio, said teachers are earning “about what they should,” and she opposes strikes by teachers.
“I think they kind of committed to being there for the entire school year,” she said.
Half of Americans would be willing to shoulder the cost of paying teachers more and providing more money to schools via higher taxes, with only 26 percent opposed. But while 69 percent of Democrats say yes to higher taxes for schools, only 38 percent of Republicans and 30 percent of independents say the same.
People living in urban areas are more likely than those in rural areas to support such a tax increase, 57 percent to 40 percent.
Stephen White, a high school teacher in Marysville, California, said raising taxes is “probably the only way” to pay for teacher raises. “Look at states that cut taxes and some districts had to go to four-day school weeks.”
That had happened in Oklahoma, where teachers staged a nine-day walkout earlier this month to protest the level of classroom funding.
White said he used to be anti-union when he worked in the private sector, but changed his position when he became a teacher. He said salaries don’t take into account all that teachers do, especially outside the normal school day.
“The private sector makes double what we do,” he said. He acknowledged that strikes are disruptive. “We don’t like that, but sometimes drastic times call for drastic measures.”
___
The AP-NORC poll of 1,140 adults was conducted April 11-16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points. | {
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Kentucky education board members voted to oust commissioner, but few willing to explain
One day after the abrupt ouster of Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt by a board reshaped by Gov. Matt Bevin, members remained largely silent about why the state's top education official was pressured to resign 2 1/2 years into a four-year term.
Those voting Tuesday for Pruitt's resignation either did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday or referred inquiries to newly elected board Chairman Milton Seymore.
Seymore, in an interview, repeated his comments from Tuesday that the board "wanted to go in a different direction" and that the board was concerned about low student test scores and the pace of reform.
He said there was no outside pressure or rush to remove Pruitt despite the fact that the ouster came a day after Bevin made seven appointments to the board — making all 11 members his appointees — and that only a day's notice was given for the special meeting at which Pruitt resigned.
More coverage
► With Pruitt out, some worry Kentucky is returning to the bad old days of politics
► Students support ousted Education Commissioner Pruitt, meet his replacement
► Pruitt on being pushed out by Bevin's board of education: 'Yesterday was tough'
Seymore pointed out the board discussed the matter for four hours in a closed session before returning in open session to vote to accept Pruitt's resignation.
"Everybody had a right to vote," he said. "There wasn’t nobody twisting anybody’s arm."
Eight members voted to accept Pruitt's resignation, one voted against, one abstained and one member was absent.
The board's action came despite a glowing evaluation of Pruitt by the previous board in December, which praised Pruitt for "outstanding leadership" and said it "strongly" supported his continued tenure.
Seymore, appointed to the board by Bevin in 2016, acknowledged he was among board members who signed the favorable evaluation urging the commissioner to stay but said his opinion has changed.
Board Vice Chairman Rich Gimmel, who scheduled Tuesday's special meeting and listed Pruitt's employment as the sole agenda item, abstained from voting for "personal reasons" he declined to disclose.
Gimmel offered only a general explanation as to why the board sought Pruitt's resignation.
“I think there’s been a hunger in some circles for change, for a different direction," Gimmel said. " And I think that just came to a head and reached a critical mass in the last week.”
Gimmel also was among the board members who signed Pruitt's favorable evaluation in December.
A spokeswoman for Bevin, who had criticized Pruitt's performance at a press conference Tuesday prior to the board vote, did not respond to a request for comment.
Only one member, Gary Houchens, also appointed in 2016, cast a no vote.
"I'm deeply disappointed by this outcome," Houchens, a Western Kentucky University education professor, said in a blog post Tuesday. "I have enormous respect and admiration for Dr. Pruitt and I am grateful for the work he has done on behalf of the students of Kentucky."
Former board members who expressed surprise over the decision to oust Pruitt — a decision one said clearly was engineered in advance.
"It's obvious it was orchestrated," said Roger Marcum, of Nelson County, whose term ended last week and who attended Tuesday's meeting.
Marcum said it's incomprehensible that the brand-new members were prepared to decide to end Pruitt's employment as commissioner within 24 hours of being appointed and just minutes after being sworn in Tuesday.
"Obviously either somebody told you what you needed to do and you followed that or it was discussed prior to the meeting," he said.
Mary Gwen Wheeler, of Louisville, the immediate past board chair, said she did not expect Pruitt to be ousted just a few days after her term expired.
More coverage
► Who voted to accept Pruitt's resignation as Kentucky education commissioner?
► What Pruitt's resignation and the JCPS audit could mean for your child's education
► Replay: CJl reporters discuss Kentucky Department of Education shakeup
"It took us all by surprise," Wheeler said.
And David Karem, a former board member who helped hire Pruitt in 2015, said he was disappointed the board effectively terminated the commissioner.
"I am not at all happy to see Stephen Pruitt leave," Karem said. "One of the things we did when we hired him was to go through a very careful national search, and one of the things Steve brought that was so positive was his strength in the area of science education."
Pruitt, a former chemistry teacher, was nationally known as a science educator, Karem said.
Bill Twyman, a former board member from Glasgow whose term just ended, said he has no idea why the board decided to oust Pruitt, who Twyman said was highly regarded and highly qualified.
"It makes me wonder," said Twyman, a retired teacher and principal. "I would think it would make the average citizen wonder. Not being in the executive session, all a person can do is guess."
Marcum said he hopes the board will undertake a thorough, national search for a new commissioner as was done when Pruitt was hired.
But Marcum said he's concerned potential candidates could be put off by the controversy over how Pruitt was removed.
"It would concern good candidates for the job, seeing how volatile our situation is in Kentucky," he said. "I can see where they would really question if this is a good situation."
Deborah Yetter: 502-582-4228; [email protected]; Twitter: @d_yetter. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/deborahy. | {
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CRUZEIRO
Mineirão voltará a receber bom público domingo
O Cruzeiro divulgou, na tarde deste sábado, parcial da venda de ingressos para o jogo contra o Grêmio, neste domingo, no Mineirão, às 16h, pela 29ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Segundo o clube celeste, 30.488 torcedores já garantiram entrada.O setor amarelo (inferior e superior) já está esgotado. Ainda restam entradas das áreas laranja, vermelha e roxa. A comercialização prossegue ininterruptamente para sócios do futebol, pela internet, até às 10h deste domingo.As vendas na bilheteria, para o torcedor comum, começaram nessa sexta. A comercialização dos ingressos é feita na Bilheteria Sul do Mineirão e no Ginásio do Barro Preto. Os preços variam entre R$40,00 e R$120,00.Amarelo Inferior (Portão C): R$40 (esgotado)Laranja Inferior (Portão F): R$40Amarelo Superior (Portão C): R$50 (esgotado)Laranja Superior (Portão F): R$50Vermelho Inferior (Portões D e E): R$70Vermelho Superior (Portões D e E): R$80Roxo Inferior (Portão B): R$120Roxo Superior (Portão B): R$120Amarelo Inferior (Portão C): R$20 (esgotado)Laranja Inferior (Portão F): R$20Amarelo Superior (Portão C): R$25 (esgotado)Laranja Superior (Portão F): R$25Vermelho Inferior (Portões D e E): R$35Vermelho Superior (Portões D e E): R$40Roxo Inferior (Portão B): R$60Roxo Superior (Portão B): R$60- Ginásio do Barro Preto:Sexta-feira (02/10) – 10h às 18hSábado (03/10) – 10h às 15hSexta-feira (02/10) – 10h às 18hSábado (03/10) – 10h às 18hDomingo (04/10) - 10h até os 10 minutos do segundo tempo da partida- Bilheteria Norte do MineirãoDomingo (04/10) - 10h até os 10 minutos do segundo tempo da partidaRoxo Superior (Portão A): R$ 120 | {
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The first iteration of our in-house Frostbite engine debuted with Battlefield: Bad Company in 2008, the same year as the story-driven parkour of the first Mirror's Edge presented a unique first-person running mechanic to players.
Browse through our rich history of games below to find big blockbusters and forgotten gems. | {
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It went up in a puff of smoke.
But you can see it here -- the first-ever recreational marijuana ad that was to air on U.S. television but got pulled on Monday night due to legal concerns.
The ad for Neos, a provider of cannabis oil and vaporizers, was planned to be shown on KMGH, an ABC affiliate in Denver, where marijuana is legal for medical and recreational use.
The ad shows footage of young people partying in clubs and hiking up mountains.
"You lead an adventurous life, always finding new ways to relax," says the voicever. "Now enjoy the best effects and control with Neos portable vape pen and recreate discreetly this summer."
The spot ends with scenes of campers strumming a guitar and the tag line, "A bold new way to unwind. Neos, recreate responsibly."
The ad makes no mention of marijuana, and there are no images of pot or anyone using it.
But the federal government, which regulates the airwaves, still considers pot illegal.
"Scripps has decided not to accept marijuana advertising at this time," said Valerie Miller, spokeswoman for the E.W. Scripps Company, which owns the station. "We are proud to be a company of free speech and open expression, but we have concerns about the lack of clarity around federal regulations that govern broadcast involving such ads."
"Channel 7 has officially put all cannabis commercials on hold until further notice, as ABC corporate investigates the legality of airing a 'federally illegal' substance on federal airwaves," said Olivia Mannix, co-founder of Cannabrand, the ad agency that produced the Neos spot, in an email to CNNMoney.
Related: Portlanders light up, as weed goes legal in Oregon
It's a familiar problem for the marijuana industry, which is legal for recreational use in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and D.C., and for medical use in 20 states. But local and state laws butt heads with the feds, which have not budged in response to loosening cannabis regulations. This has created problems not only for advertising, but for banking, because banks must be in compliance with federal regulations.
Mannix said Colorado law allows for the airing of marijuana TV ads when 70% of the audiences is 21 or older. Mannix said the ad was planned to have aired late Monday night around the time of "Jimmy Kimmel Live," where 97% of the audience is at least 21, according to Nielsen reports. | {
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Cardale Jones was a thorn in Urban Meyer's side – until he was hoisting trophies.
In a video captured by Lori Schmidt of 610 WTVN, the now-retired former Buckeye head coach told a loose and hilarious story about Jones' near-miraculous growth from a "knucklehead" to the guy leading one of the most improbable three-game runs in college football history.
Meyer said Jones was "never a bad guy, just a clown" and certainly not ready to lead a football team. And until Braxton Miller went down with an injury, that was fine.
"If you're a third-string knucklehead – that's okay, cause you're not going to play," Meyer said.
Jones became the backup with one injury – which was troubling enough, as he continued to do things like forget to tape his ankles during a Thursday practice – but then he became the starter with another injury, when J.T. Barrett went down against Michigan.
"Then reality set in..." Meyer said with a smirk, as the crowd laughs. "The big boy is about to enter the game.
"I grabbed his shoulder pad, and I'm looking at him – I wanted to strangle him, but I don't – and I said 'Cardale, you can do this. You can do this.' And inside, I'm thinking, 'You have no chance to do this.'"
Ohio State ultimately won, but as Meyer points out with a smirk "not because of him." He completed two passes for a grand total of seven yards.
But then something switched in Jones ahead of the Wisconsin game in a way Meyer has never seen happen in anyone else. With the new-found maturity – and also Wisconsin playing right into Ohio State's game plan, as Meyer reveals – the Buckeyes blasted Wisconsin 59-0 to claim the Big Ten title.
You can watch the full video – featuring a candid and entertaining Urban Meyer – above. | {
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Five-star guard Anthony Edwards made a change to his official visit schedule, a source tells 247Sports.
Edwards, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard prospect, was planning to visit North Carolina on Monday, but that visit has since been canceled. Edwards official visit to Florida State, which is set for Feb. 9, is still on.
The Atlanta (Ga.) Holy Spirit standout has previously taken official visits to Georgia and Kentucky. He also took an unofficial visit to Georgia last weekend.
Although a date hasn't been scheduled, a college choice is expected from Edwards within the month, sources told 247Sports.
Edwards is regarded as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and the No. 1 prospect in the Top247. Edwards was recently selected as a McDonald's All-American.
ANTHONY EDWARDS EVALUATION
Ideal size for combo guard prospect at 6-foot-5. He has a sturdy build, good length and explosive athleticism. All the physical gifts are there. An aggressive scorer that operates well in ball screen situations, he’s able to break down defenders off the bounce and is a very good finisher at the rim. He’s also a good passer with impressive vision. Has become a good shooter from distance (45-percent from 3 in his final summer). He has good shot mechanics, is a good shooter on the catch or move, and is also equipped to pull-up rom mid-range and make shots. Defensively has all the tools, but it’s an area for improvement because he often times loses focus. Staying dialed in at all times and his shot selection are other areas for improvement. Edwards is most effective when he has the ball in his hands, and that’s why we like the comparison to James Harden. Edwards is tracking as the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. | {
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In One California City, Police Kill With Near Impunity
Since 2010, no Vallejo officer has been disciplined for using deadly force, despite multiple shootings of unarmed people—including a man holding a can of beer. And active police union leaders have been involved in the shooting investigations.
Over the past 10 years, police in Vallejo, California—a city of about 120,000 people northeast of San Francisco—shot 31 people, 17 of them fatally. A review of newly released police investigative files by The Appeal shows that officers there are rarely disciplined for using deadly force, even when the people they shoot are unarmed.
From 2010 through 2018, only three officers’ firearms tactics were criticized by supervisors. One of the officers was criticized for not using a method, taught by the department, that involves firing more shots at a murder suspect. Another shot at a suspect while police and passing motorists were in his line of fire. The third shot a rifle over the heads of other officers to kill an armed man. None of the officers were disciplined.
Although many of the people shot by Vallejo police were armed and dangerous, others were unarmed.
In one instance, a Vallejo officer shot a man who was holding a can of beer. The officer faced no discipline.
In another case, an officer killed an unarmed man who was running from the police. And a previously undisclosed fact about the case: the officer then took pictures of the man and his belongings and gave these photos to his police union attorney, who passed them on to detectives investigating whether the killing was legally justified. The photos were used to help clear the officer of wrongdoing.
Until recently, the Vallejo Police Department’s investigative records of officer-involved shootings, including whether any officers were disciplined for improperly using deadly force, have been kept confidential.
That’s changing under a transparency law that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. Since March, the department has released records for the officer-involved shootings that occurred from 2010 through 2018. Although the city has yet to release investigative files for the most recent officer-involved shootings that took place this year—including the non-fatal shooting of Edward Gonzalez by Officer Christopher Hendrix in January, or police reports regarding the fatal shooting of Willie McCoy in February—the newly disclosed records still provide insight into the city’s turbulent relationship with its police force.
The records, thousands of pages altogether, also provide a detailed look into a particularly violent period in the police department’s history—the two years immediately following the murder of a police officer.
On Nov. 17, 2011, Officer James Capoot was shot and killed by a bank robbery suspect. The two years before Capoot was killed, the Vallejo police were involved in only two fatal shootings, and three non-fatal shootings. The two years after Capoot’s murder, police increasingly used deadly force. Officers shot and killed nine people and injured six others in shootings. When interviewed by investigators, officers sometimes referred to Capoot’s murder, and their fear of also being killed, to justify using deadly force.
In San Francisco, a city with seven times the population of Vallejo, officers shot and killed three people over the same two-year period, and were involved in another 11 non-fatal shootings.
The newly released records also show that Vallejo police supervisors who reviewed fatal and non-fatal shootings for potential policy violations and training purposes praised officers for using a “zipper drill” method of firing. An officer using this method fires numerous rounds into an adversary, starting low in the target’s body and “zipping” the barrel of the gun up toward the person’s head while continuously shooting.
Prior to using this rapid-fire tactic, officers were taught to fire two to three rounds at a person’s center mass and then pause to re-evaluate the situation before shooting again, if necessary.
Roger Clark, a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s lieutenant who consults on police use of force, called the Zipper Drill method of firearms training a “cockamamie” idea.
“This makes no sense logically and tactically,” said Clark. “It will only result in unnecessary injury and death because you’re talking about pulling the trigger way too many times.”
One of the unarmed people shot and killed by Vallejo police during the year after Capoot’s murder was Anton Barrett Sr.
Shortly after midnight on May 28, 2012, four police officers were chasing a car driven by Barrett, who was suspected of drunk driving. Barrett drove just under one mile before he stopped on a dead end street behind two apartment buildings. He and his son, Anton Barrett Jr., who was sitting in the passenger seat, exited the vehicle and ran from the police. The younger Barrett climbed a wall and hid in a bush. His father ran into a breezeway separating the two apartment buildings and headed back toward the street he drove in on.
In the breezeway, Barrett came face-to-face with Officer Sean Kenney. Although the suspected offense at this point was driving under the influence and running from the police, Kenney already had his gun drawn. Kenney later told investigators that he saw Barrett slow his pace and drop his hands to the pocket of his sweater. Kenney said Barrett pulled his hand partially out of the pocket and exposed a “dark object.” Kenney opened fire, striking Barrett in the chest and arm; Barrett spun, and subsequent shots struck him in the back and buttocks before he fell onto his stomach.
Another officer who was pursuing Barrett from behind entered the breezeway. According to police records, Kenney warned that Barrett had a gun, so the second officer, Jeff Tai, electrocuted Barrett with his Taser. After cuffing Barrett, a third officer, Dustin Joseph, searched him. Barrett was unarmed and the officers found no weapons nearby.
Barrett died that night after being transported to a hospital.
Vallejo police reports don’t say exactly when, but sometime after officers failed to find a firearm, Kenney used his department-issued camera to take photos of Barrett and his belongings, including Barrett’s cellphone and wallet. Kenney later gave the camera to his personal attorney paid for by the Vallejo Police Officers’ Association. The attorney gave the camera to Mat Mustard, a department detective who was investigating the shooting. Mustard gave the camera to another investigator, Fabio Rodriguez.
Kenney declined to speak with The Appeal for this article.
On June 21, Rodriguez had a police evidence clerk help him take new photos of the wallet and cellphone that were found on Barrett. Rodriguez held the wallet and cellphone like a gun alongside a Glock pistol to replicate Kenney’s claim that Barrett withdrew one of the objects from his pocket, causing it to resemble a firearm.
“I noted that the wallet is similar in shape and size to the frame of the Glock, they are the same in color, and have a square and round appearance at times,” Rodriguez wrote in his report.
According to a separate report written by Mustard, when investigators interviewed Kenney, he “talked about his knowledge of how violence has increased towards the police in his past 10 years as being a police officer and says that he believes it is 10 times worse than it was when he began.”
Kenney shot and killed two more people, Jeremiah Moore and Mario Romero, in 2012 before he was promoted to the rank of detective. Police said both men were armed; witnesses disputed that Moore was holding a gun, and a pellet gun was removed from Romero’s car.
Kenney was also one of four officers involved in a 2017 non-fatal shooting. He retired in December 2018 to start a consulting firm.
While Mustard was responsible for determining whether Kenney’s actions were lawful when he shot Barrett, he was also president of the Vallejo Police Officers’ Association, which pays for officers’ legal representation and defends them against allegations of misconduct.
The department’s officer-involved shooting files show that Mustard has investigated numerous police shootings over the past decade while he was serving as the police union’s elected president.
Five other officers who have helped investigate police shootings for possible misconduct or legal violations—Scott Yates, Jason Martinez, Jared Jaksch, Terry Schillinger, and Kyle Wylie—currently serve on the police union’s elected board. Yates and Wylie participated in shooting investigations while serving on the board.
The police department’s relatively small size also means that some officers who are responsible for investigating potential criminal or policy violations have themselves used deadly force in previous incidents, alongside some of the same officers they are later assigned to investigate.
The investigative files for the 27 officer-involved shootings made public by the police department this year show that no officer has been disciplined in the past decade for using deadly force.
City Attorney Claudia Quintana, City Manager Greg Nyhoff, and Police Chief Shawny Williams did not respond to questions about the recently released files, or whether there are still undisclosed cases in which an officer was disciplined for using deadly force.
On Aug. 24, 2013, Josh Coleman and another Vallejo police officer heard a call about an armed robbery over the radio. They decided to drive to a nearby bar on the chance the suspects headed there. They spotted three men walking toward the bar who they thought matched the suspects’ descriptions.
When they tried to stop the three men, two complied, but the third, Antonio Ridgeway, continued walking and went into the back door of the bar. Coleman chased Ridgeway and shot him in the groin when he re-emerged after a few seconds. Coleman later told investigators that he saw Ridgeway reaching for his waistband and making a distinct “pulling motion” for a “chromed object” that was likely a gun.
The chrome object turned out to be a can of Steel Reserve 211 beer. Another customer in the bar later told police that Ridgeway had been in the bar with her for about 40 minutes before the shooting, at the same time the robbery took place elsewhere. He briefly left to buy beer at a nearby store just before walking back.
Coleman told investigators that he drew his gun, chased, and shot Ridgeway because he and the two other men were acting “weird” when they made eye contact and the police began following them.
One of Coleman’s supervisors, Sgt. Steve Darden, wrote in a critical incident report about the shooting that Coleman responded with “an appropriate reaction” to a “dangerous and rapidly evolving incident.” Coleman was not disciplined, according to city records.
Vallejo’s newly disclosed records also show that after officer-involved shootings since 2011, police supervisors sometimes commended officers for firing numerous rounds into suspects.
Sgt. Joe Iacono, who reviewed Kenney’s shooting of Barrett, determined that Kenney was entirely within department policy when he killed the unarmed man. Iacono wrote that Kenney “used a pattern of fire consistent” with how the department trains its officers to shoot. “He did not simply use two rounds and reevaluate as was taught in the past,” Iacono wrote. Instead, Kenney continuously fired into the unarmed man’s legs, arms, and body until he collapsed and stopped moving.
Sgt. Steve Darden’s shooting of an armed murder suspect a year later was debated by Vallejo police supervisors because Darden apparently didn’t use the zipper drill method. Instead, when confronted by the suspect—who had just shot and killed his wife in a parking lot behind a building, and who was pointing a gun at Darden—the officer fired two shots, re-evaluated the situation, and fired again.
Sgt. Kent Tribble wrote in a report about the incident that the department’s firearms instructors should “step away from the outdated ‘FBI’ failure drill (two to the body, one to the head),” and instead have “firearms instructors all teach the more industry standard ‘Zipper’ drill.”
The zipper drill is not a widely adopted firearms training technique, however.
“I have never heard of any other police department using it,” said Clark, the former LA sheriff’s lieutenant and use of force expert.
Vallejo police officials did not respond to questions about when the zipper drill was instituted in the department’s firearms training.
The most recent officer-involved shooting file disclosed by the city involves the killing of Ronnell Foster by Officer Ryan McMahon.
According to the records, McMahon spotted Foster riding a bicycle on Feb. 13, 2018, and decided to stop him and lecture him about traffic safety. Foster tried to ride away, but McMahon stopped him again four blocks away. Foster got off his bike, and McMahon told investigators that he was concerned about how he was standing on the sidewalk in a “bladed stance,” one foot in front of the other. Another officer, Joseph McCarthy—who has shot and killed three people while on duty—had shared an article with McMahon recently about how people in bladed stances might be preparing to attack.
In a statement that McMahon gave investigators after the shooting, he said Foster refused to be detained and rode away again on his bicycle, then fell from the bike and ran on foot. McMahon eventually caught up to Foster in an alleyway and fired his Taser at Foster. Police body camera video of the fight shows McMahon standing over Foster while he is on the ground and repeatedly Tasering him, and striking Foster with a large flashlight.
According to McMahon’s statement, Foster was able to get up and grab the flashlight out of McMahon’s hands, so McMahon shot and killed Foster. The Vallejo police issued a press release after the shooting stating that McMahon feared Foster was going to attack him with the flashlight, so he used deadly force.
But police records indicate that the flashlight, a key piece of evidence in the case, was mishandled at the crime scene. Jason Bahou, one of the officers to arrive just after the shooting, picked McMahon’s flashlight off the ground near Foster’s body and used it to illuminate the yard. He later put the light in his car.
After investigators recovered the flashlight from Bahou it was tested by a crime lab, but neither Foster’s prints nor his DNA were found on the light.
McMahon, one of six Vallejo officers who shot and killed Willie McCoy in February, may be facing discipline for shooting Foster.
Vallejo police records obtained by the Vallejo Times-Herald show that McMahon is on paid administrative leave pending investigation. The city declined to state what McMahon is being investigated for, but if it concerns a shooting, it would be the first time in years that any Vallejo officer was found to have wrongfully used deadly force. | {
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A Plant-Based Experience
COVID-19 POLICIES:
We are converting our restaurant to better suit the rules for reopening to keep the staff and our valued customers safe.
*We have installed clear sneeze guard panels along our bar area and juice bar.
*We are sanitizing all food contact surfaces thoroughly throughout the day.
*We are disinfecting the customer contact surfaces multiple times throughout the day.
*We follow FDA food service sanitation procedures to prevent cross contamination.
We are now ONE-WAY. Customers will enter through the front door and leave from the rear to promote social distancing and crowd control.
*All customers must wear face masks if they enter the restaurant for 'grab n go' or if they sit on the patio.
*While we always prefer cash, we have apple pay available- for a contactless transaction. | {
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Reporters at the newly merged DNAinfo New York and Gothamist news sites will join the growing Writers Guild of America–East union, they announced Wednesday morning.
Employees emailed Gothamist founders Jen Chung and Jake Dobkin, now vice presidents at DNAinfo, with the news in the form of a joint statement.
"In light of our recent merger, we think that this is the moment to determine fair policies regarding compensation, benefits, termination, severance and editorial standards," they said. "Together, we can come up with a contract that provides us with needed safeguards and benefits while also assuring management's ability to keep the sites robust and compelling for years to come."
The Writers Guild confirmed that it has collected union authorization cards from 25 editorial staff members including all the DNAinfo reporters and Gothamist writers. Both newsrooms had been talking with the union prior to the merger. The uncertainty around the deal catalyzed a quick agreement among staff.
“Everything happened and we didn’t have a seat at the table," said Noah Hurowitz, a DNAinfo reporter and member of the organizing committee. "And we want to be able to have some collective voice in the future of the company."
A company spokeswoman confirmed that the executives had received the letter and said they have yet to decide how to respond. "At this point, DNAinfo is considering its options, but whatever the company decides to do, it will be in accord with both the letter and spirit of the National Labor Relations Act," she said. "Beyond this, we have nothing more to say at this time.”
DNAinfo will be the 11th New York–based digital news organization that the Writers Guild of America–East has organized in the past two years, an effort kicked off by Gawker staff. Roughly 650 new members hail from media companies including MTV News, Salon and Vice.
But unlike some of those more left-leaning sites, DNAinfo is owned by a conservative activist, Joe Ricketts, the founder of Ameritrade. He has been a major backer of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who championed so-called right-to-work legislation in that state. Ricketts' son Pete, the governor of Nebraska and a former Ameritrade executive, told a congressional hearing that he does not believe union participation "is necessary."
“When we had issues with folks who worked at Ameritrade, we tried to work them out," the governor said, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
DNAinfo executives seem to be of the same mind, according to the Daily News. Chief Operating Officer Dan Swartz threatened staff with the prospect of closure should they choose to unionize, the News reported.
"Would a union be the final straw that caused the business to be closed? I don't know,” Swartz wrote, noting that the site has not been profitable and suggesting employees concentrate on that "shared focus."
Lowell Peterson, executive director of Writers Guild of America–East, called that argument "silly."
"If the business is good, it will remain good," Peterson said, and likewise if not. "Unionizing will not change the underlying numbers."
In the last week of February, DNAinfo laid off five top staff members including managing editor Mike Ventura and star criminal justice editor Murray Weiss. (That followed an accidental all-staff email from Ricketts, twice-recalled, in which the owner asked for information on anyone earning more than $100,000 a year.) A week later Gothamist announced that Ricketts had bought it. Last week DNAinfo laid off two senior reporters, Danielle Tcholakian and Irene Plagianos, and an editor.
Peterson said the employees hope Ricketts will voluntarily recognize the union, given that the vast majority of the editorial staff signed cards. But Ricketts could call for an election or ignore the request completely. | {
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It helps, of course, that more than half of the passengers on the bus line take advantage of the U-Pass program. The U-Pass is a $20-per-semester train and bus pass for students at UConn, its branches, the state’s community colleges and two state universities, Central and Southern. | {
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"Our team members made the best decision they could given the information they had and allowed him to remain on the flight," Bastian wrote in his memo. "However, if our colleagues had witnessed firsthand what was shown in the video, there is no question they would have removed him from the aircraft. | {
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Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s decision to skip a forum of Latino leaders in Miami has unleashed new criticism he is taking a pivotal constituency for granted. | Win McNamee/Getty Images 2020 elections ‘The wrong formula’: Latino leaders blast Biden outreach efforts Latinos in key states are questioning whether the former veep’s campaign understands that talking about immigration isn’t enough.
A slew of Democratic presidential contenders are scheduled to talk Friday to the nation’s largest association of Latino officials, but there’s one notable absence: Joe Biden.
Biden’s decision to skip the Miami forum has unleashed new criticism that the former vice president and front-runner is taking a pivotal constituency for granted in a primary where the Latino vote could swing the outcome in several key early contests.
“This is one of the first real national platforms for candidates to speak to Latino voters and its leadership, and to be a no-show is a significant risk,” said Arturo Vargas, CEO of the group, known as NALEO.
Biden’s absence at NALEO isn’t an isolated incident, according to operatives and organizers focused on mobilizing Latinos on the ground in key states. His campaign has offered almost no direct outreach or verbal acknowledgment of the rapidly growing Latino electorate, they say, and has made little if any inroads with the Latino community in critical swing states like Nevada or Florida.
The former vice president has not used the terms “Latinos,” or “Hispanics,” in any of his remarks in 20 fundraisers and speeches since the campaign’s launch, according to pool reports and speech transcripts from the events. In the few instances where he made inexplicit references to the Latino community, his remarks were exclusively about immigration or border security.
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The approach is indicative of a campaign that’s employing general election messaging to win the Democratic nomination — and refraining from overt appeals to the racial and ethnic groups that make up the diverse Democratic coalition and who could be difference makers in the general. Latinos are on pace to be the largest nonwhite eligible voting bloc — 32 million — in 2020.
Leo Murrieta, Nevada director of Make the Road Action, said it’s “disheartening” that eight months away from the Nevada caucuses — in which Latinos will make up nearly 1 in 5 voters — Biden’s campaign has not sat down with grassroots organizations or spent more time on the ground.
“The fact that he leaves us out of speeches is a really sorely missed opportunity,” Murrieta said. “And it's unacceptable.”
“That's the wrong formula,” Murrieta added. “But I'll tell you what formula that is — that's the Democratic establishment, political white elites’ playbook to how to win elections.”
Biden’s campaign defended its Latino outreach efforts by pointing to its Spanish-language website, bilingual ads and Biden’s talk of immigration reform in tweets and speeches — including at the recent Poor People’s Forum in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.
They also cited Biden’s stop in Nevada with the Dreamer Astrid Silva — a connection that has become a preliminary signal for candidates to say they are making inroads with the community. His campaign posted a video clip of the meeting on Twitter and on Wednesday he tweeted his opposition to President Trump’s announcement that he wanted mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
One year ago, this Administration began ripping apart immigrant families. Putting children in cages. As I told @Astrid_NV and other brave activists today, we can fix our broken immigration system without tossing aside our values. pic.twitter.com/zYCz1PViOX — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 8, 2019
One of the Biden campaign’s top Latino surrogates, Florida state Rep. Amy Mercado, said the candidate “has engaged the Latino community early like myself. He has made Latinos some of his earliest hires,” including Cristóbal Alex, former president of the influential Latino Victory Fund and Vanessa Cárdenas, former national outreach director of EMILY's List.
The campaign, like most of its rivals, also has a Hispanic media press secretary, Isabel Aldunate.
Mercado said that she understands the concerns about Latino outreach considering low Hispanic turnout in Florida cost Hillary Clinton in 2016, as well as gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson in 2018.
“But I don’t think we should be running around with our hair on fire,” Mercado said.
The campaign plans to ramp up its operations in Florida and its Latino outreach in Nevada and other states as well, according to a source involved with the campaign’s Latino strategy. Biden is also expected to release a policy platform on immigration and roll out the endorsement of one of the Florida Democratic Party’s rising stars, state Sen. José Javier Rodriguez, on Thursday, when the campaign plans to hold an event with Latino officials tied to the NALEO conference in Miami.
Biden has four staffers on the ground in Nevada as of earlier this month and, his campaign notes, nine of its 14 senior officials are nonwhite.
Still, Latinos from Florida to Nevada to Arizona are questioning whether Biden’s campaign understands that talking about immigration isn’t enough. Not all Latinos are immigrants — and most care more about seeing themselves reflected in health care, education and economic policies, according to strategists.
"Biden's not courting Latinos. He doesn't see us," said Natalia Salgado, national political director for the Center for Popular Democracy Action, a progressive activist group. "We're more complicated than just immigration, we're not a one-trick pony. Our community is having issues around police brutality and access to health care."
Biden's inability to talk about the Latino electorate in his speeches, Salgado said, "is a denial of the unique experience of being Latino in this country and the complexities and struggles that go with that identity."
Biden isn’t the only Democratic hopeful who is bypassing NALEO — California Sen. Kamala Harris and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker aren’t attending either. Instead, all three are heading to South Carolina, the first-in-the-South primary state, for House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s “World Famous Fish Fry.”
Harris and Booker, however, are getting more of a pass by Latino officials and activists, who point out that the two senators are running “inclusive” campaigns and have consistently been outspoken about hardships incurred by minorities and immigration reform. And because both are African American, they are perceived as better-equipped to speak to the needs of nonwhite communities than Biden is.
“The nomination will be decided far more by people of color than white liberals,” said Paul Begala, a former adviser to Bill Clinton. “I wasn’t in that scheduling meeting, but if you’re running in Democratic primary in 2020 and anything is focused on people of color, you’re going to want to make it a priority.”
For Biden, the criticism comes at an especially inopportune time — one day after he drew fire from Booker, Harris and other candidates for what they said were insensitively worded remarks concerning his long-ago working relationship with Dixiecrat segregationists when he served in the U.S. Senate.
And the frustration over Biden’s absence from NALEO is surfacing as President Donald Trump prepares to launch his own Latino outreach campaign Tuesday in Miami led, in part, by Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez.
Though Trump’s approval rating with Hispanic voters is abysmal, a survey of Florida Hispanics showed he’s getting about the same amount of support, 35 percent, that he received in 2016 when he carried the state.
The Trump campaign believes the president has room to grow with Hispanic voters in the state, by increasing the margins with Republican-leaning Cuban-Americans and reaching out to voters with family roots in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Colombia who opposed leftist governments in those countries.
By contrast, when Biden came to Miami in May for two fundraising trips, he said nothing beyond his standard stump speech.
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“When he was in Miami, he seemed out of touch with South Florida Latino communities, not mentioning Cuba or Venezuela,” said Andrea Mercado, executive director of New Florida Majority, a progressive grassroots group that is registering black and brown voters earlier than ever.
“On the heels of former Vice President Biden making insensitive remarks about segregationists around Juneteenth, him not attending NALEO when almost all the other presidential hopefuls are making a point to stop by and show their support of the Latino community is disappointing and concerning, while not shocking,” she said.
Biden’s campaign notes he did tweet about Venezuela on April 30 when he condemned the Maduro regime and discussed the country’s dire situation when reporters asked about it at the time.
But tweets, web ads and a smattering of talk about immigration isn’t going to pass as effective outreach in the Latino community, according to community leaders. Vargas, the chief executive of NALEO, said it’s about talking about issues in depth that affect the community — and showing up early and often.
“The fact he’s not coming suggests he’s taking the Latino vote for granted or the Latino electorate for granted,” Vargas said. “We have more than 1,000 people in the room. But we represent millions and millions of Latinos across the nation.”
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Well, Universe, if you sat through the interminable six-fight main card of UFC Fight Night 92 on Saturday night and you’re still hungering for more MMA talk/action, the Co-Main Event Podcast salutes you. If you are checking out this episode, however, Ben and Chad have a few ideas as to why that might be: Yair Rodriguez! Teruto Ishihara! Conor McGregor vs. WWE! Yeah, all those things/dudes happened this past week. And you know what? It actually made things kind of interesting, in spite of it all. So your dudes break down those events during this week’s episode, plus debate the notion of the UFC abandoning belts and Nick Diaz’s recent claim that somebody drugged him before his fight with Georges St-Pierre.
All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff.
Why does the official motto of Salt Lake City read “GROUP SEX!”? Direct downloaders can find out right here. | {
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(CNN) -- Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ed Rollins spoke with "American Morning" anchor John Roberts on Monday on the status of the presidential campaigns and the weekend's events leading up to the November 4 vote.
GOP strategist Ed Rollins says Gov. Sarah Palin needs to "gain substance" before she could be elected president.
John Roberts: It's eight days here, a final stretch. Where does [Sen. John McCain] find himself?
Ed Rollins: It's a very steep hill. If he had the money that [Sen. Barack] Obama has and the resources, maybe he could close it. The problem is, he's being outspent 5, 6 to 1.
[Democrats have] a better get-out-the-vote effort. A lot of their voters have already voted. And when you put 100,000 people in a place like they did yesterday in Denver, you know there's an enthusiasm for that campaign.
Roberts: You know, David Frum, former speechwriter for President Bush, ... wrote in the The Washington Post yesterday that McCain/Palin has alienated the middle of the country. ... Frum says that they should adopt a different strategy here on the Republican side of things -- to publicly say, listen, we've lost the White House -- even if they don't believe it. Take all the money available, put it into the Senate races and try to prevent the Democrats from getting filibuster-proof majority of the Senate. Good idea? Bad idea? Watch what strategy Obama plans »
Rollins: It's a good idea if you don't change your message. Your message has to be consistent. And that is basically that Barack and the Democrats are going to raise your taxes, have big spending programs again. Cut defense by 25 percent, as [Rep.] Barney Frank warned. ... That's got to be the message.
The critical thing about the McCain team is how do you want to end up your campaign? How do you want to end up your public career? Do you want to go out on a happy note? Do you want to go out basically saying what you really believe? And that's what I would argue that they should do.
Roberts: This idea [that Democrats] control both houses of Congress and the White House from one party would be a bad thing -- is that an argument that can gain traction in this country? Can you, with eight days left, instill the idea in people's minds it is not a good thing?
Rollins: It's awful hard at this point in time. I think to a certain extent, people are willing to take a change. And if the change is moving in one direction, they're not so convinced that Barack and his team can't do a better job than the Republicans have done over the last eight years. Watch how McCain makes a final push for the presidency »
Roberts: Of course, the other big story over the weekend was apparently a split between the McCain camp and the [Sarah] Palin camp. Some grumblings from inside she's not listening to them. One aide told CNN, quote, "She's a diva. She takes no advice from anyone. She's playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party." What do you hear?
Rollins: Well, I hear the same things. The key thing is, you've got to stop that. You've got to basically say, "All right governor, how do you want to end your last week here? We want you on our team. Here's what Sen. McCain's going to say. Here's what we would like you to say and where you'd like to go. Let's cut out all the bickering."
Roberts: Is she is wrong for doing that? Was she mishandled?
Rollins: Sure, she was mishandled. There's no question she was mishandled the first few weeks of this campaign, and I think to a certain extent she's become a target of a lot of ridicule. This is a very popular, very effective person. So --
Roberts: What's your sense? Could she be the future of this party?
Rollins: She definitely is going to be the most popular Republican in this country when this thing is over. She'll basically spend the next three of four years, running around doing Lincoln Day dinners and raising money for people. She's got to gain a lot of substance before she's a viable candidate for president.
Roberts: So, you're thinking a shot at 2012?
Rollins: I don't doubt that she has that ability.
All About John McCain • Barack Obama • Election Campaigns | {
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In my experience, ‘how to get into video game journalism’ is a loaded question. It’s long been said that video game journalism is becoming increasingly irrelevant. While there is some truth to that, it is also true that the money just isn’t there anymore. No longer are we in the days where IGN or Gamespot are setting the cultural conversation around video games online, and writing about games is less relevant than it ever has been. In fact, it’s mostly dominated by listicles and unconvincing reviews now, although there are some gems still out there.
Still, I do think that figuring out how to get into video game journalism is still valid, although its difficult to make a full-time income. As I’ve identified in the past, video game journalism is a great proving ground to build up experience to work in marketing and PR. However, expecting to break into video game journalism, let alone journalism at all, in 2017, is a difficult feat.
With that said, here is my take on how to get into video game journalism, and what I did to break away from it and use my experience in it to move on to other career endeavors.
Start Writing as Early as Possible
I always joke that I really started my writing career in 5th grade, when I would fall asleep in class. My teacher at the time, Mr. Klinger, would always ask me if I was asleep in ‘Dannyville’ (yes I went by Danny at that time, it was horrible). Instead of trying to prove him wrong, I turned Dannyville into a fictional universe and figured out how to turn my inherent laziness (and then-undiagnosed sleeping disorder) into something productive.
Still, I found writing about where my brain went when I fell asleep in class wasn’t exactly scratching the writing itch for me. It took a few more years, but in high school I started writing for the school newspaper, eventually becoming Opinions Editor and directing coverage such as ‘Why I Hate Math,’ general indictments against the school board and the occasional game review and film review. Ultimately, this experience helped get me more into writing, and fueled my desire to pursue writing as a full-time career. From college forward I asked the question of how to get into video game journalism to myself in a pretty serious way.
Write for Independent Video Game Sites
As soon as I started college, I started molding myself into a fledgling video game journalism. For 4 years (minus the year I studied abroad, although I was writing for USA Today then) I wrote about games online, starting for tiny little outlets and eventually working my way up to independently recognized ones. In fact, I was writing for so many outlets at low pay or sometimes no pay that I would often go to press events for major companies in NYC and have to consult with all of my editors, figuring out which one I would be covering the event for. While this was a great ego boost in college, it didn’t help me financially as much as I had hoped. After graduating, I did brief stints at Heavy and Complex, and then got a legitimate offer as the Editor in Chief of Indie Game Magazine, which was gratifying.
Unfortunately this was right around the time the infamous scandal that sunk Indie Game Magazine broke. The one where they charged for reviews. That didn’t help things, and ethically I didn’t want to be involved with a company like that, so I decided to go it alone with a colleague and create our own video game site. It went better than you would think.
Consider Starting Your Own Video Game Blog
Arguably my most successful venture as a video game journalism was co-creating the site Continue Play . I managed the strategy, recruited much of the editorial team, and created some of my best writing on video games to date. At its peak, we were able to get around 70k monthly traffic and were rivaling some of the other big independent sites. For a while there, it seemed like this might be going somewhere, but as the story goes, initial success was our own undoing.
It really is telling that anyone with a WordPress site and the skill to put together a volunteer team could make an industry blog and get into legit press events and interview some big names in the industry. Due to personality clashes (some of which have since been reconciled), the site ultimately failed, and so did my efforts in video game journalism.
Remember There Isn’t a Lot of Opportunity in Journalism
Now that I am no longer a journalist in any meaningful sense I can tell you that tempered positive coverage for free stuff is definitely encouraged, and this is not just true of video game journalism, but in all fields of journalism that need sponsorship to stay afloat. Even sites with independent bases of revenue tend to focus on product coverage, although not as frequently outside of sponsored content.
Still, it’s important to note that there is a reason that a lot of journalists have turned to marketing. For example, I used to work at a larger tech publication, and of the three editors I worked with, two moved on to marketing positions. It’s not because they lack integrity but it’s because journalists with years of experience and great skill sets just can’t make real money anymore.
For example, if you go to the games journalism job board, they are almost all volunteer or low-pay positions, even at the higher level. Again, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to be a video game journalist. You just need to be realistic. Ultimately, I found personally that the best thing for my mental health was to get out of video game journalism and start anew, and keep my creative endeavors (such as comics and screenplays) wholly separate from my day job, which is as a PR Manager for an SEO company.
Well, that’s my story of being a video games journalist. I certainly don’t regret spending a lot of time figuring out how to get into video game journalism, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. I hope my definitive guide serves you well to understand how video game journalism works, and where the future of the industry is headed.
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After their disastrous performance in New York, the Chicago Bulls got a huge piece back in Jimmy Butler and were able to beat the New Orleans Pelicans in one of those rare but becoming more common Saturday afternoon games. But this time Butler got some help offensively in the 107-99 win. It came from his backcourt mate Dwyane Wade, who scored 22 points including 17 of Chicago’s 30 points in the 4th quarter. After a flurry of Butler-led 4th quarters, it was nice to see someone take the pressure off of him just a little, especially considering that Butler was just coming off the flu.
Wade is the second most important cog in this Bulls team and if he can’t get things going, it’s easier for defenses to pack the paint and not close out knowing that Wade’s shot isn’t going down that night. But this game against the Pelicans wasn’t that. Well it was until the 4th quarter. Overall, Wade’s game stats wise doesn’t show how good he finished the game. He shot 9 of 24 from the field and made only 1 of 4 3-point attempts. But he rose up in the final quarter and helped Chicago stave off a pesky Pelicans team.
Most of Wade’s points came through him running the PNR with Cristiano Felicio, adding to the aura of the unique duo. The goal of this play was to get Wade in a mismatch against Pelicans bigs, who couldn’t stay in front of him. With E’Twaun Moore and Jrue Holiday guarding Wade for most of the game, it was a smart move to get Wade in a matchup where he can attack a slower man.
In the above video, with Felicio being guarded against Donatas Motiejunas, Chicago were able to get Wade in a PNR situation where he was running downhill towards the big man. This forced Motiejunas to backtrack and give Wade more space to operate in the paint. Wade then simply took a simple crossover and then was able to convert for the easy floater right in front of the basket.
The simple action of Felicio going up to Wade to set a screen caused chaos for the Pelicans. There were times where Wade went the other way of the screen that Felicio set and he still was able to find a decent shot. The 4th quarter was simply a matchup nightmare for New Orleans when Wade had the ball.
With Jimmy Butler just returning from injury, Chicago needed some more offensive firepower from everyone else in order for them not to blow this game. Thankfully for them, D-Wade stepped up with a fantastic performance.
Bulls clean the glass
The Bulls out rebounded their opponents 63-42 and showed once again why they are the top rebounding team in the league. Chicago was great on the offensive glass as well, grabbing 21 second chances for an offensive rebounding percentage of nearly 38%. That certainly played into how many shots they were able to get up in this game.
Bulls have attempted 100 shots in a game for the first time since attempting 106 last March vs Atlanta. — Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) January 15, 2017
Taj Gibson put on a monster effort, grabbing 16 rebounds. Robin Lopez pitched in 10, Felicio had 7 and even Doug McDermott got into the act getting 7 of his own. With Chicago constantly struggling to find offense without Butler creating, getting offensive rebounds has been key to them. And defensively, the boards are a means to get into transition.
Taj Gibson shooting threes now?
Despite missing both of his three-point attempts, it’s a good sign to see Taj Gibson shooting threes. It’s been something that Thibs had wanted him to add to his game (the story was he said wasn’t comfortable with it) but it’s nice for him to try and come around to it.
For a Chicago team that is desperate for outside shooting, Gibson could be another guy who can spread the floor and stretch out defenses. Sort of like how Serge Ibaka started doing it with the Thunder. A guy who was known more for his post game/rebounding and suddenly became a guy who can knock down some threes. This certainly adds to his value as a player, especially if he can start consistently shoot it. Just wish he had done this earlier in his career. | {
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A desaceleração do PIB verificada no primeiro trimestre não deverá pôr em causa o crescimento previsto para o conjunto do ano, consideram os economistas contactados pelo Jornal Económico, que atribuem o abrandamento a fatores temporários. A nível de contas públicas também não deverá haver impactos de maior, já que a travagem não está a ter reflexos na arrecadação de receita fiscal e contributiva. | {
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White had been on a break with his long-term partner, with whom he lived, and on his last night of "freedom" before he resumed the monogamy they shared.
This past Tuesday reports regarding Steve seemed very grim. However, White's long-time partner, Alex Teal reported, on his Facebook that Steve was recovering after medical professionals were able to take him off the ventilator. However, just as the silent auction was starting at Greensboro's Q Lounge, news came that Steve had taken a turn for the worse.
The Greensboro Police Department has mentioned that from all the evidence they have, the brutal crime was not motivated by hate. I disagree. No matter the circumstance, it takes a lot of hate not only to beat a person within inches of his life, but to then set him on fire.
White, who served in the U.S. Army, along with the U.S. Customs Department and Federal Air Marshal Service, had sustained substantial injuries while guarding a U.S. Base for Blackwater Security in Iraq, according to Greensboro's WFMY News 2.
Even if the Greensboro Police Department is not considering this a hate crime, I am still left feeling there must be a level of internal hatred that would propel such a brutal series of events, leaving one man dead and another with first-degree murder charges.
The LGBT communities are repeatedly told by protesters, bigots and churches that they are going to hell. I submit that this repeated message and "othering" creates the kind of division in that pushes people to the brink and creates this kind of episode.
In this case the victims are all over the place. For those whose lives are taken long before their time and the people who are left to pick up the pieces, a whole community is scarred. The neocon religious rightists who are hell bent on defining anyone who is different from them as "unclean," lesser people under the eyes of their god and our nation's laws keep the embers of violence glowing that hurt the lives of real living and breathing humans. From random LGBT bashing to the violent and often underreported murders of transgender people of color -- how much violence will it take for the perpetrators to call it quits?
Most members of the LGBT community of the Piedmont Triad know one another, if not close, then in passing. There are only a few degrees of separation. Like any other community, when someone is bad news we are quick to notify the person with whom they are interacting.
None of the people who work at the Q Lounge ever remember seeing Steve's alleged assailant, Garry Gupton, 26, of Greensboro, before the fateful night he would take Steve's life. Still, the community would have likely accepted him as one of their own.
As Riki Dublin, a Greensboro restaurateur and friend of Steve's said in a telephone interview, when a new, unfamiliar face shows up in the bar, regulars are at first skeptical, but since the patrons are among some of the most marginalized in our society, they tend to open up and are accepting.
"We tend to watch out for our own," Dublin said. "However we are excited when someone new comes into our fold, we want to show them that they are accepted. Sometimes we do this to a fault."
Dublin continued, "And when we accept people into the community we do not expect them to harm us."
While the LGBT community of Greensboro tries to find some silver lining in such a tragedy, many are trying to hold onto the positives.
In less than a week Dublin and others who are regulars to Greensboro's Q Lounge said they raised over $15,000, which will be used to offset the overwhelming medical and funeral costs associated with the attack. According to Dublin, another $5,000 was raised by Greensboro's Club Chemistry and Limelight in Greenville, NC.
The outpouring support from the worldwide community warmed the hurting heart of Helee Matthews, a Veterinary Technician by day and security guard at the Q Lounge by night.
"All kinds of people showed up to show their support, mothers, fathers, people that did not know Steve came in to show support," Matthews said in a telephone interview. "I was going to go knocking door to door to let the community know what happened, but I did not have to do that."
While the close-knit LGBT community has been drawn together over such a senseless loss of life, many now wonder what comes next. Whatever it is, Dublin says, it needs to come quick.
"This is not about being gay, this is about the human condition," she says. "How one human being could do this to another without some degree of hate is unimaginable. Our solution has to be one of love, forgiveness and forward thinking." | {
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Sheffield-born film producer inspired to release the Biggest Little Farm in UK cinemas after Type 2 diabetes reversal
A Yorkshire-born producer inspired by her Type 2 diabetes reversal is releasing a film about healthy lifestyles and sustainable farming.
By John Blow Thursday, 28th November 2019, 11:51 am
Amanda Atkins was diagnosed in 2016 with a severe form the the condition, but through the help of an online community, the 61-year-old has battled back to the best health she's enjoyed "since I was 20".
The Biggest Little Farm - the story of wildlife cinematographer John Chester and his wife Molly, a chef, who traded city life for 200 acres of desolate land outside of Los Angeles and "uncovered a sustainable way of living and managed to create one of the most bio-diverse farms in California" - is in UK cinemas tomorrow.
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-> Sheffield animation director's bucket list film StarDog and TurboCat to be released soon starring Gemma Arterton and Nick FrostMs Atkins had blood tests at the doctor's after suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, was falling asleep too often and having trouble with her memory.
Amanda Atkins in front of the Biggest Little Farm film poster. Picture supplied by PR consultant Sally Brown.
A return trip confirmed she had "severe" Type 2 diabetes despite years of following regular normal eating advice.
She said: "So I got home and I Googled two things: one was 'severe diabetes' and the other was 'updating your will'.
"I thought this is something that is terminal and I'm obviously in a pretty bad state."
Through online forums and a number of websites promoting low-carbohydrate eating, she won back good health.
Ms Atkins with one of the film's awards. Picture supplied by PR consultant Sally Brown.
Her journey to recovery included dietary research on three key websites and she found she was able to reverse the effects of the disease by eliminating processed carbohydrates, sugar, pasta, rice and bread and replacing those with "real food" - meat, fish, dairy, eggs and vegetables grown above ground.
"I felt, aged 59, fitter than I had done since 20," she said.
-> Sheffield Doc/Fest wins charitable status and recruitment starts after chairman Alex Graham steps asideShe was so determined to get the message out about healthy eating that she set up Afinia Film and immediately started to get involved with a range of health-related documentaries.
Ms Atkins now works as a producer and distributor and The Biggest Little Farm has already won Best Original Score and Original Song in the 2019 Hollywood Music in Media Award and was nominated for seven Critics Choice Awards, winning Best Cinematography.
Legendary American chef Alice Waters has said of the film: "Mother nature has never been more inspiring. See it on the biggest screen possible."
Ms Atkins' company is currently working alongside London-based Parkland Entertainment to distribute the film across the UK and Ireland and it is due to open in Vue and Odean cinemas.
There are also plans to release the film in Malta, where her company is based.
The daughter of coal miner Arnold Fisher, Ms Atkins grew up in the Handsworth and Woodhouse areas of Sheffield and won a scholarship to Sheffield High School for girls.
Later, she took a degree in Modern History at Manchester University before embarking on a career in finance that took her all over the world, most notably as Chief Financial Officer of Alea, a Bermudan-based insurance and reinsurance group which she helped to take public.
-> 350,000 people are living with ‘new’ Type 1.5 diabetes – these are the signs to watch out forDuring her career, she also helped sponsor a number of artistic collaborations between industry and the arts, in film, theatre and music.
Retirement led her to make Provenance, an award-winning motion picture film set largely in France, written and directed by talented cinematographer, Harrogate-born Ben Hecking. | {
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india
Updated: Jul 07, 2019 07:18 IST
A delegation led by Association of East Asian Nations (Asean) secretary general Lim Jock Hoi will visit New Delhi next week for talks aimed at nudging India to speed up negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), people familiar with developments said.
Asean members – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – are keen on finalising RCEP in time for a summit in November. RCEP also comprises Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
The visit comes close on the heels of a push from some quarters for the finalisation of RCEP by an “Asean + 3” grouping, leaving Australia, India and New Zealand to join the free trade pact at a later date.
The Asean delegation will assess India’s commitment to the early conclusion of the negotiations so that the pact can be inked by year end, the people cited above said.
A section of Indian policy-makers are in favour of concluding the deal in view of the larger markets that RCEP will open up, though the people said the final decision will be made by the political establishment.
Negotiations on RCEP began during the Asean Summit in Cambodia in November 2012, and once concluded, will lead to the largest regional trade bloc accounting for 30% of global commerce.
Last year, New Delhi had asked for the deadline to be moved to 2019 in view of elections in Australia, India, Indonesia and Thailand. | {
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Der Museumsleiter Professor Gerhard Aumüller vor der Schädelsammlung mit dem "Bünger-Kopf". © Foto: Cordes
MARBURG. Ahnungslose sprechen vom "Gruselkabinett": Schrumpfköpfe, missgebildete Föten, Zwitter und in Alkohol eingelegte siamesische Zwillinge lassen manche Besucher im Marburger Museum Anatomicum schaudern. Doch mit Gunter von Hagens Körperwelten hat das ungewöhnliche Museum im Dachgeschoss des Universitäts-Instituts für Cytobiologie nichts zu tun. Es handelt sich in erster Linie um eine wissenschaftliche Sammlung, einst gegründet, um angehende Mediziner besser ausbilden zu können.
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"Von Hagens ist ein technisch brillanter Präparator", sagt Museumsleiter Professor Gerhard Aumüller, der ihn noch aus seiner Zeit an der Heidelberger Universität kennt: "Aber seine Inszenierungen sind mindestens grenzwertig. Seine Show ist völlig durchkommerzialisiert."
Das kann man von der medizinhistorischen Sammlung der Marburger Philipps-Universität wahrlich nicht behaupten. Das Museum ist laut Aumüller so "jämmerlich arm", dass es nur einmal im Monat für zwei Stunden öffnet. Bis heute ist es nur provisorisch untergebracht. Getragen wird es vor allem durch die ehrenamtliche Arbeit der Medizinhistorikerin Dr. Kornelia Grundmann und des früheren Direktors des Anatomischen Instituts, Professor Gerhard Aumüller. Für die Führungen sorgen Studierende.
Zwischen 1650 und 1920 entstand die Sammlung
Dabei ist das Museum ein Kleinod mit Seltenheitswert. Die Zeugnisse medizinischer Sezierkunst stammen aus der Anatomischen Sammlung, die den Medizinstudenten bis ins 20. Jahrhundert hinein als Anschauungsmaterial diente. In der Zeit von 1650 bis 1920 wurden die mehr als 4000 Präparate gesammelt, die den komplizierten Aufbau des menschlichen Körpers zeigen. Vor allem der Anatom Christian Heinrich Bünger machte die Sammlung zu einer der größten Deutschlands. Als Direktor des Anatomischen Instituts verfertigte er kunstvolle Injektionspräparate. Durch Einspritzen eines gefärbten Wachs-Harz-Gemischs in die Hohlräume des Gefäßsystems machte er Venen und Arterien sichtbar. Sein Meisterwerk ist der düster blickende "Bünger-Kopf", der die Brust-, Hals- und Kopfarterien freilegt.
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Anhand von Skeletten demonstrierte Bünger Knochenerweichungen, Buckelbildungen, Rachitis sowie an der Brust verwachsene siamesische Zwillinge. In seiner Zeit begann die Kollektion von mehr als 300 Schädeln. Sie lassen nicht nur Krankheiten wie die Syphilis im Endstadium erkennen. Mit ihnen wurden auch Malaien, Indianer, Afrikaner, Chinesen und Europäer verglichen.
Noch aus dem 17. Jahrhundert stammt das Highlight der Ausstellung, das Skelett des "langen Anton". 2,44 Meter maß der Braunschweiger Landsknecht, der nur noch mit einer Krücke gehen konnte. Sein Riesenwachstum ging auf einem Tumor in der Hirnanhangsdrüse zurück.
Das "Marburger Lenchen" gehört zu den umstrittenen Präparaten der Sammlung und ruft Entrüstung hervor. © Foto: Cordes
Gut aufgearbeitet ist die Entwicklung der Geburtsmedizin - schließlich beherbergt das Museum eine der bedeutendsten europäischen Sammlungen zum Thema. Wer sich Beckenzirkel und Perforationsbestecke anschaut, wundert sich nicht, dass schwangere Frauen vor 200 Jahren die von den Ärzten eingerichteten Gebärhäuser nur im Notfall aufgesucht haben.
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Umstritten ist das so genannte "Marburger Lenchen", deren Geschichte von einem Korpsstudenten Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts in einem Roman verarbeitet wurde. Die bucklige junge Frau war vermutlich von einem Studenten um 1890 geschwängert und verlassen worden.
Das "Marburger Lenchen" soll nicht beerdigt werden
Doch sie hatte ein so schräg verengtes Becken, dass sie das Kind nicht gebären konnte. Unter den Geburtswehen stürzte sie sich in ihrer Verzweiflung in die Lahn. Ihr Leichnam landete in der Anatomie, wo neben ihren Organen auch der Fötus im Geburtskanal in Querschnitten freigelegt wurde. Dass Lenchen heute in einem großen Glasgefäß im Längsschnitt konserviert im Museum zu sehen ist, hat immer wieder Entrüstung hervorgerufen. Sie einfach zu beerdigen, wie von manchen gefordert, kann sich Aumüller aber nicht vorstellen.
Das Museum Anatomicum in der Robert-Koch-Straße 6 ist jeden ersten Samstag im Monat in der Zeit von 10 bis 12 Uhr geöffnet. Gruppenführungen sind nach Anmeldung unter Tel. 06421-2867011 möglich. Eintritt: zwei Euro. | {
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Dr. Julia Files, physician and researcher, inspired and activated our team to prove we weren’t crazy. Here’s the story of the proverbial straw that broke Julia’s back:
A sinking feeling overtook me as I realized what had just happened. I was an invited speaker at an event where I shared the program with three male physicians each of us presenting topics pertaining to our areas of expertise. The moderator (male) ended the program by thanking “Drs. X, Y, Z and Julia.” Wow! This wasn’t the first time I’d been inappropriately addressed by my first name in a professional setting, but it was certainly the most public and glaring example. Had he intended to strip me of my professional title? Did anyone else notice? Does this happen to other women, or is it just me? Instead of being appropriately proud of my contribution to the program I was stuck trying to process why this happened to me (again). Then just two weeks later, it happened to my friend, colleague and co-investigator, Dr. Anita Mayer. Dr. Mayer was speaking at a program and I was a member of the audience. As if on cue, the male moderator ended with a thank you to the speakers, “Drs. X, Y, Z and Anita”! This time my “wow” propelled me to action.
So Dr. Files assembled and led our team to study this phenomenon in a scientific manner. An informal poll confirmed that every female physician we asked, regardless of practice type, specialty or geographic location, had experienced this. Worse, on the few occasions women had spoken up, they were treated as petty, oversensitive, or worse, mocked. We searched; there wasn’t anything published in the literature that validated our experience. We even looked at business, law, science and other fields. Nothing.
So we set up our own study to compare gender differences in introductions. The venue was Medical Grand Rounds, which at most medical centers is THE formal weekly educational session for faculty and learners. The majority of participants in both the role of speaker and audience member were peers holding MD, PhD, or MD/ PhD degrees. At Medical Grand Rounds one expects formality in speaker introductions, and, as a result, there really shouldn’t be gender differences.
Analysis of data from six months of videotaped introductions left us gratified, validated and saddened at the same time. We confirmed that whether doctors are introduced as “Dr.” depends on the gender of who introduces them. Women introducing any Grand Rounds speaker used “Dr.” virtually all the time (96%) regardless of the speaker’s gender. Men, on the other hand, were less formal overall: across all speaker introductions by men, only 2/3 ever included “Dr.” | {
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Has known you for a week offers to help you move
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Take a look at some of the feats Daniel Murphy has reached during the 2015 postseason. (1:44)
Two of the faithful are getting a tour of Citi Field.
This is some 36 hours after Daniel Murphy sealed the New York Mets' sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS with an eighth-inning, two-run shot off Fernando Rodney, and some 800 miles east of the dugout to which Murphy returned and told hitting coach Kevin Long, "I don't know how I did that."
But the faithful don't care how. Helen Westervelt and Kathleen Tuite are lifelong Mets fans, and they're thrilled at this opportunity to step onto the field and giddy with anticipation over the Mets' fifth World Series. The tour was set up especially for them because they are both associated with Caldwell University in New Jersey, sponsors of "The Defining Moment" radio spot on WOR 710.
They stop to chat.
"We were here for the third game of the series with the Dodgers, the 13-7 victory," says Westervelt, the former chair of the Caldwell board of trustees. "Oh, the place was rocking."
"I took my mom to Johan Santana's no-hitter in 2012," says Sister Kathleen, vice president for student life at the Catholic university. "The first no-hitter by a Met. We sat in Section 327. A great memory, and now we have a chance for more."
Where was Sister Kathleen when the Mets swept the Cubs on Wednesday night?
"I was watching in the convent with Sister Marge," she says. "She was saying how badly she felt for the Cubs fans. I did, too, but I also know that we as Mets fans have been in their situation before. So I told her it was OK to embrace this moment of joy. Especially with a hero like Daniel Murphy. A man who believes."
That he does. Murphy is the shepherd for the team's baseball chapel services, and he has openly praised the Lord after each of his seven 2015 postseason home runs -- the past six in consecutive games, breaking Carlos Beltran's record of five set for the Houston Astros in 2004.
But those defining moments, as well as the steal of third base in Game 5 of the NLDS, are also a testament to Murphy's belief in himself. Not to mention the belief others had in him and the faith he put in a total stranger.
Once upon a time, Murphy was a left-handed hitter without a position coming out of non-legendary Jacksonville (Florida) University in his hometown. But a Mets scout named Steve Barningham liked him and talked the brass into making him a 13th-round pick in the 2006 draft. Murphy arrived in New York in 2008 on the strength of his bat and tried left field, first, second, third -- and the patience of the Mets masses. He became the stalking horse for their frustrations. Some of them even started a website called OhMurph to chronicle his misadventures.
But now that website has a whole new meaning. Ever since he homered off Clayton Kershaw in the top of the fourth to open the scoring in a 3-1 victory in Game 1 of the NLDS, he has been on a tear for the ages. Says teammate Curtis Granderson: "I get the chance to tell people I played with Babe Ruth."
Daniel Murphy has hit seven home runs this postseason after hitting 14 in the regular season. "It's all been a blur," he said. David J. Phillip / AP
In fact, Lou Gehrig is the only other player to have a hit, a run and an RBI in seven straight postseason games. Murphy's .421 postseason batting average, coupled with his slugging percentage of 1.026, give him a mind-blowing OPS of 1.462. If he hits one home run in the World Series, he will tie the postseason record of eight. "Did I see this coming?" says Murphy. "No, sir. I am not a home run hitter."
When a reporter asked him if his performance was "extraordinary," Murphy replied, "You guys get to use all the adjectives you want. That's above my pay grade."
Actually, Murphy's pay grade will be a matter of concern once the postseason ends. He's going to be a free agent at the age of 30, and he'll be looking for a three-year deal worth at least $10 million per. He could accept a potential one-year qualifying offer of $15.8 million, but that's not likely.
For now, Mets fans should just enjoy the ride. Murphy has. On Friday night, he took in an Islanders game with some of his teammates and gave the fans in Brooklyn something to cheer about. They left a little disappointed, though, because he was unable to score a goal in the 5-3 loss to the Bruins.
"It's all been a blur," he says. But the blur is worth rewinding, with a stop at each postseason homer and commentary from various people who are basking in the glow of his streak.
Home Run No. 1
Game 1 of the NLDS, top of the fourth, a 2-0 fastball from Kershaw with no score. As he always does, Murphy pointed into the stands to thank his wife, Tori. Then he gave teammate Travis d'Arnaud a high-ten and disappeared into the dugout.
Sitting with Tori in the stands at Dodger Stadium were other members of the Murphy entourage, including Daniel's brother, Jonathan, and his wife, Camille.
Murphy hit his first playoff home run in Game 1 of the NLDS off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. He connected again off Kershaw in Game 4. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
"That home run stands out to me for two reasons," says Jonathan, a former Twins minor leaguer who now works for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. "One, because Kershaw carved him up in the first at-bat, and it was looking like it was going to be a long day. Two, because we're going nuts, and all these Dodger fans are looking at us.
"We're surprised, of course, but not all that surprised. Daniel has always risen to the occasion. I remember in college he had a torn knee ligament so he couldn't run or play a position. But he did hobble up to the plate and got a walk-off hit. He's always been like that. Now he's just on a much bigger stage."
Home Run No. 2
The Dodgers had a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning of Game 4 at Citi Field when Murphy came up with nobody on and one out. He hit an 0-1 cutter from Kershaw over the fence in left-center. The celebration was subdued because the Mets were still trailing, but it was a signal that they would not go off quietly to L.A. for Game 5. And it kicked off Murphy's historic streak.
In the seats watching with the family was Barningham, the scout who signed him and became a close friend. "I probably shouldn't be revealing this," he says, "but Tori was telling us before the game how Daniel came back to the hotel after Game 1 and was like a little boy, saying, 'I got him. I got Kershaw.' Well, he got him again."
Barningham saw something like this from Murphy once before. "In the spring of 2006, his team was visiting North Florida. I asked him if he could turn on some pitches during batting practice just so I could check off some boxes on his report -- he only had seven homers in college. He hit like nine of the next 10 pitches over the fence.
"But that was BP, not the major league postseason. The case I presented to the Mets was that he was a kid who lived and died hitting. He couldn't run fast, he couldn't throw hard, but he might just be the next Wade Boggs. What I didn't know was that he would become the Babe."
Home Run No. 3
The Mets and Dodgers were tied 2-2 in the sixth inning of the deciding Game 5 in L.A., and the bases were empty with two outs when Murphy stepped in to face Zack Greinke. The count went to 3-and-2 and ...
Murphy's home run off Zack Greinke in Game 5 of the NLDS put the Mets ahead in their 3-2 victory. Rob Leiter/MLB Photos/Getty Images
"This is the one I remember most vividly," says Murphy. "Zack is so tough, with so many pitches. But there was one pitch I was looking for, a fastball I could pull, and I was able to work the count to 3-2, and then I got it and hit the ball down the right-field line. I couldn't get too excited after the home run because we had a few innings to play, but it was definitely a thrill to give us the lead off one of the best pitchers in the game."
Home Run No. 4
In Game 1 at Citi Field, Murphy got the NLCS party started when he hit a 1-1 Jon Lester fastball to deep right field for a 1-0 lead against the Cubs, circled the bases and again high-tenned d'Arnaud.
Sister Kathleen wasn't there. She was at the convent she shares with the other Dominican sisters at Caldwell. But if you think she leads a cloistered life, think again. After she watched the ball go out, she immediately texted "DANIEL! DANIEL! DANIEL!" to her message group of 12, then "LGM" -- Let's Go Mets.
Murphy's NLCS Game 1 homer gave the Mets a 1-0 lead over the Cubs. "But it's not just the number of homers, it's the timing of them," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Mike Stobe/Getty Images
"It's just so great to see him in that zone," she says. "He's always been one of my favorites, and not just because he's so open about his faith. He hustles all the time, he's confident without being arrogant, and he's a devoted family man ...
"Do you know what I see when I watch Daniel play now? I see someone using his gift to bring joy to others. I see that goodness begets goodness."
Home Run No. 5
With one run already in against Chicago's Jake Arrieta in the first inning of Game 2 of the NLCS, Murphy went down and got a 1-2 curveball and sent it into the Queens night for a 3-0 lead.
Greeting him first was David Wright, who has been playing with Murphy since 2008. Wright watched as Murphy was mobbed by teammates, then called out of the dugout by the fans.
Murphy connected off Cubs ace Jake Arrieta for a two-run homer that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2 of the NLCS. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
"I'm not sure Daniel has ever had one of those curtain calls," says Wright. "A coach had to push him out of there. Those things can be a little awkward -- you want to be out there long enough to acknowledge the fans, but not too long or people might take it the wrong way.
"But I was so pumped for him. After all we've been through, after all the hard work he's put in over the years, well, the curtain call just made me very happy. Daniel deserved that moment."
Back at the convent, Sister Kathleen fired off five bonfire emojis plus a photo of Daniel entitled "THE NEW MR. OCTOBER."
Home Run No. 6
With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the third at Wrigley Field in Game 3, Murphy took a Kyle Hendricks fastball for a ride over the ivy in right-center -- and the crowd out of the game. As he got back to the dugout after yet another circuit of the bases, manager Terry Collins gave him a hearty pat on the butt.
"He has been unbelievable," says Collins. "After each homer, guys on the bench just look at each other and go 'Wow!' But it's not just the number of homers, it's the timing of them. Each one of them seems to have come in a huge spot."
Indeed, three of them were tone-setters that came in the first inning, two of them broke ties in the middle innings, and the final one provided the exclamation point.
Collins has an appreciation for Murphy that goes beyond watching him turn the postseason into BP. He has been the manager's best friend this season, playing 69 games at second, 42 at third filling in for the injured Wright, and 17 at first, and he's made some dazzling defensive plays that belie his reputation. When the Mets were still fighting the Nationals for NL East dominance on Aug. 28, he made a game-saver against the Phillies by diving for a ball that had deflected off pitcher Carlos Torres' leg and making a no-look toss to first just as Torres got to the bag.
"With all of the stats and all of the sabermetrics, there's a place in this game for overachievers," says Collins. "And Dan Murphy's an overachiever. He plays to beat you."
Home Run No. 7
The Mets were leading 6-1 in the top of the eighth in Game 4 at Wrigley. With two outs and Wright on base, Murphy faced Rodney, who had struck out the first two batters he faced before walking Wright.
"This is the one I'll always remember," says Long, the hitting coach. "With the count at 1-and-1, Daniel is sitting changeup. Instead, he gets a 97-mile-an-hour fastball, a pitch 17 miles an hour faster than he was expecting. And he knocked it over the wall in center. I was flabbergasted. When he got back to the dugout, he couldn't explain it, either."
Easier to explain is the difference Long has made. Often the shortest man on the field, he becomes the tallest one when he's perched at the back of a batting cage. He was hired as the hitting coach last offseason, shortly after the Yankees let him go after seven fairly successful seasons. He immediately looked at the tapes of all the Mets hitters, so when Murphy texted him in January asking for an analysis, Long was ready.
In the NLDS and NLCS, Murphy homered and homered. And homered and homered ... ESPN Stats & Information
But he was also nervous because Murphy knew so much about hitting and was supposedly set in his ways. At the time, Long was staying at his uncle's place in Hawaii, and in his email back to Murphy, he suggested that he could hit for more power if he got his front foot down, moved closer to the plate, lowered his hands and used more of his lower body. "Then I paced around the pool waiting for his answer," says Long.
Murphy replied: "Right on."
So the two began retooling his swing in February. It didn't go particularly well at first -- Murphy hit all of .198 in April. But, as Long says: "Sometimes you have to go backwards before you go forwards."
Murphy finished the regular season with a .281 average, 14 homers, 73 RBIs and an OPS of .770 -- nice numbers that didn't exactly foretell what was about to happen. What impressed Long was Murphy's evolving approach to hitting: "He now says, 'I'm not hunting hits anymore. I'm hunting to do damage.' "
And when Murphy damaged the Cubs one last time, the Mets' bench went bananas.
Meanwhile, the nuns at Caldwell University waved their rally towels, and Sister Kathleen shouted: "He did it! He just passed Beltran!"
Long after the game was over, well after the Cubs fans had left Wrigley, the Mets players ventured out onto the field to bask in the moment. There were more than a few Mets fans waiting there to witness the procession, and they began to chant for the man of the hour: "We want Murphy! We want Murphy!" When he finally emerged, holding his son, Noah, they went wild.
Who'd have thought? Seven homers, two curtain calls, one happy tale of redemption.
OhMurph. | {
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Jenny Hemstad (34) får handlegate oppkalt etter seg
Jenny Hemstad har fått en handlegate oppkalt etter seg i Oslo. Selv om Jenny Hemstad er helt levende.
Jenny Hemstad (34) har fått en gate oppkalt etter seg på Aker brygge. Glenn Røsåsen
23. okt. 2014 20:59 Sist oppdatert 24. oktober 2014
For over hundre år siden oppsto en uskreven regel i Oslo om at man ikke oppkaller gater etter nålevende personer. Men ingen uskreven regel uten unntak; en handlegate på Aker brygge er nå blitt kalt opp etter Jenny Hemstad. Og det til tross for at hun bare er 34 år, og lever i beste velgående.
— Det er veldig artig og spennende! Spesielt med alt mediestyret, jeg er ikke akkurat vant til å være i spotlighten, sier Jenny smilende.
Jenny Hemstads gate kan du se på den stiplede linjen. Den går gjennom sentrene, og ut til Bryggetorget. Under ser man Stranden og Oslofjorden er representert ved de bølgete linjene.
Handlegaten går for det meste innendørs, gjennom David-Andersen-bygget, over veien på Grundingen og helt igjennom to sentre. Så går den over Bryggegata, før den leder helt ut til Bryggetorget. Gaten er privat, og eid av Aker brygge.De kan i prinsippet kalle den hva de vil, men de har altså valgt å udødeliggjøre Jenny Hemstad.
Ble voksen på Aker Brygge
Etter omfattende oppussing er planen at området rundt Aker brygge igjen blir en levende bydel, og avdukingen av Jenny Hemstads gate skal markere dette. Dette har vært en konkurranse i regi av Aker brygge, hvor folk ble bedt om å nominere seg selv eller en venn. De eneste kriteriene var at det måtte være en levende person, bosatt i Norge.
Jenny kommer fra Lunner i Oppland, men startet i arbeidslivet på Aker brygge i Oslo. Der jobbet hun i en liten butikk i flere år, og tok over som butikksjef allerede da hun var 18.
— Det er veldig morsomt for meg, det er på en måte her jeg gikk fra å være ung til å bli en voksen person, sier Jenny ettertenksomt.
Jurymedlem Kjersti Løken Stavrum fremhever at Jenny representerer vår tids arbeidstager på Aker brygge. I tillegg er Jenny Hemstad et folkelig navn, som gjenspeiler konseptets formål, nemlig å kalle opp gaten etter en helt vanlig levende person, heter det i jurybegrunnelsen.
Hemmelighold
De siste dagene har ikke Jenny fått lov til å fortelle til noen at hun har fått sitt eget gatenavn. Det har ikke bare vært enkelt å gå rundt med hemmeligheten, samtidig som hun har vært så spent.
— Det var så vanskelig å gå med, altså. Jeg måtte ta meg en lang tur på tredemøllen i går for å si det sånn, ler Jenny.
Nå som hun er blitt udødeliggjort og fått satt sine spor i bybildet, er det ingen tvil om at det må feires. Hun sparer ikke på kruttet når hun forteller om planene for offentliggjøringen:
— Det må bli en heidundrende Facebook-oppdatering.
Trykk her for større kart, og mer informasjon om konkurransen. | {
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Newspaper headlines: Queen's 'bumpy' year and Caroline Flack trial By BBC News
Staff Published duration 24 December 2019
Most papers focus on the Queen's reference to a turbulent year in her Christmas message.
The "i" thinks her words will be seen in the context of her own family's tribulations during 2019. The Daily Mirror says that with the Duke of Edinburgh in hospital, the Duke of York rocked by scandal over his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the nation split over Brexit, the Queen has had a testing year.
The Daily Mail says understatement is an essential component of British life, and its greatest living exponent is the Queen. So, when she describes the past year as "bumpy", we know it must have been a tough one, the paper adds.
"Annus Horribilis Part Two, Ma'am?" the Sun asks, in a reference to a speech she made in 1992 - a year which saw the Prince of Wales separate from Diana, the Princess Royal's divorce and the near-destruction of Windsor Castle in a fire.
image copyright Steve Parsons/PA Media
The Queen is seen delivering her speech sitting at a desk adorned by family photographs - and there's just as much scrutiny of the choice of images as her choice of words.
There are pictures of Prince Philip; the Queen's father, King George VI; Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall; and Prince William and his family. However, the Daily Mirror points out there are no pictures of Prince Andrew or the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The Times says, with the Queen , nothing ever happens by accident and it can be taken as read that the significance of each picture has been carefully considered. The lesson of this year's bumpy path is that the monarchy needs to continue to reform, it says, renewing its argument for a further slimming down of the institution.
'Travesty of justice'
The Guardian leads with the death sentences handed by a Saudi court to five people for the murder of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
It says the ruling renews criticism that the alleged masterminds of Mr Khashoggi's death remain protected by an unrepentant royal court, which has offered up as sacrifices a team of underlings who were following their orders.
image copyright Osman Orsal
Mr Khashoggi's paper, the Washington Post, says Saudi Arabia has delivered a shameful travesty of justice.
The result is an insult to his family and to all those who have demanded genuine accountability in the case, it adds.
Love interest rates
It seems that the Bank of England's efforts to revive the economy by slashing interest rates following the financial crash had the unexpected effect of increasing Britain's birth rate.
The Daily Telegraph says researchers at the Bank set out to investigate whether its mortgage rates could affect couples' decisions on whether or not to have children.
According to the Daily Mail, the cut in interest rates led to a dramatic fall in the cost of mortgages - and so having children became more affordable.
It says the researchers estimate that with each percentage point drop in the base rate, birth rates increased by 2%.
A Christmas Grumble
Finally, a number of papers report that the BBC's TV adaptation of A Christmas Carol - which reaches its conclusion this evening - has been criticised by viewers because they can't understand the "mumbling" actors. | {
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У новых Крестов в Колпино стреляли утром 20 декабря. Но это не было связано с обитателями следственного изолятора – в бой вступили охранники газопровода и охотник. Последний, кстати, оказался их коллегой.
По данным «Фонтанки», полицию охранник ПАО «Транснефть» вызвал в половине одиннадцатого утра. Он сообщил, что в лесополосе недалеко от дома по Колпинской улице, 9 (а это адрес СИЗО), в него и коллегу стреляли. Товарищ звонившего оказался ранен.
Прибывшие на место медики увезли 52-летнего жителя Отрадного в НИИ скорой помощи. Мужчина в тяжелом состоянии – пуля пробила легкое, сломала лопатку и ребро. | {
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(File | MLive.com)
JACKSON, MI -- Prison officials are investigating a bizarre situation, in which a USB-powered Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Heli Ball made it over the walls of the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson.
The discount department store Five Below has a video showing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Heli Ball in action to give a better idea of what this toy is capable of.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Heli Balls sell for around $14 on Amazon and are advertised for being able to "hover 15-feet indoors."
The Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center is located at 3855 Cooper St. and houses new prisoners while they await permanent placement.
Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz told the Detroit Free Press that the toy is basically a ball with two propellers and was too small to carry anything over the wall with it. He also said that the "heli ball" did not come into contact with any of the inmates.
Gautz did not immediately return the Citizen Patriot's call for comment.
"It's funny because it's truly a toy that came over," Gautz told the Free Press. "But in the larger sense, it is a very serious incident."
The spokesman told the Free Press that this incident sheds light on a area that has officials concerned, in the use of drones to smuggle contraband. Gautz said he is not aware of any instances in Michigan where a drone was able to smuggle contraband or survey a prison.
Two bills -- Senate 487 and 488 -- have been introduced to make the use of a drone within 1,000-feet of a state prison a felony. Senate Bills 487 and 488 were introduced by Darwin Booher, R-Evart. | {
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The San Diego Comic Convention has come and gone, and all the new movie and tv previews are hitting the internet. And I felt like when I was watching the previews for shows like the Walking Dead and Titans…that fiction was feeling less strange than reality. Honestly, if it turned out that there actually ARE Lizard People are running the government and that Donald Trump was one, or that Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan have been turning Congress into an undead, zombie horde, echo chamber of yes men, that would be less surprising than ANYTHING I saw in the Aquaman trailer. If 5 years ago, I pitched the actual events of the Trump presidency to AMC as their new Breaking Bad, I’d be a wealthy man right now. | {
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Showing 1 - 20 of 325 results.
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Some of the moves made by the Modi government or his ministers have been criticised for violating constitutional norms. He clearly needs to be careful, but can the Congress system of patronage and corruption be uprooted by being nice?
Over the last two days, we have seen a flurry of media articles on the 30-day performance scorecard of the Narendra Modi government. It is illustrative of our shortening attention spans in an age of minute-by-minute TV, digital and social media commentary that 30 days is assumed to be a decent enough time for assessing a new government’s performance. From 100 days, it is now down to 30 days. Soon it will be a week and then days and then hours.
So one can understand Modi's concern over not being given even a 100-hour “honeymoon” period after taking office. But then, he is a product of the media age and its hyper coverage, and he has to get used to it. I believe that Modi is always going to live in a fishbowl every day of his prime ministership - just as he was subjected to the harshest glare of the media in his 12-year tenure as chief minister of Gujarat.
In fact, he will face more scrutiny than any other political leader because of the scale of his victory and the change he threatens to bring to mollycoddled Delhi. With Modi as Prime Minister, the old you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours power nexus between Congress governments, babudom, academia, power brokers, the social elite and the mainstream media is facing an existential threat. Vajpayee never threatened the status quo; Modi does.
The sharp and adverse commentary on every action - howsoever remotely related to Modi - is the old establishment's way of looking for chinks in Modi’s armour so that it can claw back some of its old powers. This is why every day we hear tut-tutting about Modi destroying this institution or that. Most of it is actually off the mark.
This article is not remotely related to discussing Modi’s 30-day scorecard, but about examining the charge that Modi is doing more damage to institutions than expected. We have to move back and check to see which of his actions was unavoidable, which was avoidable and not justified, and which ones were both unavoidable and justified. This article is also not about commenting on his specific policy decisions, such as the rail fare hike, the delay in announcing a gas pricing policy, or his foreign policy initiatives, which can be delinked from institutional issues.
Of course, it would be easy to dismiss allegations against Modi with a simple counter: which constitutional norm did the UPA observe during its 10-year tenure, but that would be just more of tu-tu-main-main. So let's get to the real arguments.
Among the things Modi has faced adverse comments on are the following: the appointment of retired Trai chairman Nripendra Misra as his principal secretary by amending the law that bars him from coming back to government (it was done through an ordinance); the move to send some Congress-appointed governors packing (already partly successful); the HRD ministry’s involvement in the termination of Delhi university's four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP); denying or delaying leader of opposition status to Congress in the Lok Sabha; and blocking the appointment of Gopal Subramanium as a Supreme Court judge by letting (or getting) the CBI and Intelligence Bureau to rake up some suspicions about past actions that may or may not hold up on detailed scrutiny.
Three points need to be made upfront: first, to make an omelette you need to break eggs; to deliver on promises to the electorate and change the Delhi culture of patronage and corruption, you have to change the rules. Second, not all institutions are worth preserving. Some need to go or be drastically remodelled. Third, and most important, key institutions destroyed need to be re-established.
It is with these premises in mind that we need to judge the actions of the Modi government. So let's look at some of the government's decisions and judge for ourselves.
#1: The appointment of retired Nripendra Misra as Modi's principal secretary has been done by an enabling ordinance. Under Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (the full form of Trai) rules, past chairmen cannot take up future government assignments. This is generally a good law since bureaucrats tend to keep giving themselves new jobs after retirement. The law was also intended to ensure that powerful Trai chiefs do not use their powers while in office to favour corporates or government and then swing post-retirement jobs as a quid pro quo.
The law is clearly too strict. While not joining corporates for two years makes sense, not joining government, even after a longish cooling off period, seems to have been designed to ensure that high positions are offered to officers who are still in service. Misra retired five years ago, and under a different government. Five years is a good enough cooling off period for returning to government (when the corporate cooling off period is just two years). But most importantly, a Prime Minister is entitled to take his pick for this most sensitive of assignments. After 10 years of serving another government, it is not unreasonable for a new PM - who has many enemies willing to damage him - to get a man he can trust. Modi probably decided that someone outside the government, but with experience of government, was his best bet. Nothing wrong in that.
But the law was changed for one person. So the potential for future abuse is there. Modi needs to make amends by making the law less changeable in future.
#2: Is changing governors following a change in government a problem? Absolutely not. This is because the job is largely ceremonial. Most incumbents are in Raj Bhavans for past political services rendered to the party in power, and not because of any competence for the job. The governor’s job anyway requires no competence beyond good manners and charm. Where they are active, governors largely are into harassing opposition-run state governments, as we saw with Kamla Beniwal and HR Bhardwaj in Gujarat and Karnataka.
The governor's job can easily be abolished, or one could retain it as paid sinecure for retiring politicians. No institution has been damaged by asking Congress-appointed governors to put in their papers – for there was no institution left to damage. Those governors unwilling to leave can be transferred or asked to go. The Supreme Court has said that governors should not be asked to go without a reason, but it did not indicate what kind of “reason” is acceptable to it. Is political incompatibility not a good enough reason for worthless jobs? We need not shed crocodile tears over governors.
#3: The HRD ministry’s involvement in the termination of Delhi University's four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) is considered an assault on the autonomy of educational institutions. This is certainly right, but the reality is that few government-run institutions can claim real autonomy despite being designated as entitled to it. In the past, HRD has meddled with even the IITs and IIMs, and Delhi University is far lower down the food-chain of autonomy.
Autonomy requires two things: financial self-sufficiency, and a clear delinking of the institution’s governing apparatus from the government’s decision-making processes, including patronage processes, both at centre and states. Autonomy was not an issue in the past because we have had only Congress governments, and most institutions anyway had Congress-oriented people at the top. Take the case of another “autonomous” institution, Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. The place is stuffed with all the Congress-Left elite of the Nehruvian consensus, with little place for diversity. This can hardly be the hallmark of autonomy. Autonomy should normally lead to diversity, but what we have at JNU something else.
Before we talk of autonomy, thus, we first need to rid so-called autonomous institutions of their deadwood and excess political affiliations. Then we need to challenge them to find their own resources for growth; last, we need to legislate a clear hands-off policy between HRD and the institution. After that, it might be worthwhile to talk of autonomy in the real sense. Currently, only private educational institutions can be called autonomous.
#4: The Congress, having failed to get even 10 percent of the Lok Sabha seats, is not entitled to leader of opposition (LoP) status under past rules. The Modi government and the Lok Sabha Speaker have so far let the Congress stew in its own anxieties about it, but ultimately the government may well have to give Congress LoP status. This is for two reasons: constitutional and political. Many constitutional appointments (Lokpal, CVC, etc) need the government and the LoP to jointly recommend names. This can’t be done if there is no LoP, or by arbitrarily choosing a non-government opposition party for the role. The political point is this: not appointing an LoP may force non-government parties to seek to work together. This is something Modi ought to prevent. So, LoP is something the Modi government should offer to the Congress.
#5: The most controversial move of the government has been to block the appointment of senior advocate Gopal Subramanium as a Supreme Court judge by letting (or getting) the CBI and Intelligence Bureau leak some information about him relating to the 2G case. The government’s real reasons may be the following: Subramanium was amicus curiae in one of the fake encounter cases involving Amit Shah, who could well be the BJP president. But there is also the issue that he was associated for long with the UPA as solicitor-general.
I believe that the Modi government was right to oppose his appointment for political reasons, and wrong in choosing to do so with a small smear campaign.
Over the longer term, there is also a need to get out of the current system of judges nominating judges through their own non-transparent and secretive collegium system. The executive must have some say in the appointment of judges for the simple reason that the political complexion of the judiciary is not irrelevant to how a law is interpreted. For example, if Gopal Subramanium was involved in drafting some of the UPA’s laws, his being a judge when the Modi government seeks to change some of these laws cannot be considered as being of no consequence. Judges often have political opinions and approaches; many of them do not restrict themselves to interpreting the law.
As I have written before, till a new law is legislated to create a judicial appointments commission, the government should have some power to convey its views on the specific choices of the collegium. But it should not be launching covert campaigns to get its points across. It should simply say no and stick to it.
But any discussion of Modi’s brushes with constitutional issues would make no sense without reference to the one area where he has had an absolutely positive and big impact: restoring the legitimacy and prestige of the Prime Minister’s Office. This power was destroyed by the Sonia Gandhi dispensation over 10 years by emasculating the office under Manmohan Singh. By restoring the primacy of the PMO and by ensuring collective responsibility, Modi has, in fact, ensured accountability in government.
For this, more than his government’s other minor failings, one should clearly give him the benefit of the doubt for now. In any case, the long-term system of patronage and corruption created by decades of Congress political culture cannot be changed without making waves. You cannot expect the same people who benefited from the past system to not shout and scream when they are being uprooted from their comfort zones.
The legitimate question to ask is: is one system of patronage merely being replaced with another or is something more fundamental being done? The answer to that, though, cannot be attempted for at least another year or two. | {
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A documented study and analysis of Fascism in Europe.
Prepared at the instance and under the direction of Representative Wright Patman of Texas by Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress.
Under the Direction of Ernest S. Griffith.
Addeddate 2011-01-24 06:57:20 Identifier FascismInAction Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t9g47gm9v Ocr ABBYY FineReader 9.0 Ppi 72 Rights Congressional document in the Public Domain. Year 1947 | {
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As a solicitor-advocate who practises in housing law, I have done this work long enough, and seen the same outcomes in dozens of cases, not to notice that while homeless applicants struggle for a roof over their heads, housing officers will, without fail, use every tool at their disposal to refuse a homeless application.
This is not to suggest that housing officers have any ill-will towards homeless people or that they deliberately take a malevolent approach. But many local authorities have developed techniques that are actually quite clever to uphold their assumed roles as gatekeepers.
While few countries do as much as the UK to assist homeless people, there is still a substantial weakness in our system, which is the approach taken by the judiciary in England and Wales. Back in February 2009, Lord Neuberger stated that a “benevolent approach” should be adopted when courts looked at review decisions. Many people probably believe that while local authority housing officers may not be perfect, they are at least benevolent when considering applications by homeless applicants. But those of us who fight on behalf of clients in need of housing know the reality on the ground is far more stark.
Most homelessness appeals do not turn on minor, technical errors of law. Far more common are appeals based on the persuasiveness of medical evidence, or questions as to whether someone can reasonably be expected to continue living in their own home. These type of cases hinge on the court’s discretion, usually to the effect of assessing whether a vulnerable person is significantly more vulnerable than an “ordinary person”.
In isolation, this can look like an honest effort at reaching a difficult but fair decision, by a person whose job it is to make judgments. But over time, it is impossible not to notice that the so-called “benevolent approach” too often leads to support for questionable decisions, especially for county court judges, who may be unfamiliar with challenges under the 1996 Housing Act, and who are perhaps more naturally inclined to prefer the arguments posited on behalf of an overworked housing officer.
Take, for instance, the case of a single homeless woman who has been living on the streets for four years, who approaches her local housing authority with a letter from her GP that makes clear her severe mental health issues, her high risk of suicide and the risk of relapse into drug-taking and reoffending if she is not re-housed. Even though her GP describes her as extremely vulnerable, the council says she is not significantly more vulnerable than an “ordinary person”, because she doesn’t need any overnight care, she can use public transport, and she can continue to visit her GP even while homeless.
She appeals. An independent reviewer upholds the initial finding that she does not have priority need. She appeals to the county court. The county court judge appears quite critical of the council, questioning its interpretation of the medical evidence and some confusing wording in the review decision. But in his judgment, he finds for the council. He says that although some parts of the review decision are contradictory, when viewed as a whole and when applying a “benevolent approach”, the council is entitled to make its decision.
That hardly seems benevolent for this particular woman, nor for the 4,134 rough sleepers in the UK.
Of course, the real answer is to expand the supply of social housing. But a more attainable solution might be for the judiciary to have a more realistic understanding of how the Housing Act is being applied, and to appreciate the need for a more truly benevolent approach towards homeless people.
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UPDATE: The original version of this story said that PWInsider had reported the news, per Rajah’s claim. That information was inaccurate and the report has been corrected to remove it. Our apologies for that misinformation.
ORIGINAL: There is currently talk within WWE of Daniel Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber, then moving on to defend it against Batista and Randy Orton in a triple-threat match at WrestleMania 30.
The feeling is that if he wins the title at Elimination Chamber it will mean a boost to the Raw rating on the next night, which is the same night the WWE Network launches. The company wants as many people watching that Raw as possible; there has already been discussion about bringing in a lot of past big names for the show.
Credit: Rajah | {
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Editors’ Notes On his debut, the foul-mouthed, fleet-tongued alter ego of social media star George “Filthy Frank” Miller flexes his battle-rap skills and ability to flip any situation into an occasion for expletive-studded stunting. He revels in his carnal side, satirizes various online subcultures, and relives high-school traumas over dime-store trap beats, while parodic homages to cavernous electro (on “Club Banger 3000”) and angsty pop-punk (on “High School Blink193”) round out his cheerily nihilistic, acridly humorous worldview. | {
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Return those salutes crisply now, Donald.
Ever since he happened to be in France for a military parade, Donald Trump has been demanding one of his own. And not just a few desultory armored personnel carriers scattered around the National Mall. Trump wants a big boy parade, complete with tanks, and missile launchers, and lots and lots of soldiers with shiny, shiny boots who know how to march the right way. And it looks like Trump may just get his wish—though not in Washington, D.C.
Because on Friday Trump told reporters that he was thinking of joining Vladimir Putin in Moscow for Russia’s May Day parade. “President Putin invited me,” said Trump. “It’s a very big deal, celebrating the end of the war, etc. etc. A very big deal.”
And sure, why not? After all, Trump is only involved in a impeachment scandal centered around his withholding military assistance from a U.S. ally fighting a Russian invasion. And that U.S. ally did just have to surrender yet more of its own territory in the hopes of reaching peace. And Trump’s demand to that ally was centered around opening a pretend investigation into a conspiracy theory that says Russia never was involved in the 2016 election. And Trump just handed over a series of American bases in Syria to Russian forces where the U.S. troops were forced to leave in such a rush that Russians found everything still in place down to fridges filled with cold Cokes. And all of that was on top of Trump’s utter surrender to Putin at Helsinki, and … and …
Sure. Whatever. Go. Russia has many, many reasons to be grateful to Trump.
When famous traitors like Kim Philby crossed into the Soviet Union, they were given an Order of Lenin. It would be interesting to know what Russia hands out now. | {
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It’s still early in the decision-making process, but there’s a chance the TTC will decide to raise fares next year.
On Thursday afternoon, the TTC’s budget committee met at City Hall to discuss preliminary 2016 operating budgets.
A potential budget plan tabled at the meeting estimated the TTC could earn an extra $30 million from fare increases in 2016.
TorStar News Service reported Thursday that the TTC budget committee asked staff to look into several contingency plans, including fare hikes, fare freezes, and the implications of introducing Presto payment cards.
“Somewhere in the not-too-distant future cash fare will probably have a serious jump just to get people to the card,” said TTC board chair Josh Colle in an interview with TorStar.
Materials presented at Thursday’s budget meeting indicate that the TTC is on pace for a $99 million shortfall in 2016.
Throughout the first half of 2015, passengers have used cash fare less and discounted payment methods – such as Metropasses and tokens – more, leading to the average fare per customer being two cents lower than the TTC anticipated.
The TTC says passenger fares account for 95 per cent of their total revenue. | {
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The NSW Opposition's deputy leader and a former roads and police minister has had his driver's licence suspended after he was caught driving at nearly double the posted speed limit.
Mr Daley, a former aspirant to the party leadership, had his embarrassment compounded on Tuesday when he was forced to retract a claim that he had maintained a spotless driving record for nearly 35 years.
Michael Daley was driving at 78km/h on the Eastern Distributor after 11pm on August 8 but said he did not notice signs showing a variable speed of 40km/h was in force because of roadworks. Credit:Cole Bennetts
"I should have obtained my driving record before I spoke to media outlets today," he said. "Unfortunately I did not".
The Maroubra MP was driving at 78km/h on the Eastern Distributor after 11pm on August 8 but said he did not notice signs showing a variable speed of 40km/h was in force because of roadworks. Exceeding the speed limit by that amount carries an automatic, three-month licence suspension. | {
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You want a pocket knife for one seemingly simple reason: to keep on you for when you need it at a moment’s notice to perform any number of tasks, from the mundane to the gnarly. It might be able to skin an elk or cut fruit from a tree, but it’ll also open your packages, slice off a hunk of cheese for a friend, or cut a loose string that threatens to unravel the whole sweater. The best pocket knife is sharp enough to get the job done and convenient enough to bring everywhere. These are the models worth your hard earned buck.
Choosing a Knife
When considering knives for everyday carry (EDC), look for a folder that will fit easily on your belt or in your pocket when it’s closed. It should be light enough to carry comfortably but with a blade and handle that are sized to your liking. Most blades in this category measure 2 to 3.5 inches long and have a drop-point shape. Handles range from 3.5 to 5 inches.
Folding knives that lock are even better. They won’t close on your fingers during use, which makes them safer, and the stiffness of a locking blade lets you manipulate the knife at a variety of angles, like while carving or opening a particularly tricky package. Plus, you can use the back of the blade for things like fire sparking rods without it closing or bending on you.
Another major factor is the kind of metal the blade is made from. The three most common categories are carbon, stainless, and tool steel. Carbon steel is easy to sharpen, holds an edge well, and is durable, but the blade takes more care because the metal is prone to corrosion. Types of carbon steel include 420HC, XC90, and 1095. Stainless steel isn’t as hardy as carbon, but with the addition of chromium, the blade is less susceptible to corrosion. Stainless blades are often cheaper than their carbon counterparts, too. Choose stainless, like AUS-8 or 8Cr13MoV and its cousins in the 9Cr and 7Cr series, if you will mostly be using your knife on the water, to process game, or to prepare dinner while camping. There is also tool steel, which can contain titanium, molybdenum, vanadium, or other elements. The result is generally a strong blade with good edge retention and decent corrosion resistance (though not as good as stainless). Popular tool steels include D2 and CPM-S30V.
Types of Locking Mechanisms
Don’t be intimidated by all the different types of locking mechanisms. They all accomplish the same task, but go about it in different ways.
Liner: One side of the handle’s inner liner is bent, causing it to act like a spring. When you open the blade, that springing liner slides over behind the tang of the blade to keep it from closing. Pro: Simple and inexpensive. Con: Fingers are in the way when closing.
Frame: Like a liner lock, but this system has one side of the knife’s frame slide behind the blade when you deploy it. Pro: Secure. Con: Not ambidextrous.
Lockback: A locking bar runs up the spine of the knife’s handle and springs up into a notch in the tang. To close, press on the bar close to the butt of the handle to pivot it out of the tang. Pro: Ambidextrous. Con: Can wear out, causing the blade to wiggle when deployed.
Crossbar: A steel bar passes through the knife handle and slots into a notch in the tang. It’s significantly stronger than a liner lock, and you don’t have to adjust your grip to operate it. Benchmade’s proprietary Axis is the most popular, but the AT-XR and Dynamic Locking Mechanism from SOG and Elite Tactical, respectively, work similarly. Pro: Ambidextrous. Con: More small parts that can break.
Collar: A circular collar around the base of the blade twists to lock it closed or open. Line up the gap in the collar with the blade for unimpeded deployment. Pro: Simple. Con: Collar can wear out over time and not operate as smoothly.
How We Tested
Our search for the best pocket knives started with fairly strict evaluation criteria. We focused on testing single-blade, plain-edge knives, along with a few smaller multitools built with portability in mind. We put the test samples through their paces by slicing apples, cutting rope, busting through zip ties that were secured on a U-bolt, and using them in our daily lives. We made vertical cuts in the apples by slowly applying force until the fruit split. During the rope cutting, we wrapped a length of ⅛-inch cotton-wrapped nylon cord over the blade and pulled, carefully avoiding the urge to saw unless absolutely necessary, until the cord separated. Similarly, we pressed the blades against zip ties rated to 30-pound tensile strength, without sawing, to gauge how much force was needed to release the plastic fasteners from the metal U-bolt they were tightly secured to. Keep reading to learn how each model fared during these replicable tests and what we thought after carrying them around and using them for whatever odd jobs we encountered. | {
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You can check the update here | {
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Kshama Sawant may be the only elected politician in the US who thinks Bernie Sanders has compromised his socialist principles a little too much to win the White House.
Sawant, a Socialist Alternative party member of the Seattle city council who drew national attention last year by driving resistant fellow councillors to pass a $15-an-hour minimum wage law, was re-elected this week after an unusually nasty campaign which saw corporate money swing behind her Democratic opponent.
Sawant credited her victory in part to Sanders, for creating “enormous momentum” for change that has helped engage young people and alienated workers in politics.
“When was the last time you heard a presidential candidate say we need a political revolution against the billionaire class?” said Sawant. “That is not Hillary Clinton. That is not Barack Obama. That is clearly somebody who is fundamentally different.
“It’s absolutely true that Bernie Sanders putting these questions on the national agenda has really created, and will continue to create, enormous momentum.
“There were so many people who said: ‘I wasn’t paying that much attention to Seattle politics but I’ve been listening to Bernie Sanders’ politics. I’ve been so excited by his call for a political revolution against the millionaire class and I’m looking around me and thinking I need to get involved at a local level.’”
That led Sawant to the question of whether it is enough to propel Sanders into the White House – a prospect few political pundits would put money on. Sawant agrees that it is unlikely but said the problem is not the Vermont senator’s policies or even the once toxic label of “socialist”. She said Sanders’ mistake was to run for the nomination of a capitalist party whose leadership will do all it can to stop him becoming its candidate.
“The question is not so much whether he’s electable but is he electable as a Democratic party candidate?” she asked. “That brings up the question of which candidate it is the Democratic party establishment going to back. An establishment that is completely bathed in Wall Street cash is not about to turn its back on that.”
Socialist Alternative has called on Sanders to run as an independent.
Although Sanders’ candidacy played a role, Sawant’s re-election was also in good part attributable to her following through on a campaign promise on which many doubted she could make good. She won her first election two years ago with a commitment to make Seattle the first major city to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, in the process going from rank outsider to defeating a Democratic incumbent.
Business, big and small, was against the increase. So was the mayor and most of the council. But after her election, Sawant kept the pressure up inside the council chamber with a vigorous and strident campaign outside it, alongside low-paid workers, unions and activists. It pushed the issue to the front of the council agenda and pressured a majority of its members to back the measure, even if the final legislation came with more caveats and a longer time frame for implementation than she wanted.
The law raised Sawant’s standing in a city where a third of residents earn less than $15 an hour. A University of Washington study showed the increase would benefit 100,000 people, reduce poverty by more than a quarter and raise the pay of full-time workers on today’s minimum wage by about $11,000 a year.
It also drew Sawant an unusual degree of national attention for a city councillor, giving her a profile on the left in cities across the country which helped bring in campaign contributions for her re-election.
But her style of very public confrontation was thrown back at her during a campaign in which she promised that in her next term she would introduce laws on rent control and affordable housing, and pass a “millionaires tax” to fund better public transport.
Traditionally, Seattle city councillors run as independents and tend not to side with or stand against candidates in other races. They made an exception for Sawant – several came out against her. Her opponents attacked Socialist Alternative as a cult and pointed to its Trotskyist connections.
“I am a polarising figure, I know that,” Sawant said. “But that is with intention, because we represent working people who are fed up with nothing working for them. It’s no surprise that until we came on to the scene, there was no polarisation – because there weren’t two poles.
“All we had was Seattle establishment politics, which people often refer to as ‘Seattle nice’, meaning we have a council entirely full of corporate politicians who give a little bit of progressive lip service here and there but more or less maintain the status quo of big developers and big corporations, like Amazon, taking away the lion’s share of the wealth.
“It’s a nice cosy club that chugs along and nobody’s disagreeing with anybody because they’re all the same type.”
Sawant said Sanders’ campaign had prompted Americans to learn more about socialism beyond the vilification of the cold war – and many have liked what they have discovered. Asked if that prompted some of them to observe that her policies were more social democratic than socialist, she laughed.
“Some people, yes, they talk about that. But the majority of people, what is the question that is paramount on people’s minds at this moment? It is that we’re disgusted with corporate politics. We’re fed up of living in a society that continually rewards the people at the very top while the rest of us languish in various states of poverty in the richest country in the history of humanity.
“Primarily, what people are looking for is a strategy of fight back against that status quo. As we go along, we will need to continue clarifying those questions about what is actually socialism, what is social democracy under capitalism and all of that.”
Sawant thought about this a bit more and then added that there was one campaign commitment she was pushing that was winning a lot of support and carried a socialist air – council-run broadband as an alternative to the high-priced and much-resented near-monopolies of a couple private conglomerates.
“People are uniting around the question of municipal broadband,” she said. “It’s almost a unifying factor among the working class and middle class. People are just angry at Comcast and Century Link. They want municipal broadband.
“Seattle is so ready for this. How [are] we going to do this? Municipal broadband is really taking telecommunications into public control.” | {
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Moscow (AFP) - Russian arms maker Kalashnikov on Thursday presented its new electric car inspired by a rare 1970s model, saying the new technology will rival Elon Musk's Tesla.
The brand, best known for the AK-47 machine gun, presented the decidedly retro-looking pale blue prototype, the CV-1, at a defense expo outside Moscow.
The look was inspired by a Soviet hatchback model developed in the 1970s called "Izh-Kombi," a statement on the Kalashnikov website said.
Holding company Kalashnikov Concern said it has developed some cutting-edge elements for the "electric supercar", including a "revolutionary" inverter. The vehicle can travel 350 kilometres on one charge.
"We are developing our own concept of an electric supercar, which is based on several original systems developed by the concern," the firm said.
"This technology will let us stand in the ranks of global electric car producers such as Tesla and be their competitor," RIA-Novosti further quoted the Kalashnikov press-service as saying.
"We were inspired by the experience of global market leaders in developing our concept."
Kalashnikov Concern has long been trying to expand its brand, recently launching lines of clothing and other civilian merchandise ranging from umbrellas to mobile phone covers.
Its foray into electric vehicles however was met with mixed reactions from Russians. Comments to the news on the company's official Facebook page ranged from "cyberpunk" to "Izh-Zombie".
"Your tanks are great, but it would be better if you stayed away from cars," one user wrote.
Earlier this week, online users ridiculed Kalashnikov's new bipedal combat robot. The golden-colour machine, reportedly named "Igorek" in production stages, immediately became a subject of social media memes.
"Somebody had watched too much 'Robocop'," tweeted user happy__keanu, referring to the 1987 action film about a cyborg law enforcer.
Related Video: A Look at Elon Musk's Most 'Painful' Year Yet
Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View. | {
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Some wonderful cars, big names on the billboards and some good music. Here we see a family drive down the Sunset Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada in the year 1964. LiveLeakers with more information are encouraged to comment below. | {
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We design and fabricate the tungsten carbide seal with high thermal resistance for the various applications of the industry. It contains high mechanical strength. The tungsten carbide seal is widely used for all hard face materials. The tungsten carbide is the ideal face material to resist the heat. It consists of high fracture strength. tungsten carbide seal is specially designed for the pumps handling fluids at high pressure. It provides uniform face loading.
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The government's long battle against sky-high prison phone rates isn't over yet.
A U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington this week issued a stay on the FCC's November 2015 order to lower the cost of all calls from prisons. Prisoners' phone calls had cost as much as $14 a minute before the new caps were enacted.
The FCC last year voted to cap prison phone calls at 11 cents a minute for all local and long distance calls from state and federal prisons. In jails, caps ranged from 14 cents to 22 cents a minute, depending on the size of the institution.
But prison phone companies GTL and Securus Technologies sued the FCC, arguing that the ruling overstepped the commission's authority. The companies asked the court to prevent the FCC from enacting its rules until the completion of the court battle, and the court ruled in the companies' favor.
Related: $14 a minute? Pricey prison phone calls capped by FCC
For more than a decade, family members of prisoners have complained about the astronomically high phone rates to keep in touch with their loved ones. The FCC had named its ruling after Martha Wright of Washington, who claimed that she paid $1,000 a year to cover the costs of her grandson's phone calls from various state prisons.
The steep cost of prison fees, including phone calls, can leave prisoners saddled with debt when they are released.
Despite the court's ruling, there's at least some good news for family members of prisoners. The appeals court's stay will only significantly impact calls that are made within the same state. Calls made outside of the state will return to the previous cap, set at 25 cents a minute for a collect call, and 21 cents a minute for a debit or prepaid call.
The FCC had previously ruled in 2013 to cap the rates inmates and their families pay for interstate calls from prison, and the court's stay does not affect that ruling. The 2013 caps were supposed to be imposed on an interim basis until the FCC's 2015 ruling to cap all prison phone rates.
The court's stay also does not affect the FCC's previous restriction on ancillary fees imposed on interstate prison calls, which had added about 40% on average to the cost of a call.
Fee caps will take effect on March 17 for prisons and June 20 for jails, the FCC said.
Yet interstate calls make up only a small subset of phone calls from prisons.
"While we regret that relief from high inmate calling rates will be delayed for struggling families and their 2.7 million children trying to stay in touch with a loved one, we are gratified that costly and burdensome ancillary charges will come to an end," said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn in a joint statement. "Ultimately, we believe the court will uphold the new rates set by the Commission."
Related: Costly prison fees are putting inmates deep in debt
Prison calling services differ from typical payphones in some crucial ways. They can block inmates from making calls to certain people, including judges or witnesses. They can't dial 800 or 900 numbers, and phone conversations can be monitored. If a prisoner is repeatedly making a call to the same number, for instance, corrections officers might listen in or record future calls. The systems also periodically notify the recipient that the call is being placed from a jail.
All those features -- and the personnel needed to manage the systems -- make prison systems more costly to operate than regular payphones.
But most prisons offer exclusive deals to phone service providers in exchange for astronomical commissions. The FCC has labeled inmate calling services a government-sponsored monopoly, charging rates that far exceed their costs. | {
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2017年3月23日の発売がいよいよ目前に迫る日本語版「デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド」ですが、新たにスクウェア・エニックスが国内向けに本作のプロットや背景、ゲームプレイの概要を紹介する吹き替え解説トレーラーを公開しました。
また、スクウェア・エニックス代表取締役の松田洋祐氏が“デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド”の実況プレイを紹介する“社長と遊ぼう”の実施が決定し、3月15日午後7時に放送が開始される予定となっています。
「デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド」公式生放送配信のお知らせ
スクウェア・エニックスがお届けする海外ゲームタイトル専門レーベル「SQUARE ENIX EXTREME EDGES」最新ラインアップタイトル
株式会社スクウェア・エニックス（本社：東京都新宿区、代表取締役社長：松田洋祐、以下スクウェア・エニックス）は、3月23日（木）発売予定「デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド（Deus Ex:Mankind Divided）」日本語版（対応機種： PlayStation® 4、Xbox One、Windows®）初となる公式生放送の配信が決定したことをお知らせ致します。
■ デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド公式生放送、社長と遊ぼう”デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド”
2017年3月15日（水）19時スタート！
YouTube Live SQUARE ENIX PRESENTS JAPANにて配信：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaplYX3n8gc
ニコ生はこちら：http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv292622952
スクウェア・エニックスがお送りする公式生放送「社長と遊ぼう」シリーズでは、株式会社スクウェア・エニックス代表取締役の松田をホストとして、毎回異なったジャンルのゲストをお招きし、スクウェア・エニックス エクストリームエッジから発売を予定している海外タイトルの実況プレイを、テーマに沿ってお届けしています。
今回実況プレイをお届けするのは、いよいよ3月23日（木）に発売を迎える、サイバーパンクな近未来を舞台としたアクションRPG「デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド」本作の主人公「アダム・ジェンセン」の日本語吹き替え音声をご担当頂いた、安元洋貴さんをゲストにお迎えし、海外タイトルの中でも難度の高い「デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド」の手に汗握る実況プレイをお届けします。
出演
ゲスト：安元洋貴
ホスト：株式会社スクウェア・エニックス代表取締役社長 松田洋祐
司会：エレキコミック 今立進
安元洋貴：前作「デウスエクス」に引き続き、「デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド」にて主人公「アダム・ジェンセン」の日本語吹き替え版ボイスを担当。好評発売中の「ニーア オートマタ」にもキーキャラクターとして出演。
エレキコミック 今立進：1997年にエレキコミック結成。日本テレビ「ZIP!」、ニコニコ動画「ゲームどうすか？」出演中。「社長と遊ぼう」シリーズには初回からMCとして出演。
解説
株式会社スクウェア・エニックス デウスエクス
マンカインド・ディバイデッド ローカライズディレクター 西尾勇輝、八巻理沙
未来は、決して止められない─
「デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド」では、サイバーパンクな近未来を舞台に、国際的な対テロ組織の諜報員「アダム・ジェンセン」となり、「オーグメンテーション」と呼ばれる人体の機械化によって得られる能力を駆使して、世界に渦巻く巨大な陰謀を暴いていきます。
■ 本日公開！安元洋貴さん吹き替えによる最新トレイラー
デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド：101トレイラー（日本語吹き替え版）：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F31a2UT8SUY
2029年―。人類が、機械化された者とそうでない者とに分断された世界。オーグメンテーション
を施された人々の集団暴走事件が原因で、彼らは社会から隔離され、人としての権利を奪われて
いた。抑圧が加速するほど反発も高まり、両者の衝突はもはや避けられない。その混乱の中、人
類の行く末を陰から操る者たちがいた……。
■ デウスエクス マンカインド・ディバイデッド（英字表記 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided）
対応機種：PlayStation®4 / Xbox One / Windows
発売日：2017 年 3 月 23 日（木）発売予定
希望小売価格： ダウンロード版 6,800 円（+税） パッケージ版 7,800 円（+税））
ジャンル：アクション RPG
プレイ人数：1 人
年齢別レーティング（CERO）：Z（18 歳以上のみ対象）
収録音声/テキスト： 音声：日本語/英語 字幕：日本語/英語
オフィシャルサイト URL：http://www.jp.square-enix.com/deusex/
権利表記：Deus Ex: Mankind Divided © 2017 Square Enix Ltd. All rights reserved. Developed by Eidos-Montréal.Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Eidos-Montréal, and the Eidos logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Ltd.
株式会社スクウェア・エニックスについて
株式会社スクウェア・エニックスは、エンタテインメント分野において、創造的かつ革新的なコンテンツ／サービスのヒット作品を生み続けるリーディングカンパニーです。当社グループの自社 IP の代表作には「ドラゴンクエスト」シリーズ（累計出荷・ダウンロード販売本数 7,000 万本以上）、「ファイナルファンタジー」シリーズ（同 1 億 3,000 万本以上）、「トゥームレイダー」シリーズ（同 5,800 万本以上）、「スペースインベーダー」シリーズなどがあります。（http://www.jp.square-enix.com）※シリーズ累計出荷・ダウンロード販売本数は、パッケージゲーム出荷本数と本編ダウンロード販売本数の合計。ダウンロード販売本数は、2015年 4 月以降の累計値を使用し、パッケージゲームの本編ダウンロード版と家庭用ゲーム機および PC 向け本編ダウンロード専用タイトルを含む。
※“PlayStatisn”および“PLAYSTATION”は株式会社ソニー・コンピュータエンタテインメントの登録商標です。
※Microsoft、Windows、Xbox、Xbox 360、Xbox LIVE、Xbox One,Xbox 関連ロゴは米国 Microsoft Corporation および/またはその関連会社の商標です。
※SQUARE ENIX および SQUARE ENIX ロゴ、ドラゴンクエスト／DRAGON QUEST、ファイナルファンタジー／FINAL FANTASY、トゥームレイダー／TOMB RAIDER、スペースインベーダー／SPACE INVADERS、THIEF、その他の社名、商品名は、日本およびその他の国におけるスクウェア・エニックス・
グループの商標または登録商標です。
※その他、記載されている会社名・商品名は、各社の商標または登録商標です。 | {
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President Donald Trump unveiled his fake news awards Wednesday night with four prizes to CNN, two to The New York Times and one each for ABC News, Newsweek, Time magazine, and The Washington Post.
The awards to CNN included falsely reporting “that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J. Trump, Jr. had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks,” along with editing “a video to make it appear President Trump defiantly overfed fish during a visit with the Japanese prime minister. Japanese prime minister actually led the way with the feeding.”
The other two awards to CNN were for retracting a story about Anthony Scaramucci and reporting that “former FBI Director James Comey would dispute President Trump’s claim that he was told he is not under investigation.”
The New York Times’ awards included a column written by Paul Krugman who “claimed on the day of President Trump’s historic, landslide victory that the economy would never recover,” and for claiming “on the front page that the Trump administration had hidden a climate report.”
ABC News’ award was given to reporter Brian Ross for misreporting key details regarding former national security advisor Mike Flynn, which subsequently caused the stock market drop.
Newsweek’s award was given out for a false report “that Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda did not shake President Trump’s hand,” while Time’s was given out for falsely reporting that the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. was taken out of the oval office when Trump was inaugurated.
The Washington Post’s award stemmed from a tweet by a reporter insinuating that the “President’s massive sold-out rally in Pensacola, Florida was empty,” while in fact the Post journalist had tweeted out a photo taken well before the crowd arrived.
Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter | {
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The wait is finally over! The main voice cast has been revealed for Pop Team Epic, an upcoming TV anime based on the wildly popular (and regularly bizarre) web comic by Bkub Okawa. The main cast of Pop Team Epic includes:
Mikako Komatsu as Popuko. She's the short one. She's no longer speaking with King Records.
Sumire Uesaka as Pipimi. She's the tall one. She's also no longer speaking with King Records.
Based on the surreal 4-panel web comic published in Takeshobo's Manga Life WIN digital magazine, the Pop Team Epic TV anime is directed by Jun Aoki and Aoi Umeki and features animation by Kamikaze Douga. Pop Team Epic hits Japanese airwaves in January of 2018. An English language version of the original manga is also in-production from Vertical, Inc.
Sources:
Ota-suke
MoCa
Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time. | {
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ざっくり言うと 「ワイドナショー」で松本人志の上原多香子に関するコメントがカットされた
松本のフジテレビ批判は最後通告だと他局の民放関係者は指摘
1997年にフジテレビと対立して番組を降板した過去がある
提供社の都合により、削除されました。
概要のみ掲載しております。 | {
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CHILLING SUMMER:
In Japan, Summer Is the Time for Ghosts
October 15, 1999
This haunted house a la hospital is sure to satisfy those who are looking for a chilling experience. (Fujikyu-Highland) Ghost stories have been a mainstay of summer in Japan from around the time of the Edo period (1600-1868) and remain so today. Each summer a host of spooky creatures come out of the dark of the night and into books, movies, and the television screen. This summer was no exception. Ghosts on the Silver Screen
The newest movie in a series called Gakko no Kaidan (School Ghost Stories) was a big hit again in 1999. Now in its fourth incarnation, this series was launched in 1995 and today has become a classic among ghost story movies. The films make reference to tales that are traditionally shared by students at elementary and middle schools throughout the country as the "seven mysteries" of each school. These frightening stories commonly include tales about a piano that suddenly begins playing in the middle of the night and a skeleton in the school science lab that moves on its own. The combination of fear and nostalgia that the films evoke in viewers seems to be the secret formula for their success. Lurking in Theme Parks
Haunted houses have become major summer attractions at amusement parks. In general, these structures comprise darkened maze-like interiors where ghoulish creatures suddenly appear and loud noises go off unexpectedly, frightening visitors. In 1999 many new elaborately planned haunted houses were opened around the country. One of these, Senritsu no Heisa Byoto (The Haunted Hospital Ward) at Fujikyu-Highland, has been called the "biggest haunted house ever." Spanning 500 meters (550 yards) from entrance to exit and requiring 30 minutes to pass through, it boasts the world's longest walking length; the park is currently applying for recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. This haunted house takes the form of the ruins of a hospital, and visitors walk through eerie sickrooms, operating rooms, and even a morgue. For those who are overcome with fear, emergency exits (which the park calls "chicken ways") located throughout the structure provide a safe escape. Another attraction is Jigoku Ryokan (Hell's Inn) in Namco's urban Sunshine Namjatown theme park. When visitors enter this high-tech haunted house, they are given a handheld device shaped like a monster crab that is sensitive to infrared rays. As they make their way through the attraction, the device is triggered at various points, startling them. Their pulse rates are measured at the entrance and exit, and from the difference one's "cowardice level" is calculated--complete with a paper readout. Spine-Tingling Fear
Why are ghost stories so popular in the summer? In Japanese Buddhism, August is the Bon season, when ancestral spirits are said to return for a brief annual visit. This summer tradition creates a perfect backdrop for ghost stories. But the biggest reason for their popularity may be the way in which these stories help people enjoy the evening cool. Most people who become frightened by a good scary movie or story feel a cold chill down their spine. In fact it has been scientifically proven that when humans are frightened, the blood vessels on the surface of the skin contract, reducing both the flow of blood and, as a result, the temperature of the skin. In other words, people can actually cool off by getting the wits frightened out of them. This method of using ghost stories and haunted houses to help overcome the hot summer could be called a modern-day application of ancient Japanese wisdom. In contemporary, air-conditioned Japan, however, people should no longer need the aid of ghosts to help cool off. Nevertheless, ghost stories have long been part of the Japanese culture, and the hotter the summer, the stronger the craving for a good, chilling scare. Thanks in part to the intense heat, summer 1999 has been an exceptional one for businesses that deal in fright. A bus tour of famous ghostly sites in Tokyo has also been launched and has gained popularity. Japan's ghosts can rest assured that they will be welcomed again next summer.
Back to Main Index
Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.
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For the second time in his career, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore faces charges before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary and potential removal from office.
Until that court hears and rules on those charges, Moore will be suspended with pay from his position atop the state's highest court.
On Friday, the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission forwarded charges to the commission, accusing the chief justice of violating judicial ethics in his opposition to same-sex marriage.
Despite a ruling by a federal judge in Mobile making same-sex marriage legal in Alabama last year, and in the face of a United States Supreme Court ruling last year making its legality the law of the land, Moore instructed probate judges throughout Alabama to ignore those higher courts and to refuse to issue licenses to same-sex couples.
Moore's actions led the Southern Poverty Law Center to file complaints with the commission, which acts much in the same way as a grand jury. When it receives a complaint, the commission investigates and decides whether to forward charges to the Alabama Court of the Judiciary.
The process remains secret unless charges are made, as happened Friday evening. Unless Moore reaches a settlement, he will be tried before that court.
On Friday evening, SPLC President Richard Cohen said that Moore has disgraced his office and should be removed.
"He is such an egomaniac and such a religious zealot that he thinks he can ignore court orders with impunity," Cohen said. "For the sake of our state, he should be kicked out of office."
This is the second time Moore has faced such charges. In 2003, the Court of the Judiciary removed Moore from office after he installed a washing machine-sized monument of the Ten Commandments in the state judicial building in Montgomery. Moore refused a federal court order to remove the monument, leading to his removal from the state's highest court.
His obstinance this time, though, is worse, Cohen said.
"This time, he has instructed every probate judge in the state to violate a court order," he said.
Reached by phone Friday evening, Moore said he was ready to fight what he called the LGBT agenda.
"The Judicial Inquiry Commission has no authority over the administrative orders of the chief justice of Alabama or the legal injunctions of the Alabama Supreme Court prohibiting probate judges from issuing same-sex marriage licenses," Moore said. "The Judicial Inquiry Commission has chosen to listen to people like Ambrosia Starling, a professed transvestite and other gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, as well as organizations that support their agenda."
While the judicial inquiry commission charges were pending in 2003, the most senior judge took over as chief justice.
This time, the most senior justice is Lyn Stuart, who was first elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2000.
According to her online court biography:
Stuart is a native of Atmore, Alabama, attended public schools and graduated from Escambia County High School. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Education from Auburn University with high honor in 1977 and her Juris Doctorate degree from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1980.
She worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alabama under former Attorney General Charles Graddick. She also served as Executive Assistant to the Commissioner and Special Assistant Attorney General for the State Department of Corrections. Upon moving to Baldwin County, she became an Assistant District Attorney for Baldwin County on the staff of District Attorney David Whetstone.
In 1988, she was elected District Judge, and was re-elected in 1994. Former Gov. Fob James appointed Justice Stuart to the Circuit bench in January 1997. She was elected, without opposition, to a six year term in 1998. | {
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Dear Secretary McDonald:
I would like your help understanding why the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) entered into a settlement agreement with a former employee that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) called a “gag order” that violated an individual’s constitutional rights.
A recent decision by the EEOC in the case of Aurore v. McDonald raised serious questions about whether the Department of Veterans Affairs undermined the constitutional rights of an employee seeking relief in a case of discrimination, and then retaliated against her when she tried to find a new job. The case involved a woman who worked as a nurse at the VA Puget Sound facility in Seattle, Washington, and believed she was the victim of discrimination. After making her allegations, she entered into a settlement with your department. While the facts of her discrimination case remain sealed, a number of details related to her settlement with the VA have since been made public.
One alarming provision of the settlement agreement went so far as to prohibit the woman from talking with any member of Congress or the media. It read:
It is my understanding that provisions like this are extremely unusual. So unusual, in fact, that the EEOC not only took the step of rendering what it referred to as a “gag order” null and void, but also rebuked the VA for including it in the first place. In its opinion, the EEOC said,
Adding insult to injury, the EEOC noted, after the VA issued this “unlawful” gag order it failed to abide by the order itself. After the woman was offered a new job in California, her former employer at the VA in Seattle revealed confidential information about the settlement agreement to the prospective employer. The prospective employer then rescinded the job offer.
How could anyone at the VA ever believe it was right or fair to prohibit one of their own employees not only from talking with the media, but also from contacting her representatives in Congress? However, to put this requirement in place and then retaliate against the woman by breaking the agreement is deeply troubling.
Every constitutional officer — including the Secretary of Veterans Affairs — has a duty to protect the Constitution. The oath we have both taken request that we defend all five freedoms listed in the First Amendment: religion, speech, the press, assembly and petition. The gag order in place by the VA failed to ensure these freedoms were protected.
To help me understand the circumstances surrounding this situation, please provide answers to the following questions:
1. Do you believe it was appropriate for the VA to include a provision prohibiting the claimant from exercising her First Amendment rights?
2. Why did the VA include a provision in the settlement agreement prohibiting the claimant from speaking with Congress and the media?
3. Who is the highest ranking official at the VA that approved the settlement agreement entered into on January 7, 2013?
4. Has the VA ever entered into any other settlement agreement that contained a provision prohibiting one of the parties from speaking to Congress or the media? If so, please explain when, how many times and provide the exact language included in the agreement.
5. In light of the EEOC’s decision in Aurore v. McDonald, will VA policy be changed to ensure future settlement agreements do not unlawfully restrict an individual’s constitutional rights? If so, please explain and provide a copy of the new policy.
I look forward to your response…. | {
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Ehud Barak has "broken the silence". He has published an article in The New York Times attacking our prime minister in the most abrasive terms. In other words, he has done exactly the same as the group of ex-soldiers who call themselves "Breaking the Silence", who are accused of washing our dirty linen abroad. They expose war crimes to which they have been witnesses, or even participants.
But apart from the attack on Binyamin Netanyahu, Barak has used the article to publish his Peace Plan. A former chief-of-staff of the Israeli army and a former prime minister, Barak is obviously planning a comeback, and his peace plan is part of the effort. There seems to be, anyhow, open season for Peace Plans in our region.
I respect the intelligence of Barak. Many years ago, when he was still the deputy chief-of-staff, he unexpectedly invited me for a talk. We discussed the military history of the 17th century (military history is an old hobby of mine) and I soon realized that he was a real expert. I enjoyed it very much.
On a spring evening In May 1999, I was part of a huge jubilant crowd in Tel-Aviv’s Rabin Square after Barak had won the Knesset elections and become prime minister. He promised us "the dawn of a new day". In particular, he promised to make peace with the Palestinians.
Intellectually, Barak is superior to all other politicians on the Israeli scene. Soon enough it appeared that this may be a handicap.
Intelligent people tend to be arrogant. They despise people of lesser mental powers. Knowing that he had all the answers, Barak demanded that President Clinton call a meeting with Yasser Arafat.
On the morrow I spoke with Arafat and found him deeply worried. Nothing has been prepared, no prior exchange of views, nothing. He did not want to go to the meeting which he thought was bound to fail, but could not refuse an invitation from the president of the US.
The result was catastrophe. Barak, sure of himself as usual, presented his peace plan. It was more accommodating than any prior Israeli plan, but still fell far short of the Palestinians’ minimum. The meeting broke up.
What does a diplomat do in such circumstances? He announces that "we had a fruitful exchange of views. We have not yet reached total agreement, but the negotiations will go on, and there will be more meetings, until we reach agreement."
Barak did not say that. Neither did he say: "Sorry, I am totally ignorant of the Palestinian point of view, and I shall now study it seriously."
Instead, Barak came home and announced that Israel had proposed the most generous terms ever, that the Palestinians had rejected everything, that the Palestinians want to throw us into the sea, that we have "no partner for peace".
If this had been declared by a right-wing politician, everybody would have shrugged. But coming from the leader of the Peace Camp, it was devastating. Its effects can be felt to this very day.
So here comes Barak, the new Barak, with a brand-new Peace Plan. What does he say? The aim, he writes, is "separation" from the Palestinians. Not peace, not cooperation, just separation. Get rid of them. "Peace" is not popular just now.
How separation? Israel will annex the new Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and the "settlement blocs" – the clusters of Jewish settlements beyond the Green Line but close to it. He agrees to "land swaps". And then comes the killer: "overall security responsibility in the West Bank will remain in the hands of the Israel Defense Forces as long as necessary."
And the sad conclusion: "Even if it is not possible to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at this stage – and it probably is not…"
If there is one Palestinian who would accept these terms, I shall be surprised. But Barak, then and now, does not care for the views and feelings of the Palestinians. Just like Netanyahu, who at least has the decency not to propose a "Peace Plan". Unlike Trump.
Donald Trump is not a genius like Barak, but he also has a Peace Plan.
A group of right-wing Jews, including his son-in-law (also no genius, he) have been working on this for months. He has proposed it to Mahmoud Abbas, Arafat’s successor, to the new Saudi Crown Prince and other Arab princes. It seems to provide for a Palestinian State composed of several small isolated enclaves on the West Bank, without Jerusalem and without an army.
This is sheer lunacy. Not one single Palestinian and not one single other Arab would accept this. Worse, anyone proposing such a caricature of a state betrays utter ignorance.
That’s where the real problem lies: it is much worse than just not knowing. It demonstrates abysmal contempt for the Palestinians and for Arabs in general, a basic belief that their feelings, if any, don’t matter at all. This is a remnant of colonial times.
Palestinians, and Arabs at large, do have deep feelings and convictions. They are a proud people. They still remember the times when Muslims were incomparably more advanced than the barbarian Europeans. To be treated like dirt by the US president and his Jewish entourage hurts them deeply, and may lead to a disturbance in our region that no Arab prince, hired by the USA, will be able to control.
This especially concerns Jerusalem. For Muslims, this is not just a town. It is their third holiest place, the spot from where the Prophet – peace be upon him – ascended to heaven. For a Muslim to give up Jerusalem is inconceivable.
The latest decisions of Trump concerning Jerusalem are – to put it mildly – idiotic. Arabs are furious, Israelis don’t really care, America’s Arab stooges, princes and all, are deeply worried. If disturbances erupt, they may well be swept away.
And what for? For one evening’s headline?
There is no subject in our region, and perhaps in the world – that is more delicate. Jerusalem is holy to three world religions, and one cannot argue with holiness.
In the past I have devoted much thought to this subject. I love Jerusalem (contrary to the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, who was disgusted by it and left it in a hurry after one single night). The early Zionists disliked the city as a symbol of all that is wrong and foul in Judaism.
Some twenty years ago I composed a manifesto, together with my late friend, Feisal al-Husseini, the leader of Jerusalem’s Arabs and the scion of its most noble family. Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians signed it.
Its title was "Our Jerusalem". It started with the words: "Jerusalem is ours, Israelis and Palestinians, Muslims, Christians and Jews."
It went on: "Our Jerusalem Is a mosaic of all the cultures, all the religions and all the periods that enriched the city, from earliest antiquity to this very day – Canaanites and Jebusites and Israelites, Jews and Hellenes, Romans and Byzantines, Christians and Muslims, Arabs and Mamelukes, Othmanlis and Britons, Palestinians and Israelis.
"Our Jerusalem must be united, open to all, and belonging to all its inhabitants, without borders and barbed wire in its midst."
And the practical conclusion: "Our Jerusalem must be the capital of the two states that will live side by side in this country – West Jerusalem the capital of the State of Israel and East Jerusalem the capital of the State of Palestine."
I wish I could nail this Manifesto to the doors of the White House.
Uri Avnery is a peace activist, journalist, writer, and former member of the Israeli Knesset. Read other articles by Uri, or visit Uri’s website. | {
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NEWBORN babies have come under fire this week after a new study published by popular women’s magazine Mum2B found them to be absolutely shit, and not of much use to anyone.
The study found that babies aged from 0-12 months were practically useless as individuals, putting them in the same category as plankton and household dust mites.
“We discovered that babies were extremely boring in the first year of their lives and found that the majority of parents just wanted to fast-forward to the good bits,” a spokesperson for Mum2B explained. “Basically babies just lie there drinking milk, crying and pooping during this period and are really not much fun at all. This can be very daunting for parents who may have been excited at the prospect of having one in the first place”.
Over 20,000 readers were asked various questions about their experience and a staggering 96% said babies were “pure shit” compared to toddlers.
“Babies are just a lump of flesh you feed and clean for the first 12 months. They don’t even do anything and they all look the same,” said local participant in the survey Anne Ryan. “I found the whole experience very disappointing to tell you the truth and wouldn’t advise it to anyone who gets bored easily”.
As a solution, many participants suggested a service which would take their babies off their hands for the first year, until they became somewhat interesting, adding that crechés were only a part-time answer to the problem.
“I dread collecting my lad up after work to be honest,” said working mother Taylor Power, commenting on the Mum2B.com website. “I’ve tried cryogenic freezing in the past, but that only prolongs the ageing process. You just can’t win with babies”.
“I swear, if I hear one more stupid laugh from the thing I’ll put it on E-Bay or something!” she added. | {
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Sverige befinner sig geografiskt i ett känsligt område, och mot bakgrund av en försämrad säkerhetssituation måste försvaret utvecklas, säger ÖB Micael Bydén i sitt tal.
Han säger att 2015 års försvarsbeslut inledde resan mot ett starkare svenskt försvar, och att Försvarsmakten påtagligt har höjt sin förmåga under de gångna fyra åren. Ett år återstår av det rådande försvarsbeslutet och inför det nästkommande försvarsbeslutet har Försvarsmakten tagit fram ett antal råd.
– Vår samlade bedömning är att de åtgärder som föreslås kommer att innebära ett betydande steg mot ett starkare försvar, säger ÖB.
– Den militära förmågan ökar till 2025, samtliga stridskrafter stärks inom befintliga förband, och nya förband påbörjas.
Osäkert och instabilt läge
Som del i detta måste ”obalanser” minska, med satsningar på ledningsförmåga, logistikresurser och säkerhetsfunktioner inklusive cyberförsvar. En utmaning är att attrahera och rekrytera personal och inte minst kvinnor, säger Bydén.
Det generella säkerhetsläget präglas av instabilitet och oförutsägbarhet, enligt ÖB.
– Vi lever i en tid där omvärldsutvecklingen ställer krav på både omedelbar skärpa och långsiktig uthållighet, säger han.
”Vi ska greja det här”
Som exempel ger han bland annat de senaste veckornas utveckling i Mellanöstern, offensivt agerande från Ryssland, Kinas växande inflytande, skiften i USA:s säkerhetspolitiska prioriteringar, brexit och effekter av klimatpåverkan på konflikter.
– Den regelbaserade världsordningen står under stark press, och flera traditionella samarbetsmönster försvagas eller utmanas.
För att tackla de förändringarna måste försvaret anpassa sig och uppdatera sin kapacitet, säger ÖB.
– Vi ska greja det här. Vi är helt införstådda med att det är nu det ankommer på oss. | {
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ワシントン（ＣＮＮ） 告発サイト「ウィキリークス」は７日、ヒラリー・クリントン前国務長官の選挙陣営で選対本部長を務めるジョン・ポデスタ氏からハッキングされた電子メール２０００通あまりをインターネット上に公開した。この中には、クリントン氏が国務省を離れた後、米金融街ウォールストリートの複数の企業で行った非公開講演の記録の抜粋とみられる文書も含まれている。
ウィキリークスは今後、同組織がアクセスしたと主張する５万通以上の中からさらに公開を進めるとしている。ウィキリークスはロシアと協力関係にあると指摘されている。
クリントン陣営は今回の文書の真偽を確認していないものの、その内容については否定していない。
公開された文書によると、民主党予備選を争ったサンダース上院議員が１月に行われた討論会でクリントン氏と金融街のつながりを取り上げてから約１週間後、クリントン陣営の調査責任者が、講演記録の抜粋をポデスタ氏ら陣営幹部に送信していた。
この抜粋は、非公開の場所でのクリントン氏と金融関係者の関係を示す内容となっているほか、貿易や規制といった問題に関する同氏の立場も明らかにしている。 | {
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Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece “The Fall of The Damned” hangs on the walls of Munich’s Alte Pinakothek, one of the oldest art galleries in the world, in a heavy gilded frame. The 397-year-old painting depicts dozens of bodies falling, cast out of heaven by the archangel Michael and plummeting through orange clouds of sulphur straight down to the flames of hell.
“As soon as I saw it I was like, that's it, that’s the one,” Parkway Drive singer Winston McCall tells me as we walk through a room of 17th and 18th century oil paintings in Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria. McCall first saw the painting during a tour stop in Germany, which found the Australian metalcore five-piece playing to the biggest crowds they’d ever seen outside of their home country. It was the end of the band’s touring cycle for 2015’s Ire, and fittingly, it sparked the beginning of something bigger for the band.
Each member of the band (McCall, along with guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, drummer Ben “Gaz” Gordon and bass player Jia O’Connor) has a designated role in the creation of their music and the running of the business, and McCall is in charge of vocals, lyrics, and coming up with the concepts for the band’s album artwork. He points out a few rejected reference works on the gallery walls as he explains why “The Fall Of The Damned” was the perfect choice for the cover art of new album Reverence.
“Our album artwork has always been reasonably simple and this time I wanted something that would draw people in, but also fit the seriousness of the lyrics. And really, with the themes, it was just so fitting.”
The past three years have been the most personally difficult in the band’s 15 year career –– their own plummet towards the depths. You can see it in the band’s promo photos. The kids in board shorts and band t-shirts have become grown men with greying hair and trimmed beards, wearing funeral black and proper trousers.
Naomi Lee Beveridge
“I’ve always thought that at some point in time I’ll feel old, but I don’t,” says McCall. “You just reach a stage where you are more susceptible to physical injury. Once I turned 30 my I noticed my body stopped healing the same, and we all started having to take care of ourselves. I used to get on stage and just do it, and now I have an hour of warm-ups and stretches.”
Ire marked a dramatic change in the band’s sound as they cast off breakdowns for stadium-friendly choruses. It was a commercial success, landing them their first #1 album in Australia and spots on the top end of massive festival bills across the US and Europe.
But all was not well within the ranks of Parkway. McCall’s beloved boston terrier died unexpectedly, touring buddies The Ghost Inside were maimed in a horrific bus crash and close friend Tom Searle from the British band Architects had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“We were playing a festival with Architects when Tom [Searle] told us about his diagnosis,” McCall tells me. “It was really fucking gut-wrenching. We’ve toured with them more than we’ve toured with any other band and were like, that’s shit, but you’ll beat it, right?”
Then a band member’s partner was also diagnosed with terminal cancer. “It was like a bomb getting dropped on our world,” says McCall. He is visibly emotional, and pauses to take several deep breaths before continuing. “We had to start dealing with what that meant to all of us — not only as humans, but as a band, like what are we gonna do?”
The band kept on touring, subbing in replacement players as needed. They shared club show and festival bills with Architects as Searle went in and out of treatment, and were in the middle of a European festival run in August 2016 when they received news of his death.
“We were playing the biggest shows we’ve ever done to tens of thousands of people with that hanging over us, and we still had to get on stage. I can’t even explain what that felt like,” says McCall.
At their performance at Lowlands festival in the Netherlands the night after Searle’s death, they dedicated “Home Is For The Heartless” to him. Video of their performance shows McCall weeping, his voice breaking as he screams the song’s refrain while people in the crowd hold up “RIP TOM SEARLE” signs.
A week later, the band member’s partner with cancer died, on the night of the band’s performance at Reading Festival. “That’s why we pulled out of Leeds Festival,” McCall explains. “We just went straight to the airport. I felt helpless, seeing it happen and knowing what other people were going through.”
This emotional climate of death, grief and rage was the catalyst for the themes and motivation behind the creation of Reverence. “We were all hit with the reality that sometimes it doesn’t get better. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and you can’t point at something that made this happen. It’s shifted everything in the band. That’s why you end up writing a record where you don’t give a fuck about anything you’ve done before, because who cares about other people’s opinions on what we should do?”
And there are plenty of opinions. The reaction to Reverence’s first single “Wishing Wells” was mostly positive, but follow-up singles “The Void” and “Prey” have been panned by fans who prefer the band’s early albums. Comments heave with conspiracy theories about the band being pushed into a more radio-friendly sound by music industry forces. In reality, Parkway Drive are still on the same independent labels they signed with for their 2005 debut album Killing With A Smile and are co-managed by guitarist Kilpatrick and their Australian label boss Graham Nixon.
“We pay for those videos,” says a slightly frustrated McCall. “We’re still a self-managed band. At no point have we given up anything that will give someone the leverage to say “Now you must do this.” The team has expanded but the control is held by us. Anything we’ve ever wanted, we’ve had to make it happen ourselves. Even at the beginning we had to essentially create a venue [at the Byron Youth Activity Centre] because we couldn’t play in pubs.”
He’s sympathetic to fans who say they they wish the band would write music that sounded similar to their early work, but questions whether that is really what they actually want. “For the most part, people want the feeling that they got when they heard Horizons for the first time,” he explains. “That can’t be replicated, because you can’t separate emotion, place, context from the consuming of the music, so why try? The idea of reaching back for something is self defeating and doing it because you know you can, because you’ve done it before ... that's stagnation.”
“What we write now might not be as technical, but technicality doesn’t equal interest for me or any of the guys in the band. We started the band by creating something that was interesting and new for us, and it started out as adrenaline because we were young. We’ve always written music that we enjoy listening to and is interesting for us to play and it just happens that those elements change as you grow as a person. I was 21 when we started this and I’m 36 now. The amount of life I’ve put into this band and the things I’ve experienced since then totally eclipse the human that I was at 21. I hadn’t toured the world yet, I hadn’t lost friends, I hadn’t had to dig a grave.”
Right on cue, we enter the room containing sculptor Ron Mueck’s Mass, where 100 super-sized skulls fill the room. McCall is visibly awed by the work, and inspects the detail of the skulls carefully as he talks about his collection of animal skulls in the home he shares with his wife and cat back in Byron. I tell him that I attended their recent shows celebrating the 10th anniversary of Horizons and loved how their beefed-up stage production and the fact that they still look as though they’re having fun on stage made those old songs sound fresh and vibrant. “That’s because we are still having fun on stage!” he says, laughing.
“We’re the same group of people wanting the same connection, but now we’re playing very big rooms with big possibilities, especially in Germany. It’s our biggest market. You get to a certain size of stage where you can either just walk out without amps, or put on something that really makes people feel … more. This is the first time we’ve really had ambition. We can come up with concepts like a spinning drum cage and go ‘Can you build this?’ Germans are amazing. They can build anything!”
That drive to go bigger and harder and more dynamic is the defining characteristic of Reverence. McCall has long been a fan of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits (he briefly had a side project named Rain Dogs), and their influence on him as a lyricist and vocalist is clearer on this record than anything else Parkway Drive has done. “You can hear a lot more of everyone’s personality in everything on this album,” he says. “When you hear the guitars they have more Jeff, and when you hear the drums you hear more of us just letting Gaz let loose.”
“What Parkway is has been reduced to a basic concept of what we like to play and what we like to listen to. We want it to be melodic and convey the emotion of connection, but this time around there was no ‘It’s gotta have blast beats and breakdowns or otherwise people won’t like it.’”
Reverence does have double-kicks and breakdowns, but its best and most intense songs are the ones with strings, synths, choral vocals and acoustic guitars. “Shadow Boxing” has all of the above, and the strings-driven “Cemetery Bloom” is so lyrically complex and menacing that it seems impossible that it was written by the same musicians who wrote the 2005 mosh anthem “Romance Is Dead” (The pit call “Cry me a fucking river, bitch!” has not aged well.)
“There's so much on this record that is way outside what we've done comfortably and involved a step of confidence. We had to back ourselves and back our imaginations because it wasn't as simple as writing a couple of riffs and sticking them together. It meant executing so many things that were alien and then committing 100% to them, because if you half ass it it's not gonna work,” says McCall.
One of those alien concepts was McCall singing. Not huskily speak-singing like he did on Ire, but actual melodic singing. His performances on “Shadow Boxing” and the heart-rending album closer “The Colour Of Leaving” are the result of five years of practice and lessons, and he seems proud when I ask him what it was like to hear his voice back through the speakers for the first time.
“There was a moment going in the studio to execute these ideas where I was going “Is this going to work?” I was expecting it to be harder than it was and that the studio would expose all the flaws I couldn't hear or see. But we got to the point where we were three quarters done and I was listening back to it going “Holy shit, this is actually going to happen.” To listen back and realise that I can hold pitch, I'm in key and it's just me... it was liberating.”
We’ve come to the end of our gallery visit, and before we say our goodbyes, I ask McCall what about Reverence he is the most proud of. He pauses to think before answering.
“It was nice to believe in each other. It’s funny, because we all failed at school and we were still judging ourselves on the fact that we’re not actually musicians because we don't know music theory. In reality, we should have been trusting ourselves the whole time.” | {
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When Star Wars came out in 1977, nobody knew it would become the classic that we all recognize today. Some people were skeptical, for sure. But few reviewers were as hilariously savage as John Simon, with New York Magazine, who called it “a set of giant baubles manipulated by an infant mind.”
Top image: New York Magazine, 1977.
Here are some choice passages from Simon’s review, which you can read over at Google Books:
I sincerely hope that science and scientists differ from science fiction and its practitioners. Heaven help us if they don’t: We may be headed for a very boring world indeed. Strip Star Wars of its often striking images and its high-falutin scientific jargon, and you get a story, characters, and dialogue of overwhelming banality, without even a “future” cast to them. Human beings, anthropoids, or robots, you could probably find them all, more or less like, that, in downtown Los Angeles today... O dull new world! We are treated to a galactic civil war, assorted heroes and villains, a princely maiden in distress, a splendid old man surviving from an extinct order of knights who possessed a mysterious power called “the Force,” and it is all as exciting as last year’s weather reports.... Why, even the most exciting fight is an old-fashioned duel, for all that the swords have laser beams for blades.... Here it is all trite characterization and paltry verbiage... The one exception is Alec Guinness as the grand old man Ben Kenobi (Ben for the Hebrew ben, to make him sound Biblical and good; Kenobi probably from cannibis, i.e., hashish, for reasons you can probably guess.)... Still, Star Wars will do very nicely for those lucky enough to be children or unlucky enough never to have grown up.
Ouch.
Also found on Google Books: a 1983 article from Texas Monthly, which takes issue with a May 23, 1983 Time Magazine cover story about Return of the Jedi. Apparently, Time insisted that Return of the Jedi “represents a return to striding form after the lunging missteps of The Empire Strikes Back.” (The actual Time Magazine article isn’t online, and I haven’t had time to look for it in the library.) | {
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O jovem deficiente que conseguiu doutorado em Física graças à ajuda das mãos de sua mãe
Crédito, La Tercera Legenda da foto, Suas palavras podem engasgar às vezes. Seus movimentos das penas e braços nem sempre são fluidos. Mas sua mente é veloz.
Não chorou. Assim que David Valenzuela saiu do ventre de sua mãe, por uma cesárea de emergência, ele não chorou. Sua mãe, Sara Díaz, logo se deu conta disso e estranhou.
Ela pediu que mostrassem seu filho. Foi então que o médico disse as palavras que nunca esqueceu, mesmo 30 anos depois:
"Sara, o menino está um pouco mal. Ele se asfixiou ao nascer".
******
David Sebastián Valenzuela Díaz é um homem com senso de humor, que sorri com frequência e pede explicações de tudo. Ele gosta de desafiar seu interlocutor. Faz perguntas que exigem inteligência nas respostas. Pede explicações até de detalhes. Mas jamais o faz de maneira brusca. David Valenzuela é uma pessoa amável, um tipo caloroso.
É magro, de cabelo escuro e sobrancelhas grossas.
Quando precisa se mover, as coisas são mais difíceis. Ele caminha firme, mas a seu modo: levanta rápido a coxa e a panturrilha, e dobra o joelho antes de apoiar o pé outra vez no chão. Primeiro uma perna, depois a outra. Assim, com paciência, como se estivesse marchando, segue seus passos.
Quando conversa, é preciso ouvi-lo com atenção, sem apressá-lo. Fala devagar e tem dificuldade de vocalizar algumas letras.
Suas palavras às vezes podem sair engasgadas. Seus movimentos nas pernas e nos braços nem sempre são fluidos. Mas sua mente é veloz.
*******
Sara Díaz é de Copiapó, no Chile. Aos 18 anos, mudou-se para Antofagasta, para estudar Pedagogia em História. Lá conheceu Francisco Valenzuela, que era da Força Aérea. Eles se casaram, formaram família e Sara engravidou. Uma gravidez sem problemas, ela conta.
Tinham concordado que o bebê nasceria em Copiapó. Quando tinha oito meses e uma semana de gravidez, enquanto fazia exercícios num consultório, Sara teve um sangramento no nariz. Sua pressão disparou. Orientaram que repousasse, mas ela não melhorou. Nesse mesmo dia, ela foi internada e preparada para uma cesárea de emergência.
"Ao aplicarem a anestesia, a pressão foi ao chão", lembra Sara. "Por isso ocorreu o problema com David. Porque quando há menos pressão, há também menos oxigênio no corpo. Ouvi os médicos discutirem antes de tirarem o bebê. Um dizia que o bebê estava sofrendo; outro dizia que eu também estava em risco", lembra Sara.
David Valenzuela nasceu a 20 minutos para a meia-noite de 11 de setembro de 1986; e não chorou. Por causa da asfixia ao nascer, teve uma nota baixa no teste de Apgar, exame clínico que avalia a vitalidade de um recém-nascido. O filho de Sara somou entre 2 e 4 pontos. O normal é a partir de 7.
Com o passar das horas, começou a reagir. Respirou sozinho. Começou a mover-se. Mantiveram-no vários dias na incubadora; e o neonatologista aconselhou Sara que o observasse pelos meses seguintes. Disse a ela que a asfixia tinha sido considerável.
Sara se dedicou à tarefa de observar seu filho. E começou a notar coisas: que ele não chorava de fome ou frio; que não podia se sentar, pois o corpo caía para um lado; que quando ela pegava seus braços, ele se levantava em posição rígida. Depois de consultar vários médicos, um neurologista infantil em Santiago (do Chile) foi direto, disse que o menino tinha uma lesão que afetava todas as suas extremidades e sugeriu que fosse imediatamente submetido a um processo de reabilitação. David tinha 1 ano de idade.
Sara Díaz se lembra: "Eu perguntei se o menino ia caminhar, e o médico me disse que a pergunta certa era se ele ia se deslocar de alguma forma, e ele acreditava que sim. Perguntei se ia falar. Ele me disse que a pergunta certa era se ia se comunicar, e ele acreditava que sim, porque era um menino cheio de vida".
********
Crédito, La Tercera Legenda da foto, Mãe e filho assistiram juntos a aulas de cálculo, álgebra, geometria, entre outras
David Valenzuela é inspirado. Qualquer história, qualquer pensamento, ele conta com um pouco de poesia. Como quando se lembra da infância em Copiacó, com sua mãe e uma tia lhe ensinando as cores, as letras, os números, as figuras geométricas. Ele tinha sonhos em que era piloto de avião.
"Me custou a entender este sonho. Demorei 20 anos para entendê-lo. Porque no final das contas o avião sou eu, e tenho que batalhar. De uma ou de outra forma sou o piloto. Eu conduzo este corpo e devo ultrapassar seus limites; ou seja, voar. Sempre tive consciência da minha deficiência e no final entendi porque sonhava com um avião: porque meu espírito deve ser livre. Meu avião é meu espírito, que deve voar.
*******
Ele entrou para o colégio aos 7 anos, no segundo ano básico. Pelo estímulo recebido em casa, já sabia ler e seu nível de matemática - sua matéria favorita - correspondia a de um aluno do sétimo ano. Como na escola não permitiram que sua mãe o acompanhasse, Sara contratou uma assistente para que ficasse com ele nas horas escolares. O menino falava com muita dificuldade, não caminhava sozinho - só faria isso ao completar 13 anos - e não escrevia. Precisava de alguém a seu lado para o ajudar a se locomover, tomar notas, que o levasse ao recreio e lhe desse a merenda.
Terminou o básico com média 7. Sua mãe não quis que fosse dispensado de nenhuma matéria, nem mesmo educação física: desenvolveram para David uma rotina especial - sem corridas ou obstáculos - pela qual era avaliado. Os êxitos acadêmicos se repetiram na escola Mercedes Fritis, de Copiapó, onde terminou com 6,9 e prêmio de melhor aluno. Nesses anos, teve o acompanhamento de uma assistente para fazer o que o corpo de David não era capaz.
David Valenzuela passou anos pensando o que queria ser na vida: físico. Sua mãe, que achava que uma carreira em humanas seria mais fácil para um deficiente, não conseguiu dissuadi-lo. A decisão estava tomada.
Quando seu filho estava no último ano do colégio, em 2004, viajaram a Santiago e chegaram ao campus San Joaquín da Universidade Católica (UC). Ali funciona a Faculdade de Física. Tiveram uma entrevista com o diretor de ensino, Rafael Benguria.
A mãe expôs suas apreensões. Especialmente pelos trabalhos de laboratório, que requerem habilidades motoras refinadas. Benguria a tranquilizou: David seria muito bem-vindo. E com relação aos laboratórios, o acadêmico foi prático: ali os trabalhos eram feitos em duplas; e David podia ser o que pensava e o outro, o que executava as funções.
No ano seguinte, David conseguiu a pontuação na PSU (equivalente ao vestibular brasileiro) para entrar em Física na UC e se tornou o primeiro deficiente a cursar a carreira na universidade.
Seu pai ficou em Copiapó; ele e sua mãe se mudaram para Santiago. Alugaram um pequeno apartamento nos arredores do campus, o mesmo em que vivem há 12 anos. E não era apenas isso. Sara se tornaria as mãos que David precisava - pois ele não pode usar as suas - para seguir seu sonho de se tornar físico.
*******
David Valnzuela desenvolveu uma noção própria de felicidade. Sua mãe diz que David acorda todo dia feliz, que não reclama de nada, que sempre devolve um sorriso.
Ele diz que é pelo seguinte: "Ser feliz é uma decisão, não algo que ocorre às vezes. Ser feliz é aprender a navegar pelas estrelas. A gente normalmente busca o dia, o sol, e se desespera com a escuridão. Mas a pessoa realmente feliz olha para as estrelas e segue caminhando. A felicidade não é uma emoção, é um estado de consciência. É libertar-se de tudo. É igual à chuva, à noite, ao inverno. Eu sou feliz porque decidi sê-lo. Aprendi a navegar na noite, entre as estrelas".
******
Na universidade, David Valenzuela não precisou mais de assistentes que o acompanhassem às aulas. Esse papel foi assumido por sua mãe, autorizada pela UC, porque era quem mais conhecia seu filho, quem melhor sabia guiá-lo e que cuidaria de seu estado físico. Nesse último quesito, era insubstituível. Desde que seu filho era criança, Sara fez todos os exercícios aconselhados por terapeutas. Chegou a comprar um atlas da anatomia humana.
"Para estimular sua boca tinha que fazer movimentos circulares, porque os músculos dali funcionam dessa forma. Para falar, são usados 32 músculos diferentes", diz, como especialista.
Durante os cinco anos de estudos de graduação universitária de seu filho, Sara foi com ele a todas as aulas. Eles se sentavam juntos, sempre na frente. Ela anotava o que os professores escreviam no quadro negro, enquanto David escutava o que era explicado.
Sara escrevia; David prestava atenção. Sara conferia fórmulas, sinais e números que não entendia; David - que é rápido para os cálculos mentais e tem uma memória privilegiada - resolvia os exercícios de cabeça. Sempre tinha o resultado antes que sua mãe terminasse de escrever.
"Eu fui as mãos de David. Anotava tudo, que é o que fazem as mãos, embora não entendesse. Também não me esforcei para entender; não queria que o meu conhecimento interferisse no do meu filho. Me limitava a escrever o texto do quadro e, nas provas, a anotar o que David me dizia. Ele era o cérebro", disse Sara.
David concorda. "Na prática, foi assim. Eu prestava atenção, ela escrevia. O que não quer dizer que ela não entenda. Quando alguém quer entender, entende."
Mãe e filho assistiram juntos às aulas de cálculo, álgebra, geometria, mecânica clássica, equações diferenciais e teoria eletromagnética, entre outras. David terminou o curso com 6,1. Entre os "top 10" de sua geração.
*******
Em 2011, David começou seu doutorado em Física. Nos cinco anos seguintes, cada vez que tinha uma aula, sua mãe o acompanhava. Sempre da mesma forma: ela escrevia, ele escutava. Terminou em junho do ano passado, com nota 7 em sua tese. Hoje está se candidatando a um pós-doutorado, que pode ser em Valdívia, ou no México.
"Ou onde quer que seja", diz David. Sua mãe disse que o acompanhará. Que é um compromisso. Que estará com ele até que seu filho consiga ter uma vida independente num lugar com as comodidades necessárias à sua deficiência.
"Ainda que...", diz Sara, antes de respirar fundo e continuar. "Ainda que acredite que sempre vamos viver juntos. Tenho minha vida feita com ele. Nunca me rebelei nem perguntei a Deus por que comigo. Eu me sinto abençoada com o meu filho".
*******
Entre os pensamentos inspirados de David, não pode faltar um sobre a física:
"A física nasce de contemplar a natureza. Mas hoje, que aula de física inclui contemplar a natureza, pelo menos um dia? Nunca me levaram para passear numa aula de física. Sempre foi como a matemática, mas isto não é física. Tem que sair para contemplar a natureza, daí surge tudo. Se isto é esquecido, a física se torna puro número. Melhor sair para passear, olhar o céu, olhar um pássaro. Isso é física para mim."
Algo disso está na dedicatória que fez em sua tese de doutorado. Um parágrafo que faria alguns colegas torcerem o nariz, mas que deixou David Valenzuela feliz, e que diz isso:
"Ao pasto, às plantas, por me dar o descanso quando estou esgotado. Aos animais, por alegrar-me a cada dia. Graças à Terra, por me ensinar que depois de cair no chão, aprende-se a se levantar. À água, por me ensinar a flutuar, a me ajustar, a me expressar sem medo. Ao ar, aos ventos, por me ensinar que grandes mudanças são originadas por ações pequenas, imperceptíveis, mas constantes. Ao fogo, por me ensinar que nada é mais poderoso que a vontade. E como diz um trecho do poema 'Invictus', atribuído a William Ernest Henley: 'Agradeço a quaisquer sejam os deuses por minha alma inconquistável'". | {
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You've probably read the horror stories about sexting that are popping up all over the news, but what exactly is sexting? Is it something I should worry about as a parent? Who's actually sexting? Is it really a problem? Don't worry, we'll help you learn everything you need to know about sexting slang. Recent studies claim that as much as 39% of teens and 59% of young adults have sexted at least once.
Sexting is defined as the act of sending sexually explicit messages or images between cell phones. It's the modern equivalent of what we older people used to call phone sex. Sexting is a combination of the words "sex" and "texting" and originated in the early 2000's as people became equipped with camera phones. Unlike phone sex however, sexting leaves very little to the imagination.
Sexting is a natural progression among couples. It can be fun and playful - but it can also have consequences for teens. If you suspect your teen is sexting, you should talk to them about the dangers of sending out pictures.
In most states, teens caught with "sexting pictures" on their phones can actually be charged with possession of child porn - even if they themselves are under 18, and sometimes even if the images are of themselves.
It's also a good idea to remind your teen that those images can be permanent. It may seem fun and risky to send sexy pictures to a current boyfriend, but what happens if the relationship ends? Can that person really be trusted not to do anything with those images? It's not a chance your teen should take.
Common Sexting Slang Terms | {
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Josh Brook skating next to Xavier Ouellet during the first day of Montreal Canadiens training camp on Friday afternoon doesn’t raise the eyebrows or alarm bells that Victor Mete did next to Shea Weber a year ago.
But that doesn’t mean the feat isn’t notable.
Brook attending camp without an entry-level contract (along with Cale Fleury, who is in a completely different, yet similar, situation) is something that the Canadiens haven’t had at camp in at least the last three seasons. Last year, as an example, Victor Mete already had his NHL contract signed, as did Mikhail Sergachev the year before. Other junior players have attended camp without a contract, but they were not drafted by the team.
Brook and Fleury are invariably linked, but many forget that Brook was the second player the Canadiens chose in the 2017 Draft — ahead even of Joni Ikonen. Most of that is due to injuries that have limited Brook’s playing time and, by his own admission, affected his play when he did suit up.
“I think [the injury] affected my play a lot last year,” he said last week at the team’s rookie camp. “I didn’t feel like I was as strong on the puck, just lifting sticks. I feel like I had a lot more to give last year, but I didn’t have it. I didn’t have the strength.”
“I had the surgery done and I guess I came back too early and I didn’t do enough to get it better,” he said.
The procedure was needed to repair the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (ECU) tendon in his wrist. Injuries to this tendon are common in tennis players, and affect the pinky side of the wrist. Symptoms of an ECU injury, like Brook mentions, could include a loss of grip strength.
Brook missed the on-ice sessions at development camp and Team Canada’s summer showcase to rest the wrist. He played one pre-season game in the WHL prior to rookie camp, and scored a goal.
Before receiving the invite to camp, Brook felt that the NHL was a bit out of reach in 2018-19.
“I don’t know,” he said when asked if he could make the jump to the NHL this year. “It’s tough [...] Obviously that’s the ultimate goal, but if not, I just want to go back and dominate Junior.”
Brook, if he returns to the WHL would have a chance to crack Team Canada’s World Junior team. It helps that Tim Hunter, his coach with the Moose Jaw Warriors, is Team Canada’s head coach.
“I definitely want to make that team,” he told Eyes On The Prize at the team’s development camp in July. “But it’s something I need to work for.”
His coach at the Canadiens rookie camp, Joël Bouchard, has known Brook since he was 16 years old due to his role with Hockey Canada’s junior program. He believes that the defenceman can play at that level.
“He has made a nice progression,” Bouchard said. “He has good feet, he does good things and it’s a journey like it is for most players. He has potential and he’s a young player we have our eye on.”
Brook doesn’t have the option to go to the AHL. It’s either the NHL or a return to Junior, but for now he gets an extended look at a training camp at the pro level and get a taste of the level that he hopes to one day achieve. | {
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Image copyright Impossible Foods Image caption It looks like meat, it even bleeds. But does it taste meaty enough to convert committed carnivores?
The meat industry is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions and deforestation, and a huge consumer of water. But can lab-grown veggie alternatives wean us off our addiction to red meat? Silicon Valley tech companies are betting on it.
Evan McCormack, 19, is staring at a big juicy burger on his plate at a local cafe. It looks like meat. It smells like meat. It even bleeds like meat. But it's not.
"I like how juicy and crunchy it is, compared to a lot of other veggie burgers," he says. "I think the texture is a big part of it."
Made from ingredients such as wheat, coconut oil and potatoes by Impossible Foods in Silicon Valley, this burger might even fool his meat-loving friends at college, he believes.
The firm's chief executive Pat Brown has ambitious plans to replace animals completely as "a food production technology" by 2035.
Image caption Evan McCormack liked "how juicy and crunchy" his Impossible Burger was
His main motivation? The environment.
He views farmed animals like little factories, and seethes about the existing meat, fish and dairy industries.
"That technology is the most destructive technology on earth - more than fossil fuel production, the transportation system, mining and logging," he claims.
"It's a major source of greenhouse gases, and the biggest user and polluter of water."
He has a point. Livestock production is responsible for 18% of total greenhouse gases, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). And animal protein requires 11 times the amount of fossil fuel to produce compared to plant protein, says the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Huge swathes of Amazonian forest have been cleared for cattle rearing in Brazil
Ancient forests in the Amazon and elsewhere are being decimated to make way for pasture land and feed crops.
But the industry also employs more than a billion people and provides a third of the world's protein, the FAO says. Meat production was 229m tonnes at the turn of the Millennium, but is forecast to double to 465m tonnes by 2050.
So Mr Brown has his work cut out for him.
The Impossible Burger may be proving popular with the environmentalists and vegetarians of Silicon Valley, but for now it's only available in select restaurants across the US.
The company produces about 500,000 pounds of burgers a month at its Oakland factory and plans to ramp up production for supermarkets by 2020. It's also working on fish products.
Image caption Machines at Impossible Foods creating the plant protein heme, a key ingredient
Mr Brown's team of biochemists has found a way to mass-produce heme - a plant-based iron-containing molecule that resembles blood. It's literally the "secret sauce" that gives the burger its competitive advantage.
The team has adapted existing technologies, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and texture probes, to analyse the smell, taste and texture of meat. It then replicates it in the lab using plant-based proteins.
Impossible claims tests among meat lovers have shown their burger to be indistinguishable from meat 47% of the time. They're striving to break the 50% barrier.
"We have to produce products that do a better job of pleasing consumers than the current technology does or we fail," says Mr Brown.
Scaling up is a big challenge, so the company is eagerly looking for partners.
Image caption Chingyao Yang shows off one of Just Inc's robots that help speed up food development
Another way of producing meat is literally to grow it in the lab from animal cells. This "in vitro" or "clean meat" approach is being pursued by two Silicon Valley companies - Memphis Meats and Just Inc.
At the Just lab, automation engineer Chingyao Yang introduces me to the robots that speed up analysis of molecular interaction. Essentially, they're fast-tracking molecular recipes.
"We're using data and algorithms to increase the probability of discoveries," says Mr Yang.
Then senior scientist Vitor Espirito Santo shows off shelves of fridge-like containers agitating flasks filled with cells marinating in experimental "growth cocktails."
An artist rendering shows a Brave New World vision of tall vats and slabs of steak on conveyor belts.
"This is our farm for the clean meat production," says Mr Espirito Santo. "The scale matches the biggest slaughterhouse in the US, but instead of cows it has 200,000 litre [50,000 gallon] bioreactors.
More Technology of Business
Image copyright Magnum Photos
"Bioprinting will make products like steaks, chicken... everything you can imagine in terms of meat."
He says the company will release its first ground meat later in 2018, with higher complexity products coming over the next few years.
"Kobe beef and chicken breast is at the end of the road ...we'll get there," he says.
Across the San Francisco Bay, Memphis Meats is famous for its $18,000 "clean" meatball. Chief executive Uma Valeti tells me his mantra is: "Better meat, less heat!"
Image copyright Memphis Meats Image caption Memphis Meats develops meat products grown from animal cells
By growing meat in the lab, he hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from meat production by up to 90%.
With funding from Bill Gates and Richard Branson, as well as traditional meat suppliers Cargill and Tyson Foods, Memphis Meats has some serious money behind it.
And the meat substitute market generally is forecast to grow 8.4% a year from 2015, says Allied Market Research, reaching a value of $5.2bn by 2020.
But can these tech start-ups really take on the formidable might of the global meat industry?
Back at the cafe, Evan McCormack's father Richard, who's been vegetarian for decades, is less enthusiastic about the Impossible Burger than his son. He thinks it's indistinguishable from other veggie patties.
"It's three dollars more than the standard burger!" he complains. "Why? Because it has a little red flag in it?" | {
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Siri, Apple Inc's virtual assistant for iOS, made its maiden speech to the British Parliament Tuesday morning, after interrupting a politician during an important statement at the House of Commons.
U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson was left baffled and embarrassed after his iPhone "heckled" him while he was giving members of parliament an update on the fight against Daesh.
Williamson fumbled to locate the familiar voice speaking from his right breast pocket, which appeared to say "I found something on the web for Syrian democratic forces supported by."
Speaker John Bercow then interrupted, saying "what a very rum business that is," which drew chuckles and laughs from MPs.
After recovering his phone, Williamson said "I'm not sure what caused that intervention, I do apologize for that. It is very rare that you're heckled by your own mobile phone."
"On this occasion it is a new parliamentary convention, without a doubt."
"So if I may proceed, Mr. Speaker, without the help and support of Siri," he said, laughing off the matter.
Later in the day, the cabinet minister took to Twitter to joke about the incident, saying he must ask his 13-year-old daughter how to use his new iPhone.
The untimely interruption was most likely caused by Siri confusing the word "Syria" with "Hey, Siri," which activates the artificial intelligence assistant.
However, this was not the first time Siri intervened in the British political scene.
In April, Transport Minister Jo Johnson also experienced a similar interruption during an appearance on BBC's Question Time.
Caught off guard and momentarily angered by Siri, he declared "this is technology interfering." | {
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Tells him they are going to be late Let me get my fire extinguisher
321 shares | {
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Metal matrix composites (MMC) are materials comprising at least two parts: (i) metal (ii) ceramic fiber, organic material or another metal. MMC consists of a metal matrix that is reinforced with a filler material to improve mechanical performance of the composite material. Components and parts produced from MMC are used in various end-user industries including ground transportation, electronics/thermal management, aerospace, defense, marine, and nuclear. Aluminum MMC, nickel MMC, refractory MMC and others are the key product segments of MMC. The global MMC market generated revenue of USD 228.7 million in 2012 and is expected to reach USD 357.3 million by 2019, expanding at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2013 to 2019.
The refractory MMC segment accounted for the largest share of the global MMC market in 2012, followed by aluminum MMC and nickel MMC. The refractory MMC segment of the global MMC market generated revenue of USD 92.8 million in 2012 and is anticipated to reach USD 147.3 million in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2013 to 2019. It is also the fastest growing product segment in the MMC market. Furthermore, the aluminum segment is anticipated to record decent growth over the next six years led by rising demand for aluminum MMC from automotive and aerospace industries.
The ground transportation segment was the largest end-user segment of MMC in 2012. The ground transportation segment generated revenue of USD 119.6 million in 2012 and is projected to reach USD 184.2 million in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2013 to 2019. The ground transportation segment was followed by electronics/thermal management industry, which is likely to be the fastest growing end-user segment in the global MMC market. Ground transportation and electronics/thermal management segments are anticipated to grow significantly in the next few years due to high demand from automotive and electronics industries globally. Additionally, demand for MMC from other end-users, including nuclear industry and industrial equipment manufacturers, is expected to increase at a decent rate in the next six years.
The global MMC market is segmented based on regions. North America represents the largest market for the MMC industry. Rising demand for various types of MMC from automotive and aerospace industries in the U.S. is estimated to drive the market in North America. Asia Pacific was the second largest market for MMC, followed by Europe and RoW. Asia Pacific is predicted to be the fastest growing regional market for MMC in the next few years owing to high demand from automotive and electronics/thermal management industries in countries such as China and India.
High demand for MMC from automotive, aerospace and electronics/thermal management industry is driving the global MMC market. Aluminum MMC, which is used in the production of several automotive, aerospace and electronic components, was the largest market in terms of demand for MMC materials across the globe in 2012. Rising usage of MMC in the manufacture of lightweight and durable components for different industrial applications is expected to drive the global MMC market in the next six years. However, lower global defense revenue and negative outlook for the shipping industry worldwide may hamper market growth in the next few years. Key manufacturers of MMC include Materion Corporation, Sandvik AB, GKN PLC, 3M, Plansee SE, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Hitachi Metals, Ltd., CPS Technologies Corporation, Deutsche Edelstahlwerke GmbH and 3A Composites. | {
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The National Organization for Marriage and allies like Bishop Harry Jackson have been looking for some way to overturn marriage equality legislation that became law in the District earlier this year with overwhelming support from the city’s elected leadership. But NOM and Jackson haven’t been doing so well. On the legal front, they were handed one more major defeat this week. The DC Court of appeals rejected their claim that the Board of Elections and Ethics was wrong to prevent an anti-marriage initiative from going before voters, which the BOEE ruled would violate the city’s Human Rights Act.
From a legal perspective, that leaves only the U.S. Supreme Court as a possible avenue for appeal, which Jackson’s lawyers at the Alliance Defense Fund say they’re “strongly considering.” But NOM is not leaving things to the courts. We’ve reported that in recent months that the National Organization for Marriage has been pouring money into DC elections. Turns out that was just a start.
Now they’re planning an even bigger investment in DC politics. In an email yesterday, NOM’s Brian Brown took a break from bragging about the launch of his anti-equality bus tour across America to announce this: | {
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Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
A comedian who stars on the popular television show “The League” apologized on Wednesday for lying for years by saying that he worked in the World Trade Center and escaped death on Sept. 11, 2001.
Steve Rannazzisi, who also appears in ads for Buffalo Wild Wings that are a fixture of the NCAA basketball tournament and other sports on TV, called it a “terrible mistake” that was “profoundly disrespectful” to the victims of the terror attack.
Stephen Rannazzisiz attends the premiere of FXX's "The League" final season. Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic via Getty Images file
He apologized after The New York Times presented him with evidence that the story was fiction.
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Rannazzisi, 37, has described working for the investment bank Merrill Lynch on the 54th floor of the south tower and escaping to the street after the first plane stuck the north tower.
In fact, The Times reported, Rannazzisi was working in Midtown Manhattan, miles from the World Trade Center, and not for Merrill Lynch. The bank has no record of his employment and did not have an office in either tower, the newspaper reported.
Rannazzisi described the close call as motivation to quit his job, move to Los Angeles and become an entertainer. Rannazzisi wrote on Twitter that he began telling the story after the move, shortly after Sept. 11.
In a 2009 interview with Marc Maron, the host of the podcast “WTF,” Rannazzisi said he was still haunted.
“I still have dreams of, like — you know those falling dreams?” he said.
“The League,” which began airing on FX in 2009 and later moved to FXX, is a comedy show about players in a fantasy football league. Buffalo Wild Wings told the newspaper it was “revaluating our relationship with Steve.”
Rannazzisi apologized in nine consecutive posts on Twitter:
As a young man, I made a mistake that I deeply regret and for which apologies may still not be enough. — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
After I moved with my wife to Los Angeles from New York City in 2001 shortly after 9/11, I told people that I was in one of the World Trade — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
Center towers on 9/11. It wasn’t true. I was in Manhattan but working in a building in midtown and I was not at the Trade Center on that day — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
I don’t know why I said this. This was inexcusable. I am truly, truly sorry. For many years, more than anything, I have wished that, with — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
silence, I could somehow erase a story told by an immature young man.It only made me more ashamed. How could I tell my children to be honest — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
when I hadn't come clean about this? — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
it is to the victims of 9/11 and to the people that love them--and the people that love me--that I ask for forgiveness. — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
It was profoundly disrespectful to those who perished and those who lost loved ones. The stupidity and guilt I have felt for many years has — Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015 | {
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Technology companies that want to sell equipment to Chinese banks will have to submit to extensive audits, turn over source code, and build “back doors” into their hardware and software, according to a copy of the rules obtained by foreign companies already doing billions of dollar worth of business in the country. The new rules were laid out in a 22-page document from Beijing, and are presumably being put in place so that the Chinese government can peek into computer banking systems.
Details about the new regulations, which were reported in The New York Times today, are a cause for concern, particularly to Western technology companies. In 2015, the China tech market is expected to account for 43 percent of tech-sector growth worldwide. With these new regulations, foreign companies and business groups worry that authorities may be trying to push them out of the fast-growing market. According to the Times, the groups—which include the US Chamber of Commerce—sent a letter Wednesday to a top-level Communist Party committee, criticizing the new policies that they say essentially amount to protectionism.
The new bank rules and the reaction from Western corporations represent the latest development in an ongoing squabble between China and the US over cybersecurity and technology. The US government has held China responsible for a number of cyberattacks on American companies, and continues to be wary that Chinese-made hardware, software and internet services may have some built-in features that allow the Chinese government to snoop on American consumers. Meanwhile, China has used the recent disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden as proof that the US is already doing this kind of spying—and that this is reason enough to get rid of American technology in the country.
If US companies are forced out of the Chinese market, it could significantly hurt some of the biggest American tech companies—notably Apple. Its recent earnings call revealed a blockbuster quarter for the company, during which it sold a whopping 74.4 million iPhones over 90 days—or 34,000 iPhones sold every hour, every day of the quarter. The market with the biggest growth? China, where revenue grew by 70 percent in the most recent quarter from a year earlier, which is more than triple the growth rate in America and Europe.
Beyond hurting US businesses, China’s strict control over technology and internet policies could further widen the digital divide between China and the rest of the world. These regulations could hamstring hardware and software makers to choose between selling to either China or the United States, as the Times points out. In that scenario, the alternative would be to create two different versions of all hardware and software for the two countries, depending on the regulations for each.
But, according to the Times report, even if Beijing pushes the banking industry to uphold the new rules, they won’t be able to implement them immediately. Banks need billions of dollars’ worth of technology infrastructure to manage the transactions that pass through its systems, and Chinese companies don’t yet have the ability to support production on that level. | {
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Wien. Temperaturen von 1,9 Grad über dem vieljährigen Mittel und um 22 Prozent weniger Niederschlag: Der heurige Sommer (die Meteorologen betrachten dabei die Monate Juni, Juli, August) war ein Sommer der Rekorde. Laut Florian Pfurtscheller vom privaten Wetterdienst Ubimet wird er voraussichtlich der viertheißeste der 252-jährigen Messgeschichte sein. Bleibt es heute, Donnerstag, und morgen kühler, werde er ganz knapp hinter dem Sommer 2017 zu liegen kommen, der um zwei Grad heißer als das vieljährige Mittel war.
Auffallend sei, dass die Top vier der heißesten Sommer des Landes vom Jahr 2003 (2,9 Grad über dem Mittel) angeführt werden, gefolgt von 2015, 2017 und eben 2018. Auch 1993 und 1994 waren heiß, die elf heißesten Sommer der Messgeschichte wurden aber alle seit dem Jahr 2000 registriert.
Diese Kulmination an Hitzesommern nach der Jahrtausendwende sei dem Klimawandel geschuldet, der damit für alle spürbar werde, sagt Pfurtscheller. Heiße und noch heißere Sommer werden zur Norm werden. Über das gesamte Jahr gerechnet ist es in Österreich schon um fast zwei Grad wärmer als im Jahr 1880, wobei sich der Anstieg in den vergangenen 20 Jahren deutlich beschleunigt hat.
Die höchste Temperatur, die in Österreich je gemessen wurde, hält bei 40,5 Grad Celsius in Neusiedl am See 2013. Heuer war es am 9. August in Haag in Niederösterreich mit 38 Grad am heißesten. Anders als im Vorjahr war es zudem außergewöhnlich trocken. Durch die verregneten Augusttage und den feuchten Juni zeichnet sich allerdings nur ein Platz unter den 20 trockensten Sommern ab. An der Spitze liegt der Sommer 1873 mit 32 Prozent weniger Niederschlag als im Mittel.
"Wetter und Klima darf man nicht vermischen"
Der Kaltlufteinbruch am Wochenende, der die Schneefallgrenze unter 1000 Meter Seehöhe sinken ließ, sei indes nicht ungewöhnlich, so Pfurtscheller. Es gab zwar erstmals Schnee im August in Bad Gastein, und die Nacht auf Montag war die kälteste Augustnacht seit 1998, daraus könne man aber noch keine Rückschlüsse auf das Klima ziehen.
Wetter und Klima dürfe man generell nicht vermischen, sagt dazu Manfred Dorninger vom Institut für Meteorologie und Geophysik an der Uni Wien. Grundsätzlich vergleiche man immer Perioden von je 30 Jahren, um Klima-Änderungen festzustellen. Einige wenige, extrem heiße Sommer würden dadurch lediglich in die Kategorie Klimafluktuation und nicht Klimawandel fallen. "Dass die letzte Dekade aber nur so gestrotzt hat von überdurchschnittlichen Sommern, ist schon ein Indikator dafür, dass sich der Klimawandel etabliert hat."
An den Gletschern und dem arktischen Polareis sehe man den Klimawandel besonders deutlich. Denn diese haben ein "langes Gedächtnis". "Ist es einmal kurz sehr heiß und dann wieder normal warm, merkt man nichts. Gibt es aber gehäuft warme Sommer, geht das Eis zurück", so Dorninger. Diesen Rückgang, über mehrere Jahre beobachtet, könne man als Parameter heranziehen.
Österreich, zu einem großen Teil von den Alpen geformt, sei dadurch besonders vom Klimawandel betroffen. Denn mit dem Rückgang der Gletscher potenziert sich die Hitzewirkung: Wo vorher noch weißes Eis war, das die Sonnenstrahlen reflektierte, absorbiert diese nun dunkles Geröll. "Das führt zu einer komplett anderen Energiebilanz." In einem noch viel größeren Ausmaß passiere das in der Arktis. Denn auch offenes Wasser, zu dem das Arktis-Eis zerfließt, absorbiere die Strahlen.
"Das Klima hat immer wieder Überraschungen bereit"
Eine wesentliche Rolle spielt dabei das Treibhausgas CO 2 , das die Wärmestrahlung aufnimmt, die von der Erdoberfläche und der Atmosphäre abgestrahlt wird. Ozeane absorbieren etwa ein Drittel des CO 2 , das Menschen durch das Verheizen fossiler Brennstoffe erzeugen. Die Aufnahmefähigkeit der Ozeane ist jedoch begrenzt - und am Limit. Beim Auftauen des Permafrostbodens wird Dorninger zufolge zudem Methan frei: ein sehr starkes Treibhausgas.
Wohin das führen und was das für Österreich bedeuten könnte, will und kann Dorninger nicht vorhersagen. Denn: "Jetzt wird es einmal wärmer - aber das Klima hat auch immer wieder Überraschungen bereit." | {
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A MAN has stumbled across a shoe suitable for a regular human being at TK Maxx.
Stephen Malley was shopping on his own in Peterborough when he believes he spotted the normal-looking item of footwear,
Malley said: “It was a brown loafer. It looked to be around a 10 or 11. When I looked around again it was gone.
“I didn’t tell anyone at the time because I knew nobody would believe me. When I got home my wife knew something was up straight away, and that’s when I called the media.”
It is the first claimed sighting of a shoe fit for a human being in a TK Maxx since 2004. The footage of a size 9 Reebok from 2014 has been discredited as a hoax.
A spokesman for TK Maxx said: “There hasn’t been a single shoe that would fit a human foot for sale since we opened in the UK, let alone a pair of them. We only sell weird foreign chocolates, distressing wooden carvings and jumpers with three arms.” | {
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“People are really starting to understand the impact of what a power outage means to them, and it is changing their behavior,” says Melanie Tydrich, a senior manager at Kohler, which sells kitchen and bath appliances and standby generators, among other things. “It’s just not something they want to live through again.”
LAURA GIANGERUSO, the mother of two girls, 4 weeks old and 7 years old, certainly fits that description.
In the wake of the storm, Ms. Giangeruso, who is 42 and lives in Glen Ridge, N.J., spent nine of 10 nights living with relatives because her house had no power. With a newborn, she says, she had little choice but to leave. But she says the solution became obvious during a visit with her sister, who lives nearby.
“It was like a miracle,” she says. “The power went out, and then in like 30 seconds, I heard this hum.” She lifts her hands from her hips upward, along her sides. “And then the power came on.”
So now she is leading an electrical contractor through her home’s cold and dark basement, pointing out the electric box and meter, all so she can get an estimate on a standby generator of her own. A neighbor, Chris Nehrbauer, tags along, partly to be neighborly but partly because he is getting an estimate next.
Jack Lamb, the contractor, who works for Bloomfield Cooling, Heating and Electric, says he has been working nonstop since the storm, providing estimates. When he shows up for an estimate, often four or five neighbors are waiting, he says, adding that he is booked through Jan. 8.
Ms. Giangeruso, who notes that last year, after the “Snowtober storm” on Halloween, her house was powerless for six days. “If we are talking in the neighborhood of $6,000, it is worth every dollar. If I could get it right now, I’d write a check,” she says. “The wives in this area don’t want jewelry for Christmas. They want generators.” | {
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The story was originally broken worldwide by Frank Report – the November 4th massacre of three women and six children, members of the LeBaron clan that farms land in Sonora in the northern Mexico.
Seven other children survived by hiding by the roadside.
The children who were killed ranged in age from eight months old to 12 years old. They lived in Mexico as dual citizens until they came under fire from suspected cartel members while en route to a wedding.
Frank Report had the story out – which was soon picked up around the world – before the authorities arrived at the murder scene some 10 hours after the murders occurred.
The family was caravanning in three SUVs when gunmen opened fire on the vehicles, causing one to ignite. The other two vehicles came to a stop, where cartel gunmen shot passengers inside the car.
Now, the police chief of a small town near Mexico’s border – Janos – has been arrested on suspicion that he was involved in the massacre.
The federal authorities arrested Fidel Alejandro Villegas, police chief of Janos in the state of Chihuahua.
Villegas was arrested on suspicion of protecting organized crime in the region and of colluding in the killings, a spokesman for Mexico’s Public Security Ministry said.
Details of his alleged role in the killings were not clear.
Reports speculated the chief’s arrest has to do with his alleged links to the Juárez Cartel, which has been designated by the DEA as one of the most prominent criminal organizations in Mexico.
He is the fourth person arrested on suspicion of participating in the massacre.
It is not known if any of the actual murderers have been arrested.
The women and children, dual citizens of Mexico and the United States, were traveling in sports utility vehicles on a remote country road when they were attacked by gunmen believed to belong to an organized crime group.
It has been reported that Federal officials believe that the victims were mistaken for members of a rival group.
But others say that the murderers knew who they were killing and that water rights and the LeBaron’s activism was at the heart of the killings.
The arrest of a police chief as a conspirator in the crime is nothing new in Mexico. In a small town like Janos, the criminals have substantially more gun power than the police.
There have been 32,600 murders reported in Mexico through November.
Under pressure from the Trump administration, the Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, sought US cooperation in the case, inviting the FBI to help in the investigation.
President Trump has since vowed to crack down on cartel violence in Mexico. Officials said Mexican authorities have been working with the FBI on the matter.
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IrBM Arguments in the Media
July 19, 2013
Recently there has been a spate of discussions in the media on the upcoming Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage Law (IrBM). Some important highlights of the proposed bill are –
Divorce can now be filed as a ‘No-fault Divorce’ stating that marriage has broken down irretrievably. Husbands do not have the right to oppose the divorce petition filed by their wives, whereas the wives can oppose the divorce petition filed by the husbands. Hence, the irretrievable break down of marriage can only be claimed by a wife and not the husband as husband’s petition can be challenged by the wife. All the property of the husband that he currently owns and his ancestral property (inherited or inheritable) will be divided between the husband and the wife.
Some arguments that have been promulgated for supporting this bill during media debates are –
1) Poverty is a gender issue and primarily in India women are poor: This is a baseless argument as the data shows just the opposite. Two most important features of poverty are malnutrition and substandard healthcare due to which the life expectancy reduces and deaths due to diseases increase respectively.
i) Average Life Expectancy of women in India is higher than males at 65 as opposed to males at 62. This implies that women live longer and healthier, hence have lower malnutrition[i].
ii) Health care facilities are better for women than compared to males. WHO data shows that deaths due to diseases for males is 880 as compared to women as 780 (per 100,000). Hence, women have better access to healthcare as compared to the male counterparts[ii].
Therefore based on the above facts it is the men who live a substandard life as compared to women.
2) Stigma of Single women- they cannot rent a house in Cities: How does unable to rent a house have anything to do with property rights and divorce laws. If housing societies donot allow single women to buy / rent flats then an amendment in Co-operative Housing Society Act is required and not the passing of IrBM. These two points and issues are completely unrelated.
3) Price of Love and Price of Care that women invest in a relationship should be paid: This point has come in various debates and in various forms. Treating marriage like an economic relationship is completely incorrect. Even if we assume that the feminists are treating marriage as an economic relationship, then the wife’s due was paid by her husband during the marriage by way of providing love and care to his wife. The husband also provided for necessities like food, clothing, shelter, vacations etc… Post-divorce, there is no love / care given by the wife hence, no payment is required by the man. Any payment to wife post marriage is an ‘unjust enrichment’ to the wife.
4) It is important for the woman to have a home as 80% of women keep children: Some important questions, brought up in this point is that
i) No source has been quoted of this 80% number.
ii) Why is it only important for the woman to have a home? Why is it not important for a man to have a home? Are men disposable or are they second citizens?
iii) Why can’t the women work are create their own home? Are they not able bodied?
Baseless reasoning such as these promotes parasitism, which is not healthy for any living organism or society.
5) For the past 5000 years, women were treated as second class citizens and hence taking into account the development, their literacy rates etc… in the past 15 years is incorrect: We should all note that laws are passed keeping in mind the situation as on date not 5000 years back. As on date women are empowered, and their status 5000 years back (which we donot know is true) has no bearing to the present situation. Therefore this argument does not hold water.
6) Parents donot give any property to their daughter: If parents donot give a share of their property to their daughters then a law should be passed to enforce women’s share at their maternal homes. Why pass IrBM for that. If is akin to saying that if company ‘A’ does not pay salary to their employees then company ‘B’ is liable to pay it. This is an illogical and unfair argument in support of this bill.
7) Women give birth to babies therefore they should get the property: Every female mammal on this earth gives birth to a baby, which is how nature has made them. Asking for property rights because women give birth to babies is preposterous. Such arguments should not even be entertained by the debate show hosts.
8) In the past women were treated like chattels (property): In the past laws were not well developed as they are today. There were no human rights or any such thing. We had crude laws and property laws were the only laws that were more or less enforceable. Hence, women might have been treated like chattels to protect them in the society. Further, men were not even treated like chattel. In case of any contingency they were supposed to lay down their lives to protect their property ie. Men were SECOND to chattel. Feminists have not been able to provide any evidence to support any claim that in stable societies women were treated badly. Further, again we are discussing things of the past, today we have well established human rights and personal laws and no person is treated as chattel. Laws are to be made taking into account today’s situations and not the situation which existed 5000 years back.
9) India is a male dominated society: This argument is has many different version such as patriarchy, no representation and oppression. How do we define domination? One method of defining domination is by looking at the political representation of the group. A group with a higher political representation controls the law making and is the dominant group in a democracy. This is because the elected representatives need to do as directed by electorate. As per the Election Commission of India, the voters of India were –
Year Men (% votes) Women (% votes) Source 1999 40.01% 59.99% [iii] 2004 41.93% 58.07% [iv] 2009 45.8% 54.2% [v]
The dominant group from the above data is clearly the women of India, as they are nearly 60% of the voters, and not the men, therefore stating that India is a male dominated society is incorrect, as the data speaks otherwise.
The bill is unfair, unjust, and gender biased because of –
a) Only women have been given a right to oppose a divorce. Men cannot oppose divorce petition filed by women. This clause seems to clearly discriminate against men.
b) Only property (ancestral or owned) of men is to be divided. Property of women is not to be considered.
c) In case of a no-fault divorce, other cases such as domestic violence and 498A can continue. If it is no-fault divorce then how can other cases which have a fault continue?
d) Men are still liable to pay maintenance and alimony to women under other sections of various acts.
e) The bill seems to be against gender equality promised by the Indian Constitution under article 15.
f) Liabilities of men are not considered in case of division of property. Assume a house was bought on a bank loan, and in case of divorce, 50% of the house will be given to the woman but the man is still liable to pay the entire loan amount. This tantamount to taking away the future assets of the husband. Further, it is to be seen how would the banking sector react to this as it is a risk to their security (ie. House) which is mortgaged against the loan.
In other developed countries laws are gender neutral and have the word ‘Spouse’ in their language and not ‘Wife’ as the case in India. In developed nations each spouse shall be responsible for his or her own support. This has been kept to deter parasitism in their culture.
For example in Sweden maintenance is given when a spouse has difficulty in supporting himself or herself for a transitional period following the divorce. Such transitional maintenance provides the needy spouse with opportunities to seek gainful employment or retraining. Section 7 of Chapter 6 (Maintenance) of the Swedish Marriage Code (Aktenskapsbalken) is: “Following a divorce, each spouse shall be responsible for his or her own support. If a contribution towards the maintenance of either spouse is needed for a transitional period, that spouse shall be entitled to receive maintenance payments from the other spouse on the basis of what is reasonable in view of the latter’s ability and other circumstances.”. Further, Sweden has a concept of personal property and marital property. Property jointly acquired by the spouses is treated as marital property. An exception is there, if only one spouse acquires property, then his/her personal property may be treated as marital property.
Further, post the division of marital property, the maintenance and alimony is reduced. (ie. the clauses are not mutually exclusive) [vi].
For example in Germany: A spouse must provide for their own maintenance after divorce (Sections 1569, 1577 BGB). Maintenance may only be granted for an intermittent period till the other spouse retrains so as to be employable. Further, the networth of the spouses at the time of marriage and after the marriage is calculated. The difference is treated as marital property and property of both spouses is equally divided. An exception is there that if a spouse does not contribute in promoting the economic gain in marital property, he/she is not eligible for anything. Further, adultery and cruelty is given weightage.
In essence, both the developed nations treat the property of husband and wife separately and only joint contributed property as marital property. This comes from the tenet that all able bodied persons should be liable for their own upkeep[vii].
[vii] http://www.ejcl.org/123/art123-4.pdf Please Note: If you have any concerns with any part of this article, do feel free to comment. Your concerns will be appropriately addressed and/or modifications to the article will be made. Home Page: Stand Up for a Cause… | {
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MANILA - The recruitment agency that deployed Jeanelyn Villavende to Kuwait could lose its license over the overseas Filipino worker's (OFW) death, labor chief Silvestre Bello III said on Thursday.
Bello said in a statement that they would ask the agency to explain why it failed to act on the OFW's request for repatriation months before her death in the hands of her Kuwaiti employer.
"As early as September, she already complained about maltreatment and underpayment of salary. She also repeatedly requested the agency for repatriation, but they did not do anything," Bello said.
Villavende's family last talked to her in October. The family tried to contact her again on December 13 but her employer was the one who answered the call and said that the OFW was busy.
The employer has been detained.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will extend death and burial benefits to the OFW. Her family will likewise receive livelihood assistance and education scholarship for her youngest sibling who is in Grade 6.
"Ang pinaka-basic na karaingan ng pamilya is hustisya. So hustisya at pagpapauwi kay Jeanelyn. Alam naman natin na nakakulong ngayon ang mag-asawang employer at may kasong isinampa sa kanila," OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said.
Cacdac recently visited Norala, South Cotabato to condole with Villavende's family and extend government's help.
"We have to await the findings and the results of the investigation bago pa man makauwi si Jeanelyn," he said.
Villavende's death prompted the Philippine government to impose a partial deployment ban on new household service workers to Kuwait.
The ban is still subject to the approval of the governing board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) where Bello sits as its chair.
"This should serve as a clear message to Kuwaiti authorities. The partial ban may ripen into total deployment ban if justice for Jeanelyn Villavende is not met," Bello said. | {
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india
Updated: Jun 24, 2019 11:10 IST
While uncertainty over work visas persist with regard to the United States, Indian tech talent has been the biggest beneficiary of the Canadian government’s global skills Strategy (GSS) a program, launched in June 2017, to meet its skills demand, especially in the information technology sector.
The objective of the program was to make the country a magnet for tech talent from across the globe . Indian citizens appear to have taken advantage of the opportunity.
According to a data made available by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) at the end of December 2018, of the total 17,132 work permits approved, Indians accounted for over half of them at 9,462. Their numbers are over six times to that of next national group, China (1,420).
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
The Canadian government, pleased at the apparent success of the scheme, has made it permanent.
The top five areas that have attracted talent under this stream are all related to the knowledge economy: Computer analysts and consultants, interactive media programmers and developers, university professors and lecturers, software engineers, and those in the info systems and data processing space.
Given the expertise of Indians in these fields, they have poured into Canada under the GSS.
IRCC spokesperson Rémi Larivière said the objective of the GSS is to allow companies to access the top talent by getting high-skilled workers into our country at faster rate. | {
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QAYYARA, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State launched a major attack on the city of Kirkuk on Friday as Iraqi and Kurdish forces pursued operations to seize territory around Mosul in preparation for an offensive on the jihadists’ last major stronghold in Iraq.
Islamic State’s assault on Kirkuk, which lies in an oil- producing region, killed 18 members of the security forces and workers at a power station outside the city, including two Iranians, a hospital source said.
Crude oil production facilities were not targeted and the power supply continued uninterrupted in the city. Kirkuk is located east of Hawija, a pocket still under control of Islamic State that lies between Baghdad and Mosul.
With air and ground support from the U.S.-led coalition, Iraqi government forces captured eight villages south and southeast of Mosul. Kurdish forces attacking from the north and east also captured several villages, according to statements from their respective military commands overnight.
The offensive that started on Monday to capture Mosul is expected to become the biggest battle fought in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday Turkey and Iraq had reached an agreement in principle that could allow a Turkish role in the Mosul campaign.
Speaking in Ankara after talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Carter said the details still needed to be hammered out. NATO member Turkey sees Mosul as firmly within its sphere of influence, but Iraq views Turkish military moves on its territory with apprehension.
The United Nations says Mosul could require the biggest humanitarian relief operation in the world, with worst-case scenario forecasts of up to a million people being uprooted.
About 1.5 million residents are still believed to be inside Mosul. Islamic State has taken 550 families from villages around Mosul and is holding them close to IS locations in the city, probably as human shields, a spokeswoman for the U.N. human rights office said in Geneva.
The fighting has forced 5,640 people to flee their homes so far from the vicinity of the city, the International Organization for Migration said late on Thursday.
The Turkish Red Crescent said it was sending aid trucks to northern Iraq with food and humanitarian supplies for 10,000 people displaced by fighting around Mosul.
EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
A U.S. service member died on Thursday from wounds sustained in an improvised explosive device blast near the city.
Roughly 5,000 U.S. forces are in Iraq. More than 100 of them are embedded with Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, advising commanders and helping them ensure coalition air power hits the right targets, officials say.
However, the Kurdish military command complained that air support wasn’t enough on Thursday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, addressing anti-Islamic State coalition allies meeting in Paris via video link, said the offensive was advancing more quickly than planned.
A senior Kurdish military official told Reuters the offensive by the Iraqi and Kurdish forces was moving steadily as they push into villages on the outskirts of Mosul.
But he expected the offensive to slow as they approach the city, where Islamic State has built trenches and dug tunnels.
“I believe it will be more clear within the coming weeks ... how quickly this war will end. If they (Islamic State) decide to defend the actual city then the process will slow down.”
Once inside Mosul, Iraqi special forces would have to move painstakingly from street to street to clear explosives and booby traps, the official said.
Islamic State denied that government forces had advanced. Under the headline “The crusade on Nineveh gets a lousy start,” the group’s weekly online magazine Al-Nabaa said it repelled assaults on all fronts, killing dozens in ambushes and suicide attacks and destroying dozens of vehicles including tanks.
Slideshow ( 23 images )
In online statements, Islamic State said it launched a series of counter-attacks and four suicide bombings to take back villages that fell on Thursday to the army and the Kurds and that it had blocked all their fresh offensives.
HOLED UP
In Kirkuk, Islamic State attacked several police buildings and a power station in the early hours of Friday and some of the attackers remained holed up in a mosque and an abandoned hotel.
The militants also cut the road between the city and the power station 30 km (20 miles) to the north.
Several dozen took part in the assault, according to security sources who couldn’t confirm a claim by Islamic State that it had taken a Kurdish police officer hostage.
Slideshow ( 23 images )
The assailants in Kirkuk came from outside the city, said the head of Iraq’s Special Forces, Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, speaking on a frontline east of Mosul. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi described the killing of the Iranian citizens in Kirkuk as “the last breath of terrorists in Iraq”.
At least eight militants were killed, either by blowing themselves up or in clashes with the security forces, the security sources said. Kurdish forces had dislodged the militants from all the police and public buildings they had seized before dawn, they said.
Kurdish NRT TV footage showed machine gun fire hitting a drab two-floor building that used to be a hotel, and cars burning in a nearby street.
Islamic State claimed the attacks in online statements, and authorities declared a curfew in the city where Kurdish forces were getting reinforcements.
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters took control of Kirkuk in 2014, after the Iraqi army withdrew from the region, fleeing an Islamic State advance through northern and western Iraq.
“LONG LIVE IRAQ”
On the frontline south of Mosul, thick black smoke lingered from oil wells that Islamic State torched to evade air surveillance, in the region of Qayyara.
The army and the U.S.-led coalition took back this region in August and are using its air base as a hub to support the offensive on Mosul.
“Long live Iraq, death to Daesh,” was painted on a wall near an army checkpoint there. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
The army Humvees at the checkpoint carried Shi’ite flags, revealing that the soldiers of this unit belonged to Iraq’s majority religious community.
Flying Shi’ite flags in the predominantly Sunni Muslim region and the participation of the Popular Mobilization Force - a coalition of mostly Iranian-trained militias - in a support role to the army has raised concerns of sectarian violence and revenge killings during or after the battle.
Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday renewed a call to spare civilians.
“All those who are participating in the battle have to respect the humanitarian principles and refrain from seeking vengeance,” said a sermon delivered in Sistani’s name in the holy Shi’ite city of Kerbala by one of his representatives. | {
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The Gorillaz founding member, and bassist, Murdoc Niccals has committed a lot of crimes, but for once he openly and readily has declared his innocence. But as the world gets ready for The Gorillaz upcoming summer tour as well as their new album, The NOWNOW, the band seems to have found a new (yet) familiar green skinned replacement.
Murdoc’s plea from jail:
That replacement being Ace, leader of the Powerpuff Girls enemy, The Gangreen Gang being made known by posts from band co-creator and artist, Jamie Hewlett.
It was originally just a series of subtle clues; new images seem to indeed indicate that the infamous Townsville gang leader has joined up with the band to cover for the loss of Murdoc (Temporarily?).
Who is that creeping in the back?
it didn’t help that Hewlett posted this before sharing the art for Murdoc’s replacement.
Spotted hanging out happily with the group, it raises the question if the rest of Murdoc’s band-mates are even trying to get him out and clear his name? Niccals has committed a multitude of crimes, from instrument theft to the questionable actions of making deals with demons, even having served jail time before. But this is the first time he has claimed so strongly to be innocent.
Made even more believable by his lack of knowledge of what crime he is accused of.
This isn’t the first time The Gorillaz, and The Powerpuff Girls have crossed over. With a newspaper showing the band in the 2002 The Powerpuff Girls Movie, and Gorillaz vocalist 2-D has sported a Mojo Jojo t-shirt once.
We hope to see the music icon free one day, but lets see what Ace has got first.
#FreeMurdoc | {
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Manga creator Shinji Saijyo launched a successor to his Iron Wok Jan! (Tetsunabe no Jan!) manga in the February issue of Kadokawa's Monthly Dragon Age magazine on January 7. The manga is titled Tetsunabe no Jan!! 2nd (Iron Wok Jan!! 2nd).
The original Iron Wok Jan! manga centers on a brilliant young chef named Jan Akiyama, who works at a top class restaurant where he is constantly challenging Kiriko Gobanchō, the granddaughter of the restaurant's owner and a great chef in her own right. While Kiriko believes that food should be made with the customer in mind, Jan believes that cooking should be used for competition.
The new manga begins at a shop run by Nichidō Ōtani, a food critic with the "tongue of God." Suddenly a mysterious man with cooking utensils shows up and begins criticizing the menu. He reminds Ōtani of a certain person.
Saijyo ran the original manga in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine from 1995-2000, and Akita Shoten published 27 volumes for the series. ComicsOne published the first 13 volumes of the series in English from 2002 to 2005, before DrMaster acquired the license and published the remaining volumes from 2005 to 2007.
Saijyo also published the Tetsunabe no Jan! R: Chōjō Sakusen (Iron Wok Jan! R: The Summit Operations) manga in Weekly Shōnen Champion , and Akita Shoten published 10 compiled book volumes for the series. Bingo Morihashi launched the Tetsupai no Jan! spinoff manga in Takeshobo's Kindai Mahjong magazine in August 2015. Takeshobo published the manga's third compiled book volume in October.
Source: Comic Natalie | {
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IF you’re heading to Bathurst 1000 this weekend, we have the full event schedule for you right here.
We will be Live Blogging all the action throughout the four days of action. Don’t miss a moment!
FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER
SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER
SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER
THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER
Start End Series Session Duration 8:15 8:35 Touring Car
Masters Practice 1 20 mins 8:45 9:05 V8 Ute Racing
Series Practice 1 20 mins 9:15 9:35 Porsche Carrera
Cup Australia Practice 1 20 mins 9:45 10:05 Aussie Racing
Cars Practice 20 mins 10:15 10:55 Dunlop Series Practice 1 40 mins 11:05 11:55 V8 Supercars
Championship Practice 1 50 mins 13:15 14:00 V8 Supercars
Championship Practice 2 45 mins 14:10 14:30 Touring Car
Masters Practice 2 20 mins 14:40 15:00 V8 Ute Racing
Series Practice 2 20 mins 15:10 16:00 V8 Supercars
Championship Practice 3 500 mins 16:10 16:30 Porsche Carrera
Cup Australia Practice 2 20 mins
media_camera Red Bull racers Whincup and Lowndes tip the lap record to fall.
FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER
Start End Series Session Duration 7:30 7:50 Aussie Racing
Cars Qualifying 20 mins 8:00 8:20 Touring Car
Masters Qualifying 20 mins 8:30 8:50 V8 Ute Racing
Series Qualifying 20 mins 9:00 9:20 Porsche Carrera
Cup Australia Qualifying 20 mins 9:30 10:15 V8 Supercars
Championship Practice 4 45 mins 10:25 11:05 Dunlop Series Practice 2 40 mins 11:15 11:35 Aussie Racing
Cars Race 1 7 laps 13:10 14:00 V8 Supercars
Championship Practice 5 50 mins 14:25 14:50 Porsche Carrera
Cup Australia Race 1 10 laps 15:00 15:40 V8 Supercars
Championship Qualifying 40 mins 15:55 16:25 Dunlop Series Qualifying 30 mins 16:35 16:55 Touring Car
Masters Race 1 7 laps
media_camera Michael Caruso and Dean Fiore of the Nissan Motorsport at mount Panorama
SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER
Start End Series Session Duration 7:45 8:05 V8 Ute Racing
Series Race 1 7 laps 8:15 8:35 Aussie Racing
Cars Race 2 7 laps 9:55 10:10 Dunlop Series Warm Up 15 mins 10:20 11:10 V8 Supercars
Championship Practice 6 50 mins 13:00 14:40 Dunlop Series Wilson Medic One Enduro 41 laps 14:55 15:15 Touring Car
Masters Race 2 7 laps 15:25 15:50 Porsche Carrera
Cup Australia Race 2 10 laps 16:00 16:20 Aussie Racing
Cars Race 3 7 laps 16:30 16:50 V8 Ute Racing
Series Race 2 7 laps 17:10 17:55 V8 Supercars
Championship Top 10 Shootout 45 mins
SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER | {
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The following is a statement from the Shadow Open Market Committee’s semi-annual meeting in New York on March 20.
The economy is growing, labor markets have improved dramatically, and inflation is forecast to return to two percent over the intermediate term. However, the Fed still expresses extreme caution about normalizing monetary policy, citing myriad concerns, ranging from sluggish wage growth and low inflation to foreign economic and political risks, which might delay the date at which interest rates finally lift off their zero lower bound. This creates the potential for an erosion of the FOMC’s credibility and suggests the Fed lacks a clear strategy for getting monetary policy back on track.
Departing from the consensus that prevailed throughout the Volcker and Greenspan Fed Chairmanships, which held that a commitment to low and stable inflation is the best contribution that monetary policy can make to sustained economic growth, FOMC officials in recent years have relied on a shifting array of ad hoc labor market indicators to guide their policy actions. Not surprisingly, these labor market measures have proven unreliable and unpredictable, and have led the Fed through a series of awkward policy target changes that have added uncertainty and reduced the credibility of FOMC members’ interest rate forecasts.
To repair its damaged credibility and place its policies back on solid analytic foundations, the FOMC should place greater emphasis on its continued commitment to the two percent long-run inflation target first established in January 2012. Next, the FOMC must embody its objectives in an explicit and empirically defensible monetary policy rule.
Points 2 through 4 from the Shadow Open Market Committee’s statement of “Core Beliefs,” presented at our November 2014 meeting, identify the desirable features that any monetary policy rule ought to have. The rule must focus on the Fed’s long-run inflation target, restoring and operationalizing the Volcker-Greenspan consensus that maintaining price stability provides the most favorable backdrop against which product and labor markets function most efficiently.
The monetary policy rule should also be somewhat countercyclical, recognizing that, within limits, monetary policy can be used to stabilize output and employment over the medium term, even as it focuses principally on stabilizing prices in the long run. The policy rule will then ensure that the Fed remains accountable in achieving both sides of its statutory dual mandate.
Any workable rule must limit the set of variables to which policy responds. This imposes discipline on policymakers, avoiding the temptation of excessive fine-tuning and ensuring that the Fed remains insulated from fiscal pressures. It also helps the Fed remain forward-looking, as it must be to account for the long and variable lags with which its policies affect the economy.
Finally, the monetary policy rule should be announced publicly, so that outside observers are able to predict, monitor, and understand the Federal Reserve’s policy actions and hold the Fed accountable in meeting its stated goals. Comparing the prescriptions of the rule to the policy decisions actually made would become a productive part of the Fed Chair’s semi-annual testimony before Congress.
Within such a rules-based system, several very specific points of guidance for monetary policymakers become clear. First, historical experience tells us that whenever interest rates are too low for too long, financial markets become distorted and inflation begins to rise. After an extended period of exceptionally low policy rates, three rounds of quantitative easing that have substantially expanded the Fed’s balance sheet, and four full years of robust M2 growth, there is already enough stimulus flowing through the economy to lift inflation back to the Fed’s two percent long-run target. In light of the present size of the Fed’s balance sheet, interest rate increases without further delay are necessary to avoid an even more costly overshooting of that inflation target down the road.
Second, the modest rate hikes that the Fed is contemplating now would still leave the policy rate at levels that are historically quite low. This puts initial rate increases into proper perspective: monetary policy would continue to be highly accommodative, but the degree of accommodation would be more in line with that applied under similar circumstances in the past.
Third, in guiding inflation back to its two percent target, the Fed needs to be forward-looking, recognizing that its policies affect the economy with long and variable lags. A related issue concerns the impact that falling energy prices have on measured inflation. Lower oil prices have only a temporary impact on lowering inflation, like shifts in the price of any individual good or service. The Fed should help the public see through this purely transitory effect and stress that inflation is expected to return to target once these transitory effects fade.
By emphasizing its own systematic and forward-looking behavior, the FOMC would encourage observers to take a longer-run view as well. The Fed should avoid public comment on whether or when it may move policy rates based on individual data releases, each one of which is contaminated with statistical noise. This behavior produces volatile market responses and reduces the Fed’s credibility. FOMC officials should express more clearly their confidence that the cumulative effect of past policy actions will bring inflation back to the two percent target. They should also explain that interest rate increases are needed to prevent future inflation from overshooting that target, and will set the stage for prolonged economic growth and prosperity.
The SOMC , now under the auspices of Economics21 at the Manhattan Institute, is an independent group of economists that provides external perspectives on policy choices by the Federal Reserve. The SOMC addresses a range of macroeconomic issues, including monetary policy, banking, and fiscal policy matters that bear on the Fed’s decisions.
Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, e21 delivers a short email that includes e21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the e21 Morning eBrief. | {
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Arktika.1
First-person shooters are de rigueur for VR games, and for good reason -- it's just so much fun. That's certainly how I felt when playing Arktika.1, where I took on the role of a mercenary set in a post-apocalyptic ice age a 100 years into the future. My job? To protect the colony from getting robbed by bandits and all kinds of fearsome enemies -- both human and non-human varieties. It's an Oculus exclusive but, importantly, it's also a Touch exclusive, as it was designed with the motion controllers in mind. -- Nicole Lee, Senior Editor
Kingspray
Kingspray is really less of a game and more of a virtual gathering of friends. That is, friends who are into the creation of street art. In this VR experience, you essentially use those Touch controllers to manipulate spray cans to tag up walls to your heart's content. You're able to change up colors, adjust brush size and even capture a screencap of your masterpiece to share on social media.
The real idea behind Kingspray is to mark up a wall not just by yourself but with your friends too, through a social multi-player mode. You can do things like throw virtual bottles and cans at your buds if they mess up your art. There's also a boombox that'll play your favorite tunes as you indulge your graffiti fantasies. We're not quite sure if VR graffiti will catch on with the masses, but at least this way, you won't be risking arrest. -- Nicole Lee, Senior Editor
Killing Floor: Incursion
If you're a fan of the Killing Floor survival horror franchise, you'll likely be a fan of the Rift version of it too. Instead of using a gamepad to kill the undead, you'll be using the Touch controllers to not just shoot at them, but also to stab and punch them to death. To keep alive, you'll have to wander around finding health and ammo packs and, of course, to just be vigilant. The best thing about this game though, is that it's a multi-player co-op, so you can get your friends to join in on the zombie killing fun too. -- Nicole Lee, Senior Editor
VR Sports Challenge
Sports and video games have always gone hand in hand -- but it was the breakaway success of the Nintendo Wii that made motion controls their ever-present third wheel. With Oculus' Touch controllers on the horizon, VR Sports Challenge was an inevitability. Sadly, it's also a little mediocre. The idea is good (who wouldn't want to play out the fantasy of being a star athlete?) but the experience can come off as a bit awkward and unintuitive. The game's football experience is a good example: Despite using motion controllers with 1:1 tracking, the ball doesn't go where you physically throw it, but where you are physically looking. The force of the throw doesn't matter either -- distance is determined by the angle of the player's head, not the power of their throw. It feels, frankly, a little unnatural.
VR Sports Challenge's basketball mode fares better, at least. Free throws, passes and blocking with the motion controller work exactly as you'd expect, although the game's tendency to automatically teleport the player to wherever the most action on the court is can be a little disorientating. By and far, the best experience in the VR Sports package is hockey -- not for the sport itself, but for the first-fights. Turns out having an angry brawl in VR is a ton of fun. -- Sean Buckley, Associate Editor
Unspoken
Insomniac Games' The Unspoken has often been described as a bizarre mash up of Fight Club and Harry Potter; At Oculus Connect 3, the game got an extra dose of magic. Fundamentally, the magical multiplayer combat experience hasn't changed. Players still fling spells at each other while teleporting across a chaotic battlefield, but the game's just a bit more complicated now -- with new spells, new motion controls and the introduction of two character classes: the Anarchist and Kineticist.
The game's new class system to serves to enhance the complexity of its battle mechanics. Each type of character offers players a completely different set of skills -- Anarchists sling fireballs and deal in direct damage, while the Kineticist uses telekinetic powers to throw cars, plants and debris at their opponents. Players can also now cast spells with mere gestures, allowing them to cross their arms to put up a shield or spread their hands apart to unleash a powerful attack. Apparently, the new gesture spells were designed to allow players to focus on the action without looking away from the battle to use item-based attacks. It worked -- we didn't take our eyes off our opponent for our entire demo. -- Sean Buckley, Associate Editor
Landfall
What would happen if you crammed Halo: Spartan Assault into VR, minus the Halo branding? You'd probably get Landfall. Okay, that may be stretching a little, but not too much: earlier this year, the developer behind Halo's top-down shooting games reformed as VR-exclusive production house. The company's first game? A twin-stick, top-down VR game, naturally. At first blush the experience seems a little odd, but in a space currently dominated by first-person experiences, Landfall's overhead perspective is a little refreshing.
Our multiplayer Landfall demo pitted Engadget's team of two against two unseen journalists from Japan, tasking us with defending a series of control points against a horde of soldiers, turrets and the occasional oversized war-mech. Each player controls a single warrior, viewed from an disembodied aerial view. It was almost a nostalgic perspective -- like looking down on a collection of toy soldiers. -- Sean Buckley, Associate Editor
Lone Echo
Without a doubt, Lone Echo was one of the best experiences on display at Oculus Connect. You take on the role of "Jack," a possibly sentient robot working on a space station in the rings of Saturn. We don't know a lot about the story yet, but it has something to do with a special anomaly and disaster that threatens both the station and its human astronauts. It's a good story, but that's not what makes this game great -- that's more about how the player moves through the space station: completely weightlessly.
Lone Echo uses the Oculus Touch controllers to let players push off bulkheads and grab walls to weightlessly navigate through their environment. Can't find a good hold? Don't worry -- your robot avatar has tiny jets to propel him through the void of space. It's a game where momentum matters, and offers players a realistic sense of what it might like to float in the freefall of deep space. That's exactly what a lot of us want out of VR: the kind of experience we're just not likely to get out of our mundane lives here on earth. Ready at Dawn studios was coy about how the rest of the game will play out, but the developer certainly has our attention. -- Sean Buckley, Associate Editor | {
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By presidential proclamation, today marks the National Day of Prayer. This year’s official theme draws on the words of Jesus in John 13:34, “Love One Another.”
This call comes at a critical juncture. As political civility wanes, institutional trust declines, and resurgent international terrorism dominates headlines, America faces a spiritual crisis. Because of this unease, over 56 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and only 20 percent favorably view their leaders in Washington.
Despite increasing numbers of religious “nones,” religion is still a critical part of the fabric of America. According to Pew Research, 80 percent of Americans believe in the God of the Bible. Undoubtedly, this reflects the country’s Judeo-Christian heritage.
Calls for national prayer in times of crisis can be traced back to 1775 when the Continental Congress designated a day to pray for the new nation. Then Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, George Washington, also observed a day of “fasting, humiliation, and prayer” in 1779. Presidents John Adams, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln also called their fellow citizens to pray.
ROBERT JEFFRESS: AMERICA HAS FORGOTTEN GOD, THE BEST HOPE IS PRAYER
Today’s observance traces its roots to the mid-twentieth century. As the United States found itself entangled in yet another war, evangelist Billy Graham expressed what he sensed was widespread desire to set aside a day to pray for the nation. Congress heeded Graham’s recommendation and in 1952 unanimously passed a bill that would establish a Day of Prayer. Every year since the sitting president has signed a prayer proclamation.
The National Day of Prayer is intentionally non-sectarian and non-political. Its stated goal is to mobilize public prayer for God’s blessing on America. Nationwide, Americans observe the day through local prayer breakfasts, concerts, rallies, prayer vigils, and flagpole gatherings.
Theologically speaking, the urge people feel for a National Day of Prayer is a reminder of humanity’s finite nature. The reflex to pray points to what philosopher Blaise Pascal once called the “God-shaped vacuum” in every human heart. Ultimately, because of limited resources, knowledge, and time, everyone is forced to admit they are inadequate and unprepared for life’s biggest challenges. Include humanity’s inclination toward bias, prejudice, and sin, and it is inevitable that many of our decisions are motivated by pride and greed. Prayer, however, counteracts these natural impulses by recognizing man’s dependency on God.
Additionally, Christians in particular are called to a life marked by prayer. Colossians 4:2 contains the admonition to “continue steadfastly in prayer” and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 charges believers to “pray without ceasing.” Jesus himself modeled a posture of prayer throughout his ministry, withdrawing to pray from the constant crowds .
Incredibly, Christians pray at God’s invitation. A primary reason for Christian prayer is the opportunity to receive God’s grace. Moreover, Jesus explicitly commands his followers to pray.
DR. RONNIE FLOYD: FOUR WAYS YOU CAN PRAY ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
Thus, fundamentally, prayer is an act of surrender. In prayer, the supplicant admits they do not have answers to all of life’s questions and that they need God’s guidance. This is true on a personal and a national level.
For a nation, setting aside a special day of prayer has biblical precedent. For instance, Nehemiah proclaimed a national fast for the people to seek God’s help.
One of the most well-known verses in the Old Testament is a public call to prayer. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Although this promise was given to Israel as the unique people of God, the principle still applies to nations today. In the New Testament, God’s people are again exhorted to pray for their national leaders. After all, as the writer of Proverbs reminds us, “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord.” Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God nevertheless believe that prayer is commanded for those who are in positions of authority. Jesus commanded us to pray, and the Bible promises that God hears us when we pray.
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In the challenging times we live in, prayer is a lifeline to God. Although cultural elites increasingly ridicule and deride it, prayer, as modeled in the Bible, is not an empty gesture. Instead, prayer is the believer’s petition to the Creator of the universe for justice and righteousness. That is why, throughout the Bible, God’s people prayed in all situations, including national emergencies.
Their example is worth emulating.
Thus, on this National Day of Prayer, Americans have an opportunity to set aside partisan bickering and the politics of division to unite in prayer for their nation, leaders, and local communities. Hopefully, as we “humble ourselves and unify in prevailing prayer for the next great move of God in America,” God will receive honor and be pleased to send revival and refreshment to our nation. | {
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MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) -- If you listen to inventor Dean Kamen, the biggest health problem facing the world today is not AIDS, obesity or malnutrition. It's a shortage of water.
Dean Kamen hopes to tackle the world's fresh water shortage with the Slingshot, a water purifying device.
Water is the most abundant resource on the planet, yet less than one percent of the Earth's freshwater supply is readily available to drink, according to the World Health Organization. Lack of accessible or clean drinking water, exacerbated by drought, is crippling communities in many developing countries.
"In your lifetime, my lifetime, we will see water be a really scarce, valuable commodity," Kamen says.
Those are scary words from the man whose creations include the Segway personal motorized scooter and the Luke (as in Skywalker) prosthetic arm. But the forward-thinking inventor and his team at DEKA Research in Manchester, New Hampshire, aren't sitting around waiting for the world's wells to dry up.
They've been working on an invention they say can tap into 97 percent of the world's undrinkable water.
It's called the Slingshot, and it's a portable, low energy machine that is designed to purify water in remote villages where there's not a Wal-Mart in sight. The device takes its name from a well-known story.
"We believe the world needs a slingshot to take care of its Goliath of a problem in water," Kamen says. "So we decided to build a small machine and give it to the little Davids."
Perhaps you've heard about the Slingshot, which Kamen has been working on for more than 10 years. Over that time it has turned dirty river water, ocean water and even raw sewage into pure drinking water. Kamen says it can turn anything that looks wet, or has water in it, into the "stuff of life."
The magic behind the Slingshot is a "vapor compression distiller" that stands between what looks like two empty fish tanks connected by a couple of hoses. One tank contains the contaminated liquid, the other is for the newly clean water. Watch Kamen demonstrate the Slingshot »
The Slingshot boils, distills and vaporizes the polluted source, in turn delivering nothing but clean water to the other side. And it does it all on less electricity than it takes to run a hair dryer.
In summer 2006, Kamen delivered two Slingshots to the small community of Lerida in Honduras. They were used for a month and Kamen says everything ran as planned.
"The machine worked very well down there, taking virtually any water that the people from that village brought to us," he says. "All the water that we got from the machine was absolutely pure water."
But there's a problem. Kamen says each Slingshot costs his company several hundred thousand dollars to build. He's looking to partner with companies and organizations to distribute Slingshots around the world, but says a little more engineering work needs to be done in order to lower the production costs.
Kamen says the company would like to get the price down to about $2,000 per machine.
"The biggest challenge right now between this being a dream and a reality is getting committed people that really care about the state of the world's health to get involved," Kamen says.
The world's population is quickly approaching 7 billion, making access to clean water that much more important. According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, more than 3.5 million people die every year from water-related diseases and almost 900 million don't have access to a safe water supply.
Kamen says people in developing regions of the world need the Slingshot as soon as possible. He also thinks the problem with polluted water will spread beyond small villages.
He says one Slingshot machine can supply about 250 gallons of water a day, which is enough for 100 people. That's a lot of Davids.
"It is literally like turning lead into gold," he says. "But I believe it's more important, because you can't drink lead or gold."
All About Dean Kamen • Clean Water Policy | {
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- Prisen på bitcoin nærmer seg nå prisen på gull, og har aldri vært så nære som nå, skriver Henrik Sommerfelt i CMC Markets i en kommentar. Bitcoin-prisen nådde nylig 1200 dollar.Sommerfelt forklarer at gull er regnet for å være en trygg havn når markedene svinger, mens bitcoin lenge har vært en alternativ valuta for tradere.Denne uken skal Bitcoin-kursen ha steget på rykter om at amerikanske tilsynsmyndigheter vil akseptere den første bitcoin ETF-en, ifølge Sommerfelt.Han påpeker imidlertid at markedet for bitcoins er vesentlig mindre enn både markedet for gull og andre valutaer.- Gull måles i vekt, mens bitcoin er en egen enhet. Størrelsen og dybden av kryptovalutaen er ikke bare mye mindre enn markedet for gull, den er også mye mindre enn de viktige valutaene, skriver han, og sammenligner med valutaen til Uzbekistan.- Størrelsen på bitcoins skal være på størrelse med usbeksiske soms. Selv om prisen på Bitcoins er høy, og den kan aksepteres nær sagt overalt, viser tall fra Bank International Settlements at daglig omsetning for bitcoin ikke er særlig stor, og knapt nok nevneverdig, skriver han og fortsetter:- Avisen Financial Times går så langt som å kalle det hele et pyramidespill med verdi lik null.ValutaNår det gjelder "skikkelige valutaer", skriver Sommerfelt at det britiske pundet fortsetter å være svakt målt mot andre valutaer, særlig dollaren, etter Brexit.Denne uken kom det imidlertid tall på britisk BNP, som viste en vekst i økonomien på 0,7 prosent i fjerde kvartal.Det var over forventningene om vekst på 0,6 prosent, ifølge Sommerfelt.Når det gjelder den meksikansk pesoen, påpeker han at den styrket seg mot den amerikanske dollaren i uken som gikk, mye takket være at USAs utenriksminister Rex Tillerson dro over grensen for å dempe temperaturen i den politiske debatten mellom de to landene.En annen viktig hendelse fra uken som gikk var publiseringen av referatet fra det amerikanske rentemøtet der det kom frem at det vil være hensiktsmessig å øke renten ganske snart.Kommende ukeTall som er verdt å merke seg i neste uke, ifølge Sommerfelt er PMI-tall fra Kina og Tyskland. Tyskland kommer også med inflasjonstall, i likhet med USA som i tillegg leverer BNP-tall.Fra EU kommer det indikasjoner på forbrukertillit, skriver han. | {
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Before you even start to ask, let me explain:
Bronycon is an annual fan convention for fans of the show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic . Surprisingly and awkwardly, most attendees are adult males and teenagers, who dress up and call themselves Bronies.
So this summer when we found out that Enjoi was dropping a line of My Little Pony decks as a joke and attending the Bronycon convention to sell them, we figured we’d go along for the adventure.
I won’t lie, our original plans were to make fun of a bunch of grown ass men that dress up as ponies from a children’s show, but after a strange weekend of watching these fanatics gleefully hang out, play games and hug each other, we started to get a bit soft. Sure, most of them were complete weirdo’s, but at least they had each other to confide in. There was something so innocent about the whole convention and the people there.
So without further ado, we present to you, Jenkem Goes to Bronycon, a quick little edit documenting our journey into the dark depths of a weird pony alternate reality with Louie Barletta and Ben Raemers. While we probably won’t ever go back to the convention, or dress up, we are happy that these dudes have a place where they can just do their thing. | {
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Sex workers keep secrets, brothel assures potential GOP conventioneers
A Nevada brothel has a message for anyone, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who thinks legalized prostitution in parts of Nevada will — or should — keep the 2016 Republican National Convention from convening in Las Vegas.
It’s time to reassess.
Earlier this week, Reid, Nevada’s top Democrat, told the Reno Gazette-Journal he supported bringing the 2016 GOP convention to Las Vegas. But, Reid said, Nevada’s laws allowing prostitution could present a roadblock for such an effort, even though prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas.
“There are people who don’t come to the state of Nevada for a number of reasons, like our education system and the image that we have,” Reid told the Reno newspaper. “And one of the (bad) images we have had, gambling, has long since passed as a negative. But prostitution hasn’t.”
Bunk, wrote Jeremy Lemur, a spokesman for The Resort at Sheri’s Ranch – a legal brothel in Pahrump – in a blog published online Thursday.
He listed three reasons why Las Vegas should be the host city for the 2016 Republican gathering.
• First, Lemur pointed to Tampa, Fla., site of the most recent Republican National Convention.
Tampa, Lemur said, “has some of the highest rates of sex trafficking in the Sunshine State and child sex trafficking is a particular problem in the Bay area.
“These serious prostitution-related issues didn’t seem to bother Republicans when they considered Tampa, so why would they have an issue with a state that enforces legal prostitution?” Lemur asked.
Additionally, he pointed out, “Nevada’s licensed brothels only allow safe sex between mature consenting adults in a secure, STD-free environment. Sex trafficking and child prostitution are abhorred by representatives of the legal Nevada sex work community.”
• Secondly, customers need not worry because brothel workers know how to keep secrets.
“The legal prostitutes of Nevada’s bordellos service thousands of satisfied customers annually,” Lemur wrote. “Despite all of these men, women, and couples coming through the brothel doors, no customer has ever been outed or exposed by legal courtesans or brothel employees.”
Using the services of a sex worker can break a political career, Lemur reasoned, “so why not host political events in locations close to legalized brothels, where public servants can blow off steam in a worry-free environment?”
• Lastly, Lemur says, prostitutes are voters, too. And as women, they’re part of a constituency that could help Republicans in the next election cycle in more ways than one.
“Why would the GOP shun a demographic that has exceptionally intimate access to such a large number of their constituents?” Lemur wrote. “If Republicans choose Las Vegas as the location for the 2016 convention, the event would certainly boost business for these hard-working women – and they know how to return a favor. A Las Vegas RNC just might be a step in the right direction for Republicans hoping to gain favor with one of the most influential groups in the nation, whose clientele extends to the most powerful figures from both sides of the political aisle.” | {
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The government has still made no compensation payments to Windrush victims and has failed to introduce legislation that would allow damages to be paid, 15 months after Theresa May apologised for the scandal and promised a financial settlement.
The compensation scheme that was announced in April requires legislation before payments can be made; however, the Home Office revealed yesterday that the pressures of Brexit have meant it has not been possible so far to find parliamentary time for the legislation to be debated. Instead the Home Office has announced a temporary fix, which will now allow compensation to be paid, in the absence of legislation.
People waiting for compensation responded with frustration to the revelation that the government has only now made arrangements to make the payment of damages possible. Janet Mckay, whose partner Anthony Bryan spent five weeks in detention and was booked by the Home Office in 2017 on to a plane back to Jamaica (a country he left at the age of eight, and had not visited in 52 years), said it was “strange” to discover that the government had not previously made arrangements to facilitate the payment of compensation.
“Everyone is struggling to fill in the forms. I had no idea they weren’t ready to pay out as soon as the forms were sent in,” she said.
Labour MP David Lammy said the new evidence of delays was staggering. “I welcome the announcement that compensation payments will now be paid to the victims of the Windrush scandal – at least to those who are still alive. However, this also reveals that no such payments have been made thus far, which is deeply yet predictably disappointing,” he said. “It is also staggering that the Home Office is yet to establish any legislative framework for these claims to be processed; it is hard to fathom just how badly the Home Office continues to let down the Windrush generation.”
Omar Khan, director of the Runnymede Trust, the race equality thinktank, said he was shocked that this issue had only now been resolved. “It’s not good enough to commit in principle to compensation if you don’t put in place the levers required to get money into people’s pockets. They’ve had months to get it right. It raises questions about how urgently and seriously the government is responding to this injustice,” he said.
Charities assisting victims to claim compensation say that people are increasingly frustrated at the protracted process. Daniel Ashwell at the Refugee and Migrant Centre in Wolverhampton, which is helping around 10 people to claim damages, said: “The most frustrating thing is that people are still waiting. We see the pressure that this is putting on them; they constantly have this on their minds – wondering when they are going to get compensation. Some of them are very vulnerable.”
The permanent secretary to the Home Office, Sir Philip Rutnam, informed the home secretary, Sajid Javid, that he would ordinarily advise against making payments from the Windrush compensation scheme until specific legislation has been passed. However, given the “importance of putting right wrongs that have been done”, he identified an interim solution, allowing the Home Office to get around the absence of legislation. Javid has subsequently issued a ministerial direction to proceed, which means that the Home Office is now in a position to start making payments.
In a ministerial statement, Javid announced: “The government deeply regrets what has happened to some members of the Windrush generation and when I became home secretary I made clear that responding to this was a priority. The compensation scheme I launched in April is a key part of this response. The compensation scheme has been open to receive claims since April 2019 and the Home Office is now in a position to start making payments.” He said specific legislation giving financial authority for payments made would be introduced when parliamentary time allows.
“I am committed to providing members of the Windrush generation with assurance that they will be appropriately and promptly compensated where it is shown that they have been disadvantaged by historical government policy,” he wrote. | {
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Last time Once A Metro checked in on former New York Red Bulls Academy standout Ismar Tandir, he was a few weeks away from his 21st birthday and settling in with Serbian SuperLeague club Javor Ivanjica. In early January, FIFPro, effectively global soccer's players' union put out a warning:
FIFPro, the world players union, is advising professional footballers not to sign contracts with clubs in Serbia during this month’s transfer window because of worsening working conditions in the Eastern European country.
And the press release only got worse from there. FIFPro cited its own study of global working conditions in soccer, stating 68% of players in Serbia were not being paid on time, and 89% of those who had completed for-fee transfers had been "pressured" to make the move. Further, FIFPro effectively accused the Serbian FA of rigging its main dispute resolution institution by stacking the body with key officials connected to the country's bigger clubs. A perception of bias toward clubs in arbitration is significant because the president of the Serbian players' union estimates:
When you sign a contract with a club in Serbia you have a 50% chance of ending up in court.
It's an estimate based on a simple arithmetic: there are around 500 pro players in Serbia and the union has taken 250 cases to arbitration over the last two years.
FIFPro General Secretary Theo van Seggelen did not hold back in his comments on the issues in Serbia:
This is a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of the professional football players in Serbia who are now effectively playing in a lawless environment.
Eek. Not good. How's Izzy doing?
Last we heard, Tandir had signed a three-year deal in Serbia. In an email exchange, he put our concerns to rest: "I am no longer there; I am with FK Sloboda Tuzla of Bosnia."
Phew. Glad to hear it.
Indeed, Tandir's arrival at FK Sloboda was announced on the club's website on January 10. Club president Senad Mujkanovic was enthusiastic about signing the 21-year-old: "We expect him to be the backbone of the future team." In the same release, Tandir said:
I am grateful to the boss and the club to the engagement. It is a great honor that I will play for Sloboda. I played for the U-19 and U-21 national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it has been a great desire to come back to this country.
The club's release states Tandir is on a three-year deal.
For the player, though the move out of Serbia was inspired by the issues pro soccer players are facing there, he is excited by the chance to develop at FK Sloboda. "Yes, part of the move was because of this [the problems highlighted by FIFPro]," he told Once A Metro, while noting, "Also, Sloboda Tuzla is a much bigger club - one of the bigger clubs in the Balkan region with a lot of European competition and history behind it."
Ismar Tandir je novi igrač FK Sloboda Tuzla. Dobrodošao u Tuzlu! #SamoSloboda pic.twitter.com/RPPKq6FlBj — FK Sloboda Tuzla (@FKSlobodaTuzla) January 10, 2017
FK Sloboda Tuzla was the runner-up in last season's Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup and Premier League. It qualified for the 2016-17 Europa League, losing 1-0 on aggregate to Beitar Jerusalem in the first qualifying round.
When the club returns from its winter break, it will pick up competitive play in sixth place in the Bosnian top flight. But the team is targeting hitting its best form in 2019: "We plan on winning the title for the club's 100th birthday [it was founded in 1919]. It has a massive history and, like I said before, it's one of the bigger clubs in the Balkan region. The stadium fits about 12,000 to 14,000, and it's known for one of the best fan bases in Bosnia," Tandir told OaM.
The move to Tuzla suits the young forward remarkably well. His career is testament to an open-minded approach to what a career in pro soccer has to offer. Since leaving the Red Bulls Academy in 2012, Tandir has played in France (for Sochaux's reserves), California (for Sacramento Republic), in Iceland, almost (paperwork troubles) in Spain, and latterly Serbia followed by his current club: "In soccer, you never know where you will end up, so I was always open for anything."
But perhaps this latest stop is more a move toward the known than unknown. A former Bosnia and Herzegovina youth international, Tandir feels at home: "I am familiar with the country and, more importantly, the language."
And his move to FK Sloboda in particular was no accident. Head coach Vlado Jagodic was the Bosnia and Herzegovina U-21 coach from 2011 to 2014. For Tandir, a young and ambitious attacking player remembered as a prolific scorer for a Red Bulls Academy team that won national titles at U-16 and U-18 levels, this is an opportunity to make a name for himself: "I came to play in Tuzla and hopefully move on. The coach knows me personally and was my coach with the national team. I plan on scoring goals and going forward with my career."
And maybe giving fans of FK Sloboda the 100th birthday celebration they want for their club.
Tandir has not lost touch with his RBNY days. He tries to keep up with former teammates, though they might notice something different about him if they saw him today: "I've changed in many ways. Of course, my understanding of the game is better, but my biggest change would be my weight: I am a lot lighter and faster than before."
Tandir is 6' 5". If he's quick with it too, FIFPro's next advisory might be to warn defenders away from Bosnia's Premier League.
Still a young player, it seems remarkable that Tandir is already at his seventh club since leaving RBNY's system just over four years ago. One wonders whether the club's newfound enthusiasm for youth talent retention and development might have arrived just a little too late for a player like Izzy, whether the star striker of an all-conquering Academy team thinks he might have stuck with the Red Bulls if there had been the focus on homegrown players there is now.
He doesn't think so. At 17, he was given the chance to move to a club in France's top flight and be closer to a national team set-up that was keen to have him aboard. It would be understandable to look with hindsight on the decisions that didn't quite work out as hoped between then and now, to think maybe a different path might have been chosen - but Tandir knows himself: "The offer I had from Sochaux and coming with the Bosnian national team - I could not turn it down. It was too good a deal to turn down."
It was in part the lure of advancing his career with Bosnia and Herzegovina's youth national teams that drew the teenage Tandir to European club soccer in the first place. Now 21, his next challenge is to establish himself in Bosnia's Premier League.
All the best, Izzy. Once A Metro is rooting for you. | {
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BHOPAL: Former chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh is
’ candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, a seat considered “one of the toughest” for the party in Madhya Pradesh.
For the BJP, this has been a high-profile sure-win seat since 1989. In 2014, there was a phase of 48 hours when state BJP even put-up posters welcoming party patriarch
to contest from here instead of his Gandhinagar home turf in Gujarat.
“I had suggested three constituencies to Digvijaya Singh – Bhopal,
and Indore. But he asked me to take the decision,” chief minister
said on Saturday. “Digvijaya Singh has been the state’s chief minister and state Congress president for years so I had argued that his candidature from
won’t be suitable for him. The Congress central election committee, thereafter, decided that he will contest from Bhopal,” he said.
“Aap logon ko bhi accha candidate mila hai Bhopal mein (You people have also got a good candidate for Bhopal),” Kamal Nath said laughing.
So far, Union minister Uma Bharti and former chief minister Kailash Joshi have been BJP MPs from Bhopal along with others like Sushil Chandra Verma who was elected four times. For the Congress, former president Shankar Dayal Sharma represented the seat for two terms in the Lok Sabha from 1971-77 and 1980-84.
In the BJP’s list for ticket aspirants from here for upcoming general elections is Union minister for rural development Narendra Singh Tomar among others. If Tomar gets fielded, Bhopal could turn to be a contest of two “thakur” titans – one from Raghogarh, the other from Gwalior – both outsiders.
A week ago, while speaking to reporters in
, Kamal Nath had claimed, “Digvijaya Singh will choose the seat he wants to contest from. I have requested him that he should contest from the toughest seat. There are three or four such seats in the state which the party has not won in the past 30 to 35 years.”
On Saturday, the chief minister revealed that the seats he recommended were Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur. Bhopal and Indore were last won by the Congress in 1984 after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Jabalpur was won by the party in 1991 and former minister of the Digvijaya Singh government Shravan Kumar Patel represented the constituency till 1996.
Two days after Kamal Nath’s statement to the media in Chhindwara, Digvijaya Singh took to twitter on Monday and accepted the offer. “Thanks to Kamal Nath ji who invited me to contest from seats where the Congress is weak in Madhya Pradesh. I am grateful to him that he thought me capable of the job,” he tweeted.
In a second tweet, he said, “With the support of the people of Raghogarh, even during the 1977 Janata Party wave, I contested and won. Accepting challenges is my habit. I am ready to contest the Lok Sabha election from the seat my party president Rahul Gandhi wants me to. Narmade Harr.”
And it is now decided, former chief minister of ten years Digvijaya Singh will contest from Bhopal. | {
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Generally, running a Linux distro on your PC is a straightforward process, you put the iso in the thumb drive, set it as default boot device and you’re ready to rock. Generally.
In another universe lives a happy student with his Surface. He really loves his tablet-PC hybrid. It’s lightweight, it’s powerful, it has got pen support (which is nice to take notes during lectures) and good battery life. He was a happy camper. Until he wanted to try and play with NFC tags. Libnfc is great, mfcuk and mfoc are good at their work, but they do not work with Windows. Our student could have tried Cygwin, but at that moment he didn’t have at home enough vodka. VMs could have been another option, but sadly libusb does not like with virtualization (at least in his limited experience).
So, he decided that installing a proper Linux environment was the best choice. “How hard could that be?” Fool.
As I said the Surface is a great device, but being good has its perks downsides. It’s a device with highly customized hardware and, apparently, Linux does not play nice with it. At least you can boot Ubuntu straight from UEFI using nothing but a standard live USB and a left swipe. It’s not that easy with Kali, or at least it hasn’t been for me, maybe you’re luckier than I was and everything works fine in the first place.
To finally boot Kali (let alone install it and make the Type Cover work, it’s going to be another chapter I still have to test on) I had to install rEFInd and then fine tune a USB stick prepared with rufus.
I am writing this post to make things easier for someone with the same intention, so let’s start with the guide itself.
TOC
rEFInd
This great piece of software is the first step into our headache. It is a boot manager (not a bootloader) developed for EFI/UEFI systems (from now on EFI will suffice) to make out life a little less miserable.
Downloading
You can download rEFInd from the official website, go for the binary archive as we’ll have to install it manually. Extract the content in a folder of your choice.
Installing
The install procedure is well documented on the apposite page, I advice you to read it and understand the steps before going further.
Please note I won’t be responsible for any damage to your precious device, be sure to know what you’re doing! Make a backup of your EFI partition, even with EasyUEFI, it might save your ass!
First of all you need to disable secure boot in the UEFI screen. Press and hold Power+Volume UP keys while booting your device and, in the Security tab, Change configuration and then select None.
This is the TL;DR version of that page.
Run terminal as admin and:
cd <your refind-VersionNO folder path> mountvol S: /S xcopy /E refind S:\EFI\refind\ S: cd EFI\refind rename refind.conf-sample refind.conf bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\refind\refind_x64.efi bcdedit /set {bootmgr} description "rEFInd boot manager"
No, {bootmgr} is not a variable, you have to input that exact string.
We’re all set. rEFInd is installed now. After a reboot you should be welcomed by something similar to the following, but with only a single entry: Windows.
Theming
Yeah, I know it’s not important, but it’s still nice to have something which goes along well with the rest of the environment. You can install a theme for rEFInd made especially for surface devices, which mimics Microsoft design choices.
The theme has been shared with this reddit post but I’ve archived the rar file locally. Once you’ve extracted the archive, run terminal as admin and:
cd <theme extraction path> mountvol S: /S xcopy /E surface-theme S:\EFI\refind\surface-theme
Configuring
We now want to edit rEFInd configuration in order to make it more convenient. My main OS is still going to be windows, even after I’ll have installed Kali (please, don’t hate me Linux fans), so I want my tablet to boot automatically in Windows if I don’t press any key in a couple of seconds after the OS selection screen appears. To do so, we have to edit rEFInd configuration file, refind.conf.
Boot in windows, run another terminal as admin and:
mountvol S: /S S: cd EFI\refind refind.conf
You’ll be asked to choose the default application to open .conf file if it is not already assigned to a program in your computer. Even notepad could do, but why not notepad++? If you don’t have it already installed it might be the right time to get it!
Now, once we’re able to edit the file, you should:
Edit the number next to “timeout” from 20 to 5 Uncomment the line “default_selection Microsoft” (remove the hash) Add “include surface-theme/theme.conf” in the includes section of this file
Then save and close this file. Again, in the same terminal window as before:
cd surface-theme theme.conf
Here you should change “resolution 2160 1440” to “resolution 2736 1820”, otherwise you’d get an error from rEFInd.
Once you’ve saved this file we’re ready for the next part.
Install medium
Creation
It sounds a bit pompous, doesn’t it?
To create an install device you simply have to download the ISO from Kali website and use rufus (default settings are ok) to make a bootable USB. “Iso image mode” worked for me, so it should do for you too.
–Note– Rufus up to 2.12 is working with default settings, I haven’t been able to make newer version work but I haven’t even tried, actually…
Get it to work
The USB made with rufus won’t be recognised by rEFInd.
Create a folder /EFI/boot in your install medium. Download from fedora’s archives these 2 files: BOOTX64.EFI grubx64.efi and place them in the boot folder we’ve just made. Create a file grub.cfg in the same folder with this content # Config file for GRUB2 - The GNU GRand Unified Bootloader # /boot/grub/grub.cfg # DEVICE NAME CONVERSIONS # # Linux Grub # ------------------------- # /dev/fd0 (fd0) # /dev/sda (hd0) # /dev/sdb2 (hd1,2) # /dev/sda3 (hd0,3) # # root=UUID=dc08e5b0-e704-4573-b3f2-cfe41b73e62b persistent set menu_color_normal=yellow/blue set menu_color_highlight=blue/yellow function load_video { insmod efi_gop insmod efi_uga insmod video_bochs insmod video_cirrus insmod all_video } load_video set gfxpayload=keep # Timeout for menu set timeout=5 # Set default boot entry as Entry 0 set default=0 set color_normal=yellow/blue menuentry "Kali - Live Non-persistent" { set root=(hd0,1) linuxefi /live/vmlinuz boot=live noconfig=sudo username=root hostname=kali initrdefi /live/initrd.img } menuentry "Kali - Live Persistent" { set root=(hd0,1) linuxefi /live/vmlinuz boot=live noconfig=sudo username=root hostname=kali persistence initrdefi /live/initrd.img } menuentry "Kali Failsafe" { set root=(hd0,1) linuxefi /live/vmlinuz boot=live config memtest noapic noapm nodma nomce nolapic nomodeset nosmp nosplash vga=normal initrdefi /live/initrd.img } menuentry "Kali Forensics - No Drive or Swap Mount" { set root=(hd0,1) linuxefi /live/vmlinuz boot=live noconfig=sudo username=root hostname=kali noswap noautomount initrdefi /live/initrd.img } menuentry "Kali Graphical Install" { set root=(hd0,1) linuxefi /install/gtk/vmlinuz video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 initrdefi /install/gtk/initrd.gz } menuentry "Kali Text Install" { set root=(hd0,1) linuxefi /install/vmlinuz video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 initrdefi /install/initrd.gz } Or download it from here
We’re done now! Your drive should be recognized by rEFInd when you plug it in the USB port or even through a USB hub, which was incompatible with the official boot manager. It simply hang, which made it impossible to install the OS because the installer did not have Type Cover support.
Conclusion
I’d like to thank John Ramsden for his guide about installing Arch on a SP4, and because he pointed me in the right direction suggesting to give rEFInd a try.
Also, thanks to Rnihton for his guide on Kali forums. Yes, I know he called it “Beginner Way”, but it works. I’m not ashamed.
Thanks to frebib, the creator of the Surface Theme for rEFInd.
And, for last, I’d like to thank you for making it to the end of this guide, ignoring my not-so-perfect English (what a nice euphemism).
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Google’s Putting Some Icing On Its Half-Baked Android TV Cake
Last year, Gizmodo declared Android TV an exciting, beautiful mess. “You should probably steer clear till Google gets its shit together,” we said. Today at I/O, Google’s telling us about an updated Android TV that may indicate that its shit is actually being gathered.
One of the biggest problems with Android TV was how it integrated with the Google Play store: Its selection of apps was tiny and overly-curated. According to Google, that’s changing. Today the system is getting a major aesthetic overhaul, which will allow you to browse any app in the Play store, not just the small selection of featured apps. Before you could only search for things you knew you wanted to see or play, or browse through a small number of categories — now, Google says you’ll be able to discover things on your own.
Another big criticism of the system? That it felt like “like it’s designed to sell movie and TV rentals.” Another new feature added today could go along way to making it feel more interesting: Android TV Channels, which let anyone create a custom channel within the ecology. There are a couple Google is launching today as examples, like Vevo, Huffington Post, TED, and Bloomberg — but in theory, you’ll also be able to curate your own channel, which could be a powerful thing for independent producers.
If you’ve got the right Android TV box, you could also be watching live channels too: that long-rumoured Live Channels app if you plug in a HDHomeRun TV tuner. You can see a picture of it at the top of this post.
Android TV wasn’t finished when it launched last year. This second pass could go a long way towards making it feel complete. | {
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