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EDIT: Thank You so much for the DD (It's my very first!), I never would have thought a little study like this would receive so much love. Thank you!! I've updated the file slightly and made a higher resolution downloadable for you all to enjoy.
I don't know why I'm so poor with descriptions lately! I'm just so tired I suppose. Practicing more techniques for an upcoming project. Far from perfect, but I hadn't expected it to be; just means the next ones should be quicker and easier to get through. Still though, I liked the overall feel so I polished it a tiny bit so I could justify sharing!
Hope you guys enjoy! | {
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Swedish Midsummer for Dummies
From Sweden.se “Schools are out and nature has burst into life. It seems like the sun never sets. In fact, in the north of Sweden it doesn’t, and in the south only for an hour or two. This calls for celebration! Let’s round up friends and family for the most Swedish of our traditions: Midsummer.”
Swedes like the world to be well-ordered, so Midsummer Eve is always a Friday http://t.co/6lPFEoN5yt — Sweden.se (@swedense) June 19, 2013
#Finland is slowing down for #Midsummer, and so are we. The embassy is closed tomorrow for Midsummer's Eve. Hauskaa juhannusta! — Finnish Embassy UK (@finlandinuk) June 20, 2013
From Visit Finland “Lighting bonfires and bathing in saunas are two of the most typical traditions in Midsummer celebrations. Barbecuing, fishing and boating have later become standard Midsummer pastimes while enjoying cottage life. In the old days, Midsummer spells were cast, many of which had to do with hopes of increasing fertility and finding a future spouse. Midsummer was also a popular time for weddings.”
Credit Leo-setä
Midsummer Night is the lightest of the year and was long considered a magical night, as it was the best time for telling people’s futures. — Sweden.se (@swedense) June 20, 2013
According to Sweden's Official Website List of necessary items 1. Wooden poles (one longer, one shorter) for the pole 2. Leaves, flowers, fresh twigs or twine 3. Potatoes, pickled herring (see recipe below), dill, strawberries and whipped cream 4. Snaps (or vodka if you cannot find any) 5. One songbook with drinking songs and one with midsummer songs 6. Sweets for the kids 7. Hay cart for children's hayride 8. Music player 9. Lottery tombola
What really goes on
From The Local Odd Swedish Midsummer traditions: If you were wondering how the usually shy Swedish people manage to work up the nerve to go on a frog-imitation rampage in broad daylight, it's largely due to the alcohol. And the alcohol drinking also comes with it's fair share of drinking songs. For the uninitiated, Små grodorna (literally: The Small Frogs) is a Swedish Midsummer musical act that sees Swedes hopping around a maypole while singing about the frogs' anatomy in great and rather humiliating detail. Never seen a drunk Swede before? Well get ready for carnage. The good news is that most people are so happy in the summer that it's a mild-mannered kind of carnage, really.
...and then there's this
Credit Ralf Johann
If you can't get to Sweden, maybe you can get to IKEA From The Gothamist The annual feast marks the Swedish summer solstice, which apparently hits about a week before ours; to celebrate, the IKEA in Red Hook is putting out a Linnmon table (or Björkudden, or Glivarp, if they're feeling fancy) full of regional goodies.
Despite all of this goodness, not everyone is a fan: From The Local Six reasons to hate Midsummer in Sweden Why, WHY does every Swedish holiday require one to down copious helpings of pickled herring? No matter how many pieces of crisp bread or newly boiled 'fresh potatoes' you have with it, sill is still slimy and sour. Isn't it enough to have one holiday a year where we look back and inevitably feel let-down by all that wasn't? Not unlike New Year's, Midsummer is so wrapped up in people's idealized images of how things are supposed to be that it's nearly impossible to come away feeling like the experience lived up to pre-show billing, no matter how much alcohol is consumed. | {
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I keep waiting for a review of a BTS concert or album that doesn’t first comment on screaming fans, often describing them as manic, crazy teenage girls, or dismissing BTS’s music as canned pop music, or pointing out that 6 out of 7 members don’t speak perfect English. Even reviews that point out the positive message of BTS’s latest Love Yourself series of albums miss what’s really going on in those words.
The thing that these reviewers miss, that maybe even a lot of fans miss, is that there is something inherently political and radical in this idea of loving yourself.
It’s easy to interpret self-love as selfish. You could love yourself at the expense of others, but that isn’t what BTS is getting at. Loving yourself isn’t the same as the Parks and Rec motto of “treat yo’ self” or the burgeoning “self-care” industry. That’s not what Kim Namjoon, a.k.a. RM, was pointing to when he said in his ending statement at the October 6, 2018, concert at Citi Field, “And loving myself is my whole life goal ’til my death. And what is loving myself? What is loving yourself? I don’t know. Who can define their own method and the way of loving myself?”
Photo via BTS_twt
It’s not entirely clear to me, a philosopher by training, what RM means when he refers to the “self,” but it’s pretty clear he’s not referring to the ego or to an external persona. And you do get a sense of what he means if you pair it with other things BTS has said in interviews and in their song lyrics, especially those co-written by RM.
During his final words at Citi Field, RM also pointed out that it was special to him to be in New York, because New York was the birthplace of hip-hop, the music that saved his life, inspired him, and made him want to do what he does.
To see people write BTS off as a frivolous boyband is to ignore the fact that they are rooted in hip-hop. And it’s easy to be skeptical of hip-hop in Korean pop music, and you probably should be, because there is a lot of imitation, appropriation, and fetishization, a lot of stealing the aesthetic of hip-hop.
BTS was definitely guilty of this in their early career, particularly with their style. But the thing people tend to ignore is that hip-hop is often highly political. And when you ask the rappers of BTS who their musical influences are, particularly RM and Min Yoongi, a.k.a. Suga, they are well-versed in the history of hip-hop. Suga frequently mentions Pulitzer-Prize-winning Kendrick Lamar in interviews and includes Lupe Fiasco among his influences. RM has consciously changed his views of hip-hop, seems aware that in his early days he was wrongfully appropriating Blackness, and has said that he has gotten guidance from Warren G, who told him that hip-hop is open to everyone.
Just because BTS has a positive message and just because they create trendy pop music that isn’t always musically innovative doesn’t mean it isn’t political and valuable for more than sheer entertainment (though they are also really good performers).
RM frequently uses inclusive language when he speaks. In the speech he gave to the UN for the launch of the Youth 2030 campaign in September 2018, he explicitly said, “I want to hear your voice, and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin color, your gender identity, just speak yourself.”
Photo via Washington Post
In a February 2018 interview with Billboard, Suga said very plainly in the context of discussing the song “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis that, “There is nothing wrong. Everyone is equal.” And in response to the 2017 protests of then-president Park Geun-hye, “Moving past right and wrong, truth and falsehood, citizens coming together and raising their voice is something that I actively support.”
BTS is diplomatic in their interviews, but they aren’t apolitical.
Second-wave feminists in the 1960s used the slogan: “the personal is political.” And what that means is that your personhood, your self, your identity is inherently political. Your personal experience matters within larger social structures.
This idea is particularly apparent for people at the intersections of identity — Black women, gay trans men, queer people of color — but also for anyone at the margins. The often visible things about your identity are made to fit into hierarchical categories created and used to oppress you (or market to you).
In capitalist, democratic societies based on the liberalist model of the autonomous self (which, though it varies from culture to culture, has been forced on much of the world by imperialism and colonialism, including South Korea), personal responsibility is emphasized when it comes to financial or career “success.” But systemically your “identity” is actually what holds you unfairly accountable — in the U.S., Black men are automatically guilty, women are automatically liars, and foreigners are automatically suspect.
The dominant global norm has been defined in a particular way, with a particular identity (white, cis, male, heterosexual) at the top, and anyone else is at the margins. Even though that identity at the top is a numerical minority, and even though people within that identity can also be marginalized, everyone is forced through social practices to try to stay within those norms. And they will still be treated as inferior even if they manage to stay within them.
You see this everywhere. In ranges of “healthy” weights to stay within a normal. Or people trying to lighten their skin color to stay within a beauty standard. Or the racially stratified gender pay gap. Or pathologizing or criminalizing homosexuality and other forms of queerness. Or restricted access for people with disabilities. Or even social patterns like 9-to-5 jobs, marriage and kids, going college.
Sure, you need some norms to have a society. But those norms don’t have to organize life in such a rigid, hierarchical way that purposefully and intentionally makes people feel bad about themselves. Because if you don’t fit into the norm, you’re often pathologized, told you’re sick, told you’re worthless. You’re told you have to fix yourself, and you can do so for three easy payments of $99.99.
The contradiction in the liberalist tradition of the autonomous self is that we’re also told that if you work hard, if you are exceptional, that you’ll be successful within this norm. And it’s presented as a generic message, an inspirational quote. BTS comments directly on this pressure in their music.
We’re a fame-obsessed and wealth-obsessed culture that perpetuates the idea of “success” within the norm, while ignoring things like the inherent racism in intergenerational wealth, limited access to opportunities and resources, nepotism, cronyism, and glass ceilings. We’ve made accumulation the only goal and actively prevent all but a few from getting there.
And maybe we need to change the goal. Maybe RM isn’t being trite when he says he wants happiness.
Because the thing of it is, most people just want to live without suffering.
And that’s why the personal is political. Why all politics are identity politics. But also why it matters that you have musicians writing songs about not feeling bad about who you are. About recognizing that someone else gave you most of your identity and you have to figure out what parts are you and what parts aren’t and what you want to do with this you. About why it’s okay to reject the norms rooted in liberalism and not feel compelled to push yourself to a level of exception that you can’t meet without hierarchy being on your side in the first place.
From the song “Paradise,” which BTS sadly doesn’t include in their current tour set list:
It’s alright to stop
There’s no need to run without even knowing the reason
It’s alright to not have a dream
If you have moments where you feel happiness for a while
We borrow dreams from others (Like a debt)
We learn that we need to become great (Like a light)
Your dream is actually a burden
Who says a dream must be something grand
Just become anybody
We deserve a life
Whatever big or small, you are you after all
“Love yourself” is a political statement. It’s a loud one that somehow people keep dismissing. Many BTS fans are women, girls, and they are the ones who particularly need this message. And the younger they get it, the better. Because it’s counter to every other message women get from the world: Your ideas don’t matter. Your voice doesn’t matter. Your consent doesn’t matter. Your bodily autonomy doesn’t matter. Your labor doesn’t matter. And these messages get far worse and demeaning for women of color.
If you’re a queer person on the margins, or a person with an “invisible” disability, your identity might not even be recognized by other people at all, and you may feel constantly alienated by who you are.
But even if no one else thinks you matter or loves you in the way you need to be loved in a society that forces us to be individuals, loving yourself is one of the only revolutionary acts you can do.
RM has said in interviews that you have to love yourself before you can love others, and I think people tend to interpret that romantically. Sure, the next step might be loving another in that way, but it might also be recognizing others.
If you matter from your place on the margins, then others on the margins matter, too.
I’m not naive. I don’t at all believe that love will heal the world or that love wins. But I do think if you understand yourself and value yourself and your identity, then you can also recognize that it is systems and social norms that want you to hate yourself so you feel disempowered, disenfranchised, and easily taken advantage of.
I think RM’s point when he says to speak yourself is that if you keep speaking yourself, then other people will at some point have to recognize that you exist, that your voice exists, and that you refuse to be silenced.
If you can navigate BTS’s lyrics and what the members say in interviews, you can piece together that this isn’t a frivolous message or hollow inspiration. By writing personal lyrics, by encouraging an inward turn with outward effects, they are explicitly being political with a message for a fanbase of predominantly silenced voices.
And I think they recognize that.
Photo via bts_bighit
When RM said “use me, use us, use BTS to love yourself” to a crowd of more than 40,000 at Citi Field, he is recognizing the universal need to be validated. He is also recognizing that BTS’s music, like hip-hop, can be for everyone if they are open to it.
And that’s why to dismiss BTS, to dismiss their voices, to dismiss the voices of their fans, is to dismiss something radically political and vitally important. | {
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According to the Media Reform Coalition, Corbyn was ‘systematically undermined’ and attacked by the British press as soon as he became leader. These damning figures show that sixty percent of the pieces involving Corbyn during his first seven days of leadership were negative. What is more surprising is that these figures do not even include one of the worst culprits of all: the BBC.
Shortly after Jeremy Corbyn’s election as leader of the Labour Party in September, the BBC were accused of an ‘anti Corbyn bias’ and challenged with a 61,000 strong petition demanding that they stop using the prefix ‘left-wing’ when reporting on events related to his leadership. But before he even won a stunning 59.5% of the vote, ensuring the largest democratic mandate of any Labour leader in modern history, Jeremy Corbyn was subject to what a source from his leadership campaign went as far as describing a ‘complete hatchet job’. The Panorama episode in question was alleged to have attracted a large number of complaints, but the BBC refused to release the figures.
Former BBC political editor, Nick Robinson, even wrote to his colleagues over concerns about the BBC’s bias towards Corbyn, and Channel 4’s Michael Crick issued a stunning rebuke to broadcasters referring to non-left MPs as ‘moderates’. Despite these protestations, as we begin a New Year, it is evident that the BBC has not taken any New Year’s Resolutions to become a little bit more balanced in the face of a broader, more inclusive political spectrum.
Instead, they continue to undermine Corbyn’s authority and position as Leader of the Opposition. It was bad enough when they were wheeling out former Blair advisors such as John McTernan at every possible opportunity, leading to satirical (or serious?) speculation that he was squatting in the BBC studios waiting for the inevitable call-ups.
But the so-called ‘revenge reshuffle’ has led to a shocking revelation, that BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Daily Politics presenter Andrew Neil and so-called ‘moderate’ Labour MP Stephen Doughty planned his live resignation on their program hours before it even began. The admission from an ‘output editor’ of the Daily Politics was made on a BBC blog but was shortly taken down afterwards (the cached version is available here). In this blog, they let slip that Andrew Neil floated the idea to Kuenssberg, who was reported to have thought “it was a great idea”. Knowing full well it would inflict maximum damage on the Labour leader resigning five minutes before Prime Minister’s Questions, both Kuenssberg and Stephen Doughty, MP for Cardiff South & Penarth, seemed more than happy to oblige.
Despite the fact that a live on-air resignation could be considered explosive, dramatic broadcasting, it beggars belief how it is the job of the BBC’s political editor to be of service to an evidently resentful shadow cabinet member intent on further weakening the Labour leadership. Or is it?
After all, in the first five days of 2016, Twitter had been subject to thirty speculative, often opinionated tweets from Kuenssberg about Labour’s reshuffle. Doesn’t seem so bad, right? Perhaps not. But this is in comparison to zero tweets on rail fares, zero tweets on the Housing & Planning Bill, one tweet on the floods which have ravaged the country and eight on the cataclysmic divide in the Conservative Party over their membership of the European Union.
It is baffling how relentless and incessant the coverage of Corbyn’s reshuffle was in comparison to the hundreds of reshuffles that have taken place over the years. Not only does the media orgy over the ‘revenge reshuffle’ accentuate the media are insistent on undermining Corbyn’s leadership, but more importantly, it makes a mockery of the problems that are facing millions of people up and down this country today. It is an unmistakable slap in the face to the vast majority of viewers who want to see impartiality, balance of opinion and an unbiased BBC.
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(Image from www.thecanary.co) | {
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Washington (CNN) -- House Speaker John Boehner walked away from debt talks with President Barack Obama's administration Friday, raising the stakes in the country's ongoing effort to stave off national default.
"In the end, we couldn't connect. Not because of different personalities, but because of different visions for our country," Boehner wrote in a letter to his fellow Republicans.
The House speaker said that "a deal was never reached, and was never really close."
"For these reasons, I have decided to end discussions with the White House and begin conversations with the leaders of the Senate in an effort to find a path forward," he wrote.
Speaking to reporters soon after news of Boehner's decision broke, a visibly frustrated Obama said that he has told the Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress to come to the White House on Saturday morning to "explain to me how we are going to avoid default" on the nation's debt. Boehner told reporters at a news conference later he would attend that meeting.
The president said his administration had offered "an extraordinarily fair deal" to cut expenditures and raise revenues, in return for Congress agreeing to hike the nation's debt ceiling. But he said that Boehner "left (him) at the altar" by ending negotiations around 5:30 p.m. Friday.
"I remain confident that we will get an extension of the debt limit and we will not default. I am confident of that," Obama said. "I am less confident at this point that people are willing to step up to the plate and actually deal with the underlying problem of debt and deficits. That requires tough choices."
The negotiations -- necessary to stave off an unprecedented national default that could prove economically devastating -- are testing the ability of leaders on both sides of the aisle to legislate effectively in an era of increasingly shrill and unyielding partisanship.
Republicans, who have railed against the growth of government, remain staunchly opposed to any tax increases. Democrats are trying to protect some of their party's primary legacies -- entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, programs forged at the height of the New Deal and Great Society.
Speaking after Obama did, Boehner accused the White House of "moving the goalposts" by requesting an additional $400 billion in revenue hikes, a move that he said prompted his decision to call off talks with the president.
The Ohio Republican said members of Congress now "will work together" -- absent representatives from the White House -- to reach a deal that involves spending cuts and raising the nation's debt ceiling. He said he was confident that the government would act to avoid default.
"We can work together here on Capitol Hill to forge an agreement, and I'm hopeful that the president will work with us on this agreement," said Boehner, who compared dealing with the White House to dealing with a bowl of Jell-O.
Senior White House officials, speaking on background, denied moving the goalposts and said they had not expected Boehner would walk away from a deal that would have tied between $3.5 trillion and $4 trillion in new savings to an increase in the debt ceiling.
Republicans and Democrats agreed on a number of points, including $800 billion in revenue increases and certain entitlement reforms, the officials said. They disagreed over an additional $400 billion in revenue hikes and how deep cuts to Medicaid should be, they added.
"Obviously this paper is not going in the shredder," said one senior White House official, suggesting the proposal could be revived.
Another senior administration official said that the White House is not happy about Boehner's timeline in notifying the president, as the house speaker's office was briefing reporters on his decision even before Boehner had returned Obama's call.
House Republican leadership aides told reporters that the White House and Boehner had been discussing a plan that would have tied between $3 trillion and $3.5 trillion in new savings over the next decade to an increase in the debt ceiling, not including revenue.
They stressed that whatever deal moves forward must meet two criteria. Any increase in the debt limit will need to be accompanied by spending cuts or reforms greater than the debt increase, and taxes must not be raised, they said.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said that he found it "disappointing that the talks with the White House (and Republicans) did not reach a favorable conclusion," even as he welcomed the news that the debt-ceiling discussions would be decided in Congress.
"It's time now for the debate to move out of a room in the White House and onto the House and Senate floors, where we can debate the best approach to reducing the nation's unsustainable debt," he said in a statement.
Earlier Friday, the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected the GOP's "cut, cap, and balance" deficit reduction plan, voting 51-46 to set the measure aside and clear a path for further talks on what Democrats insist must be a more centrist measure balancing spending reductions and tax hikes.
"Cut, cap, and balance," which passed the Republican-controlled House earlier in the week, would have tied a debt ceiling increase to sweeping reductions in federal spending, caps on future expenditures, and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
While the measure was never expected to become law, holding votes on it allowed Republicans to demonstrate their preference for steps favored by many in the conservative tea party movement.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, dismissed the vote Friday morning as a waste of time.
"There is simply no more time to waste debating and voting on measures that have no hopes of becoming law," Reid said. There is "no more time to waste playing partisan games."
Republicans argued that Democrats are obstructing sorely needed spending reforms.
"The House has done its job," Boehner declared. "We have a spending problem. Somebody's got to get serious about cutting spending."
The talks, meanwhile, have become a race against the clock. If Congress fails to raise the $14.3 trillion debt limit by August 2, Americans could face rising interest rates, a declining dollar and increasingly jittery financial markets, among other problems.
"Neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this debt, but both parties have a responsibility to come together and solve the problem," Obama wrote in an op-ed that appeared in Friday's USA Today. "That's what the American people expect of us."
It is unclear -- even if a deal is reached -- that any sweeping package can be approved by the August 2 deadline.
A Republican source familiar with the negotiations said Boehner told Republican lawmakers Friday that to get the debt ceiling raised by August 2, the House must vote on legislation by next Wednesday -- and that means it must be posted online Monday.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney signaled to reporters earlier in the week that the president may now be willing to sign a short-term debt limit extension if Democratic and Republican leaders are close to agreement on a broad plan that includes both tax hikes and spending reforms.
Obama previously indicated he would veto any short-term extension.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are also continuing discussions focused on the $3.7 trillion debt reduction blueprint put forward by the "Gang of Six," a group of three Democratic and three Republican senators.
Under the group's proposal, $500 billion in budget savings would be immediately imposed, with marginal income tax rates reduced and the controversial alternative minimum tax ultimately abolished.
The plan would create three tax brackets with rates from 8% to 12%, 14% to 22%, and 23% to 29% -- part of a new structure designed to generate an additional $1 trillion in revenue. It would require cost changes to Medicare's growth rate formula as well as $80 billion in Pentagon cuts.
Obama has praised the plan, calling it "broadly consistent" with his approach to debt reduction because it mixes tax changes, entitlement reforms and spending reductions.
The proposal, however, has been hit with a barrage of criticism from both the right and the left. Conservatives have complained about some of the plan's tax changes, while liberals have warned it would cut entitlement benefits too deeply.
If all else fails, party leaders could still turn to a fallback plan initially put forward by Senate Minority Leader McConnell. The measure would give Obama the power to raise the borrowing limit by a total of $2.5 trillion, but also require three congressional votes on the issue before the 2012 general election.
Specifically, Obama would be required to submit three requests for debt ceiling hikes -- a $700 billion increase and two $900 billion increases. Along with each request, the president would have to submit a list of recommended spending cuts exceeding the debt ceiling increase. The cuts would not need to be enacted in order for the ceiling to rise.
Congress would vote on -- and presumably pass -- "resolutions of disapproval" for each request. Obama would likely veto each resolution. Unless Congress manages to override the president's vetoes -- considered highly unlikely -- the debt ceiling would increase.
The unusual scheme would allow most Republicans and some more conservative Democrats to vote against any debt ceiling hike while still allowing it to clear.
McConnell and Reid are also working on two critical additions to the plan, according to congressional aides in both parties. One would add up to roughly $1.5 trillion in spending cuts agreed to in earlier talks led by Vice President Joe Biden; the other would create a commission meant to find more major spending cuts, tax increases and entitlement reforms.
Changes agreed to by the commission -- composed of an equal number of House and Senate Democrats and Republicans -- would be subject to a strict up-or-down vote by Congress. No amendments would be allowed.
Sources say the panel would be modeled after the Base Closing and Realignment Commission, which managed to close hundreds of military bases that Congress could not otherwise bring itself to shut down.
CNN's Jessica Yellin, Dan Lothian, Deirdre Walsh, Ted Barrett and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report. | {
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In recent months and quarters I have had discussions about why CPU manufacturers offer a number of processors each separated by $7 and 100 MHz. The obvious answer (but not always the logical answer) is to cater for what the customer wants by overloading them with choice. As a result, sometimes direct CPU comparisons can be difficult, as it requires testing every CPU released. Thankfully for AMD’s Kaveri, todays tests of the A10-7700K and A6-7400K plugs a few holes in our AMD benchmark numbers to allow those comparisons.
The Information
We recently reviewed the A8-7650K, a newer processor having been released at the turn of 2015, and thus a lot of the introduction on this page is going to mirror what we stated in that review, particularly when it comes to pricing, comparisons and the processor stack as a whole. We requested both the A10-7700K and the A6-7400K to fill in some of the gaps in our testing, though we do recognize they were released in mid-2014. This is unfortunately part of AMD’s Kaveri strategy – releasing one or two different SKUs each quarter to cover parts of the market. In this case, the A10-7700K is the lowest A10 part while the A6-7400K is one of the few single module (dual thread) available.
AMD Kaveri Lineup A10-
7850K A10-
7800 A10-
7700K A8-
7650K A8-
7600 X4
860K A6-
7400K Price $134 $131 $120 $104 $89 $85 $64 Modules 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 Threads 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 Core Freq. (GHz) 3.7-4.0 3.5-3.9 3.4-3.8 3.3-3.8 3.1-3.8 3.7-4.0 3.5-3.9 Compute Units 4+8 4+8 4+6 4+6 4+6 4+0 2+4 Streaming
Processors 512 512 384 384 384 N/A 256 IGP Freq. (MHz) 720 720 720 720 720 N/A 756 TDP 95W 65W 95W 95W 65W 95W 65W DRAM
Frequency 2133 2133 2133 2133 2133 1866 1866 L2 Cache 2x2MB 2x2MB 2x2MB 2x2MB 2x2MB 2x2MB 1MB
The A10-7700K differs by having a total of 10 compute units compared to the other A10 processors which have 12. This means that it has a high CPU and GPU speed, but fewer GPU cores to play with compared to the A10-7800 or A10-7850K. Compared to the A10-7800 also, we are dealing with the A10-7700K as a 95W part at $120, rather than a 65W part, but the A10-7700K is more geared towards overclocking which we cover later in the review.
The A6-7400K sits at the bottom of the stack. That position and represents how AMD bins its processors, as the A6 still has all the same transistors. When the dies come out and are tested, if one of the modules is not working correctly it can be fused off from the rest of the processor and sold as a lower end part. The rest of the CPU is fine as represented by the high CPU frequencies, and it comes with a TDP of 65W at a low $64 price. The question becomes whether having only a single module (and two threads) is enough for it to power the 256 SPs in the graphics or if the CPU has the power for discrete cards now that more games are multithreaded. That being said, pairing it with a $70 R7 240 discrete card which has 320 SPs should, on paper at least, afford a good bump in graphics performance when in dual graphics mode for titles that can take advantage of it.
Competition and Market
For every tech product that comes out on the market, price is everything. A good product can become super obscure by virtue of a high price, or an overtly mediocre product might become interesting if it strikes a chord at a low price point. Then there is always a question of competition, understanding what a user can get at what price and whether there are features that make the experience worthwhile.
The downside for reviews at least is because in reality there are two prices for everything. The launch price dictates the initial interest, but subsequent price cuts over time can help drive sales. When we write a review, our thoughts are encapsulated at that specific moment in time, so if the price drops or it goes on sale, sometimes the level of recommendation might be skewed. In our last review, we experimented with this. We produced a table of AMD vs Intel at price points in the market:
CPU/APU Comparion AMD Kaveri Amazon Price on 5/27
Intel Haswell $236
i5-4690K
(4C/4T, 88W) 3.5-3.9 GHz
HD 4600 $214 i5-4590
(4C/4T, 84W) 3.3-3.7 GHz
HD 4600 $189 i5-4460
(4C/4T, 84W) 3.2-3.4 GHz
HD 4600 $138 i3-4330
(2C/4T, 54W) 3.5 GHz
HD 4600 3.7-4.0 GHz
512 SPs A10-7850K
(2M/4T, 95W) $134 3.5-3.9 GHz
512 SPs A10-7800
(2M/4T, 65W) $131 3.4-3.8 GHz
384 SPs A10-7700K
(2M/4T, 95W) $120 i3-4130
(2C/4T, 54W) 3.4 GHz
HD 4400 3.3-3.8 GHz
384 SPs A8-7650K
(2M/4T, 95W) $104 $94 Pentium G3430
(2C/2T, 53W) 3.3 GHz
HD (Haswell) 3.1-3.8 GHz
384 SPs A8-7600
(2M/4T, 65W) $89 3.7-4.0 GHz
No IGP X4 860K
(2M/4T, 95W) $85 $70 Pentium G3258
(2C/2T, 53W) 3.2 GHz
HD (Haswell) 3.5-3.9 GHz
256 SPs A6-7400K
(1M/2T, 65W) $64 $44 Celeron G1840
(2C/2T, 53W) 2.8 GHz
HD (Haswell)
This shows what is competing against what specifically at this time frame. One issue to consider is representing this in our benchmarking graphs. In our last review, the A8-7650K, we started quoting the pricing with the processors. Our graphs are not dynamic, and if we used the current price at the time of review, the later the review is arguably the better the recommendation. In that regard we decided to use the launch price of a product for our graphs to maintain a level of consistency.
What pricing we quote aside, looking at recent prices in the table above gives competition for both the A6-7400K and the A10-7700K. The A6-7400K sits below the Pentium G3258 which we reviewed last year and is Intel’s low end overclocking processor. The A10-7700K sits more against the i3-4130 at $120. For our comparisons in this review, we have numbers for the G3258 but the nearest Intel CPUs to the A10-7700K we have are the i3-4130T ($138) and the i3-4330 ($128).
All our results, both past and present, can be found in our online database Bench. As we test CPUs in the future, look out for those results as well.
Test Setup
We are using a new testing regime, starting from May 2015 including five recent games on different AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards from $70 to $560. A detailed breakdown of our testing can be found here, although for this review we will present a few of the more poignant tests while all the results can be found in Bench.
Many thanks to...
We must thank the following companies for kindly providing hardware for our test bed:
Thank you to AMD for providing us with the R9 290X 4GB GPUs.
Thank you to ASUS for providing us with GTX 980 Strix GPUs and the R7 240 DDR3 GPU.
Thank you to ASRock and ASUS for providing us with some IO testing kit.
Thank you to Cooler Master for providing us with Nepton 140XL CLCs.
Thank you to Corsair for providing us with an AX1200i PSU.
Thank you to Crucial for providing us with MX200 SSDs.
Thank you to G.Skill and Corsair for providing us with memory.
Thank you to MSI for providing us with the GTX 770 Lightning GPUs.
Thank you to OCZ for providing us with PSUs.
Thank you to Rosewill for providing us with PSUs and RK-9100 keyboards.
AMD A10-7700K and AMD A6-7400K Overclocking
For the A10-7700K, we hit 4.4 GHz relatively easily with a small bump in voltage, however as we pushed higher frequency it required even more voltage to compensate which led to a quick route to overheating.
The A6-7400K starts with a high base frequency to begin with, but due to the disabled module on board it might have fewer heat generating areas and it could be construed that it might overclock more. In our testing, we had to change motherboards and the MSI has fewer overclocking options than the GIGABYTE, allowing only an offset voltage setting. | {
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On his very first day in his new job in Aberystwyth, DCI Tom Mathias is called out to investigate a suspicious disappearance. In a quiet seaside bungalow he discovers a bathroom covered in blood but no sign of the owner. His investigation into the disappearance of 64-year-old Helen Jenkins leads him to the cascading waters of an ancient ravine at Devil's Bridge, and uncovers the cruel history of a long-closed children's home.
Show less | {
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Daenerys & Dragons save Jon Snow and his band - Game of Thrones Season 7 Ep 6 Beyond the Wall | {
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Before the interview began, Robert Downey Jr’s assistant had spent two hours fretting about getting the temperature in the room just right.
He needn’t have worried. For as the Hollywood star joined Lorraine Kelly in a hotel suite for a chat, there was just one thing on his mind.
Miss Kelly has revealed that as the 49-year-old actor sat down, he blurted out: ‘Nice t*ts.’
Scroll down for video
ITV breakfast host Lorraine Kelly interviewing actor Robert Downey Junior for her show in a hotel suite
The ITV breakfast host, 54, who has a 36C bust, said: ‘Robert was not quite himself. He had a time in his life when maybe he was discovering himself, having issues.
‘He came on looking a bit worse for wear and he had no shoes on and he wandered around and he sat down and I said hello and he looked at me and said, “Nice t*ts”.
'It could have been worse. He could have said, “Oh, I don’t like them”. It is a difficult thing to respond to.’
Downey Jr’s comments were all the more surprising because Miss Kelly had been primed to think his first concern would be how hot it was.
Speaking on tomorrow night's Jonathan Ross Show, Miss Kelly explained that the actor greeted her by saying 'Nice t**s'
Speaking on tomorrow night’s Jonathan Ross Show on ITV, she said: ‘We were in a hotel room waiting for him and a minion came in and said the room was too hot.
'He kept coming back every ten minutes saying “The room is too hot. Robert won’t like it”.
'The man had a Robert Downey Jr thermometer.
‘Anyway, Robert came and he was fine. He didn’t know what they were talking about.’ | {
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Das unter anderem durch die EFF betriebene Projekt Canary Watch wird eingestellt. Grund für das Ende der Plattform ist jedoch nicht ein Zwang durch staatliche Stellen, sondern Kinderkrankheiten des Warrant Canary Systems.
Vergangenes Jahr startete eine Koalition aus Bürgerrechtsorganisationen und Rechtsexperten das Projekt Canary Watch. Ziel der Initiatoren, zu denen unter anderem die Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) und die Freedom of the Press Foundation gehören, war es, eine zentrale Plattform für sogenannte „Warrant Canaries“ zu schaffen.
National Security Letters verbieten Transparenz
Ein Warrant Canary bezeichnet eine Methode, die Unternehmen nutzen können, um ihre Nutzer auf eine Unterwanderung ihrer Dienstleistung durch staatliche Stellen hinzuweisen. Dies ist vor allem in den USA relevant im Bezug auf National Security Letters und sogenannte „gag orders“.
Ein National Security Letter bezeichnet eine Anordnungen bei Ermittlungen, die die nationale Sicherheit betreffen, und zwingt den Empfänger dazu, angeforderte Nutzerdaten und an die anfragende Behörde weiterzuleiten. Besonders beliebt sind National Security Letter beim FBI, auch weil sie keine richterliche Anordnung benötigen. Den wohl berühmtesten National Security Letter erhielt der Betreiber des Webmail-Service Lavabit, Ladar Levison, der unter anderem dazu gezwungen werden sollte, Informationen über die E-Mailadresse ‚[email protected]‘ preiszugeben.
Verbunden mit einem National Security Letter sind üblicherweise sogenannte „gag orders“. Diese verbieten es den Empfängern, öffentlich über den Empfang eines National Security Letter oder der gag order selbst zu sprechen.
Warrant Canaries bieten Abhilfe
Die Logik des Warrant Canary Prinzips ist simpel: Wenn man dazu gezwungen wird, etwas nicht zu sagen, dreht man den Spieß einfach um und kommuniziert – frei nach dem ersten Watzlawick’schen Axiom – durch ein Nichtkommunizieren.
Der Betreiber eines Dienstes veröffentlicht dazu in regelmäßigen Abständen eine Mitteilung auf seiner Website, dass er innerhalb eines bestimmten Zeitraumes keine solche Anfrage erhalten habe. Geht jedoch eine solche ein, wird der Warrant Canary nicht erneuert und weist durch seinen „Tod“, ähnlich dem Vorbild aus dem Bergbau, auf eine Bedrohung hin.
Ironischerweise weisen die Betreiber von Canary Watch selbst darauf hin, dass sie nicht dazu gezwungen wurden, das Projekt einzustellen, sondern zu dem Entschluss kamen, das Projekt habe ein „natürliches Ende“ gefunden.
[T]he Canary Watch project has been a major success, and we’ve decided that it has achieved the goals we set out for it. As of today we will no longer accept submissions of new canaries or monitor the existing canaries for changes or take downs.
Zahl der Warrant Canaries steigt – ihre Effektvität bleibt fraglich
Gestartet war die Seite mit elf Warrant Canaries, aktuell trackt die Seite Warrant Canaries von rund 70 Websites. Auch die Suchanfragen stiegen in den letzten Monaten rapide an, was auch dem Verschwinden des Warrant Canary aus dem Transparenzbericht des sozialen Netzwerks reddit geschuldet sein könnte.
Ein Punkt, der im Bezug auf das Warrant Canary System nicht endgültig geklärt ist, ist die Frage nach dessen Effektivität. Unklarheit besteht zum einen über die Frage, ob das Ausbleiben der Veröffentlichung des Warrant Canary als Bruch der „gag order“ gilt und Websites daher dazu gezwungen werden können, ihren Warrant Canary auch gegen ihren Willen weiter zu aktualisieren. Außerdem bleibt offen, welche Formalitäten ein Warrant Canary für ein effektives Funktionieren beinhalten muss.
Einheitliches System könnte Probleme lösen
Dies ist auch ein Problem, das die Arbeit von Canary Watch erschwerte. Die fehlende Einheitlichkeit der Warrant Canaries der verschiedenen Websites machte die Überprüfung der exakten Aussagen zeitaufwändig. Teilweise vergaßen die Websites auch, ihre Mitteilung zu erneuern, was die Betreiber von Canary Watch zu der Annahme führte, der Warrant Canary sei bewusst ausgeblieben, um auf einen behördlichen Eingriff hinzuweisen.
Abhilfe könnte hierbei ein automatisiertes System verschaffen, das ein einheitliches Format für die Warrant Canaries festlegt und die manuelle Aufrechterhaltung auf ein Minimum reduziert. Ein solches System existiert tatsächlich bereits: Die Software AutoCanary, entwickelt von Micah Lee, ermöglicht es, Warrant Canaries größtenteils automatisiert und maschinenlesbar zu veröffentlichen.
Es bleibt also bislang noch offen, ob das Warrant Canaries aus rechtlicher Sicht anwendbar ist und wie es technisch am besten umgesetzt werden kann. Das Prinzip bietet jedoch große Chancen zur Schaffung von Transparenz, wo Transparenz nicht erwünscht ist. | {
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Ten million Americans moved counties in 2008. Where did they move? Everywhere! (Except Detroit.)
That's the simplest, broadest conclusion from this flat-out awesome map from Forbes.com that uses IRS data to track the intra-national movements of American families. You have to check it out for yourself. Here are a few observations.
New York City is where people move after living in Blue State America. Long Island is where people live before moving to Florida.
Chicago's famous "midway" status isn't just a hub for airlines, it also draws evenly from across the country...
Rugby, North Dakota's famous "geographical center of North America" status predictably draws from across the districts that immediately surround Rugby, North Dakota.
America's capitals of unemployment (Detroit), fiscal doomsday (Los Angeles) and real estate apocalypse (Miami) are predictably bleeding people. However, Miami is still a popular destination for older New Yorkers, and California still enjoys a magnetic draw for New Englanders looking to re-locate to sunnier climates.
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The three tribes arrived in the game via three different modes of transportation: Aparri, the Brawn tribe, entered along a rough road in the back of a truck. Solana, the Beauty, then entered by boat along the river, with Lindsey Ogle snickering at the girls lounging in the front. Finally, Luzon, the Brains tribe, entered by helicopter, with Jefra Bland noting that they looked like "the Cochrans" of the group.
“ I am so excited to start Survivor, I can't even stand it. I'm such a competitive person that I would literally do anything to get to the finish line, to beat you, if I have to. I mean, it's just who I am. (laughs) ” – Trish Hegarty
“ When I saw the speedboat race up, the girls were in the front and they were all kinda like "Oh, look at us." I'm surprised there wasn't, like, cheesy music in the background. ” – Lindsey Ogle
“ I noticed a few people coming off the helicopter who seemed like more the nerdy type, like the Cochran of the game, that's gonna be really smart and witty and play the game well. ” – Jefra Bland
Jeff Probst welcomed the three tribes to Survivor: Cagayan; the three tribes cheered and clapped in excitement. Jeff Probst explained that the twist of the season was Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty and asked each tribe to guess which attribute they belong to. Morgan McLeod said, "I don't mean to sound conceited, but I think we're Beauty." Spencer Bledsoe then noted that he thought his tribe were the "Nerds," adding that the other remaining tribe looked "really physical." Tony Vlachos then said he would "gladly accept" being on the Brawn tribe, and was eager to "stomp on beauty and stomp on smarts."
Jeff noted that each trait was important in the game of Survivor, before asking each tribe to immediately select a Tribe Leader. Starting with Solana, Brice Johnston nominated LJ McKanas to be the leader. When asked what he thought about being the leader of "the hot group," LJ answered that he must be "the inner beauty" and that if he was the one to stick out, he had to roll with it. Aparri then chose their leader, looking for "a talker." Sarah Lacina said that she was a talker, and the tribe elected her as the leader. Trish Hegarty said they chose Sarah because she looked "confident" and would "get the job done." Luzon then chose their leader, with Spencer asking who looked the smartest. Kass McQuillen and Tasha Fox pointed to David Samson because of his blazer, and he took on the role. Kass said that she didn't usually "trust a man in a suit," but liked David.
The leaders were then instructed to choose who they thought was the weakest person on the tribe. LJ chose Morgan, rationalizing that she looked the least physical. She said that this didn't often happen to her, and that there was "a first time for everything." Sarah said she had a good vibe from everyone and didn't want to make the call, reluctantly choosing Trish. Trish said that, despite her support of Sarah as the leader, she understood her call. Before making his pick, David clarified that "the jacket doesn't match the pants, so it's not a suit." He added that he made decisions like this frequently, and slapped Garrett Adelstein on the shoulder. David said that he'd made his decision based on "the last two thirds of the game." Garrett joined Morgan and Trish, and Jeff revealed that they were still in the game, but would be flown straight to camp - avoiding the hike with their tribe - where they would make a decision on behalf of the tribe who had just ostracized them. The three departed in the helicopter, and Jeff gave Aparri, Luzon, and Solana maps to their beach.
“ In my perspective of beauty, there is hot and there's cute. Morgan, she's hot, whereas the other girls are, like, cute. And me personally, I trust cute more then I trust (chuckles) hot. ” – LJ McKanas
“ My strategy with choosing Garrett was that he's built like a Mack truck, and he's got brains too? Now that's gonna be a formidable combination. So I figured it would make sense to get rid of him. ” – David Samson
Garrett was dropped off at the Luzon beach to find the decision awaiting him: choose an extra bag of rice for the tribe, or take a clue to a Hidden Immunity Idol for himself. He chose to take the clue, and followed the map to a waterfall near camp. Meanwhile, Trish arrived at the Aparri beach and was torn on what decision to make. Despite being tempted to take the clue, she remained a team player, choosing the extra bag of rice for her tribe. Morgan, on the other hand, with a growing grudge against LJ, chose the clue to the Idol.
“ To be isolated from the group right away, it really sucks. Like, at least both of the other two leaders pretended like they were so sad they had to pick the person, but David doesn't hesitate! He immediately pats me on the back and says, "Garrett! He is the weakest." Which is BS. I'm stronger than any of them. ” – Garrett Adelstein
“ As far as I'm concerned, I'm already on the outs with my tribe, so this is a complete no-brainer. Obviously, I'm going to look for the Hidden Immunity Idol. When people see my body, often they're like, "He's just a dumb jock." But I was valedictorian of my high school class, 99 percentile SATs and for a living am a high-stakes professional poker player. So anything I do in my life, I go all in. Without question, David making the asinine decision he did, works to my advantage, but he's a threat and I want him out of the game. ” – Garrett Adelstein
“ When Sarah had to pick the weakest of the tribe, when I looked around, I was clearly the oldest, I was clearly the thinnest. So I wasn't surprised it was me. When I saw that note, I was like, "Oh jeez!" I gotta to make a decision whether it's for me or for the team. Initially, I could hear myself saying, "Don't be an idiot! Go and get the Idol for yourself and protect yourself." I have been divorced for fifteen years, supporting and raising my children emotionally and financially and it's been really hard. Yet, at the same time, I've always been a team player. It's just who I am. I just went with my gut and said, you know what, I'm just gonna go with the team. I hope I don't kick myself for the rest of the game on that one, but there's nothing I can do now, so I just hope I don't regret it. ” – Trish Hegarty
“ I'm surprised I was voted off first. I feel like I have more physical strength than the other two ladies. Then, I kinda thought I had the guys under my thumb. But maybe LJ was tempted by my looks and he didn't really want me around to mess with his head. That's what I'm good at, so maybe he can sense that. But I hold grudges big time. I will never forgive him for this. This is a game where you have to save yourself, so of course I'm going to look for the Idol. I guess I'm a selfish person, but if I can find it, it's gonna be a huge game-changer, for sure. ” – Morgan McLeod
Back at Luzon, Garrett found the waterfall, stripped down to his underwear, and began searching the pool for the Idol. After a duration of frustration in which he made no headway, Garrett finally found the Idol in a bag at the bottom of the pool. Over at Solana, Morgan was also searching for the Idol out by a rock shelf in the ocean. As she searched, the rest of the tribe arrived at camp, prompting them to be suspicious of her whereabouts and concerned Morgan that she had blown her opportunity.
“ The clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol said it's right by the waterfall. Unfortunately, these hide-and-go-seek type activities – it's just not my area of expertise. I've been in situations at the poker table, playing for huge amounts of money, and I didn't get stressed out about it. So this should be child's play. But I'm embarrassing myself by not being able to find this stupid Idol right now. ” – Garrett Adelstein
“ Finally, I was able to find the Hidden Immunity Idol. I'm definitely going to keep it to myself. But what an amazing start to the game. Me having the Idol puts me in a really strong position. I don't know what the hell David was thinking, but I promise you, I'm going to do everything in my power to get rid of him. ” – Garrett Adelstein
“ The clue said that the Hidden Immunity Idol would be somewhere near rocks, so immediately I thought of the huge rock shelf to the right of our camp. There's so many little crevasses and nooks and crannies that a Hidden Immunity Idol could be hidden, but I don't know when they're going to be here. I don't know how much time I have. I just know that I have to find it. ” – Morgan McLeod
“ 26. We arrived at the beach and it's like, "Where's Morgan?" She was nowhere to be found and it was just very suspicious. ” – LJ McKanas
“ I was climbing on the rocks, then I saw my other tribemates come strolling up on the beach and my heart just jumped in my throat. I had been outed trying to find the Idol and I was like if I don't come up with something, I'm going home for sure. ” – Morgan McLeod
As Solana dropped their stuff by the flag, Morgan came running up out of the ocean. On the spur of the moment, she came up with a cover plan, telling her tribe that she'd picked rice, shelter materials, and fishing supplies for them, and told them she was out in the ocean exploring the tide pools and looking for crabs. LJ, however, was suspicious of her cool demeanor, and guessed that she either had a clue or the Idol itself. However, he apologized to her, and she told him she'd just have to prove him wrong. Brice, on the other hand, took the opportunity to pull the ostracized Morgan into an alliance, telling her that he wouldn't have voted her out, and pointed out that LJ and Jeremiah Wood, and Alexis Maxwell and Jefra were already pairing up, adding that he had her back. Meanwhile, the tribe worked hard to prepare camp, with Jeremiah and LJ even making fire for the tribe with only bamboo.
“ My other tribemates come strolling up on the beach. It was pretty obvious what I was doing. I had already been outed as the weakest person and now I'm going behind their back and trying to find the Idols and I was like, "I'm done." Then I realize, y'know, I could just totally lie and say that, "Oh yeah, I picked the shelter materials and the fishing stuff over comfort." ” – Morgan McLeod
“ I, for sure, think I fooled them. Now I have however many days to look for the Idol. I'll have to be really sly about it, but I don't think they have any clue. ” – Morgan McLeod
“ Morgan's already in her underwear, just like a mermaid that just walked out of the ocean, which had me a little nervous because she's way too calm and collected for someone just voted out. She either already has an Immunity Idol or she has a clue, so I gotta be on my best behavior because she could be the hot girl with a grudge. ” – LJ McKanas
“ Morgan was able to provide for us, you know, some good things. I kinda felt like that kinda boosted her confidence a little bit, but I'm no dummy. I know a scorned woman when I see her. So she was the perfect opportunity for me to use my purple pants and, kinda like, my personality to kinda get in with her. ” – Brice Johnston
“ Me and Brice kinda made a little connection, so right now, we're sticking together. He's got my back. We'll see what happens. ” – Morgan McLeod
“ People don't expect anything from us because they've labeled us the "Beauty." They think it's just a tribe full of princesses and guys who are like pretty boys that don't wanna really get dirty. ” – Alexis Maxwell
“ I'm so excited we got fire right away, you know, without flint which is very hard to do. So I'm loving our tribe! ” – Jefra Bland
“ The other tribes – there's nothing in their minds that wants to connect the Beauty tribe with success. But it's happening! We can kick butt out here and we're doing it! ” – Alexis Maxwell
At Aparri, Trish greeted her tribe with open arms and assured Sarah that she was not offended by being picked as the weakest. She told the tribe that she'd been given the opportunity to look for an Idol, but had instead chosen extra rice for the tribe, prompting surprise and celebration from Sarah and the rest of Aparri. The tribe then split up to begin assembling the shelter. As they worked, Cliff Robinson drew some attention for his height. He told Tony and Woo Hwang that he worked in sports marketing, but had played some basketball at which point Woo revealed that he had some of Cliff's basketball cards. Cliff then shared his history as an NBA-player with the rest of his tribe who were impressed, but didn't seem to let his past influence their opinion of him.
“ Because I was already seen as being the weakest, I felt like that's what they were going to come to camp thinking. That this older, skinny woman that would be eliminated is weak. So, I had to get myself right back on equal terms with all of them. ” – Trish Hegarty
“ Soon as we arrive to camp, Trish came with open arms. She says, "I had the choice of looking for the Idol for myself or helping my tribe out in getting a second bag of rice." And we were, like, so excited. We were like, "Yes, you did the right thing." But if I was in Trish's shoes, it would have been one bag of rice... and one Idol in my pocket. ” – Tony Vlachos
“ Looking through all of my team members, I could tell that any challenge that will have physical strength in it, we're definitely gonna dominate. I mean, we have, like, the biggest man out here. He's like eight feet tall. ” – Lindsey Ogle
“ Me being a basketball enthusiast, I immediately knew who that was: Cliff Robinson. Portland Trail Blazers. One of my favorite players growing up and everyone seems stoked to have him on their tribe. But I don't think anyone's making a really big deal about it. ” – Woo Hwang
“ The fact that I'm a former basketball player could hurt me, but to tell you the truth, it doesn't seem like they really have any interest in basketball. So for me, that's just fine. I can play this game. Not worry about my tribemates judging me for what I did and they're just looking at me like as Cliff Robinson – one of the tribe members of Survivor. ” – Cliff Robinson
Sarah, meanwhile, suspected that Tony was a police officer. She approached him alone and asked him, but he denied it, point blank. She asked him again, but he continued to deny it, telling her that he worked in construction and pointed to his tattoo as evidence (citing that police officers were not allowed to have tattoos). Sarah then told him she was a cop. Tony then joked with her, pretending to confess, puzzling her, and making her suspicious.
“ I've been a cop for quite a while and there is a look that cops have – and Tony's got it. If I'm wrong, he should go be a cop because he looks just like one. ” – Sarah Lacina
“ I thought for a split second, "Should I tell her I'm a cop?" But then I said, you know what? If I tell them I'm a police officer, the first thing they're gonna be thinking is, like, this guy's strategical, he's tactical, he's probably sharp on his toes, he's very observant. And they're gonna be right. So obviously I'm a threat to them, so they're gonna probably want to try and blindside me right away. ” – Tony Vlachos
“ Interview and interrogation are my daily duties and I get lied to every day at work, y'know? And there's just something that makes me feel uneasy about Tony. ” – Sarah Lacina
“ I don't know what the hell he does. All I know is I don't think I can trust him, so he's gotta go as soon as possible. That's all I gotta say. ” – Sarah Lacina
Luzon arrived at their beach, greeting Garrett. Spencer was frustrated by David's decision, but Garrett put on a good face, telling his tribe he'd found the water, as well as a waterfall. The tribe then began focusing on shelter, at which point J'Tia Taylor told the group she was a nuclear engineer, and had orchestrated a plan for the shelter. She then began doling out orders to her tribe, instructing them on how to do everything, from cutting the bamboo to constructing the base for the shelter, without putting in any physical effort herself. However, her abrasive approach rubbed Tasha Fox, Spencer, Kass, and David the wrong way, and despite several objections to the practicality of her plan, J'Tia insisted she had the right plan. Kass talked to David about her attitude, but he suggested they just "let her do what she does." When Tasha sat down on the shelter to test the balance, it collapsed under her, prompting Kass to mutter, "We're not very smart for the Brain tribe."
“ When David came out and said that he was going to pick Garrett, I thought, "You're an idiot!" You're picking the one guy who can help us in challenges and you're ostracizing him already. It's a terrible move. ” – Spencer Bledsoe
“ I have my PhD in nuclear engineering. I think I'm the smartest person here. Hands down! Ima build that shelter. I'm not gonna cut the bamboo, but I'm gonna tell 'em how to build it. And it's gonna be an awesome shelter. ” – J'Tia Taylor
“ J'Tia took the leadership role and her approach is not the sleekest and she does come off really confrontational and bossy. ” – Tasha Fox
“ Right now, we have an – (air quotes) – "engingeer," J'Tia, who says that she can build a shelter. She has the decisiveness of a leader, she has the bossiness for sure, but she doesn't exactly have it all... (points to head) ...here. ” – Spencer Bledsoe
“ J'Tia... I don't appreciate her attitude. I don't think anybody does. It makes it uncomfortable. ” – Kass McQuillen
“ J'Tia's taking charge of doing stuff, but she doesn't do anything. She just sort of barks orders to us. In my career, I have enough experience with people who look like they can get things done, but you put 'em at the plate and put a bat in their hand and all of a sudden, they look like Bugs Bunny. And that's J'Tia. J'Tia's just too much. She's too much. ” – David Samson
Jeff welcomed the tribes in for their first challenge: Draggin' the Dragon. Each tribe would manoeuvre a cart through an obstacle course, stopping along the way to retrieve a key suspended high in the air. They would then use the key to unlock a chest of puzzle pieces, load it onto the cart and continue along the course. Once all three chests were obtained, the cart was to be disassembled and slotted through a barricade before being reassembled on the other side. The tribe would then complete the obstacle course, at which point, two members of the tribe would use the puzzle pieces to solve a giant circular puzzle. Jeff then revealed the two-part Immunity Idol. In addition, the tribes were competing for reward in the form of fire, with the first tribe to finish getting a fire-making kit and second place receiving flint.
The tribes were even out of the gate, with Spencer retrieving the key for Luzon, Brice for Solana and Cliff for Aparri. Aparri and Solana easily got their chests onto their cart, but Luzon got their chest tangled up in the chains, dropping them into last place. Aparri pulled into first place as Cliff easily retrieved the second key, with Brice and Solana close behind. Spencer made up some ground for Luzon, but J'Tia got stuck unlocking the chest and once again, the tribe tangled the chest in the chains. Meanwhile, Aparri extended their lead, obtaining their third key and chest and beginning to disassemble their cart. As Aparri began slotting their cart through the wall, Solana retrieved their third key and began pulling apart their cart as Luzon also began disassembling the cart. Aparri continued to maintain a lead, with Solana narrowing the gap by slotting most of their cart through the barricade in one swift go. As Aparri began to reassemble their cart and Solana got their last chest through the wall, Luzon was falling further behind, even dropping their chests to have puzzle pieces fall out all over the place. Aparri easily traversed the last obstacle – a series of ruts obstructed by rocks and logs – as Luzon continued to fall apart, dropping another crate.
Sarah and Lindsey began work on the puzzle for Aparri, solving it on the ground before slotting it into the wheel. Solana made up some ground, and Alexis and LJ began work on the puzzle soon after. Meanwhile, Luzon was still assembling their cart. Aparri finished the first section of their puzzle, with Solana moments behind. Luzon's cart began to fall apart on the last obstacle as Aparri and Solana maintained their lead on the puzzle portion. As Aparri finished their second section of the puzzle, Luzon finally caught up and Kass and Tasha began work on their puzzle. Solana finished their second chest of puzzle pieces, with Aparri neck-and-neck going into the final section of the puzzle. Luzon completed their first section of the puzzle and raced to catch up, but the other two tribes were significantly further ahead, with Solana down to their last four pieces and Aparri down to their last six. Solana finished their puzzle first, claiming victory, Immunity and a fire-making kit. Aparri finished moments later, also winning Immunity and flint. Meanwhile, Luzon were only halfway through their second puzzle portion and only won a trip to Tribal Council.
Back at camp, the Luzon tribe dissected their abysmal performance, pointing out that they couldn't underestimate the other tribes. David and Kass discussed the poor effort and debated who to target at the vote – J'Tia or Garrett. Kass accusing J'Tia of taking over her role in the challenge (unlocking the chests) and then getting the chains tangled up. David, however, pushed to vote out Garrett, claiming he had been of little physical help in the challenge, but also thought of him as a bigger threat down the line. Kass, however, insisted that J'Tia was the only sound option for "tribe harmony."
“ At the challenge, we sucked. I can't really blame any particular person. I think it's everyone and it's like we're book-smart, but when it comes to playing this game, we're dumb. ” – Tasha Fox
“ Personally, I'd like to get rid of Garrett because I view him as a bigger threat to me than J'Tia. I'm thinking about Day 39 and my biggest concern is that I'm not exactly sure what put him on the Brains tribe. He hasn't told us. And that scares me – really to my core. ” – David Samson
“ David, he wants Garrett to go first, but that's ridiculous. He's our strongest guy. Plus, he's a work horse. But J'Tia, she has not been pulling her weight. She's been doing a lot of direction and no production. And everyone sees it. She's dead weight. So let's just send her home. ” – Kass McQuillen
Later, J'Tia asked Kass who she wanted to vote out, and Kass bluntly told her she was leaning to get rid of her because of her poor work ethic. J'Tia objected, saying she'd pulled her weight in the challenge, but Kass countered that she'd been resting for three days. Kass warned her that it was "probably time to scramble." Later, Tasha approached a tearful J'Tia, who asked Tasha her opinion of her work ethic. Tasha agreed that she may have rubbed some people the wrong way. Garrett joined the two of them and assured J'Tia that she was safe, proposing that they oust a strategic threat in David. He told the women that he could pull in Spencer and, four-strong, they could vote out David. However, when he approached Spencer, the latter was concerned about the Idol and feared David may have it. Garrett lied that he hadn't heard anything about Idol clues, but Spencer pointed out that David and Kass often went off alone together. As the rain and wind swept in, Luzon departed for Tribal Council.
“ I went up to Kass and she was very honest. She said that she doesn't think that I work around camp and that I'm going home. Kass kinda hurt my feelings a little bit. 'Cause I'm not lazy. We needed a shelter and I felt like if I hadn't built a fire under the tribe's butt, we wouldn't have got it done. So I felt like I was being motivating. Clearly it doesn't come off that way, but I just hope that I have not ruined my chances. I might have. ” – J'Tia Taylor
“ J'Tia is definitely pretty paranoid right now. And for what it's worth, she has pretty good reason. She's bossy. Y'know, she doesn't get along with anyone. I personally care less about that than others because as far as I'm concerned, the biggest threat is David. He's very intelligent. I do think he's a schemer and he's already made it clear that he wants to get rid of me. So David's going home tonight. ” – Garrett Adelstein
“ I'm really concerned about voting out David. I know that in the past, there have been clues and Idols around camp and I keep seeing David and Kass walk off and just wander around. So I'm a bit worried that he could have found it. So I'm thinking, since J'Tia's a pain in the ass, let's vote her out. Just to be safe. ” – Spencer Bledsoe
“ Spencer's paranoid about David having the Idol which is ridiculous because I have the Idol. Of course, I'm not going to tell him that but now I feel nervous about voting for David because it looks like I don't have four solid votes for tonight. Without question, David is just a huge threat and if people don't see that, they're idiots. I don't know. I hope that Spencer and I stay strong together, but we'll see what happens. ” – Garrett Adelstein
At Tribal Council, the Luzon tribe lit their torches. Before the council began, Garrett leapt out of his seat as he noticed a spider crawling on him. Jeff gave an open statement to talk about the first three days, at which point J'Tia smiled and noted, "I knew you were gonna want to talk to me a lot, Jeff" because she knew she was on the chopping block. She added that Kass had told her that she was a target because of her work ethic and bossiness, pointing out that she had been unaware that she'd been coming off so negatively, but owned her mistakes, laughing at the complete failure of her shelter plan. David added that J'Tia had come out very strong at the beginning, citing her credentials as "a nuclear physicist or a nuclear... bomb builder or something," which had made him feel like she knew what she was doing. J'Tia corrected him that she was a nuclear engineer, and argued that she hadn't said she knew what she was doing, but had just been excited about a plan. She reiterated that she'd made an error, and urged her tribe to tell her if they had problems with her actions or personality.
As thunder cracked and the rain started to pour, Jeff asked David about his decision to point to Garrett as the weakest. He answered that it wasn't a perfect position, but he hadn't wanted to "dither around" because it was a game. Garrett countered that it had sucked to be "cast as the outsider." He added that he didn't think he was an immediate target because of David's call, and trusted his team. David agreed that Garrett was correct in his confidence because he wasn't going anywhere, at least "not tonight."
Asked how it would feel to be the first out, J'Tia said that she would be disappointed because she'd come to play, and that for the tribe to succeed, they couldn't be "thinking about the last two-thirds; you've got to be thinking about the first third and getting there." The reference to David's comment about why he'd picked Garrett on Day 1 led to her saying that Luzon were "her people" and while she understood that someone had to go, she didn't want it to be her, and pointed directly at David. David said that such accusations were common strategy when you were about to be voted out.
As Spencer was asked about the "big vote," the thunder roared, and he answered that they had to make the vote based on keeping the tribe unified and trustworthy.
Jeff then initiated the vote. Kass voted first, followed by David, who cast his vote for "Je Tia." Tasha followed and J'Tia then returned the favor with a vote for David. Garrett and Spencer concluded the proceedings and Jeff tallied the votes.
When Jeff asked if anybody wished to play a Hidden Immunity Idol, Garrett coughed pointedly but did not play the Idol. The first vote was for J'Tia, followed by one for David. Each received another vote, tying the score at 2-2. However, the last two votes came up for David. He took his torch to Jeff, muttering "Unbelievable." With that, David Samson became the first contestant eliminated from. Jeff urged the tribe to get it together quickly, before sending them back to camp with flint. | {
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The first budget from Justin Trudeau's government finds the Liberals compromising some of their election promises to keep others, laying out a longer and larger string of deficits to begin the kind of long-term investments they say Canada needs.
While the big ticket items match the platform that helped the Liberals win a majority last October, other commitments aren't ready to roll out.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau called the plan "reasonable and affordable," despite the red ink washing across the otherwise sunny tone of his rookie budget.
"Canadians told us two things: they said 'help me and my family' and 'make investments for the future,'" he told reporters before delivering his budget speech.
"What we're also going to do is be prudent along the way."
Prudent was not the word Conservatives used while reacting from the Opposition bench.
"This is a bad day for the taxpayers of Canada," interim leader Rona Ambrose said. "What we're seeing now is reckless spending without a job creation plan and no actual plan in the budget to return to a balance."
The Tories said that in total taxes were going up by "at least $1.3 billion a year." The Liberals broke their election promise to contain the deficit to $10 billion annually, they said.
Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose discusses the federal budget 8:00
New Democrats, on the other hand, focused on what they called "missed opportunities" to reduce inequality, slamming how the Liberals "shortchanged" First Nations education and child welfare.
"What we're looking at here is a failure to deliver not only on their own promises but a failure to deliver on things that the courts have required them to do," NDP Leader Tom Mulcair told reporters.
The NDP said Liberals "failed to fix" the employment insurance system. The third party wanted to see more stock option loopholes closed and a greater investment in health care.
"Given the size of what they're spending, frankly it's surprising there are that many broken promises," Mulcair said.
New family benefit starts in July
The budget centres on a suite of moves to help middle-class Canadians, a focus of Liberal attention for months. A tax cut passed in December lowered the middle-income tax rate by one and a half points and brought in a new top tax bracket for high earners.
A new tax-free Canada child benefit starting July 1 will increase payments for most Canadians with children, simplify the tax code and offer greater assistance to lower-income families.
It replaces both the income-tested tax-free Canada child tax benefit and the universal child care benefit, which was taxable.
Families with incomes under $30,000 will receive the maximum benefit of $6,400 per child under six and $5,400 per child between six and 17, a gain of about $2,500 a year per child.
As incomes rise, the benefit will be progressively clawed back, and eliminated entirely for households earning more than $190,000.
The $4.5-billion net cost of the program for the coming year is partially offset by the elimination of the Conservatives' income splitting for families, a measure that would have cost the treasury $1.9 billion.
Tax credits for children's fitness and arts expenses also are being phased out over two years, with maximum eligible expenses cut in half for 2016 and eliminated entirely in 2017.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau chats with Peter Mansbridge about his first budget. 3:15
Billions for infrastructure, indigenous people
The 2016 budget begins fulfilling the Liberal pledge to spend $120 billion on new and existing infrastructure over 10 years.
Phase 1 will focus immediately on public transit, water and wastewater systems, and affordable housing, something Trudeau himself admitted last week was "unsexy."
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Bill Morneau became the first rookie MP in nearly a century to deliver a budget speech as finance minister. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)
Later investments will be "broader and more ambitious," the budget promises, focusing on the government's goal of shifting to a low-carbon economy and positioning Canadian cities to be more competitive internationally.
The budget allocates $8.4 billion over five years to help bring about "transformational change" in the socio-economic conditions of Canada's indigenous people and their communities.
That includes $2.6 billion to improve primary and secondary education on reserves.
A further $635 million over that span will go to improve family and child services, a figure welfare advocate Cindy Blackstock said falls short of the spending necessary to bring services for First Nations children in line with non-indigenous services.
In the next two years, $500 million has been allocated to improve First Nations housing and another $225 million for on-reserve infrastructure.
Other funding targets improvements in drinking water and waste management.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair responds to the government's spending plan 5:10
EI overhaul, but no corporate tax cut
The budget also takes significant steps to overhaul the employment insurance system, something forecast to cost over $2.4 billion over the next two years.
But it does not change the corporate tax rate for small businesses, a move much-discussed during the fall election campaign.
Morneau told reporters Tuesday that what businesses really need is an economy that works. The middle-class consumers businesses rely on will see their circumstances improve with the budget's measures, the finance minister said.
Morneau gestures to friends and family in the gallery as he arrives to give his first budget speech Tuesday. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
The 2016 budget also:
Increases programs to assist injured veterans, and restores nine previously closed veterans affairs offices.
Provides new investments to promote scientific research, including a $2-billion fund for post-secondary institutions to modernize their facilities.
Increases Canada student grant amounts by 50 per cent for students from low- and middle-income families and part-time students.
Rolls out a $2-billion low carbon economy fund, announced earlier this month with Canada's premiers at their meeting to discuss Canada's climate change strategy.
Provides $675 million over five years to "modernize and revitalize" CBC/Radio-Canada.
Boosts the guaranteed income supplement top-up benefit for single, low-income seniors by up to $947 annually, starting in July 2016.
Funds a $112-million homelessness strategy, as well as funding for new spaces and support for people fleeing domestic violence.
The budget does not, however, provide additional transfers to the provinces to address rising health-care costs.
It does reallocate $3.7 billion for large-scale capital spending planned for the Canadian military between 2015-16 and 2020-21, pushing it off to later years.
The government argues this is not a reduction in the Defence Department's budget, but a shifting of the spending forward to the years when the military expects to be ready to make these purchases.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2016?src=hash">#Budget2016</a> confirms that another Decade of Darkness has started for the <a href="https://twitter.com/CanadianForces">@CanadianForces</a> - cuts in next 3 years are worse than 1995. —@ErinOTooleMP
Higher deficits throughout mandate
All this spending takes its toll on the budget balance, adding $11 billion to the federal deficit in 2016-17 alone, bringing it to $29.4 billion.
The Liberal election campaign promised modest deficits of $10 billion annually to fund infrastructure spending, with a return to balanced budgeting by the next election, expected in 2019.
No return to black ink is projected in Morneau's five-year forecast.
However, Morneau's budget speech emphasizes that by the time of the next election, Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio, a measure of how affordable Canada's deficit spending is relative to the strength of the economy, should be lower than it is today, albeit only slightly.
The federal deficit calculations, however, are based on economic growth forecasts significantly more pessimistic than an average of private sector forecasts from February.
$29.4 billion in borrowed money. This budget is a nightmare scenario for the taxpayer. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2016?src=hash">#Budget2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/E4rYJovokp">pic.twitter.com/E4rYJovokp</a> —@RonaAmbrose
That choice effectively adds $6 billion to the deficit.
If the economy does not stagnate or decline further to the extent of these worst-case scenarios, the Liberals could outperform their gloomy deficit forecasts down the road. | {
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Picture used for representational purpose only
CHENNAI: Fourteen people from Tamil Nadu, who were deported from the United Arab Emirates on charges of raising money to fund terror and support terror outfits, were arrested by the National Investigation Agency in Delhi and flown to Chennai on Monday.
All 14 of them were produced before the special court for the exclusive trial of bomb blast cases and NIA cases, Poonamalee. Judge P Chenthoorpandi remanded the accused in judicial custody till July 25.
The fourteen are — Moideen Seeni Shahul Hameed, Mohammed Ibrahim, Meeran Kani, Mohammed Sheik, Mohhamed Azharuddin, Thoufik Ahamed, Mohammed Aksar, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rafi Ahamed, Umar Farook, Munthabseer, Farrook, Faizal Sherif and Mohammed Ibrahim.
They were booked on various charges of IPC including 120(b) (punishment for conspiracy), 121(a) (conspiracy), 122 (collecting arms) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act section 17 (raising funds for terrorist organisations), 18 (punishment for conspiracy), 18(b) (recruiting persons for terrorist act), 38 (person associated with terrorist organisation), 39 (supporting terrorist organisation) among others.
Special public prosecutor for NIA, C S S Pillai told TOI that the fourteen men hail from different parts of Tamil Nadu. “They were detained by UAE authorities who found the men collecting funds for waging a ‘war against India’,” Pillai said. They were deported from UAE in two batches after which the NIA took over.
Preliminary investigations have suggested that they are supporters of terror outfits including ISIS, the special public prosecutor told the court.
NIA raids at the house and office of Syed Mohammed Bukhari in Chennai, besides at the houses of Hassan Ali and Harish Mohammed in Nagapattinam district on Saturday were based on the inputs provided by the 14 men. NIA said they had received credible information that the accused, while being within and outside India, had conspired to wage war against the Government of India by forming the terrorist gang ‘Ansarulla’ and made preparations to carry out terrorist attacks with the intention of establishing Islamic rule in the country.
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There’s a new term being coined internally within the boardrooms of big alcohol and cannabis conglomerates– “mood management.” No longer is alcohol stuck as a social stimulant in the form of beer, wine, or spirits; it can now leverage natural cannabinoids from marijuana to formulate a portfolio of mood states in liquid, vape, or cosmetic form. Cannabis analytics platform BDS Analytics has already tracked 286 unique moods used in various cannabis products from legal dispensaries and we’re just getting started. Some of these newer states can help suppress appetite, cure hangovers, or create alternative sources of energy beyond caffeine without any psychoactive side-effects of traditional delta-9 THC.
In its past three quarterly filings, HEXO, a publicly traded Canadian cannabis producer who has partnered with Molson Coors for its beverages, has repeatedly outlined key mood states it plans to serve across multiple form factors:
Sleep — to relax and quiet the mind
— to relax and quiet the mind Sport — to be active and energetic, recover quicker and reduce inflammation
— to be active and energetic, recover quicker and reduce inflammation Focus — to be alert, concentrated and more productive
— to be alert, concentrated and more productive Diet — to help curb desire for food
— to help curb desire for food Sex — to bring intimacy and arousal
— to bring intimacy and arousal Fun — to enjoy social gatherings
Canopy Growth, which is partially owned by Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, etc.), wrote the following in its last two earnings reports:
“We believe cannabis-based beverages can be tailored to meet specific outcomes across a variety of consumption occasions, while avoiding such things as weight gain, “hangover” effects, and interactions with traditional pharmaceutical medications. Given this, cannabis-based beverages could serve as a disruptive alternative to traditional alcohol beverages.”
Occasions are another term that the alcohol industry has used to measure its ability to pair specific beverages with societal rituals. Lighter lagers might target consumers looking to relax at home after a long day of work whereas IPAs and hoppier beers are brewed for a meal occasion. Canopy’s acquisition of BioSteel sports drinks last month is a testament to the opportunity for CBD in sport occasions to reduce inflammation.
Mood outcomes are achieved through proper cannabinoid doses and formulations. For example, Dosist’s popular vape products use a ratio of 10:1 THC:CBD to create a state of arousal and an inverted 1:10 THC:CBD ratio to create a state of calm. Beyond these two common cannabinoids are 68 other unique cannabinoids that have yet to be fully explored as base ingredients in the recreational market.
One startup, LEVEL, is on a mission to untap the power of these rarer cannabinoids through products such as sublingual (under the tongue) tablets, gum, and Pax pods to create unique experiences. While many consumers have reported negative first-time experiences with cannabis, like the most recent story of athlete Dion Waiters’ mid-flight edible panic attack, LEVEL believes that there’s something for everyone. Whereas traditional edibles convert traditional THC into a potent 11-hydroxy compound in the liver that’s 5x more potent than its original state, 3mg sublingual tablets are ingested directly into the bloodstream and are felt within 15 minutes. Check out a segment about dosing below from HNGRY’s latest episode, #futureofalcohol.
“Part of the amazing beauty of cannabis– and something that we love about the ability to pioneer– is there are so many cannabinoids that we can look at with so many different ratios and formulations that we can find something for everyone,” explained LEVEL CEO Chris Emerson, Ph.D. “You don’t have to get high from cannabis, at all. It can address all these other things for you. It’s crazy exciting but it’s also really challenging.”
Take, for example, LEVEL’s Stimulate sublingual tablets that are 1mg THC : 1mg THCV : 1mg CBG (disclosure: as of two weeks ago I have been consuming these daily). The company knew through empirical evidence of a decade-long breeding program conducted by GW Pharmaceuticals that THCV has a stimulating effect and is an appetite suppressant. In certain forms, it has a de-focused frenetic energy to it. That’s where LEVEL comes in and adds CBG (Cannabigerol) and traditional delta-9 THC to dial in the experience. | {
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Extensive inquiries find no motive for Khalid Masood and senior officer says there is no intelligence to suggest more attacks are planned
Police investigating the Westminster attack have concluded that Khalid Masood acted entirely alone for reasons that may never be known.
In the most detailed breakdown yet of events on Westminster Bridge and parliament on Wednesday, police said that the entire attack, in which Masood had killed four people before being shot dead, lasted a mere 82 seconds.
Westminster attack: car hire firms urged to tell police about suspicious customers Read more
After four days of intensive inquiries across England and Wales, involving hundreds of officers, the Metropolitan police said they had so far failed to establish the reason for the attack. It is continuing to look at whether Masood was prompted by online propaganda by Islamic State, which has claimed he was a “soldier”, or whether he had some other sense of grievance.
But deputy assistant Metropolitan police commissioner Neil Basu said: “We still believe that Masood acted alone on the day and there is no information or intelligence to suggest there are further attacks planned.”
The security services do not like the term “lone wolf”, feeling that it glamorises an attacker, and instead prefer “lone actor”. Although 11 people were arrested in the aftermath of the attack, nine have since been released, with no further action to be taken. A 58-year-old man arrested in Birmingham remained in custody on Saturday while a 32-year-old woman from Manchester has been released on bail.
Police are investigating media reports that Masood checked his encrypted messaging service WhatsApp – or even sent a message – just before the attack, which hinted at others being involved. The police statement confirming that he was a lone actor does not appear to support suggestions that he had been in touch with an accomplice.
Basu, who is the senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said: “Even if he acted alone in the preparation, we need to establish with absolute clarity why he did these unspeakable acts to bring reassurance to Londoners, and to provide answers and closure for the families of those killed and the victims and survivors of this atrocity.
“We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this. That understanding may have died with him.”
The police, having reconstructed the attack, said it had begun at 14:40:08 when Masood’s hire car mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge, weaving along the footpath and road until 14:40:38 when he crashed into the perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster.
He left the car at 14:40:51 and was shot by a police firearms officer, part of the close protection team of the defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon, in the palace courtyard at 14:41:30.
At 14:40:59, the first 999 call was made to the Met reporting the incident.
Basu said the investigation was continuing and appealed for anyone who had spoken to Masood in recent months, especially in the days leading up to the attack, to contact the police. They are still trying to establish whether he had been “inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. If the latter proves to be the case, they will face justice.”
He praised the way London and communities throughout the rest of the country had come together and that there had been no backlash.
“The way that communities in London, and throughout the UK, have come together in the wake of this attack shows that we will not give in to those who seek to breed discord and fear,” Basu said.
“Terrorists have tried to tear this city apart before and they have never succeeded. A very small minority of people have tried to use this as an opportunity to stir up hate, but once again we stand together in calm defiance. We will not allow them to divide us.”
As the police and security services piece together Masood’s background, the Saudi Arabian government confirmed that he had worked in the country as an English teacher between 2005 and 2009. It is common for converts to Islam such as Masood to seek work in Saudi Arabia.
Fifteen people are still being treated in hospital. | {
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The Scottish city of Glasgow has won a £24 million grant from the UK's Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to become Britain's first "smart city".
The money will be spent by the council on services for residents that will make the quality of living in the city better. Glasgow beat 30 other UK cities to the prize.
Projects on the table include real-time traffic information, apps to check when buses and trains are arriving, and a pothole reporting service. Facial analysis for the city's CCTV network and energy use monitoring to make electricity and gas delivery more efficient are also mooted. "Glasgow has some quite extreme challenges - it has the lowest life expectancy of any city in the UK for instance - and the hope is that if we bring together energy, transport, public safety and health it will make it more efficient and a better place to live,"
Scott Cain, the TSB's project leader for Future Cities, told the BBC. "The thinking behind it is to have somewhere in the UK where firms can look at the efficiencies, the investments and how you can address the challenges of a city," he added.
All of the data produced by the projects will be publicly available so other cities can benefit from it too. "From transport systems to energy use and health, this demonstrator will play a key part in the government's industrial strategy and give real insight into how our cities can be shaped in the future," said Science and Universities minister David Willetts.
Image credit: Shutterstock | {
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3) Merging all and painting over it.
Actually, I do not feel ready to merging all the layers yet so I only merge layers by object (characters, plans, defined stuff, etc etc)
I have to admit one thing already, it's a lot more fast than my precedent working method ( this one have been done in approx 2 hours ).
A little something for a good guy! Also, I recently decided to change my render. I came to the point where I find my actual rendering ... really poor. And want to upgrade that. I have always been a bit affraid to work with painting. It's a lot more tricky to work with "real colors". But hey! There I am. Let's try it.I try to follow the processing method of which is (if I understood right):1) Rough sketch2) Adding colors shadow light and all without taking account numbers of layers.Will try to stick with this kind of render as final one and improved it for now.Hope you will like it! | {
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How to get a cheap rental car?
After booking a flight, a room, and settling your itinerary, all that’s left is renting a car. Sometimes you can get by on public transportation, but a lot of popular travel destinations don’t have a public transit system. If you’re traveling for work, your schedule may not allow for it even if it’s available. Or maybe you prefer the flexibility that comes with having your car to drive. Plenty of places that have public transport still have locations that are only accessible if you’re driving yourself. Even if you don’t, have your car to drive gives you a lot of freedom in your schedule, and that can be vital when planning a trip; you only have so long to explore your destination, and public transportation may not run often enough to meet your needs. Car rental is an essential part of any travel plans, so we’ve put together a list of the top ten car rental sites available.
In reviewing each site, there were several factors that we considered, ranging from price to ease of use. We wanted to be sure that our list would be useful for anyone, regardless of budget or travel destination. That means we’ve included well-known companies like Enterprise and Hertz, along with lesser-known sites such as Turo. We didn’t want to exclude smaller companies, especially since they often offer services that the big names like Enterprise can’t or won’t’. We decided to focus on just the ten best sites so that you don’t have to spend all day trying to sort through a never-ending list of rental companies. The small size of the list also means that you can be sure that each site has been individually tested to ensure authenticity and reliability. Each review is divided into a few paragraphs. We focus on the unique features each website offers, break down what they do well and what they don’t do well, and provide an easy-to-read bullet point list of the pros and cons. We also made sure to focus on companies that operate world-wide, so that no matter where you’re traveling, one or more of the sites on this list is an option for you.
What are the main metrics that are considered for good car rentals sites?
The first thing we looked at was the user interface. A lot of people overlook the importance of having an easy-to-use, easy-to-navigate site. It doesn’t matter if a company has rental cars in every nation on earth and offers every vehicle you could want; if the website is hard to navigate and the information you need is hard to find, it’s the wrong place to rent a car from. If you can’t see the available cars behind giant pop-up ads that you can’t get rid of, the website is useless. Equally bad are homepages that are so crowded with images and information that you can’t make any sense of what you’re seeing. We selected only those websites with clean, simple designs that were easy to navigate and presented no challenges in the user experience. You won’t find yourself wading through endless, useless information on every page on these sites. They only show the information you need, and they’re simple to use. It’s stressful to plan a trip, and the car rental company website shouldn’t be something that adds to that stress. Worse, if a website is hard to navigate and it’s challenging to find the information you’re looking for, it’s a safe bet that the people running that website have something to hide. A reputable company should never make it difficult to find all the information you want on their website, especially when renting a car.
What are good search filters that you find yourself a perfect car for your travel?
We also felt that it was essential to look at the search filters and sorting options. Everyone renting a car is going to have different needs. A family of four will want a spacious car with lots of room for people and luggage, and if the kids are small, they’ll probably want something with an interior that’s easy to clean. If you’re traveling solo on a business trip, you’ll want a small car. Taking a vacation with no kids, you may want something fun to drive. In addition to all of those qualities, you’ve got fuel economy, sound systems, four wheels vs. two-wheel drive, and even color. The options are nearly endless, and if there are no filters or not enough filters, you could spend hours scrolling through the available rentals before finding the car that fits your needs. Search pages rarely display all the information you need, too, so more likely, you’ll be scrolling, stopping, clicking on one car, going back, scrolling some more, and on and on. Having the ability to set a lot of filters before searching saves you time and frustration because once your filters are set, you knew that every car on the list meets your requirements. Sorting options allow changing how the search results are presented to you. For example, if you’re on a budget, you might want to sort the available rentals by price, from low to high, while if you were more concerned with convenience over price, you would opt to sort options by distance. You can also sort from high to low if you’re looking for the most beautiful car to drive. Sorting the search results can save you almost as much time as applying the filters because it usually means that the car you want will appear at or near the top of the search results. A site with excellent search options is also a sign that the company has a good selection of cars and cares as much about the customer experience as they do about the bottom line.
Do Car Rentals sites have rewards programs?
We looked at rewards programs, too. These are programs offered by companies that provide repeat customers with benefits that range from discounts on bookings to free add-ons, like Satellite Navigation or an additional driver. Often collected in the form of credits, they are particularly useful for frequent travelers, such as those travel for business regularly. These programs are designed to make money for the rental companies, and not as a way to reward their customers. Still, there are no drawbacks for you; you don’t have to pay any membership fees to qualify. You are just rewarded for using the same rental company over and over again. It costs you nothing other than what you would’ve spent anyway, and you get rewarded for it. It’s a win-win. Enterprise Plus and Hertz Gold are two great examples. They off exclusive add-ons and also provide on-the-go booking, so customers can reserve their vehicle and drive off without having to wait in line and fill out a bunch of paperwork. The only problem is that some companies don’t offer rewards for a reasonable cost. Avis, for example, has a rewards program called Avis Preferred that requires you to earn 700 points before you receive any benefits. You earn one point for one dollar, so you have to spend $700 with them before you get any benefits, which is hardly worth it. If you’re a frequent traveler and you find yourself renting cars regularly, this isn’t as much of an issue. For most people, though, you want to lean towards the rewards programs that offer those benefits much sooner. You also want to be sure that the program provides rewards you’d want to use. A rewards program is useless if you never earn rewards from it or if you don’t earn anything you want. Almost every good car rental company has an excellent rewards program, both because it’s in their interest to keep you coming back and also because those rewards programs are probably responsible for a good percentage of their growth. A quality rewards program is a sure sign of an excellent rental experience.
What sets the difference from each car rental site form another?
We wanted to focus on what set each company apart from the competition, especially with the most well-known ones like Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis. A lot of car rental companies are offering more or less the same things. The cars are the same, the add-ons are the same, the fuel policies are similar, and often the prices are similar too. That means that it’s often unique features on each website that will set it apart. These unique features usually give you a different way to either book a car or sometimes even to offer your vehicle for rental, which means you can offset the cost of renting a car by charging someone else to rent yours while you’re away.
Turo, for example, is like Airbnb for cars. Instead of renting from a huge company, you’re renting cars from an individual and, in turn, you can rent out your car. You’ll find that the prices are often lower than for a traditional rental service, and it can be a more exciting experience overall. Renting out your car can do more than just offset the cost of renting while you travel, too- you can end up making a profit off of it if you play your cards right. You can read reviews from previous renters, view photos, and even contact owners directly to find out more about the car you’ll be renting. This way, you can be confident that you aren’t getting a bad deal or a bad car, and the owner can be reassured that they’re renting their car out to a responsible driver. Sixt has a Lucky Dip option, which some customers call ‘Sixt Roulette.’ Mostly, you take the risk of ending up with a car that isn’t especially great, but there’s a chance that you’d end up in something that would otherwise be far outside your price range. It’s a unique approach that’s gotten some mixed reviews from customers. Although it can also mean getting a lower quality vehicle, it’s the ideal choice for those who aren’t picky about what they drive and don’t mind taking a bit of a gamble. Both of these are examples of unique attributes offered by car rental services that ultimately add to the whole experience of booking a vehicle; that’s the sort of thing we like to see, and we’ve factored it into our reviews.
Now answer to question: how to get cheap car rental?
Finally, we considered pricing. While it may not always be the most important consideration, it’s never something that you don’t care about. Comparing rental costs from different car rental companies isn’t as straightforward as it might seem, because there are several variables to consider. This can be anything from the difference between daily and weekly costs to the cost of adding a driver. Some companies that seemed cheaper for the basic package (a four-seat car with fuel) ended up being far more expensive when you add on a GPS and insurance. That means it’s essential to understand everything that goes into the final price the rental, rather than jumping at the option with the cheapest daily rate, which may end up being much more expensive in the end. We didn’t just look at daily or weekly rates but factored in everything that contributes to the final cost. After all, if the insurance on a rental car is too much for your budget, that’s not a company you want to rent from since you should never be renting a car without insuring it. Primarily, what we’ve done is rated the sites on the overall value, not just the cheapest rates. This way, you don’t end up getting fooled by a deceptively low daily price.
Why is this the best list of Car rentals websites for travelers?
This list is an essential tool for travelers. We’re sure that these are the ten best car rental companies in the world. There are plenty of places that are impossible to reach without a car, and there are plenty of travel situations that require a car rental for other reasons. We’ve considered all the factors that go into making an excellent car rental experience and used them to put this list together. Whether you’re looking for the cheapest rental, the most fun car to drive, or the most exciting experience, there’s something on this list for you. | {
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The original post, from Wednesday morning, is below.
Over the past 12 or so hours, President Trump has made two major policy pronouncements via Twitter. On Tuesday night, he said he may “send the Feds!” to combat the “carnage” in Chicago, and on Wednesday morning, he said he planned to launch a “major investigation” of voter fraud.
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Both of these things can pretty easily be traced back to one source: Trump's television.
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As the Huffington Post's Michael Calderone noted late Tuesday night, Trump's tweet about Chicago came shortly after Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly ran a segment using the exact same statistics. Here's the graphic O'Reilly showed:
And here's Trump's tweet:
228. 42. 24 percent. All were in the graphic on O'Reilly's show, which is a Trump favorite.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the idea of a voter-fraud investigation was a major, contentious theme of White House press secretary Sean Spicer's daily briefing. Three journalists pressed Spicer on a very logical question: If Trump truly believed that 3 million to 5 million illegal votes were cast in the 2016 presidential race, why hadn't he called for an investigation of this seemingly major scandal?
As I wrote Tuesday, he's the president now, and he has professed severe concerns about election integrity and illegal immigrants. So his lack of a call for an investigation after more than two months of pushing this falsehood was conspicuous and suggested that he wasn't terribly serious about it.
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Well, now he has called for one. Apparently in response to the heated back-and-forths at the televised briefing and the ensuing coverage of those exchanges, Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he will indeed push for an investigation. The Washington Post's Robert Costa reports that an unnamed Trump aide insists that this has been discussed for a while, but Spicer sure seemed to be slow-rolling the possibility on Tuesday.
Update: It's been brought to my attention that NBC's "Today" show ran a fact-check segment featuring chief legal correspondent Ari Melber just minutes before Trump's tweets, in which Melber said the lack of an investigation was "an inconsistency that is very hard to square.” The segment ran starting at 7:07 a.m. Eastern time and featured a discussion of the lack of an investigation as the clock struck 7:10 a.m.; Trump tweeted about the investigation at 7:10.
So here we are again, in a situation in which Trump seems to be reacting in significant ways to what he sees on TV and in the media.
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Last month, Trump tweeted about canceling Boeing's contract for the new Air Force One shortly after a Chicago Tribune article was posted that quoted Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenberg making comments critical of increasing opposition to free trade — in other words, the position central to Trump's presidential bid. (Trump insisted that he hadn't seen the article.)
And that's to say nothing of his regular skewering of journalists and news media outlets whose stories and segments he hasn't approved of.
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Trump himself has basically copped to this behavior. During the campaign, NBC's Chuck Todd asked him where he got his military advice, and his response was, “I watch the shows.” Hillary Clinton's campaign put it in an ad.
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The difference now, though, is that he's in a position to actually make major policy decisions on it — such as opening a large investigation and sending federal resources to urban areas.
Trump has made many bold Twitter pronouncements that appear to have fallen by the wayside — statements about his political views and preferred policies that may reflect momentary whims that will never find their way into official White House action. (Trump hasn't even really talked about flag-burning and Air Force One since his tweets in November and December.) And given the sheer volume of these proclamations, his supporters and even the media will probably forget many of them were ever made.
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But when something happens like it did Tuesday at the White House news briefing, and Trump responds with a promise for a “major investigation,” it's impossible to ignore the fact that he's now in the position to make that happen quickly — and to be held accountable if he doesn't. | {
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The group is also seeking funding via other means. For example, Lomberg is auctioning off his collection of Voyager Golden-Record archival material, which includes (among other things) his original sketch for the cover diagram, numerous other drawings, and letters about the project from sci-fi legend Robert Heinlein and other notable people.
Heritage Auctions will manage the sale, which will take place Sept. 14. The collection is expected to fetch about $10,000, Heritage representatives told Space.com.
As such fundraising efforts suggest, NASA is not sponsoring or bankrolling the One Earth Message. However, agency officials and New Horizons team members have unofficially signaled support for the project, Lomberg said.
New Horizons, which flew past Pluto in July 2015, is now zooming toward a Jan. 1, 2019, rendezvous with a small object called 2014 MU69. It may take a year or so for the probe to beam all of its data from this second flyby home to Earth, Lomberg said; only then will New Horizons be able to spare the computer memory necessary to accommodate the One Earth Message.
"That gives us a good two years to first put the message together, which I estimate will take at least a year, and then another year to put it all together in software, test it and make sure it's suitable for upload," Lomberg said.
The upload to New Horizons would not happen without official NASA approval. This approval might be easier to obtain if the team approaches the agency with a finished product rather than a nebulous concept, Lomberg said.
"Forty years ago, when I worked with Carl on the Golden Record, he didn't go to NASA and try to get them to approve some vague idea of the message's music and sounds," Lomberg said. "He made it, and then he showed it to them and said what we did. They reacted to it. And if there was something they didn't like — and there was one picture they didn't like — they took it out."
Lomberg's vision for the One Earth Message doesn't end with New Horizons. Eventually, he would like every probe that leaves Earth to carry the message, or something like it.
"I think our spacecraft are our finest technical masterpieces," he said. "They're essentially works of art, and every work of art should be signed."
"Signing" probes in this fashion is worth the effort, even if they drift alone through space for eternity, Lomberg added.
"We will never know if there is an E.T. audience, but for the human audience that participates, it can be a profoundly moving experience to seriously contemplate communicating with the cosmos," he said in a statement.
You can learn more about the One Earth Message and its Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/31060842/one-earth-message-a-digital-voyager-golden-record/description
This article was originally published on Space.com.
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Air raids by the Syrian government and its allies in the country’s last rebel-held enclave have killed more than 100 civilians in the past 10 days, according to the United Nations, which said the three-month campaign has displaced more than 400,000 people.
The 103 dead from the recent air attacks on schools, hospitals, markets and bakeries included at least 26 children, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Friday, adding that the rising toll had been met with “apparent international indifference”.
The targets of the attacks were “civilian objects, and it seems highly unlikely, given the persistent pattern of such attacks, that they are all being hit by accident,” she said in a statement.
Backed by its main ally, Russia, the Syrian government began its offensive against the rebel enclave in northwest Syria – the last area of active opposition to President Bashar al-Assad – at the end of April, saying it was responding to violations of a ceasefire.
Since then, “more than 400,000 people have been displaced,” David Swanson, spokesman for the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA), said on Friday.
The region under attack is home to some three million people, nearly half of them already displaced from other parts of the war-ravaged country. It covers nearly all of Idlib province and parts of neighbouring Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia provinces.
Idlib and surrounding areas of the northwest were included in a “de-escalation” deal in September between Russia and Turkey, which backs some rebel groups, to reduce warfare and bombardment.
However, the accord was never fully implemented after fighters refused to withdraw from a planned buffer zone. Instead, the bombardment increased in intensity in recent weeks.
The region is mostly controlled by Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham, led by al-Qaeda‘s former Syria affiliate.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, has said more than 730 civilians have been killed in aerial bombardment and shelling of the region by the Syrian government and its allies since the end of April.
In Friday’s statement, Bachelet put the number of civilians killed since the start of the campaign at at least 450.
‘Deadliest days’
In a statement on Thursday, OCHA described Monday as one of the “deadliest days” in the region since the start of the flare-up, with 60 people killed in Idlib, Hama and Aleppo provinces, including 39 in an air raid in a busy market in Maarat al-Numan.
It also said that most of the displacement was from southern Idlib and northern Hama, the two areas that have been hit hardest by the flare-up.
“The majority of those fleeing have displaced within Idlib governorate while a smaller number have moved into northern Aleppo governorate. Roughly two-thirds of people displaced are staying outside camps,” it said.
The agency said it had documented 39 attacks against health facilities or medical workers in the region since the end of April. At least 50 schools have been damaged by air raids and shelling, it added.
Both the Syrian government and its Russian ally, whose airpower has been critical to Damascus’ military gains in recent years, deny targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. | {
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U.S. health regulators are moving ahead with a plan designed to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of teenagers by restricting sales of most flavored products in convenience stores and online.
The new guidelines, first proposed in November, are the latest government effort to reverse what health officials call an epidemic of underage vaping.
E-cigarettes typically heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable vapor. Federal law bans their sale to those under 18, but 1 in 5 high school students report using e-cigarettes, according to the latest survey published last year .
Under proposed guidelines released Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration, e-cigarette makers would restrict sales of most flavored products to stores that verify the age of customers entering the store or include a separate, age-restricted area for vaping products. Companies would also be expected to use third-party identity-verification technology for online sales.
Companies that don’t follow the requirements risk having their products pulled from the market, the FDA said.
“The onus is now on the companies and the vaping industry to work with us to try and bring down these levels of youth use, which are simply intolerable,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an interview. The restrictions won’t apply to three flavors that the FDA says appeal more to adults than teenagers: tobacco, menthol and mint.
The FDA will accept comments on the guidelines for 30 days before finalizing them later this year.
Anti-smoking activists have questioned whether the in-store restrictions will be enough to stop the unprecedented surge in teen vaping. The FDA has little authority over how stores display and sell vaping products. Instead, critics say the agency is essentially telling companies to self-police where and how their products are sold.
“FDA continues to nibble around the edges and that will not end the epidemic,” said Erika Sward, of the American Lung Association, which has called on the FDA to remove all flavored e-cigarettes from the market.
Health experts say nicotine is harmful to developing brains, and some researchers worry that addicted teens will eventually switch from vaping to smoking.
Under regulations developed by the Obama administration, manufacturers were supposed to submit e-cigarettes for safety and health review by August 2018. But Gottlieb delayed the deadline until 2022, saying both the agency and industry needed more time to prepare. Under Wednesday’s update, the FDA will move the deadline to 2021.
Still, the American Lung Association and several other anti-smoking groups are suing the FDA to begin reviewing the safety and health effects of e-cigarettes immediately. | {
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Hungry and keen for a Saturday night at home, Ngaire Stevens logged into her Menulog account only to see the food delivery website recognised her as "Beth", then "Letitia" and then "Peter".
A few clicks later, Ms Stevens, with her husband George Carter beside her, realised she could view other Menulog customers' private information, including phone numbers, home addresses and email addresses.
"We live in Fairlight, Sydney, and yet we were seeing what Beth in Melbourne had recently ordered," the early childhood educator said.
"We then clicked on my account details and up came a Letitia in Dulwich Hill with her mobile number, home address and email address, and on navigating to the front page again it said 'Hi Peter' with a list of his recent orders in Melbourne." | {
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You may have heard other table tennis players talk about being “in the zone” during a match where they played particularly well. Perhaps you’ve even experienced it yourself. But what does it mean and how can we get into this often elusive “zone” more often?
In this blog post, I will share some of the current research on this topic and use Tin-Tin Ho’s performance in the final of the women’s singles event at the recent English National Championships as an example.
What is “the zone”?
The zone is, “A peak state of mental functioning where you are entirely focused on the task at hand and, therefore, able to perform at your highest level.”
This sensation has been given many names, the other most common being “a state of flow” which was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian psychologist.
When you are “in the zone” you are likely to experience a much greater awareness of what is going on. It can even feel like things are moving in slow-motion giving you ages to read the situation and respond correctly. All of this leads to far greater performance than usual.
In table tennis, this is often experienced as the feeling that you “can’t miss”. Every shot you play, no matter how aggressive/risky, is played perfectly. You give away no errors or mistakes.
You are most likely to enter the zone when you are being pushed to the limits of your ability. For example, when playing a complete beginner you could probably beat with your eyes closed, you aren’t going to be in the zone. The same is true if you find yourself up against Ma Long. If the result is basically decided before the match even begins, you aren’t going to end up in the zone.
Tin-Tin Ho vs Kelly Sibley
I was reminded of the importance of being “in the zone” whilst watching the women’s final of this year’s English National Championships. The match was between #1 seed Kelly Sibley and #2 seed Tin-Tin Ho. Tin-Tin had never beaten Kelly before. She lost 4-2 to her in the final last year.
I’ve known Tin-Tin since she was about 6 or 7 years old and I really wanted her to win. She lost the first set 11:5 – and I feared Kelly was simply too strong and experienced – but bounced back to take the second set 11:9.
Unfortunately, the third set didn’t go her way at all and she lost 11:3. It was at this point that I started to worry that she was going to have to settle for second place. Perhaps she was too tired from all the matches she had played over the long weekend in the U21s, women’s and mixed doubles, and now the women’s singles.
But, in the fourth end, Tin-Tin came back to the table looking like a changed player. Her face was different. Her gaze had narrowed. When receiving serve she was practically frowning at Kelly. She looked strong. She looked “in the zone”.
“She’s going to win this!” – I started calling out to Katie (my wife) who was in the other room.
Tin-Tin was still 2-1 down in games but I could see it in her eyes. She had decided this was her match – her title.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy. Tin-Tin won both the fourth and fifth sets 11:9 to give herself a 3-2 lead. But by the sixth game, you could see that all the momentum had swung over to Tin-Tin. She had a response for everything Kelly could throw at her, and her eyes stayed squarely fixed on either Kelly or the ball.
She won the sixth game 11:6. Her first win against Kelly and her first women’s singles national title – the first of many, I reckon!
The reason Tin-Tin is such a great example of being “in the zone” is that off-the-table she is such a relaxed and happy person. When I interviewed her for the podcast she was laughing about how embarrassed she gets looking at pictures of herself playing where she looks so angry and serious!
But she couldn’t have won that match while maintaining a happy-go-lucky mindset and appearance. Watch a top performer playing their best in any sport and you’ll see that they all look the same – serious, focused, stern.
How to get “in the zone”
I guess the big question now is what did Tin-Tin do to get “in the zone” during arguably the most important match of her career so far. She could have easily “choked”, underperformed, and let Kelly walk all over her. But she didn’t. She was able to play her best table tennis when it mattered most. How did she do it? I’ll let Tin-Tin explain…
I find it’s best to use the situation to your advantage. The National Championships is the biggest domestic competition of the year so I tried to use that to motivate me to play the way I knew I was capable of. It’s easy to let the circumstances effect your performance via nerves or negative pressure – I have experienced this too many times in the past few years. Therefore, I knew that if I entered the match with a negative mindset there would be no point even playing, as I would make lots of unforced errors for sure. I think the most important thing is to just focus on how to cause problems for your opponent. If I missed, I didn’t fight with myself. I just stayed positive. I asked myself, “How can I fight with the opponent if I’m fighting with myself?” Thankfully, this helped me to find a way to start to play really positive table tennis. Naturally, when my mind is sharp I am able to play with more variation without having to think much about it.
From speaking to Tin-Tin it would appear that, for her, two aspects were key…
Before the match
Before the match had even begun Tin-Tin had decided to use this potentially intimidating situation to her advantage. She found a way to approach the match with a positive attitude instead of a negative one. This is much easier to said than done, but it’s vitally important if you are to have any chance of getting “in the zone” and playing your best table tennis.
Tin-Tin used the pressure for motivation. She turned it into positive energy. This helped her to focus and enter “the zone”. She took control of the pressure and nerves of the situation by viewing it as potentially helpful to her performance. She could use it to play her best table tennis.
The alternative is the view the pressure as a negative. Something to be scared of. If you start worrying that you will be embarrassed if you lose in front of all these people and on live TV, you are allowing the pressure to become negative energy.
So, I believe that Tin-Tin did a lot of the work required to get “in the zone” prior to even stepping onto the court. It was all about her positive approach to the match. She viewed it as a challenge to be taken on rather than something scary and dangerous.
During the match
During the match, there are a number of different variables you can choose to focus on…
You can focus on the ball – this is what the majority of beginners do. You can focus on yourself – this is the trap that a lot of competitive players fall into (including myself, at times). You can focus on the conditions – this is when you find yourself moaning about the floor or the lighting. You can focus on your opponent – this is the correct thing to focus on.
I could tell during Tin-Tin’s match that she was focused on her opponent – Kelly Sibley. As she said, she wanted to “cause problems” for her. Tin-Tin wanted to beat Kelly and she turned her focus and concentration to this task. How to beat Kelly Sibley. She had never done it before.
It’s funny because you could assume that the best way to get “in the zone” is to focus on yourself. Maybe you need to psyche yourself up, or use some special breathing techniques, or go through some sort of routine/superstition. I’m not saying that stuff doesn’t work – and if you read other articles online about getting in the zone these are often mentioned – I just feel like us table tennis players can often become too internally focused.
Tin-Tin wasn’t particularly worried about how she felt. I doubt she was actively trying to get “in the zone”. Instead, she focused on something else and getting “in the zone” took care of itself.
Now it’s your turn
I hope that’s given you something to think about for your next league match or tournament.
When you find yourself in a high-pressure situation, where you need to play your best when it matters most, remember to turn the stress/nerves into positive energy before the match. Use it as motivation to play your best. And then during the match focus on making life difficult for your opponent.
It’s your job to beat them, and that can be achieved by making them play bad as well as playing great yourself. At the table, you aren’t “friends” with the player on the other end. Your goal isn’t to have a “good” match. You should be trying to beat them. The best competitors understand this. They treat each match like a battle. If you don’t kill your opponent, your opponent is going to kill you!
In Tin-Tin’s words, focus on “causing problems for your opponent” and you’ll be most likely to get “in the zone” and win.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, please head on over to my Table Tennis Coaching page which contains an article of all of my coaching blog posts. | {
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The Cubs had gone 108 years without winning the World Series and I was in a bar in Pasadena when they ended the drought
In 1989 a scriptwriter called Bob Gale needed to sort out a plot twist for Back to the Future Part II, the one where Marty McFly ends up riding a hoverboard in 2015. “What was the most absurd thing you could think of in 1989?” Gale said, many years later. “What would make Marty McFly go: “WHAT???” What would make him want to bet on sports? And it was the Cubs winning the World Series.”
For the love of the game: Life as a minor leaguer on $8,000 a year Read more
At the time it looked the safest of picks. The Cubs were famously inept. Generations of fans at their historic, ivy-clad Wrigley Field had witnessed nothing but failure and underachievement since their last World Series victory in 1908. Even the White Sox, their cross-city rivals, managed a World Series win in 2005 having started the season as 66-1 shots, but the Cubs’ drought moved beyond a century with no sign of any relief.
But just a year adrift of Gale’s absurd prediction, in 2016, the Cubs made it through to the World Series for the first time since 1945. They were up against the Cleveland Indians who, in a nice twist, had the second-longest championship drought – a mere 68 seasons, compared to the Cubs’ 108. When the Indians jumped to a 3-1 series lead, including consecutive wins at Wrigley Field in its 100th year, for Cubs fans, all hope once again seemed lost. But two wins of their own levelled it up and forced a Game 7 decider at the Indians’ Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Chicago Cubs’ last World Series victory had come in 1908 against the Detroit Tigers. Photograph: Stephen Jensen/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images
Best of all for a UK-based baseball fan, I was in the US when it happened. It was an interesting time to be in the States in any case, with nothing on the news but wall-to-wall election coverage as the presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton went into its final few days. It felt like an escape to step from bright California afternoon sunshine into the welcoming darkness of a sports bar in Pasadena as the teams warmed up more than 2,000 miles away to the east.
The bar was already packed in anticipation, with Cubs fans outnumbering those rooting for Cleveland by at least 10 to one. While reality so rarely lives up to expectation, Game 7 was an instant classic, with all the ebb and flow of fortunes and sudden instants of electrifying brilliance and high drama that sets baseball apart.
The Cubs got on the board early, as the first batter up hit a long home run over the centre field wall. The Indians tied it in the third, went 3-1 down in the next and 5-1 down by the middle of the fifth. No sooner had Cubs fans started to believe than Cleveland roared back, with two runs to make it 5-3.
It was 6-3 Cubs by the middle of the eighth, a three-run cushion with six outs needed for victory. But baseball is a sport like few others, since a single swing of the bat can score one, two, three or even four runs to turn a game on its head. With the score back to 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth and a runner on second, Rajai Davis hit a home run that tied the game at 6-6. For the fifth time in history, Game 7 of the World Series was going to extra innings.
And then, it started to rain, delaying the finale for almost half an hour. So it was past midnight in Cleveland when Michael Martínez came to the plate, nearly four and a half hours after the first pitch, with two men out, a runner on first and the Cubs 8-7 in front. Still, there was just one swing of the bat in it.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cubs fans celebrate outside Wrigley Field back in Chicago.
A home run would mean a “walk-off” victory for the Indians. One more out would win it all for the Cubs. Martínez hit it into the infield dirt, the throw beat him to first and the extraordinary wave of noise that swept around the bar mingled triumph and astonishment with blessed relief. After 108 years of hurt, it was the sound of sporting absolution. | {
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Josh Homme, photo via Musicfeeds
Update: Josh Homme has made it official: : Vol. 11 & 12, respectively titled Arrivederci Despair and Tightwads & Nitwits & Critics & Heels, will be released on October 25th.
Who’s ready for a new round of Desert Sessions? According to the New York Times, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme is reviving the long dormant collaborative song series for a pair of releases due out in October.
Homme recorded Volumes 11 and 12 at his Joshua Tree Ranch late last year. While there, he was joined by an impressive list of collaborators, including Les Claypool, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, and Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint, the Times reports.
Vol. 11 and 12 consist of eight songs in total and will be released by Matador Records. They mark the first Desert Sessions installments in 16 years.
Homme previously hinted at new Desert Sessions material earlier this year, writing in an Instagram post, “I wonder if anyone’s been recording in the desert?” | {
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Many Silicon Valley companies and fintech startups in India today share a common mission: They all want to bring their financial services to the next billion users. Dozens of fintech startups that we have spoken to in recent months have told us that they all want to address much of India, one of the last great growth markets globally, in the next few years.
So you can imagine our excitement when we learned there is at least one startup that is going after just a few million users in the immediate future. We’re talking about CRED, a nine-month-old, Bangalore-based startup that is building solutions to incentivize credit card users in India to become more responsible with money and thereby improve their credit score.
CRED has raised $120 million in a Series B financing round, Kunal Shah, founder and CEO of the startup, told TechCrunch on Monday. He declined to share more information. The startup, which has raised about $145 million to date, is now valued between $430 million to $450 million, a person familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.
According to a regulatory filing, existing investors Sequoia Capital, Ribbit Capital and DST Global’s Gemini Investments led the round, with participation from Tiger Global, Hillhouse Capital, General Catalyst, Greenoaks Capital and Dragoneer.
Hundreds of millions of Indians today don’t have a credit score because they have never taken a loan from a recognized entity nor owned a credit card. According to the government’s official figures, fewer than 50 million credit cards are in circulation in India currently, with industry reports suggesting that the actual number of unique credit card holders is about half of that.
“Nobody taught us about how to use money,” Shah told TechCrunch in a recent interview. “This has created a huge trust gap in India. If you look at developed markets, systematic trust is very high between all the entities. Members don’t have to rely on third-parties. In India, even if you wanted to rent a flat, you look for brokers, for instance.”
You can build that trust when you know how someone handles their money, and how they have handled it in recent history. “Our aim is to create a big membership community with high credit worthiness, therefore open up more opportunities for them,” Shah explained.
Shah is not going after the masses. He wants to focus on just the credit card users for now, and if he could win the trust of just half of those plastic card holders in India, he would consider it a success.
“Instead of chasing the mythological mass customers who are currently useful only on paper if you wanted to boast about your daily active user or monthly active user metric, our goal is to serve the existing users,” he said.
On CRED, users are offered a range of features, including the ability to better track their spending, get reminders and check their credit score, but more importantly, access to a range of lofty offers such as membership to a gym at a discounted price, access to good restaurants at low prices and subscription to various services at little to no charge. Users can access these features by earning points, which they can secure every time they pay their credit card bills on time.
Varun Krishnan, editor of technology news site FoneArena, told TechCrunch that he has found CRED useful in getting reminders to pay his bills and likes that he can pay them through a range of payment options, including UPI apps and debit cards. “I have several cards and it is hard to track amounts and due dates of payment for each one. They send all these alerts on WhatsApp, which is a blessing,” he said.
These are the reasons that attracted many people like Krishnan to join CRED. That, and some incentive to pay his bills — though he hopes that CRED expands the range of offers it currently provides to customers.
That wish may soon come true. In the coming months, CRED will enable these highly sought-after customers to access some financial services from banks in a single-click. Additionally, it is also exploring expansion to some international markets, the aforementioned source said.
CRED does not charge users any money for joining its platform, nor for availing any of the features it offers. But it is generating revenue from some of the partners that are supplying offers on the app.
It’s not a surprise that Shah, an industry veteran known for speaking the uncomfortable truths at conferences, has won the trust of so many investors already. He built one of the biggest payment apps in India, Freecharge, and sold it to e-commerce giant Snapdeal for a whopping $400 million in one of the increasingly rare exits that India’s fintech market has seen to date. | {
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To make buying RS cards less awkward in stores Purchase the membership card with a "Happy birthday cousin/brother" card | {
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Animals Why Do Some Turtles 'Breathe' Out of Their Butts? Breathing technique may be an important survival mechanism for species such as the Eastern painted turtle and the Australian Fitzroy river turtle.
Nature has a juvenile sense of humor. That, at first, seems like the only explanation for why certain turtles, among them the Australian Fitzroy river turtle and the North American eastern painted turtle, breathe through their behinds Both turtles can breathe through their mouths if they so chose. And yet, when scientists placed a small amount of food coloring in the water near these turtles, they found that the turtles were drawing in water from both ends (and sometimes just the hind end.) Technically, this hind end isn't an anus, it's a cloaca - an opening through which the turtle excretes, urinates and lays its eggs. Still, the entire situation begs the question: why? If the turtle can use its butt like a mouth to breathe, why doesn't it just use its mouth to breathe? PHOTOS: Lost Years of Sea Turtles Uncovered The possible answer to the question lies in the turtle's shell. The shell, which evolved from ribs and vertebrae that flattened out and fused together, does more than keep the turtle safe from bites. When a turtle hibernates, it buries itself in cold water for up to five months. To survive, it has to change a lot of things about the way its body works. Some processes, such as fat burning, go anaerobic - or without oxygen - in a hibernating turtle. Anaerobic processes result in the build up of lactic acid, and anyone who has seen Aliens knows that too much acid isn't good for a body. The turtle's shell can not only store some lactic acid, but release bicarbonates (baking soda to the acid's vinegar) into the turtle's body. It's not just armor plating, it's a chemistry set. It is, however, a fairly restrictive chemistry set. Without ribs that expand and contract, the turtle has no use for the lung and muscle set-up that most mammals have. Instead it has muscles that pull the body outwards, towards the openings of the shell, to allow it to inhale, and more muscles to squish the turtle's guts against its lungs to make it exhale. The combination makes for a lot of work, which is especially costly if every time you use a muscle your body's acid levels go up and oxygen levels go down. Compare this to the relatively cheap butt breathing. Sacs next to the cloaca, called bursa, easily expand. The walls of these sacs are lined with blood vessels. Oxygen diffuses through the blood vessels, and the sacs are squeezed out. The entire procedure uses little energy for a turtle that doesn't have a lot to spare. Dignity has to play second-fiddle to survival sometimes. This article originally appeared on io9.
After hatching, sea turtles spend a minimum of 1–2 years at sea, but it’s been a mystery as to what they do and where they go during this time. A remarkable new study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, managed to track 17 tiny loggerhead turtles as they braved the elements and escaped predators, like sharks. PHOTOS: Best Ocean Animal Shots of 2013
The small turtles were outfitted with lightweight, solar-powered satellite transmitters that gathered data on temperatures and the turtles’ movements. Sun exposure could also be inferred, based on solar-charging rates. Project leader Katherine Mansfield of the University of Florida’s Marine Turtle Research Group and her colleagues collected tiny turtles along the southeast coast of Florida and reared them until they were at least 3.5 months old. Bryan Wallace, an adjunct professor at Duke University’s School of the Environment, said the high-tech transmitters do not interfere with swimming, and might later be affixed to animals like great white sharks to better determine where they go. PHOTOS: Madagascar Home to 615 Newly Discovered Species
Mansfield told Discovery News that turtles like this, after they go out to sea for at least a couple of years, “start showing up again in near-shore habitats like the Chesapeake Bay, North Carolina’s Sounds, and the Indian River Lagoon on the U.S. East Coast.” This little turtle has a long way to go, however, before hoping to make such destinations. PHOTOS: Animals That Use Flash to Attract
Turtles aren’t exactly known for being noisy, and Mansfield said that “as far as we know, they don’t socially interact while at sea -- sorry for all those 'Finding Nemo' fans!” She added, however, that “it is possible that turtles may cluster in some areas where currents push certain habitats together, or when certain temperatures are available.” PHOTOS: Animals Rescuing Animals
Many turtles follow what is known as the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. It's a circular current system that moves clockwise around the North Atlantic as part of the Gulf Stream, "a fast-moving current -- almost like a river within the ocean -- that runs up the East Coast to about Cape Hatteras, where it then veers to the east or northeast,” Mansfield explained. Not all turtles follow that pattern, though, to get to places like the Azores. “Some may drop out of the currents of the interior of the circle,” she said. “We think they may be doing this to follow either spin-off currents (like eddies) and/or resource availability, like Sargassum (a type of brown seaweed) habitat that is known to drop out of the Gyre circulation into the Sargasso Sea.” PHOTOS: Animals Benefiting from Climate Change
“I would imagine that life at sea would be very, very dynamic,” Mansfield said. It's no wonder that the little turtles seek out floating seaweed for protection and for clinging on to in choppy water. “A turtle may find a safe habitat to float with one day, but lose it the next,” she said. “This is very different from what we, as humans, try to create in our societies -- a safe place and access to food and shelter.” PHOTOS: Blobfish Wins Ugliest Animal Mascot Contest
Depending on the species, sea turtles may eat small crustaceans and other organisms typically found floating around in Sargassum seaweed. The researchers also expect that some sea turtles, such as young leatherbacks, feast on jellyfish and other gelatinous items. The main predators of the turtles are likely larger fish and sharks. PHOTOS: Animals in Your Medicine Cabinet
Sea turtles tend to stay close to the surface, a surprising find of the study. This probably helps to keep them warm. Turtles at sea “might be much warmer than we’d previously guessed,” said Nathan Putnam of Oregon State University’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. This suggests higher metabolism rates that, in turn, could mean “some turtles, at least, could grow much more rapidly than we thought.” PHOTOS: Underwater World Captured | {
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A háztartások fogyasztása 2002 és 2016 között összességében 14 százalékkal nőtt Magyarországon, ez a V4 országok közül a leglassúbb növekedés. A lengyel háztartások eközben 54%-kal, a szlovákok 42%-kal, míg a csehek 36%-kal tudták növelni fogyasztásukat, írja elemzésében a GKI.
Az Európai Bizottság előrejelzése alapján 2018-ra a magyar háztartások növekedési hátránya a lengyelekhez képest tovább növekszik, a szlovákokhoz képest stagnál, míg a csehekhez képest valamelyest csökken.
Így 2018-ban egy magyar háztartás alig negyedével fogyaszt majd többet, mint 2002-ben, míg egy cseh 45%-kal, egy szlovák 52%-kal, egy lengyel pedig több mint kétharmadával.
A magyar háztartások fogyasztása jellemzően késleltetve követi a reáljövedelem változását. Ez jól látszik a válságot megelőző időszakban, amikor a reáljövedelem 2006. évi visszaesését a fogyasztás csak 2 évvel később követte, de a 2013 utáni fellendülés időszakában is.
A vizsgált 16 évben 2 jelentősebb felfutás volt a fogyasztásban.
Az első 2002 és 2006 között, mely főként a hitelbőségnek, a költségvetési szektorban bekövetkezett bérkiáramlásnak, valamint a nyugdíjemeléseknek köszönhető,
míg a második az európai hitelválságot követően (2013-tól), ami az alacsony bázison kívül főként az uniós támogatások reálgazdaságba gyűrűzésének, valamint a minimálbér dinamikus emelésének a következménye.
A magyar háztartások egy főre jutó fogyasztása euróban és vásárlóerő-paritáson (PPS) mindössze 4 százalékponttal közelített az EU28 országok átlagához 2002 és 2016 között.
Eközben a másik három országban ennél jelentősebb növekedés mérhető: a szlovákok euróban számolva 28, PPS-ben 23, a lengyelek 11, illetve 18, míg a csehek 14, illetve 11 százalékponttal közelítettek az EU28 átlagához.
Két további szomszédos ország, Horvátország és Románia EU28-hoz mért egy főre jutó fogyasztásának alakulása jelentősen különböző pályát ír le. A horvátok hozzánk hasonló szintről és hozzánk hasonlóan alig javultak, miközben a románok a többi vizsgált országhoz képest jóval alacsonyabb bázisról indulva jelentősen közelítették az uniós átlagot. Mindezek eredményeként jelenleg
a fenti országok közül euró alapon csak Románia marad el tőlünk, PPS alapon azonban már egyikük nincs mögöttünk.
Leszakadásunkért elsősorban a 2006-ig tartó költekezést követően elkerülhetetlenné vált kiigazítás, a Magyarországot különösen erősen érintő 2008-2009-es világgazdasági válság, majd a 2010-11. évi élénkítési kísérletet követő újabb kiigazítás (Széll Kálmán terv) a felelős. Súlyos problémát okozott a lakosság devizában (főként svájci frankban) történt ezt megelőző eladósodása, majd a forint különösen erőteljes leértékelődése is.
A fogyasztást egyrészt közvetlenül fogta vissza a reálkeresetek 2007-14 átlagában bekövetkezett stagnálása, az eladósodott háztartások törlesztési terheinek tartós és jelentős emelkedése, 2011-ben az adórendszer alacsony jövedelműek – és ezzel a fogyasztás – kárára történt átalakítása, miközben a bizonytalan gazdasági környezet miatt a lakosság körében erősödött a megtakarítási kényszer. Eközben a másik három V4 ország háztartásai nem szenvedtek el ekkora sokkot.
2016-18-ban viszont a magyar fogyasztás várhatóan gyorsabban bővül a szlováknál és a csehnél. A KSH Háztartásstatisztika adatbázisa alapján (melynek adatai 2003 és 2016 közötti időszakra állnak rendelkezésre) a fogyasztás bővülésének üteme jelentős eltérést mutat az egyes jövedelmi csoportokban.
Az alsó három jövedelmi tizedbe tartozó háztartások egy főre jutó nominális fogyasztása 52-61%-kal között nőtt a vizsgált 13 év során, míg a 6-10. decilis reprezentánsai 83% feletti bővülésre voltak képesek. Vagyis ezen időszakban nőtt az alacsony és a magas jövedelmű rétegek közti szakadék. A szétválás a teljes vizsgált időszakra jellemző volt, ugyanakkor 2010 után még gyorsult is a polarizáció. | {
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CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian holiday resort will hold a month-long, nude “anything goes” party to combat an expected economic downturn, media reports said on Thursday.
Tony Fox, the owner of the White Cockatoo resort in Mossman, in tropical Queensland state, and his wife Lenore pose in this undated handout photo at the resort. REUTERS/White Cockatoo/Handout IMAGE PIXELATED AT SOURCE
“Tough economic times call for stiff measures,” Tony Fox, the owner of the White Cockatoo resort in Mossman, in tropical Queensland state, told the Courier-Mail newspaper.
“It will be a hedonism resort, where anything goes for a month. It doesn’t take rocket science to work out what it means,” Fox said, naming March as the risque party month.
The controversial “clothes optional” resort made headlines three years ago when police were called to end partner-swapping parties after a swathe of public complaints.
“You’ve got to wonder what sort of people go and why. Where is the moral code of behavior and how do you stop jealousies and fights?” Cairns Catholic Bishop James Foley said after Fox’s announcement.
But local regional Mayor Val Schier said she was not opposed to the event as long as no laws were broken.
“People in tropical north Queensland are extraordinarily creative,” Schier said. “It is tough economic times and as long as it is with consenting adults, then there is no problem.”
Australia’s tourism in industry is being hit hard by global economic turmoil with official figures showing a 7.6 percent decline in overseas visitors in September.
Industry leaders expect holiday bookings may drop by up to a third in early 2009 and are planning a new international advertising campaign to coincide with the movie “Australia” starring Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman.
Fox said his resort was almost fully booked for the month-long rainforest party. | {
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Uefa president explains Euro 2020 delay
England manager Gareth Southgate says "we shouldn't spend another moment" thinking about the postponement of Euro 2020 and called for all of the national team's fans to "look out for each other".
This summer's finals have been put back a year because of the coronavirus outbreak, while the Three Lions were due to play friendlies against Italy and Denmark next week.
Southgate - who says that all of his current players can still play in the finals next year - has written an open letter to England fans, which is reproduced in full below.
'Please don't suffer alone'
Gareth Southgate took England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018
Dear England fans,
As we would have been gathering our squad for March fixtures this weekend, it felt an appropriate moment to write a message to all of our supporters.
For everyone in our country, the primary focus of the present - and the coming months - is undoubtedly to look after our families, support our communities and work together to come through what is clearly the most extreme test that we've faced collectively in decades.
On behalf of all the team and staff, I would like to take this opportunity to send our sympathies to those who have lost loved ones already. Our thoughts are with you and with those who sadly will suffer similarly in the coming period.
In the way you've all come together to support our team, we must now work together to combat a virus that is causing physical and emotional issues to so many. So, please continue to follow the guidelines for hygiene and also the sensible precautions put in place to control the spread of the virus in order to protect those most vulnerable to its impact.
That responsibility lies with us all.
We are also conscious of the economic uncertainty affecting so many businesses and, consequently, virtually every family. Coupled with the unique challenges of self-isolation, the loss of routine to normal working and social life, we face real challenges to our mental wellbeing. Our children may feel anxious with uncertainty. It's not normal for any of us and it's going to challenge us all.
Look out for each other. Please don't suffer alone, and remember that our great country has come through these enormous challenges before - and, together, we will do so again.
We were due to play next week and to represent you all this summer, but now is clearly not the moment for us to take centre stage. The heroes will be the men and women who continue working tirelessly in our hospitals and medical centres to look after our friends and families. They won't receive the individual acclaim, but we all know their importance is beyond anything we do on the pitch.
When we play again as an England team, it will be at a time when not only our country but the rest of the world as well is on the road to recovery. Hopefully we will be closer to each other than ever, and ready for the beautiful distraction that football can bring.
To play in a European Championship next summer will still be possible for all of our squad and so we shouldn't spend another moment thinking about the postponement of the competition.
I feel sure that, when that moment comes, I will never have been prouder to be the leader.
Again on behalf of us all, I wish you and your families strength and love to thrive through the challenges ahead.
Best wishes,
Gareth. | {
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A staple for your new build or upgrade, the T-FORCE VULCAN Z DDR4 memory delivers the performance, stability and reliability required for your powerful PC. Integrated aluminum heat spreader makes for efficient heat dissipation, while also giving the memory module an arresting look to compliment your build. The support for XMP 2.0 allows you to overclock the memory with one simple operation—no need to mess around in BIOS. | {
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Radiohead in Rainbows - From the Basement | {
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In the seven volumes of "Harry Potter," J.K. Rowling told millions of readers a story about the power and triumph of love. Earlier this month, accepting an award at the PEN American Center gala, she issued a reminder about dealing with hatred.
When Rowling mentioned the half-million online signatures a petition to ban Donald Trump from visiting Britain had gleaned in January, a few in the audience applauded. Rowling had referred to "tides of populism and nationalism currently sweeping many developed countries ... accompanied by demands that unwelcome and inconvenient voices be removed from public discourse," and perhaps these audience members expected her to side with those who signed the petition to Parliament.
That would hardly have been a shock: Rowling has compared Trump to Voldemort, the murderous bigot who is Harry Potter's nemesis.
But when the applause broke out, Rowling said, "Just a moment."
Only when those who offend are free to speak, she said, are their opponents free to speak against them. "If my offended feelings can justify a travel ban on Donald Trump, I have no moral grounds on which to argue that those offended by feminism or the fight for transgender rights or universal suffrage should not oppress campaigners for those causes."
There are, of course, those who would argue that there is a difference between silencing good causes and silencing bad ones.
But as Rowling concluded: "If you seek the removal of freedoms from an opponent simply on the ground that they have offended you, you have crossed a line to stand alongside tyrants who imprison, torture and kill on exactly the same justification." This means that everyone — and especially anyone who expects to be in the minority on any issue — has a vital interest in a culture of free speech. | {
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Sometime around 2011 or 2012, it suddenly became very easy to predict what people would be doing in public places: Most would be looking down at their phones.
For years, mobile phones weren’t much to look at. The screens were small, and users needed to press the same key several times to type a single letter in a text. Then, 10 years ago – on June 29, 2007 – Apple released the first iPhone.
“Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything,” former Apple, Inc. CEO Steve Jobs said during the iPhone’s introductory news conference.
Within six years, the majority of Americans owned a smartphone – embracing the new technology perhaps faster than any other previous technology had been adopted.
Today, smartphones seem indispensable. They connect us to the internet, give us directions, allow us to quickly fire off texts and – as I discovered one day in spring 2009 – can even help you find the last hotel room in Phoenix when your plane is grounded by a dust storm.
Yet research has shown that this convenience may be coming at a cost. We seem to be addicted to our phones; as a psychology researcher, I have read study after study concluding that our mental health and relationships may be suffering. Meanwhile, the first generation of kids to grow up with smartphones is now reaching adulthood, and we’re only beginning to see the adverse effects.
Sucked in
In the beginning, sociologist Sherry Turkle explained, smartphone users would huddle together, sharing what was on their phones.
“As time has gone on, there’s been less of that and more of what I call the alone together phenomenon. It has turned out to be an isolating technology,” she said in the 2015 documentary “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine.” “It’s a dream machine and you become fascinated by the world you can find on these screens.”
This is the new normal: Instead of calling someone, you text them. Instead of getting together for dinner with friends to tell them about your recent vacation, you post the pictures to Facebook. It’s convenient, but it cuts out some of the face-to-face interactions that, as social animals, we crave.
More and more studies suggest that electronic communication – unlike the face-to-face interaction it may replace – has negative consequences for mental health. One study asked college students to report on their mood five times a day. The more they had used Facebook, the less happy they were. However, feeling unhappy didn’t lead to more Facebook use, which suggests that Facebook was causing unhappiness, not vice versa.
Another study examined the impact of smartphones on relationships. People whose partners were more frequently distracted by their phones were less satisfied with their relationships, and – perhaps as a result – were more likely to feel depressed.
Nevertheless, we can’t stop staring at our phones. In his book “Irresistible,” marketing professor Adam Alter makes a convincing case that social media and electronic communication are addictive, involving the same brain pathways as drug addiction. In one study, frequent smartphone users asked to put their phones face down on the table grew increasingly anxious the more time passed. They couldn’t stand not looking at their phones for just a few minutes.
iGen: The smartphone generation
The rapid market saturation of smartphones produced a noticeable generational break between those born in the 1980s and early 1990s (called millennials) and those born in 1995 and later (called iGen or GenZ). iGen is the first generation to spend their entire adolescence with smartphones.
Although iGen displays many positive characteristics such as lower alcohol use and more limited teen sexuality, the trends in their mental health are more concerning. In the American Freshman Survey, the percentage of entering college students who said they “felt depressed” in the last year doubled between 2009 and 2016. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a sharp increase in the teen suicide rate over the same time period when smartphones became common. The pattern is certainly suspicious, but at the moment it’s difficult to tell whether these trends are caused by smartphones or something else. (It’s a question I’m trying to answer with my current research.)
Many also wonder if staring at screens will negatively impact adolescents’ budding social skills. At least one study suggests it will. Sixth graders who attended a screen-free camp for just five days improved their skills at reading emotions on others’ faces significantly more than those who spent those five days with their normal high level of screen use. Like anything else, social skills get better with practice. If iGen gets less practice, their social skills may suffer.
Smartphones are a tool, and like most tools, they can be used in positive ways or negative ones. In moderation, smartphones are a convenient – even crucial – technology.
Yet a different picture has also emerged over the past decade: Interacting with people face to face usually makes us happy. Electronic communication often doesn’t. | {
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##########################################
# Default Gateway Changer
# Version 1.0
# Written by github.com/phlatlinebeta
##########################################
# How to Use:
# First change the global variables below
# Run the script as an admin. The script will try once to ping $PingTest, if it fails to ping
# that address then it will change the default gateway address on all computers that have a
# DHCP leases and a computer object in AD. The script will also change the Default gateway on
# the host computer running the script and change the router (option 003) on your DHCP server
# scope settings.
# I suggest setting the script to run as a scheduled task every 10 minutes.
# PS. This script needs to run as ADMIN to apply changes to DHCP Scope settings
##########################################
#Global Variables that you need to change
$DHCPServer = "MyDHCPServer" # Name of your DHCP Server
$DHCPScopeID = "192.168.1.0" # Name of your DHCP Scope
$BackupDefaultGateway = "192.168.1.2"
$StaticServers = @ ( "Server1" , "Server2" , "PrintServer1" ) # Use this to add static IP addresses (windows) that you also want their gateway changed, example "Server1,"Server2","Server3"
$MyIPSubnet = "192.168.1." # This is needed to find which NIC has an assigned Default Gateway
$PingTest = "8.8.8.8" # What you will ping to check your internet connection (8.8.8.8 is google's DNS server)
$EmailTo = "[email protected]" # What email address you want alerted
$EmailFrom = "[email protected]" # email settings
$SMTPServer = "smtp.gmail.com" # email settings
$SMTPPort = 587 # email settings
$SMTPUsername = "[email protected]" # email settings
$SMTPPassword = "PASSWORD4madeupgmailaccount" # email settings
##########################################
Function ListADComputerDHCPLeases ( )
{
# Function Instruction: This function will generate a list of DHCP leases that have a matching Computer Object in Active Directory
# this function returns an array of those computers -jml2016
# Example usage: $MyArray = ListADComputerDHCPLeases
#$DHCPServer = "" #Declared this globally instead of inside the function
#$DHCPScopeID = "" #Declared this globally instead of inside the function
# Load the Microsoft Active Directory Module
Import - Module ActiveDirectory
#Get a list of all DHCP leases(fully qualified domain names)
$DHCPComputers = Get - DhcpServerv4Lease -Computername $DHCPServer - ScopeId $DHCPScopeID | ForEach-Object { $_ .HostName }
# Get a list of all computer names(fully qualified domain names)
$ADComputers = Get - ADComputer - Filter * | ForEach-Object { $_ .DNSHostName }
# $myarray will be used to load all computers that are both in AD and have DHCP leases
$myarray = @ ( )
# Parse all the DHCP computers and check each one against the computers found in AD
ForEach ( $value in $DHCPComputers )
{
if ( $value .length -ne 0 ) # skip DHCP leases that have no DNS name
{
if ( $ADComputers -contains $value )
{
#Write-Host "$value is found in AD"
$myarray += $value
}
else
{
#Write-Host "$value not found in AD " $value.length -BackgroundColor DarkMagenta
}
}
}
return $myarray
}
Function ChangeDefaultGateway ( $NewDefaultGateway , $ComputerName )
{
#Function Instructions: This fucntion will change the default gateway on computer $ComputerName to $NewDefaultGateway
#function requires variable $MyIPSubnet to be defined as "XXX.XXX.XXX."
#$MyIPSubnet = "" #Declared this globally instead of inside the function
$Returnvalue = "" #Used to return what NIC/IP had their gateway changed from what to what
$NICs = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration -ComputerName "$ComputerName" - Filter “IPEnabled = TRUE”
foreach ( $NIC in $NICs )
{
if ( $NIC .DefaultIPGateway -match $MyIPSubnet ) # fetch the NIC that already has a gateway address
{
$Returnvalue = "Changing Gateway for " + $ComputerName + " on " + $NIC .IPAddress [ 0 ] + " " + $NIC .Description + " from " + $NIC .DefaultIPGateway [ 0 ] + " to " + $NewDefaultGateway + " `r `r "
write-host $Returnvalue -BackgroundColor DarkCyan #DEBUG
$null = $NIC .SetGateways ( $NewDefaultGateway ) # Changes the gateway on $NIC
}
}
return $Returnvalue
}
Function PingIt ( $Server )
{
#Funciton Instructions: Pings Server, returns 0 if ping fails, 1 if pings succeeds
if ( ! ( Test - Connection - Cn $Server -Count 1 -quiet ) )
{
return 0
}
ELSE
{
return 1
}
}
Function SendEmail ( $EmailSubject , $EmailBody , $EmailAttachment )
{
#Function Instructions: Sends an email using variables declared at the top of the script
# Functions needs to be passed $EmailSubject and $EmailBody, $EmailAttachment is optional
$SMTPMessage = New-Object System.Net.Mail.MailMessage ( $EmailFrom , $EmailTo , $EmailSubject , $EmailBody )
if ( ! ( $EmailAttachment -eq $NULL ) )
{
$attachment = New-Object System.Net.Mail.Attachment ( $EmailAttachment )
$SMTPMessage .Attachments.Add ( $EmailAttachment )
}
$SMTPClient = New-Object Net.Mail.SmtpClient ( $SmtpServer , $SMTPPort )
$SMTPClient .EnableSsl = $true
$SMTPClient .Credentials = New-Object System.Net.NetworkCredential ( $SMTPUsername , $SMTPPassword ) ;
$SMTPClient .Send ( $SMTPMessage )
}
##########################################
# Main
##########################################
If ( PingIT $PingTest )
{
#Ping Success - Internet Working
Write-Host "Connection working"
}
Else
{
#Ping Fail - Internet Offline - Switch Gateways/ISPs
CLS
Write-Host "Internet Connection offline. Changing Gateways...(this may take a min)" -BackgroundColor Red -ForegroundColor Black
$Results = @ ( )
$ThisComputerName = $env :computername
$Results += ChangeDefaultGateway $BackupDefaultGateway $ThisComputerName #Change default gateway on host server running this script
# \/ Change the DHCP Server's Scope Option to use the new default gateway as option 003 Router \/
Set - DhcpServerv4OptionValue -ComputerName $DHCPServer - ScopeId $DHCPScopeID - Router $BackupDefaultGateway
$Results += "Changed option 003 Router on DHCP Server:" + $DHCPServer + " ScopeID:" + $DHCPScopeID + " to " + $BackupDefaultGateway + " `r `r "
$Computers = ListADComputerDHCPLeases #Fills array with all DHCP leases that are computer objects in AD
ForEach ( $value in $StaticServers )
{
$Results += ChangeDefaultGateway $BackupDefaultGateway $value # Change each static server's default gateway
}
ForEach ( $value in $Computers )
{
$Results += ChangeDefaultGateway $BackupDefaultGateway $value #Change each computer's default gateway
}
SendEmail "Error:Internet Outage" $Results | {
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This Brazilian Cop doesn't mess around...he's gonna get an off-duty promotion soon | {
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A document detailing the annual pay of dozens of ABC staffers reveals Lateline host Tony Jones is the public broadcaster's highest-paid presenter. The Australian's Sarah Martin discusses the findings and the fallout.
A SALARY document detailing the annual pay of dozens of ABC staffers reveals Lateline host Tony Jones is the public broadcaster's highest-paid presenter.
The revealing documents have been published in The Australian.
The ABC has launched an investigation into the leaking of the confidential payroll details of its top broadcasters and journalists.
"This hurts the ABC and it hurts the ABC's ability to attract and maintain talent," said ABC managing director Mark Scott.
Lateline host Tony Jones is the public broadcaster's highest-paid presenter on $355,789 a year.
Juanita Phillips, weeknight presenter of ABC News in NSW and evening presenter for ABC News 24, earns $316,454.
7.30 presenter Leigh Sales is paid $280,400 a year.
Quentin Dempster, who has been employed by the ABC for 20 years and currently hosts NSW 7.30, makes $291,505.
Top earner in radio, Sydney Drive presenter Richard Glover comes in at $290,000.
Not far behind in radio, Melbourne Mornings presenter Jon Faine earns $285,249. He recently signed a new contract for $300,000.
"I'm not embarrassed. I'm annoyed," he said of the salary information being released.
Insiders presenter Barrie Cassidy earns $243,478.
ABCTV Breakfast host Virginia Trioli earns $235,664, while her co-host Michael Rowland is lagging behind by $84,000, earning just $151,006.
Former Media Watch presenter Jonathon Holmes, who opposed the release of ABC salary information, was earning $187,380. Paul Barry replaced him in July.
Former political editor Chris Uhlmann earns $255,400 a year.
Radio National's Breakfast host Fran Kelly is on $255,000.
ABC's online political editor Annabel Crabb is on $217,426.
Mr Scott said he was very concerned about the release of such private information.
Mr Scott's basic pay is recorded in the documents at $678,940, but with bonuses it is listed in the ABC's latest annual report as $773,787.
"I think everyone would expect that payroll information should be confidential. It shouldn't leak," he told ABC Radio in Melbourne on Wednesday.
"I'm very concerned about that and an investigation has been launched this morning into how that information could have got out."
Mr Scott said it wasn't in the public interest to release the ABC's payroll information, as a Senate estimates hearing had previously decided.
For the full list of salaries, click here.
The leaked documents show erratic pay rates for their biggest stars and will no doubt lead to demands for an increase in wage from employees who seek to sort perceived inequities.
Read more on The Australian. | {
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Cravens was a safety in college, but is being converted to inside linebacker in the NFL. Washington hopes his history at safety will bolster its coverage from the linebacker spot. Barry ran a slot-corner blitz that was more elaborate than what is typically seen in preseason. I suspect it was designed to test Cravens.
The Falcons work out of an empty backfield on this play. Typically on third and long, Barry would have Washington run a form of zone coverage designed to protect the first-down marker. But here, he decides to blitz. It’s a five-man blitz with inside linebacker Martrell Spaight and slot corner Kendall Fuller joining the three defensive linemen. Outside linebacker Houston Bates drops back into coverage to match the slot receiver.
AD
AD
Cravens lines up in the middle of the field on the far hashmark, away from the three-receiver side of the field. However, he has to drop into coverage, working outside and reading the number two and three receivers. His job appears to be to take the first receiver that breaks inside while safety Will Blackmon takes the other.
As the ball is snapped, Cravens drops back into coverage, reading his keys. The third receiver runs directly down the field while the second receiver works outside, meaning Cravens has to cover the third receiver. Cravens has no troubles dropping to match the receiver and then opening his hips and changing direction as the receiver makes his cut inside. The ball ended up being thrown elsewhere.
Later on, Barry ran the same blitz again.
Just as before, Cravens lines up on the hash mark away from the three-receiver side of the field. He has to work to his left, reading the second and third receivers.
AD
AD
This time, the third receiver works straight down the field while the second receiver breaks quickly inside. As he drops, Cravens has to quickly read both routes and recognize the second receiver cutting inside. As the receiver makes his break, Cravens drives on it. The blitz causes pressure and forces a hurried throw that is tipped at the line of scrimmage. That forces the ball to fall incomplete. But had the ball come out cleanly, Cravens was in a position to potentially intercept the pass.
Cravens made those assignments look much easier than they actually are. They may have just been designed to test where Cravens is after a few weeks of training camp. But perhaps they were a small glimpse of what is to come from Washington and its defense this season. Having a player who can take on that type of assignment gives the defense a lot of coverage flexibility. It’ll be something to keep an eye on as preseason progresses.
Coverage is only half the battle at inside linebacker. That’s the role Washington wants to be able to use Cravens in. However, if he is to play linebacker, he has to be able to stand up against the run. Cravens’s athleticism stood out and allowed him to make a nice tackle for loss on one run play.
Here, Cravens lines up directly over the center and about four yards off the line of scrimmage. The Falcons run the ball on an outside zone play to the left.
AD
AD
On first look, Cravens makes an impressive play, cutting through the line of scrimmage to tackle the running back in the backfield for a loss. However, he does get some help from his teammates to keep him clean. Ziggy Hood, lined up over the center, works across the center and attacks the back-side A gap. The center stays with Hood instead of passing him off to the right guard, meaning there is nobody free to work up to Cravens. Ricky Jean Francois also does a nice job driving back his blocker and forcing the running back to cut back early. But credit is due to Cravens for reading the play quickly and playing at full speed, making the tackle for a loss.
In the second half, Cravens made another tackle for loss.
Cravens aligns to the weak side of the formation, but Atlanta runs the ball to his side.
AD
AD
Outside linebacker Lynden Trail blows up the left tackle, driving him back into the backfield. Cravens sits inside, anticipating an early cutback given Trail winning so quickly on the edge. But the running back opts to bounce the run outside instead of cut back early. The moment Cravens reads the back bouncing his run outside, he accelerates to full speed and chases down the back, tackling him out of bounds for a loss of yardage.
Although this play came against third-string players, it shows that the instincts are there for Cravens. He sensed the back might cut back early after Trail won on the edge, so he sat inside. But as soon as the back bounced the run outside, he burst to the edge and made the play.
While these two plays are encouraging, there was one instance were Cravens got caught on a block and struggled to disengage.
Like before, Cravens aligns to the weak side of the formation. The Falcons run his way.
AD
AD
Cravens starts the play well, reading the run and attacking the block. The center peels off his initial block, but is quickly met by Cravens, who plays with lower pad level and gets his hands inside. But as the play continues, Cravens allows the center to fight for leverage and control the block. Cravens attempts to disengage, but can’t escape the center. Some might argue the center got away with a hold towards the end of the play, but he wasn’t called for it. The running back manages to get level with Cravens before Cravens could get off his block.
It was only one play and certainly not anything to be overly concerned about. But that type of play is the risk Washington is taking by playing Cravens at inside linebacker. He’ll face offensive linemen who are much bigger and he’ll have to figure out how to get off of those blocks. But with Cravens expected to see most of his time in nickel and dime sub packages, that should limit the number of running plays he’ll see.
If he can work against bigger blockers and continue to show good instincts against the run, then Cravens will earn more playing time. With his versatility, Washington will hope Cravens can earn that playing time. Barry can continue to be creative with how he uses him, including sending him on blitzes.
Here, Cravens lines up over the left guard. Washington sends both inside linebackers, Cravens and Spaight, on a blitz. The Falcons run a screen pass to the running back.
AD
AD
The left guard turns inside towards the center off the snap, leaving Cravens to burst through the hole untouched. He closes quickly on the quarterback, who attempts to dump the ball off to the running back on the screen. Cravens shows good awareness, jumping and getting his hands up as the quarterback begins his throwing motion. Cravens manages to get his hand on the ball and knock it down, saving what might have been a big gain.
It was only the opening preseason game and Cravens only saw time against the Falcons second- and third-string offenses, but the performance was still impressive. He managed to flash solid instincts and athleticism against the run, an ability to make up ground while dropping into coverage and awareness while rushing the passer. He has certainly given himself a platform to build from going into the next week of practices and the second preseason game.
Mark Bullock is The Insider’s Outsider, sharing his Redskins impressions usually without the benefit of access to the team. For more, click here. | {
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Vienna (Ga.) Dooly County Top247 defensive end Antonneous Clayton committed to the Florida Gators Wednesday morning. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound edge rusher picked the Gators over Auburn and Florida State.
"Just the overall feeling when I woke up this morning," Clayton said as he explained his commitment this morning. "I just felt like a priority, and that deep down inside I really can contribute to the team."
Clayton named Florida his leader after taking a visit to Gainesville for the Tennessee game last month. He also purchased tickets to attend this Saturday's game in Jacksonville against Georgia.
The 247Sports Composite, an industry generated average, currently ranks Clayton as the nation's No. 99 overall prospect in the 2016 class.
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Larry Ben-David contributed to this report.
Before party-goers attend the Tel Aviv Purim Adloyada ["until they don't know"] street party of 2013, it is worth noting that the Jews of Palestine in the 1920s and 30's participated in the very same traditional celebration.The festival is based on an ancient rabbinic tradition of Jews imbibing on Purim to the point where they do not know the difference between sobriety and drunkenness, between Mordechai and Haman - but without losing their wits.The video footage, taken from Purim clips from "Legend in the Sands" directed by Jacob Gross, shows clips archival films in the Spielberg Archive and Israel Film Archive - Jerusalem Cinematheque.It features then-mayor Meir Dizengoff leading the Tel Aviv carnival on a horse, with the Brit Trumpeldor Orchestra playing national tunes. Dizengoff would elect a "Queen Esther" every year at the traditional Purim balls, and she would stand next to him. In 1928, Queen Esther was Tzipora Tzabari.Anyone who owned a piano was asked to play it as close as possible to their balconies, to add to the party atmosphere.In 1933, during the Nazi threat, signs cried out: "Jews: Reject all German made merchandise!" as the parade displayed a float of swastika guns threatening world peace. | {
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Every institution – even, as we’ve learnt to our sorrow, the Christian church – is tempted to put its own interests ahead of its duty to the greater good. Now it’s time for the Reserve Bank to examine its own conscience. If it cuts interest rates again in a fortnight’s time, in whose interests will it be acting?
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe will be contemplating cutting interest rates further. Credit:Louie Douvis
Many of the Reserve’s immediate customers in the financial markets expect it to cut the official interest rate at its meeting early next month and then again a few months later, at which point the rate will be down to its "effective lower bound" – 0.25 per cent – and it will be time for it to move to using purchases of government bonds to lower the risk-free rate of interest more widely in a program of "quantitative easing".
That’s what its market customers expect of it and it will be tempted to comply, showing it’s still at the wheel, in charge of steering the economy, doing all it can to get things moving and keeping itself at the centre of the macro-economic action.
What could be wrong with that? Just that it’s unlikely to do any good, and could do more harm than good. It’s hard to see that yet another tiny interest-rate cut will do anything of consequence to stimulate spending. | {
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Image 1 of 38 Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quickstep) wins stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 2 of 38 Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quickstep) on the podium after winning stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 3 of 38 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) on the Vuelta podium (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 4 of 38 Primoz Roglic on the Vuelta a Espana podium (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 5 of 38 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) in the green points jersey after stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 6 of 38 Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) in white on the podium (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 7 of 38 Angel Madrazo and son on the Vuelta a Espana podium (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 8 of 38 The opening of stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 9 of 38 The peloton ride through the neutralised zone of stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 10 of 38 VIP viewing at Circuito de Navarra (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 11 of 38 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) at the start of stage 12 (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 12 of 38 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) heading to the start of stage 12 (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 13 of 38 Stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 14 of 38 Astana on the front of the peloton during stage 12 (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 15 of 38 Ion Izagirre (Astana) gets a fresh wheel (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 16 of 38 Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quickstep) (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 17 of 38 Luis Leon Sanchez in the peloton (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 18 of 38 Willie Smit (Katusha-Alpecin) launches the attack that begat the break of the day (Image credit: Getty Images Sport) Image 19 of 38 Primoz Roglic rides in the peloton during stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 20 of 38 Großschartner goes on the attack during stage 12 (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 21 of 38 Philippe Gilbert attacks the breakaway (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 22 of 38 Philippe Gilbert on the attack (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 23 of 38 Attacks fly during stage 12 at the Vuelta (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 24 of 38 Philippe Gilbert attacks during stage 12 at the Vuelta (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 25 of 38 The Vuelta peloton is lined out during stage 12 (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 26 of 38 A move tries to get away during stage 12 at the Vuelta (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 27 of 38 The rear of the break on the final climb of stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 28 of 38 Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) was in the break once again (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 29 of 38 Felix Großschartner attacked the break in the finale of stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 30 of 38 Tsgabu Grmay (Mitchelton-Scott) on the attack during stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 31 of 38 Marco Marcato and Tim Declercq lead the breakaway (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 32 of 38 Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quickstep) leads the break on stage 12 of the Vuelta a España (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 33 of 38 Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quickstep) attacks on the final climb of stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images) Image 34 of 38 Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quickstep) wins stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 35 of 38 Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quickstep) wins stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 36 of 38 Alejandro Valverde and the rest of the main peloton finish stage 12 (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 37 of 38 Alejandro Valverde finishes stage 12 alongside Marc Soler (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 38 of 38 Gilbert crosses the line for victory on stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) claimed his first victory since Paris-Roubaix with a solo triumph in the Basque Country on a punchy stage 12 of the Vuelta a España.
The Belgian, who came to the Vuelta after missing out on selection for the Tour de France, dropped his breakaway companions on the last of three steep third-category climbs in the final 40km before holding off the chasers in a dramatic drop-down into Bilbao.
Alexander Aranburu (Caja Rural) claimed second place, pipping Fernando Barceló (Euskadi-Murias) to the line just three seconds behind Gilbert. The duo had been the only ones who could get near Gilbert on the Alto de Arraiz (2.2km at 12.2 per cent) and steadily closed the 19-second gap on the 8km run to the line, but had to sprint for second place.
The peloton was vastly reduced by the final climb but, despite the overall title contenders showing themselves at the front of the group, there were no open hostilities and no change to the standings as they rolled home three minutes down on the winner.
“It’s a nice number,” Gilbert said of his 10th career Grand Tour victory, which he marked by raising both hands and all 10 digits as he crossed the line.
“It was crazy, the atmosphere on the last climb was like the Classics with the flags and everything - it was really nice and they gave me a lot of motivation. I’ve raced a lot in the Basque Country, but I’ve never had success, so for me it’s the first time. The Basque Country is almost like Flanders - they love cycling here, so it’s nice.”
Despite movement in the 19-rider break – which took more than 100km to form – on the Alto de Urruztamendi and Alto el Vivero, a reduced group reformed at the foot of the Alto de Arraiz.
Felix Grosschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Tsgabu Grmay had led the race over the top of the penultimate climb but Gilbert’s teammate Tim Declercq helped drag it back for the final climb. On the wickedly steep double-digit gradients, Gilbert, a four-time winner of Amstel Gold Race, pounced.
Aranburu and Barcelo were the only ones able to match the acceleration but Gilbert kept the pressure on, gave it another nudge, and eased clear. By the top, he had 19 seconds in hand and an 8km run down into Bilbao to negotiate. Aranburu and Barcelo combined and pegged him back to 15 seconds with 5km to go and to 11 seconds with just under 3km to go.
Gilbert entered the flat final kilometre with just eight seconds in hand but it was enough to take him to the line, and he turned round to see the advancing pair and judge he had enough time to sit up and celebrate.
“It was a long fight to get in the breakaway. When we went away, I saw good climbers with me, so I was not very confident in my chances to win,” said Gilbert. “I tried to race smart, and of course I had a big help from my teammate Tim Declercq, he’s there a lot in this win. I think he deserves it as much as I do.”
How it unfolded
After Mikel Iturria's triumph on stage 11, it was another day for the breakaway, with one early third-category climb preceding the three late ones on the 171.4km route from the Navarra motor racing circuit to Bilbao in the heart of the Basque Country.
Perhaps the riders knew the potential for a successful break, because it took an age for an escape group to go clear. It wasn't for lack of trying, as attempts came and went in an opening 100km run off in little more than two hours.
Katusha-Alpecin's Willie Smit launched what proved to be the decisive attack on the descent from a long plateau. Soon there were 18 riders with him and race leader Primoz Roglic's Jumbo-Visma team were blocking the road, eager for the pace in the peloton to settle down.
The riders in the break were: Philippe Gilbert and Tim Declercq (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Valerio Conti and Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates), Francisco Ventoso (CCC Team), José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar), Nikias Arndt (Team Sunweb), John Degenkolb and Jacopo Mosca (Trek-Segafredo), Heinrich Haussler (Bahrain-Merida), Manuele Boaro (Astana), Willie Smit (Katusha-Alpecin), Jonathan Lastra and Alexander Aranburu (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Tsgabu Grmay (Mitchelton-Scott), Tosh van der Sande (Lotto Soudal), Felix Großschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe), Cyril Barthe and Fernando Barceló (Euskadi-Murias).
After so long in the making, it wasn't long before the break arrived at the finale, with the three climbs in the final 40km. The Alto de Urruztamendi (2.5km at 9.2 per cent) didn't see any movement off the front of the group but Degenkolb, Ventoso, and Haussler fell off the back.
Grosschartner attacked on the steep descent and led solo onto the Alto de Vivero (4.3km at 7.7 per cent), where he was joined by Grmay. The duo linked up in the final kilometre of the climb and took a lead of 40 seconds onto the longer, more gentle descent to the foot of the final climb.
The flatter roads aided the chasers, where some riders, including Gilbert had teammates. Declercq was among the riders doing a big shift to ensure the two leaders were pegged back with just under 10km to go.
Almost immediately the Alto de Arraiz began, and almost immediately it started to bite. The group thinned rapidly, with Gilbert up towards the front of the group with Conti. The Belgian waited half a kilometre before springing clear, initially drawing out a response from Aranburu and Barcelo before sustaining his effort to take himself clear over the top.
It was a tricky descent, with corners, fast sections and slow sections. Gilbert had 19 seconds in hand and it was no surprise to see it steadily fall as Aranburu and Barcelo combined on the flatter sections. But Gilbert remained calm and when he rounded the final bend in Bilbao with 500m to go he looked around and knew it was won.
Three minutes later, a vastly reduced peloton crossed the line in relaxed fashion. The group had been whittled down by the steep final climb, on which Roglic could be seen at the front of the group directly alongside Miguel Angel Lopez, Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde, and Tadej Pogacar. However, the race favourites were all looking to avoid pitfalls rather than ignite the race, and they rode calmly down into Bilbao together.
The race for the overall title is set to ignite on Friday's stage 13, which features a summit finish at Los Machucos.
Full Results Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 3:48:18 2 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:00:03 3 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 4 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:22 5 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:00:26 6 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:29 7 Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 8 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team 9 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 10 Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:31 11 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:05 12 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 13 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 14 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:27 15 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:02 16 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 17 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 18 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 19 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 20 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos 21 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 22 James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 23 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 24 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 25 Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 26 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 27 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida 28 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 29 Esteban Chaves (Col) Mitchelton-Scott 30 Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Lotto Soudal 31 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Merida 32 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 33 Ion Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 34 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) EF Education First 0:03:16 35 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 36 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma 37 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 38 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Mitchelton-Scott 39 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team 40 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:44 41 Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:47 42 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 43 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo 44 Sergio Henao (Col) UAE Team Emirates 45 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:04:24 46 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:05:23 47 Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin 48 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) CCC Team 0:05:50 49 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:06:26 50 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 51 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 52 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:08:47 53 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:09:06 54 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:09:44 55 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep 56 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 57 Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First 58 Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data 59 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:11:47 60 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 61 Sebastian Henao (Col) Team Ineos 0:13:00 62 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 63 Jorge Cubero Galvez (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:13:17 64 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida 0:13:42 65 Omar Fraile (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:14:23 66 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 67 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 68 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 69 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 70 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ 71 Darwin Atapuma (Col) Cofidis Solutions Credits 72 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 73 Ben King (USA) Dimension Data 74 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 75 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 76 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 77 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 78 Ricardo Augusto Afonso Vilela (Por) Burgos-BH 79 Clément Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 80 Jesper Hansen (Den) Cofidis Solutions Credits 81 Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott 82 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-Merida 83 Steve Morabito (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 84 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 85 Will Barta (USA) CCC Team 86 Domen Novak (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 87 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:15:09 88 Brian van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal 0:16:10 89 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 90 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:16:16 91 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data 92 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Ineos 93 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 0:16:18 94 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:16:36 95 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:17:38 96 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal 0:17:56 97 Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos-BH 98 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos 99 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First 100 Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 101 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Burgos-BH 102 Domingos Gonçalves (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 103 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo 104 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott 105 Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team 106 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 107 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Ineos 108 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep 109 Fabio Aru (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 110 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team 111 Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 112 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 113 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Ineos 114 Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 115 Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 116 Aritz Bagues Kalparsoro (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 117 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb 118 Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 119 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 120 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) CCC Team 121 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 122 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Ineos 123 Rasmus Fossum Tiller (Nor) Dimension Data 124 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data 125 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb 126 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education First 127 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH 128 Diego Rubio Hernandez (Spa) Burgos-BH 129 Mark Padun (Ukr) Bahrain-Merida 130 Rob Power (Aus) Team Sunweb 131 Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott 132 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 133 Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 134 Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team 135 Nuno Matos (Por) Burgos-BH 136 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data 137 Silvan Dillier (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 138 Juan Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates 139 Pawel Bernas (Pol) CCC Team 140 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Team 141 David de la Cruz (Spa) Team Ineos 142 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 143 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 144 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep 145 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates 146 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 147 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Dimension Data 148 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 149 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Katusha-Alpecin 150 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 151 Jorge Arcas (Spa) Movistar Team 152 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Dimension Data 153 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 154 Oscar Cabedo Carda (Spa) Burgos-BH 155 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 156 Harm Vanhoucke (Bel) Lotto Soudal 157 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 158 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 159 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:18:53 160 Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 161 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 162 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 0:19:25 163 Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:19:38 164 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe 165 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:23:00 DNS Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
Sprint 1 - Bilbao km. 158.5 Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 4 2 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 2 3 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 1
Points Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 25 2 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 20 3 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 16 4 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 14 5 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 12 6 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 10 7 Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 9 8 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team 8 9 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 7 10 Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 6 11 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 5 12 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 4 13 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 3 14 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 2 15 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 1
Mountain 1 - Alto de Azázeta km. 42.4 Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Sergio Henao (Col) UAE Team Emirates 3 2 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 2 3 Rob Power (Aus) Team Sunweb 1
Mountain 2 - Alto de Urruztimendi km. 134.7 Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 3 2 Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 2 3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1
Mountain 3 - Alto El Vivero km. 144.8 Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 3 2 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 2 3 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 1
Mountain 4 - Alto de Arraiz km. 163.8 Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 3 2 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 2 3 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1
Young riders Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 3:48:21 2 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 3 Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:00:26 4 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos 0:02:59 5 James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 6 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 7 Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 8 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 9 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) EF Education First 0:03:13 10 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 11 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 12 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:44 13 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:06:23 14 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:09:03 15 Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First 0:09:41 16 Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data 17 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:11:44 18 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:14:20 19 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 20 Will Barta (USA) CCC Team 21 Domen Novak (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 22 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data 0:16:13 23 Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 0:17:53 24 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 25 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep 26 Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 27 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb 28 Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 29 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 30 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) CCC Team 31 Rasmus Fossum Tiller (Nor) Dimension Data 32 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education First 33 Mark Padun (Ukr) Bahrain-Merida 34 Rob Power (Aus) Team Sunweb 35 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 36 Nuno Matos (Por) Burgos-BH 37 Juan Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates 38 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates 39 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Dimension Data 40 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 41 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 42 Oscar Cabedo Carda (Spa) Burgos-BH 43 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 44 Harm Vanhoucke (Bel) Lotto Soudal 45 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 46 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 47 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:18:50 48 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 0:19:22
Combativity Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
Teams Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Deceuninck-QuickStep 11:28:25 2 Movistar Team 0:02:55 3 Astana Pro Team 0:03:02 4 UAE Team Emirates 0:03:04 5 Mitchelton-Scott 0:03:52 6 Trek-Segafredo 0:05:05 7 Team Sunweb 0:05:20 8 Team Jumbo-Visma 0:06:03 9 Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:06:43 10 AG2R La Mondiale 0:07:05 11 Bora-Hansgrohe 0:08:24 12 Euskadi Basque Country 0:08:48 13 Lotto Soudal 0:09:44 14 Bahrain-Merida 0:16:15 15 Katusha-Alpecin 0:19:31 16 EF Education First 0:27:25 17 Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:28:17 18 Groupama-FDJ 19 Team Ineos 0:28:47 20 CCC Team 0:34:38 21 Dimension Data 0:36:52 22 Burgos-BH 0:42:05
General classification after stage 12 Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 44:52:08 2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:52 3 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:02:11 4 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:03:00 5 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:03:05 6 Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Lotto Soudal 0:04:59 7 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:05:42 8 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:05:49 9 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Merida 0:06:07 10 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:06:25 11 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida 0:08:44 12 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Mitchelton-Scott 0:09:06 13 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:10:21 14 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) EF Education First 15 Esteban Chaves (Col) Mitchelton-Scott 0:10:47 16 Ion Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:12:53 17 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 0:14:13 18 James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:15:17 19 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:16:08 20 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 0:16:54 21 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:18:16 22 Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:19:03 23 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:21:00 24 Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First 0:21:54 25 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:23:24 26 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:28:10 27 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:29:33 28 Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:32:50 29 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:33:38 30 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:33:57 31 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Dimension Data 0:34:24 32 Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data 0:34:26 33 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:36:09 34 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:36:26 35 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:39:12 36 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:40:38 37 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:42:03 38 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:43:34 39 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Dimension Data 0:43:39 40 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:47:07 41 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 0:48:12 42 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 0:48:17 43 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 0:48:38 44 Sergio Henao (Col) UAE Team Emirates 0:49:40 45 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 0:50:31 46 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Katusha-Alpecin 0:52:22 47 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:53:30 48 David de la Cruz (Spa) Team Ineos 0:53:51 49 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:54:32 50 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:54:58 51 Sebastian Henao (Col) Team Ineos 0:55:28 52 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos 0:55:43 53 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:56:11 54 Fabio Aru (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:57:44 55 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Ineos 0:57:51 56 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:58:25 57 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:01:20 58 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:03:43 59 Ben King (USA) Dimension Data 1:04:46 60 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 1:08:12 61 Darwin Atapuma (Col) Cofidis Solutions Credits 1:10:41 62 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:10:54 63 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 1:11:15 64 Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team 1:11:43 65 Clément Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:11:44 66 Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 1:12:11 67 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 1:12:18 68 Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team 1:12:50 69 Jesper Hansen (Den) Cofidis Solutions Credits 1:14:06 70 Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 1:14:31 71 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 1:15:01 72 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:15:55 73 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:16:21 74 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 1:16:23 75 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:17:09 76 Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 1:19:15 77 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ 1:19:25 78 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Ineos 1:20:20 79 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:20:25 80 Mark Padun (Ukr) Bahrain-Merida 1:21:48 81 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:22:14 82 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 1:22:44 83 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:22:53 84 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal 1:23:05 85 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 1:23:12 86 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 1:24:06 87 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:24:46 88 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 1:24:56 89 Omar Fraile (Spa) Astana Pro Team 1:25:09 90 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data 1:26:39 91 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:27:22 92 Harm Vanhoucke (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:29:51 93 Jorge Arcas (Spa) Movistar Team 1:30:52 94 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 1:30:54 95 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Team 1:31:08 96 Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin 1:31:37 97 Steve Morabito (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 1:33:05 98 Ricardo Augusto Afonso Vilela (Por) Burgos-BH 1:33:43 99 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 1:35:29 100 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team 1:35:49 101 Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 1:37:06 102 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) CCC Team 1:37:55 103 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data 1:37:58 104 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 1:38:07 105 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 1:38:13 106 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos 1:38:36 107 Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:39:27 108 Silvan Dillier (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 1:40:22 109 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Burgos-BH 1:40:53 110 Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 1:42:52 111 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH 1:48:32 112 Domingos Gonçalves (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:49:06 113 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 1:49:51 114 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 1:50:03 115 Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott 1:50:17 116 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 1:51:47 117 Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 1:53:08 118 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott 1:55:43 119 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:55:56 120 Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos-BH 1:56:48 121 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora-Hansgrohe 1:56:55 122 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 1:58:12 123 Will Barta (USA) CCC Team 1:58:31 124 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 1:58:36 125 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First 1:58:37 126 Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott 1:58:45 127 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team 1:59:16 128 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data 1:59:26 129 Rasmus Fossum Tiller (Nor) Dimension Data 1:59:27 130 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:59:51 131 Diego Rubio Hernandez (Spa) Burgos-BH 2:00:00 132 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb 2:00:31 133 Jorge Cubero Galvez (Spa) Burgos-BH 2:01:43 134 Oscar Cabedo Carda (Spa) Burgos-BH 135 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Ineos 2:02:19 136 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) CCC Team 2:02:24 137 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 2:02:48 138 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 2:03:00 139 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 2:03:09 140 Domen Novak (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 2:03:54 141 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-Merida 2:04:53 142 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education First 2:07:04 143 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 2:07:59 144 Brian van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal 2:08:14 145 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo 2:08:21 146 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida 2:09:26 147 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 2:10:21 148 Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 2:12:32 149 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Ineos 2:14:02 150 Aritz Bagues Kalparsoro (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 2:15:09 151 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 2:17:00 152 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates 2:20:15 153 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb 2:20:38 154 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 2:20:50 155 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep 2:20:57 156 Rob Power (Aus) Team Sunweb 2:21:43 157 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe 2:24:29 158 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep 2:25:03 159 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Jumbo-Visma 2:34:32 160 Pawel Bernas (Pol) CCC Team 2:34:42 161 Juan Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates 2:36:07 162 Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Hansgrohe 2:36:13 163 Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 2:36:24 164 Nuno Matos (Por) Burgos-BH 2:38:27 165 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 2:58:47
Points Classification Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 89 2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 70 3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 61 4 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 61 5 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 52 6 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe 45 7 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 42 8 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 39 9 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Merida 37 10 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep 34 11 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 33 12 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 30 13 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 29 14 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 28 15 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 25 16 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 25 17 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 25 18 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott 25 19 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH 24 20 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 24 21 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 23 22 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) EF Education First 22 23 Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 22 24 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 22 25 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 22 26 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 22 27 Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team 21 28 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 20 29 Fabio Aru (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 20 30 Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team 20 31 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Burgos-BH 18 32 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 18 33 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 18 34 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 17 35 Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 17 36 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 17 37 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Mitchelton-Scott 16 38 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates 16 39 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep 16 40 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida 15 41 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 15 42 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 15 43 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Team 15 44 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 14 45 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 14 46 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 13 47 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 13 48 David de la Cruz (Spa) Team Ineos 12 49 Esteban Chaves (Col) Mitchelton-Scott 12 50 Ion Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 12 51 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 12 52 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 11 53 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Dimension Data 10 54 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 10 55 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma 9 56 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 9 57 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 9 58 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 9 59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data 9 60 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 8 61 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep 8 62 Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Lotto Soudal 8 63 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 8 64 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ 8 65 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team 8 66 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 7 67 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos 7 68 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 7 69 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 6 70 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 6 71 Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First 6 72 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 6 73 Sergio Henao (Col) UAE Team Emirates 6 74 Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 6 75 Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data 5 76 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 5 77 Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 4 78 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal 4 79 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo 4 80 Jorge Arcas (Spa) Movistar Team 4 81 Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 4 82 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 3 83 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Sunweb 2 84 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 2 85 Jorge Cubero Galvez (Spa) Burgos-BH 2 86 James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1 87 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 1 88 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 1 89 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 1 90 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb -4 91 Juan Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates -6
Mountains Classification Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Burgos-BH 32 2 Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 21 3 Sergio Henao (Col) UAE Team Emirates 20 4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 18 5 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 16 6 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH 11 7 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 10 8 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 10 9 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida 10 10 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Ineos 9 11 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 8 12 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 7 13 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 7 14 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 6 15 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 6 16 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 6 17 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 6 18 Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team 6 19 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits 6 20 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo 5 21 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 5 22 Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data 5 23 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 5 24 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team 4 25 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 4 26 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos 4 27 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 4 28 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 4 29 Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 4 30 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal 4 31 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 3 32 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 3 33 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 3 34 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal 3 35 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 3 36 Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 3 37 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Merida 2 38 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 2 39 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 2 40 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 2 41 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 2 42 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 2 43 Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team 2 44 Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 2 45 Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 2 46 Jorge Cubero Galvez (Spa) Burgos-BH 2 47 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 1 48 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma 1 49 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 1 50 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 1 51 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1 52 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1 53 Omar Fraile (Spa) Astana Pro Team 1 54 Diego Rubio Hernandez (Spa) Burgos-BH 1 55 Rob Power (Aus) Team Sunweb 1 56 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott -1
Young Riders Classification Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 44:54:19 2 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:54 3 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) EF Education First 0:08:10 4 James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:13:06 5 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 0:14:43 6 Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:16:52 7 Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First 0:19:43 8 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:21:13 9 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:31:27 10 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:31:46 11 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Dimension Data 0:32:13 12 Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data 0:32:15 13 Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:34:15 14 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:38:27 15 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 0:46:01 16 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos 0:53:32 17 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:01:32 18 Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 1:12:20 19 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:13:44 20 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 1:14:12 21 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:14:58 22 Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 1:17:04 23 Mark Padun (Ukr) Bahrain-Merida 1:19:37 24 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:20:42 25 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 1:21:01 26 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data 1:24:28 27 Harm Vanhoucke (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:27:40 28 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 1:33:18 29 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 1:35:56 30 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 1:49:36 31 Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 1:50:57 32 Will Barta (USA) CCC Team 1:56:20 33 Rasmus Fossum Tiller (Nor) Dimension Data 1:57:16 34 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:57:40 35 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb 1:58:20 36 Oscar Cabedo Carda (Spa) Burgos-BH 1:59:32 37 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) CCC Team 2:00:13 38 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 2:00:37 39 Domen Novak (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 2:01:43 40 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education First 2:04:53 41 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates 2:18:04 42 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 2:18:39 43 Rob Power (Aus) Team Sunweb 2:19:32 44 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep 2:22:52 45 Juan Sebastian Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates 2:33:56 46 Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 2:34:13 47 Nuno Matos (Por) Burgos-BH 2:36:16 48 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 2:56:36 | {
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Punkin Chunkin canceled for second year
For the second year in a row, gourds will not be flying through First State fall skies. The 2015 World Championship Punkin Chunkin event set for Nov. 7-8 has been canceled.
"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of the 2015 World Championship Punkin Chunkin event," a post read Thursday morning on the Punkin Chunkin Facebook page. "Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of our board throughout an exhaustive nationwide search, we have been unable to locate a willing insurer to adequately protect our host venue, our organization, our fans and our spectators."
Ricky Nietubicz, World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association president, confirmed the cancellation.
The event drew thousands to watch homemade contraptions of every type sling pumpkins across great distances, some as far as a mile. The event started in 1986 in a Lewes farm field and grew in popularity. The Discovery Channel in recent years sent crews to document the event for an hour-long television special.
"It's a bummer," he said. "Fortunately there are a lot of other events that we've been able to grow nationwide at this point."
He added that the group was given "all of the leeway in the world from Dover International Speedway."
Dover International Speedway spokesman Gary Camp also confirmed the news, saying that “with about a month to go, I think they ultimately realized they weren’t going to have any luck.”
"There’s been a good amount of work done behind the scenes to prepare for the event," Camp said. But the speedway didn’t want to do much more without proof of insurance coverage, he said.
"The collective decision was made to halt planning for the event," Camp said.
This is the second time the event has had to be canceled since moving from Sussex County, It has drawn thousands of people to watch the massive air cannons and catapults shoot pumpkins over large distances.
Punkin Chunkin has been seeking a permanent home since 2013 after the farmer hosting the longstanding event in Sussex County said he wouldn’t let it return to his property. He and the event’s organizers faced a personal injury lawsuit filed by a volunteer after an ATV accident at the 2011 Chunk. The lawsuit has since been settled out of court.
Before the event was canceled this year, there were concerns about how the grounds at the speedway could accommodate some aspects of the event. Chunkers removed the distance competition from the weekend's activities, acknowledging there wasn't room for the air cannons to propel pumpkins nearly a mile downrange, as there had been in Sussex.
Cindy Small, executive director of Kent County Tourism, said she’s disappointed for the area.
“We’re sad that our businesses are going to miss out,” Small said. “It would have been new business for everyone and would have probably brought a new customer to our area.”
“Like any large event, our hoteliers and restaurateurs were excited about it,” she added. The event would have brought new revenue for all of the businesses.
Moving the event out of Delaware has "always been a serious consideration" and Nietubicz said the group is 100 percent committed to ensuring the event moves forward.
"That's why this is most disappointing. We're going to explore all of our options," he said. "There are more favorable regulatory environments elsewhere... At this point, we're really exploring all options."
Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, said Thursday he doubted Punkin Chunkin would ever take root again in Delaware. Pettyjohn sponsored a bill this year to cap pain-and-suffering damages at $1 million for personal injury lawsuits filed against nonprofit companies sponsoring annual special events. The bill has not been discharged from the Senate Executive Committee, and a member of the Delaware Trial Lawyers Association testified against it in a hearing.
"It looks like we're going to lose the event here in Delaware, and we're never going to get it back," Pettyjohn said. "Maybe if this was a New Castle County event, we'd get some motion out of it. But it's been a Sussex County event, and it seems the magnitude of the event is lost on the other legislators."
Nietubicz said the legislation going through "wouldn't have hurt."
"That being said, you know, it's impossible to say what could have, or would have, or may have been the case."
Still, Pettyjohn said, he will renew his push to get his legislation to the Senate floor when the legislature reconvenes in a few months.
"The other side said it's not going to be a problem, and here we are," Pettyjohn said. "I hate to say I told you so. But I told you so."
By late August, when it started selling admission tickets, Punkin Chunkin had dozens of competitor teams registered for the early-November event. But since teams knew the Chunk would not have the distance competition that defines many pumpkin-tossing events around the country, some of them had already made other arrangements to keep the spirit of competition alive.
Ralph Eschborn, captain of the Big 10 Inch air cannon team that's competed at the Chunk since 1998, this week is in Aurora, Colorado, a Denver suburb that for years has put on its own Punkin Chunkin event. Big 10 Inch is practically a Delaware native; the Eschborns live in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania., and the cannon is stored in Delaware City.
Eschborn said the Delaware Chunk's announced format change, from competition to events like blasting old cars apart with pumpkin barrages, opened the door to new chunk events and gave other established events like Aurora's more support.
His team had planned to come to Dover next month — for the fun of it, and to remain eligible for regional competition. "We were going to do target practice, which is a crowd-pleaser, frankly," Eschborn said in an interview. "You blow the doors off a car and the crowd goes wild."
But he said he is skeptical Punkin Chunkin can pull off a comeback in Delaware; more likely, he said, is that the event will move to Maryland's Eastern Shore.
"I always thought this was a Delmarva thing. The culture’s the same. Why not move it over the border 10 miles?" Eschborn said. "They need to redouble their efforts on that."
Reach Jon Offredo at (302) 678-4271 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JonOffredo. Contact James Fisher at (302) 983-6772, on Twitter @JamesFisherTNJ or [email protected]. | {
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Description
Web Components consist of a palette of revolutionary new HTML5 standards. These finally connect the critical missing parts needed in Web Development to build highly maintainable, modular, and distributable apps. Features of Web Components such as Templates aid us in writing truly re-usable code, while Custom Elements allow us to define our own HTML elements. With the Shadow DOM we can define encapsulated DOM branches in our elements and HTML Imports are a standard wrapping up and distributing of all the previous technologies. Although these may sound fantastic, we cannot use them as yet since they are not compatible with all of the browsers out there. Fortunately, various polyfills have been released to leverage older browsers to handle these standards and even combine them with other technologies. Polymer, backed-up by Google, is definitely the most popular. This course will introduce Polymer’s basic functionality by building together a real-life administration dashboard. Lastly, the UI framework of choice will be Material Design as it is tightly coupled with numerous pre-existing polymer elements. | {
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Requires iPhone running iOS 5.0+
This tweak simply allows you to use proximity sensor in landscape mode.
No options to configure.
No Screenshots for this item. | {
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What were the worst acquisitions of all time?
The list certainly includes AOL’s purchase of Time Warner, perhaps the stupidest deal of all time, which was responsible for the eradication of US$200-billion of shareholder wealth. It would also have to include other epic duds such as Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia, Google’s purchase of Motorola and Sprint’s takeover of Nextel Communications.
To this gruesome catalogue we now must add Bayer’s purchase of Monsanto, uniting the German chemical and drug giant that gave the world Aspirin and the U.S. agrochemical with the seed giant that turned glyphosate-based Roundup into farmers’ favourite herbicide. Bayer completed the purchase of Monsanto a year ago, paying US$63-billion.
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Today, the market value of Bayer, €49-billion (US$55-billion), is less than Monsanto’s price tag. In the past 12 months, Bayer shares have fallen 43 per cent. In 2018, their return, including dividends, was minus-39 per cent. Bayer executives are under fire, as they should be, and there is ample speculation the company will get broken up.
The takeover wins gold for ill timing. In August, 2018, only two months after the deal closed, a U.S. jury ordered Monsanto to pay US$289-million to a California groundskeeper who claimed that Roundup had triggered his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Since then, Bayer has lost two more jury trials – one of which came with US$2-billion in punitive damages – and the first overseas glyphosate lawsuit, in Australia, has just been launched. As the jury awards piled up, Bayer’s shares went into the tank. This 155-year-old blue-chip wonder, one of Germany’s national champions, has become one of the world’s riskiest industrial stocks.
Bayer’s managers, led by CEO Werner Baumann, have a lot of explaining to do. So do Bayer’s deal advisers – Credit Suisse, Bank of America and Rothschild. The health concerns surrounding glyphosate did not suddenly emerge after Bayer agreed to buy Monsanto in mid-2016. There had been grave concerns about exposure to glyphosate products for many years and, at the time, some 120 glyphosate-related cases were already hitting U.S. courts.
Today the number of plaintiffs has climbed to an astonishing 13,400, up from 11,200 at the end of January, and the number will keep rising. When you put a poor farmer, groundskeeper or gardener with cancer up against a foreign corporate colossus (Bayer’s revenues last year were almost €40-billion), you can guess where a jury’s sympathies might lie – even if studies suggesting glyphosate causes cancer are far from conclusive.
The factor behind the slaughter of Bayer’s share price is not so much the science; it is the vagaries of the U.S. jury trial system. One legal website this month said glyphosate, and Bayer by extension, faces a “Toxic Tort Timebomb.” You can only wonder whether Bayer’s advisers underplayed, or simply didn’t understand, the severity of the litigation risks when they went to Germany to promote the Monsanto deal.
The miscalculation is all the more severe when you consider that, in March, 2015, more than a year before Bayer revealed its desire to buy Monsanto, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that glyphosate was “probably carcinogenic to humans” (the agency didn’t do its own study; it said it reviewed about 1,000 independent studies). That warning would prove a godsend to the glyphosate plaintiffs’ lawyers.
Bayer stands by its claim that glyphosate, which has been in use since the 1970s, is safe. It notes that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that glyphosate has “low toxicity for humans” when used as instructed and that Health Canada as recently as January said that “no pesticide regulatory authority in the world considers glyphosate to be a cancer risk to humans at the level at which humans are currently exposed.”
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Bayer vows to fight the lawsuits and is appealing the jury awards, calling the US$2-billion jury award in California last month “unhinged.” The next trial starts next month in St. Louis. If it too goes against Bayer, and the punitive damages award is astronomical, the shares will take another beating. So far, Bayer is 0 for 3 in the courts; 0 for 4 would confirm an alarming trend.
At some point, Bayer might develop litigation fatigue and start settling cases. How much that will cost is an open question. Analysts’ estimates vary from a few billion dollars to US$20-billion. The figure could even be higher, to the point that Bayer’s survival might come into doubt. The outcomes of U.S. jury cases, and their appeals, are notoriously hard to predict.
At this stage, it’s impossible to tell whether Bayer, having lost almost half its value since the Monsanto takeover, is a screaming buy or an unfolding horror story. It all depends on whether the company can beat back the jury awards.
What we do know is that Bayer seems to have concluded that there is little long-term future in its Roundup products, even as it continues to defend them. Last week the company announced it would funnel €5-billion into developing alternatives to glyphosate. “While glyphosate will continue to play an important role in agriculture in Bayer’s portfolio, the company is committed to offering more choices for growers,” it said.
Bayer did not buy Monsanto exclusively for Roundup. But its call for glyphosate substitutes seems to signal that it badly underestimated the value of the Roundup portfolio. As it stands, the weed killer is more liability than asset, and Bayer’s Monsanto purchase has entered into the pantheon of all-time worst deals. What is astonishing is that Mr. Baumann still has his job. | {
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The TSA Is Finding More and More Guns at Airport Checkpoints The agency busts an armed traveler every 3 hours on average.
Usually, the loaded gun is stuffed in a carry-on bag or a purse. Almost always, the excuse is: “I forgot.”
For the second consecutive week, the Transportation Security Administration confiscated a record number of firearms at security checkpoints at U.S. airports. Officers seized 81 guns between August 12th and 18th. Of the weapons, 70 were loaded, and 31 had a round chambered, meaning ready to fire at the squeeze of a trigger.
Last week’s tally brings the agency’s total number of guns seized in 2016 from carry-on baggage to 1,908 — or slightly more than eight firearms per day. That’s almost 400 more weapons seized than this time last year, when 1,575 guns had been discovered.
“People typically say they just forgot it was there,” Michael England, a TSA spokesman, tells The Trace.
That was the excuse given by Frederick Vandeman, 64, who was caught earlier this month with a 3D-printed replica of a handgun in his luggage. Vandeman told police he was a medical doctor who owned a 3D printer and wanted to show his creation to his colleagues. He said he forgot it was in his bag when he packed for the airport.
In June, a Virginia man was arrested at Richmond International Airport after TSA officers discovered a revolver and five bullets in his backpack. He told authorities the gun was in the bag so children, who had been visiting with him, couldn’t access it.
And in April, a Florida woman was busted at Southwest Florida International Airport after an X-ray machine revealed a firearm in her carry-on bag. The woman, who claimed she forgot about the weapon, was arrested after police determined she didn’t have a concealed carry permit.
When a gun is discovered by TSA agents at baggage screening, agents shut down security and call police. In addition to drawing the ire of fellow travelers, people caught with guns in their carry-on luggage face a criminal referral and a fine of up to $11,000, according to a TSA spokesperson.
So many guns are found at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Georgia — 110 so far this year, more than at any other airport — that officials raised the maximum fine to $100,000. But state law enforcement agencies are ultimately responsible for charging decisions, which means that in practice this “guidance” suggested by the TSA can be completely ignored.
“It really depends on the state,” Nico Melendez, a TSA spokesperson for the Pacific region, tells The Trace. “In the state of California, nine times out of 10, the passenger is taken into custody. In Arizona, nine times out of 10, the passenger is let go and they go put the gun in their car.”
After Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth runs a close second in the number of guns confiscated, with 105 so far this year. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental wins the bronze medal for firearm seizures: Agents have seized 74 in 2016.
The purpose of airport screening, of course, is to make sure that guns are not used to hijack airplanes, kill travelers, or otherwise compromise air travel safety. Despite the high numbers of firearms seized by agents, there are indications that many guns still make it through security.
In June of last year, a leaked internal agency report revealed huge deficiencies in the TSA’s screening practices at dozens of airports across the country. To evaluate the agency’s efficacy, the Department of Homeland Security deployed agents posing as passengers armed with weapons and explosives. The report found that TSA officers failed to detect illicit items in 95 percent of tests.
In the aftermath of the report, Melvin Carraway, the TSA’s acting director, resigned.
[Photo: AP Photo/Elaine Thompson] | {
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Linksys is trying to offer gamers an edge with a new router that prioritizes their internet traffic.
The elegantly named WRT32X router builds in the Killer networking tech that’s often found in gaming PCs from companies like Razer and Alienware. Like on those PCs, the software gives gaming data a priority over everything else — like streaming movies or downloads — in an attempt to reduce lag.
Linksys announced the WRT32X back in January, but the router is only now just about ready to ship. It’s supposed to become available sometime next month, and preorders are opening today for $299.99. Linksys also made this ridiculous hype video, which includes robot sounds when the router’s lights turn on:
The router supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi, has five Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port, four dual band antennas, and works with OpenWrt, an open-source firmware that allows for more customization.
Traditionally, the Killer tech — made by Rivet Networks — has only been installed on PCs, which has meant that it can only prioritize data to and from that one computer. By moving the networking tech into the router, Linksys gives owners the chance to prioritize data for every connected device.
That means the WRT32X might make more of a difference for gamers who are sharing a network with other demanding users. In the past, Killer tech hasn’t been found to be all that effective, though, so it might be worth waiting to see the results before paying nearly $300 for a router. And it sounds like the router will need to be connected to a Killer-enabled PC to get all the benefits, too. | {
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REYNOSA, Tamaulipas – At least five men were killed locally in recent days as rival factions of the Gulf Cartel fight for control of lucrative drug and human smuggling territories.
This week, authorities were called to the Valle Soleado neighborhood in response to two bodies left on the streets. Both victims appeared tortured prior to their deaths. Investigators found trash bags on the victims’ heads, indicating they were suffocated to some extent. At the scene, cartel gunmen left a poster board claiming the victims were lookouts for the “Los Metros” faction of the Gulf Cartel.
“This is what will happen to those who leak information to the Metros and the Ceros, Atte Grupo Escorpion,” the gunmen wrote in the poster board. The message was signed on behalf of “Negrito” and “Parrana,” two leaders with another faction of the Gulf Cartel.
Soon after the discovery, cartel gunmen and Tamaulipas state police clashed along the highway that connects Reynosa and Monterrey known as “Libramiento.” That shootout ended in the parking lot of a Church’s Chicken when gunmen in a maroon Buick SUV tried to run inside the restaurant. Two died inside the vehicle while a third died outside.
Two rival factions of the Gulf Cartel are fighting for control of Reynosa. One, the Escorpiones, is based in Matamoros while the “Metros” reside in Reynosa. The fighting has led to hundreds of murders and shootouts.
In recent weeks, both factions clashed along the Libramiento, turning the popular road into a common battleground. Most recently, one cartel gunman died inside his vehicle while a regional commander named Ramiro Banda managed to escape. Banda died hours later at a local hospital from injuries he sustained during the clash.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “A.C. Del Angel” from Tamaulipas | {
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Body camera video released by the Honolulu Police Department on Friday shows police efforts to coax a confused man armed with a machete and garden shears from a grassy spot tucked in a corner behind a state building.
For several minutes, a female Honolulu police officer can be seen trying to convince Tison Dinney to come out from a spot next to an electrical transformer after police were called Oct. 7 about a machete-wielding man near the Capitol. When they got there, Dinney’s machete and 12-inch garden shears were on the ground and he seemed confused about the commotion he had caused.
“Why you chasing me?” Dinney asked the officer as he stayed put in his spot next to the state Department of Health building on Punchbowl Street.
“We’re not chasing you,” the female HPD officer responded. “We’re telling you we want to talk to you.”
This video shows the view of officers talking to Tison Dinney:
At a press conference Friday afternoon, HPD Police Chief Susan Ballard said a total of six HPD officers spent a lot time with Dinney. Another five sheriff’s deputies were also on the scene. When Dinney refused to come out, the HPD officers broke into two groups of three.
“When the male refused, the decision was made to have officers on one side of the green box distract him so that officers on the other side of the green box could move in and arrest him,” Ballard explained.
“They tried their hardest to get this person to walk away,” Ballard said.
In the first video, which shows the view of officers on an asphalt driveway looking down a slope at Dinney where he is standing near the transformer, officers are seen trying to talk to Dinney about where he’s from. They continue to ask him to come out from behind the electrical transformer. He is talking to them, asking them why they are chasing him. He does not appear particularly upset or agitated. At the end of the clip, Dinney is seen reaching for a pair of 12-inch garden shears on the ground and turning toward the other group of officers.
In the second video, which shows the view of three other officers who have circled around behind the green box, one officer rushes toward him with the others close behind. They surprise the armed Dinney and he turns and strikes one with the garden shears. HPD had previously reported that Dinney struck the officer with a machete.
As that officer falls backwards, a second officer fires several shots into Dinney while a third officer activates a Taser at the same time.
This video shows officers rushing Dinney and shots being fired:
Both videos had been edited by police before being released to the media.
“My intention is to make available all body camera footage as it relates to this incident,” Ballard said.
The chief said she didn’t know whether Dinney was mentally ill or under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.
Dinney’s death was the sixth fatal officer-involved shooting this year, and the 11th HPD police shooting since January. HPD officers have only recently begun using body-mounted cameras and it was the first shooting to be recorded on a body cam.
“I really don’t know what’s going on but it seems really bad this year,” Ballard said of the rise in violent encounters with HPD officers.
The chief emphasized that the department will begin Crisis Intervention Team training for officers in January. Nationwide, CIT training has helped officers learn different ways to de-escalate tensions when dealing with more emotionally distraught individuals.
“Regardless of what the persons’s state of mind … the officer still has to look after their protection as well as the protection of the community,” Ballard said.
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You can also comment directly on this story by scrolling down a little further. Comments are subject to approval and we may not publish every one. | {
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Import, Export, Logistics concept – Map global partner connection of Container Cargo freight ship for Logistic Import Export background (Photo: AdobeStock/Elements of this image furnished by NASA)
U.S. import prices and export prices rose by 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. This is the second straight month U.S. export prices have risen by 0.7%.
The consensus forecast for imports was looking for a 0.4% gain, ranging from a low of 0.3% to a high of 0.6%. The consensus forecast for exports was looking for a 0.3% gain, ranging from a low of 0.1% to a high of 0.3%.
Prior Revised Consensus Range Actual Import Prices – M/M 0.6% 1.0% 0.4% 0.3% — 0.6% 0.6% Export Prices – M/M 0.6% 0.7% 0.3% 0.1% — 0.3% 0.7% Import Prices – Y/Y -1.3% -0.8% -0.6% -1.0% — -0.4% 0.0% Export Prices – Y/Y 0.3 % 0.3 % 0.6 %
Imports
Prices for U.S. imports have advanced by 1.7% in the first 3 months of 2019. The increase for the 3 months ended in March was the largest 3-month rise since the index rose 1.9% between October 2017 and January 2018.
The import price index recorded no change over the past 12 months.
Exports
Prices for U.S. imports advanced 0.7% the previous month after declining 0.6% in January and December. Prices for nonagricultural and agricultural exports each contributed to the total gain in March.
U.S. export prices rose 0.6 percent over the past 12 months.
| {
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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Tuesday imposed countervailing duties of 8% to 18% on imports of subsidized biodiesel from Indonesia, saying the move aimed to restore a level playing field for European Union producers.
“The new import duties are imposed on a provisional basis and the investigation will continue with a possibility to impose definitive measures by mid-December 2019,” the EU executive said in a statement.
Last week Indonesia’s trade minister said he would recommend to an inter-ministerial team a 20% to 25% tariff on EU dairy products in response to the EU targeting the country’s biodiesel, adding that he had asked dairy product importers to find sources of supply outside the 28-nation bloc.
The EU duties are another blow to Indonesian biodiesel producers after the bloc said in March that palm oil should be phased out of renewable transportation fuels due to palm plantations’ contribution to deforestation.
The European Commission, which coordinates trade policy for the EU, launched an anti-subsidy investigation in December 2018 following a complaint by the European Biodiesel Board.
It said its investigation showed that Indonesian biodiesel producers benefit from grants, tax benefits and access to raw materials below market prices.
The EU biodiesel market is worth an estimated 9 billion euros ($10 billion) a year, with imports from Indonesia worth about 400 million euros, the commission said.
Indonesia Biofuels Producers Association (APROBI) Chairman M.P. Tumanggor told Reuters that companies affected by the anti-subsidy duties will likely be forced to renegotiate their contracts with buyers in the EU and it may reduce the country’s 2019 biodiesel exports.
“We initially targeted 1.4 million tonnes in export this year to Europe. That will not be reached,” Tumanggor said. The exports would likely reach around 1 million tonnes, he said.
He said the association is in consultation with the government on a response to the EU duties.
Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita told reporters the government will file an official objection within five days.
He also reiterated that the government is encouraging dairy product importers to start looking for new sources of supply outside the EU.
The ministry will start a program for Indonesian dairy importers to help them find replacements for dairy products they usually import from the EU with products from the United States or other countries, he said. | {
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The perfect place for a hardcore 3D VR porn scene is a garage, not any, but VirtualRealPorn’s. Grab your VR headset and get ready to dirty it with our employee of the month: busty British Barbie Sins. On this new 5K and 4K scene, Barbie Sins goes beyond fixing your car engine…she also wants to offer a full service to your penis and your friend’s! And as this blonde bombshell says “I always get paid with a hardcore double penetration, a cumshot on my face and a squirt in HD VR porn” | {
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The Obama administration will entirely withhold 22 emails from Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden MORE’s private server because they have been classified as “top secret,” the State Department said on Friday.
The existence of multiple top secret emails in the Democratic presidential front-runner's inbox will only increase public scrutiny on the former secretary of State's unusual email arrangement, mere days before Iowa’s first-in-the-nation nominating contest on Monday.
The 37 pages of emails are the first time the Obama administration has confirmed that messages within Clinton's server while she was at State merit one of the highest levels of classification. Although the State Department has previously classified more than 1,300 of Clinton’s emails upon release, the vast majority of those were at lower classification levels.
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Unlike the emails classified at a lower level, which were released with large portions redacted, the top secret emails will not be made public at all.
“These emails will be denied in full, meaning they will not be produced online on our FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] website,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement shared with The Hill. “In response to a FOIA request, it is not unusual to deny or withhold a document in full.”
Kirby said that the State Department would not explain the contents of the top secret emails.
Clinton’s presidential campaign quickly dismissed the news, which spokesman Brian Fallon called “overclassification run amok.”
"We firmly oppose the complete blocking of the release of these emails," Fallon said in a statement.
Separately, the State Department said on Friday that it would be similarly withholding 18 emails sent between Clinton and President Obama, “to protect the president’s ability to receive unvarnished advice and counsel.”
The emails, made up from eight email chains, “have not been determined to be classified,” Kirby told reporters on Friday. “They are entirely separate and distinct from the emails that were upgraded.”
The White House had asked for the emails to be kept secret in October.
It remains unclear whether Clinton herself sent the top secret emails. Many of the emails that were previously classified upon release were sent to the former first lady by her top aides.
Watchdog and intelligence agencies have previously concluded that at least two of the emails on Clinton’s machine were classified as top secret. But the State Department has fought back, and insisted that no final determination had been made.
Friday’s determination was made “at the request” of intelligence agencies, Kirby said.
The 22 documents given the high level of classification on Friday include those two documents, the department said, as well as emails that contain information on a “need-to-know” basis.
The State Department and Clinton’s presidential campaign have previously claimed that none of the information from her machine was classified at the time it was sent. Instead, they insist that the classification was retroactive.
The 37 pages of top secret documents were “not marked classified at the time they were sent,” Kirby said on Friday.
But that does not mean the emails are not classified, Kirby confirmed.
“Is it possible that something is classified at the time it was sent and not marked so? ... That is certainly possible,” he said.
News of the top secret emails is likely to roil the presidential race, where Republicans have been especially eager to accuse the Democratic front-runner of violating the law and jeopardizing U.S. secrets.
“If this isn’t disqualifying I don’t know what is,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement on Friday evening.
The RNC pointed out that Clinton had signed a nondisclosure agreement promising to protect “marked or unmarked classified information.”
Clinton’s private server is currently being investigated by the FBI for evidence that she or her aides mishandled classified information. After Friday’s revelations from the State Department, Republicans were even more eager for the Justice Department to press charges.
“Democrats will have to decide whether they really want to nominate a candidate who could face severe legal repercussions in the muddle of the campaign and who has so brazenly violated the public trust with her reckless disregard for our national security,” Priebus said.
News of the classification was first reported by The Associated Press.
The State Department announced the heightened classification level on Friday before the release of roughly 1,000 pages of Clinton’s emails.
Friday was supposed to be the deadline for the department to release all 55,000 pages of Clintons’ work-related emails. However, the government has said that it needs an extra month to comply with that court-ordered limit, due to an internal oversight and the snowstorm that battered the East Coast last week and effectively shut down the government.
The new deadline for the final release of Clinton’s emails — Feb. 29 — will be after the first four primary states have voted.
At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest denied that there was any effort to delay the release for political reasons.
“I can tell you with full confidence that there has been no political interference in this process,” Earnest told reporters.
Kirby on Friday said that the State Department’s request of a deadline extension was not due to the top secret documents.
The State Department would not rule out the possibility that additional emails could be classified at a top secret level.
— Jordan Fabian contributed
— This story was last updated at 4:15 p.m. | {
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Video #2: Platform & Token Model Description
Another team interview video
We have recently released another video featuring some of the Auctus team members. In this one, we give a more detailed explanation about the platform and token model.
Find below a transcription of the interviews:
“Our platform will include built-in analytic tools and dashboards to help users create optimized retirement portfolios. Furthermore, we are creating a marketplace for retirement-related services and apps, such as planning tools provided by third-party developers and human financial consulting services.
Our aim is to create a fair community, where the platform token will ensure a balanced ecosystem, where the quality of services and third-party tools are guaranteed by smart contracts. Users can check track records of human advisors, as well as historical performance.
The platform will feature an app store, a marketplace for retirement apps, giving the user a customized experience. Apps can be anything from complex analytics and projection tools, to very simple reminders.
All payments on the platform will have to be made in Auctus token. Transactions will be automated by using smart contracts. In addition, it will be possible to link payments to prediction outcomes. You will therefore never pay for bad advice again.
Our first development milestone was the release of a demo which dynamically generates and deploys smart contracts in the Ethereum’s Rinkeby testnet.
Using this demo it’s possible to simulate retirement plans using blockchain technology. Now, our next step is to release an alpha version of the platform, which can be validated by the community and will then lead to the release of the full version.
Developers are welcome to join our mission by checking out our Github and, in the near future, creating applications for our retirement app store using our robo advisory API.”
Get to Know Auctus
Join the Whitelist |Site | Whitepaper |High-level Presentation | Demo
To keep up with our progress, follow us on
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Orlando: A gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded Florida nightclub early Sunday, killing at least 50 people in the worst mass shooting in American history before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said.
Authorities were investigating it as an act of terrorism.
At least 53 other people were hospitalized, most in critical condition, officials said.
"I think we will see the death toll rise," said Dr. Mike Cheatham a trauma surgeon at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Mayor Buddy Dyer said all of the dead were killed with the assault rifle.
"There's blood everywhere," Dyer said.
The suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the gay club known as Pulse around 2 a.m., when more than 300 people were inside. The gunman then went back inside and took hostages, Police Chief John Mina said.
Around 5 a.m., authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages. Police have not determined an exact number of casualties, but Mina said "approximately 20" bodies were inside the club.
Family members wait for word from police after arriving down the street from a shooting involving multiple fatalities at Pulse Orlando nightclub in Orlando. (Photo: AP)
In addition to the guns, the shooter also had some sort of "suspicious device," Mina said.
Authorities were looking into whether the attack was an act of domestic or international terror, and if the shooter acted alone, according to Danny Banks, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
"This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said. The suspect was identified as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Rep. Alan Grayson named the shooter, citing law enforcement officials. A federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation also confirmed the name. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
FBI agent Ron Hopper said there was no further threat to Orlando or the surrounding area.
When asked if the gunman had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, Hopper said authorities had "suggestions that individual has leanings towards that."
Police had said previously on Twitter that there was a "controlled explosion" at the scene of the shooting. Mina said that noise was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter.
A woman who was outside the dance club early Sunday was trying to contact her 30-year-old son, Eddie, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He told her he ran into a bathroom with other club patrons to hide. He then texted her: "He's coming."
"The next text said: 'He has us, and he's in here with us,'" Mina Justice said. "That was the last conversation."
Dozens of police vehicles swarmed the area around the club. At least two police pickup trucks were seen taking what appeared to be shooting victims to the Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Pulse posted on its own Facebook page around 2 a.m.: "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running." Just before 6 a.m., the club posted an update: "As soon as we have any information, we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love." Local, state and federal agencies were investigating.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack and has asked for regular updates on the investigation, the White House said.
A police officer stands guard outside the Orlando Regional Medical Center hospital after a fatal shooting at a nearby Pulse Orlando nightclub in Orlando. (Photo: AP)
The attack follows the fatal shooting late Friday of 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie, who was killed after her concert in Orlando by a 27-year-old Florida man who later killed himself. Grimmie was a YouTube sensation and former contestant on "The Voice."
Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club's rooms when a man holding a weapon came into the front of the room. "I heard 20, 40, 50 shots," Alamo said. "The music stopped."
Club-goer Rob Rick said the shooting started just before closing time. "Everybody was drinking their last sip," he said.
He estimated more than 100 people were still inside when he heard shots, got on the ground and crawled toward a DJ booth. A bouncer knocked down a partition between the club area and an area in the back where only workers are allowed. People inside were able to then escape through the back of the club.
Christopher Hansen said he was in the VIP lounge when he heard gunshots. He continued to hear shooting even after he emerged and police urged people to back away from the club. He saw the wounded being tended to across the street.
"I was thinking, 'Are you kidding me?' So I just dropped down. I just said, 'Please, please, please, I want to make it out,'" he said. "And when I did, I saw people shot. I saw blood. You hope and pray you don't get shot." | {
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Jewish Voice for Peace is guided by a vision of justice, equality and freedom for all people. We unequivocally oppose Zionism because it is counter to those ideals.
We know that opposing Zionism, or even discussing it, can be painful, can strike at the deepest trauma and greatest fears of many of us. Zionism is a nineteenth-century political ideology that emerged in a moment where Jews were defined as irrevocably outside of a Christian Europe. European antisemitism threatened and ended millions of Jewish lives — in pogroms, in exile, and in the Holocaust.
Through study and action, through deep relationship with Palestinians fighting for their own liberation, and through our own understanding of Jewish safety and self determination, we have come to see that Zionism was a false and failed answer to the desperately real question many of our ancestors faced of how to protect Jewish lives from murderous antisemitism in Europe.
While it had many strains historically, the Zionism that took hold and stands today is a settler-colonial movement, establishing an apartheid state where Jews have more rights than others. Our own history teaches us how dangerous this can be.
Palestinian dispossession and occupation are by design. Zionism has meant profound trauma for generations, systematically separating Palestinians from their homes, land, and each other. Zionism, in practice, has resulted in massacres of Palestinian people, ancient villages and olive groves destroyed, families who live just a mile away from each other separated by checkpoints and walls, and children holding onto the keys of the homes from which their grandparents were forcibly exiled.
Because the founding of the state of Israel was based on the idea of a “land without people,” Palestinian existence itself is resistance. We are all the more humbled by the vibrance, resilience, and steadfastness of Palestinian life, culture, and organizing, as it is a deep refusal of a political ideology founded on erasure.
In sharing our stories with one another, we see the ways Zionism has also harmed Jewish people. Many of us have learned from Zionism to treat our neighbors with suspicion, to forget the ways Jews built home and community wherever we found ourselves to be. Jewish people have had long and integrated histories in the Arab world and North Africa, living among and sharing community, language and custom with Muslims and Christians for thousands of years.
By creating a racist hierarchy with European Jews at the top, Zionism erased those histories and destroyed those communities and relationships. In Israel, Jewish people of color – from the Arab world, North Africa, and East Africa – have long been subjected to systemic discrimination and violence by the Israeli government. That hierarchy also creates Jewish spaces where Jews of color are marginalized, our identities and commitments questioned & interrogated, and our experiences invalidated. It prevents us from seeing each other — fellow Jews and other fellow human beings — in our full humanity.
Zionist interpretations of history taught us that Jewish people are alone, that to remedy the harms of antisemitism we must think of ourselves as always under attack and that we cannot trust others. It teaches us fear, and that the best response to fear is a bigger gun, a taller wall, a more humiliating checkpoint.
Rather than accept the inevitability of occupation and dispossession, we choose a different path. We learn from the anti-Zionist Jews who came before us, and know that as long as Zionism has existed, so has Jewish dissent to it. Especially as we face the violent antisemitism fueled by white nationalism in the United States today, we choose solidarity. We choose collective liberation. We choose a future where everyone, including Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, can live their lives freely in vibrant, safe, equitable communities, with basic human needs fulfilled. Join us. | {
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At what point did the nation succumb to Star Wars mania? Was it when Star Wars–branded oranges arrived at the supermarket? When Carrie Fisher sardonically smashed an interview with Good Morning America? When a fan put forth the theory that Jar Jar Binks is trained to use the Force?
Or was it over the weekend, when MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry declared Star Wars racist because Darth Vader did evil things as a "black man" but was then revealed to be a white man when he crossed over to the good side before dying? Harris-Perry wasn't joking — indeed, she was very serious.
The upcoming release of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is a worldwide, monumental event. It's also become an opportunity for people to open their mouths and say really ridiculous things, and for the media to pounce.
"Star Wars is racist"
Harris-Perry's assertion that Star Wars is a racist movie is currently the story that people can't stop talking about. To be clear, the Star Wars franchise has faced plenty of criticism for predominantly featuring white dudes, as Lando and Leia are the only human characters in the original films who are not white men (the prequels made a concerted attempt to include more people of color). But Perry wanted to make a different point.
During Saturday's episode of her show, she was quick to express her frustration with "the whole Darth Vader situation":
The part where he was totally a black guy, whose name basically was James Earl Jones, and while he was black, he was terrible and bad and awful and used to cut off white men’s hands, and didn’t, you know, actually claim his son? But as soon as he claims his son and goes over to the good, he takes off his mask and he is white? Yes, I have many, many feelings about that.
Harris-Perry is correct in linking James Earl Jones to the character of Darth Vader, as Jones provided Vader's voice. And, yes, James Earl Jones is black. But the character was physically portrayed onscreen by a white man named David Prowse. And in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back — the movie containing the scene where Vader chops off a white man's hand — there's a scene where Vader is seen from behind without his helmet. He has pinkish-white skin:
Perry created a false narrative to fit her claim about racism in Star Wars.
Giving Harris-Perry the benefit of the doubt, there is absolutely symbolism in the fact that Vader wears black and is evil. In literary history, the color black has often come to represent evil, with white representing goodness and purity. But Harris-Perry doesn't take into account that the Imperial Storm Troopers are also evil, and they wear white. Plus, she doesn't even mention Senator Palpatine, the scariest and most evil man in the Star Wars franchise who commits lots of bad deeds and is a wrinkly old white man.
Harris-Perry's point doesn't stand up to facts. However, that hasn't stopped it from gaining momentum online, particularly in conservative circles.
"The Bible said Darth Vader is black"
Harris-Perry's piece of flame bait didn't go unnoticed; it was only a matter of time before people started weighing in to disagree with Harris-Perry's argument. For example, former Northern Exposure actress Janine Turner, who's now a conservative political commentator, tried to explain to Harris-Perry that good and evil have traditionally been coded in dark and light and that Star Wars wasn't making a racial point.
"Regarding Darth Vader, please," Turner said on Fox Business News on Monday. "The Bible talks darkness and light. This is about evil and good. Darkness and light. … This doesn’t have anything to do with anything else; this goes back to biblical times."
Turner's explanation wasn't exactly elegant, but her basic point was that throughout history, there have been countless explorations of the themes of good versus evil and darkness versus light in art. She easily could have cited religious texts other than the Bible — as well as Greek mythology, comic books, and many pieces of American literature — to explain that darkness often represents evil.
But RawStory took what Turner said and was a bit disingenuous with its headline, which states: "Conservative actress tells Fox: Darth Vader is black because it’s in the Bible and ‘Jesus talks about it.'"
The site flattened what Turner said into something that sounded dumber than Harris-Perry's initial argument, misleadingly recast it as political, and purposely made Turner sound a little unhinged. The article has racked up more than 900 comments and has been shared again and again on social media.
"The Jedi are a typical wishy-washy Mother Gaia–style progressive cult"
Meanwhile, the conservative site Breitbart and writer Milo Yiannopoulos published a piece on Friday titled "Star Wars Is Garbage," which states that "the Jedi are a typical wishy-washy Mother Gaia–style progressive cult."
The column includes a mention of Jabba the Hutt's murder at the hands of a white woman, a reference to "#greenlivesmatter," and a discussion of Princess Leia's white privilege. It is a true masterpiece of trolly satire, as it paints the Rebel Alliance as ISIS:
They take their lead from mystics hiding in caves and swamps, and want to return the galaxy to a primitive religion that hasn’t changed for 600 years. That’s right nerds: the Rebel Alliance is ISIS.
Yiannopoulos's piece is more self-aware than Harris-Perry and Turner's arguments, but only a little more bonkers. And that's a little worrying.
All of these "Star Wars is racist" discussions are part of a growing trend in how we judge art and conflate politics with quality, something media outlets love to do because it gives them something to say. Earlier this year, Ted Cruz said he'd stopped listening to rock music because it didn't politically respond to 9/11 the way he wanted it to. Over the summer, there were negative critiques of Amy Schumer's Trainwreck because the movie wasn't feminist enough. When a piece of art is popular, it's natural to want to talk about it. But creating a false narrative, as Harris-Perry did, or disingenuously framing someone else's argument, as RawStory did, ignores the original work in the name of creating one polarizing argument for people to love or hate. And Star Wars, like other pieces of art, is so much more than that.
Vox Featured Video | {
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Maximiliano Hernandez's 'Agent Sitwell' ( THOR , Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 , Captain America: The Winter Soldier ) will return in an upcoming episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. called "The Hub". Hit the jump to read the official description in full!
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Researchers at the University of Toronto say they've uncovered a large quantity of quinoa seeds grown in North America thousands of years ago.
They say the discovery marks the first time such seeds, a precursor to today's trendy superfood, have been found north of Kentucky.
According to an article published in American Antiquity, archeologists came upon the seeds in 2010 while assessing the site of a new housing development in Brantford, Ont.
Researchers say the 140,000 seeds, which appeared to have been burned, date back to 900 BC, several centuries before the next earliest evidence of a crop in the province.
Researchers say they believe the seeds came to the province through trade rather than being grown locally.
They say the discovery suggests the trading system among North American Indigenous populations at the time may have been more complex than previously imagined.
Gary Crawford, study co-author and professor of anthropology at U of T's Mississauga campus, said all evidence to date suggested that Indigenous peoples of the day only swapped stones and other minerals across long distances. The discovery of the quinoa seeds, he said, suggests that may not have been the case.
"We're taking the conservative view that these seeds were traded," he said of the Ontario findings. "It would make sense that it wasn't only stone and minerals being moved around. In Kentucky, Illinois and Arkansas, this was a very important foodstuff; its nutrient value was probably similar to that of modern quinoa, which comes from South America."
The present-day iteration of quinoa, which has figured prominently on lists of particularly healthy foods in recent years, has become a popular choice among foodies for its versatility in recipes and high protein and nutrient content.
Crawford and other researchers said they found no evidence of similar seeds in the area, contributing to the theory that this batch was traded rather than locally cultivated.
The study authors also speculated that the seeds were burned by mistake, possibly in an overzealous attempt to lightly parch them for future storage.
Crawford described the finding as "special, since it significantly predates other signs of historical, local agriculture."
"The next time we find a crop in the province is about 500 AD, and it's corn," he said. "All previous research on this species of quinoa, which is now extinct, has taken place in the central United States." | {
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/** *Submitted for verification at Etherscan.io on 2018-02-02 */ pragma solidity ^0.4.18; /* ,/`. ,'/ __`. ,'_/_ _ _`. ,'__/_ ___ _ `. ,'_ /___ __ _ __ `. '-.._/___...-"-.-..__`. B EthPyramid. A no-bullshit, transparent, self-sustaining pyramid scheme. Inspired by https://test.jochen-hoenicke.de/eth/ponzitoken/ Developers: Arc Divine Norsefire ToCsIcK Front-End: Cardioth tenmei Trendium Moral Support: DeadCow.Rat Dots FatKreamy Kaseylol QuantumDeath666 Quentin Shit-Tier: HentaiChrist */ contract EthPyramid { // scaleFactor is used to convert Ether into tokens and vice-versa: they're of different // orders of magnitude, hence the need to bridge between the two. uint256 constant scaleFactor = 0x10000000000000000; // 2^64 // CRR = 50% // CRR is Cash Reserve Ratio (in this case Crypto Reserve Ratio). // For more on this: check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_requirement int constant crr_n = 1; // CRR numerator int constant crr_d = 2; // CRR denominator // The price coefficient. Chosen such that at 1 token total supply // the amount in reserve is 0.5 ether and token price is 1 Ether. int constant price_coeff = -0x296ABF784A358468C; // Typical values that we have to declare. string constant public name = "EthPyramid"; string constant public symbol = "EPY"; uint8 constant public decimals = 18; // Array between each address and their number of tokens. mapping(address => uint256) public tokenBalance; // Array between each address and how much Ether has been paid out to it. // Note that this is scaled by the scaleFactor variable. mapping(address => int256) public payouts; // Variable tracking how many tokens are in existence overall. uint256 public totalSupply; // Aggregate sum of all payouts. // Note that this is scaled by the scaleFactor variable. int256 totalPayouts; // Variable tracking how much Ether each token is currently worth. // Note that this is scaled by the scaleFactor variable. uint256 earningsPerToken; // Current contract balance in Ether uint256 public contractBalance; function EthPyramid() public {} // The following functions are used by the front-end for display purposes. // Returns the number of tokens currently held by _owner. function balanceOf(address _owner) public constant returns (uint256 balance) { return tokenBalance[_owner]; } // Withdraws all dividends held by the caller sending the transaction, updates // the requisite global variables, and transfers Ether back to the caller. function withdraw() public { // Retrieve the dividends associated with the address the request came from. var balance = dividends(msg.sender); // Update the payouts array, incrementing the request address by `balance`. payouts[msg.sender] += (int256) (balance * scaleFactor); // Increase the total amount that's been paid out to maintain invariance. totalPayouts += (int256) (balance * scaleFactor); // Send the dividends to the address that requested the withdraw. contractBalance = sub(contractBalance, balance); msg.sender.transfer(balance); } // Converts the Ether accrued as dividends back into EPY tokens without having to // withdraw it first. Saves on gas and potential price spike loss. function reinvestDividends() public { // Retrieve the dividends associated with the address the request came from. var balance = dividends(msg.sender); // Update the payouts array, incrementing the request address by `balance`. // Since this is essentially a shortcut to withdrawing and reinvesting, this step still holds. payouts[msg.sender] += (int256) (balance * scaleFactor); // Increase the total amount that's been paid out to maintain invariance. totalPayouts += (int256) (balance * scaleFactor); // Assign balance to a new variable. uint value_ = (uint) (balance); // If your dividends are worth less than 1 szabo, or more than a million Ether // (in which case, why are you even here), abort. if (value_ < 0.000001 ether || value_ > 1000000 ether) revert(); // msg.sender is the address of the caller. var sender = msg.sender; // A temporary reserve variable used for calculating the reward the holder gets for buying tokens. // (Yes, the buyer receives a part of the distribution as well!) var res = reserve() - balance; // 10% of the total Ether sent is used to pay existing holders. var fee = div(value_, 10); // The amount of Ether used to purchase new tokens for the caller. var numEther = value_ - fee; // The number of tokens which can be purchased for numEther. var numTokens = calculateDividendTokens(numEther, balance); // The buyer fee, scaled by the scaleFactor variable. var buyerFee = fee * scaleFactor; // Check that we have tokens in existence (this should always be true), or // else you're gonna have a bad time. if (totalSupply > 0) { // Compute the bonus co-efficient for all existing holders and the buyer. // The buyer receives part of the distribution for each token bought in the // same way they would have if they bought each token individually. var bonusCoEff = (scaleFactor - (res + numEther) * numTokens * scaleFactor / (totalSupply + numTokens) / numEther) * (uint)(crr_d) / (uint)(crr_d-crr_n); // The total reward to be distributed amongst the masses is the fee (in Ether) // multiplied by the bonus co-efficient. var holderReward = fee * bonusCoEff; buyerFee -= holderReward; // Fee is distributed to all existing token holders before the new tokens are purchased. // rewardPerShare is the amount gained per token thanks to this buy-in. var rewardPerShare = holderReward / totalSupply; // The Ether value per token is increased proportionally. earningsPerToken += rewardPerShare; } // Add the numTokens which were just created to the total supply. We're a crypto central bank! totalSupply = add(totalSupply, numTokens); // Assign the tokens to the balance of the buyer. tokenBalance[sender] = add(tokenBalance[sender], numTokens); // Update the payout array so that the buyer cannot claim dividends on previous purchases. // Also include the fee paid for entering the scheme. // First we compute how much was just paid out to the buyer... var payoutDiff = (int256) ((earningsPerToken * numTokens) - buyerFee); // Then we update the payouts array for the buyer with this amount... payouts[sender] += payoutDiff; // And then we finally add it to the variable tracking the total amount spent to maintain invariance. totalPayouts += payoutDiff; } // Sells your tokens for Ether. This Ether is assigned to the callers entry // in the tokenBalance array, and therefore is shown as a dividend. A second // call to withdraw() must be made to invoke the transfer of Ether back to your address. function sellMyTokens() public { var balance = balanceOf(msg.sender); sell(balance); } // The slam-the-button escape hatch. Sells the callers tokens for Ether, then immediately // invokes the withdraw() function, sending the resulting Ether to the callers address. function getMeOutOfHere() public { sellMyTokens(); withdraw(); } // Gatekeeper function to check if the amount of Ether being sent isn't either // too small or too large. If it passes, goes direct to buy(). function fund() payable public { // Don't allow for funding if the amount of Ether sent is less than 1 szabo. if (msg.value > 0.000001 ether) { contractBalance = add(contractBalance, msg.value); buy(); } else { revert(); } } // Function that returns the (dynamic) price of buying a finney worth of tokens. function buyPrice() public constant returns (uint) { return getTokensForEther(1 finney); } // Function that returns the (dynamic) price of selling a single token. function sellPrice() public constant returns (uint) { var eth = getEtherForTokens(1 finney); var fee = div(eth, 10); return eth - fee; } // Calculate the current dividends associated with the caller address. This is the net result // of multiplying the number of tokens held by their current value in Ether and subtracting the // Ether that has already been paid out. function dividends(address _owner) public constant returns (uint256 amount) { return (uint256) ((int256)(earningsPerToken * tokenBalance[_owner]) - payouts[_owner]) / scaleFactor; } // Version of withdraw that extracts the dividends and sends the Ether to the caller. // This is only used in the case when there is no transaction data, and that should be // quite rare unless interacting directly with the smart contract. function withdrawOld(address to) public { // Retrieve the dividends associated with the address the request came from. var balance = dividends(msg.sender); // Update the payouts array, incrementing the request address by `balance`. payouts[msg.sender] += (int256) (balance * scaleFactor); // Increase the total amount that's been paid out to maintain invariance. totalPayouts += (int256) (balance * scaleFactor); // Send the dividends to the address that requested the withdraw. contractBalance = sub(contractBalance, balance); to.transfer(balance); } // Internal balance function, used to calculate the dynamic reserve value. function balance() internal constant returns (uint256 amount) { // msg.value is the amount of Ether sent by the transaction. return contractBalance - msg.value; } function buy() internal { // Any transaction of less than 1 szabo is likely to be worth less than the gas used to send it. if (msg.value < 0.000001 ether || msg.value > 1000000 ether) revert(); // msg.sender is the address of the caller. var sender = msg.sender; // 10% of the total Ether sent is used to pay existing holders. var fee = div(msg.value, 10); // The amount of Ether used to purchase new tokens for the caller. var numEther = msg.value - fee; // The number of tokens which can be purchased for numEther. var numTokens = getTokensForEther(numEther); // The buyer fee, scaled by the scaleFactor variable. var buyerFee = fee * scaleFactor; // Check that we have tokens in existence (this should always be true), or // else you're gonna have a bad time. if (totalSupply > 0) { // Compute the bonus co-efficient for all existing holders and the buyer. // The buyer receives part of the distribution for each token bought in the // same way they would have if they bought each token individually. var bonusCoEff = (scaleFactor - (reserve() + numEther) * numTokens * scaleFactor / (totalSupply + numTokens) / numEther) * (uint)(crr_d) / (uint)(crr_d-crr_n); // The total reward to be distributed amongst the masses is the fee (in Ether) // multiplied by the bonus co-efficient. var holderReward = fee * bonusCoEff; buyerFee -= holderReward; // Fee is distributed to all existing token holders before the new tokens are purchased. // rewardPerShare is the amount gained per token thanks to this buy-in. var rewardPerShare = holderReward / totalSupply; // The Ether value per token is increased proportionally. earningsPerToken += rewardPerShare; } // Add the numTokens which were just created to the total supply. We're a crypto central bank! totalSupply = add(totalSupply, numTokens); // Assign the tokens to the balance of the buyer. tokenBalance[sender] = add(tokenBalance[sender], numTokens); // Update the payout array so that the buyer cannot claim dividends on previous purchases. // Also include the fee paid for entering the scheme. // First we compute how much was just paid out to the buyer... var payoutDiff = (int256) ((earningsPerToken * numTokens) - buyerFee); // Then we update the payouts array for the buyer with this amount... payouts[sender] += payoutDiff; // And then we finally add it to the variable tracking the total amount spent to maintain invariance. totalPayouts += payoutDiff; } // Sell function that takes tokens and converts them into Ether. Also comes with a 10% fee // to discouraging dumping, and means that if someone near the top sells, the fee distributed // will be *significant*. function sell(uint256 amount) internal { // Calculate the amount of Ether that the holders tokens sell for at the current sell price. var numEthersBeforeFee = getEtherForTokens(amount); // 10% of the resulting Ether is used to pay remaining holders. var fee = div(numEthersBeforeFee, 10); // Net Ether for the seller after the fee has been subtracted. var numEthers = numEthersBeforeFee - fee; // *Remove* the numTokens which were just sold from the total supply. We're /definitely/ a crypto central bank. totalSupply = sub(totalSupply, amount); // Remove the tokens from the balance of the buyer. tokenBalance[msg.sender] = sub(tokenBalance[msg.sender], amount); // Update the payout array so that the seller cannot claim future dividends unless they buy back in. // First we compute how much was just paid out to the seller... var payoutDiff = (int256) (earningsPerToken * amount + (numEthers * scaleFactor)); // We reduce the amount paid out to the seller (this effectively resets their payouts value to zero, // since they're selling all of their tokens). This makes sure the seller isn't disadvantaged if // they decide to buy back in. payouts[msg.sender] -= payoutDiff; // Decrease the total amount that's been paid out to maintain invariance. totalPayouts -= payoutDiff; // Check that we have tokens in existence (this is a bit of an irrelevant check since we're // selling tokens, but it guards against division by zero). if (totalSupply > 0) { // Scale the Ether taken as the selling fee by the scaleFactor variable. var etherFee = fee * scaleFactor; // Fee is distributed to all remaining token holders. // rewardPerShare is the amount gained per token thanks to this sell. var rewardPerShare = etherFee / totalSupply; // The Ether value per token is increased proportionally. earningsPerToken = add(earningsPerToken, rewardPerShare); } } // Dynamic value of Ether in reserve, according to the CRR requirement. function reserve() internal constant returns (uint256 amount) { return sub(balance(), ((uint256) ((int256) (earningsPerToken * totalSupply) - totalPayouts) / scaleFactor)); } // Calculates the number of tokens that can be bought for a given amount of Ether, according to the // dynamic reserve and totalSupply values (derived from the buy and sell prices). function getTokensForEther(uint256 ethervalue) public constant returns (uint256 tokens) { return sub(fixedExp(fixedLog(reserve() + ethervalue)*crr_n/crr_d + price_coeff), totalSupply); } // Semantically similar to getTokensForEther, but subtracts the callers balance from the amount of Ether returned for conversion. function calculateDividendTokens(uint256 ethervalue, uint256 subvalue) public constant returns (uint256 tokens) { return sub(fixedExp(fixedLog(reserve() - subvalue + ethervalue)*crr_n/crr_d + price_coeff), totalSupply); } // Converts a number tokens into an Ether value. function getEtherForTokens(uint256 tokens) public constant returns (uint256 ethervalue) { // How much reserve Ether do we have left in the contract? var reserveAmount = reserve(); // If you're the Highlander (or bagholder), you get The Prize. Everything left in the vault. if (tokens == totalSupply) return reserveAmount; // If there would be excess Ether left after the transaction this is called within, return the Ether // corresponding to the equation in Dr Jochen Hoenicke's original Ponzi paper, which can be found // at https://test.jochen-hoenicke.de/eth/ponzitoken/ in the third equation, with the CRR numerator // and denominator altered to 1 and 2 respectively. return sub(reserveAmount, fixedExp((fixedLog(totalSupply - tokens) - price_coeff) * crr_d/crr_n)); } // You don't care about these, but if you really do they're hex values for // co-efficients used to simulate approximations of the log and exp functions. int256 constant one = 0x10000000000000000; uint256 constant sqrt2 = 0x16a09e667f3bcc908; uint256 constant sqrtdot5 = 0x0b504f333f9de6484; int256 constant ln2 = 0x0b17217f7d1cf79ac; int256 constant ln2_64dot5 = 0x2cb53f09f05cc627c8; int256 constant c1 = 0x1ffffffffff9dac9b; int256 constant c3 = 0x0aaaaaaac16877908; int256 constant c5 = 0x0666664e5e9fa0c99; int256 constant c7 = 0x049254026a7630acf; int256 constant c9 = 0x038bd75ed37753d68; int256 constant c11 = 0x03284a0c14610924f; // The polynomial R = c1*x + c3*x^3 + ... + c11 * x^11 // approximates the function log(1+x)-log(1-x) // Hence R(s) = log((1+s)/(1-s)) = log(a) function fixedLog(uint256 a) internal pure returns (int256 log) { int32 scale = 0; while (a > sqrt2) { a /= 2; scale++; } while (a <= sqrtdot5) { a *= 2; scale--; } int256 s = (((int256)(a) - one) * one) / ((int256)(a) + one); var z = (s*s) / one; return scale * ln2 + (s*(c1 + (z*(c3 + (z*(c5 + (z*(c7 + (z*(c9 + (z*c11/one)) /one))/one))/one))/one))/one); } int256 constant c2 = 0x02aaaaaaaaa015db0; int256 constant c4 = -0x000b60b60808399d1; int256 constant c6 = 0x0000455956bccdd06; int256 constant c8 = -0x000001b893ad04b3a; // The polynomial R = 2 + c2*x^2 + c4*x^4 + ... // approximates the function x*(exp(x)+1)/(exp(x)-1) // Hence exp(x) = (R(x)+x)/(R(x)-x) function fixedExp(int256 a) internal pure returns (uint256 exp) { int256 scale = (a + (ln2_64dot5)) / ln2 - 64; a -= scale*ln2; int256 z = (a*a) / one; int256 R = ((int256)(2) * one) + (z*(c2 + (z*(c4 + (z*(c6 + (z*c8/one))/one))/one))/one); exp = (uint256) (((R + a) * one) / (R - a)); if (scale >= 0) exp <<= scale; else exp >>= -scale; return exp; } // The below are safemath implementations of the four arithmetic operators // designed to explicitly prevent over- and under-flows of integer values. function mul(uint256 a, uint256 b) internal pure returns (uint256) { if (a == 0) { return 0; } uint256 c = a * b; assert(c / a == b); return c; } function div(uint256 a, uint256 b) internal pure returns (uint256) { // assert(b > 0); // Solidity automatically throws when dividing by 0 uint256 c = a / b; // assert(a == b * c + a % b); // There is no case in which this doesn't hold return c; } function sub(uint256 a, uint256 b) internal pure returns (uint256) { assert(b <= a); return a - b; } function add(uint256 a, uint256 b) internal pure returns (uint256) { uint256 c = a + b; assert(c >= a); return c; } // This allows you to buy tokens by sending Ether directly to the smart contract // without including any transaction data (useful for, say, mobile wallet apps). function () payable public { // msg.value is the amount of Ether sent by the transaction. if (msg.value > 0) { fund(); } else { withdrawOld(msg.sender); } } } | {
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DETROIT — Artemi Panarin hasn’t changed his mind about negotiating a contract extension with the Blue Jackets, but the Russian star is going to discuss business with his agent in late January.
Columbus has its annual “bye” week Jan. 20-24, followed by the NHL’s All-Star break Jan. 25-26. The Jackets will also have two more days before their next game, Jan. 29 against Buffalo.
“Artemi and I are going to sit down to discuss business when he is ready,” Dan Milstein, Panarin’s agent and chief executive officer of the Gold Star Hockey agency, said Monday when contacted by The Dispatch. “He is genuinely happy with the way things are going this season. We will talk business during his break (in January).”
Milstein and Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen confirmed they met Sunday in Detroit, along with Columbus assistant GM Bill Zito.
Milstein said it wasn’t to negotiate a contract for Panarin but instead to discuss Blue Jackets prospects Vladislav Gavrikov, Nikita Korostelev and Milstein’s pending European free agents.
Kekalainen declined to comment and said there is nothing new to report about the Panarin situation. Milstein said he initiated the meeting and even picked up Zito, a friend, from the airport.
“I always try to meet with team managers when I or they are in Detroit,” said Milstein, who is based in suburban Detroit and also represents former Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk. “We had a nice visit.”
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Panarin, the Jackets' second-leading scorer with 23 points before a game Monday in Detroit, has declined to negotiate a contract extension with Columbus, which acquired him June 23, 2017, in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.
He didn’t disappoint in his first year with Columbus, setting single-season franchise records last year in points (82) and assists (55) that doubled as career highs. He finished 20th in the NHL in scoring in his first season playing without Blackhawks star Patrick Kane on the opposite side of the ice.
Panarin carried a 12-game goal drought into a game Monday against the Red Wings, the longest of his NHL career, but he doesn’t seem rattled by that or his contract situation.
“He’s a really good pro,” coach John Tortorella said after the morning skate at Little Caesars Arena. “Not a lot bothers him. He enjoys coming to the rink and plays the game with that type of enthusiasm. Everybody likes scoring goals if you’re an offensive guy, but he doesn’t put himself in a bind because he isn’t. He just wants to help the team by creating offense.”
Read more: Michael Arace | Blue Jackets’ Panarin/Bobrovsky situation shows game is serious business
The Blue Jackets would like to help him make his mind up about signing an extension, but Milstein said Columbus management is taking a hands-off approach. Milstein and Kekalainen might meet up again in December, in Russia, but only to scout and meet his European free-agent clients.
Panarin, Milstein and Kekalainen also met this summer in France, but haven’t discussed the contract situation since.
“For now, there is no pressure from the club,” Milstein said. “It’s all about the team winning.”
[email protected]
@BrianHedger | {
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Chew On This: Slicing Meat Helped Shape Modern Humans
Enlarge this image Katherine Du/NPR Katherine Du/NPR
Miss Manners and skilled prep cooks should be pleased: Our early human ancestors likely mastered the art of chopping and slicing more than 2 million years ago. Not only did this yield daintier pieces of meat and vegetables that were much easier to digest raw, with less chewing — it also helped us along the road to becoming modern humans, researchers reported Wednesday.
And our ancestors picked up these skills at least 1.5 million years before cooking took off as a common way to prepare food, the researchers say.
Chewing, it turns out, takes a lot of time and energy, say Katherine Zink and Daniel Lieberman, evolutionary biologists at Harvard University. They recently set about measuring precisely how much effort is required to chew raw food, and to what degree simple stone tools might have eased the toil.
"Every time I go out to dinner, I watch people chew," Lieberman tells us. "And sometimes, I actually count how many times they chew."
toggle caption John Reader/Science Source
It's not just a hobby. Lieberman's interest gets to some basic questions of how humans evolved.
Scientists have long known that Homo erectus, an ancestor of modern humans who lived about 2 million years ago, had already evolved to have a bigger body and brain than earlier hominins, and would have needed much more daily energy to survive. But the jaw and teeth of H. erectus were much like ours today — significantly smaller and less powerful than those of Australopithecus afarensis, or other hominins of earlier epochs.
A diet that included cooked meat would have provided that ready energy without the need for sharp canines and big grinders. But the research evidence is pretty clear that cooking didn't become common until about 500,000 years ago, Lieberman says. So, how did H. erectus get the needed calories?
To test a long-held hypothesis that simple food processing might be the answer, Zink and Lieberman invited some Harvard colleagues to what Zink calls "a lab café," and served them small portions of carrots, beets, jewel yams and goat meat. The food was served variously as roasted or raw; sliced, pounded or left in hunks.
"If I were to give you raw goat," Lieberman says, "you'd chew, and nothing would happen." Like a lot of wild game, goat meat tends to be stringy, he says. Chewing a big piece makes it more elastic, but it doesn't readily break into pieces.
"But if you cut goat into smaller pieces," he says, "your ability to chew it would improved dramatically."
All the volunteers (14 for the vegetables and just 10 for the goat meat) wore a number of small sensors pasted to their faces, to detect and count contractions of various muscle fibers as they chewed the bite of food to the point of swallowing. The scientists then translated those contractions into a measure of muscular effort, and also checked to see how well the food was broken up.
Their results, published in the journal Nature, suggest that when eating a diet made up of one-third meat, if early humans pounded the vegetables before eating them, and sliced the meat, they would need to chew 17 percent less often and 26 percent less forcefully than if they started with larger slabs of the food. Every little flex of the jaw and grinding of the teeth adds up: Over the course of a year, Lieberman says, simply having a sharp stone to slice meat would reduce the number of "chews" needed by 2.5 million.
"I think it's amazing," he says, "to think that the simple stone tool could have a massive effect on how effectively we chew a piece of meat."
It's possible, he and Zink think, that the benefits of meat-eating and food processing favored the transition to smaller teeth and jaws.
But it seems more likely, they write in their study, that tool use and meat-eating simply reduced the evolutionary pressure to have big, powerful jaws and sharp teeth, "thus permitting selection to decrease facial and dental size for other functions, such as speech production, locomotion, thermoregulation, or, perhaps even changes in the size and shape of the brain."
The Time Traveler's Cookbook
Several years ago, as part of our Meat Week coverage, we put together a tongue-in-cheek cookbook — based on archaeological digs and actual historical texts — tracing humanity's changing relationship with meat. Check it out below or download the PDF. | {
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Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Biden says Ginsburg successor should be picked by candidate who wins on Nov. 3 MORE has opened a 20-point lead over his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 Biden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security MORE (I-Vt.), in Arizona, according to a poll released a day before the state’s primary.
Biden is backed by 51 percent of likely Democratic primary voters surveyed in the Monmouth University poll released Monday.
Sanders's support is at 31 percent.
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Sanders leads Biden among Latino voters, 48 to 41 percent, based on the poll. The senator also has a lead with voters under 50 years old, at 56 to 28 percent.
But Sanders’s support is offset by Biden’s advantage with larger voting blocs in the state, including white voters at 55 percent to Sanders's 26 percent and voters 50 and over, at 64 percent to the senator's 16 percent.
Biden also beat President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE in a hypothetical general election match-up, 46 to 43 percent, but Sanders trailed Trump by 1 point, 43 percent to Trump’s 44 percent, according to the poll.
Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 by 4 points.
Biden and Sanders will face off in primaries in Arizona, Ohio, Florida and Illinois on Tuesday. Biden currently has a lead of 154 pledged delegate over Sanders.
The new poll also found Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly leading Sen. Martha McSally Martha Elizabeth McSallySenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Democratic senator calls for eliminating filibuster, expanding Supreme Court if GOP fills vacancy What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies MORE (R) by 6 points. Kelly is at 50 percent support and McSally has 44 percent.
The seat is one of the most vulnerable in the GOP-held Senate. The Cook Political report ranks the race a toss-up.
The poll was conducted from March 11 to 14 and surveyed 847 Arizona voters. Results based on the full voter sample have a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points. Results based on the sub-sample of 373 likely Democratic primary voters have a margin of error of 5.1 percentage points. | {
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Bill Gates said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did a good job in front of Congress last week, but must now play a leading role in helping the world figure out data privacy.
He said Facebook will be "glad" to take a business hit to help people "feel good" about their data.
Regulation is coming, Gates said, but should be done in a "thoughtful" way.
Bill Gates has offered some reassuring words for embattled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg — but warned that the company must play a leading role in helping the world figure out data privacy.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme, the Microsoft co-founder said Zuckerberg is responding "as best he can" to the scandal, which saw 87 million US Facebook accounts scraped for data in 2014.
He described the CEO's congressional hearings last week as "a pretty strong mea culpa in terms of things they could have done better," adding that he did "quite a good job" under questioning from US lawmakers.
Mark Zuckerberg. Leah Millis / Reuters
But now, Gates said Facebook must show it is taking a leading role in helping solve the issue of data protection online. "They are in the hot seat of some very state-of-the-art issues," he said. "As a leader, Facebook has got to help the world figure this out."
Asked what advice he would give Zuckerberg, Gates said: "This is his total focus now. He is somebody who takes a long-term view. He'll be glad to reduce the business' prospects, to make sure that the privacy promises make consumers feel good."
Gates: Regulation is coming
Gates was also philosophical about the prospect of greater government intervention in the tech sector.
"We will end up with more regulation," he told the BBC, highlighting areas where governments are already taking action, including on hate speech.
Regulation should be done in a "thoughtful way," he added, with "alignment between countries."
The European Union is introducing General Data Protection Regulation privacy rules next month and Facebook is already rolling out changes globally in order to comply with the rules.
For example, Facebook is about to ask whether users really want to share highly sensitive details about their life, such as religion, political leanings, or sexual orientation. Under the regulations, it is illegal to collect this kind of sensitive information unless people give explicit permission. | {
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Japan designs manhole covers so beautiful that they're actually works of art. Across the country, thousands of municipalities have designed unique manhole covers to demonstrate their unique local cultures, and now the Japanese Manhole Cover Festival celebrates this creativity. The festival, which takes place in Tokyo, promises three days of activities dedicated to the artistic manhole covers.
From February 1 to February 3, 2019, the Shinjuku Takashimaya department store is hosting a range of events, including an exhibition of actual manhole covers from around the country. Next door, at Tokyu Hands Shinjuku, there will be a whole range of manhole cover collectibles for sale. This includes pencils, stickers, books, as well as small versions of selected manhole covers. These limited edition collectibles will remain on sale until February 24, 2019.
Visitors will also be able to snack on macaroons, cookies, and other sweets decorated with some of the country's most popular manhole cover designs. If you can't make it over to Tokyo for the event, you might want to pick up a copy of Drainspotting. This 2010 book by Remo Camerota celebrates this unique Japanese phenomenon.
Since the 1980s municipalities in Japan have designed their own unique manhole covers to celebrate their individuality.
A new festival in Tokyo pays tribute the art of Japanese manhole covers.
Special sweets will be created for the occasion and there will be a display of some of the most popular manhole cover art.
h/t: [Spoon & Tamago]
Related Articles :
What is Kawaii? Discover What Led to Japan’s Culture of Cuteness
Mini Trucks in Japan Are Being Transformed Into Enchanting Tiny Gardens
Japanese Artist Handcrafts Hair Accessories That Look Like Delicate Flowers
“Pirate Printers” Are Using Manhole Covers to Print Urban Designs Directly onto Shirts and Totes | {
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Card of Hourglasses 1: sta.sh/01euzgd8qq7y Card of Hourglasses 2: sta.sh/01e8i0domrrm Star VS The Forces of Evil (C) Daron Nefcy and DisneyArt (C) me | {
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Another year, another London Film & Comic Con! Last year, I left the house at 4am to make sure that I could get there in time, and pick up all of the autograph tickets for the people I wanted to meet!
This year, I was a little more prepared and stayed over in London the night before. I’ll definitely be doing that again for future events, it just made the day less stressful, and I still got there with time to spare. Although there were plenty of great guests, this was the first time I had planned on actually not meeting anyone, and just enjoying my day – taking it as it comes. I even made up ‘The Aspiring Kryptonian’ pins and stickers to give out to readers and followers – they turned out amazing!
I went with my friend Ashley, who writes reviews for this site. He wanted to meet Ben Barnes (Billy Russo from The Punisher), so we headed up to the autograph section right from the start to get the autograph ticket. The previous year I had met Jason Momoa at LFCC, but I just missed out on getting him to sign my Justice League comic. I brought it with me just in case, so went to get an autograph ticket for him, just to see what number it was on. I was FULLY intending on NOT getting any autographs and limiting my spending. HA! Next joke…
Once we had those, it was time to hit the show floor! Like I said before, I was trying to limit my spending, I was mainly on the hunt for comics, but you never know what you find on the stalls there. I’ll admit – Showmasters don’t tend to focus much on the decor of the show floor, but this time they had a few extra details which were really nice. For example this Alita: Battle Angel graffiti wall.
After around two hours of looking around the stalls, it was time to get Ashley’s autographs. The way the autographs work is complicated. So the show opens, everyone rushes for an autograph ticket (unless you have a diamond pass which are really expensive). That ticket has a number on it, then you have to keep checking back at the desk to see what number they are signing up to. It’s all a bit of a nightmare to be honest, but it is what it is!
Ben Barnes wasn’t quite ready for us yet, so we went to check Jason Momoa’s desk. Now bear in mind, last year I had number 98, and he got to 50 so I missed out. The reason being, that the diamond passes get priority! This year my number was 126, so I didn’t think I stood a chance. That was until I got to the desk.. he was signing up to 150! Although I said I wouldn’t spend my money, I had to make a decision on the spot before it was too late. Of course, that decision was YES!
Luckily I had brought the same comic that I wanted to get signed last year just in case. This year, I was successful and I was SO SO happy! Now that’s two of the six Justice League members that have signed my comic! It’s beautiful, and I just hope that I can get the rest of them to sign it.
Then we headed over to join the queue for Ben Barnes, we waited for around 20 minutes or so, but it was completely worth the wait. Although I wasn’t getting the autograph, I’m a huge fan of Ben – ever since Narnia, so I waited with Ashley so I could go and meet him too. As we were waiting, he really took his time with each and every single person that went to see him, and that was so nice to see!
When we got to him, we talked about what it was like working on The Punisher, and what kinds of roles he wanted for the future. This lead to us asking what he thought about the fan-casts of him as The Batman for Matt Reeve’s upcoming film. He said he loved the idea and was completely up for it, he even asked his team to get a meeting set up. Sadly he was shot down before he had the chance and was told that they were “looking for a famous face”. I completely disagree, I think he would make an incredible Batman.
Once all of that was out of the way, we headed back downstairs to finish looking at the stalls. I bought a few things there, which I’ll share at the end. Before the show, I set a challenge for people who followed me on social media. We had put together prize packs including a Superman comic book, a badge pin, and a sticker. We gave those out to people who said the magic word – Mxyzptlk! We had a grand total of TWO winners – hopefully we will have more next year! But it was so nice to meet people who had been reading the blog, and following my journey.
The amazing @aspiringkrypto gave me one of her pins when I met her at #LFCC. I’ve got some from @thegeekofsteel already. Hey @kiblaahmedart, I need yours to complete my personal Trinity pins collection 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/RzccQZ9YET — last_daughter_of_Krypton 🇮🇹 (@La_Maua) July 31, 2019
In the end, because we had made so many prize packs, we gave them away to anyone wearing a Superman costume or a Superman tee. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if people would even want them, but seeing their reaction was really incredible. It’s crazy how such a small gesture can put a huge smile on someones face.
Next on the list of things to do was visit The Comic Zone. This is one of my favourite things about comic cons, you get to meet the comic creators you love and admire. I did my research on the comic guests and there were two that I wanted to meet in particular.
First up was Mike Collins, he is an incredible artist who worked on Superman in the late 90s. I dug out the few comics I had that he worked on ready for him to sign. The artwork he had on his booth was incredible, and he even had some original pieces. He tried to convince me to buy one, usually it wouldn’t have been hard to but I had spent enough already. Although I do regret not owning the beautiful Superman pieces he had. Hey there’s always next time!
Next was comic writer Rob Williams. He recently worked on Action Comics during the Oz Effect run as a guest writer. He was absolutely lovely, very talkative and you can just tell how passionate he was about the project and how happy he was to have worked on such an iconic book, and with such an iconic character.
He did let us in on an inside secret though (well, I didn’t know this…). Regardless of the fact that he was writing the story for DC which led up to the reveal of who Oz actually was, they refused to tell him before hand! Unlucky for him, I also couldn’t decide which covers to get signed, so I brought quite a few – Sorry Rob!
Now onto the Cosplay! There were so many great cosplayers, I always love seeing what character people choose to cosplay, and I love seeing their take on them. Take a look at the gallery:
Now for the goodies that I picked up! Yup, I know – considering I said I wasn’t going to spend any money, I sure did pick up a fair few items. Ah the life of a collector.
London Film and Comic Con 2019 was an absolute BLAST! I will definitley be returning next year, and perhaps the winter one (depending on the guests)! Thank you for yet another great event Showmasters!
See you next year!
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El arquitecto urbanista y académico de la Universidad de Santiago, Jonás Figueroa, afirmó en Cooperativa que no se debe realizar más el festival Lollapalooza en el Parque O'Higgins, porque "han destruido, cortaron muchos árboles", y llamó a convertir Fantasilandia en un pulmón verde una vez que salga del recinto. Además, tuvo cuestionamientos a la forma en que se realizó el ranking de áreas verdes por habitante en Chile, el cual fue liderado por Vitacura y Recoleta.
LEER ARTICULO COMPLETO | {
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LONDON (Reuters) - Some London Stock Exchange investors have told Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) that any bid must contain more cash and be up to 20% higher to persuade them to engage, three shareholders and a banking source close to the deal said.
FILE PHOTO: The name of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited is displayed at the entrance in Hong Kong, China January 24, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo
The three investors, who own a combined 3% of LSE, said HKEX has been lobbying them to back a potential $39 billion cash and share offer for the London exchange after it made a surprise approach last month.
LSE LSE.L quickly rejected HKEX's initial approach, saying it faced regulatory hurdles and did not make strategic sense.
The London exchange has already agreed a separate $27billion deal to buy data provider Refinitiv, in which professional information company and Reuters News parent ThomsonReuters holds a 45% stake.
HKEX now has until Oct. 9 to make a formal bid or walkaway, and its executives have been meeting LSE’s top shareholders to garner their support.
Guy de Blonay, manager of the Jupiter FinancialOpportunities Fund, who met with HKEX co-president Romnesh Lamba, said HKEX would have to increase the per share price to between 90 and 100 pounds, up from the initial approach of around 83.61 pounds for shareholders to take it seriously.
De Blonay said it would also need to increase the cash component. The initial proposal was around 25% cash, with the rest in HKEX stock.
A banking source close to the deal said that 90 to 100pounds was ‘what most investors asked for’. The Asian exchange has been looking for financing to see if it can meet a higher bid price, the source close to the deal said.
A bid in this range could prompt the LSE board to ask for an extension to the October deadline, De Blonay said, and move HKEX towards creating a powerhouse spanning Asia, Europe and the United States and better able to compete with U.S. rivals.
“(HKEX Chief Executive) Charles Li knows this is a one-off opportunity, and I would expect him to carry on fighting,” deBlonay said, pointing to considerable political hurdles and a possible backlash among HKEX’s own shareholders that could still scupper a higher recommended bid.
Two other LSE shareholders told Reuters they too expected HKEX to lift the headline price of its offer. The investors, who declined to be named, were however skeptical that a deal would pass regulatory muster, saying a bigger price-tag may still not be enough to land Li his prize.
HKEX declined to comment on its plans on Thursday. LSE also declined to comment.
Reuters was not able to ascertain the views of some of LSE’s largest shareholders, including those who also hold a stake in the Asian bourse.
Li has been vocal in highlighting the long-term benefits of his deal versus the “short-term” earnings boost of the LSE-Refinitiv tie-up.
Li, a former offshore oil worker, lawyer, journalist and investment banker, has overseen HKEX’s transformation into the world’s largest capital-raising venue in five of the past 10years.
Last week Li said that his team had been working on a takeover approach for a long time, but uncertainty aroundBritain’s exit from the European Union had any delayed action until the LSE announced its plan to buy Refinitiv in August.
The LSE board has so far stood by its deal with Refinitiv, which the HKEX proposal requires its London rival to abandon.
REGULATION
HKEX’s proposed deal is widely expected to draw regulatory scrutiny in Britain, Italy and the United States, which is locked in a trade war with China, if it proceeds.
Several “big bang” exchange mergers have failed in recent years, opposed by politicians and regulators and the LSE bid has raised concerns that China would have undue influence because some HKEX board members are appointed by Hong Kong’s government.
Li has said he is open to review governance.
As it gears up to push ahead with an offer, HKEX’s Lamba has met investors and hedge funds in the United States over the past two weeks, two sources said.
It has also added HSBC and UBS to its financing advisory line-up over the past two weeks, regulatory filings show.
The HKEX deal has been orchestrated with the help of U.S. advisory firm Moelis, whose lead banker Caroline Silver is one of the most prominent exchange bankers. | {
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ReSurfaced to reopen with bourbon theme
A pop-up plaza that drew thousands of people to a revamped downtown lot last summer will return this June under a new theme: bourbon and local food.
ReSurfaced: The Bourbon Edition will launch June 4 in conjunction with The Kentucky Bourbon Affair fantasy camp and will hint at what's to come in June 2016 — a new bourbon and local food festival for the city, according to a press release.
The 14,000-square-foot plaza, at 615-621 W. Main St., is owned by the city's parking agency and was previously opened to the public for six weeks between September and October, offering everything from a Fried Chicken Throwdown to a puppet fundraiser. The space this year will feature live music, art and local food throughout the month of June, remaining open nearly every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
"ReSurfaced quickly became a beloved venue and, soon after it closed last year, people began asking when it would reopen," Mayor Greg Fischer said in the release. "Partnering with the distillers during The Kentucky Bourbon Affair made an ideal pairing, like a fine bourbon and branch water."
The new Bourbon Edition of ReSurfaced is being curated by City Collaborative, a nonprofit that designed the first rendition of the initiative, and sponsored by the Kentucky Distillers' Association.
"We're thrilled to help bring ReSurfaced back to life as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Affair, which is all about extraordinary experiences," association president Eric Gregory said in the release. "And what's more fun than an eclectic Bourbon block party in the heart of downtown on Whiskey Row?"
ReSurfaced and The Kentucky Bourbon Affair are among numerous accomplishments since last year's release of the mayor's Bourbon and Local Food Report — a 22-page plan to grow tourism, the economy and jobs.
In the report, a work group made six major recommendations and a number of smaller ones, including everything from building a downtown bourbon/food visitors center to creating a public art piece that is a "must have photo for tourists, the bourbon equivalent of the big Slugger bat," the release stated. Since its release, accomplishments have included:
✓ The announcement of the $45 million Old Forester distillery on Main Street, to open in fall 2016.
✓ The opening of the Bulleit Bourbon Experience at the legendary Stizel-Weller Distillery, now the ninth stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour.
✓ Construction starting or completing on several new distilleries, such as Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., the new Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse, Angel's Envy, Michter's and Copper & Kings.
✓ Creation of the Stave and Thief Society by the Distilled Spirits Epicenter to educate front-line hospitality workers about bourbon and its history.
✓ The announcement of the Frazier History Museum and Kentucky Distillers' Associations partnership to develop a bourbon gateway center and make it the official launching point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
✓ New programs added by Mint Julep Tours, Cave Hill Cemetery and Louisville Visitors Center.
Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at (502) 582-4646. Follow her on Twitter at @bloosemore. | {
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Block Seating
Block seating emptied out early in the second half of the Alabama vs. Georgia State game. (Ben Flanagan/al.com)
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Angry Alabama football fans took to Twitter Saturday night as they watched the student section in Bryant-Denny Stadium empty out for another game, and it seems fans aren't the only people taking notice.
According to a report in The Crimson White, SGA President Jimmy Taylor emailed leaders of student organizations with block seating before the game, warning them to stay in their seats or else.
"Administrators will review photos and film of the student section from the games," the email stated, according to The Crimson White. "Seating will be taken away from those organizations who abandon reserved seating. I have also been informed that this is a 'pilot year' for SOS and if sections do not remain full, this will likely be the final year of Student Organization Seating."
, student organizations have signed agreements to stay until the conclusion of games.
On Monday, a University spokeswoman referred any questions about block seating to Taylor, whose press secretary declined to answer any specific questions about which administrators are involved.
Empty student seats are not unique to the 2013 football season. The SGA rolled out a new program, Play for Four, Stay for Four, this school year in response to the lackluster student support seen in years past.
In the Student Organization Seating handbook, updated in July 2013, "excessive tardiness or early departure from the stadium" is listed as "unacceptable behavior."
According to the handbook, an organization's first offense would result in the loss of block seating for the next conference game and the second offense would result in the loss of seating for all remaining games.
Both sanctions would also include a point deduction on the organization's block seating application for the 2014 year.
Organizations would be banned from applying for block seating in 2014 if levied with a third offense.
Leela Foley, SGA press secretary, said there have been no sanctions levied as of Tuesday evening.
"SGA will continue to encourage sustained student attendanc
e at football games," Taylor said in a prepared statement. "We are currently and will always research other programs and initiatives to support this goal and any other goals that work to enhance the student experience at The University of Alabama."
While student attendance across the board looks patchy during blowout games, block seating -- the seats reserved in the south end zone for organizations, a majority of which are traditionally white fraternities -- is regularly the first to empty out after halftime.
Because block seating is reserved for organization members until 45 minutes before kick-off, its sections are also typically the last areas of the stadium to fill up. | {
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Joan Laporta ha decidit finalment presentar-se a les eleccions del Barça. Tot i que aquesta setmana ha rebut les dades d'una enquesta que no li eren del tot favorables de cara als comicis, l'expresident blaugrana ha decidit fer el pas i ja ha mobilitzat el seu equip amb l'objectiu d'anunciar la setmana vinent que es presenta.
El nom de Laporta havia sonat amb força els darrers mesos, en especial des que va ser absolt judicialment de l'acció de responsabilitat (malgrat que el club ha presentat un recurs a aquesta decisió). L'expresident, però, havia mantingut la incògnita fins al darrer moment, uns dies més proper al sí i d'altres més proper al no.
De fet, l'última enquesta encarregada per Joan Laporta el situa per sota de Josep Maria Bartomeu en la cursa electoral cap a la presidència del Barça. Aquest sondeig, però, es va fer just després que el Barça guanyés la Champions i certifiqués el triplet. En l'anterior enquesta, abans de la final de Berlín, hi havia un empat tècnic.
L'advocat barceloní, president des del 2003 i fins al 2010, ha decidit presentar-se i treballa internament amb el seu equip per acabar de tancar el seu projecte. Segons membres de la seva futura candidatura, la decisió és ferma al 99,99% i només es podria tirar enrere si en alguna de les converses del cap de setmana se'l convencés del contrari. L'expresident ha dubtat molt els darrers mesos, sobretot per temes familiars, i alguns d'aquests encara estan sobre la taula. "Quan algú pren una decisió d'aquesta importància vol comunicar-ho personalment a la família, amics i persones implicades", explica un membre del seu equip. Alguns dels membres de la futura candidatura esperen la trucada de Laporta, aquest cap de setmana o a principis de la setmana vinent, abans que l'expresident comparegui en públic.
Laporta ha rebut el suport de bona part dels exdirectius que van treballar al seu costat en el darrer tram de mandat, en especial dels que van estar implicats en l'acció de responsabilitat. Alguns d'aquests formaran part d'aquesta nova candidatura, i d'altres hi donarien suport des de fora, tot i que no ha transcendit quin rol ocuparà cadascú de manera definitiva.
Aquesta darrera setmana han fet la presentació Toni Freixa, Agustí Benedito i Jordi Farré. De cara a la setmana vinent, i a banda de l'anunci de Laporta, el dimecres parlarà Josep Maria Bartomeu i divendres vinent ho farà Jordi Majó. | {
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Czech Radio has brought readers rare, as yet unpublished photographs of the 1968 Russian-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. The photos were taken by Polish geologist Leszek Sawicki who was attending a conference in Prague at the time and was trapped in the capital city for several days after the invasion. Mr. Sawicki died earlier this year and the photos have come to Czech Radio courtesy of his wife who discovered them among his belongings. | {
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Climate change is a divisive issue.
Fossil fuel fans tend to deny it exists. Supporters of alternative solar and wind energy shout that the world will end if humanity doesn’t change course.
The stakes are high. Confrontation doesn’t appear to be helping.
So, why not just side-step it?
From the counter-intuitive science desk comes an intriguing new study out of UC Berkeley.
Researchers say the best way to move forward may be to stop cracking down so hard on carbon emissions, and hugely step up investment in clean alternatives instead.
“Most of the carbon pricing that has been put in place so far is very weak. It doesn’t do a lot to move things along,” Nina Kelsey, a Berkeley post-doctoral scholar, told Yahoo Canada.
“We’re less interested in deciding if a certain policy is good or bad. We’re more excited about asking, okay, if you want to tackle the climate problem, how do you build the coalition to get you there?”
Faced with a carbon fight that can only get nastier, these researchers are suggesting something nice: positive, full-on construction of clean energy.
“The question is getting to people who invest, because that’s how you build industries, and industries are how you build jobs,” she argued.
“How are we creating a world in which people are making money off of green industries, and finding jobs from green industries?”
In other words, people can’t buy green energy if it isn’t widely available. Until it is, carbon and nuclear energy will continue to power our world.
“Back when people were dealing with the ozone layer, the same people who made CFCs were also with the companies that ended up making CFC substitutes,” Kelsey noted.
“That business didn’t go away. It just started doing new things. I think that often can be the case in climate change.”
She also stresses there is no single energy renewal policy that will be appropriate everywhere on Earth.
“A lot of the places that have been most successful – California, Denmark – started with measures that built specific industries. The wind industry in Denmark is a product of policy that comes out of 1970s in response to the oil crisis. In California, we responded both to an air-quality crisis and the oil pricing shocks of the 70s.”
The thing about opposing something, if you think about it, is that whatever you’re opposing will inevitably oppose you back. That eats up a lot of valuable time, energy and resources.
On the other hand, simply moving ahead with a solution offers the full benefit of those same resources, without all the extra stress, effort and frustration.
“It’s probably politically easier to start with direct measures that build industries directly rather than trying to filter it through a very broad, shallow policy like carbon pricing,” Kelsey said.
“I’m a pragmatist. I think the real test of any approach is whether it gets something done. A lot of the thrust of our article is to say, okay, let’s get down to brass tacks.” | {
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When you hear the words “squall line” in the weather forecast, you know you’re in for bad news. These narrow bands of high winds are known for raising hell when they streak across the Midwest, and there's a big one headed straight for St. Louis tonight.Everyone’s favorite local meteorologist, KMOV’s Steve Templeton, has been keeping us updated on the situation, which frankly looks terrifying. Templeton says that “damaging wind is the primary threat" tonight, "with isolated tornadoes possible on the leading edge of the squall line.” Templeton predicts that the worst of it will hit the St. Louis area between 7 and 9 p.m. tonight — so right around the time that the Blues are crushing the Sharks. He also says that he expects the Cardinals game to be rescheduled entirely.The National Weather Service is watching the storm closely, too, and tweeting that we should expect “damaging wind in excess of 60 mph likely, few tornadoes possible.”So don’t worry, just atornadoes. NBD. And most certainly in the forecast? A Sharknado. We’re gonna go full twister on those Sharks tonight. LGB.Bleed blue, not red. Stay safe tonight, St. Louis. | {
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(Screenshot, YouTube)
(CNSNews.com) -- In its ongoing investigation of the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email case and the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, Judicial Watch revealed this week that new emails -- obtained through their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Justice Department -- show that the FBI moved swiftly to meet the demands of Clinton's lawyer to provide him with its investigative documents on Clinton just two months prior to the 2016 election.
“These incredible documents show the leadership of the FBI rushed to give Hillary Clinton her FBI interview report shortly before the election,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in a statement.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. (YouTube)
“And the documents also show the FBI failed to timely document interviews in the Clinton email ‘matter’ – further confirming the whole investigation was a joke," said Fitton. "AG Barr can’t reopen the Clinton email investigation soon enough.”
Judicial Watch obtained the new FBI emails as part of its FOIA lawsuit against the DOJ, which was filed on Jan. 24, 2018. In the lawsuit, Judicial Watch is seeking all records of communications, such as emails, text messages, and instant chats between (now former) FBI counterintelligence chief Peter Strzok and his mistress, FBI attorney Lisa Page.
Strzok and Page, whose text messages have revealed they were vehemently anti-Trump, were involved in an adulterous affair and were lead figures in the Clinton email investigation and the Trump-Russia collusion case.
Strzok and Page, despite their animus towards Trump, were also intimately involved in the early stages of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of collusion, a two-year, $35 million investigation that confirmed there was no collusion between Trump campaign officials and the Russians in 2016.
(Screenshot, YouTube)
In an Aug. 16, 2016 email, obtained by Judicial Watch, then-FBI General Counsel James Baker contacted Lisa Page and other top FBI officials stating that he "just spoke" with Clinton lawyer David Kendall, who was requesting documents from the FBI about their investigation of Clinton. Baker tells the people cc'd on the email that he told Kendall, "we would process it expeditiously."
"I just spoke with David Kendall," Baker wrote. "I conveyed our view that in order to obtain the documents [FBI investigative material] they are seeking they need to submit a request pursuant to the Privacy Act and FOIA. I said they could submit a letter to me covering both statutes. They will send it in the morning."
Former FBI counterintelligence chief Peter Strzok and former FBI attorney Lisa Page. (YouTube)
"I said that we would process it expeditiously," Baker wrote. "David asked us to focus first on the Secretary’s 302 [FBI interview report]. I said OK. [Redacted] We will have to focus on this issue tomorrow and get the 302 out the door as soon as possible and then focus on the rest of the stuff." (Emphasis added.)
On Aug. 17, 2016, Kendall sent a FOIA/Privacy Act request on "behalf of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton" to Baker requesting "expeditious processing." Baker, in turn, emailed Lisa Page, and other top officials, such as Associate Deputy Director David Bowdich, Acting Assistant Director Jason V. Herring, and Principal Deputy General Counsel Trisha Anderson.
Baker wrote, "In my view, we need to move as quickly as possible on this, but pursuant to David’s oral request last night, we should focus first on Secretary Clinton’s 302…. Is the end of this week out of the question for her 302?"
Former FBI Director James Comey, left, and former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe. (YouTube)
A later email that day reveals that Herring, Page, Strzok, and other FBI officials would "coordinate a plan for processing and releasing" Clinton's 302.
On Aug. 21, 2016, Baker sent another email to the officials concerned that he would "alert" David Kendall prior to Clinton's 302 being posted on the FBI's FOIA Vault webpage.
Three days later, "the acting FBI FOIA unit chief said he sees 'no problem' with giving Hillary's attorney a heads up before her records were posted to the Vault," reported Judicial Watch.
On Sept. 2, 2016, Clinton's interview documents were released, approximately two months before the presidential election. | {
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In a break with decadeslong diplomatic tradition, President-elect Donald Trump spoke directly with the president of Taiwan, a move that drew an irritated response from China and looked set to cast uncertainty over U.S. policy toward Asia.
It is perhaps unprecedented for a U.S. president or president-elect to speak directly with a leader of Taiwan, a self-governing island the U.S. broke diplomatic ties with in 1979.
In first comments apparently meant to downplay the significance of the call, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that the contact between Taiwan's president and Trump was "just a small trick by Taiwan" that he believed would not change U.S. policy toward China, according to Hong Kong's Phoenix TV.
"The one-China policy is the cornerstone of the healthy development of China-U.S. relations and we hope this political foundation will not be interfered with or damaged," Wang was quoted as saying.
Washington has pursued a so-called "one China" policy since 1979, when it shifted diplomatic recognition of China from the government in Taiwan to the communist government on the mainland. Under that policy, the U.S. recognizes Beijing as representing China but retains unofficial ties with Taiwan.
A statement from Trump's transition team said he spoke Friday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who offered her congratulations on his election win.
Trump tweeted later that Tsai "CALLED ME." He also groused about the reaction to the call: "Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call."
The Taiwanese presidential office said Trump and Tsai discussed issues affecting Asia and the future of U.S. relations with Taiwan.
"The (Taiwanese) president is looking forward to strengthening bilateral interactions and contacts as well as setting up closer cooperative relations," the statement said.
Tsai also told Trump that she hoped the U.S. would support Taiwan in its participation in international affairs, the office said, in an apparent reference to China's efforts to isolate Taiwan from global institutions such as the United Nations.
It said the two also discussed "promoting domestic economic development and strengthening national defense" to improve the lives of ordinary people.
Taiwan's presidential office spokesman Alex Huang said separately that Taiwan's relations with China and "healthy" Taiwan-U.S. relations can proceed in parallel. "There is no conflict (in that)," he told reporters in Taipei.
The White House learned of the conversation after it had taken place, said a senior Obama administration official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive diplomatic relations involved.
China's embassy in Washington and its foreign ministry and Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing did not respond to requests for comment.
Friday's call is the starkest example yet of how Trump has flouted diplomatic conventions since he won the Nov. 8 election. He has apparently undertaken calls with foreign leaders without guidance customarily lent by the State Department, which oversees U.S. diplomacy.
"President-elect Trump is just shooting from the hip, trying to take phone calls of congratulatory messages from leaders around the world without consideration for the implications," said Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Glaser said such a call was "completely unprecedented" or at least has never been known publicly. China is likely to be trying to identify whether this signals any intent on the part of Trump to alter long-standing U.S. policy toward Taiwan, Glaser said.
"They will hope that this is a misstep, but I think privately, they will definitely seek to educate this incoming president and ensure that he understands the sensitivity of Taiwan," she said.
In particular, China would want to highlight to the incoming administration the risks involved in any form of signal from the United States that it supports strengthening a relationship with Taiwan under a president that Beijing views as pro-independence, Glaser added.
Last month, Trump had a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping during which Trump's office described him as saying he believed the two would have "one of the strongest relationships for both countries."
Despite China's muted response Saturday, concern about Trump's policy toward China is growing, said Shi Yinhong of Renmin University in Beijing, one of China's best-known international relations scholars.
"In the mind of Chinese leaders, concerns are mounting about U.S. policy toward China" under Trump's administration, Shi said.
Tsai was elected in January and took office in May. The traditional independence-leaning policies of her party have strained relations with Beijing.
The call with Trump could "convince people in Taiwan that the island can establish good relations with the U.S. and encourage (Tsai) to continue to resist pressure from Beijing," Shi said.
Over the decades, the status of Taiwan has been one of the most sensitive issues in U.S.-China relations. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory to be retaken by force, if necessary, if it seeks independence. It would regard any recognition of a Taiwanese leader as a head of state as unacceptable.
Taiwan split from the Chinese mainland amid civil war in 1949. The U.S. policy acknowledges the Chinese view over sovereignty, but considers Taiwan's status as unsettled. The U.S. has legal commitments to help Taiwan maintain the ability to defend itself.
Taiwan's official Central News Agency said Edwin Feulner, former president of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based conservative think tank, was a "crucial figure" in setting up communication channels between the sides, leading to the call. Feulner could not immediately be reached to comment on the report, which cited anonymous sources.
Feulner had met with Tsai in October when he led a delegation from the think tank on a trip to Taiwan, according to a release at the time from Taiwan's presidential office. That release says Tsai called Feulner a "longtime friend to Taiwan" and conveyed her gratitude to his foundation for its support.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Trump's conversation does not signal any change to long-standing U.S. policy on cross-strait issues.
In Beijing, a U.S. business group said it expected the new U.S. administration to respect the status quo.
"American business operating in Asia needs certainty and stability," said James Zimmerman, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. "The new administration needs to get up to speed quickly on the historical tensions and complex dynamics of the region."
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Un torero spagnolo è morto durante una corrida. È successo ad Aire-sur-l’Adour nel sud ovest della Francia, nella regione dell’Aquitania, non lontano dai Paesi Baschi. L’uomo, Iván Fandiño, aveva 36 anni ed era stato invitato alle corride della fiera della cittadina francese con i suoi colleghi Juan Del Álamo e Thomas Dufau.
Letale per Fandiño una cornata che gli ha trapassato il polmone destro. Il torero di Orduna (Bilbao) sarebbe inciampato e, una volta a terra, è stato infilzato alla schiena. Soccorso è stato immediatamente portato all’ospedale di Mont-de-Marsan, ma non c’è stato nulla da fare.
L’ultimo torero morto durante una corrida era stato, neno di un anno fa, Victor Barrio, 29 anni, infilzato da un toro nella piazza di Teruel. | {
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Editor's Note
Video Exposes Dangers of Obamacare Law
Daniel Ellsberg, the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971, says the United States is on the verge of becoming a police state as evidenced by the National Security Agency's data collection programs and the treatment of secret document leakers Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning."We have not only the capability of a police state, but certain beginnings of it right now," Ellsberg told The Huffington Post Wednesday. "And I absolutely agree with Edward Snowden. It's worth a person's life, prospect of assassination, or life in prison or life in exile — it's worth that to try to restore our liberties and make this a democratic country."He cited the NSA's phone- and Internet data collection programs as evidence that the nation has reached the "capability" of becoming a police state."When people understand that their every conversation of every kind on phones, email, chat logs whatever, is being recorded and can be retrieved, that will certainly curtail people's freedom of speech over any digital means," Ellsberg continued in an interview carried on HuffPost Live."It gives the government blackmail capability over the population at large . . . With the digital stuff alone, we have a surveillance capability that outmatches any police state in the history of humanity."Ellsberg can claim many similarities to Snowden, the NSA contractor who leaked information on government phone and Internet data collection programs, and Manning, who provided government files to WikiLeaks.In 1969, Ellsberg was working as a military analyst with the RAND Corp. when he copied thousands of Defense Department documents on Vietnam War decisions that would later become known as the Pentagon Papers. In 1971, he gave the files to The New York Times and other newspapers. President Richard Nixon tried to stop the Times from publishing them, but the newspaper continued after a court cleared the way, citing First Amendment rights.Like Snowden and Manning, Ellsberg was charged under the Espionage Act for leaking the papers. But the 12 felony counts against were dismissed in 1973 on grounds of gross governmental misconduct in the case.According to Slate.com, whistleblowers like Ellsberg are being punished more than ever under the Obama administration. While running as a candidate in 2008, Barack Obama said whistleblowers perform "acts of courage and patriotism." But according to Slate , his administration has gone on to charge eight people under the Espionage Act, more than double all previous presidents combined. | {
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AARHUS: Motorvej E45 ved Kolding var natten til onsdag spærret en times tid i nordgående retning, mens politiet ledte efter narko og andre ting, der var smidt ud af en bil, som tirsdag eftermiddag i myldretiden med over 200 kilometer i timen forsøgte at køre fra en patruljevogn på motorvejen. Det fortæller TV Syd.
Tirsdag eftermiddag ved 17-tiden observerede en civil politibil, at en sort Audi med fire mænd om bord i meget høj fart kørte mod nord ad motorvejen forbi Kolding Øst.
Under forfølgelsen forsøgte føreren af Audien at ryste politiet af ved at køre op fra motorvejen ved afkørsel Kolding Øst og straks ned på motorvejen igen. Herunder ramte flugtbilen en kantsten og slog bundkarret i stykker og kunne ikke længere fortsætte flugten. I bilen var fire unge mænd fra Aarhus på henholdsvis 23, 24, 24 og 26 år.
I bilen fandt politiet ved en nærmere undersøgelse en mindre mængde narkotika - formentlig kokain. Mændene blev anholdt og sidder onsdag morgen fortsat i arresten, mens bilen er blevet undersøgt minutiøst.
- Da vi havde mistanke om, at der under flugten var smidt narko og andre ting ad af bilen, valgte vi i nat at spærre motorvejen mod nord fra Kolding Øst og frem mod udfletningen til Vejle og Fyn, mens vi ledte på og langs vejen, siger vagtchef Henrik Dam, Sydøstjyllands Politi, onsdag morgen til TV Syd.
Af efterforskningsmæssige grunde ønsker politiet ikke at oplyse om de fik udbytte af nattens undersøgelse på motorvejen.
- Vi vil nu afhøre de fire anholdte igen og så tage stilling til, hvad der skal ske videre i sagen, siger vagtchef Henrik Dam, Sydøstjyllands Politi.
Kilde: TV Syd | {
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Yves Eric Denon, Mariam Oke, Fadéby Modeste Gouissi, Dorothée Kinde Gazard, Bruno Aholoukpe, Clarisse Nobime, Simon Atayi
Keywords: Children under five year, pregnant woman, free malaria case management, public health center.
Abstract:
In 2011, the government of the Republic of Benin decided the free malaria cases management for pregnant women and children under 5 years. Started in November 2011, this initiative helped to ensure a free malaria cases management of 48574 cases of uncomplicated malaria in 2012 for children less than 5 years and 6888 for pregnant women. Similarly 77% of health centers are actually implementing the initiative and 96% of health centers have been reimbursed at least once.
Article Source: Volume 2, Number 4, September 2014 – IJMM | {
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The 18th-century German thinker Adam Weishaupt would have been stunned if he had known his ideas would one day fuel global conspiracy theories, and inspire best-selling novels and blockbuster films.
Until he was 36, the vast majority of his compatriots would have been equally stunned to discover that this outwardly respectable professor was a dangerous enemy of the state, whose secret society, the Illuminati, was seen to threaten the very fabric of society.
Born in 1748 in Ingolstadt, a city in the Electorate of Bavaria (now part of modern-day Germany), Weishaupt was a descendant of Jewish converts to Christianity. Orphaned at a young age, his scholarly uncle took care of his education, and enrolled him in a Jesuit school. After completing his studies, Weishaupt became a professor of natural and canon law at the University of Ingolstadt, married, and started a family. On the surface, it was a conventional enough career—until 1784 when the Bavarian state learned of his incendiary ideas.
A closer look at his upbringing, however, reveals that Weishaupt always had a restless mind. As a boy he was an avid reader, consuming books by the latest French Enlightenment philosophers in his uncle’s library. Bavaria at that time was deeply conservative and Catholic. Weishaupt was not the only one who believed that the monarchy and the church were repressing freedom of thought.
Convinced that religious ideas were no longer an adequate belief system to govern modern societies, he decided to find another form of “illumination,” a set of ideas and practices that could be applied to radically change the way European states were run.
Freemasonry was steadily expanding throughout Europe in this period, offering attractive alternatives to freethinkers. Weishaupt initially thought of joining a lodge. Disillusioned with many of the Freemasons’ ideas, however, he became absorbed in books dealing with such esoteric themes as the Mysteries of the Seven Sages of Memphis and the Kabbala, and decided to found a new secret society of his own.
View Images The Kreuztor Gate stands in Ingolstadt, the Bavarian city whose religious and political conservatism Weishaupt sought to challenge. Photograph by Maria Breuer/ImageBroker/Age Fotostock
Society of Secrets
Weishaupt was not, he said, against religion itself, but rather the way in which it was practiced and imposed. His thinking, he wrote, offered freedom “from all religious prejudices; cultivates the social virtues; and animates them by a great, a feasible, and speedy prospect of universal happiness.” To achieve this, it was necessary to create “a state of liberty and moral equality, freed from the obstacles which subordination, rank, and riches, continually throw in our way.”
On the night of May 1, 1776, the first Illuminati met to found the order in a forest near Ingolstadt. Bathed in torchlight, there were five men. There they established the rules that were to govern the order. All future candidates for admission required the members’ consent, a strong reputation with well-established familial and social connections, and wealth.
In the beginning, the order’s membership had three levels: novices, minervals, and illuminated minervals. “Minerval” referred to the Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, reflecting the order’s aim to spread true knowledge, or illumination, about how society, and the state, might be reshaped.
View Images Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Illuminati Picture courtesy Karger-Decker/Age Fotostock
Over the following years, Weishaupt’s secret order grew considerably in size and diversity, possibly numbering 600 members by 1782. They included important people in Bavarian public life, such as Baron Adolph von Knigge. Although, at first, the Illuminati were limited to Weishaupt’s students, the membership expanded to included noblemen, politicians, doctors, lawyers, and jurists, as well as intellectuals and some leading writers, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. By the end of 1784, the Illuminati had 2,000 to 3,000 members.
Baron von Knigge played a very considerable role in the society’s organization and expansion. As a former Freemason, he was in favor of adopting rites similar to theirs. Members of the Illuminati were given a symbolic “secret” name taken from classical antiquity: Weishaupt was Spartacus, for example, and Knigge was Philo. The membership levels also became a more complex hierarchy. There were a total of 13 degrees of initiation, divided into three classes. The first culminated in the degree of illuminatus minor, the second illuminatus dirigens, and the third, that of king.
An Inside Job
Pressures both internal and external, however, would soon put an end to the order’s expansion into the upper echelons of Bavarian power. Weishaupt and Knigge increasingly fought over the aims and procedures of the order, a conflict that, in the end, forced Knigge to leave the society. At the same time, another ex-member, Joseph Utzschneider, wrote a letter to the Grand Duchess of Bavaria, supposedly lifting the lid on this most secret of societies.
The revelations were a mix of truth and lies. According to Utzschneider, the Illuminati believed that suicide was legitimate, that its enemies should be poisoned, and that religion was an absurdity. He also suggested that the Illuminati were conspiring against Bavaria on behalf of Austria. Having been warned by his wife, the Duke-Elector of Bavaria issued an edict in June 1784 banning the creation of any kind of society not previously authorized by law.
The Illuminati initially thought that this general prohibition would not directly affect them. But just under a year later, in March 1785, the Bavarian sovereign passed a second edict, which expressly banned the order. In the course of carrying out arrests of members, Bavarian police found highly compromising documents, including a defense of suicide and atheism, a plan to create a female branch of the order, invisible ink recipes, and medical instructions for carrying out abortions. The evidence was used as the basis for accusing the order of conspiring against religion and the state. In August 1787, the duke-elector issued a third edict in which he confirmed that the order was prohibited, and imposed the death penalty for membership.
Weishaupt lost his post at the University of Ingolstadt and was banished. He lived the rest of his life in Gotha in Saxony where he taught philosophy at the University of Göttingen. The Bavarian state considered the Illuminati dismantled.
Their legacy, however, has endured and fuels many conspiracy theories. Weishaupt was accused—falsely—of helping to plot the French Revolution. The Illuminati have been fingered in recent events, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Weishaupt’s ideas have also influenced the realms of popular fiction, such as Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons and Foucault’s Pendulum by Italian novelist Umberto Eco. Although his group was disbanded, Weishaupt’s lasting contribution may be the idea that secret societies linger behind the scenes, pulling the levers of power. | {
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Our Galaxy is approximately one-hundred thousand light years wide, and one thousnd light years thick. It would take a jet zero-point fourteen trillion years to go from one end to the next. Yet this...creature skims through solar systems and weaves through stars within mere seconds. No, I am mistaken, no living being could defy such logic, only that of a god, or in this beings case, demon. Within its wake, thousands of civilizations are brought to an end as their suns are hastily aged towards death, and in the stars final gasp of breath, take their worlds with it. It flies in such a pattern, so intricately and deviously constructed, that the sonic booms that reach each planet's surface before their doom consists of one word repeated over, and over, and over. "Nyan". In rapid succession, this word follows the demon wherever it ventures, and brings nothing but death within its sweet, misleading melody.But the worst of all, the thing that irritates me more than anything else; is that the demon smiles. Constantly, the devilspawn stretches a wide grin across its feline-like face, as worlds fall before its rainbow river of styx. It takes pleasure within its galactic genocide.It is heading for Earth, and expected to arrive within a month, the bloody good that does us. We have worked day in and out as to find some means against this abomination, but we all know it is for naught, for we have witnessed the debut, defense, and destruction of alien worlds all within a day, worlds much stronger, much farther than we had ever been. Ragnarok is soon to be upon us.I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. It's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor … and surviving.The horror … the horror … | {
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Luke Nolen has cherished memories of his association with Black Caviar and the jockey marvels at the condition of the retired champion almost seven years after her last race. Nolen has been reunited with the great mare in the past two days, with the now 13-year-old Black Caviar in Melbourne… Read More » | {
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Years ago when I still lived in New York City, I was at a fancy schmancy show biz event and spotted a guy across the room I knew I had to meet. Why? We were the only two men in attendance wearing bow ties, so I figured he had to be a kindred spirit.
I was right—his name was Bill Thomas, the founder of Bills Khakis and the man responsible for setting a new standard when it came to the modern interpretation of the WWII-era khaki pant…the variety adopted by post-war college kids who would go on to define classic Ivy Style.
Bill became a friend and we’ve stayed in touch over the years. I was saddened to hear that he sold off his company a few years back (though it’s still called Bills Khakis, Bill is no longer involved…sigh, the quirky nature of the business acquisition world), but I was even more encouraged when I heard about his latest gig–reviving the storied southern brand Duck Head. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect pairing of person and project.
The Duck Head tale (forgive me) is a long one, chock full of characters and eccentricities. Here it is in a nutshell, courtesy of the Duck Head site:
The Beginning
In 1865, Civil War veterans George and Joe O’Bryan had an idea—repurpose surplus army tent material to make work pants. Supplies were scarce throughout the South. Their product couldn’t fail. Enduring quality wasn’t a principle, it was a necessity.
The brothers were avid outdoorsmen so the heavy canvas material, also known as “Duck,” felt right as their company moniker. After failed attempts to register “Duck” with the U.S. Trademark Office, they added “Head” and the legendary brand, complete with a mallard logo, was born.
O’Bryan Bros. operated into the 20th century producing various work clothing such as overalls and denim jackets under the Duck Head/O’Bryan Bros. label. Their production was held in such high regard that the government contracted their services to make soldier uniforms for WWII.
A Civilian Life
In 1978, Duck Head again took a chance on surplus fabric buying 10,000 yards of 100% cotton fabric from a local mill. Polyester was king, so no one wanted the cotton twill known as “chino”. The VP of Sales, Dave Baseheart, researched an original pattern and applied the gold mallard logo over the back pocket.
Baseheart’s first sales call took him to Oxford, Mississippi where Duck Head was quickly discovered by students at Ole Miss. The Duck Head we know today took off from there to become a southern cultural icon. The rest is history.
Into the Future
Today’s Duck Head is future-facing while drawing inspiration from our rich heritage. As stewards of a 150+ year old brand, we remain true to our roots by producing garments of enduring quality, functionality, style, and value without compromise. Thank you for sharing in this remarkable experience known as Duck Head. Join the revival.
As I said, who better as keeper of the flame of collegiate Ivy Style than the man who—through his now legendary brand—really helped set the stage for a brand revival like Duck Head’s. It was a pleasure to catch up with Brand Director Bill and Design Director Debra Miller to hear more about the big shoes they have to fill, and their big plans to fill them.
Heddels: Bill, I think it’s fair to say you know a thing or two about khakis. How did you come to work with duck head?
Bill Thomas: The opportunity to relaunch a storied brand like Duck Head is both an honor and a challenge. Faithfully evolving the brand for today’s customer has been our first priority, and it’s rewarding to see how well our work has been received.
(H): As a brand, Duck Head has a long and storied history—is there one nugget you’ve gleaned along the way that you think speaks especially well to Duck Head’s unique place in sartorial history?
(BT): Duck Head’s sartorial legacy is the Duck Head chino which became a “uniform” for a generation during the 1980s and ‘90s. That khaki pant with the gold mallard label became ubiquitous throughout the south and eventually most of the country. Our “Gold School Chino” is a natural starting point for today’s reintroduction.
(H): For your classic chinos, were any tweaks made to the fit for today’s millennial Duck Head customer?
Debra Miller: The fit of today’s Duck Head is up to date with market preferences. The fit is clean—not full or baggy—and is worn more on the hip than above the waist. As with most brands today, we have incorporated a slight amount of stretch which provides added comfort and performance. Our fit has been a highlight of the re-launch and appeals to a broad range of ages and body types.
(H): In addition to your Gold School chinos, you also offer an American made Gold Glory chino that’s a Ben Franklin more expensive than the Gold Schools (in my opinion, worth every penny). Why was it important to have a made in the U.S.A. option as part of the collection?
(BT): As an authentic American brand, we feel it’s important to continue the tradition of American manufacturing. It’s the right thing to do.
(H): Duck Head also offers their take on a 5-pocket chino, a very contemporary move from a brand with deep roots in tradition. What inspired that decision?
(DM): The 5 – Pocket chino style represents at least 50% of chino purchases today. This trend has been building for 10 years. A brand that focuses on chinos would be incomplete without it.
(H): What is it that makes Duck Head that brand that never says die…to what do you attribute the longevity?
(BT): Two things: Duck Head’s story is unrivaled and authentically American. At the end of the Civil War, two brothers in Nashville start making work clothes from surplus army tent material. That heavy cotton canvas known as “duck cloth” serves as inspiration for the brand name.
Brands with such a rich heritage can’t go away. Secondly, in the 1980s, college students in the South discovered the Duck Head chino and made it their own. The brand grew to become a symbol of southern sensibility and spread quickly into New England and the Midwest. A generation grew up loving Duck Head and then it vanished leaving millions of fans asking why.
(H): You’ve certainly put in time fighting the good fight in the khaki trenches…what’s something that would surprise us when it comes to a career in the trade?
(BT): It’s a lot more work and complicated than people think. Making an idea a viable business is a blend of art, science, dedication, financial discipline, execution and relationships. To succeed, you better love what you do.
(H): You’ve been slowly rolling out the collection…beyond the usual suspects, to what can we look forward?
(DM): We plan to continue to build around what the Duck Head customer wants and fits his outdoor lifestyle. In addition to both traditional and 5-Pocket chino styles, and shorts, our full product story spans all categories including woven sport shirts, knits, outerwear and branded tee shirts and hats.
People love the iconic Duck Head logo. We plan to roll that out selectively in a way that the market will embrace today.
The website copy and above interview don’t even scratch the surface when it comes to the colorful history of the Duck Head brand—Bill shared some wild stories with me, but I leave the retelling of them to him and the book I hope he writes. And while Duck Head has indeed rolled out a well-rounded collection, let’s focus on their three iterations on the traditional chino.
The Gold School Chino, available from Duck Head for $89.50:
7.b5 oz. Twill
Classic Fit (Not full. Not slim)
Enzyme Washed
Natural Drill Cloth Interior
13” Front Pockets
Industrial Grade Antique Brass YKK No.5 Zipper
Bound & Piped Interior Seams
Signature “Z” Stitch Inside Fly
Iconic Duck Head Gold Tab Label
Laser Engraved Button on Back Left Pocket
Locker Loop
Coin Pocket
97% Cotton, 3% Stretch
Imported
Machine wash cold & tumble dry low
These are the standard issue Duck Heads, and you may claim that the 3% stretch kills the authenticity, but damn if it don’t make them a hell of a lot more than 3% more comfortable. The trim and manufacturing details are several notches higher than you’d find elsewhere (super deep pockets, YKK zipper, finished interior seams), and I love the medium weight fabric and “Goldilocks” cut. They’d be my new go-to chinos had I not tried…
The Gold Glory Chino, $189:
Made in USA
100% 8.5 oz. American Made Cotton Twill
Pre-Washed
Classic Fit (Not full. Not slim)
Genuine Drill Cloth Pockets
Corozo Buttons
Button Loop Closure at Back Left Pocket
Reverse Fold Belt Loops
Industrial Grade YKK No. 5 Zipper
Antique Riveted Coin Pocket
Signature “Z” Stitch Inside Fly
Luggage Stitched Leather Patch
Fully Constructed Alterable Waist Band
Machine wash cold & tumble dry low
$189…for beige pants? Try a pair on and you’ll stop asking. These really are a nod to the good old days of American clothing manufacturing, from the more substantial fabric to all the premium doo-dads that Bill and company have included. The cut is the same as the Gold Schools, but the feel is much more premium (and if you’re a quirky size, these you can have altered).
If you’re one of those denimheads that only has one pair of non-jeans, this should be your pair (they’ll make you want to burn your Dickies).
Lastly, there’s the 1865 Five-Pocket in Pinpoint Canvas for $98.50:
1 oz. Stretch Canvas
97% Cotton, 3% Spandex
Enzyme Washed
Classic Fit (Not Full, Not Slim)
Iconic Duck Head Gold Tab Label
Nubuck Leather Tab
Antique Brass Rivet Button
YKK Zipper
Triple Stitched Seams
Drill Cloth Pocketing
Signature “Z” Stitch Inside Fly
Imported
Machine wash cold & tumble dry low
These are essentially chinos trapped in the body of your favorite pair of 501-stye jeans. The cut is instantly familiar, and these were initially my favorite of the three pairs I tried (again, stretch is so nice).
And while I still love and wear them often (they fit like jeans while looking more…presentable), the luxe appeal of the Gold Glories has me spending most of my time in them. It was news to me that this 5-pocket approach to the chino was a decade-old trend, but I didn’t have an avocado until I was 40, so sometimes I’m late to the party.
In my 20s and early 30s, I lived in J. Crew chinos and couldn’t imagine it any other way. Then I met Bill Thomas and graduated into his namesake khakis and knew I had arrived, unable to imagine life any other way. Then I fell in love with selvedge—sue me, I’m fickle—and pretty much only dabbled in non-jeans until this recent return to my old sartorial ways, still in Bill Thomas-approved chinos but now bearing one of the great apparel brand logos of all time.
And I’ll say it once agin—it’s now hard to imagine wearing any other khakis, so unless Bill goes back into business for himself, I’m a loyal customer…a Yankee in southern duds, but feeling oh so very at home. | {
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Every year NBA.com sends out a survey to the general managers of each team in the NBA with questions about who they think will win the championship, who will win MVP, and questions like that. This year there were fewer surprises than usual. Golden State received 93% of the vote when asked which team will win the 2018 NBA Finals. LeBron James was voted most likely to win the MVP. To no one’s surprise, GMs seem to agree with just about every casual fan on the planet on the big picture questions. But there was one survey question that produced an interesting result: What was the most underrated player acquisition?
24% of GMs answered Paul Millsap. Avery Bradley was the second most popular answer with 17% of the vote.
There were a lot of high-profile acquisitions this summer and most of those teams and players have received a lot of national publicity. As is always the case with the Denver Nuggets, the Millsap signing has mostly flown under the radar. He’s a four-time all star, a former all-defensive team player, and the best player on a very good playoff team yet he isn’t a household name for most casual fans. His below the rim style of play doesn’t land him on SportsCenter’s Top 10 list very often. In other words, he’s the perfect star for Denver.
Nikola Jokic also came in 2nd in the “who is the best international player,” ranking only behind Milwaukee’s Giannis Antentokounmpo. Jamal Murray and Gary Harris each received a vote for player most likely to break out this season and Jameer Nelson received a vote for current player that will make a great head coach one day. Jokic also received a vote for best center in the NBA and Millsap received a vote for which new acquisition will make the biggest impact.
As a team, the Nuggets also came in 3rd in the “which team is the most fun to watch” poll, behind the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. They received a vote for best home court advantage. And they received a vote for most improved team in 2017-18.
Taken as a whole, it seems clear that at least some of the GMs around the league are pretty optimistic about Denver’s upcoming season and about the prospects of their young core going forward. You can read the entire survey results right here. | {
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Wow, what a week! It’s packed with new game releases, so here we are again with another episode of On The Horizon!
Headlining this week is Gears of War: Judgment, the fourth game in the Gears of War series. Co-developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly, Gears of War: Judgment takes place prior to the events of the Gears of War trilogy and stars Baird and Cole. The game is exclusively for Xbox 360 and will be released this Tuesday, March 19th. Check out the trailer below:
Another big game this week is Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. It is also being released on Tuesday, March 19th, and will be available on 3DS and Wii U. Players that pick up both versions of the game can enjoy using the same save file on both platforms, and the 3DS version supports the Circle Pad Pro. Check out the Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate battle trailer below:
Monday, March 18th marks the release of Lego City: Undercover, a Wii U exclusive! Lego City: Undercover is an open world action adventure game where players play as Chase McCain, an undercover cop. Chase can wear a variety of disguises as he hunts for criminals, and can utilize more than 100 vehicles throughout the game.
Three more titles are also being released on Tuesday, March 19th. The first is Dead or Alive 5+, the Vita version of Dead or Alive 5. Next up is The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, a first-person action game developed by Terminal Reality for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and PC. And last for Tuesday is the second part of a trilogy of DLC, Assassin’s Creed 3: The Tyranny of King Washington: The Betrayal.
A pair of 3DS games are also being released on Sunday, March 24th. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon features five mansions for your ghost-hunting pleasure, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is a roguelike set in the Pokemon universe.
This week on Gamer Horizon you can look forward to several reviews! Alex is reviewing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate, Ari is going to review StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm and Ted’s going to review Assassin’s Creed 3: The Tyranny of King Washington: The Betrayal. Chris will be writing his impressions of Gears of War: Judgment and Ted will have impressions for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Sean is settling in and will be writing an article about what he’d like to see in Saints Row IV while taking a look back at the series. Finally, Ted will be providing his weekly PlayStation Plus update.
We’re all looking forward to another great week here on Gamer Horizon! What about you? What games are you looking forward to? What have you been playing? Let us know in the comments below!
Related Link(s): | {
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8 hero synergies that dominate the current meta
We all know Heroes is a team game in every sense of the word. With no single player able to carry in the traditional MOBA way, powerful team composition and hero synergy are of utmost importance. Here are 8 of the most popular competitive lineups and examples of them being played on a tournament level. Next time you que with some friends, try these combos out and start dishing out serious pain.
Meat on Ice
This composition is defined by the ability to focus one target and kill it no matter what. Tyrande and Jaina excel at early roaming and the gank squad gets a huge power spike at level 10 when The Butcher has access to Furnace Blast.
Match example: Tempo Storm vs. compLexity
Just One Stun
The vanilla burst combo minus Butcher: Just as powerful and can fit any other support and even a 2nd warrior. It still boasts gank squad capacity with any hero + Tyrande for early game dominance.
Match example : Puszek Team vs Team Kinguin
Hell's Crusade
The best farming combo that allows Azmodan to safely acquire Taste for Blood stacks easily and quickly. Later in the game, Johanna will constantly set up Azmodan dunks and provide vital peel for the Lord of Sin.
Match examples: Kappa 123 vs. Huron Team - game 3 of Tempo Storm vs. Cloud 9 Maelstrom
Mana-Crazed
Malfurion is the best counter to Kael'Thas poke, so naturally it's powerful to pair the two together. These two heroes excel at long ranged poke wars and its only weakness is Kael'thas getting burst down faster than Malfurion can heal. Fantastic for sieging and taking advantage of pick offs.
Match example: Gamers2 vs. Na'Vi
Worthy Apprentice Acquired
Johanna becomes a threat when given the Abathur hat, and this combo allows for aggressive map control early in the game. Often paired with Illidan or another melee assassin for level 20 Hivemind craziness.
Match example: Team Liquid vs. Alternate Fancy
HoTs and DoTs
Zombie Wall into Entangling Roots is surprisingly deadly, considering how easy it is to set up. Nazeebo and Malfurion push well together, and also contest objectives very well, grinding out most compositions with damage over time and healing over time.
Match example: Roccat vs. MYM Heroes
Fire and Ice
Denying your opponent the two most powerful AoE heroes allows an inherent team fight advantage. Together, these two heroes can burst down any target that gets in their back line, and make it impossible to lose a team fight if left to cast spells freely. Best paired with Uther or Rehgar, and as many meat shields that can fit in a composition.
Match example: Cloud 9 Vortex vs. Pool Platoe some Tangos
Light and Shadow
Divine Shield allows the most powerful melee auto attackers in the game to safely get off their damage and take out one target, and Zeratul currently qualifies as one of those heroes. Divine shield allows Zeratul yet another get-out-of-jail free card if caught out of position, and also allows the most popular Follow Through / Focused Attack build to sneak in a few more safe hits.
Match example: MYM Heroes vs. Virtus.pro
Check out our VoD section for more competitive Heroes matches, searchable by hero, player, and team.
Follow us @gosugamersHotS for more eSports news
More on GosuGamers Heroes of the Storm: | {
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The lights are going out in Venezuela.
Government officials announced Thursday that they would begin rolling blackouts for 40 days in cities across Venezuela, starting next week. The move will help save power at a time when water levels at the country's main electric dam are at record lows.
The government says the El Nino weather pattern and drought are to blame. Outside experts say mismanagement and a corrupt government have been the root cause.
"The blackouts are just more evidence of an utterly dysfunctional government," says Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington research group. "This is a government that is not governing."
It's quite an irony for Venezuelans to be facing blackouts. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. However, it uses its oil to export to other countries, not to keep the lights on at home.
Officials are already forcing Venezuelans to cut back on energy. They're feeling the pinch. Glenda Bolivar lives in Caracas, the country's capital, and she stopped blow drying her hair at her local salon.
"Pretty soon we will only be able to use candles like the old times," says Bolivar.
Related: Venezuela: the land of 500% inflation
Power will go out for four hours per day for 40 days. The country's electricity minister, Luis Motta Dominguez, said the blackouts could continue beyond 40 days if water levels at the El Guri dam, which provides about 75% of the country's electricity, keep falling to record lows.
The blackouts aren't new. President Nicolas Maduro was deeply embarrassed in March when power cut out during a speech broadcast on national television.
These blackouts are just the most significant step the government has taken to save energy. On April 6, Maduro forced government employees and other workers to take Fridays off. Maduro also plans to push forward Venezuela's time zone half an hour in May to give people more daylight during working hours.
"We are going to have long weekends where we have to increase the public contribution," to save energy, Maduro said.
It's the latest setback for Venezuelans, who are suffering through arguably the world's worst economy. Venezuela is in a severe recession.
Related: Oil-rich Venezuela imports oil from U.S.
Venezuela's economy shrank 5.7% last year and it's expected to contract another 8% this year. Inflation has skyrocketed in Venezuela and it could increase nearly 500% in 2016, according to the IMF's projections. The country's economy depends on exporting oil. With oil prices still low, the country has been running out of cash reserves to keep the country afloat.
Venezuela's currency, the bolivar, is worth less than a penny on the black market exchange, where many Venezuelans exchange bolivars and dollars.
For Venezuelans, the blackouts add to a litany of other daily burdens. The government can't pay for basic imports like sugar, flour and eggs. Many Venezuelans wait several hours in lines outside supermarkets, hoping shelves won't be emptied out by the time they arrive.
Medical supplies are hard to find too. That's especially concerning since the Zika virus began spreading in Venezuela and other Latin American countries in January.
Now they must live without electricity for parts of the next 40 days.
Related: Venezuela is running out of cash, selling gold
--Osmary Hernandez contributed reporting from Caracas. Marilia Brocchetto contributed from Atlanta | {
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Winter rains not likely to ease California drought
Sunrise creates a shadow of a lone tree on the arid Lake San Antonio lakebed in Bradley, Calif., in September 2014. The once 16-mile lake in Monterey County now reaches less than five miles. Another dry year is leaving California's farmers in an ever-tighter bind, and the dairy industry is hit particularly hard. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/MCT) less Sunrise creates a shadow of a lone tree on the arid Lake San Antonio lakebed in Bradley, Calif., in September 2014. The once 16-mile lake in Monterey County now reaches less than five miles. Another dry year is ... more Photo: Allen J. Schaben / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Photo: Allen J. Schaben / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Image 1 of / 82 Caption Close Winter rains not likely to ease California drought 1 / 82 Back to Gallery
Drought conditions will likely ease in much of the West this winter, but not in most of California, according to a new climate report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The report, released Thursday, indicates that conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which include a developing El Niño weather pattern, may prompt above-average rainfall for the southern third of California over the next three months.
The Bay Area, however, as well as most of the rest of the state, stands only a one-third chance of seeing above-average rain — and equal chances for below-average rain and a normal amount.
“There’s just not a strong enough climate signal to make a prediction,” said Mike Halpert, acting director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
The forecast bodes poorly for Northern California, where residents are hoping a wet winter erases some of the costs of the state’s driest three-year period on record, including tight drinking-water supplies, fallowed agricultural fields and damaging wildfires.
But even a wetter-than-average winter would provide only a modicum of drought relief.
“It will take significantly above-average precipitation to fill reservoirs and recharge groundwater,” Halpert said.
The only good news for California, according to federal climate experts, is that the stubborn ridge of high-pressure air that consistently formed off the coast in recent years, blocking storms from making shore, won’t be nearly as prevalent.
The probable El Niño, which forms when the jet stream reacts with warm ocean surface waters, will likely push enough moisture across the high sea to keep the ridge from settling in, Halpert said.
The absence of the ridge will also mean Pacific storms that were diverted to the Northeastern United States last year — bringing record snowfall to parts of the East Coast — aren’t as likely. In fact, New England is forecast for above-average temperatures this winter.
The El Niño, while likely to be weak, has a two-thirds chance of arriving by the end of the year, federal climate experts say.
The weather pattern could play a role in bringing more rain to Southern California, where climate experts project drought conditions to slowly subside. The drought is also expected to ease in the desert Southwest.
In most of California as well as Oregon and Washington, however, dry conditions will only intensify, according to the new report.
Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @kurtisalexander | {
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Apple has always shared the kernel of macOS after each major release. This kernel also runs on iOS devices as both macOS and iOS are built on the same foundation. This year, Apple also shared the most recent version of the kernel on GitHub. And you can also find ARM versions of the kernel for the first time.
But first, it’s time for some computer history. The first version of macOS (originally named Mac OS X) came out in 2001. It was built on top of NeXTSTEP, an operating system developed by NeXT. Steve Jobs founded NeXT in 1985 and sold the company back to Apple in 1997. And Apple decided to use NeXTSTEP as the foundation for Mac OS X.
NeXTSTEP itself is derived from open-source project BSD. That’s why the Mac you might be currently using relies heavily on open-source technologies. And that’s also why Apple releases a tiny, tiny portion of macOS every year. You can’t compile it and run your own version of macOS, but other kernel developers probably care about the source code of this kernel.
What about iOS? When Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone in 2007, he said that the operating system of the iPhone is a macOS fork. “Today, we’re going to show you a software breakthrough. Software that is at least 5 years ahead on what’s on any other phone. Now how did we do this? Well, we started with a strong foundation — iPhone runs OS X,” Jobs said. “Why would we want such a sophisticated operating system on a mobile device? Because it’s got everything we need.”
Apple later called this operating system iPhone OS, and then iOS. It’s not an exact copy as there are no floating windows on iOS. But iOS and macOS use the same Unix-based core named Darwin as well as many frameworks. The Apple Watch and the Apple TV also run variants of iOS that also rely on Darwin.
So the fact that you can now download ARM-optimized source code of Apple’s kernel doesn’t mean much. Maybe Apple wants to share the kernel of the iPhone to get feedback from the open-source community. Maybe it means that Apple is working on a version of macOS that runs on ARM chips. Maybe it was an accident. Maybe Apple just wanted to see the reaction on Twitter. | {
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FBI Director James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation." (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
FBI Director James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation." (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director James Comey told Congress Wednesday that revealing the reopening of the Hillary Clinton email probe just before Election Day came down to a painful, complicated choice between “really bad” and “catastrophic” options. He said he’d felt “mildly nauseous” to think he might have tipped the election outcome but in hindsight would change nothing.
“I would make the same decision,” Comey declared during a lengthy hearing in which Democratic senators grilled him on the seeming inconsistency between the Clinton disclosure 11 days before the election and his silence about the bureau’s investigation into possible contacts between Russia and Trump’s campaign.
Comey, offering an impassioned public defense of how he handled the election-year issues, insisted that the FBI’s actions in both investigations were consistent. He told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI cannot take into account how it might benefit or harm politicians.
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“I can’t consider for a second whose political futures will be affected and in what way,” Comey told the senators. “We have to ask ourselves what is the right thing to do and then do that thing.”
Persistent questions from senators, and Comey’s testimony, made clear that the FBI director’s decisions of last summer and fall involving both the Trump and Clinton campaigns continue to roil national politics and produce lingering second-guessing about whether the investigations were handled evenly.
On Tuesday, Clinton partly attributed her loss to Comey’s disclosure to Congress less than two weeks before Election Day that the email investigation would be revisited. Trump disagreed, tweeting that Comey actually “was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!”
Wednesday’s hearing yielded Comey’s most extensive explanation by far for the decision-making process, including his unusual July 2016 news conference in which he announced the FBI’s decision not to recommend charges for Clinton and his notification to Congress months later.
Speaking at times with a raised voice, Comey said he faced two difficult decisions when agents told him in October that they had found emails potentially connected to the Clinton case on a laptop belonging to former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., who separated last year from top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner’s laptop was seized as part of a sexting investigation involving a teenage girl.
Comey said he knew it would be unorthodox to alert Congress to that discovery 11 days before Americans picked a new president. But while that option was “really bad,” he said he figured it’d be worse to hide the discovery from lawmakers, especially when he had testified under oath that the investigation had been concluded and had promised to advise lawmakers if it needed to be reopened.
Plus, he said, his agents weren’t optimistic that they could finish reviewing the thousands of emails on the laptop before the election, and could not rule out that they would find evidence of “bad intent.”
“Concealing in my view would be catastrophic, not just to the FBI, but well beyond,” Comey said, in explaining his options. “And honestly, as between really bad and catastrophic, I said to my team we got to walk into the world of really bad. I’ve got to tell Congress that we’re restarting this, not in some frivolous way, in a hugely significant way.”
The FBI obtained a warrant to search the laptop and sifted through thousands of emails, Comey said, including ones with classified information that had been forwarded to the laptop by Abedin to be printed out. Though officials found many new emails, officials again found insufficient evidence that anyone had intended to break the law, Comey said.
He also said he had not intended to harm the Clinton campaign with his public announcement in July that Clinton and her aides had been “extremely careless” in their handling of classified information though there was not evidence to support criminal charges.
He said he had been concerned for months about how to publicly report the investigation’s findings, and because of Justice Department actions including an impromptu airplane meeting between Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch he had concluded he needed to make the announcement himself.
“My goal was to say what is true. What did we do, what did we find, what do we think about it? And I tried to be as complete and fair” as possible, Comey said.
He also denied that he had treated disclosures about investigations into Clinton’s emails differently than potential connections between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The FBI began that counterintelligence investigation in late July, but he did not disclose that until a hearing in March, after Trump had been elected and taken office. That prompted Democrats to complain of a double-standard in the way the investigations were treated. But Comey said that other than confirming the Clinton investigation existed, he did not discuss it until after it concluded last year. And he said the FBI does not expect to have anything to say about the Russia investigation until that one was over.
He declined Wednesday to discuss that investigation or to say which Americans the FBI was looking at.
He strongly criticized WikiLeaks, the secret-spilling website that published emails from Democratic accounts that intelligence officials say were hacked by Russia. He likened the site to “intelligence porn” and said it pushed out information to damage the United States.
___
Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
___
This story has corrected the Comey quote about feeling nauseous from “slightly” to “mildly.” | {
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Earlier this year, developers revealed plans to create a vibrant four-storey events space , including a food and drink market, craft beer bar, and gig venue inside Manchester's forgotten train station, Mayfield Depot.
And now, the London based developers U+I have named local street food company Grub - best known for their events at Alphabet Brewery - as directors of the weekly food market, which will start on Friday, May 19.
Visitors to the new Grub Food Fair will find four storeys of shipping containers housing street food traders at ground level, and, over time, a community garden will be created next to the River Medlock.
Plans reveal that the covered market will be constructed with an eclectic decor, inspired by DIY dive bars such as the Szimpla Ruin Bar in Budapest, Hungary and slick Scandinavian schemes.
(Image: Vincent Cole)
In addition to local street food favourites (What's Your Beef, Yakumama, Wholesome Junkies, The Ottomen, Holy Crab, Chou Choux Patisserie and many more) Grub will ship in traders in from across the country such as Ital Fresh, Tandoori Naan Hut, Street Cleaver, Press De Cuba and for the opening Saturday Sai Buddha Belly (Ex-Masterchef and British Street Food Award winner) will make a special appearance.
Meanwhile 12 keg beer lines and 2 cask lines will serve beer strictly from Manchester and the north of England, with Runaway Brewery making house beers unique to the new venue.
Semi-permanent spaces will also be available to local artisan traders to set up shop - although the tenants are yet to be confirmed.
(Image: Vincent Cole)
Run by husband and wife team Jason and Jules Bailey, Grub started life in 2015 providing a small selection of food traders for the coffee festival Cup North. Now, the pair will be running one of the largest weekly street food events in Manchester, managing one of the biggest selection of craft beers, and providing a roster of live entertainment.
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Speaking about the move from Alphabet to Mayfield, Jason said: “I feel privileged to be providing the anchor to such a historic site in the city. We are looking forward to bringing Manchester the very best street and artisan food and breathing new life into an area of the city which has been neglected for far too long.”
(Image: Vincent Cole)
"It's massively exciting, and as much as we've loved all our collaborations we're at the point now where we really want to break away on our own, to be able to look after every bit of the event is fantastically exciting."
(Image: Vincent Cole)
The Grub Food Fair at the Mayfield is free entry and takes place every Friday and Saturday between 12pm and 10pm starting Friday 19th May.
The 24-acre site on the Baring Street end of Mayfield will act as a three-year 'pop up' to kick off the site's £850m regeneration.
The Mayfield buildings were last in regular use in 1984 when the Royal Mail operated a parcel depot from the site. According to developers, the scheme will breathe new life into the area, forming the foundations of a ten-year project to provide 1,300 homes, 850,000 sq ft of office space, a 350-bedroom hotel, retail and leisure facilities on the site. | {
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To prevent excess weight gain, people with anorexia restrict their diet and tend to eat very less food. The individual consumes the food and vomit after eating to lose calories. They misuse the usage of laxatives, diet aids, diuretics or enemas. Vigorous exercise also results in contributing to weight loss. Even after losing weight, people have a fear of gaining weight.
We are what we eat. Most of the people these days are suffering from an imbalance in the digestive fire. Loss of appetite often called Anorexia nervosa or anorexia is characterized by abnormal weight loss. People suffering anorexia place high importance on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts and will be very conscious in whatever they choose to eat.
These include factors like, hormonal changes that occur during puberty along with feelings of anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem.
No single cause can define the exact cause for anorexia nervosa. It may probably happen due to a result of biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
Home remedies for Loss of Appetite
1. Coriander with dry ginger
Mix the coriander seed powder with ginger powder in a ratio of 5:1 and make it into 1tablespoon.
Heat the water, add the mixture of powder into this and boil it and reduce it to half.
Take it off from flame and allow it to cool. Drink it warm. This can be consumed daily.
Ginger is a commonly used appetite stimulant. It cleanses the digestive system and strengthens the immunity as well. Along with coriander ginger acts as a powerful appetite booster and stimulates the digestive fire.
2. Pomegranate juice
Prepare pomegranate juice and drink it.
Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. It has the power to enhance the appetite naturally. Alternatively, the dried fruit rind of pomegranate can be dried, powdered and used which increases the appetite.
3. Fresh garlic cloves
Take fresh garlic cloves, crush it and make fresh juice. Take three to four cloves of garlic a day in any form, including raw garlic, crushed garlic in soup, and garlic boiled in water. Garlic helps treat anorexia since it cleanses the system and increases hunger. It also helps in the secretion of juices that cleanses the digestive system.
4. Asafetida
Asafetida is a time unknown classic home remedy for loss of appetite. A pinch of asafetida added to hot water, and can be drunk. Alternatively, a pinch of asafetida can be mixed in ghee and taken.
Asafetida helps to cure anorexia. It helps to increase the appetite and solve the problem of anorexia.
5. Yoga for Appetite
Regular yoga practices help to maintain optimum appetite. Daily practice of yoga for 1hour, improves digestion as well. Few of the yoga’s are:
Surya Namaskar – This includes 12steps and activates the main muscle groups in the body which regulates all internal processes.
Kapalbhati Pranayama – This breathing exercise regulates digestive fire and improves appetite.
Paschimottanasana – This Forward Bending Pose is good to activate the digestive system and improve digestion.
Pawamuktasana – This yoga posture helps to eliminate excess flatulence in the stomach, it helps to improve digestive fire and increases appetite.
Gaining a good control over the daily routine helps a lot to better the digestive capacity. Regular exercise, food habits, sleeping patterns, and a calm mind helps to resolve loss of appetite. | {
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We’ve had the immense pleasure of highlighting a number of Sea Shepherd activists over the years here at OHH — most recently we published a recipe from Raffaella Tolicetti’s vegan cookbook Think! Act! Eat! A Sea Shepherd Chef’s Vegan Recipes — and we’re excited to once again share the organization’s incredible work on #ThrowbackThursday, this time from Eliza Muirhead.
This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on January 4, 2014. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org.
***
Let me start off by saying that today’s guest writer, Eliza Muirhead, is about to become a hero to you. I thought Eliza was pretty swell back in 2010 when OHH reported on some student filmmakers (including Eliza) who focused their studies on animal rights. Then, in 2012, I told you about the incredible program Fair Projects, which she started – a comprehensive resource for nonprofits aiming to provide “professional quality services and products in media, marketing, fundraising and communications at a fair rate.” In 2013, I had the chance to meet this changemaker, who was already pretty high up in my book, when she visited New York City along with her good friend, Hillary Watson – who I somehow convinced to write a guest column for OHH about veganizing an entire galley, when she was the cook on a ship involved in a campaign to collect sperm whale skin biopsies in order to determine whether the whales were accumulating toxins associated with the 2010 BP oil spill. Eliza, Hillary, Mariann, and I sat at the vegetarian café ‘sNice in Soho, and chatted about the lifesaving work of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, as well as our other various projects. But mostly, Mariann and I listened intently, sipping our soy lattes slowly – trying to buy more time with these stupendous women. We sat in awe as Eliza and Hillary (Captain Paul Watson’s niece) told us tales of their travels on board Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin, as well as on the Odyssey, which was part of a collaborative campaign between Sea Shepherd and the marine research organization Ocean Alliance (the ship that Hillary successfully veganized).
It was one of those experiences that can leave you feeling both invigorated and deflated – how can what I do possibly hold a candle to these true animal heroes who are putting themselves on the frontlines, risking their lives in order to save animals? But that defeatist attitude quickly dissipated when I took a step back, let the caffeine from my latte settle in, and reminded myself that changing the world takes all types, all roads, and all kinds. As with Hillary, Eliza is indeed one of a kind, and I’m absolutely gobsmacked that she agreed to share a little of her story with us today – as she currently is on board the Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin.
***
“You’re Lucky to Love What You Do”: My Journeys On and Off the Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin
by Eliza Muirhead
Today marks our seventh day at sea and I am currently sitting in the mess of the Steve Irwin distracted by portholes diving into the electric-blue water. I find it hard to believe that only a week ago I was sitting on a hot, crowded Melbourne tram.
It was a strange day – our last morning on land and Melbourne’s first real summery day. I took the opportunity to duck into the city, enjoy my last city coffee, and pick up a few bits and pieces for my Secret Santa gift – rolls of thread that would later turn into evenings spent chasing them as they rolled around my cabin floor. It’s been special this year to leave so close to Christmas. Unlike last year, when we left at the beginning of November, we’ve been able to watch the Christmas decorations go up around town, see the jacarandas bloom, and have time to work on our Secret Santa presents (a job taken very seriously on the Steve Irwin – only handmade gifts permitted).
I survived the city full of mad shoppers, picked up my remaining bits of equipment – a second camera body for the small boats, a few more thermals – and aimed to be back on the boat by 2:30 p.m., in time for Customs to check our passports and clear us out of the country.
But I had underestimated the city traffic and was a bit late heading back. I must have been nervously looking around because I attracted the attention of a woman who, although previously content to direct her Christmas ramblings to herself or anyone who would listen, decided I was a good target for conversation. It started with, “What are you up to this afternoon?” to which I hesitantly replied, attempting to be ambiguous instead of giving the strange truth, “Oh, just on my way down to the cruise ship terminal.”
That didn’t stop her. “What’s that package you’re holding? Why’s it all wrapped up in Christmas material like that – is it so you can throw it over your shoulder and put a stick through it? Are you going on a trip or something?”
“It’s a Christmas care package from my friends, and, yes, I am going on a ship.”
“Ohhhh, how exciting! Where’s your ship going to, dear?”
I quietly replied, “I’m going to Antarctica with Sea Shepherd.”
At this point, the woman turned to the packed tram full of Christmas shoppers and shouted, “OH MY GOD EVERYONE! I ASKED THIS GIRL WHERE SHE’S GOING THIS AFTERNOON AND SHE’S GOING TO ANTARCTICA!!! TO SAVE OUR WHALES!!!!” Then, in a rather surreal moment, which could only happen in Melbourne around Christmas when everyone’s feeling a bit delusional from the heat, everybody on the tram stood up and started cheering and yelling “Woohooooo! Thank you, thank you! Good luck!”
It was a strange moment. But a moment that reminded me what a special and crazy adventure this is and how lucky I am to be a part of this small group of dedicated individuals from around the world who share this one notion: the notion that yes, an individual can make a difference.
Although this mad city shopper experience was surely heat and exhaustion induced, the same sentiment has emerged in so many small moments that I have experienced with strangers over the past year that I have been with Sea Shepherd.
So many times, I have found myself in transit somewhere between Antarctica and the Gulf of Mexico, sitting next to strangers on buses, planes, trains, and trams, strangers who, out of either curiosity or boredom, have inquired as to what I do. After navigating through an always awkward summary of my life – living on a marine conservation ship, sailing all over, producing photos and videos that communicate our message to the world – I am often met with the kind of shock that confronts anyone who describes an unconventional life to a stranger. But once I get past this initial response, the conversation frequently ends in the same place – that I am lucky, at such a young age, to be able to follow my passion and love what I do. To a certain extent, I agree. I am lucky to have this opportunity. But I don’t believe that it’s all luck. What I have learned from the founder of Sea Shepherd, Captain Paul Watson, is that everyone can make a difference by applying what they love doing, and what they’re good at, to something they believe in.
So here we are, heading south, watching the ocean change from dark to electric blue and experiencing that strange notion of time that comes from travel by ship and the ever-persisting daylight of an antarctic summer. During these long rolling days at sea, it’s difficult to think a day ahead, let alone begin to imagine what these coming weeks will bring. However, I do find my thoughts with the other crews making this very same journey south – the crews of the Japanese whaling fleet. I can’t help but wonder if the same albatross that passed me yesterday will carve through the cold air surrounding one of their ships, the Nisshin Maru, the Shonan Maru, or one of the three Yushins. And I can’t help but wonder, and hope, that, like I did, one of their crew will lock eyes with this particular bird and feel the way I did. That we don’t belong here. That there are places on this planet so unique, so wild and complete without us, that they deserve to remain safe for those who rely on them: the birds, the fish, the seals, the whales. I believe the word for such a place is sanctuary.
I also hope, for those crews – and for all those strangers on the buses, planes, trains, and trams who have shared a journey with me – that they too, can love what they do.
***
Eliza Muirhead started volunteering for Sea Shepherd while she was studying animal science at Melbourne University in 2008. After learning about the ways in which animals are treated and the environmental concerns that face our planet, she completed a masters in science communication in New Zealand and dedicated her life’s work to the documentation and communication of these issues to the world. In 2012, she joined the crew of the Steve Irwin to produce and develop visual media and communications. Over the past 12 months she has sailed enough miles to circumnavigate the globe, and has been part of defending two of the last remaining pristine wilderness areas left on this planet: Antarctica and the Kimberley region in Western Australia. As part of this work, she has seen the same humpbacks breaching against the blue mountains of icebergs while they’re feeding in Antarctica, breach against the red cliffs of the Kimberley coast while they socialize and calve in Western Australia. In the middle of 2013, Eliza sailed on the Odyssey for Operation Toxic Gulf to investigate how the pollution caused by BP’s 2010 oil disaster was building up in the largest toothed predator to have ever lived on earth: the sperm whale. Her job on board was to document the campaign and share this story with the world, both the beauty of the surprisingly resilient ecosystem and the continuing destruction of it. Now on her second voyage to protect the whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary from the illegal harpoons of the Japanese whaling fleet for Operation Relentless, Eliza feels honored to be one of the few individuals who are part of defending these whales and documenting and sharing Sea Shepherd’s story.
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