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Allegri has also looked to play left-footers – Paulo Dybala or Douglas Costa – on the right side of his front line, who can drive inside on to their stronger foot. This inside movement naturally creates more space for the right-back to move forward, and thus supply crosses from differing angles. This variety of delivery makes the Juventus attack far less predictable, and Mandzukic can then vary his movements inside the penalty area when attacking the ball.
The Croatian who knocked England out of the World Cup in the summer is already looking to develop an excellent understanding with Ronaldo. Against various opponents so far this season, the pair have frequently rotated roles, with one looking to occupy the central defenders and then pull away from the penalty area for cutbacks, while the other sneaks around the back and attacks crosses against the full-back. Four Serie A goals each to date suggests their approach is working.
Potential weaknesses
Despite their offensive strength from wide areas, Juventus are also on a run of conceding in similar fashion – and this runs back well into last season. They have a squad packed with experienced and organised defenders, but they can still be exposed at corner kicks and have conceded headed goals from both set-pieces and open play in recent times. | {
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If you were to Google ‘Counsellors in Dundee’ or in fact therapists in any city in the UK, you’d be faced with pages of choices. So how do you choose who you’re going to call first? And, more to the point, who can help you get the fastest, most lasting results?
At Healthy Chat we use a therapy call Human Givens. It’s called that because it integrates a great range of techniques proven to be effective in getting a person’s innate emotional needs met and thus bringing them back on track to living a fulfilled, happy life.
Here’s how the Human Given’s College explains why it gets such strong results fast:
“We are all born with innate knowledge programmed into us from our genes. Throughout life we experience this knowledge as feelings of physical and emotional need.
These feelings evolved over millions of years and, whatever our cultural background, are our common biological inheritance. They are the driving force that motivates us to become fully human and succeed in whatever environment we find ourselves in. It is because they are incorporated into our biology at conception that we call them ‘human givens’.
Given physical needs: As animals we are born into a material world where we need air to breathe, water, nutritious food and sufficient sleep. These are the paramount physical needs. Without them, we quickly die. In addition we also need the freedom to stimulate our senses and exercise our muscles. We instinctively seek sufficient and secure shelter where we can grow and reproduce ourselves and bring up our young. These physical needs are intimately bound up with our emotional needs — the main focus of human givens psychology.
Given emotional needs: Emotions create distinctive psychobiological states in us and drive us to take action. The emotional needs nature has programmed us with are there to connect us to the external world, particularly to other people, and survive in it. They seek their fulfillment through the way we interact with the environment. Consequently, when these needs are not met in the world, nature ensures we suffer considerable distress — anxiety, anger, depression etc. — and our expression of distress, in whatever form it takes, impacts on those around us.
People whose emotional needs are met in a balanced way do not suffer mental health problems. When psychotherapists and teachers pay attention to this they are at their most effective.
In short, it is by meeting our physical and emotional needs that we survive and develop as individuals and a species.
There is widespread agreement as to the nature of our emotional needs. The main ones are listed below.
Emotional needs include:
Security — safe territory and an environment which allows us to develop fully
Attention (to give and receive it) — a form of nutrition
Sense of autonomy and control — having volition to make responsible choices
Emotional intimacy — to know that at least one other person accepts us totally for who we are, “warts ‘n’ all”
Feeling part of a wider community
Privacy — opportunity to reflect and consolidate experience
Sense of status within social groupings
Sense of competence and achievement
Meaning and purpose — which come from being stretched in what we do and think”
At Healthy Chat our primary focus in on helping each client get their emotional needs met healthily. Not all therapy is the same. Not all searches for ‘Counsellors in Dundee’ will lead you to Healthy Chat. I hope having read this though, that’s exactly what it does. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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no shave november only prepubescent boys and women call it that | {
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Review Absent for almost a year, BlackBerry has returned to the fray with the striking Passport, an updated OS and Blend – a secure desktop companion for the phone.
Daring to be different: BlackBerry's Passport
There are two distinguishing features in this device: first, its display is square and very wide. Secondly, it has a capacitive physical keyboard. The questions are: is the square form factor more than a novelty? Does the new keyboard really improve the typing experience? Is a wide heavy device comfortable in practice, and if not, is it worth it? Or will it be remembered as piss-take fodder?
When I first glimpsed a photo of the BlackBerry Passport, I assumed it was a mock-up from a deranged BlackBerry fanboi (the web is full of such wacky Photoshop renders). BlackBerry had purportedly revisited the iconic keyboard that gave its devices (and eventually the company) its name. But this image had to be a fake: why only three rows with 31 keys? The Bold had four rows of 35 keys, plus the four making up the "toolbelt".
Word quickly got out that it was no mock-up – but even more unusual is it being the first QWERTY device with a hybrid capacitive touch/physical design, allowing multitouch gestures across those physical keys. And it is this feature, rather than its striking shape, which is the most interesting thing about the Passport.
The idea is that your hands don't leave the physical keyboard when editing or manipulating text, and they shouldn't stray far from that keyboard when performing common tasks. So you can swipe to scroll and edit: swipe left to delete a word, double-tap the keyboard area to bring up a "edit bubble", and then swipe the QWERTY to move it around. You should also be able to swipe through long emails or web pages without your finger leaving the keyboard.
Three rows and just 31 keys – so where's Shift and Fn?
A QWERTY keyboard isn't going to increase raw character input – today's glass keyboards squirt the letters into the device faster than almost anyone can type on physical keys. But those aren't always accurate, and the typo tree still needs to be fixed; the idea is that you gain on accuracy and post-entry processing what you lose on raw QWERTY speed.
But do you? We'll see. First we need to talk about the width.
In my initial hands-on, I described the Passport as "weirdly larger and smaller than you think". With a 4.5-inch diagonal display, it's shorter than today's Android flagships, such as the Motorola X (2014) (5.54 inches/140.8mm tall), the Galaxy S5 (5.59 inches/142mm tall) and the Sony Xperia Z3 (5.75 inches/146mm tall). This is a shorty, at 5.04 inches – or to put it another way, it measures up at 128mm x 90mm x 9mm.
However, the BlackBerry Passport is almost 2cm or 25 per cent wider, and it's also heavier than these flagships, at 196g. Still these comparisons don't tell the full story, because the Passport is distributing its mass over an outstretched hand. In one-handed use, that hand is trying not to drop it on the floor, so it feels far heavier than the raw numbers suggest.
A clenched hand conducts the weight down through the wrist far more comfortably than an open hand which is struggling to grip and balance a heavy, wide and flat object. So while a phablet (take the 306g Galaxy Tab 3) is half as heavy again, nobody tries to balance and use one like a phone – they're invariably gripping it like an iPad with one hand holding and the other swiping.
Short and light but a bit of a wide boy
There's no getting away from it – even though the Passport is 33 per cent lighter and two inches shorter than a typical 7-inch phablet – this new BlackBerry is a really cumbersome beast. In the hand, it's far more assertive than those numbers suggest. Although you can wrap your fingers round it and reach the power key and volume keys, you can't do much more than scroll one-handed, as a thumb barely reaches halfway across the screen. | {
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November 29, 2017 08:40 IST
Do your Christmas decorations come with dancing ballerinas?
If your answer is no, then look no further because the White House has totally put everyone else holiday efforts to shame.
United States First Lady Melania Trump unveiled this year’s White House Christmas decorations, choosing the theme ‘Time-honoured traditions’ -- a nod to 200 years of traditions at the executive mansion -- for her design aesthetic.
The decorations include 53 Christmas trees, 71 Christmas wreaths, more than 12,000 ornaments and a 160 kg gingerbread reproduction of the White House.
The exterior of the White House is all done up in wreaths topped with red bows. The White House looks resplendent with its Christmas decorations which were shown to the media ahead of the holidays.
Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
US First Lady Melania Trump walks down the East Colonnade lined with white, frosted branches. We can’t help but say those trees look a bit creepy, don’t they?
Photograph: Johnathan Ernst/Reuters
Ballerinas leaping helped launch Christmas at the White House. The dancers echoed the first themed Christmas at the White House, Jacqueline Kennedy’s “Nutcracker Suite” in 1961.
Photograph: Johnathan Ernst/Reuters
The official White House Christmas tree is seen from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington. The Blue Room’s Christmas tree stands at 18 feet, 6 inches tall.
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The official White House Christmas tree looks magnificent! The Wisconsin-grown pine is adorned with ornaments representing all the states and territories, along with blue and gold bows.
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall are decorated with multiple Christmas trees covered in crystal ornaments and artificial snow inspired by the “Nutcracker Suite” theme of the 1961 White House holiday decorations. The Grinch would have his work seriously cut out in this house.
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The Red Room has the colour-scheme of your dreams. The room contains a smaller Christmas tree and decorations made of holiday treats and candies.
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
What we would do to get our hands on those yummy Christmas candy on display in the Red Room!
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
US First Lady Melania Trump has paid close detail to every part of the decoration. In fact, she chose every detail of the decor and did a final check after returning from the family’s Thanksgiving at their estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The first family’s official Christmas ornament. The ornament is a gold-toned bauble featuring the presidential coat of arms surrounded by a wreath of holly.
Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
A vignette representing former first families celebrating Christmas adorns the Green Room of the White House.
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
More than 150 volunteers from 29 states spent 1,600 hours over the holiday weekend decking the White House halls.
Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The library at the White House with a tree made of books. The Trumps put out an 1866 edition of Charles Dickens’ a Christmas Carol, protected by glass. Former US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had read the story at the White House each year he was in office, the White House noted.
Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Former US President Ronald Reagan’s china adorns the dining table at the White House. That’s a nice nod to being Republicans!
Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The gingerbread White House stands in the East Dining Room. The delectable sweet weighs around 160 kilogram and offers a view of the White House from the South Lawn, with wreaths on every window and a US flag flying from its sugary rooftop.
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters | {
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Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage
The wordless nine minutes that open the second season of The Leftovers are likely to elicit strong reactions, both among admirers and the (very vocal) cadre of viewers already disinclined to like the HBO show. Our Margaret Lyons, for one, called it “one of the most out-there ten-minute sequences in modern television, one that would be equally at home on The Twilight Zone as it would in the pages of National Geographic.” While the opening is better seen than described, the scene boils down to this: Possibly prehistoric pregnant woman leaves her home cave, gets separated from her tribe following a massive earthquake, delivers her own baby, dies a short while later from a snake bite, while her baby is rescued by another woman. We’re never told the when, where, or how of the event, but director Mimi Leder’s camerawork strongly suggests it all takes place in what will become Jarden, Texas — the main location for this season of The Leftovers. As part of a longer conversation, series showrunner and co-creator Damon Lindelof talked to Vulture about how and why he and partner Tom Perrotta decided to kick off season two with a scene seemingly disconnected from the central drama.
So what is the origin of what may or may not be an origin story? How did you settle upon the idea of opening this way?
We were talking [about season two], and we already had the Jarden idea. We talked a lot about what, even though the show was never going to answer it, it was about this place that made it exceptional. First off, was it geographical? This is an idea that gets advanced in both the title of the first episode [“Axis Mundi,” or “navel of the earth”] and in the title of the second episode [“A Matter of Geography”]. So if the show is going to put the idea out there that geography matters, is it going to do anything that presents that as a possible explanation [for the Sudden Departure]? Even though we have been very clear that we are never going to explain this thing, the show has to have characters in it who are in pursuit of that explanation.
Right. Just because these theories are discussed on the show doesn’t mean viewers should expect you, as the creator, to ultimately come down on one side or the other.
You know how you tell your kid, “We know you want a bike for Christmas. We know you do. But you’re not going to get the bike.” And then the kid goes, “Okay, Mom and Dad, I know.” And then sometimes the fucking bike appears. This is not a bike scenario. We’re never, ever gonna tell. But when we were talking about the opening of the second season, we acknowledged that perhaps we can give emotional, psychological, thematic presentations to some of these ideas as opposed to what I would call plot responses, or traditional answers. We can say like, “Maybe this will whet people’s whistles somewhat.” Perrotta’s joke, which I actually think is very fitting, about the opening of the first episode is, “It’s like ‘previously on The Leftovers.’” We’re telling you the story, but if you line up the opening of season two with the opening of season one, it’s not that different — except this time, the baby makes it.
Tell me about the actress who plays the Woman in the scene. Who is she, and how did you find her?
Her name is Sara Tomko. She came in and she “read” for the piece alongside a number of other actors. [Victoria] Thomas is our casting director, based out of Los Angeles; she’s a genius. She sent us the top four or five performances. The auditions were like, “Okay, here’s the scene. You walk out of a cave. You pee. There’s a huge earthquake. You turn back. You see that the cave you just came out of has collapsed. And then you go into labor and you deliver your own baby. Okay — action.” We cast the actor who gave the performance that was the most real.
I know a lot of the scene came from Mimi Leder’s mind, as the director of the episode and a producer on the show. What were your conversations like leading up to filming?
Well, first, I can’t say enough amazing things about Mimi. She’s the unsung hero of the show … We spent a lot of time talking about how that opening sequence was going to look and feel. Michael Grady is our director of photography, and we all talked about how it was going to be shot. We had every conversation: What is her level of wardrobe going to be? How dirty is she? Are we going to try to use primitive languages? Should there be prosthetics involved? How long ago was it? All of these questions were explored to the degree that we spent more time talking about those first nine minutes of the episode than we did the other 50 minutes of the episode — all with an understanding that (a) if we didn’t get it right, we were completely screwed; and (b) even if we got it right, there would still be people who absolutely hated it.
This scene is destined to be polarizing, though that’s nothing new for The Leftovers.
The joke in the writer’s room — well, maybe it wasn’t a joke, since writers use jokes to reflect pain. We all listen to the Grantland podcast with Andy [Greenwald] and Chris [Ryan]. And we love it and think they’re brilliant. But they both fucking hate The Leftovers. So the joke was, “What can we do to completely and totally piss off those guys?” There was a lot of, “Oh, Greenwald’s gonna love this” going around in the writer’s room. I think [the joking] was also a reflection of our fear that we were about to completely and totally shoot ourselves in the foot right out of the gate. But … it felt right. It’s that simple. We weren’t trying to make any bold statement, and perhaps that’s naïve. I mean, we’re not idiots. We knew it was a risk. But at the end of the day, it was something we got really excited about. It was, “When does our story start? This feels right.” We could’ve just as easily started with the girls jumping into the water. That wasn’t as exciting to us as this other idea.
The big questions viewers will have after watching the open are likely: How does this play into the rest of the story? And what does it all mean in general — what was your intent with the sequence?
Well, I’m not going to answer the last part, in terms of what it means. There was a very purposeful design to the sequence; we had a lot of intention in terms of what it means to us. But I never want to say in an interview, “This is what it means. This is why we did it.” Because it completely and totally defeats the purpose. All I can say is — there is a design to it. But for me to reveal that design completely diminishes it. I do hope that when this season is over, or at least when the series is over — and who knows, those two things might be the same thing — that there will be even more perspective on that opening sequence to discuss. This is the beginning of the story. | {
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The lack of public data around Canada’s housing market is “mind-boggling” and could leave the country, and the economy, especially vulnerable when interest rates start to rise, says a leading bank economist.
“We have a new finance minister now, a new head of the CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), maybe it’s time to turn the page here and see what we can do,” said Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets, in an unusual note to clients Friday from an executive of one of the Big Five banks.
Tal made his comments as Toronto house prices continued their unrelenting climb, up 8.5 per cent at the end of the first quarter of 2014, year over year, according to figures released Thursday by the Toronto Real Estate Board.
The average sale price of a GTA home inched up to a new record of $557,684 last month as demand continued to far outstrip listings.
It’s impossible to really assess risk in the Canadian housing market, says Tal, without knowing the dollar value of new mortgages in the last quarter, the credit scores for borrowers/home buyers, the average down payment, how many foreign investors are in Canada’s condo market, and what the market’s exposure is from non-conforming mortgages, the Canadian equivalent of the devastating U.S. subprime mortgages.
“The gap between the importance of the real-estate market to the economy and the lack of publicly available information on it is mind-boggling,” Tal said in his note.
“Interest rates will eventually rise and we will be tested. This market is overshooting and what we do over the next 12 months is crucial,” he added in a telephone interview.
Housing analyst Ben Rabidoux has echoed Tal’s concerns for some time and says the federal regulatory body, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, would make an ideal clearing house for housing data and could help banks, for instance, get around propriety or competitive concerns.
“We’ve got policy-makers trying to guide direction for housing policy and we don’t have a clue about some of this important data,” said Rabidoux.
The lack of detailed data is contributing to the “short Canada” position that has many major foreign fund managers now betting on a housing downturn north of the border, said Tal. | {
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Late deputy's handcuffs used in arrest Police say they used a late deputy's handcuffs to arrest the man accused of killing him. They said in a news conference that their investigative work is just beginning as the four-day manhunt comes to an end. | {
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Diane Guerrero has signed on to the upcoming “Doom Patrol” series at the DC streaming service, DC Universe.
The live-action series is described as a reimagining of one of DC’s strangest group of outcasts: Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman and Crazy Jane. Led by the mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder, they’re called into action by the ultimate hero for the digital age, Cyborg. Banding together these rejects find themselves on a mission that will take them to the weirdest and most unexpected corners of the DC universe.
Guerrero will play Crazy Jane, an unlikely hero suffering from the world’s most severe case of multiple personality disorder. Each of her 64 distinct personas manifest a different super power making Jane the Doom Patrol’s most powerful member, and also its most unstable. She joins previously announced cast member April Bowlby, who will play Elasti-Woman.
Gurrerro is perhaps best known for her recurring role on “Orange Is the New Black” as Maritza Ramos. She also appeared on the critically-acclaimed CW series “Jane the Virgin” and the CBS sitcom “Superior Donuts.” She is also the author of the memoir “In the Country We Love,” which details her life as the citizen daughter of undocumented parents.
She is repped by Vamnation Entertainment, Abrams Artists Agency, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
“Doom Patrol” will be written by Jeremy Carver. Carver, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti Productions will executive produce. Johns is the former president and chief creative officer of DC Entertainment. Berlanti Productions will produce in association with Warner Bros. Television. The show will go into production later this year for a 2019 launch.
In addition to “Doom Patrol,” DC Universe has also ordered the live-action shows “Titans,” “Swamp Thing,” and “Stargirl.” The streamer has also ordered the animated shows “Young Justice: Outsiders” and “Harley Quinn.” | {
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Blake gazed at her bandage-wrapped hand reaching towards a mineral fiber roof. Moments ago that hand was uninjured and reaching towards Yang's bleeding torso dangling from Ruby's hand like a children's toy. But now Yang and Ruby were gone. Blake was no longer in that dungeon with the rusty iron bars and wet moldy stone pillars. The cultists had disappeared with their blood-stained knives and the remains of the sick Beowulf were nowhere to be seen. In fact, nothing looked the same in Blake's eyes as it did seconds earlier. Nothing looked the same at all. Now it looked like Blake had innocently raised her hand to cover her eyes from the light that awoke her.
She looked left. There was a window there. Blake figured that is where the light came from because she could see a small ray bleeding in and out on to her face from behind a set of waving curtains. The view behind the curtains was that of one of Beacon's stone gardens. Blake sighed with relief. She turned to the right.
There was a green curtain there that stretched the length of the bed. The Nurse's Office? Blake tried to sit up but flopped back onto the pillow after barely managing to raise her head. Blake felt like she had been through one of Port's grueling training sessions. her mind flooded back to her battle with the sick Beowulf.
Blake mustered enough strength to grip her bandaged hand on the curtain and pull it back enough to peek her eyes out. Her vision was blocked by a vase sitting on a nightstand, but she could make out the figure of Ruby Rose sitting at near by table. Blake remembered what Ruby did. She found her body being fueled by anger and sadness. She lunged her hand at Ruby, wishing she had enough strength to stand and strangle the killer's neck. But as Blake's vision became hazy, her arm went limp and dangled off the side of her cot. Her hazy vision blackened and she lost consciousness.
The next moment Blake opened her eyes, Ruby was dabbing her face with a wet cloth. Blake jolted left and right, trying to run away from her lover's killer while trying to grab Ruby's neck. Again, she blacked out.
The moment after that, Blake noticed it was night and Ruby was reading a book under a lamp light. Through the darkness, Blake glared at Ruby. The corpses and Ruby's misshapen face entered her vision. Blake broke into sweat with fear before blacking out once more.
The next moment Blake awoke like it was any other day. She blinked and the fever was gone. The tiredness from before was all but gone. Realizing her new vigor, Blake flung the blanket from off on top of her and pulled the curtain back. There, sitting at a round table was Weiss Schnee reading. Blake was shocked to see Weiss grab Myrtenaster and point it at her with cautious eyes. Next to Weiss, on the round table, was a copy of Ninjas of Love. Blake wiped the remaining sweat from her forehead and asked, "Where did you find that!?"
Weiss reared her weapon back. The tip now faced the ceiling and she smiled. "Well, guess you decided to return to the world of the living. Unless you plan on giving me a black eye too." she said.
"What are you talking about?" Blake asked, walking over and snatching the previously well-kept secret from Weiss's hands. Blake hid her blush while throwing the book on the cot and hiding it behind the curtain.
"Glad to see you too," Weiss said while sitting back down. She sipped her coffee before offering Blake a seat. "I found it under your bed with the rest of the 'good stuff'" she said as Blake sat next to her. "As stealthy as you are, Blake, you do a lousy job of keeping things a secret."
Blake glared at her teammate. "Forget about the book. What did you mean when you said I'd give you a black eye?"
"Relax I was just kidding." Weiss looked into her coffee before eyeing Blake seriously. "Well, if you really want to know, I'll tell you. You've been asleep for three days straight. It wasn't a light sleep either."
The next five minutes was the worse news that had ever reached Blake's ears.
"To start, after you and Ruby finished your book report and met up with Yang and I for dinner, you lost it. There at the table, you started crying and convulsing. Then you ran off for some reason."
"But, Ruby and me finished that report weeks ago!" Blake shouted. She even remembered getting the grade for it. She passed. "I couldn't have been asleep for three days."
Weiss glared at Blake and sighed. "Sometimes dreams can be so real that the person dreaming mistakes it for real life. Considering you've just woken up, that is probably the case. Blake it was all a dream."
The last month of her life, couldn't have been all a dream. Could it? But, Blake's eyes opened wide when she could only remember the night in that dungeon and her "sessions" with Ruby. Blake cupped her forehead as she tried to remember anything else.
"We spent hours looking for you. Yang almost busted through a wall trying to find you. I still have blisters from running all over the school with Ruby trying to find you."
"I'm sorry I was a burden," Blake said.
"We found you of course. You were curled up in the statue garden, crying and clawing it."
Blake's body tightened when she pictured how depressing she looked.
"You passed out in Ruby's arms and we brought you here to the Nurse's office. That was the beginning of this series of unfortunate events.
"What do you mean?"
"Well. The first night you were relatively docile. You were sleeping peacefully. But, the day before yesterday you started losing it. The nursing staff said you were having night terrors. When I mentioned a black eye that's because you gave one to Ruby when you were in that state."
"I-I'm sorry." Blake said as disgust pushed her to tears.
"Yesterday was the nail on the hammer," Weiss let the silence in the room invade the conversation before saying, "Professor Ozpin was murdered. Well, more like minced."
"What!?" Blake shouted, standing to her feet.
Weiss didn't flinch from Blake's sudden shock. "And, Yang is missing."
Blake's heart sunk as those last three words resonated in her ears. | {
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De gemeente Amsterdam heeft voor het eerst een boete opgelegd aan een eigenaar van een leegstaande woning.
Het gaat om een bedrag van vijfduizend euro en een dwangsom van tienduizend euro voor het geval de eigenaar niet alsnog melding doet van de leegstand.
Wethouder Laurens Ivens van wonen probeert met de boete te voorkomen dat delen van straten leeg komen te staan omdat speculanten geen zin hebben in de rompslomp rondom de verhuur, zo bevestigde zijn woordvoerster een bericht hierover in Het Parool.
Deze boete maakt deel uit van een nieuw beleid, dat mogelijk is sinds de regering vorig jaar een nieuwe wet invoerde. Ivens vindt speculatieve leegstand ongewenst, gezien de woningnood in de stad.
Vizier
De gemeente kreeg de leegstaande woning afgelopen voorjaar na een tip in het vizier. Het betreft een gewilde plek in de binnenstad. Na drie maanden werd het huis opnieuw gecontroleerd, waarop de boete volgde omdat de eigenaar nog altijd niet had gemeld dat de woning leeg stond. | {
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Pierre Kaffer is keenly anticipating his first full season in the ADAC GT Masters. He will be driving an Audi R8 LMS entered by newcomers EFP by TECE.
The German veteran has contested six races in previous Super Sports Car League campaigns, each time on the final weekend at Hockenheim: 2007 at the wheel of an Apex Jaguar XKR GT3, 2016 in an Aust Audi R8 LMS and 2017 for Audi Sport racing academy. Last year, the former DTM driver was also mentoring the drivers of the Audi Sport racing academy throughout the season. This will be the first time that he competes in all 14 races of the championship. “I’m looking forward to my first full year as a contestant in the ADAC GT Masters and to this opportunity to drive in a German series again after such a long time,” says Pierre Kaffer. “I think the format of the ADAC GT Masters is great. The field is very impressive. There are a lot of strong cars, teams and drivers in the line-up.”
The winner of the 2004 Sebring 12 Hours does not regard the fact that he has contested relatively few races in Germany over the past few years as a disadvantage: “Although I haven’t driven on some of the tracks for a long time, I’ve competed in a wide range of racing series in Germany in the past – from Formula Ford to Formula 3 and from the Porsche Carrera Cup to the DTM. Consequently, I’ve driven on all these circuits at one time or another.”
Pierre Kaffer’s team, EFP by TECE, were established only during the current winter break. They will be entering two Audi R8 LMS, one of which Kaffer will share with Elia Erhart. The second will be driven by Dries Vanthoor and Florian Spengler. “With our experience as Audi Sport drivers, Dries and I want to build up the team and help it progress. We aim to put in a creditable performance. It’s not easy for any new team joining such a competitive series. But I am very confident, not least because we have a good and experienced service provider for vehicle care in the shape of the Holzer Group.”
Pierre Kaffer is impressed by the qualities of his co-driver Elia Erhart, having already worked with the 29-year-old in the Audi Sport racing academy team in 2016. “Elijah is highly motivated and eager to learn. I will be supporting him from both a theoretical and practical angle during the season and helping him to achieve his objectives. All in all, I think we have two equally promising driver pairings. We are all relieved that the season will be starting soon.” | {
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Les États-Unis ont mis sur écoute Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy et François Hollande, depuis 2004, révèle le site lanceur d'alertes, qui a publié de nouveaux documents confidentiels en partenariat avec Libération et Mediapart.
A la veille du vote final à l'Assemblée sur le projet de loi renseignement, ces nouvelles révélations de WikiLeaks, ce mardi soir, risquent de faire l'effet d'une bombe. Le site lanceur d'alertes a publié, en collaboration avec Libération et Mediapart, plusieurs documents qui montrent que les États-Unis ont espionné la présidence française depuis plus de 10 ans... Comme ils l'ont fait avec l'Allemagne.
Les trois présidents n'ont pas été les seuls à être espionnés: des ministres, des hauts fonctionnaires, des parlementaires et des diplomates français ont également été surveillés téléphoniquement, selon les documents confidentiels de la National Security Agency (NSA) obtenus par WikiLeaks.
"Un secret de polichinelle"
Selon Mediapart, Libération et WikiLeaks, les interceptions des services secrets américains se sont étalées au moins de 2004 à 2012. "Mais rien ne dit qu'elles n'ont pas commencé plus tôt et ne se sont pas poursuivies depuis", expliquent les journalistes.
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>> Retrouveé tout notre dossier: La NSA a écouté l'Elysée selon WikiLeaks
Certes, tout le monde sait que les États-Unis espionnent depuis longtemps le monde entier, et même "ses alliés". Mais cette fois "l'information est prouvée par des documents", justifie Mediapart. Surtout, l'ampleur de l'espionnage est révélée.
François Hollande et Jean-Marc Ayrault espionnés dès mai 2012
Un rapport du 22 mai 2012 de la NSA fait par exemple clairement référence à une conversation tenue entre François Hollande et Jean-Marc Ayrault le 18 mai... Soit trois jours après son élection présidentielle. Le président de la République et son Premier ministre d'alors évoquent l'organisation de "consultations secrètes" avec l'opposition allemande autour de la possible sortie de la Grèce de la zone euro.
Comme on peut le voir sur le document ci-dessus, la note comporte de nombreuses mentions: "TS", "SI", "NF" et "unconventional", signifiant respectivement que le document est "top secret", que les renseignements ont été obtenus par des "interceptions de signaux électroniques", qu'il ne doivent en aucun cas être "partagés avec des pays étrangers" et qu'il s'agit d'une opération "non conventionnelle".
Sans oublier une mention intrigante, relève Mediapart: "Foreign Satellite", qui signifie que l'interception téléphonique a été effectuée grâce à du matériel non américain... Et donc Allemand, comme la plupart le soupçonne depuis des semaines?
>> Lire aussi: L'Allemagne espionne la France, on attend toujours la réaction de Paris
Sarkozy, Chirac, Moscovici... Tous cibles des espions
Mais l'actuel locataire de l'Élysée n'a pas été le seul à avoir eu l'honneur d'être espionné par les barbouzes américaines. Nicolas Sarkozy et Jacques Chirac, tout comme l'ancien ministre socialiste de l'économie et actuel commissaire européen Pierre Moscovici tout comme l'ex-ambassadeur de France à Washington Pierre Vimont ont ainsi été ciblés, ajoute Mediapart.
Comme le montre un autre document confidentiel de la NSA publié par WikiLeaks, rédigé entre 2007 et 2012, le portable personnel de Nicolas Sarkozy, ceux du conseiller diplomatique Jean-David Levitte, du secrétaire général de l'Élysée Claude Guéant, du porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères Bernard Valero, celui d'un responsable du Quai d'Orsay, ou du ministre du Commerce extérieur Pierre Lellouche étaient aussi sur écoute.
Jacques Chirac espionné, Philippe Douste-Blazy moqué
Jacques Chirac n'a pas été épargné. Un document top secret explique comment l'ancien président de la République a, en 2006, poussé Philippe Douste-Blazy, le ministre des Affaires étrangères de l'époque, pour le poste de sous-secrétaire général adjoint des Nations unies. Note croustillante de la NSA, Philippe Douste-Blazy, a une "propension [...] à faire des déclarations inexactes ou inopportunes", rapporte Libération.
Le gouvernement français, qui était resté quasiment sans réaction suite aux accusations d'espionnage de l'Allemagne par les États-Unis, puis de la France par l'Allemagne, ne devrait pas, cette fois, rester muet face à ces révélations. Ce qui est moins sûr, en revanche, c'est qu'elles changent quoi que ce soit à la loi renseignement. | {
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ROME - Up to 400 illegal migrants died after their vessel capsized off the Libyan coast on Sunday, said survivors who were brought to Italy, where tension is mounting over a surge in boat arrivals from North Africa.
The Italian coastguard on Monday said they had managed to rescue 144 of the people on the sunken vessel, while nine bodies were also recovered.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the charity Save the Children said between 144 and 150 survivors arrived at Reggio Calabria, on Italy's southern tip, on Tuesday morning.
"There were 400 victims in this shipwreck, which occurred 24 hours after (their vessel) left the Libyan coast," Save the Children said in a statement, citing survivors.
"There were several young males, probably minors, among the victims" and also children among those rescued, the international NGO said.
IOM spokesman in Italy Flavio Di Giacomo told AFP several of the survivors had told his organisation there were between 500 and 550 people on board when the ship sank.
"We are continuing to investigate in order to understand how the shipwreck happened," Di Giacomo said.
Initial investigations indicate the boat may have capsized after passengers started moving when they saw the Italian rescue team.
The latest tragedy came as Italian authorities said around 8,500 migrants had been rescued at sea between Friday and Monday, reigniting a debate in Italy about whether the country has a duty to house all new arrivals.
Recent good weather in the Mediterranean has prompted a spike in the number of migrants attempting to reach Italy aboard boats.
An increasingly violent and chaotic situation in Libya, a key jumping off point for migrants, has also helped prompt the hike in asylum seekers trying to make it to Europe.
Row over migrant beds
Italian authorities say more than 15,000 migrants have arrived so far in 2015. There were 15,000 in April alone last year and an average of 25,000 each month between June and September.
Italy's interior ministry has ordered regional prefects to find emergency housing for 6,500 migrants - a move condemned by the opposition, which argues that the policy of rescuing immigrants encourages others to attempt the risky sea journey.
Matteo Salvini, head of the anti-immigrant Northern League, on Tuesday urged local officials not to cooperate.
"I ask the League's governors, mayors, assessors and councillors to say no, with every means, to every new arrival. The League is ready to occupy every hotel, hostel, school or barracks intended for the alleged refugees," Salvini said on Facebook.
With summer approaching - and more than 500,000 people waiting to set out from Libya for Europe according to EU border agency Frontex - aid groups are warning Rome is not prepared to deal with the next wave of arrivals.
Greece said on Tuesday it was planning to set up reception centres on the mainland to deal with an influx of migrants arriving on its islands.
The decision at an emergency cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras came after more than 700 migrants and refugees, mainly Syrians and Africans, arrived in Greece between Friday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Frontex on Tuesday said human traffickers had fired shots into the air to recover a vessel that had been used to transport migrants across the Mediterranean.
The incident happened on Monday when an Icelandic coastguard vessel was rescuing 250 people from a wooden boat some 60 nautical miles off Libya.
It was the second such incident this year after the Italian coastguard was confronted by armed traffickers in February, who ordered a boat be handed over once the rescue operation was complete.
People smuggling remains a lucrative business, with refugees and migrants rescued in the Mediterranean in February saying they paid $500-$1,000 for their crossing. | {
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A close look at the contenders in the Missouri race for U.S. Senate between Republican incumbent Roy Blunt and Democratic challenger Jason Kander | {
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Russia fire: Children killed in Kemerovo shopping centre blaze Published duration 26 March 2018 Related Topics Russian shopping centre fire
media caption Firefighters tackle fatal shopping centre fire
At least 64 people have died in a fire that engulfed a shopping and entertainment complex in the Siberian coal-mining city of Kemerovo.
Many of the victims are children. Ten people are still listed as missing.
The blaze started on an upper floor of the Winter Cherry complex during school holidays. The mall's shops, cinema and bowling alley were packed at the time.
Video posted on social media showed people jumping from windows to escape the flames.
"According to preliminary information, the roof collapsed in two cinemas," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. The authorities have launched an investigation.
Four people have been detained for questioning, including the head of the company that manages the shopping centre, according to the Investigative Committee. The owner of the Winter Cherry complex is among those being held.
What do we know so far?
The fire broke out at about 17:00 (10:00 GMT) on Sunday. Some 660 emergency personnel were deployed in the rescue effort.
Firefighters said the building was still smouldering a day later, with smoke billowing out and the remaining structures at risk of collapse.
The region's deputy governor Vladimir Chernov was quoted as saying the fire probably began in a children's trampoline room.
"The preliminary suspicion is that a child had a cigarette lighter which ignited foam rubber in this trampoline room, and it erupted like gunpowder," he said.
However, Rossiya 24 TV, a national broadcaster, said an electrical fault was the most likely cause - as in most previous deadly fires in Russia.
Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Anna Kuznetsova, has blamed negligence, and called for urgent safety checks at similar entertainment complexes.
image copyright AFP image caption Firefighters had to be lifted to a great height to tackle the blaze
Two witnesses told BBC Russian that they had seen the fire blazing in the trampoline room on the fourth floor but had not heard any fire alarm.
Meanwhile, witness Anna Zarechneva told Russian RBC News that "a woman burst into the cinema during the film and shouted 'Fire! Fire!', and we started running out".
"The lights didn't come on in there to help us escape. We got out by following the floor lighting. But at that point no alarm bells were ringing. I only heard an alarm when I reached the first floor."
Who were the victims?
At least nine of the bodies found so far are children.
As well as those killed, 11 injured victims are being treated in hospital, suffering from smoke inhalation.
image copyright AFP image caption Smoke billowed from the building
The most serious case is an 11-year-old boy whose parents and siblings died in the fire, Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said. He reportedly fell from the fourth floor and is in intensive care with multiple injuries.
An Instagram post from Kemerovo showed a big queue of volunteers waiting to donate blood at a clinic.
Kemerovo, a key coal-producing area, lies about 3,600km (2,200 miles) east of Moscow.
The shopping centre, covering 23,000 sq m (248,000 sq ft), opened in 2013. It includes a petting zoo, all of whose animals are reported to have died.
Yevgeny Dedyukhin, deputy head of the Kemerovo region emergency department, said the area of the fire was about 1,500 sq m.
"The shopping centre is a very complex construction," he said. "There are a lot of combustible materials." | {
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Zweiter hinter Berlandy wurde Walter Gromöller (Opel Ascona 400), der sich vor Jonas Tischner im BMW M3 platzierte.
Von den anspruchsvollen Wertungsprüfungen der Rallye Köln Ahrweiler gibt es selbstverständlich auch dieses Jahr wieder viele Videos und Fotos. Eine kleine Auswahl habe ich für euch zusammengestellt:
Rallye Köln Ahrweiler 2017 Videos
Update: Saschas Video ist online!
Weitere Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgentL4e_JM
Rallye Köln Ahrweiler 2017 Fotos*
*Mehr Fotos folgen noch ?
– Titelfoto: PSringfotos (Instagram | Facebook) | {
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Day one of the MDL Paris Major at Disneyland is finished and our teams are now moving into the next phase of the competition.
We saw some fantastic performances across the day’s series, with plenty of action-packed games and some truly beautiful Dota 2 being played by the pros.
There were plenty of thrilling moments, we’ve cherry-picked a few of our favourite highlights to share, just in case you missed out on the excitement.
Group A: The Solo-Rubick showstopper
It’s difficult to discuss the results of Group A at the end of day one without mentioning Virtus Pro and Solo.
His performance during VP’s two game series against Team Liquid saw one of the most creative Rubick builds seen on a main stage. His decision to build the Crystalys made for some truly memorable plays throughout the second game and secured him some very opportune kills which helped Virtus Pro on to victory.
But Solo’s ingenuity/insanity aside, Virtus Pro emerged the stronger team in Group A.
They took their first series against beastcoast 2-1, emerging victorious in the third game, despite beastcoast maintaining a kill-lead throughout most of it.
There’s no doubt watching VP and Liquid’s first game was magical enough for a Major at Disneyland. It was a see-saw of breathtaking back and forth Dota 2, that seemed to be either team’s game at several points.
Game one ended after a gruelling hour and two minutes, and VP taking the victory with a 2-kill lead. The final score was 46-44, a total of 90 kills on the board.
Although Liquid looked strong in their opening series against Keen Gaming, Virtus Pro emerged the clear winners of Group A at the end of day one.
Group B: Secret still on top
There’s been plenty of discussion about Secret this DPC Season. The team have been on fire all year, taking out the Chongqing Major back in January, and ESL One Katowice in February.
There performance in Group B on day one of MDL Disney was no different. Their first series of the day, against Team Empire, saw them fighting at full form. Game one of this series was a quick 29-minute affair that Secret clearly dominated.
Team Empire tried to turn the tables in game two. The CIS team gave an outstanding performance, holding their own against Secret during the first half. But Secret were ready for the late phase. By the time the game reached the 30-minute mark, things were back in their favour. Nisha’s Anti-Mage and MidOne’s Ember Spirit had 12 kills by the time the game ended at 44-minutes.
Although Team Empire made them work for it, Secret secured their first series of the day in a 2-0 victory.
After their strong performance against Empire, Team Secret went on to face Chaos Esports Club in the Group B Winners Match.
Chaos were simply no match for Secret. They dominated the net worth throughout the first game of this series, obliterating Chaos in 32-minutes.
Game two was similarly brutal. Although Chaos managed to claw themselves a short lead in the net worth at around 15 minutes, the swing in their favour did not last long. It was all over by 30-minutes. Team Secret scored a spot in the upper bracket and ending day one of the Major undefeated.
We’ll find out who they’ll face in the Upper Bracket after today’s elimination matches.
Group C: Vici bring the pain
Vici Gaming ended day one with a safe spot in the upper bracket alongside Team Secret.
With outstanding performances from Fade, Ori and Paparazi, Vici breezed through their first day of competition in Group C undefeated.
Their first series of the day was against Pain Gaming. But it was Vici who were bringing the pain. They ended game one in a blistering 24-minutes. Crushing Pain right from the outset of the laning phase and maintaining their net worth lead right up until the last seconds.
While game two stretched on a little longer, it was still an easy win for Vici, who ended it at 35-minutes to go on to meet PSG. LGD in the Winners Match.
PSG.LGD had a strong performance against Mineski in their opening series. They took out the SEA team in their series with a performance that looked a lot like Vici’s series against Pain.
But when the two teams from China face each other, a different story emerged.
Vici were clearly the dominant team, and it showed from game one. They thrashed LGD in 22-minutes, with the scoreboard sitting at 19-7. A 12-kill lead for Vici.
Game two saw LGD establish a strong lead in the net worth. But Ori’s Leshrac was a beast that LGD could not bring down. With one death and 18 kills, Ori played a huge role in securing the victory for Vici in this game.
On the side of LGD, poor Fy’s Shadow Shaman was a sacrificial lamb for the team. He died 11 times in game two, and only managing to assist his team in earning four kills.
After 31-minutes game two ended with a second win for Vici Gaming. At the end of day one, they join VP and Secret in our upper bracket.
Group D: Evil Geniuses Looking strong
Evil Geniuses saw some of their best performances of the season on the first day of competition at this Major.
They made their first series against Complexity Gaming look easy. EG’s were merciless, dominating with a 23-kill lead in game one, and a 24-kill lead in game two.
They went into the Winners Match for Group D looking pretty intimidating.
But so did their opponents. OG had crushed Fnatic in their opening match, also securing a 2-0 victory to progress to the Winners Match.
The two teams met to fight it out for the last easy upper bracket spot up for grabs, and EG proved that they’re thirsty to break their curse.
They brought the pressure from the moment play got underway. Taking down the bottom T1 tower at the eight-minute mark. This was just the start of the work EG did, creating all the space necessary for SumaiL and Arteezy to shutdown Ana’s Phantom Assassin.
Game one ended in a clear victory for Evil Geniuses, and they came in to game two with confidence.
OG never managed to overtake EG and gain the net worth lead, despite game two running ten-minutes longer than game one. It was a desperate hold out that just didn’t pay off for the EU team. At 48-minutes, they called GG and sent Evil Geniuses off to the upper bracket.
After an exciting day of competition, day one is now in the bag. Now it’s on to day two, and the elimination matches, where we’ll start to see our upper and lower brackets really take shape.
You can catch all of today’s games live over on the official Twitch channels for MDL Disney. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more highlights from the Major and check out our YouTube for all the latest esports news. | {
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By Robert Romano
The Republican strategy on tax and health care reform was built on a house of cards that has now collapsed.
The problem was not Republican moderates or the conservative House Freedom Caucus per se — there did not appear to be the votes in the Senate either for the Obamacare makeover proposed by House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Instead the greatest obstacle the GOP and President Donald Trump face remains byzantine Senate rules on the filibuster, which require 60 votes to overcome, and on rules on budget reconciliation, with bills only requiring 51 votes to pass but with severe restrictions on what members perceive can be included.
Having failed to secure the votes needed to get the health care overhaul through the House, Republicans are now setting their sights on tax reform.
But as reported by the New York Times’ Alan Rappeport, what may be achieved on taxes under reconciliation may not be as expansive as previously intended.
Rappeport notes, “To make their changes to the tax code permanent, their plans cannot add to deficits over a period of 10 years. Eliminating the $1 trillion of Affordable Care Act taxes and the federal spending associated with that law would have made this easier. Because they failed, Republicans will struggle to reach their goal of cutting corporate tax rates without piling on debt.”
Reading between the lines, that means the health care overhaul was always a part of the tax package, designed to achieve more favorable budget scores for the tax bill when it came up next year on reconciliation.
Surely members were briefed by Republican leaders on this feature and threatened that rejecting the health care proposal would jeopardize tax reform.
But why were such choices even necessary?
Consider, repealing and replacing Obamacare was constrained by what could be considered a budgetary measure under reconciliation — which Republican leaders argued could not include the insurance regulations under the health care law — plus the deficit-neutral rules, and had to fit into the pre-determined framework of getting next year’s tax bill a better budget score.
It is little wonder then that the health care legislation underwhelmed in so many key areas, including its failure to create a national market for insurance by allowing purchases across state lines. It explains to a T why the health care bill was designed the way it was, and why it failed to garner majority support in the House.
And it tells the American people exactly what is necessary in order to get real health care and tax reforms from a free market perspective — or much of anything else done.
We don’t need conservatives in Congress to bow to whatever mutant legislation might be crafted under reconciliation rules, or for Republican leaders to work with Senate Democrats to produce bills that can overcome the filibuster — instead, Senate rules should just be changed.
It has been 100 years since the advent of Rule XXII of the Senate’s standing rules in 1917. In that time, Republicans have never had a filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate, and if history holds, they never will.
This undemocratic feature of Senate rules means that even when Republicans win elections, as in 2016, they cannot ever pass their ideal legislation, disenfranchising voters year after year who demanded a more market-oriented approach to the hard issues facing the nation.
So perhaps it’s time to go nuclear and kill the filibuster once and for all.
Besides, Senate supermajorities have been the exclusive province of Democrats. The New Deal, Great Society, and the first two years of the Obama administration that brought the health care law, the so-called “stimulus,” and Dodd-Frank were all enacted after Democrats had won the White House, House, and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
The Social Security Act was in enacted in 1935, right after Democrats had won 69 Senate seats — back then that was out of 96 possible seats, making a 72 percent majority, more than enough to reach a two-thirds vote then needed for cloture. The Democrats’ filibuster-proof Senate majority would last through 1942.
The National Labor Relations Act, establishing the National Labor Relations Board, was enacted in 1935.
The Medicare Act of 1965 passed after the 1964 election awarded Democrats with 68 Senate seats, plus the White House and House. This filibuster-proof majority would last only two years, however.
But, by 1975, Democrats again reclaimed such a majority, simply by changing the rules, from a two-thirds majority to a three-fifths majority to invoke cloture. And they held it in 1976, paving the way for Jimmy Carter to govern with a filibuster-proof majority. That yielded the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act of 1978, which, among other things, gave us the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate.
That would be the last filibuster-proof majority until 2008, when Democrats regained it after Republicans were wiped out amid the financial crisis. And not to mention Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched parties to get the Democrats to 60 votes through 2010. That yielded Dodd-Frank and Obamacare.
Republicans, conversely, have had to rely on government shutdowns, debt ceiling showdowns and budget reconciliation to get much of anything done legislatively, whether on taxes, defense spending or the like in the 1980s and the 2000s. Otherwise, legislation relied on Democrat participation.
In other words, almost every major legislative change, particularly on entitlements, in the past century has been with Democrats in the driver’s seat. When, exactly, will Republicans ever get an opportunity, under Senate rules, to even attempt an alternative?
The answer is never, unless those Senate rules are changed — right now. Republicans have an opportunity to govern now, not via budget reconciliation maneuvers, but by putting their best legislation forward, and passing it with a simple majority. If that means killing the filibuster once and for all, so be it.
Senate rules including the filibuster and budget reconciliation are not stopping big spending programs and the administrative state from taking root, it’s locking them in — and guaranteeing we will never get rid of them.
Robert Romano is the senior editor of Americans for Limited Government. | {
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Canada: Ontario to ban vaping ads at fuel stations, c-stores
The regulation looks to dissuade teens from vaping amid growing health concerns.
Last update: October 28, 2019
Author: PetrolPlaza Correspondent Pablo Plaza
The Ontario government has announced it will ban advertisements and promotion of vaping products at gas stations and convenience stores, reports Global News.
The ban aimst at dissuading teens from vaping amid growing health concerns over the product, according to Ontario Health Minister, Christine Elliott.
“Restricting the promotion of vapour products in retail stores will help prevent youth from being exposed and influenced by promotion in retail settings,” Elliott said in a press release.
The ban will take effect starting on January 1, 2020. In-store promotion of vaping products would only be allowed in specialty vape stores and cannabis retail stores, only open to people aged over 19.
“Vaping is not without risk, and the potential long-term effects of vaping remain uncertain,” said Elliott. “As we continue to engage with experts and families to identify further action we can take to protect our youth, this first step will help begin to curb the alarming increase in young people vaping.”
Discuss | {
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A Saudi oil tanker was targeted by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement on Tuesday afternoon local time off Yemen’s port of Hodeidah, sustaining minor damages and completing its course north, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya reported, citing the Arab coalition that is fighting the Houthis in Yemen.
One of the Saudi oil tankers was attacked west of Hodeidah, a port currently under Houthi control, Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led Arab coalition told Al Arabiya.
The attack was thwarted after one of the Arab coalition’s ships intercepted the attempt. Sustaining minor damage, the oil tanker completed its course accompanied by the coalition ship, Al Arabiya reports.
According to the Arab coalition, the port of Hodeidah is still being used as a launch pad for “terrorist operations” as well as missiles and weapons smuggling.
The Houthi Shiite rebel group is aligned with Iran and has been fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen since 2015.
Houthi rebels have fired or claimed to have fired many missiles on Saudi Arabia since then, but they have caused little damage, and many of those missiles have been intercepted by the Saudi military.
At the end of last year, the Houthis threatened that they would start attacking oil tankers and warships sailing under enemy flag if the Gulf coalition fighting it in the country does not reopen its ports.
Yemen lies along one of the main global oil chokepoints in the Red Sea. Millions of barrels of crude oil pass Yemeni shores from the Suez Canal en route to Europe every day. Related: Are We Sleepwalking Into The Next Oil Crisis?
More recently, the Houthi movement claimed to have fired a ballistic missile targeting Saudi Aramco in the southern Saudi province of Najran two weeks ago. Aramco responded to the reports by saying that all oil and gas facilities, plants, and refineries in Saudi Arabia were operating normally.
Missile strikes from Yemen to populated areas in Saudi Arabia continued at the end of last month.
Human Rights Watch said on Monday that “Houthi forces in Yemen violated the laws of war by launching ballistic missiles indiscriminately at populated areas in Saudi Arabia on March 25, 2018.”
“But just as unlawful coalition airstrikes don’t justify the Houthi’s indiscriminate attacks, the Saudis can’t use Houthi rockets to justify impeding life-saving goods for Yemen’s civilian population,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said yesterday.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: | {
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DERO RPC API:
The following RPC APIs have been implemented and are completely compatible(Except for few error codes/returned error messages):
Dero RPC pdf Dero_RPC_API_ENG.pdf (347.4 KB)
–DERO Daemon–:
getinfo : Return general network status
getheight : Return current block height
** DERO daemon RPC default port is 20206 on localhost.
–DERO Wallet–:
getaddress : Return wallet address
getbalance : Return wallet balance
transfer : To send Dero to another wallet-address
get_bulk_payments : Return payments with requested payment_IDs and filtered by height requested.
getheight : Return wallet height
query_key : Return seed/view key as requested
make_integrated_address : Generate Integrated_address with specified/random payment_IDs
split_integrated_address : Split Integrated_address into standard wallet address and payment_ID
get_transfer_by_txid (Only Incoming transactions supported)
** DERO wallet RPC default port is 20209 on localhost.
Notes: How to run rpc wallet.
Download latest release from Dero github and start derod*. In another terminal, Run dero-wallet-cli* and restore wallet via old seed or create new wallet. Stop dero-wallet and restart wallet with following option to enable inbuilt wallet rpc-server:
./dero-wallet-cli* --rpc-server --wallet-file exchange-wallet1 --rpc-login “testlogin:testpassword”
Recovering wallet from old seed.
For more options and help, see command line help.
Also see: DERO Atlantis migration | {
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Palestinian journalist Wisam Hashlamoun has spoken to Yeni Şafak about the powerful photo he took of a blindfolded Palestinian boy, who was arrested by 22 Israeli soldiers, which became a symbol of the Palestinian people’s third intifada that erupted following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Symbol of resistance
Journalists are working under tough conditions amid the escalating clashes in order to try to tell the world the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories. Among the stream of photos and news stories that demonstrate the Palestinian people’s resistance, the photo taken by Palestinian journalist Wisam Hashlamoun became the most iconic symbol of the third intifada.
Intifada meaning to “shake off,” refers to the Palestinian attempt to shake off Israeli occupation and gain independence.
The photo, which shows a blindfolded Palestinian 14-year-old boy, who was arrested by the Israeli army in the West Bank’s Hebron by 22 soldiers, demonstrated to the world how much Israel fears the Palestinian people.
00:26 dk 11 Aralık 2017 Yeni Şafak Footage emerges of 22 Israeli soldiers arresting 14-year-old Palestinian boy It took 22 Israeli soldiers to arrest Fawzi Al - Junaidi, a 14-year -old Palestinian teenager. Footage shows the cowardly Israeli soldiers detaining the Palestinian boy with his eyes blindfolded following clashes after against Trump's decision to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
‘They don’t care if you’re a journalist’
Speaking exclusively to Yeni Şafak, Hashlamoun recounted the story behind the iconic photo taken in the city of al-Khalil by saying that he had no idea it was such a powerful frame.
“Close to 50 Israeli soldiers were viciously attacking Palestinian youths during the clashes. It doesn’t matter to them if you’re a journalist. They attack everyone viciously. During the clashes I came closer to the soldiers. That boy fell to the ground and wounded his head. They pulled him to his feet and encircled him. At that moment I was trying to escape their attacks,” Hashlamoun said.
‘I wanted to expose Israeli violence’
After being on the ground to cover the events in the West Bank since their eruption, Hashlamoun is glad he took such a powerful photo, saying, “It definitely didn’t occur to me that this photo would become a symbol. All I was thinking about was exposing Israel’s violence against Palestinians that doesn’t discriminate between child, woman or the elderly. With God’s help, this photo garnered a great deal of attention.”
The boy in the photo, identified as 14-year-old Muhammad Fawzi al-Juneidi, is still under arrest.
Thousands rally in Nigeria against US Jerusalem move No fewer than three thousand Nigerian Muslims on Sunday staged a rally in the commercial capital city of Lagos to reject U.S. Donald Trump's decision to recognize of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.The protest, called by three major Muslim organizations, also urged world leaders to form a united front to confront the “unilateral and counterproductive” declaration as well as hold the US leader responsible for the violence that has broken out in the region.On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S.’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided” capital and said the U.S. Embassy would relocate from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and other Muslim countries.Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.“The unilateral declaration is a threat to world peace and we urge a united global action to stop it,” Lukman AbdurRaheem, president of the influential Muslim Congress (TMC), said at the rally.Displaying placards condemning the development, the protesters also called on the Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari to break his silence over the 'glaring injustice' done to the Palestinians and the Muslim world.Galeri: The world protests Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capitalThey also urged local Christian leaders to get off the "erroneous belief" that Trump's action served any Christian agenda.Abdul Waheed Adetoyebi, head of Muslim Awareness International, called on world leaders to boycott the U.S. and Israel in a bid to force them to reverse the policy.“We welcome Turkey and Lebanon’s suggestion of a diplomatic boycott of Israel over this unfortunate course of action, and we strongly encourage other Arab and Muslim nations to follow suit,” Adetoyebi added.Saheed Ashafa, president of Muslim Students Society of Nigeria in Lagos, said Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital was a slap on the Muslim world and lovers of justice.“The issue is not about religion only, but also about humanity and peaceful coexistence,” Ashafa added.Over 150 injured in West Bank, Gaza protestsUS Jerusalem move slammed in African, Mideast countries
Over 150 injured in West Bank, Gaza protests More than 150 Palestinians on Sunday were injured in occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip after Israeli security forces dispersed the protests against the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.In a statement the Palestine's Red Crescent said a total of 157 people were injured during the clashes that took place in Ramallah, Tulkarim and Bethlehem cities, and Gaza Strip.Israeli forces used tear gas, live ammunition and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters. 13 people were injured in Gaza and 144 others in various parts of West Bank, it said.Palestinian groups have called for fresh mass demonstrations across the West Bank and East Jerusalem on Saturday against the U.S. recognition.Since Friday, four Palestinians were martyred and hundreds injured in clashes as well as Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and West Bank since Friday.On Wednesday, Trump announced U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said the U.S. Embassy would be relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories and Muslim countries.Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.US Jerusalem move slammed in African, Mideast countriesMacron: US move is threat to peaceTurkey condemns Netanyahu remarks against Erdoğan
He went out to get medicine!
Speaking to the press, al-Juneidi’s uncle said his family had no information about his well-being or whereabouts, noting that that the family was immensely pained.
“An unarmed 14-year-old boy was arrested like a criminal. We learned he was injured from those who saw him being detained. They’re not letting us see him. His parents are very ill. His father has undergone five surgeries. He was the sole breadwinner for his family. He went out to get medicine and food for his family,” Al-Juneidi’s uncle said, vowing to continue the fight against the occupation.
“We’re the children of Palestine. We will never accept this decision. We instilled the fact that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine in the minds and hearts of our children. They will never be able to erase it,” he concluded.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S.’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided” capital and said the U.S. embassy would relocate from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and other Muslim countries.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
01:22 dk 11 Aralık 2017 Yeni Şafak Erdoğan: We won’t abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a child-murderer state! Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Turkey's Sivas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan mentioned 14-year-old Palestinian Fawzi Al-Junaidi, a symbol of the Intifada, who was detained by 22 Israeli soldiers. “Israel is a terrorist state. We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a child-murderer state," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump last week formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which sparked clashes and global outrage.
| {
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Archer Ants
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ROSEVILLE, Calif. -- What's being called a nationwide day of action against Muslims is expected to unfold across the country on Saturday, CBS Sacramento reports.
In Roseville, "Act for America" -- a conservative, right-wing group that is known for spreading anti-Islamic messages -- has planned a march.
The rally is expected to take place at the Fountains Shopping Center, but it's being met with opposition by another group.
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Members of "Roseville Resistance" -- a left-wing, grassroots group -- say they plan to counter-protest in a unity rally.
Protests and counter-protests like these have turned viciously violent in years prior. In 2016, at the state Capitol, a massive riot broke out as alt-right and anti-fascist groups clashed. Ten people were stabbed and others injured.
In April, more violence erupted at a Berkeley protest when a woman was punched in the face by a self-proclaimed white nationalist.
According to Facebook event pages, members from anti-fascist group Antifa and the Bay Area Alt Right Movement, who have both been involved in violent protests before, plan to attend Saturday's gatherings.
Roseville Police say they're prepared should things go south.
"We're making plans for a number of different scenarios," said Roseville Police Department Public Information Officer Dee Dee Gunther. "Of course, we're just hoping that people will express themselves peacefully and go home."
CBS Sacramento reached out to Act of America headquarters in Virginia, but have not received a call back yet. | {
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Is the comic book industry in trouble right now? It depends largely on whom you ask. New comic shops are springing up all over, but other shops seem to be shutting down almost as rapidly. And while there are more comics being published than ever, that's not necessarily a good thing. Forget Peak TV; we've reached the era of Peak Comics. And no publisher is doing more to flood the market than Marvel.
Overshipping helped boost Champions #1's sales. Art by Humberto Ramos. (Marvel Comics)
This is about the closest thing to a non-superhero comic Marvel publishes right now. Art by Tyler Crook. (Marvel Comics)
Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1 cover by Afua Richardson. (Marvel Comics)
Astonishing X-Men art by Jim Cheung. (Marvel Comics)
You can see this disparity in Diamond Comics' sales figures for January 2017. As Comichron reports, January saw more comics shipped to stores than any month in the past 20 years. It even managed to top January 2015, the month where Marvel sold nearly a million copies of Star Wars #1. But while more comics were sold in January, publishers weren't necessarily making more money. Total dollar sales for comics in January were still down 7.5% compared to the previous month.Lately, Marvel has adopted a policy of "overshipping," where they send more copies of a given comic to stores than were actually ordered. That practice helps drive up the unit sales and help Marvel regain some of the market share they've lost to DC over the past year, but obviously those freebies don't count in terms of dollar sales. You can see the impact of this strategy by looking at the growing gulf between Marvel's dollar share and unit share figures. Normally those two figures tend to be pretty close for most publishers. But in January, Marvel controlled 42.62% of the market in terms of unit share and only 37.09% in terms of dollar share. They're shipping more comics than ever, but they aren't necessarily making more money off those comics. And it's hard to say whether those extra comics are even winding up in the hands of more readers. That's always been the biggest flaw with Diamond's sales figures - they only indicate what's been shipped to stores, not what's actually been sold to consumers.Marvel's publishing strategy of late boils down to "more, more, more." They're continuously expanding the number of titles they publish, and they're employing every trick in the book to ensure they ship as many copies of those books as humanly possible. But while that helps inflate Marvel's market share, it's hard to see how this aggressive approach is actually benefiting readers.Too much entertainment sounds like a great problem to have. But the whole reason FX's John Landgraf coined the phrase "Peak TV" in the first place was to point out a very real danger TV networks now face. Viewers are slammed with so many options that it becomes almost impossible to choose what to watch. Good shows die on the vine because there's simply too much competition to attract a viable audience and too few advertising dollars to fight for. That sounds very much like the predicament the comics industry is in right now. Keeping up to date with Marvel and DC alone is a huge undertaking, to say nothing of the many excellent small publishers out there. Good, worthwhile books are constantly being drowned out by all the noise.Honestly, I can't for the life of me figure out why Marvel churns out as much content as it does. They published a total of 104 comics in February, which is more than twice that of any other publisher besides DC. And where DC makes an effort to cater to readers of varying tastes with imprints like Vertigo, Young Animal and the Hanna Barbera line, Marvel's focus is almost exclusively on traditional superhero comics. Is there really a demand for 100 different books featuring Marvel's heroes every month? Based on the sales numbers for some of the lower-selling titles, not really.At some point the quality of these books becomes irrelevant. There's simply too much content to wade through, and too much of it feels redundant or repetitive. I very much enjoy Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther, but do the numbers on that book justify Marvel's decision to publish not one, but two different spinoffs in Black Panther: World of Wakanda and Black Panther: The Crew? Yes, Black Panther #1 sold over 250,000 copies back in April 2016, but Black Panther #11 barely cracked 35,000 last month. If the main series has experienced that steep a drop-off in less than a year, what chance do these ancillary books really have?In the same vein, was it truly wise of Marvel to debut three different Daredevil spinoffs - Kingpin, Bullseye and Elektra - all in the same month? How many Daredevil fans will be forced to make difficult choices because they can't afford to follow all three at once? Does Marvel need a different solo series for nearly every single member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, especially with the main series about to switch to a twice-monthly schedule in April? The same for the upcoming Defenders relaunch - is there truly enough of an audience to support solo books for Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist as well as a team book featuring all four characters?No recent announcement has frustrated me more than Spectacular Spider-Man. Sure, the idea of Chip Zdarsky and Adam Kubert jamming together on a Spidey book sounds enticing. But why did Marvel greenlight a new comic that attempts to deliver a more traditional, "down on his luck" take on Peter Parker when Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows already has that ground covered? Renew Your Vows is one of Marvel's best books, but I fear for its future in a market where it has two flagship Spider-Man comics to compete with.One of the reasons DC's Rebirth relaunch has been such a breath of fresh air is that DC made an effort to consolidate their output. The days of 52 ongoing superhero titles are gone. With the switch to a twice-monthly schedule on most of their core books, DC's strategy is now to focus fewer comics and deliver them more often. Sure, there are still a heck of a lot of Batman comics, but in general DC's output is streamlined to the point where it doesn't feel like their books are cannibalizing each other in a bloody battle for attention.It's pretty clear that Marvel is drawing at least some inspiration from DC as they chart a course through 2017. Several books are switching to a twice-monthly format, and the ResurrXion relaunch seems motivated by a similar sense of nostalgia and desire to recapture a lost era. I'd like to think ResurrXion can accomplish on a smaller scale what Rebirth did for DC. But already ResurrXion seems a little too big for its britches. X-Men Gold and X-Men Blue haven't even debuted yet, yet Marvel is throwing a new volume of Astonishing X-Men into the mix. Old Man Logan will be a member of three separate X-Men teams in addition to starring in his own solo comic. While Marvel is embracing the opportunity to sell more X-Men comics, they're not making the necessary sacrifices by pruning their overall output or reducing the cover price on their twice-monthly comics.The comics industry is certainly in better shape now than it was during the crash of the mid-'90s. But that crash was the direct result of marketing gimmicks running amok and publishers bombarding readers with too much material. Marvel would do well to take a deep breath and slow down before history winds up repeating itself. They aren't the only ones responsible for the Peak Comics problem, but they are the biggest culprit. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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Faps into underwear while in bed "cool,i guess I'm sleeping naked tonight" | {
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Asked by: Martin Egan, Ireland
Lobsters and other shellfish have harmful bacteria naturally present in their flesh. Once the lobster is dead, these bacteria can rapidly multiply and release toxins that may not be destroyed by cooking. You therefore minimise the chance of food poisoning by cooking the lobster alive.
That’s great for us but what about the lobster? It has been argued that lobsters do not possess a true brain and so can’t feel pain. It is fair to say that they are not self-aware in the same way that we are, but they do react to tissue damage both physically and hormonally, so they are obviously capable of detecting pain on some level. In fact, the hormone that they release into the bloodstream, cortisol, is the same one that humans produce when hurt. But the most visible sign of distress is the twitching tail, which evolved as an escape reflex.
Researchers at the University of Maine found that putting the lobster on ice for 15 minutes before dropping it into boiling water produced the shortest tail-twitching interval (20 seconds). Contrary to the popular urban myth though, placing the lobster in cold water that is then slowly brought to the boil does not anaesthetise the animal and appears to extend its suffering.
Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts. | {
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From Parkdale Organize
Today our neighbours at 1336 King, along with members of Parkdale Organize, visited the Mississauga home of their landlord, Marina Grmusa. Grmusa is evicting our neighbours Melissa, Cesar, and Marco. We made it clear that our neighbours are here to stay.
In August, Grmusa tried to strong-arm Melissa and Cesar into signing forms which would end their tenancies. Grmusa used this tactic on tenants who are ill, elderly, and with limited English. The house will sell for a higher price once tenants are out. Read a profile of our neighbours in the Toronto Star here.
Parkdale tenants in rooming houses, bachelorettes, above storefronts face abuses from landlords and investors looking to cash in on the housing market. By organizing, we create the conditions under which the displacement of our neighbours can be stopped. | {
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Grilling on a holiday, when you've got the day off, is easy. You can take your time; pull out your artisanal hardwood charcoal; light it in your chimney starter; build a perfect two-level fire; and lovingly tend your rib-eye, or your chicken breasts, or your pork ribs.
Holiday grilling is hobby grilling.
But what about the 22nd of June, or the 12th of August—when temps are in the 80s and all you want is to be in your backyard with a beer and a hunk of meat to cook? Instead, it's 6 pm, you're at the office, the kids need to eat by 7, and you still have to go to the store.
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This, my friend, is why a gas grill rules.
Charcoal purists will tell you their preferred fuel leads to better flavor. This is nonsense.
Look, I like cooking on charcoal too—it has one indisputable advantage over gas: It gets much hotter. Glowing coals are at a temperature of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit; while gas burns at around 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit, there's very little radiant heat from the flames.
And radiant heat is what's really cooking your food on a grill. That's why gas grills use some sort of surface to create radiation, whether it's lava rocks or ceramic plates or the "Flavorizer Bars” on my Weber. These surfaces are heated by the gas flame, creating the radiant heat generated naturally by charcoal.
Charcoal purists will try to tell you that their preferred fuel leads to better flavor. This is, well, nonsense.
Your food doesn't know what's creating the heat below it, and once charcoal is hot, there aren't any aromatic compounds left in the coals. According to the food science bible Modernist Cuisine, "Carbon is carbon; as it burns, it imparts no flavor of its own to the food being grilled."
The characteristic flavor of grilled food comes from the drippings, not the fuel. When those drippings hit the heat source below, the oils, sugars, and proteins burst into smoke and flame. That heat creates new complex molecules that rise in the smoke and warm air to coat the food you're grilling.
"The real debate should be whether charcoal is necessary at all."
Nothing in that process relies on charcoal.
Intellectual Ventures founder, former Microsoft CTO, and barbecue world championship–winning chef Nathan Myhrvold has spent millions trying to understand the science of food and cooking. He's serious about his meat, and as he argues in Modernist Cuisine, the real debate among the faithful “shouldn't be about which charcoal is best. It should be about whether charcoal is necessary at all."
Still not convinced? Know what's worse than grilling on gas, you snob?
Not grilling at all.
I can walk in my door with a bag of groceries at 6:30 and have grilled chicken on the table at 7, a happy family praising a delicious dinner. The most precious commodity in the world, the one resource that none of us has enough of, that's constantly dwindling until we die, is time.
A gas grill claws back time for you with every use. Grill three times a week over the course of a summer and you'll have saved yourself a full day. A day! Think of what you can do with an extra day, provided to you by your gas grill.
Check out the other side of the debate: why charcoal is better than gas (the answer may surprise you).
More Great WIRED Stories | {
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Although the inverse association between fruit consumption and the risk of CVD is well established in epidemiological studies( Reference Dauchet, Amouyel and Hercberg 1 – Reference Miller, Mente and Dehghan 4 ), epidemiological evidence on the association between pure fruit juice consumption and the risk of CVD morbidity and mortality is limited and inconsistent( Reference Joshipura, Ascherio and Manson 5 – Reference Hansen, Dragsted and Olsen 7 ). Pure fruit juice is defined as 100 % fruit juice without added sugars or artificial sweeteners and other components as artificial colours or preservatives. Pure fruit juice can be both fresh juice and bottled juice from concentrate. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans consider pure fruit juice nutritionally similar to whole fruit and state that half of the recommended daily fruit intake may be replaced by pure fruit juice( 8 ). In line with this, dietary guidelines from the UK, updated in 2016, state that pure fruit juice can contribute one portion to the ‘5 a day’ target but should be restricted to a portion size of 150 ml/d( Reference Buttriss 9 ). Replacing fruit by pure fruit juice might be a practical solution for people to meet the recommendation for fruit consumption when for any reason more fruit consumption is difficult. In contrast, in the Dutch dietary guidelines of 2015( 10 ) pure fruit juice is classified in the same category as ‘sugar-containing beverages’ because of its comparable sugar content. Therefore, the advice is to keep consumption of pure fruit juice to a minimum.
Pure fruit juice contains less dietary fibre and vitamin C compared with whole fruits. However, pure fruit juice still contains a high concentration of polyphenols( Reference Vinson, Liang and Proch 11 , Reference Lugasi and Hovari 12 ), which might reduce the risk of CVD( Reference Jiang, Wei and He 13 – Reference Mink, Scrafford and Barraj 16 ). Most research on pure fruit juice is limited to cardiometabolic risk factors for CVD, such as blood pressure and serum cholesterol. A meta-analysis of nineteen randomised controlled trials showed that pure fruit juice consumption significantly lowered diastolic blood pressure by an average of 2 mmHg( Reference Liu, Xing and Chen 17 ). No effect was seen on total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. The conflicting dietary guidelines emphasise the importance of more research on the health benefits or adverse effects of pure fruit juice consumption. In addition, knowledge about the benefit of pure fruit juice consumption for people with a low fruit intake could be important for unambiguous dietary guidelines for replacing fruit with pure fruit juice. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the association of pure fruit juice and fruit consumption with CVD in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition–Netherlands (EPIC-NL) cohort and to assess the association between pure fruit juice consumption and CVD for low and high fruit consumers.
Based on the availability of pure and sugar-sweetened fruit juices at the time of assessment, we assume that misreporting (not 100 % pure fruit juice) is unlikely for apple and orange/grapefruit juice consumption but may have occurred for consumption of ‘other fruit juice’. Therefore, a sensitivity analysis was conducted, excluding the sub-item ‘other fruit juice’ for the association with CVD. Furthermore, separate analyses were conducted for apple juice and orange/grapefruit juice consumption with CVD to explore the differences between these types of fruit juices.
Furthermore, possible effect modification by sex was investigated by including interaction terms in all statistical models. P values for linear trend across categories of pure fruit juice consumption and quintiles of fruit consumption were estimated by including fruit and pure fruit juice consumption as continuous variables in the models.
Furthermore, we present associations of pure fruit juice with CVD, CHD and stroke for participants with low fruit consumption and high fruit consumption separately to investigate possible benefits of pure fruit juice consumption for people with low fruit consumption. Low fruit consumption was defined as the lowest two quintiles (<121 g/d) and high fruit consumption as the highest three quintiles (≥121 g/d). To formally test the hypothesis of a different effect of pure fruit juice consumption on the risk of CVD, CHD and stroke between low and high fruit consumers, an interaction term was included in the models. The statistical significance level was set at P <0·10.
Pure fruit juice consumption was divided into five categories (non-drinkers, <1 glass/week, 1–4 glasses/week, 4–8 glasses/week and ≥8 glasses/week) with the non-drinkers as the reference. Fruit consumption was categorised into quintiles, with the lowest quintile as the reference category. Consideration of potential confounders was based on a difference >10 % in effect estimate between crude and adjusted model and/or theoretical considerations. A total of four statistical models were used to assess the association of pure fruit juice consumption and fruit consumption with CV, CHD and stroke. The first model was adjusted for age and sex. The second model was adjusted for age, sex, educational level, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, DHD15-index and fruit consumption (for associations with pure fruit juice consumption) or pure fruit juice consumption (for associations with fruit consumption). The third and fourth models were additionally adjusted for possible intermediate factors (energy intake, BMI, waist circumference) and important CVD risk factors (systolic blood pressure, TC). In the third model, energy intake and in the fourth model BMI, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure and TC were added as covariates.
Data were analysed using SAS 9.4 software (SAS Institute Inc.). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of the study population. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for the association of pure fruit juice consumption and fruit consumption with incident CVD, CHD and stroke. Pooled HR were estimated using stratified Cox models, assuming different baseline hazards for the two cohorts. The proportional hazard assumption was fulfilled according to Schoenfeld residuals.
Educational level was defined as low (primary education, lower vocational education, advanced elementary education), intermediate (intermediate vocational education, completion of first 3 years of higher general secondary education) and high (completed higher general secondary education, higher vocational education and university). Cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking was classified as current, former or never. Physical activity was assessed using the validated ( Reference Pols, Peeters and Ocke 21 ) EPIC physical activity questionnaire and classified according to the Cambridge physical activity index into (moderately) active and (moderately) inactive ( Reference Wareham, Jakes and Rennie 22 ) . Physical activity was not assessed with the EPIC questionnaire in the first year (1993) of the MORGEN study. Therefore, for 14 % of the EPIC-NL cohort, missing values were imputed using single imputation (SPSS Missing Value Analysis procedure) ( Reference Joosten, Grobbee and van der 23 ) . The Dutch Healthy Diet index 2015 (DHD15-index) was used as indicator for dietary habits. This index is based on the adherence to the Dutch dietary guidelines of 2015 ( 10 ) and consists of the following fifteen components: vegetables, fruit, wholegrain products, legumes, nuts, dairy products, fish, tea, fats and oils, filtered coffee, red meat, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol and salt. For all these components, a score between 0 (no adherence) and 10 (complete adherence) is assigned, which results in a total score ranging from 0 to 150 points ( Reference Looman, Feskens and de Rijk 24 ) . In the EPIC-FFQ, no distinction was made between types of coffee (filtered or unfiltered). Therefore, the component score for coffee was not included in the DHD15-index we used. Furthermore, pure fruit juice (part of the component sugar-sweetened beverages) and fruit were also not included in the DHD15-index because these were exposure variables in our study. Consequently, our DHD15-index was the sum of thirteen components ranging from 0 (no adherence) to 130 (complete adherence). Waist circumference, height and weight were measured according to the standardised protocol. BMI was calculated as measured body weight divided by measured height squared (kg/m 2 ).
Data on morbidity were obtained from the national hospital discharge register, covering all general and university hospitals and most specialised hospitals in the Netherlands. These data were linked to the EPIC-NL cohort based on information on date of birth, postal code, sex and general practitioner, using a validated probabilistic method ( Reference Beulens, Monninkhof and Verschuren 18 ) . Data on morbidity were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9. Data on vital status were obtained from the municipal population register. For those who died, data on the cause of death were obtained from Statistics Netherlands. Data until 1996 were coded according to ICD-9 and data after 1996 were coded according to ICD-10. Follow-up was completed until 31 December 2010. Outcomes for the present study were CVD, CHD and stroke, either fatal or non-fatal. The first event was used as the outcome. CVD was coded according to ICD-9 as 410–414, 427.5, 798.1, 798.2 and 798.9 (CHD), 415.1 (pulmonary embolism and infarction), 428 (heart failure), 443.9 (peripheral vascular disease, unspecified), 430–438 (cerebrovascular event), 440–442 (atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm and dissection, other aneurysm) and 444 (arterial embolism and thrombosis). According to ICD-10, CVD was coded as I20–I26, I46 and R96 (CHD), I60–I67, I69, G45 (cerebrovascular event), I70–I74 (atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm and dissection, other aneurysm, other peripheral vascular diseases and arterial embolism and thrombosis) and I50 (heart failure). CHD was coded as 410–414 according to ICD-9 and as I20–I25 according to ICD-10. Stroke was coded as 430–434 and 436 according to ICD-9 and as I60–66 according to ICD-10.
Dietary intake was obtained from a self-administered FFQ containing questions on the average consumption of 178 food items during the year preceding enrolment. The FFQ has been validated for fruit consumption against twelve 24 h recalls. Spearman’s correlation coefficients were 0·68 in men and 0·56 in women ( Reference Ocke, Bueno-de-Mesquita and Goddijn 19 , Reference Ocke, Bueno-de-Mesquita and Pols 20 ) . Participants indicated their consumption of fruit and pure fruit juice in portions or glasses per day, per week, per month or per year, or as never, for each item separately. For fruit, a portion size of 100 g was used. For fruit juice, we used the standard portion size of 150 ml.
Exclusion criteria for the present study were missing FFQ (n 218), extremely low or high reported energy intake (i.e. those in the lowest or highest 0·5 % of the ratio of energy intake over basal metabolic rate) (n 396), no permission to link with the Dutch Hospital Discharge Diagnosis Database (n 1185), missing vital status (n 407), missing cause of death (n 137), prevalent CVD at baseline based on self-report or identified through linkage with the Dutch Hospital Discharge Diagnosis Database (n 1190), prevalent diabetes mellitus at baseline based on self-report (n 643) or missing data on covariates, that is, educational level, smoking status, BMI, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure and TC (n 1275). After exclusion, 34 560 participants remained for the analyses ( Fig. 1 ).
The EPIC-NL study is the Dutch contribution to the EPIC. The EPIC-NL study consists of two cohorts: the Monitoring Project on Chronic Disease Risk Factors (MORGEN) cohort and the Prospect cohort. The MORGEN cohort consists of 22 654 men and women aged 20–65 years randomly selected from the Dutch population in three towns in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Doetinchem and Maastricht). The Prospect cohort consists of 17 357 women aged 50–69 years, from the Dutch town of Utrecht or its vicinity, who participated in a breast cancer screening programme. For both cohorts, participants were recruited between 1993 and 1997. The study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the institutional board of the University Medical Center Utrecht (Prospect) and the Medical Ethical Committee of TNO Nutrition and Food Research (MORGEN). All participants gave written informed consent. A detailed description of the study design has been published previously ( Reference Beulens, Monninkhof and Verschuren 18 ) .
After adjustment for age, sex, educational level, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, DHD15-index and pure fruit juice consumption, compared with the lowest quintile of fruit consumption, the highest three quintiles (121–186, 186–259 and ≥259 g/d) were statistically significantly associated with a lower incidence of CVD, with HR ranging from 0·87 to 0·88 ( Table 4 ; model 2). No statistically significant association was found between fruit consumption and CHD and between fruit consumption and stroke ( Table 4 ; model 2). No statistically significant interactions by sex were observed for the association between fruit consumption and outcomes, with P values for interaction for CVD, CHD and stroke of 0·12, 0·78 and 0·34, respectively.
Although the associations between pure fruit juice consumption and CVD, CHD and stroke differed slightly for low and high fruit consumers ( Table 3 ), HR were not consistently higher or lower for low and high fruit consumers. Formal testing for interaction also showed that level of fruit consumption did not modify the association of pure fruit juice consumption with CVD (P = 0·64), CHD (P = 0·70) and stroke (P = 0·23).
After an average follow-up of 14·6 years, 3801 CVD events, including 2135 CHD events and 1135 stroke events, had occurred. After adjustment for age, sex, educational level, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, DHD15-index and fruit consumption, compared with no consumption, the lowest three categories of pure fruit juice consumption were significantly associated with a reduced risk of CVD, with HR ranging from 0·85 to 0·88 ( Table 2 ; model 2). The highest category of pure fruit juice consumption (≥8 glasses/week) was not significantly associated with the risk of CVD (HR: 0·97; 95 % CI 0·85, 1·10). For CHD, we found very similar results. Only the lowest three categories of pure fruit juice consumption were significantly associated with HR ranging from 0·83 to 0·86 ( Table 2 ; model 2), but the highest category not. For stroke, only two categories were significantly associated. Consumption of 1–4 glasses per week and 4–8 glasses per week was significantly associated with a lower risk of stroke, with HR of 0·80 (95 % CI 0·64, 0·99) and 0·76 (95 % CI 0·61, 0·94), respectively. The lowest and the highest categories of pure fruit juice consumption were not significantly associated with the risk of stroke. No statistically significant interactions were found between sex and pure fruit juice consumption for CVD, CHD and stroke, with P values of 0·74, 0·27 and 0·76, respectively.
Of the 34 560 participants, 26·0 % were men and 74·0 % were women ( Table 1 ). The average age at baseline was 48·8 years (sd 11·9 years). Median baseline consumption of fruit and pure fruit juice was 127 g/d (interquartile range = 160 g) and 40 g/d (interquartile range = 119 g), respectively. Of all participants, 1·0 % did not consume fruit and 15·4 % did not consume pure fruit juice at all. Compared with the reference group, pure fruit juice drinkers were more often women, had a higher educational level, were less likely to smoke, more likely to be physically active, were less often heavy alcohol users, had a slightly lower BMI and a lower waist circumference, a lower blood pressure and tended to have healthier dietary habits ( Table 1 ). Similar results were observed for high fruit consumers compared with the reference group except for age (online Supplementary Table S1): high fruit consumers tended to be older than low fruit consumers, while pure fruit juice drinkers tended to be younger than non-drinkers.
Discussion
This study showed that pure fruit juice consumption of up to 7 glasses/week was associated with a 12–15 % lower risk of CVD and a 14–17 % lower risk of CHD. Furthermore, moderate consumption of pure fruit juice was associated with a 20–24 % lower risk of stroke. The associations with pure fruit juice consumption did not differ considerably between low and high fruit consumers. Fruit consumption was associated with a 12–13 % reduced risk of CVD but not with the incidence of CHD and stroke.
We do not have a clear explanation for the absence of a dose–response relationship between fruit juice consumption and CVD. Even low consumption of pure fruit juice (<1 glass/week) was associated with a lower risk of both CVD and CHD. Pure fruit juice drinkers, even those with a consumption of <1 glass a week, had a healthier lifestyle and healthier dietary patterns than non-drinkers (15 % of the total study population). Although we were able to adjust for many relevant confounders, it is possible that we could not fully adjust for possible differences in health and diet-related factors between pure fruit juice drinkers and non-pure fruit juice drinkers. Therefore, residual confounding cannot be ruled out.
Strengths and limitations Important strengths of the present study are the prospective design, large sample size and the long follow-up period. Furthermore, EPIC-NL included both men and women from the general population with detailed follow-up data on cardiovascular end points. A validated self-reported FFQ with separate items for consumption of pure fruit juice and sugar-sweetened beverages was used to measure the dietary intake. This study has some limitations. First, it is possible that participants may have reported non-pure fruit juice consumption as pure fruit juice consumption. This may have led to an overestimation of pure fruit juice consumption. Because it is unlikely that misclassification of pure fruit juice consumption is related to CVD incidence, exposure misclassification is likely to have been non-differential and tends to attenuate the observed association towards the null. Data on pure fruit juice consumption were collected at baseline and it cannot be ruled out that participants changed their consumption during follow-up. Because consumption levels in our study were collected in 1993–1997, we compared them with the consumption levels from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2007–2010( Reference Geurts, Buurma-Rethans and van Rossum 25 ) to explore generalisability. The median pure fruit juice consumption in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2007–2010 was 40 g/d, which is similar to the consumption in the EPIC-NL cohort at baseline. Furthermore, the level of pure fruit juice consumption in our study was within the range observed in different countries worldwide in 2010( Reference Singh, Micha and Khatibzadeh 26 ). | {
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Genoa, respinto l'assalto del West Ham per Perotti
vedi letture
Il West Ham ha presentato un'offerta per l'acquisto di Diego Perotti, esterno offensivo del Genoa. A rivelarlo è il quotidiano Il Secolo XIX oggi in edicola, il quale spiega che la società di patron Preziosi l'ha già rispedita al mittente. Il club londinese aveva messo sul piatto otto milioni di euro. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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Buys webcamera to check out chatroulette never leaves retail box | {
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Verlander struck out 13 in a complete game and the Astros beat the New York Yankees 2-1 Saturday for a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series. 5-foot-6 Altuve had a daring dash but Gary Sanchez misplayed a short-hop, allowing Houston’s dynamo second baseman to slide past safely.
Here’s how the #Astros won game 2 thanks to a Carlos Correa double to score Jose Altuve all the way from 1st!#ALCS pic.twitter.com/7dcpaaIeLV — Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) October 14, 2017
With each stinging line drive, Jose Altuve is putting his stamp on this October. Same with every pitch from Justin Verlander, no matter the inning or score.
Houston’s longest tenured player and its durable new ace — an incomparable pair so far this postseason.
Altuve raced home on Carlos Correa’s double in the ninth inning, Verlander struck out 13 in a complete game and the Astros beat the New York Yankees 2-1 Saturday for a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.
Correa also homered , but Houston needed a daring dash from the 5-foot-6 Altuve to get Verlander a win. Altuve, an AL MVP front-runner, reached with a one-out single against closer Aroldis Chapman, then sprinted around from first base on Correa’s shot to right-center field. Shortstop Didi Gregorius’ relay beat Altuve to the plate, but catcher Gary Sanchez misplayed a short-hop, allowing Houston’s dynamo second baseman to slide past safely.
“When I saw him running I was like, ‘Oh God,’” Correa said. “And then obviously he beat it out.”
Altuve had two more hits and is 13 for 23 (.565) this postseason after hitting just 4 for 26 (.154) in the 2015 playoffs.
“He’s unbelievable,” Verlander said. “The guy does everything.”
Verlander improved to 8-0 in eight appearances with Houston since agreeing to an Aug. 31 trade from the Tigers, including his Game 4 win in relief during a Division Series against Boston. He has a 2.04 ERA over a postseason-leading 17 2/3 innings.
“When I decided to say yes, these are the moments that you envision,” Verlander said of agreeing to the trade. “You don’t envision going 5-0 in the regular season once you get here, that’s all fine and great, but that’s not why I was brought here. I was brought here to help this team win a championship.”
Verlander set a postseason career best for strikeouts and allowed five hits in his second career complete game in the playoffs. He threw a season-high 124 pitches and retired baby Bronx Bombers Aaron Judge, Sanchez and Greg Bird in the top of the ninth.
“This is such a big moment for our team, but he put us on his back today with his pitching,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
Dallas Keuchel won Game 1 for the Astros — also 2-1 — pairing with Verlander to give the Astros perhaps the best 1-2 punch in these playoffs.
“That was one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in my professional career for sure,” Keuchel said. “But that’s why we got him — for his postseason pedigree.”
In the bottom of the ninth, Judge picked up Correa’s hit in right field and threw toward second base. Gregorius fielded there, and his throw beat Altuve to the plate by a few steps. Sanchez just couldn’t squeeze the one-hopper.
“That’s a play I’m used to making,” Sanchez said through a translator. “Really thought I had a chance at making that play there. Unfortunately I dropped the ball and couldn’t make that play.”
The Astros mobbed Correa in shallow center field while Altuve pointed and smiled from near home plate.
Houston took its first ever 2-0 lead in a Championship Series in front of a crowd of 43,193 which included Houston Rockets stars James Harden, Chris Paul and Trevor Ariza in front-row seats. Minute Maid Park buzzed throughout, and fans let out huge cheer when Hinch sent Verlander back out to pitch the ninth.
“No words were necessary,” Verlander said. “It was my game to win or lose.”
Verlander got the first complete game by any pitcher this reliever-heavy postseason and his first nine-inning outing since his Tigers beat the Astros 3-2 on July 30, 2016. This was the seventh time Verlander had 10 or more strikeouts in the postseason, extending his major league record, and his seventh postseason game with 120 pitches or more.
The unshakable right-hander struck out the side in the eighth, and television shots showed fiancée Kate Upton in a pink sequined shirt cheering and clapping wildly as he walked off.
Verlander, Keuchel and two relievers have combined to strike out 27 Yankees in the series.
“They’re making pitches on these kids,” New York manager Joe Girardi said. “And maybe are they trying a little bit too hard? Yeah, of course. But I think everyone out there’s probably trying a little bit too hard.”
Correa’s homer in the fourth off starter Luis Severino sailed just out of reach of Judge and 12-year-old Carson Riley, who was sitting in the front row in right field. The ball bounced off Riley’s glove and into the stands, and Girardi asked for a video review to check for fan interference. Umpires upheld the call.
Riley hopes to get the ball signed by Correa and called the moment: “A really cool one.”
It was reminiscent of a homer by Derek Jeter in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS between the Yankees and Orioles. A 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier reached out and deflected Jeter’s hit into the stands, but umpires ruled it a home run.
The 23-year-old Correa is the fifth player ever with five home runs in the postseason before turning 24.
Todd Frazier drove in New York’s run with a ground-rule double in the fifth when his shot to left-center got stuck in the chain-link fence protecting the visitors’ bullpen. Center fielder George Springer tossed his glove in the air several times attempting to knock the ball loose, but never got close.
Severino allowed two hits and a run in four innings. He was hit by a comebacker from Yuli Gurriel on the last out of the fourth, and Girardi said they lifted him as a precaution.
Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson threw two scoreless innings each for New York before Chapman allowed his first run in 18 2/3 innings.
Verlander got out of the third inning unscathed thanks to two big defensive plays. The first came when Josh Reddick made a leaping catch before crashing into the low wall in right field to rob Chase Headley of a hit for the second out of the inning.
Verlander raised his right fist into the air after the catch before pounding it into his glove several times to acknowledge Reddick’s work.
Brett Gardner followed with a rip to the corner of right field, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Reddick threw it to Correa, whose one-hop to third base was just in time for Alex Bregman to tag Gardner out. He was initially ruled safe, but Bregman was so confident in his tag that he walked off the field as soon as the play was done. Hinch challenged, and it was quickly overturned.
Up next
Yankees: CC Sabathia will start Game 3 on Monday in New York. It will be his third start this postseason and 21st career playoff start. The 37-year-old lefty allowed eight hits and six runs — four earned — with 14 strikeouts across 9 2/3 innings in two starts in the ALDS.
Astros: Charlie Morton is scheduled to pitch for Houston in Game 3. He allowed seven hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings of Houston’s 5-4 win over the Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALDS.
—
Houston Astros Over Yankees in Game 2 with a 2-1 Victory. Altuve raced home on Carlos Correa’s double in the ninth inning. Verlander struck out 13. | {
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The Blufit water bottle is a smart water bottle that will track the amount of water you drink everyday. The way it works is, you put in some information such as your weight, height, your age, the temperature, the humidity, then just start drinking from the blufit bottle every day. The smart water bottle will then track and record when you drink, and how much you drink, and you can then get all the information on your smartphone and you can see reports and charts of your hydration levels, intake levels, and track your goals. Or you can just the smart water bottle up with Dr. Pepper and see the charts and reports of how fat you have gotten. The Blufit water bottle is currently in a funding stage, and comes in a plethora of different colors to choose from, so go reserve yours now. See the BluFit Smart Water Bottle in action via the video below. | {
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poor girl almost got raped by this scum, his days as a rapist are counted in jail.rapists are not tolerated in jail, they need to be put in separated cells, but most of them end up killed by the other inmates | {
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Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson has launched a campaign to help LGBT people in rural communities get online.
The actor, who plays Peeta Mellark in the dystopian film series, helped launch Human I-T’s PowerOn campaign this week, alongside charities The Trevor Project and Straight But Not Narrow.
The project aims to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in rural communities access online resources and communities, which studies have shown are often integral to coming out.
Donating his own laptop, Hutcherson said: “It’s awesome to know that it’ll be used to help a young person out there who, before this campaign, wasn’t able to get access to information and resources that could really help them.
“I’ve always respected the work that The Trevor Project does, and to have an opportunity for Straight But Not Narrow to collaborate with them on a campaign like Power On is exciting.”
The campaign calls on people to donate their old laptops, tablets, and smartphones, so they can be refurbished and redistributed across communities with poor access to technology.
The Trevor Project CEO Abbe Land said: “For young LGBTQ people, it may not be easy to find others like them nearby.
“At The Trevor Project, we know that connecting to a community can lead to support and friendships, as well as reduce the risk for suicide attempts and other high-risk behaviors.”
The Hunger Games star is a frequent LGBT activist, and in 2012 was awarded GLAAD’s Vanguard Award, given for efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. | {
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The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in an attempt to force it to prevent Google from implementing planned changes to the company's privacy policy.
The privacy group filed a complaint (PDF) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia requesting a preliminary injunction against the new rules, which are set to go into effect on March 1.
Google announced last month that it would rewrite its privacy policy to grant it explicit rights to "combine personal information" across multiple products and services. Google's 60 privacy policies for its different services are being rolled into one uber-policy that the company said is designed to be simpler and easier to understand.
EPIC, which once claimed that Google's introduction of Gmail was a "criminal" offense because e-mail messages were scanned, alleges that the forthcoming policy changes are "a clear violation" of a 2011 settlement agreement between the agency and the company over privacy concerns related to the launch of Google Buzz. Soon after the social network launched in February 2010, Google tweaked its privacy setup, acknowledging that it had been difficult to make one's list of followers private.
The privacy backlash led to the settlement agreement that required Google to implement a comprehensive privacy program and allow independent professionals to prepare regular reports on the company's privacy practices for the next 20 years.
"Google's announced changes to business practices will make it possible for advertisers to gain access to personal information which was previously unavailable to them," EPIC said in its filing. So far, the agency has "failed" to block Google from making the changes, "placing the privacy interests of literally hundreds of millions Internet users at grave risk."
Google responded by saying EPIC's lawsuit misinterprets the facts.
"We take privacy very seriously. We're happy to engage in constructive conversations about our updated Privacy Policy, but EPIC is wrong on the facts and the law," a Google representative said. "We're keeping your private information private--we're not changing how any personal information is shared outside of Google."
The spokesperson went on to say that Google has "undertaken the most extensive notification effort in Google's history to ensure that users have many opportunities and ample time to learn about our Privacy Policy changes. And we're continuing to offer choice and control over how people use Google services."
One frequent EPIC critic questioned the motivation behind the lawsuit.
"This is literally unprecedented, but it's not surprising coming from EPIC, which has taken a very aggressive anti-Google stand," said Berin Szoka, an attorney who's president of the Washington, D.C., think tank TechFreedom, which has been critical of EPIC's call for more data collection and use regulation. "I think it's safe to say that this is really a rather elaborate publicity stunt on EPIC's part."
Earlier this month, European Union officials asked Google to refrain from implementing its new privacy plan until the implications could be analyzed, but Google declined, saying that "delaying the new policy would cause significant confusion." | {
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Sponsored Link
Remastersys is a tool that can be used to do 2 things with an existing Klikit or Ubuntu or derivative installation.It can make a full system backup including personal data to a live cd or dvd that you can use anywhere and install. It can make a distributable copy you can share with friends. This will not have any of your personal user data in it.
Install Remastersys in Ubuntu
The Remastersys repository needs to be added to your /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list
Paste the following into the sources.list:
# Remastersys
deb http://www.remastersys.klikit-linux.com/repository remastersys/
Save and exit the file.
Update the source list using the following command
sudo apt-get update
Install remastersys using the following command
sudo apt-get install remastersys
This will complete the installation
Using Remastersys
In order to learn how you can use remastersys, run
sudo remastersys
remastersys Syntax
sudo remastersys backup|clean|dist [cdfs|iso] [filename.iso]
remastersys Examples
1) to make a livecd/dvd backup of your system
sudo remastersys backup
2) to make a livecd/dvd backup and call the iso custom.iso
sudo remastersys backup custom.iso
3) to clean up temporary files of remastersys
sudo remastersys clean
4) to make a distributable livecd/dvd of your system
sudo remastersys dist
5) to make a distributable livecd/dvd filesystem only
sudo remastersys dist cdfs
6) to make a distributable iso named custom.iso but only if the cdfs is already present
sudo remastersys dist iso custom.iso
cdfs and iso options should only be used if you wish to modify something on the cd before the iso is created. An example of this would be to modify the isolinux portion of the livecd/dvd
Creating An ISO Image
To create an iso image of your installation, simply run
sudo remastersys dist
This will create an iso image called customdist.iso in the /home/remastersys directory. The dist option makes that your personal folder (e.g. /home/ruchi) will not be included in the iso image. You might have to insert your Ubuntu installation CD during the process.
This is how the end of the process looks:
[...]
92.16% done, estimate finish Wed DEC 28 15:31:25 2007
93.39% done, estimate finish Wed DEC 28 15:31:25 2007
94.62% done, estimate finish Wed DEC 28 15:31:24 2007
95.85% done, estimate finish Wed DEC 28 15:31:24 2007
97.08% done, estimate finish Wed DEC 28 15:31:25 2007
98.31% done, estimate finish Wed DEC 28 15:31:25 2007
99.54% done, estimate finish Wed DEC 28 15:31:25 2007
Total translation table size: 2048
Total rockridge attributes bytes: 3950
Total directory bytes: 9094
Path table size(bytes): 54
Max brk space used 0
406890 extents written (794 MB)
/home/remastersys/customdist.iso is ready to be burned or tested in a virtual machine.
Check the size and if it is larger than 700MB you will need to burn it to a dvd
796M /home/remastersys/customdist.iso
Clean Up
After you've burnt the iso image onto a CD/DVD, you can run
sudo remastersys clean
to remove all temporary file created during the iso generation as well as the /home/remastersys directory.
Sponsored Link
Related posts | {
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The director and cast members discuss their star-soundtracked film about the beauty and pain of growing up
Text Nick Chen
The closest I’ve come to synaesthesia is watching Waves. In the opening moments, flashes of red, blue and green flood the screen as Animal Collective’s “Lock Raven” pulls us into the immersive world of Trey Edward Shults’ astonishing third feature. As the song segues into “Floridada”, another psychedelic earworm by the same band, the camera spins 360 degrees in a car roaming the freeway. Get used to it: the costly, headphones-friendly soundtrack, which echoes the raw emotions of its raw, emotive characters, includes Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar and, as the title suggests, several tracks by Kanye West. The sensory overload is so powerful, it’s practically 3D.
Courtesy of A24
Above all, it’s Frank Ocean whose spirit permeates Waves, from the poignant needle drops – “Mitsubishi Sony”, “Seigfried”, “Florida”, “Rushes” – to the story structure itself. Just as Ocean eschews verse/chorus/verse arrangements, Waves doesn’t follow a three-act template. In the first half, the protagonist is Tyler, an 18-year-old wrestler played by Kelvin Harrison Jr (Mudbound, Luce). Then, like Chungking Express, the drama tonally flips midway, spending the second hour with Tyler’s sensitive sister, Emily, as depicted by Taylor Russell in a breakthrough performance. “Those songs were so instrumental in my life,” Shults says of Ocean’s Endless and Blonde. “They came out when we were making It Comes at Night. I was listening to those albums and dreaming about making this movie.” Shults personally wrote letters to Kid Cudi, Thom Yorke, Tyler, the Creator and everyone on his dream playlist. They all agreed. “You just send shit into the ether,” the 31-year-old director explains. “With Frank (Ocean), his team was like, ‘It’s not going to happen. He’s in a creative zone. He’s not going to approve of five songs.’ Then all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Never mind. Frank approves of everything – for a really low rate.’ I was like, ‘How did that happen?!’” “Those songs were so instrumental in my life. I was listening to those albums and dreaming about making this movie” – Trey Edward Shults Shults and the main cast of Waves are over for the London Film Festival when I meet them separately in various hotel rooms. If they’re jetlagged, it doesn’t show; they speak passionately about the film as if it were a real event that happened in their lives. “I was so shocked,” Russell recalls of her first viewing. “I couldn’t say anything. And then for the next three days, I was really depressed. Not just because the movie is heartbreaking, but it’s so strange to have an intimate experience with a group of people over a summer and then to watch it on screen. I don’t know what it was that made me so sad. But I was really sad. Then I was like, ‘But it’s a really special movie.’” In Shults’ grief-stricken horror It Comes at Night, Harrison Jr depicted an introverted, sexually frustrated kid who’s isolated in the woods. In Waves, Harrison Jr gets to carry swagger and extra muscles: Tyler adores driving while blasting Tame Impala, he’s on the wrestling team, and he’s dating the coolest girl at school, Alexis (Euphoria’s Alexa Demie). But beneath Tyler’s bravado is a more sensitive side – the clue being a dyed haircut that mimics the album cover of Blonde.
On the press tour for It Comes at Night, Shults offered Harrison Jr the choice of two roles. According to Harrison Jr, Shults phrased it as: “There’s a wrestler in the first half, or a boyfriend in the second half. The wrestling part is more challenging. I know you don’t like sports. You could barely chop wood in Night.” So Harrison Jr, of course, took the more challenging role, and the whole film – the script, the casting, everything – revolved around his version of Tyler, the character. Harrison Jr recalls, “Trey texted me about my romantic relationships, my relationship with my father and sister, and my experience of being a black male growing up in the South. Then once I got the script, we got into the specificity of the language, the things that young people would say, and the slang I heard from my younger sisters.” They then swapped stories about their fathers. “We found the universal truth amongst us, and made that come alive in the script.” In Waves, the camera pirouettes with Tyler’s incessant mood swings: the highs are high (Outkast! A$AP Rocky! Cruising beaches with your girlfriend!), but the lows are downright traumatic. The plot, so to speak, concerns Tyler crumbling under expectations from society, his school friends, and his father, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown). “The world does not give a shit about you and me,” Ronald instructs his son about the value of a wrestling scholarship. “We are not afforded the luxury of being average.”
Shults didn’t initially envision the family as black. But as Harrison Jr picked the role of Tyler, the rest followed. “We went back and forth to figure out the right way so that [the dialogue] sounded authentic to an African-American,” Harrison Jr says. “Tyler has this fear in his head: ‘I’m never going to be good enough.’ When you obsess over something, it becomes your whole life.” In contrast, Emily’s boyfriend, Luke, played by Lucas Hedges, is the opposite of Tyler: he’s softer, often apologetic by default, and cries in public. Perhaps it’s white privilege: Luke is simply allowed to exist. “Theoretically, a Kanye biopic with the spirit of Waves would be amazing. I don’t know how I could do that yet. But who knows?” – Trey Edward Shults Harrison Jr adds, “Toxic masculinity is a big part of it, especially coming from Ronald, who had his version of what it means to be a man from his dad. And Tyler’s like, ‘But the world’s different!’ This hardness doesn’t mean anything in this new space Tyler exists in. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s so…” He pauses, then yells, “IT’S JUST TOXIC!” At a pivotal moment, on the brink of self-destruction, Tyler’s fractured headspace is mirrored by the frenzied verses of Kanye’s “I Am a God”. A poster of The Life of Pablo hangs on his bedroom wall. “Pablo has such a dichotomy between the most gorgeous gospel to the most crass, Yeezus-type stuff,” Shults explains. “It’s a man at personal war with himself – there’s a spirit of that in Waves.” The director once expressed an interest in making a movie about Kanye. “Theoretically, a Kanye biopic with the spirit of Waves would be amazing. I don’t know how I could do that yet. But who knows?” So was Harrison Jr preparing, like Daniel Day-Lewis would, by studying Blonde, Endless and The Life of Pablo non-stop? “Honestly, I didn’t start listening to those albums until after the movie,” Harrison Jr admits. “I listened to what made sense for me, for the character. So I was listening to Kelly Clarkson!” The actor laughs so hard, he can barely get the words out. “That connected to me. I was like, ‘I know Kelly Clarkson!’”
“Really?! Wow!” says Renée Elise Goldsberry, gobsmacked, when I tell her Harrison Jr opted for “Since U Been Gone” over Shults’ playlist. Goldsberry plays Tyler and Emily’s stepmother Catherine, the warmer, more empathetic of the two parents. What struck Goldsberry was the integration of technology. “This group of kids are the first generation who’ve had smartphones their entire lives,” she says. “We have so much access to communication that you think all misunderstandings would be cleared up. In reality, despite social media, we’re still not totally communicating.” However, one touching exchange between Emily and her stepmother occurs over the phone. “The entire closure of our characters is based upon a text message,” Goldsberry notes. “These things are so not dramatic, but it works because Trey did it so well as a filmmaker. We experience life, we experience news, we experience tragedy, we experience forgiveness via text message. As an audience, we get it.” “There’s a communication barrier between children and their parents,” Russell says. “Oftentimes, you don’t necessarily know how to relate or talk to each other.” Harrison Jr was at school during the mass migration from Myspace to Facebook. “It was a way to exploit and pick at people,” he recalls. “You knew more information that you needed to know. Then Instagram highlighted it even more.” In Waves, Tyler obsesses over Alexis’s whereabouts, right down to stalking her social media presence for hints of infidelity. Instagram, it seems, is an addiction. “But you also have permission to see things you wouldn’t normally see,” Harrison Jr continues. “In the South, if we didn’t have social media, we wouldn’t know what’s going on with kids in New York or California. We see it from rappers and TV, but it’s having those influences in front of you 24/7. It’s constantly evolving and changes how a young man sees the world. I lived with a social media influencer when I was 16 and moved to LA – it blew my mind.”
Around the midpoint, a catastrophe occurs – the film, and its family, spins off its axis. The impatient adrenaline rush of Tyler’s psyche gives way to Emily’s serener point of view. The aspect ratio widens, the tempo relaxes, an anamorphic lens is introduced. Emily’s introspective arc is guided by empathy, not self-hatred. Instead of frantic snippets of Yeezus, there’s more likely to be the plaintive piano of Radiohead’s “True Love Waits”. “I listened to a lot of Frank Ocean, because Blonde makes me very emotional,” Russell notes. As they’re separate stories that complement the other, does Russell perceive Emily’s side of the film as the Blonde to Tyler’s Endless? “Totally. The first half is so vibrant and juicy, like a steak. I was on the edge of my seat, feeling really anxious and nervous. And then you can breathe. Blonde is so quiet and impactful.” “I love a lot of diptych movies, but I don’t know of one where the climax is at the halfway point,” Shults says. “It only works if you love Emily, and could leave Tyler to go on this new journey. When part two comes, it’s a hug – it puts things into perspective, and pushes through into a new phase of life.” | {
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At Confluent, we see many of our customers are on AWS, and we’ve noticed that Amazon S3 plays a particularly significant role in AWS-based architectures. Unless a use case actively requires a specific database, companies use S3 for storage and process the data with Amazon Elastic MapReduce (EMR) or Amazon Athena. But even if a use case requires a specific database such as Amazon Redshift, data will still land to S3 first and only then load to Redshift.
Landing data to S3 is ubiquitous and key to almost every AWS architecture. This explains why users have been looking for a reliable way to stream their data from Apache Kafka® to S3 since Kafka Connect became available.
So, it happened. In March 2017, we released the Kafka Connect S3 connector as part of the Confluent Platform. In just the first month, our users stored over 200 TB of data to S3 using the connector. With multiple companies moving to production since then, we estimate the S3 connector has uploaded over 75 PB of data to date.
In what follows, I’ll describe what makes this connector both easy to use and highly reliable. I’ll begin by explaining why we had to write a new connector and will show you how easy it is to use. Finally, I’ll close with a deeper dive into the design, explaining how we implemented an exactly once connector on top of S3’s eventual consistent storage.
Why another S3 connector?
When customers were asking for an S3 connector, there were already several Kafka-to-S3 solutions out there at the time, so we had to decide whether to adopt an existing S3 connector, modify the Kafka Connect HDFS connector (as some developers attempted to do) or write a new connector from scratch.
We knew that our users needed three things from the connector:
Integration with the Kafka Connect API: Connect’s scaling and fault tolerance capabilities were important to have, and users didn’t want yet another system that they’d need to learn how to use, deploy and monitor. Exactly once: Users didn’t want to waste expensive compute cycles on deduplicating their data. And no one likes missing events. No extra dependencies: Especially dependencies on additional datastores. Kafka clients and the S3 SDK libraries should be all you need to get events from Kafka to S3. Simplicity rules, especially in a distributed systems world where simple is often the key to being reliable.
When we considered the existing connectors, we noticed that none of them delivered the reliability and exactly once capabilities we wanted. They treat S3 like it’s another filesystem—though it isn’t really. For example, S3 lacks file appends, it is eventually consistent, and listing a bucket is often a very slow operation.
Reusing an existing connector didn’t meet the needs users were looking for. This led us to design the Kafka Connect S3 connector and rethink our key abstractions from scratch. The result was a connector that is fast, depends only on Kafka to restore state and is easily configured to export data without duplicates. How about we take it for a spin?
Try it yourself!
For this demo, I’ll use one of my favorite public feeds: real-time reservations in Meetup groups around the world. What I like about this stream of events is that, although it is described in a simple JSON format, it contains rich information such as location, user interests and timestamps with every record. Given that events are produced in real time and at a reasonable pace, the Meetup feed is pretty handy for demos with real data.
The S3 connector has been available since Confluent Platform 3.2.0. To export the data to S3, I’ll need to set up credentials to my S3 account and create an S3 bucket with the right permissions.
Step 1: Start all the services—ZooKeeper, Kafka and the Connect worker
Begin by starting ZooKeeper, Kafka and Connect:
confluent local start connect
Note: The syntax shown is for Confluent Platform 5.3 or newer. If you haven’t installed the Confluent CLI yet, you can read the installation instructions.
Step 2: Start ingesting feed data to Kafka
Create a Kafka topic with five partitions to a single Kafka broker running locally:
bin/kafka-topics --zookeeper localhost:2181 --create --topic meetups --replication-factor 1 --partitions 5
Then, to ingest the events from the public Meetup feed, use a simple piped command that combines curl and the Confluent CLI.
curl -s http://stream.meetup.com/2/rsvps | confluent local produce meetups
I can confirm that data is actually written to Kafka as follows:
confluent local consume meetups -- --from-beginning
Step 3: Set up credentials and create the S3 bucket
On the cloud side, first create an S3 bucket with the appropriate permissions. For instance, here I’ve created a bucket that is private and accessible by me, the user that will run the S3 connector. After setting permissions, I just need to pick a name and a region for my S3 bucket.
For the S3 connector to authenticate successfully when it contacts S3, I need to setup my AWS credentials. An easy way to do that, is to export two environment variables:
export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=foo export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=bar
Make sure you replace foo and bar with your actual AWS credentials. Using environment variables to pass credentials to the connector is not the only way to authenticate. Under the covers, the S3 connector uses the default credentials provider included with the AWS SDK ( DefaultAWSCredentialsProviderChain ), and this makes several mainstream options for authenticating available to users.
For those who need to customize authentication even further, the S3 connector accepts a provider class as a configuration property that, in turn, can be configured with additional properties with the s3.credentials.provider. prefix. For a complete list of options, read more in the S3 connector documentation.
Step 4: Configure and start the S3 sink connector
Configure the S3 connector by inserting its properties in JSON format, and store them in a file called meetups-to-s3.json :
The S3 connector can partition records in S3 in several ways. With the above properties, I have chosen to run the S3 connector using time-based partitioning and therefore group Kafka records in objects to S3 according to a timestamp. The timestamps I use here are timestamps of the Kafka records themselves but you can also specify a field in the payload itself as the timestamp value to use.
Grouping records in S3 objects by their Kafka timestamps is convenient, because the timestamps of Kafka records are ordered and monotonically increasing within a partition in Kafka. The fact that I rotate an object every minute ( rotate.interval.ms ) means that every new file that appears in S3 will contain records that were published in Kafka within a single minute.
Now that I’m only one REST API call away from starting the S3 connector, I’ll issue the call using the Confluent CLI:
confluent local load meetups-to-s3 -- -d ./meetups-to-s3.json
The equivalent command using curl directly would be:
curl -X POST -d @meetups-to-s3.json http://localhost:8083/connectors | jq
By inspecting the logs of the Connect worker, I’ve confirmed that the connector has started correctly:
INFO Starting connectors and tasks using config offset 9 INFO Starting connector meetups-to-s3 INFO Starting task meetups-to-s3-0 INFO Creating task meetups-to-s3-0
Soon after, still at the INFO log level, you’ll see that the S3 connector first catches up with the messages that have been published already in Kafka and then uploads an object approximately every minute, according to the timestamps of the Kafka records:
INFO Files committed to S3. Target commit offset for meetups-0 is 12478 INFO Files committed to S3. Target commit offset for meetups-0 is 12613 INFO Files committed to S3. Target commit offset for meetups-0 is 12759 INFO Cluster ID: s5EbMmZQRdaDh-vARJ_WpQ INFO Files committed to S3. Target commit offset for meetups-0 is 12863 INFO WorkerSinkTask{id=meetups-to-s3-0} Committing offsets asynchronously using sequence number 1: {meetups-0=OffsetAndMetadata{offset=12863, metadata=''}} INFO Files committed to S3. Target commit offset for meetups-0 is 13035 INFO WorkerSinkTask{id=meetups-to-s3-0} Committing offsets asynchronously using sequence number 2: {meetups-0=OffsetAndMetadata{offset=13035, metadata=''}} INFO Files committed to S3. Target commit offset for meetups-0 is 13205 INFO WorkerSinkTask{id=meetups-to-s3-0} Committing offsets asynchronously using sequence number 3: {meetups-0=OffsetAndMetadata{offset=13205, metadata=''}} INFO Files committed to S3. Target commit offset for meetups-0 is 13339 INFO Cluster ID: s5EbMmZQRdaDh-vARJ_WpQ INFO WorkerSinkTask{id=meetups-to-s3-0} Committing offsets asynchronously using sequence number 4: {meetups-0=OffsetAndMetadata{offset=13339, metadata=''}}
The view on the AWS S3 console also confirms the real-time upload of Meetup events from Kafka to objects in S3, with an object being created approximately every minute, as intended by our configuration.
But how is this possible on top of an eventually consistent object store? Read on to see how we approached the challenge of avoiding duplicates in the S3 connector.
How we implemented exactly once streaming on eventually consistent S3
If you play around a bit with the pipeline we defined above, for example by restarting the S3 connector a few times, you will notice a couple of things: No duplicates appear in your bucket, data upload continues from where it was left off, and no data is missed. How is this accomplished under the covers?
In order to provide the S3 connector with exactly once semantics, we relied on two simple techniques:
S3 multipart uploads: This feature enables us to stream changes gradually in parts and in the end make the complete object available in S3 with one atomic operation. We utilize the fact that Kafka and Kafka partitions are immutable. Therefore, if we upload the same range of offset twice, we get the exact same file.
Starting with S3, the key feature of its SDK that allows this connector to deliver data without duplicates is multipart uploads. In S3, every upload is atomic. An object is either present as a whole in S3 or not present at all. However, for a streaming data platform to upload data in a streaming fashion, the ability to perform the uploads incrementally is key for a connector.
Using multipart uploads, the S3 connector uploads each file gradually in parts, but this process is transparent to the users. They only see the end result, which is the complete file. This fact makes the S3 connector a robust exactly once connector since, even under the presence of failures, the apps that read files from S3 will always read the same files and contents once they become available as complete objects in S3.
Furthermore, in the presence of failures or in between restarts, the connector is able to pick up data export where it left off. In a few cases, this might mean that it will have to re-upload parts of an upload that were not completed. Again, this does not affect downstream applications reading records from S3 since such applications see the whole file, which is always the same if the partitioner that is used distributes Kafka records the same way every time.
The value of Kafka is that it makes exactly once semantics efficient and robust. Because of S3’s eventual consistency, we don’t probe S3 to recover state. At the same time, we also refrain from using the local disk of Connect workers to track the connector’s progress. Kafka is treated as the sole source of truth. This fact simplifies recovery from faults significantly. The connector just needs to commit offsets to Kafka once an upload is successful. On every restart, the connector worker starts to export records immediately from where it left off.
By not persisting the data to local disks, the connector is able to run faster, while Kafka is responsible for resilience and Connect workers are used to scale up data export in a stateless fashion.
Here are three examples that highlight how exactly once semantics are preserved in different situations:
The S3 connector uploads a set of records to S3 using a partitioner that rolls a new file every 90 records. Let’s assume that each record takes 1 MB and the connector is configured to upload parts of 25 MB each. Let’s also assume that the connector starts consuming records from Kafka at offset 180. After the connector uploads the three parts of size 25 MB each successfully, the last part, with the remaining 15 MB is uploaded and the connector completes the multipart upload. S3 assembles the parts into a single file. This is a very quick operation in S3. Finally, the S3 connector commits the offset of the last Kafka record that was uploaded successfully when this multipart upload completed. The next starting Kafka record offset will be 270.
Successful upload and offset commit In a similar scenario, the S3 connector starts uploading another set of 90 records to S3, with starting offset 270. However, this time, somewhere in between uploading part three and part four, the Connect cluster experiences a hard failure, bringing the S3 connector offline for a short period of time. Even though this failure has interrupted the S3 connector from uploading the next 90 records in a single file, the users on the S3 side will not notice such a failure in the form of partial data because the file has not become visible yet. Once the S3 connector is back online, it will resume execution from the latest committed Kafka record offset, which is still 270 and after the multipart upload of all four parts succeeds this time, it will make available the new set of 90 records as a new file on S3. The next Kafka offset to be consumed will be 360. Failure during multipart upload and restart from latest committed offset In a different failure scenario, the S3 connector successfully uploads another set of 90 records to S3, with starting Kafka record offset 360, in four parts. The multipart upload completes successfully on the S3 side. However, this time, the commit message that attempts to store the record offset back to Kafka is lost. In this case, the S3 connector will resume from its latest saved Kafka offset, which is again 360. In the meantime the file that was previously uploaded to S3 is available to S3 users. In this scenario, the S3 connector avoids duplicates, because when the second attempt to upload the same 90 succeeds, the previous file will be overwritten in an atomic operation by the new file with the same name. This time offset commit succeeds on the Kafka side and the S3 connector is ready to consume new records from offset 450.
Failure during offset commit and restart from latest committed offset
Conclusion
Since its initial release, the Kafka Connect S3 connector has been used to upload more than 75 PB of data from Kafka to S3. If you haven’t used it yet, give it a try by following the quick start or the demo as described. If you are one of the many users already using the S3 connector in production and development environments and you wish a missing feature was present, feel free to let us know by contributing an issue or a pull request to the S3 connector’s GitHub repo.
If you’d like to know more, you can download the Confluent Platform and get started with the leading distribution of Apache Kafka. | {
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The US Army has awarded Microsoft a $480 million contract to supply the military branch with as many as 100,000 HoloLens augmented reality headsets for training and combat purposes, according to Bloomberg.
Microsoft beat out other leading augmented reality headset companies, like Magic Leap, which announced that it would be joining the bidding process back in September. Microsoft has had the upper hand, focusing primarily on enterprise markets, unlike Magic Leap, which has focused on the barely-existent consumer market. Microsoft has also previously sold some headsets to the military. But this contract would go well beyond its earlier collaboration, and could greatly expand the reach of the headset.
“This new work extends our longstanding, trusted relationship with the Department of Defense to this new area.”
“Augmented reality technology will provide troops with more and better information to make decisions,” a Microsoft spokesperson wrote in an email to Bloomberg. “This new work extends our longstanding, trusted relationship with the Department of Defense to this new area.”
According to Bloomberg, the military-grade headsets would vary extensively from the existing HoloLens design. They would include thermal sensing and night vision and be used in both training and on the battlefield. Microsoft would be expected to provide at least 2,500 units of the headset to the military branch within the next two years.
Cooperation between tech companies and the US military has become fraught over the past year, with employees penning letters objecting to the deals and challenging leaders in their respective companies to withdraw. Last month, Google pulled out of the bidding process for the Pentagon’s $10 billion JEDI contract. Microsoft has continued to bid on the deal, despite employees disagreeing with the move. | {
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The Trump administration said on Thursday it plans to allow only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of the modern refugee program. (Representational Image)
The Trump administration said on Thursday it plans to allow only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of the modern refugee program.
In a move immediately decried by immigrant advocates as an affront to the nation's humanitarian commitments, the administration said it had to shift focus to processing a backlog of hundreds of thousands of asylum claims, most of which are filed by migrants from Central America crossing the US-Mexico border.
"The current burdens on the US immigration system must be alleviated before it is again possible to resettle large number of refugees," the State Department said in a statement.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying his administration would seek the approval of state and local governments to resettle refugees in their communities, in a shift for a federally directed program.
May saw the highest number of crossings at the US-Mexico border since 2007.
Trump has made cutting immigration a centrepiece of his presidency. One of his first acts after assuming office in January 2017 was to issue an order capping the maximum number of refugees that year at 50,000, less than half the number former President Barack Obama had set a few months earlier.
The proposed new number includes specific carve-outs for US national security and foreign policy interests, a senior administration official told reporters.
Of the proposed 18,000 spots, 4,000 would be reserved for Iraqis, 5,000 for those fleeing religious persecution and 1,500 for people from the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. That leaves 7,500, or roughly 40 per cent, for all others.
When reports began circulating about plans to dramatically cut resettlement, the administration faced public criticism from evangelical leaders who said an agenda supporting religious freedom around the world should go hand in hand with protection for persecuted refugees.
A senior administration official discussing the move on Thursday said that the specific allocation for religious minorities would be an improvement over previous years where broad allocations were made per region.
DWINDLING PROGRAM
The refugee cap was whittled down to 45,000 for 2018 and 30,000 for 2019, over the objections of senior officials in the Department of Defense, who view the program as crucial to rewarding and building allies in US military campaigns oversees.
Under US law, the president must consult Congress before finalizing the annual number of refugees it plans to accept but the determination is ultimately set by the White House.
The reduction comes at a time when there are nearly 71 million displaced people around the world, many of them refugees who have been waiting years in limbo for a chance at resettlement.
Beneficiaries of the US program are meant to include people whose lives are in danger for assisting the US military, orphaned children, and victims of female genital mutilation as well as many other fleeing civil strife and war.
Tens of thousands of refugees are in the pipeline for arrival to the United States, many with applications far along in the approval and vetting process. But a drastic reduction in the overall numbers, as well as the allotments for particular groups, could mean many of them will likely miss the chance to come to the country in the 2020 fiscal year.
The senior administration official said refugee arrivals, which had been temporarily suspended pending the release of the new resettlement numbers, should resume on October 22. While a short suspension is typical, the weeks-long halt has left many refugees who had already booked their flights stranded.
With the focus on the influx of migrants at the southern border, the administration has signed a series of bilateral deals in recent weeks that seek to push asylum seekers from Central America back to the region to apply for refuge in neighbouring countries instead of in the United States.
Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement the current refugee proposal - with nearly 10 per cent of slots reserved for the northern triangle countries - offers people from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras "the opportunity to seek refugee status close to home, rather than embark on a dangerous and often futile journey."
LOCAL SAY
The President's companion executive order also potentially limits the places where those that are accepted can be resettled.
In the order, he said refugees should only be placed where state and local governments agree to receive them.
"State and local governments are best positioned to know the resources and capacities they may or may not have available," the order said, "which maximizes the likelihood refugees placed in the area will become self-sufficient and free from long-term dependence on public assistance."
The administration said refugee resettlement was a drain on government resources but immigration experts said new arrivals, who come with a legal status, often quickly fill jobs and contribute to local tax revenues.
Mark Hetfield, chief executive of Jewish non-profit refugee assistance organization HIAS said the executive order was an attempt by Trump to "allow governors and mayors to imitate his own refugee ban, state by state and town by town."
Catch the latest news, live coverage and in-depth analyses from India and World. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. | {
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STANFORD — Alan Gordon didn’t want to leave the Bay Area last summer when the Earthquakes traded him to the Los Angeles Galaxy for allocation money.
But his son Reece really didn’t like the trade.
“You have no idea how hard it was to put a Galaxy jersey on my son,” Gordon said before the Quakes defeated Los Angeles 3-1 at Stanford Stadium.
Reece, now 41/2, would cry on the way to Galaxy games because he wanted to wear Quakes gear.
But Reece and the rest of the Gordon family will be rooting for the Galaxy on Wednesday night when the clubs renew the California Clasico in a U.S. Open Cup game at Avaya Stadium.
In a scheduling quirk, the teams are reassembling in the Bay Area four days after San Jose scored one of its best Major League Soccer victories of the season in front of 50,000 fans.
Now the teams face off in a tournament atmosphere in which the winner advances to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup, an event that includes amateurs to pros.
San Jose coach Dominic Kinnear said he expected changes in the lineup from Saturday night. For starters, the Quakes won’t have leading scorer Chris Wondolowski, who is with the U.S. national team much of July for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Gordon, 33, made the provisional roster for the summer tournament, a testament to his perseverance.
Quakes officials gave up on the 6-foot-3 target forward last summer because of mounting injuries and his age.
“Yes, they did,” Gordon said.
The forward told San Jose general manager John Doyle that he wasn’t done.
“I had more to give,” Gordon said, adding he used the slight as motivation.
After a career year in 2012 with 13 goals and seven assists, Gordon had only four goals and three assists in the final 11/2 years in San Jose.
He failed to score in 15 Quakes games last year. Then came the turnaround. Gordon had five goals in his first 11 Galaxy games. He has four goals this season.
“All you need is a chance,” the forward said. “And they gave me a chance.”
Gordon, a popular San Jose figure because of the “Bash Brothers” connection with fellow forward Steven Lenhart, entered the game Saturday in the 67th minute.
About 20 minutes later, Gordon got a yellow card for bickering with former teammate Jordan Stewart of San Jose. He is ineligible Saturday against Toronto FC after receiving too many yellow cards.
But he can play against his former team Wednesday. Gordon still roots for the Quakes despite the trade.
“I always root for them when we’re not playing them,” he said. “Sometimes, there are situations with the team, and you’re bitter. That wasn’t me. I will always love the Quakes.”
Gordon talks to Lenhart almost daily. The Galaxy forward helped Lenhart get special treatment in Southern California for his knee injury.
“I want to see him back on the field,” Gordon said of his friend who has not played this season.
After becoming so popular in the Bay Area, Gordon was not immediately welcomed into the Galaxy fold by fans who remembered his goal-scoring celebrations against their team.
“They hated me,” he recently told MLS.com. “They legitimately hated me.”
Gordon has a way of turning it around, and L.A. fans now embrace their big forward.
While the player has gone further than Quakes officials might have predicted, it is difficult to know how much longer he has.
“I’m here this year and hoping for another one,” Gordon said. “I’ll play as long as I can.” | {
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Here’s something most musicians haven’t seen before – how their instrument looks from inside.
Photographer Bjoern Ewers give us a first look on the inside of different instruments with a series of ads for the Berlin Philharmonic that represent these spaces on a grand scale. Looks AMAZING! | {
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CROTON — Flames lit up the night sky after a massive fire erupted at Trillium Farms near Croton in northern Licking County.
A call came into the Licking County 911 dispatch at 3:20 a.m. reporting the fire at Trillium Layer Site No. 4, on Westley Chapel Road, a dispatcher with the Licking County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Trillium Farms is experiencing a significant fire at one of our farm locations on Westley Chapel Road in Licking County," company spokeswoman Hinda Mitchell said Tuesday morning. "We do not yet know the cause of the fire.
"All team members are accounted for, and we are grateful that no one was harmed in the fire. Several barns are affected, and we do not know the full scale of the loss. This is a terrible situation, and we are devastated by the loss of our hens."
Hartford Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Richardson said the fire damaged at least two Trillium Farms buildings, with one building about 300 feet long destroyed and another building damaged, but fixable. The cause remains undetermined, but is believed to be electrical, he said.
All the chickens were lost in one building and some chickens lost in two other buildings due to exposure, he said. There were no human injuries to employees or firefighters.
"There was a partial roof collapse before we got there," Richardson said. "Due to the damage we were unable to get inside. It collapsed onto itself. It was so far involved, we did what we could."
Video of the fire on several media outlets showed flames amid farm buildings in the three-alarm blaze, which continued to burn for several hours while dozens of firefighters worked to contain it. Firefighters remained on the scene until about 1:30 p.m. clearing hot spots.
"There's always potential for it to come back due to the wind, until all the debris is gone," Richardson said.
Thirty fire departments responded from Licking, Delaware, Morrow, Knox, and Franklin Counties, according to WBNS 10TV. There were 47 fire trucks on the scene at one point.
Westley Chapel Road was closed between Clover Valley Road and Croton Road as firefighters battled the blaze, the sheriff’s office said.
“Multiple fire departments, including volunteers, have responded, and we appreciate their work and their swift actions to try to protect further barns from the fire," Mitchell said. "We ask for everyone’s patience during this difficult time, as we work to understand what happened."
It was not the first time a massive fire broke out at the Trillium Farms facility. In 2018, a fire less than two miles away destroyed a pullet barn at the facility. Pullets are young hens usually not more than a year old and not yet producing eggs.
Previously:Trillium Farms: Cause of 2018 fire not known
A company spokeswoman at the time said Trillium’s Croton egg farm houses 7 million chickens.
The 2018 fire at 12280 Croton Road appeared to be accidental, fire officials said, although the cause was undetermined. Damage was limited to one building, and no Trillium employees or firefighters were injured.
In July 2017, manure spontaneously caught fire in the 1100 block of Croton Road, causing minimal damage and no injuries.
Firefighters battled all day to contain an August 2013 manure fire in the 1100 block of Croton Road, resulting in no injuries or structural damage. In May 2013, an external heating unit outside a barn caught fire, causing no major damage.
Established in 2011, Trillium Farms has grown to be one of the nation’s leading egg producers, according to its web site. Production operations include pullets, cage free pullets, egg-layers and cage free layers. It process both shell eggs and liquid egg on site.
Trillium has its own feed mills and trucking operations to transport hens and the feed they consume. The heart of the company is located in Croton and Johnstown, with additional locations in Larue, Marseilles and Mt. Victory, Ohio.
[email protected]
740-328-8545
Twitter: @kmallett1958 | {
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Ich stehe vor unserer kleinen, süßen Hütte mitten in Islands südlichem Nirgendwo und sehe: Bodendecker. Gräser. Ein paar Büsche. Leichte Hügel. Ganz weit in der Ferne den Eyafjallajökull, dessen Name wir einmal am Tag belustigt üben auszusprechen (HeyYaForgotYourYogurt). Sonst: Nichts. Kein Wald. Kein einziger Baum.
Bei diesem erneuten Besuch im kleinen Inselstaat wirkt Island auf mich einmal wieder wie ein natürliches Disneyland mit seinen riesigen Wasserfällen, bunten Lagunen, warmen Geysiren und nicht zuletzt wegen der zauberhaften, endlos weiten, schroffen Landschaften und der kargen Vegetation, in denen Pferde und Schafe herumlaufen und Regenbögen scheinbar aus der Erde gespuckt werden.
Natürlich im Sinne von ursprünglich ist diese Landschaft jedoch zu großen Teilen nicht: Ein Drittel der Landfläche Islands ist Wüste, damit ist Island das größte Wüstengebiet Europas. Und diese Wüste ist menschengemacht.
Inhalt des Artikels
Zerstörung der Vegetation vor 1000 Jahren
Frühe Untersuchungen über den Waldbestand auf Island
Faszination Islands Wüsten
Aufforstung und Umweltschutz in Island
Umweltpolitische Entwicklung
Aluminiumherstellung auf Island
Weiterführende Literatur
Zerstörung der Vegetation vor etwa 1000 Jahren
Als die norwegischen Wikinger im 9. Jahrhundert Island bevölkerten, war Island mit mindestens 60% Vegetation bedeckt, davon etwa die Häfte Birken- und Weidewald. Der größte Teil dieses Waldes wurde bereits vor Ende des Mittelalters gerodet. Siedlungsgebiete wurden erschlossen und Holzwirtschaft betrieben, aber vor allem fraßen die eingeführten Schafe ihre Weideflächen derart nieder, dass die Vegetation sich in den kurzen Polarsommern nicht erholen konnte. Klimaveränderungen und starke vulkanische Aktivität zwischen 1600 und 1900 führte dann aufgrund von Bodenveränderungen zu einer verstärkten Erosion. Heute sind etwa 1-2% des Landes mit Wald bedeckt.
Die heutige Landschaft Islands ist somit das Ergebnis einer der frühesten Fälle drastischer Umweltzerstörung.
Frühe Untersuchungen über den Waldbestand auf Island
In der bereits 1774 veröffentlichten „Reise durch Island“ bemerken Eggert Olafsens und Biarne Povelsen bereits die weitreichende Zerstörung des Waldes. Sie untersuchen alte Waldfunde im Torf, lassen sich über alte Sagas berichten, die häufig Hinweise auf die Landschaft geben und kommen bereits damals zu dem Schluss, dass große Teile von Island mit Wald bewachsen gewesen sein müssen.
Heutige moderne Verfahren fügen Pollen- und Fossilanalysen hinzu, aber auch Ortsnamensforschungen bestätigen die Schätzungen der großen Wald-Bestände vor rund 1000 Jahren.
Faszination Islands Wüsten
Wenn ich in Bezug auf Island vom „ökologischen Touristenparadies“ lese, wundere mich daher ein bisschen über diesen Ausdruck. Islands Landschaft ist faszinierend, keine Frage. Auch die Sahara möchte ich gerne einmal sehen. Ökologisch paradiesischer wird sie durch die äußerliche Faszination aber nicht. Dazu passt übrigens ein Video, das ich gestern auf youtube gefunden habe:
Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube.
Mehr erfahren Video laden YouTube immer entsperren
Aufforstung und Umweltschutz in Island
Den Isländern ist das Problem bewusst, zumal ohne Bäume die Bodenerosion zunimmt, also die Verwüstung im wahrsten Sinne. Sie forsten deshalb seit einigen Jahren intensiv auf und probieren mehrere Baumarten aus, denn nur wenige erweisen sich in dem rauhen Klima als tauglich. Birken sind beliebt, weil sie zur ursprünglichen Vegetation gehörten und zudem den Vorteil haben, sehr biegsam zu sein – eine für das Überleben im starken isländischen Wind nicht unwesentliche Eigenschaft.
Wichtig für das Gelingen der Aufforstung ist das Einzäunen der Weideflächen, damit die Schafe nicht an Setzlingen und der Bodenvegetation knabbern. Die Zäune in Island sind daher nicht unbedingt Ausdruck isländischer Mentalität sondern ein Zugeständnis an die Natur.
Umweltpolitische Entwicklung in Island
Ich bin gespannt, wie es weitergeht und Island sich entwickelt. Island hat derzeit verschiedene Entscheidungen zu treffen, die weitreichende Folgen haben dürften: Erstens ist da die zunehmende Masse an Touristen, für die entsprechende Infrastruktur und Unterkünfte geschaffen werden müssen. Weiterhin möchte Island in 20 Jahren CO²-neutral sein. Und vor allem betrifft es das leidige Thema der Aluminiumherstellung, über das sich in den letzten Jahren die isländische Bevölkerung schwer verstritten hat.
Aluminiumherstellung auf Island
Island besitzt zwar keine entsprechenden Rohstoffe, aufgrund der günstigen Energiekosten durch natürliche Quellen ist es jedoch ertragreich, den benötigten Grundstoff Bauxit aus Australien nach Island zu verschiffen, wo Aluminium für amerikanische und europäische Märkte hergestellt wird. Für die Herstellung müssen Landstriche geopfert werden, was große Teile der Bevölkerung ablehnen. Befürworter sehen die energiegünstige Herstellung von Aluminium sowie diese Alternative zum Fischfang positiv, zumal damit die wacklige Ökonomie des Landes gestärkt wird.
Island hat sich vor wenigen Jahren ökonomisch aus der Krise geboxt, ist dabei sympathisch halsstarrig geblieben und hat auf sozialverträgliche Mittel gesetzt. Irgendwie werde ich den Verdacht nicht los, dass das kleine Volk mit seiner Wunderinsel und den sympathisch engagierten Bewohnern es schafft, den gleichen Weg für die Umwelt zu gehen. Vielleicht bin ich aber auch nur hoffnungslose Idealistin.
Weiterführende Literatur
Über Umwelt, Abholzung und Aluminium:
Auf den Spuren der Sagas:
* Amazon-Partnerlink: Wenn Ihr über diesen Link bestellt, bekomme ich ein bisschen Provision, der Preis ist für Euch der Gleiche. Wenn Ihr nicht wollt, dass Amazon weiß, auf welchen Seiten Ihr Euch rumtreibt, solltet Ihr diesen Link nicht verwenden. | {
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People walk past Punjab National Bank's Brady House branch in Mumbai, India June 14, 2018. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India’s state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Saturday said it had reported a borrowing fraud of 38.05 billion Indian rupees ($556 million) in Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd’s account to the country’s central bank.
The fraud, “alleging diversion of funds from the banking system” was being reported to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the basis of the findings of forensic audit and the federal police filing a first information report, the PNB said in a statement to stock exchanges.
“It has been observed that the company has misappropriated bank funds, manipulated books of accounts to raise funds from consortium lender banks,” PNB said, adding that it had already made provisions of 19.32 billion rupees in Bhushan’s account.
PNB has been defrauded of over $2 billion in a separate scam that came to light last year.
Bhushan Power and Steel, one of India’s most indebted companies, was among the first 12 companies referred by the RBI India to a bankruptcy court for a debt resolution process under India’s new insolvency law.
The company could not be reached for comment on the PNB statement. | {
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Former foreign secretary Douglas Hurd anticipated a dangerous future of UK isolation caused by “poisonous” internal divisions over the EU and advocated a policy of diplomatic “polygamy”, government documents from a quarter of a century ago reveal.
In a prescient, strategic paper released to the National Archives in Kew, Hurd warned that British attitudes towards the continent were tipping “over into xenophobia” at a time when international alliances were becoming ever more crucial.
But even the prime minister of the day, John Major, a convinced Europhile, vented his exasperation in private at the byzantine politics of the European Union, the files show, confessing on one occasion that he was “sick and tired of playing by the rules”.
John Major was told to impress Murdoch with his confidence, papers show Read more
Hurd’s analysis was delivered to a high-powered private seminar at Chequers on 2 September 1994, in the presence of Major, the defence secretary Malcolm Rifkind and select senior officials.
As the UK agonises over Brexit, Hurd’s prophetic warnings will reverberate forcefully. The immediate international challenges in 1994 were civil war in the former Yugoslavia and mass slaughter in Rwanda. “The world has undergone a seismic change,” his confidential address began. “There is now one superpower but it is unwilling to impose solutions on disorder.”
Britain, “as a medium-sized power”, Hurd said, should best “pursue our interests through multilateral organisations, buttressed by selected bilateral alliances. The European Union is the most important.”
The UK’s three main partners, he said, are “the United States, Germany and France, for each of whom we are in danger of ranking third”.
He continued: “The main area of confusion in our foreign policy is Europe. Our public opinion is doubtful, most of our media hostile. The uncertainty over what we want weakens our ability to achieve our goals and make others hesitant to ally with us. We are seen as reluctant participants. This impression spreads outwards and weakens us in other areas too, eg with the United States.”
Review: Memoirs by Douglas Hurd Read more
Hurd was confident that the UK was on the winning side of the argument in the EU debate between “old-fashioned centralisers” and wanting “a wider, more flexible Europe”. That part of his prediction may have proved somewhat too optimistic. The EU, though, he acknowledged, faced growing threats from drugs, crime and immigration.
Hurd said: “Meanwhile, debate in the UK remains poisonous and we are weakened as a country by it. It tips over into xenophobia, especially in the press, and this is what Europeans and others notice. The political parties are divided, ours more seriously than Labour. We are unable to give a lead to popular thinking. As a result we seem continuously bad-tempered and on the defensive.”
Summing up, the foreign secretary concluded: “The world and interests in it are too complex for us to rely on a single partner. We need to practice polygamy. On each issue, we must first have total clarity on our national interests and then seek alliances with those who share our conclusions.”
After reading his foreign secretary’s speech, Major recorded in a handwritten note: “Mr Hurd’s paper is v.good. I agree with every word.”
Evidence of Major’s frustration at EU negotiations emerges from notes he made in the margins of a “look-ahead” file containing summaries of forthcoming events in the EU.
A letter in early 1995 about the French presidency of the Council of the EU explained there were demands for financial support in the Mediterranean and that the UK was resisting an EU data protection directive. On the briefing, a clearly irritated prime minister wrote: “Plenty of problems here. Why not block help for the Med if they impose the DP directive? I’m sick and tired of playing by the rules.”
Christopher Meyer, Major’s press secretary, produced a detailed “rolling database of controversial EU issues” so that the government could avoid being ambushed by the media or Eurosceptic backbenchers.
One item highlighted was an EU banana management committee that was considering quality standards. “Potential for another press field day on ‘bendy bananas’ etc,” Meyer observed, “but new legislation not expected in near future”. That was a reference to the 1994 controversy based on misleading reports that Brussels was planning to ban curved bananas.
A few months later, in April 1995, on another look-ahead circular, the prime minister scribbled: “Oh, God. It goes on and on. I’m getting pretty sick of this.” On a later report, discussing the Spanish presidency of the council, he wrote: “Please refer re metrication. Potential trouble.”
The threat of enforced metrication caused anxiety in No 10. In one letter to a colleague, Major declared: “This [EU] directive should not be enabled to confuse the elderly, irritate the population and damage the government.” On another metrication report, he noted: “Heaven help us. What a mess.”
Margaret Thatcher before him experienced even greater misgivings, the files reveal. She fought a rearguard action to preserve imperial measurement units. At the start of her premiership in 1979, she was telling officials: “I trust there will be no more compulsory metrication.”
Pressed by Lord Young in 1987 to consider an EU deadline on metrication, Thatcher wrote: “We can’t phase out imperial units – there would be an enormous row. Media and parliament would be united against a change.” The implementation date repeatedly slipped, leaving her unfortunate successor to confront the problem. | {
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Renewable energy boomed in 2015, a year that saw fossil fuel prices plummet and ended with a historic climate agreement hammered out in Paris.
In fact, investments in renewables such as wind and solar were more than double the amount spent on new coal and gas-fired power plants in 2015, according to the Renewables Global Status Report (pdf) from REN21, an international non-profit association based at the United Nations Environment Programme in Paris, France.
An estimated 147 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity was added in 2015—the largest annual increase ever—while renewable heat capacity and biofuels production also increased. Indeed, the world now adds more renewable power capacity annually than it adds (net) capacity from all fossil fuels combined, the report states. Furthermore, employment in the renewable energy sector rose in 2015 to an estimated 8.1 million direct and indirect jobs.
"What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved at a time when fossil fuel prices were at historic lows, and renewables remained at a significant disadvantage in terms of government subsidies," said REN21 executive secretary Christine Lins. "For every dollar spent boosting renewables, nearly four dollars were spent to maintain our dependence on fossil fuels."
Strikingly, last year marked the first time that developing nations invested more in renewable energy than richer countries did—$156 billion in 2015, a 19 percent increase on the year before, and more than all richer nations combined.
"Countries are opting for renewables because they are not only the most environmentally sound, but also the cheapest option," Lins said. "It's a clear signal of its economic viability."
Bloomberg notes that Europe, on the other hand, "is losing its status as a global leader in clean energy, with investment in the region plummeting 21 percent last year." Renewable energy investment in developed countries as a group declined by 8 percent in 2015.
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But in the United States, renewable energy investment increased by 19 percent to $44.1 billion, the country's largest increase in dollar terms since 2011.
Developing countries are also leading the way on small-scale power generation, the report reveals.
"Globally, renewable electricity production in 2015 continued to be dominated by large (e.g., megawatt-scale and up) generators that are owned by utilities or large investors," according to REN21.
However, the assessment points out:
At the same time, there are markets where distributed, small-scale generation has taken off, or is starting to do so. Bangladesh is the world's largest market for solar home systems, and other developing countries (e.g., Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Africa; China, India and Nepal in Asia; Brazil and Guyana in Latin America) are seeing rapid expansion of small-scale renewable systems, including renewables-based mini-grids, to provide electricity for people living far from the grid. Developed countries and regions—including Australia, Europe, Japan and North America—have seen significant growth in numbers of residential and industrial electricity customers who produce their own power.
Responding to the report, Friends of the Earth UK campaigner Andrew Pendleton told The Independent: "It should be a source of deep shame that Britain is being outspent by many other industrialized and developing nations in renewables when, as a windy island, we have a clear competitive advantage.
"If Britain," he continued, "with our almost unrivalled natural resources, isn't the right place to invest in renewables then where is? If now is not the right time, when will be? Governments have to create the right investment climate and it's clear that currently ours isn’t." | {
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Moscow (AFP) - Allies of murdered Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov on Tuesday unveiled a report he worked on claiming that hundreds of Russian soldiers have been killed fighting in Ukraine.
The report -- based on media articles and information from families of Russian soldiers allegedly killed in Ukraine -- repeats widespread allegations of Russian military involvement in Ukraine that Moscow has consistently denied.
"We gathered what we think is comprehensive proof of the presence of Russian troops," said Ilya Yashin, one of the authors of the report entitled "Putin. War" as he presented it to reporters in Moscow.
Nemtsov -- a former deputy prime minister who became a fierce Kremlin critic -- had started work on the report before he was gunned down just yards from the Kremlin in late February.
The 64-page report said the Russian army made two major incursions into Ukrainian territory in the summer of 2014 and in the winter of 2015. Both turned the tables in the fighting and came ahead of negotiations on the conflict.
"All key military successes of the separatists were ensured by regular Russian army contingents," Yashin said of the conflict between Kiev's forces and separatists in eastern Ukraine, which has resulted in over 6,200 deaths since April 2014.
The first major deployment of the regular Russian army to eastern Ukraine resulted in the deaths of soldiers around the strategic railway hub of Ilovaisk, with "more than 150 coffins" returning to Russia after fighting there.
- 'More than 150 coffins' -
After the winter incursion "at least 70 troops died," including around the town of Debaltseve, which was captured by the separatists shortly after the signing of the latest truce agreement.
Some of the information came from sources representing relatives of the soldiers who approached Nemtsov in February after the government did not deliver on its promise to compensate for the deaths, the report says.
The army forced the soldiers to officially end their contracts before deploying them across the frontier, the report says, and threatened relatives with criminal cases, forcing them to stay quiet.
Story continues
Moscow further backed the recruitment of volunteers through army offices and oversaw the "transfer of military equipment" across the border, including the surface-to-air Buk system that was used to shoot down the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 over the Donetsk region in July last year, Yashin said.
Nemtsov, who was serving as a regional MP at the time of his death, made several requests for information from the security services and border authorities regarding the flow of soldiers across the border to Ukraine, without receiving any response.
- Report 'irritated' Kremlin -
Russian authorities have fiercely denied accusations from Kiev and the West that they are backing the separatist rebellion in Ukraine.
The Kremlin refused to comment on the claims, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling Russian news agencies: "I am not familiar with the report so I have nothing to say."
Yashin said the final version of the report had a lot of debatable data removed so that "every letter, every word, every fact and every testimony" has been proven.
Nemtsov's colleagues believe the Kremlin is implicated in his brazen killing as all opposition figures are closely watched and often followed, while the bridge where he was shot is heavily monitored by police.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement and five men from Russia's volatile North Caucasus region have been arrested on charges of carrying out the hit.
Nemtsov's former colleague and friend, ex-prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, said Nemtsov wanted to compile the report to offer an alternative source of information for Russians who are overwhelmingly dependent on state television.
"It is a document for Russian citizens to be able to compare information and understand what is happening," he said. "Propaganda... is not letting citizens make their own conclusions."
The investigation of Nemtsov's murder has stalled, Kasyanov said, as the mastermind is still at large.
The leading suspect currently in detention, former Chechen police officer Zaur Dadayev, has retracted his confession amid allegations he was tortured in custody.
Yashin said Nemtsov's work on the report could be one of the reasons for his killing and called for investigators to look into it.
"The work Nemtsov did was dangerous and provoked irritation in the Kremlin," he said.
The website of the report was opening slowly on Tuesday afternoon and Yashin said it was undergoing a cyber DDoS attack.
He and other authors of the report have received "threats" in the course of their work to finish the pamphlet, he said, calling it "psychological pressure". | {
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The Gallery!
Follow DraconidsMXZ on Twitter over here!
I secretly started these posts just to steal ALL the secrets. So far I've failed horribly at that, but when I study lighting, DraconidsMXZ is one of my first picks. He nails pretty much every form of it, from the bright sunny valleys, to the beautiful sunset up above.And to top it off, his pony style is adorable.Below the break, check out an interview and gallery all about his process and how he got to where he is artistically today!Back in 2015 when I was a freshman in my university, I studied very hard in order to obtain a good grade. However, the results turned out very bad. Under tons of pressure, I started my sophomore year, along with lots of responsibilities from the students' union falling on my shoulders. I felt frustrated and hopeless and I could barely keep up.Everything changed during the first week of October. By then I wanted to watch some TV show so that I could temporarily escape from real life problems. Then suddenly, those colorful ponies that I had seen many times on DeviantArt came to my mind. I decided to give it a try – and then I just got addicted to them. I finished watching all the available episodes then (seasons 1-5) in two weeks.Since then, every time I thought about them, I'd feel warm inside. Ponies taught me to be optimistic, gave me strength and helped me get through the most difficult part of my university life. At the end of sophomore year, I got incredibly good grades. Without ponies, I don’t think I could have made it happen. That was how ponies became part of my life.I will look for references. References are extremely important to me.I just keep in mind with a lot of artists whose art styles may inspire me in certain ways. For example, Huussii for sceneries, NowISee for colors, Imalou for rendering, etc. And of course, besides pony artists, there are lots and lots of good artists on the internet who also inspired me, and I keep them in mind too.My tablet is a Wacom Cintiq Companion 2. I used to sketch a lot with Paint Tool SAI, but now I prefer doing it with my iPad. Coloring is done in Photoshop.I've loved art and graphic designing since I was young, but I barely had time for practicing. Since I entered the community, I always wanted to express my feelings about ponies. I had seen many beautiful artworks and I was like: Oh my gosh, I wish I could draw something like those one day! So, I simply began to draw at the end of 2015. I started by emulating the artworks I liked, and gradually moved on to doing it in my original style. I posted my very first artwork on DeviantArt in January 2016 and people liked it! Such feelings of accomplishment and enthusiasm are what motivated me to keep drawing till this day.I didn't have time for art school, so I spent my free time to teach myself: looking for tutorials of drawing, watching artists' time-lapse videos, drawing, asking for critics and drawing more! ^ ^It’s just a hobby. And unfortunately, what I major in university right now has nothing to do with it : | {
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Technical Article => Web => Web design
What is cross domain request
In simple, cross domain request is to request resource from other domain in one domain. Note, the "other domain" doesn't just mean domain name only, it includes much more. If the protocol, domain name, port is not the same, two domains will be considered different.
Below example describes what is considered as different domain.
http://www.a.com/a.js
http://www.a.com/b.js # Same domain
http://www.a.com/lab/a.js # Same domain
http://www.a.com/script/b.js # Same domain
http://www.a.com:8000/a.js # Different domain
https://www.a.com/b.js # Different domain
http://70.32.92.74/b.js # Different domain
http://script.a.com/b.js # Different domain
http://a.com/b.js # Different domain
http://www.example.com/a.js # Different domain
It's frequently needed to request resource provided by other domains such as public APIs from Google, Facebook etc. But this opens a security black hole that the site issues the request may get smashed. Hence all mainstream browsers have restrictions on performing cross domain request. This enforces the security of the site but brings inconvenience to many applications which depend on public APIs from other sites.
Note : If a cross domain request is happening because of different protocol or port, the front end has no way to resolve the cross domain request restriction.
Resolve cross domain request restriction
document.domain
Browsers have a same origin policy, it has following restrictions
An AJAX request can not request resource from a different origin
Pages from different domains within iframes cannot communicate with each other. Though the window object can be obtained between different windows, the properties and methods of the window object cannot be obtained. For example, if there is a page http://www.a.com/a.html, it contains an iframe whose src is http://a.com/b.html. Apparently the page a.html has a different domain as the one in the iframe, hence it's impossible to get objects from the iframe within a.html.
<script type="text/javascript"> function test(){ var iframe = document.getElementById('ifame'); var win = iframe.contentWindow;// Can get window var doc = win.document;// Cannot get document object of iframe var name = win.name;// Cannot get name property } </script> <iframe id = "iframe" src="http://a.com/b.html" onload = "test()"></iframe>
In above case, document.domain can be used. The document.domain only needs to be set to the same domain in above two pages. However, there is one restriction of document.domain, document.domain can only be set to itself or its parent domain and the root domain must be the same.
In http://www.a.com/a.html , write below code:
<iframe id = "iframe" src="http://a.com/b.html" onload = "test()"></iframe> <script type="text/javascript"> document.domain = 'a.com';//Set root domain function test(){ alert(document.getElementById('iframe').contentWindow);// Can get window object } </script>
In http://a.com/b.html , write below code:
document.domain = 'a.com';
This method only applies to communications between different subdomains of the same root domain.
location.hash
Parent window can read/write iframe src, and iframe can also read/write parent URL. hash(#) is part of an URL and is used for hook something in a page. The server usually doesn't care about hash and the change to this will not create a new HTTP request.
hash can be used to exchange data between two domains. Each window can update location(In IE and Chrome, the value of parent.location.hash cannot be changed, hence a proxy iframe is needed to update the parent location hash value).
Assuming that the parent page is http://a.com/a.html, and it contains an iframe whose src is http://b.com/b.html. To achieve communication between these two pages, below steps are needed.
Send data from a.html to b.html
Change iframe src to something like http://b.com/b.html#paco
b.html will listen to the onhashchange event and see that the url is changed and get the data
Send data from b.html to a.html
In b.html, create a hidden iframe whose src is from a.com and append the data to be sent to a.com. For example, http://a.com/proxy.html#data
proxy.html will listen to onhashchange event and get the data and update a.html URL hash(since proxy.html and a.html is in same domain)
a.html will listen to onhashchange event and get the data
The code in b.html looks like:
try { parent.location.hash = 'data'; } catch (e) { var ifrproxy = document.createElement('iframe'); ifrproxy.style.display = 'none'; ifrproxy.src = "http://a.com/proxy.html#data"; document.body.appendChild(ifrproxy); }
The code in proxy.html looks like:
parent.parent.location.hash = self.location.hash.substring(1);
HTML 5 postMessage method
All mainstream browsers support this feature. This features includes the onmessage event to receive the message and the postMessage method to send the message.
If a.html contains an iframe whose src is from b.com, the postMessage method can be used.
in a.html,
window.onload = function() { var ifr = document.getElementById('ifr'); var targetOrigin = "http://b.com"; ifr.contentWindow.postMessage('hello world!', targetOrigin); };
In b.html from b.com
var onmessage = function (event) { var data = event.data;//Message var origin = event.origin;//Message origin var source = event.source; if(origin=="http://a.com"){ console.log(data);//hello world! } }; if (typeof window.addEventListener != 'undefined') { window.addEventListener('message', onmessage, false); } else if (typeof window.attachEvent != 'undefined') { //for ie window.attachEvent('onmessage', onmessage); }
jsonp
All above methods are bidirectional which means both sides can send and receive data. jsonp is unidirectional, it can only request data from other domain.
In a.html, create a script tag and set its src to the script from other domain.
<script type="text/javascript"> function dosomething(jsondata){ // Get json data } </script> <script src="http://example.com/data.php?callback=dosomething"></script>
There is a callback parameter after the script src, it will be the callback function after request completion.
In data.php, below code can be there.
$callback = $_GET['callback'];// Get parameter $data = array('a','b','c');// Response data echo $callback.'('.json_encode($data).')';// Output response
The final output will be dosomething([‘a’,’b’,’c’]); and it can be executed in a.html.
Pros and cons
Pros : It doesn't have same origin restriction and it has good compatibility even in old browsers
Cons : It only supports GET request but not POST request
CORS(Cross Origin Resource Sharing)
CORS defines how the browser interacts with the web server. It will have a specific HTTP header field which tells whether the server allows cross origin requests. The whole CORS interaction is done between browser and server, hence the user no needs to do anything. Only the server needs to have proper configuration to enable it.
To enable CORS, the server side needs to set Access-Control-Allow-Origin response header.
CORS has following advantages compared to jsonp:
It supports not only GET request but also other requests such as POST
It can use XMLHttpRequest to send and receive data and has better error handling mechanism
window.name
window object has name property which can be shared by all pages within the same window session. This can be used to share data between different domains. Note, window.name can only contain String value due to security consideration.
Other cross domain mechanisms such as middleware cross domain, proxy server, Flash URLLoader, dynamic script tag creation are not discussed here.
Reference : http://damonare.github.io/2016/10/30/%E5%89%8D%E7%AB%AF%E8%B7%A8%E5%9F%9F%E6%95%B4%E7%90%86/ | {
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It is an awesome board that will help teach me about Arduino programming! It has flashing lights, LED, buzzer, can play music...basically awesomeness in a neat little package. I don't even know what all it can do yet, but from what I've seen so far I can't wait to learn more! Super stoked right now! Yay Secret Santa! | {
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Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin cannot say for sure if President Donald Trump's new tax overhaul will benefit the middle class. When asked on "Good Morning America" Thursday whether he could guarantee that a middle-class family will pay less under the current plan, Mnuchin revealed that he could make no such promise.
"I can't make any guarantees until this thing is done and it’s on the president's desk," Mnuchin finally said, after he side-stepped the first two or three questions from George Stephanopoulos. "But I can tell you, that’s our number one objective in this."
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Trump had indicated in the past that taxes for the wealthy would ultimate go up once negotiations are complete. As of right now, however, the wealthy appear to be the only winners in the new tax plan.
Stephanopoulos asked Mnuchin if the wealthy stand to see their taxe rate drop. Again, Mnuchin avoided answering the question directly.
"The focus right here is lowering the top rate in return for eliminating deductions and special interest," he said. "This is about making tax simpler and getting rid of special interest."
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Stephanopoulos pressed Mnuchin, asking if the objective was to have "no absolute tax cuts for the wealthy."
"That's the objective," Mnuchin responded.
Before the interview ended, Savanna Guthrie asked Mnuchin to clarify a statement he made during Wednesday's press briefing about Trump's tax returns. Mnuchin said Wednesday that the president had no intention to release his tax returns, despite assurances made in the past that he would release them once the audit was complete.
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On Thursday, Mnuchin seemed to walk back that assertion.
"I'm going to let the president decide what he's going to do in the future," he said. "That is obviously up to him." | {
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Many of us think of “Jurassic Park” when we think of ferns (Pteridophytes) – abundant, spiky greenery thrashing about as huge dinosaurs crash through the forest in pursuit of human intruders.
At 300,000 million years old, they were, indeed, among the dominant plant species when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. And as many as 15,000 species now call our planet home.
Scientists aren’t exactly sure how many species exist, because new ones are still being discovered in unexplored tropical areas, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
But we know there are more than enough for you to choose from to include in both your landscape and inside your home, as these green beauties are versatile additions to either place.
While ferns are relatively easy to grow, you’ll want to understand some of their peculiarities before diving in. Let’s get started!
Plant Data
Ferns are vascular types of greenery, land plants with rigid, woody tissues that form “tubes” used to conduct water and minerals throughout.
They reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers, and are distinguished from other spore-bearing plants, such as moss, by the fact that they have true roots, stems, and complex leaves.
A spore is a reproductive cell that can develop into a new individual without joining with another reproductive cell.
And spore-based plants are evolutionarily much older than seed-based ones.
Instantly recognizable by their lace-like fronds (divided leaves) and hues of green ranging from olive to chartreuse, ferns are the Kevin Hart-Shaquille O’Neal of the plant world, varying in size from a quarter inch to as tall as 80 feet.
A Shady Character
Because ferns evolved in the shadows of the giant conifers that dominated the landscape in the time of the dinosaurs, they are generally fond of indirect light.
This makes them a wonderful go-to for areas of your garden that are shady – and frustrating to fill since so many plants want sun, sun, and more sun.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Some species – which may be evergreen or deciduous – will do well in sunny areas.
They are also very geographically diverse.
“There are ferns that do well in almost every area of the United States,” says Skip Richter, a county extension agent with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service. “Check with a local source to find the best varieties for your area,” he recommends.
For example, ‘Lady in Red’ – characterized by lacy, light green fronds – does well in USDA Hardiness Zones 2-8.
Happy a little further south in Zones 3-9 is ‘Lady Fern,’ a longtime staple that’s very hardy.
‘Japanese Holly’ fern, successfully grown in Zones 5-10, has “leaves” that are leathery and serrated, resembling holly.
If you want a true “Jurassic Park” experience, you might plant bracken (Pteridium) fern – it is one of the oldest and most evolutionarily persistent ferns.
Scientists have identified bracken fossils that are more than 65 million years old.
But beware – bracken can be be quite invasive with its extensive branched rhizome, which may grow to 1,300 feet in length.
All of these varieties (and more!) are available from Nature Hills Nursery.
Hungry, Thirsty All the Time
Whether grown in sun or shade, “they almost always want a high organic matter soil that’s moist,” says Richter. “A forest floor, for example, is ideal. The decaying leaves and understory lighting are just what they need,” he adds.
Adding these ancient treasures to a landscape that mimics those conditions will likely offer the best chance of success for most varieties, Richter says.
A top dressing of organic matter every now and then will ensure your plants are well fed. Keep in mind that they generally prefer soil that is more acidic than alkaline.
Again, there are exceptions, but most prefer a highly moist environment, such as in a humid forest or along a water source.
In the home garden, mimic these conditions by applying plenty of water if rain is infrequent. Keep the top six inches of soil moist but not soggy.
Transplanting and Propagating
Spring is the best time to transfer these plants from one place in the garden to another. If installing from a container, any time is fine.
In either case, you may want do the work when it’s cloudy, to lessen the shock to the plant.
Simply dig a hole about the same depth as its container or root ball and twice as wide.
Remove the plant from the container and place it in the hole; then fill in with organic soil. Water well, and add a layer of mulch to retain moisture.
You can also propagate these multifaceted plants by dividing them.
Start by watering the plant the day before you intend to divide it. Gently dig up the plant (or remove it from its container) and then cut or pull it into two or three clumps.
Each clump should have at least one growing tip – this is the structure from which the fronds grow. Replant the clumps as desired and keep the starts moist until you see new growth.
Creating new plants from spores is trickier, and takes a long time, but it can be done.
Choose spores when they look plump and furry. Remove a healthy frond and place it in an envelope or between two pieces of paper to dry out, then shake to loosen the spores.
Dust the spores over wet, organic, and sterile potting soil in a flat tray with a lid. Before you add the spores, you can microwave your soil to kill any pathogens.
To do this, moisten the soil so that it is damp but not waterlogged and place it in a microwave-safe container. Cover with a paper towel or ventilated lid and heat for about 90 seconds on full power for every two pounds of soil.
Don’t microwave seeds or spores as that will likely kill their ability to germinate.
Place the tray indoors in indirect light, and keep the soil moist at all times. Eventually you’ll see a green coating on the surface of the soil; many months later you will see small fronds popping up.
Some varieties produce stolons, or runners. To create a new plant from one of these, simply “pin” the runner to the top of the soil using landscape staples or a small stone.
Keep moist and look for new growth. At this point, you can cut the stolon from the mother plant and transplant as desired.
The Great Indoors
Because of their low light requirements, ferns make terrific indoor container plants.
To provide indirect light, place near a north-facing window. Avoid south or west facing windows, because too much sunlight can scald the fronds.
As many indoor environments tend to be quite dry, be sure to water indoor consistently and provide an adequately humid environment.
Try situating them in a bathroom, for example.
Other ways of increasing humidity, according to the University of Vermont Extension Department of Plant and Soil Science, include placing the pots on a water-filled, pebble-lined tray, placing a room humidifier nearby, or misting them occasionally.
Thirty to 50 percent humidity is the sweet spot for these prehistoric plants.
While a fern is actively growing, the University of Vermont recommends fertilizing by applying liquid houseplant fertilizer at about one-half the recommended rate.
Maintain your indoor plants’ healthy appearance by occasionally trimming away brown fronds.
Popular varieties for growing indoors include ‘Boston’ (Nephrolepis exaltata), ‘Button’ (Pellaea rotundifolia), ‘Kangaroo Paw’ (Microsorum diversifolium), and ‘Silver Brake’ (Pteris cretica ‘Mayi’). | {
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Armed police today arrested a man at gunpoint outside Parliament and Tasered him after he reached for a knife.
Officers ran towards Carriage Gates in response to shouts of "knife, knife, knife" outside shortly after 11.10am as the entrance to the Palace of Westminster was shut.
A bearded man, wearing black trousers and a grey sweatshirt, was held against the fence with his arms behind his back by a police officer.
Scotland Yard confirmed a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife. Cops were seen picking items up off the floor close to the man.
In an updated statement, police said the incident was not declared a terrorist one but said counter terror detectives will investigate as they remain "open minded" to the motive.
(Image: Ben Glaze/Twitter)
(Image: PA)
Police said the man was Tasered by officers as he reached for a knife.
The incident happened just metres away from where PC Keith Palmer was killed in the Westminster terror attack in March.
Members of the public and staff were asked to stay on the building side of New Palace Yard.
Eyewitnesses told how the man was wrestled to the floor as armed police raced to the scene.
(Image: Ben Hansen Hicks) (Image: Mikey Smith/ Mirror Online)
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Aaron Simons, who was walking from Westminster Tube station to College Green at the time of the incident, told Mirror Online: "I had my headphones in and wasn't really concentrating but then heard shouting from the police and people starting running the other way.
"I looked up at a man was being wrestled to the ground by a couple of policeman.
"He was struggling on the ground and a load of armed police ran out and trained their guns on him.
(Image: Ben Hansen Hicksâ€)
(Image: Ben Hansen Hicks / SWNS.com)
"They also then shut the gate immediately and one of the officers tasered him."
Mr Simons said bystanders fled in fear while some tourists watched on in shock.
The London Evening Standard's political reporter Joe Murphy tweeted: "There were shouts of "knife knife knife" and man was brought down with a Taser."
Footage circulating on social media showed the man being led into a van by police.
(Image: Rex Features) (Image: Mikey Smith/ Mirror Online)
The incident is not thought to be terror related and no one was injured.
A police spokesman said: "At 11:10am on Friday officers on routine duties near to the Carriage Gates entrance to the Palace of Westminster became aware of a man acting suspiciously.
"The officers approached the man in order to speak with him. The man reached for a knife, and police discharged a Taser.
"The man - aged in his 30s - was arrested for possession of a knife. Nobody was injured.
"The arrested man has been taken to a central London police station, where he remains in custody.
"At this time it is too early to understand the motivation so we have not declared this a terrorist incident. However given the location, the circumstances and recent tragic events, the MPS Counter Terrorism Command will be investigating this incident.
"We remain open minded as to whether terrorism was a motive.
"Once again we commend the actions of our armed and unarmed officers based in Westminster who are keeping the public safe." | {
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If BJP is honest & believes in democracy then discard EVMs & conduct voting on Ballot papers. General Elections are… https://t.co/Io3cEiHSLq — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 1512193956000
(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: After the BSP emerged second in the Uttar Pradesh civic polls , a resurgent Mayawati challenged the BJP and said her party would sweep the 2019 Lok Sabha polls if voting is done on ballot papers."If BJP is honest and believes in democracy then discard EVMs and conduct voting on ballot papers. General Elections are due in 2019. If BJP believes people are with them, they must implement it. I can guarantee if pallot papers are used, BJP won't come to power," the BSP chief told mediapersons on Saturday.Mayawati has been demanding the use of ballot papers since her party's rout in the UP assembly election earlier this year, which she attributed to rigged Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).Firing back at the opposition's charge of EVM tampering, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma said the their defeat was a result of resorting to vote-bank politics."There was no shortcoming in EVMs, but it's in their minds and party. They worked for a particular caste and people have discarded them. We are working for all, irrespective of caste, creed and religion and that has been accepted by the people," Sharma told PTI.While the BJP swept the civic body polls in UP, the BSP sprang a surprise as it thwarted saffron party candidates to win the mayoral posts in western UP's Aligarh and Meerut towns. It also made a strong showing in the nagar palika and nagar panchayats polls.The party has performed well despite Mayawati's absence from campaigning. Political experts opined that the win in two mayoral seats could help Mayawati boost the sagging morale of her cadre, which was otherwise disenchanted by repeated electoral defeats in recent times.Meanwhile, the SP and the Congress put up a disappointing show and could not secure a single mayoral seat, with the latter left red-faced after losing in its stronghold of Amethi .With the upturn in the BSP's fortunes in the civic polls, Mayawati has made overtures to members of the other backward classes (OBCs), asking them to side with her party to get rid of exploitation and fight against the BJP.The former UP chief minister said along with the Dalits, Muslims and other religious minorities and tribals, the members of the OBC communities were also exploited and that they all needed to unite against the BJP."All the communities need to stay alert against the BJP, which is carrying out its Hindutva agenda through the RSS," she said. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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Thinking about joining Reddit as a Christian? Do it. | {
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Birds of Paradise was printed with two slashes instead of a line break in its Alpha print. | {
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In the weeks leading up to the Marvel film Black Panther, much has been made about the film’s revolutionary themes in the context of our current political moment. In a cover story for Time, Jamil Smith suggested that for a culture that faces growing threats from white ethnocentric movements, “the very existence of Black Panther feels like resistance”.
On the BBC’s website, the film critic Nicholas Barber argued that the presence of an African king as a main character in the film “would make Black Panther as revolutionary as the organization with which it shares its name”. For i-D, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff insisted that the movie alone “will change a few young black children’s lives”.
Even the film-maker Ava DuVernay, who directed the award-winning Selma, caved into the hype by tweeting a picture of Chadwick Boseman’s Time cover story and Michael B Jordan’s GQ cover story accompanied by a James Weldon Johnson poem that became a rallying cry for activists and organizers during the civil rights Movement.
From Black Panther to Black Lightning: black superheroes are go! Read more
With a name that brings to mind associations with the Black Panther party (though it is said that the comic preceded the party), it’s understandable why Black Panther, directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler, has generated an overwhelming response from communities that rarely get to see themselves properly represented on screen.
Set in Wakanda, a fictional African country, Black Panther transports audiences to a world where black people are at the center of their own narrative and aren’t serving as a lesson in service of a white protagonist’s character development.
Play Video 2:17 Marvel's Black Panther trailer – video
The film is not only groundbreaking in how it portrays Africa, but it’s pioneering in its casting of mostly dark-skinned female actors. Black Panther also features of actors of African descent like the South African actors John Kani, Athandwa Kani, and Connie Chiume, the Kenyan Mexican actor Lupita Nyong’o, and the Zimbabwean American actor Danai Gurira.
Let’s remember watching a film is not a brave act of resistance. There’s plenty more work for us to do
In the build-up to the film, Twitter has been set alight with discussions about what people plan to wear when they hit cinemas this weekend. It’s been joyous to witness black celebrities donning Afrocentric garments at both the Hollywood and London premiere of the film. Without succumbing to hyperbole, this feels like an important moment in pop culture history, and I’m happy I got to witness it.
However, some of the early responses to Black Panther illustrate the lofty and unfair expectations which we often place on black art. For example, that Beyoncé’s seminal 2016 album, Lemonade, was criticized for not outright destroying the patriarchy showed how our culture refuses to allow black art to exist as entertainment. And it’s tempting to imagine that Black Panther will not only improve black representation in media, but radically change the state of our politics too.
Black Panther: does the Marvel epic solve Hollywood's Africa problem? Read more
But by conflating the film with the the resistive efforts of grassroots activists and organizers, we risk disrespecting our radical traditions, which are increasingly being commodified by corporations whose interests have are never been with the people.
That “self-care” and “community” have been reduced to catchy self-help and festival slogans proves how easily these ideas are rendered meaningless under late capitalism. If we behave as though purchasing a ticket to see a film produced by Disney is a form of resistance, we fail to distinguish between black art that touches on revolutionary themes, and the actual work required for revolution itself.
There’s no denying how necessary Black Panther is for representation. In a world where diversity is so often treated as an act of charity instead of a reality, this film challenges the pervasive idea that our heroes can only be white and male.
It provides generations of dark-skinned girls and women with heroes who share the same features which society ridicules them for. But as people descend upon their local cinemas to see what’s been touted as an excellent film, let’s remember watching a film is not a brave act of resistance. There’s plenty more work for us to do. | {
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A Polish tourist was repeatedly raped in front of her boyfriend who was beaten and robbed by the same group of men on Italy's popular Rimini beach, police say.
Italian news reports say that the 26-year-old Polish woman was raped by four men early Saturday on a secluded stretch of beach in the Adriatic town on Italy's eastern coast.
Her partner, also 26, passed out after being beaten on the head and robbed, reports said.
A 26-year-old Polish woman was repeatedly raped by a group of men on Italy's popular Rimini beach, police say. Pictured above, Italian Scientific Police investigate the site of the incident
The woman's partner, also 26, passed out after being beaten on the head and robbed, reports said
A forensic police officer inspects the area where a suspected gang rape of a Polish tourist and the beating of her partner took place, in Rimini on Saturday
The Poles were hospitalized with injuries after passersby saw the couple, bloodied and dazed, on the beach.
It wasn't immediately clear if any suspects had been detained.
Italian police are still searching for suspects following the incident, which they have called a 'brutal and bestial attack'.
Last year, a 17-year-old British girl was raped on the same stretch of beach after she had been asked by a 19-year-old to watch shooting stars on the beach in the northern coastal resort.
She said that the 19-year-old then attacked and raped her.
The Poles were hospitalized with injuries following the attack on Rimini beach, Italy (pictured)
Italian police are still searching for suspects following the incident, which they have called a 'brutal and bestial attack'
The Poles were hospitalized with injuries after passersby saw the couple, bloodied and dazed, on the beach
It wasn't immediately clear if any suspects had been detained, though police are still looking for suspects
The man was arrested and local media reported that the suspect is from Switzerland and of Bosnian origin.
Defending the suspect, lawyer Piergiorgio Tiraferri argued the girl had agreed to have sexual intercourse but later felt guilty for cheating on her boyfriend.
He claimed that the teenager had been driven by guilt to falsely accuse his client of rape.
In August 2015, two other woman claimed they were also raped on a beach in Rimini.
A third woman said that a man attempted to rape her but she escaped. | {
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EXCLUSIVE: A senior executive at the Clinton Foundation left almost 150 telephone messages for Hillary Clinton’s top aide at the State Department within a two-year time frame, according to previously unpublished documents obtained by Fox News.
A review of State Department call logs for Cheryl Mills, the longtime Clinton confidant who served as chief of staff for the entirety of Clinton’s four-year tenure as America’s top diplomat, reflects at least 148 messages from Laura Graham – then the Clinton Foundation’s chief operating officer – between 2010 and 2012. No other individual or non-profit appears in the logs with anything like that frequency or volume, the review found.
One of the messages Graham left for Mills, in August 2011, referenced “our boss” – without further identifying that individual. Another, from January 2012, appeared to reference former President Clinton, using his initials: “Please call. WJC is looking for her [Graham] and she wants to talk to you before she talks to him.”
The telephone records were released by the State Department to the conservative advocacy group Citizens United as part of a long-running lawsuit over the Freedom of information Act.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said he could not provide “a read-out of every one of those messages or every one of those calls,” nor estimate how many of them were returned. But he acknowledged that Mills and Graham never shared the same boss and insisted the department “always” acted under Clinton to advance U.S. foreign policy interests, “with no other intent in mind beyond that.”
“Secretary Clinton's ethics agreement at the time [she assumed office] did not preclude other State Department officials from engaging with, or having contact with, the Clinton Foundation,” Toner said.
Absent additional detail, there is no evidence of any misconduct in the calls or contacts between Graham and Mills. But the records surfaced amid mounting questions about the relationship between the Clinton State Department and the Clinton foundation, and particularly about the role played by Mills.
“It's an amazing thing that the State Department spokesperson would actually make an argument,” said Citizens United President David Bossie, “that Hillary Clinton would be obligated under an ethics agreement that the White House made her sign with the foundation but her top employees would not be under that same agreement. I find it’s just very Clintonesque.”
Last week, the State Department acknowledged that in June 2012, Mills spent two days traveling to New York to interview job applicants at the foundation. The State Department said Mills “volunteered” to do so, but neither the department nor a spokesman for the Clinton presidential campaign, nor Mills’s attorney, would say whether Mills used annual leave or unpaid days to perform that work – or whether it was done on the taxpayers’ time.
The call logs reflect a wide cross-section of individuals angling for the secretary’s ear, from celebrities like Sean Penn to elder statesmen of the Democratic Party like Vernon Jordan. The messages include a number averring to irksome home-renovation issues Mills was facing, and even one left by the chief of staff’s mother, who told her daughter, through the intermediary of a State Department secretary, in September 2011: “Please call. Hadn’t heard from you in so long and was wondering if you are out of town.” | {
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Welcome everyone! / all works © Woonyoung Jung 2018 / woonyoung.bigcartel.com | {
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That's not a question ! Pikie is awlays happy(Yeah, maybe not always, but most of the time ^^) | {
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While deliberating the outcome of a cosplay contest at the 2014 Allentown Comic-Con, the judges asked a man who was dressed up as Peter Griffin to try and entertain the crowd. They got more than they bargained for. | {
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Reddit user hrhomer tells the cringeworthy story of what it was like to shave an ass hairier than a sheepdog.
A guy called my voice mail this morning, and read my entire ad into the machine, noticeably lingering at the part where I say I’ll do “yucky stuff.” I figured the worst I’d be doing would be emptying bedpans or something, but nobody’s asked me to do anything more disgusting than babysitting….until now.
I called back to see what he wanted, and he hemmed and hawed embarrassedly for a few seconds till he got up the nerve to get to the point. “I’m really a hairy guy,” he said, “and I’ve got a really hair butt.” Then there was a long silence, and I think he expected to hear me hang up. “It’s very difficult,” he continued, “to wipe myself, because shit gets stuck in my hair. And sometimes the hair gets caught in my underwear…”
“You need someone to shave your ass?”
“Yeah.”
I thought this over for a few dozen heartbeats. “Well,” I said, “I’ll tell you what. I’ve been sick. I’m still sick, and this sounds like work that might make me sicker. Give me another week or so to get my strength back, and I’ll shave your ass, okay?”
“Great,” he said.
I ain’t looking forward to it, but I do need the money. Called back the guy with the hairy ass—let’s call him Harry—to clarify a few things. “First off,” I said, “my rate is five dollars an hour, but this sounds like it won’t take ten minutes. There’s a four-hour minimum, so it’ll cost twenty bucks. Okay?”
“That’s reasonable,” he said. “No problem.”
“I’ll be in the city tomorrow evening. Is that good for you?”
He said it was, gave me his address, and told me to be there at 6 p.m.
“Now either you provide the shaving necessities, and rubber gloves, or I’ll buy ’em and bill you.”
“I’ve got shaving stuff,” he said, “but I don’t have any rubber gloves.”
“I’ll bring the gloves then. Four bucks extra.”
“Okay,” he said complacently. That’s four bucks more profit, because there are rubber gloves everywhere at Black Sheets, the sex magazine where I do some work. I’ll just ask the editor, Bill, and take a pair.
“I’d also appreciate it if you’d shower just before I get there.”
“I’m planning to,” he said.
“All right then,” I said. “See you tomorrow.” Yeah, I’ll see more of you than I really want to see, tomorrow.”
I arrived at Harry’s house right on time. We shook hands, he invited me in, and I was discretely looking the situation over, but everything appeared on the level. He seemed embarrassed, and I told him not to be. On the living room carpet, he had already spread out some newspapers.
“I figured I’d be on the floor, on all fours,” he said, “and you can sit on this chair.”
I nodded, and put on the gloves while he went into the bathroom. He came back with a Bic disposable razor, a can of shaving cream, and a towel.
“Ready when you are,” I said.
He took his shoes and socks off, then his pants and underwear, and assumed the position, naked from the waist down. His asshole gaped open at me, but what really startled me was the hair—man, his butt was almost as hairy as my face, and I’ve got a short beard. It was hairy like Esau. Hairy like an Angora sweater. There was hair everywhere. With a comb, I could’ve parted it.
As promised, he’d obviously showered; everything was clean. So I sat behind his behind, lathered him up, and gently sheared him.
This being San Francisco, I half-expected to see him getting off on it, but apparently it wasn’t a turn-on. And boy, he needed the service I was providing. I felt I was truly making his life better. It must be frustrating to always have yesterday’s shit stuck to the hair in your crack.
At one point, everything I was looking at sorta tightened up for a few seconds, contracted just a bit. I didn’t ask, but I think the guy was holding a fart, and I really appreciated the effort. Didn’t want to shave all of both cheeks, because I figured that would leave his whole bottom itchy and scratchy for a few weeks whenever he sat down. Instead I left a bald circle extending several inches around his sphincter; beyond this was the almost ape-like hairiness remained untrimmed. Then I gently toweled him dry.
“I’ll let you tell me whether it’s a close enough shave,” I said.
Still on his hands and knees, he tentatively fingered the inches around his anus, shook his head yes, and quietly stood up and got dressed.
“Smooth as a baby’s butt” is the cliché I was waiting to hear. Thought of asking if he had some aftershave to slap on, but he seemed completely ill at ease, so I didn’t make any jokes, just discarded the gloves and washed my hands in the bathroom.
At the front door, he thanked me, gave me three tens and said to keep the change. Thirty bucks for about 15 minutes work made me a happy man, so I decided to make him a happy customer.
“Hope you’re not embarrassed,” I said. “I’ve done this before, you know.”
“You have?” His face brightened.
(Of course I haven’t.) “Sure,” I said. “It’s not that unusual.” That’s what every weirdo wants to hear, I suppose—that he’s not so weird after all.
“I just,” he stammered. “I just really appreciate this.”
“Happy to be a help,” I said. “Call me if the stubble starts to itch.”
Not my story, but my best bud’s. Yeah, it’s true. | {
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Heavy Seas were reported on the Senate floor this week, as a Maryland Senator finally took up an issue we all care about: beer.
Ben Cardin proposed a bill that would cut excise taxes for craft brewers, and change the classification of small breweries to include more operations. The Small BREW Act would cut per-barrel excise taxes on brewers’ first 60,000 barrels from $7 to $3.50. It would also allow raise the production threshold for a brewery to be considered “small” from 2 million to 6 million barrels.
Best of all, Cardin used Baltimore breweries like Heavy Seas, Raven Beer and Union Brewing as prime examples of businesses that would benefit. And, he brought a placard to show them off.
It all seems primed to go down easy, but Cardin has competition. According to The Hill, a separate group of 23 lawmakers is supporting the Fair BEER Act. The bill would eliminate all excise taxes for brewers who make less than 7,143 barrels. But it’s backed by a lobbying group that represents macrobreweries like Anheuser Busch InBev and MillerCoors, so something tells us it’s watered down.
The only logical solution is a beer summit. | {
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Please note: this is an ad for a people who are looking for a possible girlfriend, if that is the farthest thing from your mind please head to the next post or the NSA section! <31. I don't like to snuggle everytime we bang.2. Sex isn't always love-making to me. Sometimes its just wild, sweaty monkey fucking. It's cool.3. I'm short so I will always be able to look up at you4. I have gorgeous eyes5. I enjoy being a girl (But not a valleygirl!)6. Can be one of the boys7. I don't wear grannie panties!8. I am curvalicious!9. I go to the gym10. I love dogs and cats, even lizards!11. I have long hair12. I won't drag you shopping with me (that's what girlfriends are for!)13. I will scratch your back (in and out of the shower)14. I will not move into your apartment the first chance I get.15. Like you, I am scared of commitment16. I won't steal food out of your plate after ordering a salad.17. I wont order a salad.18. I'm genuine.19. I have all my shots.20. I've travelled.21. I didn't vote for Bush or Arnold Swaggawaggadingdong either.22. I'm in.23. I will hide around corners and try to scare you in the dark of the night.24. I will end up scaring myself and you'll have to calm me down.25. I will sneak out of the bed and brush my teeth before you get up so we can have hygenic morning sex. (I might drop a mint into yours. don't choke)26. I collect keychains and currency.27. I won't nag you when you watch sports. (I'll watch if soccer is on!)28. I write the date with European notation (Today is 13 January, 2007)29. I'm Indian (from the country) and I speak Spanish!30. I like the color purple.31. I will let you be the man in the relationship.32. I get my toes done.33. I work.34. I school.35. Did I mention that I like the color purple? I do.36. I have excellent spelling and grammar. (ya, I goof sometimes!)37. I watch Family Guy, Simpsons, American Dad.38. I know something about cars.39. I can't drive automatic (You shouldn't be able to either)40. I give heart-felt (sometimes homemade)gifts.41. I don't hold grudges.42. I will love your penis43. I always smell good. (well almost)44. I dance!45. I keep-up my nails46. I listen to pretty much everything.47. I know that 4 stroke isn't a dirty joke.48. I know what makes the rocking world go round.49. I'll lay naked in bed with you.50. My bed isn't overstuffed with furry animals (except my cat, but he's real)51. I don't ghost ride.52. But I can get hyphy.53. I'm artsy without being artsy.54. I give supreme oral.55. I have a car (6 speed mani trans anyone?)56. It turns me on when you work on your car.57. I'm not opposed to having a hump-session anytime anywhere.58. I don't want you to spoon me everynight59. I like you to poke me in the butt in the morning60. I will rate your burps. (1-10)61. You can pee while I'm brushing my teeth.62. I'll put sunburn cream on you if you go crispy.63. I make a bomb spicy chicken alfredo risotto.64. I don't mind taking out the garbage.65. I let you open jars that "I can't open"66. I won't ever cheat.67. My first boyfriend used to hit me and then he cheated, so I've learned to stand up for myself.68. I 'm gracious.69. I laugh like there's no tomorrow.70. I would sneak into your office and give you desk head.71. I would fax you my ass.72. I know what displacement means. (In reference to cars)73. I can cook, clean, bake and I'll drink a beer while doing it.74. I will hold you when you need it.75. I listen when you need to talk.76. I will be your date to anything that you need. (even that monster car rally, you hick)77. I will remember your birthday (and I'll make it so that you will always remember it *wink wink*)78. I don't need fancy things to have a good time.79. I don't care what we are doing as long as its with you.80. You will always look hot as hell to me first thing in the morning.81. I'll initiate sex.82. I get free condoms from school.83. I'm 22 with the mind of a 30 year old and a heart of a 10 year old.84. I dont do drugs. I don't smoke.85. I won't sleep with your best friend.86. Your dog/cat can sleep with us at night.87. I only need to see you 2-3 times a week.88. I only need a 2-10 minute phone call everyday. (Make sure you're okay. I worry!)89. I make bomb brownies.90. I have sexy lips.91. I am a bio student and I know all about anatomy. (ie. I know where the good parts are)92. I will hang out in your clothes to keep your smell close to me (it wont be your gym clothes though, sorry.)93. I won't put girlie things into your bathroom/shower/room94. I'll "accidently" leave my sexy underwear in your bed95. I keep myself well dressed and groomed (for the most part)96. I won't burden you with my PMS problems.97. I brush my teeth 2x a day98. Shower atleast once!99. I'll never kick you in the crotch on purpose.100. I won't make fun of your manhood (In public)101. I take exactly one hour from wake up to car to get ready.102. I pee as fast as a hamster on crack (but into the toilet)103. I can operate a fire extinguisher104. I would rather see an epic movie than a chickflick (that's what girlfriends and gays are for)105. I treat you for ice cream or dinner too!106. I love suprises.107. Any present, big or small, will make me happy because I know that you were thinking about me.108. I know when Pirate Day is.109. I have all my teeth (minus wisdoms) and they are straight.110. I pay my own bills.111. I'm not looking for financial support112. I don't want to marry you right now.113. I can't get pregnant unless I want to. (sex all the time!)114. I'll let you hug me even when you are sweaty.115. I won't drag you to the manicurist.116. I don't eat pizza with a fork and knife.117. I won't go out all night without letting you know and let you freak out.118. I'll call when I say I will. (or text in lieu of calling if I'm still occupied)119. I won't text you while you are out with your friends.120. Your wallet, car and house don't impress me.121. Treat me like a lady and I will treat you like a man and I will always be there for you.122. I have a rack that I will shamelessly display for you.123. I can pick things up with my toes.124. I don't hog blankets (well, sometimes)125. I drink a lot of water.126. I can burp a couple of letters.127. I can gleak when I eat sour things. (and pretty far too)128. I still have the Snoopy I was given the day I was born.129. I can carry a conversation for long than 30 seconds.130. I memorize weird facts and will regurge them at random oppurtunities.131. I love ketchup.132. I won't go through your drawers or try to get into your cellphone/email.133. I love showering and just laying in the sun (indoors!) to dry off.134. I keep my car up to date on her oil changes.135. Your laugh will make me smile years to come.136. I will put post-its in random places for you to find when I'm not there.137. I know what a barometer is.138. I still have my Minnie Mouse Comforter from way back in the day, because they just don't make them the same anymore.139. I think quarters are the best coin. and 20's are the best bill.140. I read a lot.141. You + Me + Dancing + Outdoors + Rain = Afternoon fun.142. I don't listen to a lot of pop either.143. You have already invested by reading this, so take a leap.Caution before you leap: You must meet the criteria!*Between the ages of 22-26 (please, if you are 26, 27 do not play the 'I'm older than you, thus more experienced' card. It's not attractive and you don't know what I've been through)*Tall!! (I love em tall)*NOT deathly skinny or skinny in general(Meaning, if you're 6"1' and you weight the same as a sack of potatoes.. you're too skinny.. I like my men with meat)*Intelligent(If you all of your stories start with 'I was so drunk'.. its not going to work.. must be able to carry conversation)*Have had some interaction with women besides sliding out of your mom's vajay.*You and your teeth are white and straight.*Well-groomed (I don't mean that you wear armani crap, but have clean-cut nails and if you keep facial hair, that it's maintained so you don't look like a domesticated animal)*Please be a gentleman (Don't ask me about my favorite position the first time we talk. Everytime I use a word that could be used in a sexual reference doesn't mean that I am referring to having sex with you. ie: 'do it.' Grow up shall we?)*Do not be looking for only sex. (I do not come as a sex only package. My vagina is not up for auction)*Be decent enough to send a pic of your face and a blurb about you that is more that "holla back" or "hit me up short-stuff." (Please don't flatter yourself thinking that a pic of your abs will work like panty-dynamite. It doesn't and instead responses like that send out the signal that you are looking for only one thing, or that you are too stupid to formulate intelligable human conversation in the English language.)*Dont be adversely opposed to something normal. (for example: myspace, showers, tv, cellphones, radio, music, oral hygiene, living in one place, eating spicy foods, exploring, sunshine. You think I'm kidding but I've met guys from each category. Please be aware that you live in society!!)*Be unique, but not TOO unique!Overall, be nice, look like something more attractive than an ogre and try to not such a sleazy horndog! Thanx!Please respond if you are still interested. Props for reading the whole thing! +15 bonus points for completing it. | {
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May 25, 2016
Stream Movement Detroit 2016 Live Throughout the Weekend
Not going to Detroit for Movement?
Don’t fret, while we cannot bring you to Hart Plaza with us, we can conveniently tell you how you can bring Hart Plaza to the comfort of your home or office!
First up, you will be able to stream BE-AT.TV live throughout the entire weekend. Below is the list of stages and sets that will be streamed, as well as a direct link to each broadcast and an embedded player for each!
Saturday, May 28th – Main Stage
Sonja Moonear, Dewalta b2b Mike Shannon, Seth Troxler and Maceo Plex
Sunday, May 29th – Made In Detroit Stage
Eddie C, No Regular Play, Ryan Crosson, Lee Curtiss, Shaun Reeves, Art Department, Ellen Allien, Eddie Fowlkes
Monday, May 30th – Underground (Acid) Stage
Abbe & Toth, Jared Wilson, 2AMFM, Tin Man, DJ Pierre, Nina Kraviz
But that is not all! Listeners will also be able to tune in to a live radio broadcast from the Red Bull Music Academy Stage that will feature selected performances including sets by Four Tet, Dâm-Funk, Big Freedia, The Black Madonna and local artists such as Kyle Hall, Amp Fiddler, DJ Godfather and more. RMBA Radio will also feature talks with pioneers and key members of the current and past Movement lineups, including Octave One, Seth Troxler, Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin and more.
RMBA will also be broadcasting live from Detroit for the entire week, highlights including in-studio conversations with and live mixes from Interdimensional Transmissions, The Bunker, Moodyman, Kevin Saunderson and more.
Check out the full schedule for detailed listing for the entire weekend and ensure you tune in or watch directly below for your favorite artists! | {
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FIVE high street brands are to pull out of a major Hampshire shopping centre, the Daily Echo can reveal.
The Arcadia Group has confirmed it is to close five of its stores at Southampton WestQuay Shopping Centre.
Branches of chain stores Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Burton, Evans and Miss Selfridge will all pull down their shutters for the last time on June 13.
The company's Topman and Topshop stores are unaffected.
Business leaders have described the closures as a shock but said they hoped the vacancies will be filled quickly.
The closures comes as the leases on the stores run out.
The Arcadia Group, which is chaired by Sir Philip Green, said it continually evaluated the business when leases came up for renewal and would try to redeploy staff where possible to other stores.
A spokesman said: “We are constantly reviewing our store portfolio across the group, and leases continually expire or come up for renewal.
“We are always looking at how to shape our store portfolio, investing in flagship stores, and increasing our brands' presence on-line.
“Our click and collect service across the brands is also proving a successful way of helping our customers collect their purchases at a location most convenient to them.
“When leases expire that we do not renew, we endeavour to re-deploy staff affected to another store within the Arcadia Group as much as we can.”
A spokesman for WestQuay shopping centre said: “The current lease expires on June 23. We are involved in various discussions regarding the future of the unit, and hope to make an announcement in due course.
“As a local employer, we encourage our retailers to advertise all their vacancies on the WestQuay website and would encourage people to check it out regularly."
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stewart Dunn, pictured below, said: “It's obviously something of a shock to hear the news and it comes at a time when there is a recovery on the way.
“We're looking forward to WestQuay Watermark and Southampton becoming an even more vibrant shopping destination and I am confident that while we are losing these household name store there will be others quickly to replace them.
“It perhaps reflects the changes in the high street and retail shopping in general versus online sales.” | {
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Recently, Geoffrey Boulton’s report and Nature editorial provided more pious language urging data archiving by hoarding scientists. As I mentioned in my initial comments on Boulton’s editorial, there have been many such pious pronouncements over the years without the slightest impact on, for example, the serial non-archiving couple of Lonnie Thompson and Ellen Mosley-Thompson, who, as it turns out, is an even worse offender than husband Lonnie, if such can be imagined. Their long career of non-archiving has flourished despite clear U.S. federal government policies dating back to 1991 which, on paper, require thorough data archiving by the climate community as a condition of receiving grants. Unfortunately, the U.S. climate funding bureaucracy has been thoroughly co-opted by the climate industry
and has failed to enforce regulations that, on paper, would require the Thompsons and others to archive data. Unfortunately, Boulton failed to do any assessment of why even apparently mandatory government policies have been insufficient to deter to serial non-archivers.
U.S. Policy on Climate Data
In an early Climate Audit post, I briefly reviewed the high-level policy under the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a policy that would be entirely satisfactory, if it were enforced. The policy statement stated:
Full and open sharing of the full suite of global data sets for all global change researchers is a fundamental objective. As data are made available, global change researchers should have full and open access to them without restrictions on research use….
For those programs in which selected principal investigators have initial periods of exclusive data use, data should be made openly available as soon as they become widely useful. In each case the funding agency should explicitly define the duration of any exclusive use period… Deciding when data become widely useful is the responsibility of the funding agency, which should explicitly define the periods of restricted access, if any. In the past, some Principal Investigators have retained data for indefinite periods and this has inhibited their widespread use. This practice should be eliminated
In 1997, they added that grant language should include explicit terms on how data was to be archived:
SUGGESTED DATA PRODUCT REQUIREMENT FOR GRANTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND CONTRACTS. Describe the plan to make available the data products produced, whether from observations or analyses, which contribute significantly to the grant results. The data products will be made available to the grant without restriction and be accompanied by comprehensive metadata documentation adequate for specialists and non-specialists alike to be able to not only understand both how and where the data products were obtained but adequate for them to be used with confidence for generations. The data products and their metadata will be provided in a standard exchange format no later than the grant final report or the publication of the data product’s associated results, whichever comes first.
Although Boulton’s report made recommendations with similar objectives, Boulton did not review U.S. experience or why seemingly sufficient U.S. policy has been unequal to the (admittedly difficult) challenge of getting the Thompsons to archive data funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
While Lonnie Thompson has been a frequent example at Climate Audit of a serial non-archiver, it turns out that Ellen Mosley-Thompson is even worse. She has spent her entire career in the ice core business> According to her CV, she has led “nine expeditions to Antarctica and six to Greenland to retrieve ice cores”. However, a search of the NOAA paleo archive for data archived by Ellen Mosley-Thompson shows only one data set from Antarctica or Greenland associated with her. Lest this example be taken to mar her otherwise unblemished record of non-archiving, the data was published in 1981 while she was still junior and, according to its readme, it was transcribed by a third party and contributed in her name. I believe that it’s fair that she has not archived at NOAA (or, to my knowledge, elsewhere) any data from the “nine expeditions to Antarctica and six to Greenland”.
Mosley-Thompson has had an important leadership role in the U.S. PARCA program (Program for Regional Arctic Climate Assessment), which drilled 49 short and medium-length cores in Greeenland between 1995 and 1998. She was senior author of a summary article in 2001 – see here.
Despite the importance of d18O as a climate proxy and the promised benefits of the PARCA Program for Regional Arctic Climate Assessment, not a single d18O measurement from the PARCA program has been archived at the NOAA paleoclimate archive nor, to my knowledge and I’ve looked very carefully, elsewhere.
Squiggles for 6 of Mrs Lonnie’s Greenland cores (5 PARCA and one 1989 core) and 3 of her Antarctic cores (dating back to the early 1990s) were shown in a 2006 article. None of this data has been archived.
Nor, to my knowledge, has any other American scientist archived any Greenland d18O measurement for any year subsequent to the inception of the IPCC in 1990. I’ve looked closely at the major archives (NOAA Pangaea and NSIDC and the most recent archived d18O measurement from Greenland by a U.S. scientist appears to be from 1986 (see here), the most recent year archived from 1989 hole GRIP89-1.
The total failure of the PARCA program to archive a single d18O measurement is really quite remarkable.
Will an editorial from Boulton change the practices of the serial non-archivers at Ohio State? Not an ice core’s chance.
The only thing that would make hard cases like Lonnie Thompson and Ellen Mosley-Thompson pay attention – or for that matter the field as a whole – is to treat violations of U.S. federal data archiving policies as seriously as, say, an NCAA recruiting violation. In my opinion, the entire Ohio State ice core program should be put on probation by the NSF until they’ve archived their entire data set – not a small task given over 20 years of systematic non-compliance.
Postscript: Only one of the 10 Mosley-Thompson ice cores illustrated in Figure 1 of Mosley-Thompson et al 2006 here goes back to the Medieval period – a O18 series from Plateau Remote, Antarctica. A series that ought to be of considerable interest to multiproxy authors given the shortage of highly resolved series that include the medieval period. This series was not considered by Gergis. Nor was it included in the Neukom and Gergis list, although two other unarchived Mosley-Thompson series (Dyer Plateau, Siple Station) were considered. CA readers will probably not be surprised to learn that the unarchived and unconsidered Plateau Remote O18 series did not have a Hockey- Stick shape, as shown below.
Excerpt from Mosley-Thompson et al 2006 (Ann Glac) Figure 1
The only publication of this data, to my knowledge, was in a volume from a 1996 NATO workshop here (edited by Jones and Bradley.) This article raises a number of interesting questions about the apparent long-term cooling of d18O values at Plateau Remote over the Holocene. None of these caveats recur in the 2006 article, by which time articles by the Thompsons tend to be little more than global warming pamphlets.
Postscript 2 – Ellen Mosley-Thompson has an interesting cameo appearance in the Climategate emails. She was the EOS editor who rushed through the Mann et al 2003 EOS article on Soon and Baliunas 2003. The article took about 10 days from being commissioned to being accepted. They giggled among themselves when Willie Soon inquired about the peer review process. The character assassination of this article has not been fully analysed. In one despicable email, Tom Wigley acknowledged that Soon and Baliunas might have a point that 20th century precipitation was not unusual (a theme revisited in AR5 Zero and First Draft), writing to Mann and others (2003-06-06 682.):
Mike,
Well put! By chance SB03 may have got some of these precip things right, but we don’t want to give them any way to claim credit.
Mann, Wigley and others accomplished this by misrepresenting the actual content of Soon and Baliunas. The Mann article was rushed through by Mosley-Thompson just in time to be used against Soon and Baliunas in a Senate hearing in late July 2003 – the hearing at which von Storch announced his resignation as editor of Climate Research.
Update June 3: I’ve edited this post slightly. See here.
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Some essential Brian Wood that I haven't read. I hope the adventure you had in finding these for me was as great as the adventures I'll have reading them. | {
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Aadhaar numbers are likely to be linked with the information new members will provide to the party (File)
In what could be the first-of-its-kind step by a political party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will ask its new members to provide their Aadhaar number.
The party's proposed move was confirmed by BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra who was speaking to reporters after the party's executive body meeting in Bhubaneswar.
On being asked if the party would seek Aadhaar number for membership, Mr Mishra said: "Election ID card, Aadhaar linking, all will be there and all active members will have photographs."
Aadhaar numbers are likely to be linked with the information new members will provide to the party.
The use of Aadhaar data has been a contentious subject with activists raising concerns over privacy.
The BJD's membership drive will start on Monday to strengthen the party's base ahead of the civic body polls in Odisha.
"The party has set a target to enrol 50 lakh members during the drive. Last time around 47 lakh people were enrolled as party members and we hope to add 50 per cent more this time," Mr Mishra told the media.
BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has formed a state-level committee to monitor and coordinate the membership drive. | {
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Derrick Lewis (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) took another step up the division’s all-time wins list when he beat Latifi (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) by unanimous decision in the heavyweight matchup, which opened the UFC 247 main card from Toyota Center in Houston.
Derrick Lewis joins Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show to recap his victory over Ilir Latifi at UFC 247. He said he was very happy because of victory and he celebrated his birthday after the fight. Lewis also says he’s dealing with a medical issue and according to him it’s a life or death situation.
.@Thebeast_ufc says he's dealing with a medical issue that the #UFC doctors and his doctors in Houston know about. Says it's a life or death situation. Doesn't want to elaborate on what it is. He's getting it checked out within the next 2 weeks. #UFC247 #HelwaniShow @arielhelwani — MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) February 10, 2020
Derrick Lewis says he’s dealing with a medical issue that the UFC doctors and his doctors in Houston know about. Says it’s a life or death situation. Doesn’t want to elaborate on what it is. He’s getting it checked out within the next 2 weeks.
Lewis also said on The Helwani Show he’s aware that the surging Curtis Blaydes is interested in a fight. Blaydes, who relies heavily on his wrestling, has put himself into heavyweight title contention by winning three straight fights and seven of his past eight.
This is what he said: “Yeah, of course Curtis Blaydes wants to fight me, because he’s a wrestler and he felt like he can do more damage to me if he can take me down. That’s great, that can be the next fight. Instead of him trying to push for the title, he wants to risk all of that and try to fight me and get knocked out of the way, that’s fine.”
Lewis should be confident heading into his next matchup, especially being healthier with his diet, he said. His weight issues are under control and he said he felt lighter in his fight this past Saturday. He showed that with some new weapons. Instead of brawling, Lewis wowed the Houston crowd by taking to the air to do damage. | {
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Roseanna Sommers, Susan Dorr Goold, Elizabeth A. McGlynn, Steven D. Pearson and Marion Danis
Health Affairs, February 2013
Abstract
Having patients weigh costs when making medical decisions has been proposed as a way to rein in health care spending. We convened twenty-two focus groups of people with insurance to examine their willingness to discuss health care costs with clinicians and consider costs when deciding among nearly comparable clinical options. We identified the following four barriers to patients’ taking cost into account: a preference for what they perceive as the best care, regardless of expense; inexperience with making trade-offs between health and money; a lack of interest in costs borne by insurers and society as a whole; and noncooperative behavior characteristic of a “commons dilemma,” in which people act in their own self-interest although they recognize that by doing so, they are depleting limited resources. Surmounting these barriers will require new research in patient education, comprehensive efforts to shift public attitudes about health care costs, and training to prepare clinicians to discuss costs with their patients.
From a discussion of Implications
The focus-group discussions revealed the following barriers to participants’ choosing less expensive care: the salience of unlikely but highly upsetting possibilities; a desire for zero risk, rather than for reasonable risk reduction; an assumption that price always signals quality; the misperception that health care sustainability can be achieved by eliminating wasteful spending alone, without needing to forgo some marginally beneficial care; and the belief that choosing more expensive care constitutes a kind of victory for patients over the insurance companies.
Conclusion
If patients and clinicians do not discuss and consider costs during the clinical encounter, the alternatives are problematic. Clinicians might make cost-conscious decisions—for example, judging when high-priced resources such as operating room times, hospital beds, imaging, and specialty referrals are warranted—without informing patients that cost considerations influenced their decisions. Evidence from other countries indicates that clinicians do occasionally limit the use of medical interventions on the basis of concerns about cost. Yet another alternative would be to make cost-conscious allocation decisions at the organizational level, with minimal clinician involvement.
Given the long-term projections about health care costs in the United States, it is inevitable that physicians will face increasing pressures to deliver cost-effective care to their patients. Doing so openly, in a way that allows patients an opportunity to hear the justification for cost-conscious decisions and to be active agents in thinking through treatment choices when feasible, is consistent with physicians’ ethical duties to be transparent with patients and to provide patient-centered care.
But this study’s findings suggest that for cost to be an explicitly recognized and discussed factor in clinical decisions, public attitudes about health care costs must first undergo a significant shift.
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/2/338.abstract
Comment:
By Don McCanne, M.D.
Much attention is being directed today toward the very high costs that plague the U.S. health care system. That attention has not equated with effectiveness in controlling costs, as we witness continued increases in spending in spite of introduction of policies that may be well-meaning but not very effective, that may add to the administrative excesses of our system, and that sometimes are detrimental such as when we erect financial barriers to beneficial health care services.
Some of the emphasis has been directed toward increasing the engagement of the “medical consumer” in the decision process, often through the policies of consumer-directed health care. These policies are designed to make patients “better health care shoppers” by forcing them to recognize costs as they spend some of their own money on health care. The most common measure is to increase the deductibles and other forms of cost sharing that the patient must face when accessing care.
This important study used focus groups to determine the attitudes of potential patients toward injecting cost considerations into the delivery of health care. Patients don’t like it. They feel that they should receive the care that they should have without insurers or public programs making decisions on covering care based on cost considerations. Even if it is their own money, they do not want to compromise their care based on cost.
Other high-quality systems that are much less expensive than ours are able to provide care with first dollar coverage, eliminating the requirement that the patient be involved or even concerned about the costs of the care that they receive. We do not need to create an environment of distrust by the patient that would be engendered by thoughts of health care services being withheld for reasons of cost.
We can make far better clinical decisions based on studies generating guidelines such as those by the British National Institute for Health and Clinical Guidance (NICE). An example of how this works is in their guidance for “Cetuximab, bevacizumab and panitumumab for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer after first-line chemotherapy,” available at this link: http://guidance.nice.org.uk/TA242/Guidance/pdf/
If we replaced our fragmented, dysfunctional financing system with an efficient single payer system, and then applied rational decision making processes for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, we would not have to have the patient involved in spending decisions. Those decisions could be made on a macro-system basis by better planning of system capacity and distribution, and then incorporating a greater element of evidence-based decision making.
We really don’t need angry, me-first patients provoked by having cost decisions forced upon them, particularly when the cost transparency demanded by the advocates of consumer-directed health care creates hostility towards health care professionals and third party payers whom they believe are withholding care that they should have, whether it is true or not. | {
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Beston Waste Pyrolysis Plant for Sale
As one of the leading pyrolysis plant manufacturers in China, Beston Machinery has developed 4 hot-selling models of waste pyrolysis equipment for sale. The daily capacity ranges from 6 to 24 tons. Here are more parameters for your reference.
Model BLJ-6 BLJ-10 BLJ-16 BLL-20 Daily Capacity 6T 10T 15-20T 20-24T Working Method Batch Semi-Continuous Fully Continuous Raw Materials Waste Plastic, Tyre, Rubber, Oil Sludge Reactor Size D2.2*L6.0m D2.6*L6.6m D2.8*L7.1m D1.4*L11m Pattern Rotary Horizontal Heating Materials Charcoal, Wood, Fuel Oil, Natural Gas, LPG, etc. Total Power 24kw/h 30kw/h 54kw/h 71.4kw/h Floor Area (L*W*H) 20*10*10m 25*15*10m 25*15*10m 45*25*10m Operating Pressure Normal Pressure Constant Pressure Cooling Method Water Cooling Service Life 5-8 Years
Pyrolysis Plant Cost Estimate
The pyrolysis plant cost is the first concern of investors. So we would like to have a brief cost analysis of waste pyrolysis plant set up on the basis of our successful cases and market researches there. In general, we should take many aspects into consideration, including the pyrolysis equipment cost, space and construction cost, operating cost, installation and maintenance cost, etc.
Pyrolysis Machine Price
Firstly, the pyrolysis machine itself will contribute most of the pyrolysis plant cost. Besides, the pyrolysis plant price is often different from the different working methods and capacity. In general, the higher the automation level or capacity, the higher the price. Among Beston products, BLJ-6 is the cheapest model, which is very suitable for small-scale investors. So if you have a limited budget and raw materials to process, BLJ-6 will be your best choice. Here are some pictures of our BLJ-6 plastic pyrolysis plant in Hungary.
Secondly, the pyrolysis plant price will be different from the other equipment, such as tyre crusher, dryer, dedusting system, etc. And we will customize the pyrolysis system according to your needs.
Space & Construction Cost
When you plan to start a pyrolysis system, you need to find a suitable site. In order to lower the cost, you’d better choose a remote area which is convenient in traffic. Also, you need to build some construction works, for example, the stove, the wastewater pool, etc. Our engineers will design the plant layout according to your real conditions to fully use your space.
Operating Cost
Of course, you need fuel and workers to run a pyrolysis plant. Our plant is available for all kinds of fuels, such as oil, LPG, natural gas, charcoal, or coal as fuel. As our research shows, there is abundant fuel oil in South Africa, which is also widely used by our customers. Moreover, Beston waste pyrolysis plant is almost self-sufficient by using the combustible gas produced during the pyrolysis process. In this way, you can save some fuel costs. Also, you can watch some pyrolysis plant videos from Beston Youtube Channel.
The other part of the operating cost is the labor force input. In general, the pyrolysis oil plant is easy and safe to operate. Several workers can run the whole plant smoothly, especially when you choose an automatic feeding system. Anyway, fuel and labor costs are also important parts of your pyrolysis unit.
Installation & Maintenance Cost
When you are looking for a waste pyrolysis plant for sale, you should pay attention to the after-sales service. In general, our engineer will be on site to help installation and commissioning when the basic construction work is finished. According to the statistics, our plant can work for 5 to 8 years normally. During the service life, we will provide after-sales tracking service, regular visit, product updating service, etc. Moreover, our pyrolysis machine is under a one-year free warranty. If you have any questions, please contact us at any time.
Promising & Profitable Pyrolysis Recycling Business
To be honest, the pyrolysis plant costs a lot. However, waste pyrolysis oil plant is getting popular among investors. In these years, Beston Group has helped more than 20 customers with their pyrolysis oil plants across the globe, including Indonesia, Canada, the UK, Dominica, Romania, Hungary, Brazil, Nigeria, Korea, etc. So why?
Because the pyrolysis system is profitable and promising. 1. As an emerging technology, it is supported by the government for its eco-friendly design and obvious effects. Statistically, a very little part of waste was recycled, while most were disposed of in landfills or discarded. However, almost all waste, even the non-degradable waste, can be fully recycled into fuel oil and carbon black through the pyrolysis process. Obviously, pyrolysis technology will be very helpful to the environment and turning waste into wealth. 2. Our waste pyrolysis unit is multifunctional, which is widely suitable for processing scrap tyres, plastic waste, waste rubber, oil sludge, etc. With rich and cheap raw materials, it has a wide range of applications. So investing in a waste pyrolysis plant will bring your great interests.
Conclusion
It is proved that the waste pyrolysis plant is a very promising business opportunity. You can get various end products after the pyrolysis process, such as fuel oil, carbon black, to bring you great profits. Moreover, contact Beston means you will get top-quality waste pyrolysis machine. Also, we will offer you a customized business plan according to your conditions. Meanwhile, you will enjoy our full service from consulting to after-sales tracking. So contact us now and have a visit on site! | {
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Tomas Satoransky, the Wizards' second round pick in the 2012 draft, is reportedly a step closer to joining the team next season, according to a report.
Nikos Varlas or Eurohoops.net and J.Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic are reporting the Wizards are ready to offer Satoransky a multi-year deal to come stateside and join the team that drafted him:
After a great Eurobasket tournament with the Czech Republic and a good Euroleague season, Satoransky is ready to take the next step in his career. Meanwhile, Barcelona is already searching the market for a new starting point guard. The first target of the team is All Euroleague team member Malcolm Delaney, who is going to be a free agent, but his priority is expected also to be the NBA. Barcelona, however, will have enough money to spend in order to lure him, since the team will be able to use the buy out of Satoransky for this purpose and also the money which were going to be spend on the Czech’s contract.
Satoransky signed an extension with Barcelona back in March that appeared to lock him up with his club in Europe at the time, but apparently it came with a buyout clause that gives him a chance to join the Wizards this summer.
So why did Satoransky and Barcelona agree to an extension knowing there was a chance he could leave before he played a game under the new deal? Because it gives both sides leverage in future negotiations. It gives Satoransky protection to keep the Wizards from lowballing him in contract negotiations. Because it's been four years since the Wizards drafted Satoransky, he's no longer bound to the rookie scale. Instead, the Wizards have to use cap space or a cap exception, such as the mid-level exception, to sign him to a deal. And as Varlas explains in the article, the buyout money gives Barcelona more money to spend on replacing Satoransky if he leaves.
If the Wizards do buy out Satoransky's contract, it carries some interesting salary cap implications for this summer. CBA FAQ explains how it works:
NBA teams signing international players are allowed to pay a buyout to the player's team or organization in order to release the player to sign in the NBA. The buyout amount is a matter of negotiation between the player and the international team or organization. NBA teams are allowed to pay up to the Excluded International Player Payment Amount, and this amount is not charged to the team salary. Any amount above the Excluded International Player Payment Amount comes out of the player's (after-tax) salary, and therefore is included in the team's team salary. It is a common misconception that a buyout cannot exceed the excluded amount. On the contrary, buyouts can exceed the excluded amount, but any amount above the excluded amount essentially comes out of the player's paycheck. For example, if a team's second round pick in 2011 has a $1 million buyout, the team can use its (Non-Taxpayer or Taxpayer) Mid-Level exception to sign the player. [...} The amount above the excluded amount is charged to the team's team salary as a signing bonus.
The Excluded International Player Payment Amount for the 2016-17 season is $650,000. So if Satoransky's buyout is $1.5 million, as Varlas reported, he'll count for an extra $850,000 against the team's cap next season on top of whatever contract he agrees to with the team. Considering how much cap space the Wizards have this summer, this is the ideal time to carry that extra money from Satoransky's buyout.
If Satoransky does join the team this summer, he'll be expected to give the second unit a boost right away. He's played very well in Europe over the past couple of years and sFran Fraschilla and David Pick are both very high on him. | {
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Vault is launching a new series part of Vault's annual autumnal horror imprint, Nightfall.
Black Stars Above by Lonnie Nadler, Jenna Cha, Brad Simpson and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou will be published in November.
The year is 1887 and a storm brews. A young fur trapper flees her overbearing family only to get lost in a dreamlike winter wilderness that harbours a cosmic threat. The fur trade is dead and the nation is changing. Yet, Eulalie Dubois has spent her entire life tending to her family's trapline, isolated from the world. A chance at freedom comes in the form of a parcel that needs delivering to a nameless town north of the wilderness. Little does Eulalie know, something sinister hides in those woods and it yearns for what she has.
Nadler is quoted as saying,
"While the horror in this story is deeply personal in its exploration of family, Black Stars Above, as the title implies, is above all else, a cosmic horror story. I've always found this subgenre appealing because it deals with sublime threats that are by definition undefinable. These stories are terrifying because in exploring that which we cannot know, we come to learn more about ourselves and our place in the cosmos. How can we continue to survive in the face of the unknown? This project is very much an attempt to tell a story that fits in line with Lovecraft and his contemporaries, while also coming to terms with the author's unfortunate xenophobia and hopefully telling a story that addresses those issues by seeing these 'horrors' through the lens of a character who cannot help but be impacted by them."
While Chu adds
"As an artist, Black Stars Above has been a gift. It's a story catered to exploring the craft of visual storytelling founded on a marriage of beauty in nature and horror of the unknown. For a story that allows an artist to reap from such a landscape, I've found that the world rather prefers to illustrate itself. The pitch for Black Stars Above intrigued me for how the face of its world immediately unraveled in my head, which was indicative of the care and research invested in the storytelling. It was pretty clear after first talking to Lonnie Nadler that we share the same visual creative bank and we share the same amount of love for visual storytelling in both comics and film. Black Stars Above, for how artistically challenging it can be as my first publication, is a dream project."
Black Stars Above #1 will receive a Vault Vintage B Cover by Nathan Gooden and Tim Daniel that pays tribute to Frank Miller's cover to Whiteout.. The Vault Vintage cover line celebrates the artistic achievements of both modern and legendary comics artists. | {
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Chevy Camaro test drive
CNBC's Phil LeBeau and GM President Dan Ammann discuss how General Motors has changed and then hop inside GM's' newest model to test how it handles. And Walter Isaacson, Aspen Institute CEO, shares his thoughts on Mary Barra's leadership. | {
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Canadian clean technology companies could be the next major investment for China's business elite. But cyber-security experts and the opposition are warning that the keen interest from Chinese investors must be treated carefully. "For us at the moment, natural resources is not the top priority," said Wang Chaoyong, the chairman and CEO of ChinaEquity , one of the country's most successful independent venture capital firms.
"We are more interested in investing in environment technology, clean tech [and] innovative sectors such as creative industries," Wang said in an interview with CBC News.
The investment mogul is part of a delegation from the elite China Entrepreneur Club, which is touring Canada to get a closer look at potential investments.
The group, which is often called China's club for billionaires, met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday.
"Canadian product, brand and innovative design are very popular in China, so we see the synergy between the Canadian product and the Chinese market," Wang said.
Wang Chaoyong is chairman and CEO of ChinaEquity, one of the country's most successful independent venture capital firms. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
He explained his firm is looking to become a minority stakeholder in companies with products or systems that could be successful in China's massive market.
Wang said he's noticed a new spirit of willingness for economic co-operation between China and Canada.
"At the moment, I think we see the Chinese government and the Canadian government are doing a lot of work to help us."
'Attractive target'
According to a report by Ottawa-based Analytica Advisors, Canada's clean technology sector is made up of nearly 800 companies employing about 55,000 people.
The industry is expected to grow, as countries around the world become more environmentally conscious.
But because the industry is still developing, one cyber-security expert says Canadian companies could be vulnerable to hacking attacks.
"It's very much a new industry, and they can get in at the ground floor," said Keith Murphy, the CEO of Defence Intelligence, an Ottawa based cyber-security firm.
"It makes for a very attractive target," Murphy said.
Murphy said he understands Canadian businesses want to grow their companies, but owners should be wary of major investments from Chinese firms.
"Especially with a lot of the history we've seen with Chinese businesses, they've been used to attack the Canadian government, Canadian citizens, Canadian businesses in the past. And certainly the U.S. has fallen victim to this as well."
In 2014, Chinese state-sponsored hackers were accused of breaking into the computer system of Canada's National Research Council. The Chinese government adamantly denied the claim.
Former technology giant Nortel said extensive cyberattacks by Chinese spies played a role in the company's downfall.
Security checks in place, Ottawa says
As the federal government tries to strengthen ties with China, it is also downplaying concerns about investment and security.
"There's a well-established Canadian process for dealing with these issues under the Investment Canada Act with all of the appropriate safeguards in place," said Public Safety Minster Ralph Goodale.
"Canada's a country that welcomes foreign direct investment. Obviously, it needs to be a net benefit to Canada and all the security requirements need to be met. The procedure is there already in the law to deal with that," he added.
The opposition is warning the government to move slowly and to vet foreign investors carefully, for all sectors.
"We should … do a little due diligence on the history of these individuals, how their billions were acquired, their relationships with state-owned industries in China," said Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent.
"Canada is open for business, and should be open for business. But I think we have to be very careful about who is doing the buying and how that purchase will look down the road in terms of the Canadian economy and Canadian security interests." | {
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St-Martin today...
To go to a section directly, click the links :
Practical information on St. Martin can be found in the section Traveller Information
St. Martin, a multicultural island ...
Since the early 1980s, the population of St. Martin has increased dramatically. The population of the French side of the island rose from 8,000 in 1982 to around 35,000 in 2007. More than 38,959 inhabitants live on the Dutch side.
In all, over 120 nationalities can be found on St. Martin, with significant numbers of French, Haitians, Dominicans, Americans and people from other European countries. There are also communities originating from other Caribbean islands, South America, Asia and Africa.
The most widely spoken languages are English, French, Haitian, Guadeloupe and Martinique Creole, Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
St. Martin / St. Maarten : an island with a unique status ...
The island is divided into two geographical zones.
At the signing of the Treaty of Concordia in 1648 the island was split into two parts: the southern part (Sint Maarten) was granted to the Netherlands and the northern part was given to France (Saint Martin). Never have two neighbouring countries lived in greater harmony.
Were it not for the “welcome” signs as you cross the border there are no obvious indications that you are entering another country, except for a few features that are special to each side.
All of the provisions of the 1648 treaty are still in force today.
french saint-martin
When Guadeloupe became a French "département" by law in 1946, Saint Martin became a commune of the "Département de la Guadeloupe". This was a unilateral decision made by France, taken without prior consultation with the Netherlands, and it violated the Treaty of Concordia of 1648.
The island’s tax exemption status was legally recognised in the decrees of 1948, which established a framework for the creation of "départements" in the former overseas colonies.
1957: France includes the Northern Islands (St Martin and St Barths) as part of Europe in the Treaty of Rome, which establishes the European Economic Community (EEC).
1963: A "sous-préfecture" is created for the two Northern Islands.
Saint Martin : overseas "Collectivité"
The constitutional reform of March 28th 2003 on the decentralisation of the French Republic brought about a complete change in the constitutional status of the overseas territories. The new law laid down a framework for developments in the status and administration of overseas "Collectivités".
On December 7th 2003, at the request of the municipal council, a referendum was held on Saint Martin on the evolution of the island’s constitutional status under the framework of Article 74 of the Constitution (creation of a "Collectivité" with a special status). A total of 76.17% voted in support of the reform.
From December 11th 2007, St. Martin has been a leader of the French decentralisation process under the new Article 74 of the French Constitution.
The overseas "Collectiviteé of St. Martin has an original administrative set-up which is unique in Metropolitan France but similar to that of other French overseas territories which have also adopted special structures based on the new Article 74 of the French Constitution.
The uniqueness of St. Martin in the French Republic was recognised by leading politicians and translated into the major statutory reform of 2007 on the basis of two pillars :
• promoting political debate in the framework of reformed local democracy,
• enabling the search for solutions tailored to island-specific issues by granting extended porfolios in areas related to identity and development.
And so the overseas territory of St. Martin was very much at the forefront of the “Decentralised French Republic”, not only by way of its increased responsibilities but also through its streamlined organisation and increased resources, including its tax status.
Today St. Martin has more – and better structured – resources at its disposal to define and implement a more appropriate and sustainable development. Once a tough political conundrum, the island’s administrative set-up is now better perceived because it appears in accordance with the local democratic model and allows St. Martin to keep in tune with the local trends in the Caribbean.
The law of February 21st 2007, concerning statutory and institutional provisions relating to overseas territories, changed the status of the island from "commune of Saint Martin" to an Overseas "Collectivité" under Article 74 of the Constitution.
The "collectivité" was officially implemented on July 15th 2007.
The new "collectivité" of Saint-Martin (www.com-saint-martin.fr) consists of a 23-member territorial council and a 7-member executive council led by the President of the "collectivité". The council members are elected by popular vote for a 5-year term.
The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (www.cesc-saintmartin.org) is the consultative body of the Territorial Collectivité of Saint Martin, with 23 members divided over 3 committees. Each member is elected for a 5-year term.
At the first territorial elections in 2007, Louis Constant Fleming was elected president of the Territorial Council of St. Martin. On August 12th 2008 he was replaced by Frantz Gumbs.
The territorial council now has the responsibilities that was previously devolved to the commune, département and region.
It establishes policies in the following areas:
• Laws and taxes.
• Town planning, housing (from January 1st 2012).
• Roads and collective transportation, transportation by sea of territorial interest, vessels registration, creation, development and operation of harbours, except for working conditions.
• Waste managemen, state-owned laws and assets belonging to the collectivité.
• Environment.
• Foreign workers' rights.
• Tourism.
• Energy (from January 1st 2012).
• Creation and organisation of services within the Collectivité and public institutions.
The territorial council is consulted regarding draft laws, orders and decrees introducing, modifying or removing dispositions specific to the Collectivité.
Laws and rulings are applicable by right on St. Martin, except for those concerning matters relating to the authority of the Collectivité when it comes to creating laws or concerning regulations for the arrival and stay of foreign nationals and the right to asylum.
Parliamentary representation
St. Martin will not have a member of parliament in the French National Assembly at least until the next legislative elections, which are anticipated for 2012. Until then, the island will continue to be represented at the Palais Bourbon by Victorin Lurel, who was elected from the 4th "cironscription"* on Guadeloupe.
Since the elections of September 2008, St. Martin has had a representative in the French Senate, Louis Constant Fleming.
dutch sint-maarten
In 1954, the Netherlands granted the Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, Statia and the Dutch part of St. Martin) a status giving them internal autonomy within the Dutch Kingdom on a large scale. Only Defence and Foreign Affairs remained under Dutch control.
In 1957, at the signing of the Treaty of Rome creating the European Economic Community (EEC), the Netherlands excluded the Netherlands Antilles from the European territory. The Dutch part of the island became an overseas territory and country.
On October 10th , 2010, Sint Maarten became a country within the Dutch Kingdom giving it an equal status to Aruba, Curacao and the Netherlands. The government of "Country of St. Maarten" is a parliamentary democracy, the new Prime Minister is Mrs. Sarah Wescott-Williams..
St. Martin, isle of colourful architecture ...
St. Martin’s architecture has many influences.
The island features beautiful slave masters’ houses, dating back to the days of slavery. Some of these houses are now museums.
On the French side, traditional Creole buildings prevail. These typical, elaborately-decorated and brightly-coloured homes with their chiselled wood decorations stand proudly in the streets of Marigot and Grand Case. With 2 or 3 rooms rarely larger than 3m by 6m, traditional Creole wooden houses were built to withstand hurricanes.
When they arrived on the island, the Europeans built Marigot on a grid plan, with the houses all aligned. Many of Marigot’s buildings are therefore two- or three-storey wood and stone buildings, often painted in bright colours with rust-coloured rooves.
St. Martin is also renowned for the 'Aliturian', ” influence of the architect Ali Tur, who brought his architectural style to the Antilles in the 1930s, blending tradition (effective ventilation and protection from the sun) and innovation (using concrete).
On the Dutch side, half-timbered Dutch houses have something of the American architecture about them. Everywhere you go, the bright colours of the houses – which are the pride of the inhabitants – dominate the landscape, radiating a sense of "joie de vivre", friendliness and hospitality at every turn.
St. Martin, musical island...
Whether they be English-speaking, Spanish-speaking or Francophone, all the Caribbean islands have one thing in common : rhythm, dance and song.
Saint Martin moves to the beat of tropical music, and visitors will find a mixture of musical styles here : soca, salsa, samba, steel band, beguine, reggae, zouk and even rock.
Music can be heard all over the island, in beach restaurants, roadside bars and in cars, adding to the island’s warmth, "joie de vivre" and its welcoming hospitality.
On St. Martin every day is an excuse for a celebration, fun and dancing.
From the upbeat tunes of carnival to the more restrained "Chante Nwel", and the very latest musical trends, the mambo, the cha cha cha, salsa, calypso, beguine, Gwo Ka, Zouk, Kompa, Steel pans, Dub, merengue and reggae, the heart of St. Martin beats to the rhythm of tropical music.
The island’s renowned steel bands, like The Gunslingers, can also be heard at local events.
St. Martin, island of games and traditions...
dominos
The peaceful game of dominoes is a favourite Caribbean pastime. The people of St. Martin are crazy about this game, which is all the more popular since card games are not much favoured. Players share out all of the 28 tiles. At the start of the game, the challenge is to arrange and balance all seven wooden tiles in a single hand. With a slap, the dominoes are laid on the table
bingo
Bingo is popular among the Haitian community. At the end of a busy working week, the Haitians love to sit and play together. The price of relaxation and recreation? A dollar a game. The rules are simple: each player has three cards with twenty-five squares. The first to get a full row, column or diagonal with five corn seeds wins.
cockfighting
A cruel form of entertainment for some; a profitable industry for others, this programmed slaughter of an animal is an island tradition. Each week, spectators flock to the pit hoping for the victory of the animal on which they have placed their bet.
The dazzling light that washes over the landscape, the clear water in myriad shades of blue and green, the shimmering colours and the way that the culture, the people and the island itself grow on the visitor: many aspects have drawn strings of artists, painters, sculptors and potters to St. Martin, many of whom are world-renowned.
Some artists hail from the island; others have chosen to create their art on St. Martin. Caribbean influences fuse with those of other continents. And new genres are born.
St. Martin is dotted with art galleries and exhibition spaces and many exhibitions are held all year round.
Each month, Soualig'Art Magazine, which is freely distributed across the island, lists upcoming exhibitions. Don’t forget the foyer in the "Hôtel de la Collectivité" (formerly the town hall), with its dedicated “Artists’ Corner”. Every month, a local artist displays their work there. Once a month, the garden at the "Hôtel de la Collectivité" becomes the “Poets’ Garden” for the evening, with prose and poetry reading, jazz interludes and tastings of local dishes.
artists and art galleries
• Amahoro Galerie
• Atelier Josiane Casaubon
• Camaïeu
• Celadon Art Gallery
• Chapon Art Gallery
• Escale des Iles Hope Estate
Baie Orientale
Marigot
Grand Case
Marigot
Marigot 0590 87 51 34
0590 87 33 66
0590 87 25 78
0590 87 71 28
0590 52 93 75
0590 87 26 08 • Minguet La Maison des Arts
• Roland Richardson Gallery
• Tropismes Gallery Rambaud
Marigot
Grand Case 0690 53 12 64
0590 87 32 24
0590 29 10 60
Religion and beliefs on St. Martin
With Adventist, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist and Jehovah’s Witnesses communities on the island, religion plays an important role in the life of the Saint Martiners.
There are around fifty religious communities rooted in Christianity alone.
Due to widespread immigration and the multiethnic culture of the island, many religious communities live side by side on St. Martin. The co-existence of multiple nationalities has brought about many religious influences.
The largest religious communities are Catholic, Anglican, Adventist, Protestant, Voodoo, Methodist, Muslim, Rastafarian and Hindu.
The Gospel
An authentic St. Martin tradition, this magical music can be heard at nightfall or on Sunday mornings coming from modest temples to the grandest of churches. Surrender to its charm !
département = former colony under French Law
* circonscription = subdivions of a “département” or Collectivité | {
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More and more, more and more scientists are ganging up to write research studies. It's no longer unusual to see a paper that lists more than 500 - that's five hundred - co-authors.
The journal Science Watch tracks statistics about which scientists publish where, when and how often. Every few years, Science Watch makes a brave plunge into the sea of so-called multi-author papers. Its most recent look shows that increasing numbers of papers have 50, 100, 200 and even 500 authors.
The most gaudy, of course, are the papers credited to more than 500 co-authors. During 2003, only (only!) 40 of these big group efforts were published. Then came a growth spurt. 2005 saw the publication of 131 of them, and subsequent years have seen production hold about steady.
If there were a prize for the largest number of co-authors, it would have gone to the 2,512 people credited with writing Precision Electroweak Measurements on the Z Resonance, which appeared in the journal Physics Reports in 2006. That's a mild elevation from the previous record of 2,458 co-authors, attained just two years earlier when the Circulation Journal published a paper called Design and Baseline Characteristic of a Study of Primary Prevention of Coronary Events with Pravastatin Among Japanese with Mildly Elevated Cholesterol Levels.
In fact, at least one prize has been awarded for the highest number of co-authors. In 2003, the Ig Nobel prize for literature went to the approximately 976 co-authors of a medical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That paper also had the distinction of having 100 times as many authors as pages.
In the new record-holder, the list of 2,512 authors stretches over 19 pages. These hard-writing individuals come from more than 100 different institutions in many countries - the UK, Germany, Canada, Italy, Hungary, France, Switzerland, Canada, Israel, Japan, Poland, China, Belgium, Australia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Sweden among them.
They appear to be a sociable bunch. The very first word in their paper is "we", and the final section elaborates on that same theme: "We would like to thank the Cern accelerator divisions ... The SLD collaboration would like to thank the Slac accelerator department .... We would also like to thank members of the CDF, Dø, NuTeV and E-158 collaborations ..." And so on.
The paper's "references" section lists 264 papers that in some way influenced the new research. Nearly all of those referenced papers have author lists too long to be, well, listed in the new paper. Each list is credited only in abbreviated fashion: "FJ Hasert, et al", "G Arnison, et al", "M Banner, et al". And so forth.
It seems cold to discuss a group of 2,512 authors without mentioning any of their names. But space here is limited. Space there is limited, too - no first names are given, only initials. So suffice to say that the final author in the group is J Zhou.
• Marc Abrahams is editor of the bimonthly Annals of Improbable Research and organiser of the Ig Nobel prize | {
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Shaun King would like to be part of a story on race, and I think perhaps that’s the part of his life story that’s most salacious, if we discount his extraordinary Twitter meltdown. But let’s for a moment consider other things.
Shaun King has raised, by his own estimation, a half million to five million dollars to “help” people — and I’m going to take him at face value here. Here are five questions that have nothing to do with Shaun King’s race that I, and black activists I’ve spoken to today, would like answered.
1) Can you explain the difference between the $540,000 reportedly raised on Twitchange to help Haiti with the $200,000 eventually sent via Paypal to the Northwest Haiti Christian Ministry? Was the new facility for the Miriam Center ever built? If not, at what point do you plan to account for the remaining funds–over a third of a million dollars?
2) Knowing that truth is the ultimate defence against defamation, and that during your trial there will likely be discovery to prove or disprove your case, do you still intend to sue your former classmate for libel or slander for raising questions about what you say was a “hate crime” perpetrated against you in the 1990s? If so, when, and in what jurisdiction?
3) Do you plan on making good on the rewards from the $17,000 Kickstarter for your book? Many of your supporters say they never got what they paid for and their inquiries have been ignored. Will you pledge to address these complaints and issue refunds where appropriate?
4) Do you plan to pay Michael Moore for the bail for on an activist who broke the law tearing down a Confederate flag at your urging? Putting aside the legality of encouraging someone to commit a crime, you advertised a dollar amount but then Michael Moore had to step up and offer to cover it. Did Michael Moore eventually pay that bail, and if so, will you reimburse him?
5) You’ve said you’ve raised nearly half a million dollars for families affected by police violence. Which families? How can we get hold of them to verify this? How is anyone supposed to verify that the funds you raise end up with the people they are supposed to benefit? If there’s a tax exemption or international jurisdiction issue, I am happy to abide by standard journalistic practices of off the record or background conversations.
I’m guessing you have perfectly reasonable answers to all this, and that you can provide them swiftly. You’re a Morehouse College grad, after all.
Follow Milo Yiannopoulos (@Nero) on Twitter and Facebook. He’s a hoot! Android users can download Milo Alert! to be notified about new articles when they are published. | {
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The energy minister Angus Taylor has confirmed the Morrison government is continuing to assess new coal generation projects despite pushback from moderate Liberals, but he says taxpayers will only support projects that are “viable”.
In a statement to Guardian Australia, Taylor confirmed the government was continuing to consider 10 coal projects through its power generation underwriting program, as well as new gas and pumped hydro proposals.
Taylor said the government would not seek to pick any particular firmed generation over another, consistent with the advice of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The ACCC recommended limited government underwriting as a means of increasing competition in the generation sector.
“The prime minister has made it clear the government will only support projects that are viable,” Taylor said. “The government is carefully considering all proposals. These are big projects and we’ve got to get this right.
“The government has been upfront about our intentions to ensure there is new generation to tackle the demand challenges facing the electricity grid – this is what our underwriting new generation investment program seeks to do, and we have received strong response to it.
“We want projects that reduce prices and improve reliability and are consistent with our international obligations.”
Taylor’s confirmation that new coal generation projects remain on the table for consideration comes as an open brawl is continuing within the Coalition about energy policy.
Queensland Nationals and the former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce are demanding the government commit taxpayer support to new coal regardless of whether or not the projects stack up economically, and city-based Liberals, under pressure from their constituencies, are pushing back against that offensive.
As well as tensions between Liberals and Nationals, there are also tensions between Nationals in different parts of the country, with Victorians demanding Joyce and others maintain discipline.
The Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie said of Joyce’s public interventions in recent days, that “Australia is frustrated, you know, that there is a politician out there that is not focused on their needs and issues”.
The New South Wales Nationals leader John Barilaro – on the hustings in the NSW state election – was even more forthright, urging his federal counterparts to “shut up” and stop navel-gazing.
With polls showing Australian voters are concerned there is not enough action on climate change, Liberals have pushed back against the coal sortie from Queensland.
The Brisbane Liberal Trevor Evans said the economics of coal did not stack up “and quite frankly the party room would not support it”.
Victorian Liberal Tim Wilson said if the economics of a coal project stacked up, the private sector would build it. “I’m not a fan of the government getting involved and building new coal-fired power stations. I don’t believe that is Coalition policy or ever has been,” Wilson told the ABC.
Sydney Liberal Trent Zimmerman said “a Liberal government should not be in the business of building new coal-fired power stations in circumstances when the market is not prepared to do so”.
Zimmerman later told Sky News there could be a case for the government to be “underwriter of last resort” to boost competition “as long as there was a business case … and [coal] is competitive with other projects in emissions intensity”.
But he added there were questions about whether a new coal plant was a sensible development given Australia was required to meet its Paris targets.
With Nationals agitating for a concrete outcome both publicly and privately, Zimmerman also noted there was “no rush” to sign off on projects before the election.
With the coal debate fracturing the government, and with some Nationals suggesting a lack of action on coal could imperil the Coalition agreement, Scott Morrison was at pains on Tuesday to emphasise harmony between Liberals and Nationals.
During a speech in Melbourne, Morrison compared his relationship with the Nationals leader Michael McCormack to that of Robert Menzies and then Nationals leader John “Black Jack” McEwen.
“In the same way that Ming and Black Jack work so well together, over all of those years, I can tell you that ScoMo and Big Mac over here are doing exactly the same thing,” Morrison said.
“It’s a strong bond.” | {
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Here are your quick and dirty, editorial-free WWE Raw results for July 11, 2016. The show featured The New Day visiting the Wyatt Family’s compound, a battle royal to name a new number-one contender for the Intercontinental Championship, and more.
Be back here tomorrow for the full Best and Worst of Raw column.
WWE Raw Results:
1. Darren Young won a battle royal to name a new number-one contender to the Intercontinental Championship. Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews eliminated each other, leaving Young alone as the winner. Young will face The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship.
2. Sheamus defeated Zack Ryder. Ryder challenged Rusev for the United States Championship backstage before the match, but Sheamus attacked him. Sheamus won the match with a Brogue Kick. After the match, Rusev attacked Ryder, put him in The Accolade and accepted the challenge.
3. Breezango defeated the Lucha Dragons. Tyler Breeze pinned Kalisto after a superkick when Kalisto was perched on the top rope.
– Seth Rollins aired “The Rollins Report,” a heavily edited clip of him “interviewing” Roman Reigns about his suspension. Rollins was confronted by Dean Ambrose, and Ambrose agreed to give Rollins a one-on-one championship match whenever he wants. The match was made for next week.
4. Kevin Owens defeated Cesaro. Before the match, Owens had security escort Sami Zayn out of color commentary, and they briefly brawled. Owens pinned Cesaro after a Torture Rack into a neckbreaker. After the match, Zayn attacked Owens again and fed him two Cesaro, who gave Owens a giant swing.
5. Titus O’Neil defeated Heath Slater. O’Neil pinned Slater after a Clash of the Titus.
– New Day visited The Wyatt Family’s compound in a pre-taped, Grindhouse-style fight that included axes, garbage cans and broken car windows. It just kind of ended with Bray telling them to follow the buzzards. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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I hate how soft my hands are | {
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The Tathra Community Solar Farm on the South Coast of New South Wales will be opening this week – and it’s a rather unique installation.
Solar panels at the Tathra Sewerage Treatment Plant have been arranged to spell the word ‘IMAGINE’.
The 30kW installation will generate approximately 34 megawatt hours of electricity annually and contribute around 50 per cent of the power needs of the sewage treatment plant. The clean power station will bring some welcome relief from the plant’s $30,000 annual electricity bills and a portion of the savings will be reinvested in solar panels for community buildings in the Tathra region.
The project was a joint initiative of Bega Valley Shire Council and Clean Energy for Eternity, Inc. (CEFE); with CEFE raising more than $50,000 from members, the local community and the Tathra Mountain Bike Club’s annual Tathra Enduro Mountain Bike Race.
Panels for the IMAGINE solar array were purchased by individuals, businesses and community groups for $250 each.
“Council has supported clean energy for a number of years and we are excited that the Tathra Community Solar Farm has come to fruition through the hard work of the local community and Council,” said Mayor Michael Britten. Council contributed $25,000 to the project.
Clean Energy for Eternity Inc. was founded in 2006 by Dr Matthew Nott – and this project has been a focus of the organisation since that time.
“This project shows what communities can do with a vision and by building support with other partners. This solar farm is a beacon in uncertain times for the renewable energy industry and our collective action on climate change. It asks us all to imagine a future we want to live in and then make it happen,” Dr Nott said.
Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services were provided by national solar provider Energy Matters, which has developed many commercial solar installations around the nation. Last year, Energy Matters installed more capacity in the 10-100kW range than any other installer in Australia. A partial portfolio of Energy Matters’ commercial scale projects can be viewed here.
The electrical contractors for the project were Lakeside Electrical in Pambula.
The official opening of the IMAGINE solar power plant will occur on Tuesday 24 March at 10am. For further information, call Daniel Murphy on 02 6499 2235. | {
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Stay on Top of Emerging Technology Trends Get updates impacting your industry from our GigaOm Research Community
Five years after launching its first iOS (S AAPL) app, internet-connected speaker maker Sonos is finally getting ready to give its mobile experience a complete overhaul. The new controller app features a universal search functionality, making it possible to discover artists through one service and then keep listening through another.
Sonos is making the new app available on Android (S GOOG) as an open beta test first, and will bring out an iOS app as well as a final version of the Android app later this spring. The company wants to relaunch its desktop controller app later this year. Sonos Director of User Experience Research Mark Trammell told me during a recent interview that the usage of the Sonos desktop app is dropping quickly. New users in particular primarily controlling their speakers through the mobile app, which is why the company decided to focus on mobile first for this relaunch.
A quick first test of the universal search feature
I’ve had a chance to play with the app a bit on Monday, and liked what I saw. With the previous Sonos app, users essentially had to decide the source of content first, and then figure out what they wanted to listen to from that particular library. Now, you just search for a title, and get results from all the services you have authorized to use with Sonos.
That’s particularly useful if you combine a more radio-like service like Pandora (S P) with a full-fledged music subscription service. For example, I could listen to the downtempo genre station on Pandora, and upon finding a track from Prefuse 73, I could then browse the dozen or so Prefuse 73 albums and tracks on Rdio, which I’m a subscriber of.
The new app also more directly integrates podcasts, which are served up through TuneIn radio. It’s still not a perfect podcast integration, but a step up from the previous version, where podcasts basically got lost in the mix. Aside from that, the design is also much better, and the app simply looks a lot more pleasing and a lot less like a mobile version of Winamp.
During my admittedly limited time that I had to play with the new app, I only really found one downside: When searching for content, the Sonos app offers no fewer than ten categories, ranging from artists to albums to stations to composer, and sometimes, you need to swipe through all of them to get where you want to. It would be great if one could customize which categories to display and which to omit.
Third-party app support may become more widely available
When I reviewed the new $200 Sonos Play-1 speaker last year, I reserved a fair share of criticism for the company’s mobile app. This new app makes for a much better experience, but it still doesn’t address one key issue, which is support for third-party apps. Even with an improved integration, the Rdio experience within the Sonos app, for example, still isn’t as good as Rdio’s own app. So why not give Rdio, and other music services, the ability to add Sonos support to their own apps?
Sonos launched this kind of third-party support for the Chinese messaging app QQ last year, giving users the ability to play content on a Sonos device directly from a chat window. Sonos co-founder and VP or Marketing Tom Cullen told me that the company saw this as a way to test this kind of integration with a large user base, and that the results were encouraging. “We found this to be a very compelling experience for the consumer,” he said, adding that company is open to giving other services the same capabilities. The last thing Sonos wanted to do was to become a gatekeeper, he said.
Check out more screenshots of the new app below: | {
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To earn a score of 100%, a member of Congress must always vote with Planned Parenthood Action Fund's position on the legislation listed above.
For a state to be 100% supportive of women's health, all members of the delegation must have a 100% score. States with 100% delegations: TBD.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund calculates a members' score by dividing the number of supportive votes over the last six years by the total number of votes taken by that member relating to women's health. | {
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Apr 30, 2015 – Olympic and world time-trial champion Bradley Wiggins said he was enjoying life again now that he’s left Team Sky and is focusing on track racing. Wiggins became a legend in British cycling during his spell with Sky as he won the 2012 Tour de France, as well as a host of other prestigious races such as Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine.
AFP/Yuzuru Sunada
But it all turned sour over the last couple of years as he was replaced by his former chief lieutenant Chris Froome as Sky’s leader for the Tour de France. Wiggins never raced the Grand Boucle again after illness and injury forced him out of the 2013 defense of his crown and he wasn’t even picked by Sky to be a domestique to Froome last year.
His goals changed and he made an unsuccessful bid to bow out in style from Sky earlier this month when finishing 18th at the gruelling cobbled classic Paris-Roubaix, a year after coming ninth in the Hell of the North.
But speaking ahead of the Tour de Yorkshire, which begins on Friday and where he will be riding for a new team he created that carries his name, he says even his wife has seen a change in his demeanor since his Sky career ended and he decided to dedicate himself to the track and a tilt in June at the world hour record before bidding for a fifth gold medal at next year’s Rio Olympics.
“I’ve made quite a big shift, the goals have really changed now on the track,” said the 35-year-old. “I was building to that (returning to the track) and have had a long time to think about that and be ready for that, so it’s been really good actually. “The last few weeks I’ve been feeling quite liberated and happy again; my wife commented on that, she’s never seen me so happy, which is nice.”
Wiggins originally made his name as a track cyclist, winning three Olympic gold medals and six world titles before concentrating on road racing. A time-trial specialist, he developed into an able climber and overall Grand Tour contender, becoming the first ever Briton to win the Tour de France.
Now he says he’s relishing his role as a mentor to young riders with the ambitions to perhaps one day emulate his own achievements on the road. “We’ve got some young guys like Owain (Doull) and that in the team who really want to do well,” said Wiggins. “It’s a platform for him to hopefully go on to (ride for a) World Tour (team) next year, so it would be nice to just help those guys and really put them in a position to do that.
“The goals really have changed for me now. The days have gone where I’d get all those guys riding for me.” Doull is a twice European champion and world silver medallist with the Great Britain team pursuit squad, which Wiggins is rejoining for Rio. Before then, though, will come Wiggins’s World Hour Record attempt at the London Olympic velodrome on June 7.
And he admits that, rather than the Tour de Yorkshire, is his focus. “I’d like to stay safe (this weekend) because I don’t want to put the hour in jeopardy, but still be part of the race. I don’t just want to sit up every day at the back,” he said. And Wiggins believes he’s on course to break the 52.491km mark set by Australia’s Rohan Dennis in February. “So far, yeah, it’s gone well. Since Roubaix all the initial track sessions were way above what we’d (expected) because I hadn’t been on the track for a year.
“I didn’t really know where we were going to be in terms of the record, so that all looks pretty good.” | {
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Posted on July 28, 2019
I’m neither an experienced Rust programmer nor GTK developer. I don’t even have that much experience with building native GUIs or with system level programming. Hell, I might be the least qualified guy on the internet to write this post. Despite that, on more than just one occasion, I wondered what implications Rust’s static analysis of memory access has on writing GUIs.
GUI development is a special beast. I consider it to be an interesting use-case as the GUI development is usually associated with:
Threading or Concurrency (or both)
Long living application state and mutations
in case of native UI, linking to sh*tload of C/C++ libraries
imperative, often object oriented, APIs.
I thought it might be interesting to check implications which Rust’s borrow and ownership checker has in those types of applications as clearly, even in the most simple GUI, one simply must run into some complications. That’s exactly what I’m going to do and document here. I’m going to implement the most simple (and useless) GTK application in Rust just for the sake of feeling the pain of fighting the compiler as an inexperienced user.
Boring but Necessary Setup
I’ve chosen GTK only because I’m developing this on Linux and I have a feeling that C lib will probably have better bindings than C++ one would have (QT). First thing we will need to deal with is an installation of all libraries. I’m going to use the nix package manager because it seems to me like the only sane way of managing this. Setup should be compatible across Linux and Mac. If you’re trying to replicate this on Windows, good luck following this.
We’re going to create shell.nix file to define development environment containing all the tools we need. Note that I’m using nixos-unstable channel myself.
{ pkgs ? import < nixpkgs > { } }: ? importnixpkgs}: with pkgs ; pkgs mkShell { buildInputs = [ cargo rustc cairo gtk3 glib pkgconfig ] ; = [ cargo rustc cairo gtk3 glib pkgconfig ] }
Now, running $ nix-shell should bring us to the bash shell with all the native dependencies including rustc and cargo installed.
Use cargo to bootstrap the project within nix-shell:
[ nix-shell ] cargo init ] cargo init
to confirm that compilation works, we can run the hello world project generated by cargo.
[ nix-shell ] cargo run ] cargo run Compiling rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) Finished dev [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 0.39s dev [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) Running ` target/debug/rust-gtk-counter ` Hello , world! , world!
Because I don’t really have an idea what I’m doing, I’m going to just copy example Cargo.toml.
[ package ] name = "rust-gtk-counter" version = "0.1.0" authors = [ "Marek Fajkus <[email protected]>" ] = [ edition = "2018" [ dependencies.gtk ] version = "0.7.0" features = [ "v3_16" ] = [ [ dependencies.gio ] version = "" features = [ "v2_44" ] = [
I also recommend running cargo build right away as at this point, it will need to pull deps, do the linking and compilation, and there is really no point in waiting for all of this later.
UI Code
With help of GTK documentation and rust-gtk documentation, I was able to hack together world’s most embarrassing interface, yay. I’m just going to put the code here as there is really nothing that interesting in it. I put all the code to src/main.rs and even main procedure because why the hell not.
extern crate gtk ; gtk extern crate gio ; gio use std::env:: args ; args use gtk::prelude:: *; use gio::prelude:: *; use gtk:: { Application , ApplicationWindow , Button , Box , Label ,}; ApplicationApplicationWindowButtonLabel fn main() { main() // The simplest way to initalize new application let application = Application:: new( None , Default :: default ()) applicationnew(()) . expect( "failed to initialize GTK application" ) ; expect( // UI initialization . connect_activate( | app | { applicationconnect_activate(app // Window let window = ApplicationWindow:: new(app) ; windownew(app) . set_title( "First GTK Program" ) ; windowset_title( . set_default_size( 350 , 70 ) ; windowset_default_size( // Containers let container = Box :: new( gtk::Orientation:: Vertical , 3 ) ; containernew(Vertical // Header let header = gtk::HeaderBar:: new() ; headernew() let label = Label:: new( Some ( "Starting at 0" )) ; labelnew()) // Content let inc_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Increment" ) ; inc_btnnew_with_label( let dec_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Decrement" ) ; dec_btnnew_with_label( // Compose piece together . add( & label) ; headeradd(label) . add( & header) ; containeradd(header) . add( & inc_btn) ; containeradd(inc_btn) . add( & dec_btn) ; containeradd(dec_btn) . add( & container) ; windowadd(container) // Display all widgets . show_all() ; windowshow_all() } ) ; // Passing arguments to the app . run( & args() . collect:: < Vec < _ >> ()) ; applicationrun(args()()) }
And this is how the app looks like when I run $ cargo run . I’m using tiling window manager (XMonad) so this will probably look slightly different on most other desktops.
Adding Actions
The application is not doing much. It’s doing exactly nothing (other than rendering useless window with useless widgets). Let’s try doing the most useless thing in the world like changing the title whenever we click on one of buttons.
Let’s just try what seems like the most simple way of doing this - changing content section to something like this:
// Content let inc_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Increment" ) ; inc_btnnew_with_label( . connect_clicked( | _ | { inc_btnconnect_clicked( . set_label( "Incremented" ) ; labelset_label( } ) ; let dec_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Decrement" ) ; dec_btnnew_with_label( . connect_clicked( | _ | { dec_btnconnect_clicked( . set_label( "Decremented" ) ; labelset_label( } ) ;
[ nix-shell ] cargo run ] cargo run error [E0373]: closure may outlive the current function, but it borrows ` label ` , which is owned by the current function [E0373]: closure may outlive the current function, but it borrows, which is owned by the current function -- > src/main.rs:31:33 src/main.rs:31:33 | 31 | inc_btn.connect_clicked ( | _ | { | ^^^ may outlive borrowed value ` label ` ^^^outlive borrowed value 32 | label.set_label ( "Incremented" ); ); | ----- ` label ` is borrowed here is borrowed here | note : function requires argument type to outlive ` 'static` : function requires argument type to outlive --> src/main.rs:31:9 | 31 | / inc_btn.connect_clicked(|_| { 32 | | label.set_label("Incremented"); 33 | | }); | |__________^ help: to force the closure to take ownership of `label` (and any other referenced variables), use the `move` keyword | 31 | inc_btn.connect_clicked(move |_| { | ^^^^^^^^ ....
Of course… We don’t have GC to “track the references” to label for us so we need to somehow make sure it’s available for as long as we need to use that reference. That is whenever the connect_clicked closure will evaluate. But we have a hint about using move to transfer ownership of label so let’s just add it.
// Content let inc_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Increment" ) ; inc_btnnew_with_label( . connect_clicked( move | _ | { inc_btnconnect_clicked( . set_label( "Incremented" ) ; labelset_label( } ) ; let dec_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Decrement" ) ; dec_btnnew_with_label( . connect_clicked( move | _ | { dec_btnconnect_clicked( . set_label( "Decremented" ) ; labelset_label( } ) ;
And we get another error.
[ nix-shell ] cargo run ] cargo run Compiling rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) error [E0382]: use of moved value: ` label ` [E0382]: use of moved value: -- > src/main.rs:35:33 src/main.rs:35:33 | 27 | let label = Label::new(Some( "Starting at 0" )); label = Label::new(Some()); | ----- move occurs because ` label ` has type ` gtk ::Label ` , which does not implement the ` Copy ` trait move occurs becausehas type::Label, which does not implement thetrait ... 31 | inc_btn.connect_clicked (move | _ | { (move | -------- value moved into closure here value moved into closure here 32 | label.set_label ( "Incremented" ); ); | ----- variable moved due to use in closure variable moved due to use in closure ... 35 | dec_btn.connect_clicked (move | _ | { (move | ^^^^^^^^ value used here after move ^^^^^^^^used here after move 36 | label.set_label ( "Decremented" ); ); | ----- use occurs due to use in closure use occurs due to use in closure
Maybe obviously, we can’t simply move ownership to multiple places. But maybe we can create copy of label reference for each button like this:
// Content let inc_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Increment" ) ; inc_btnnew_with_label( { let label_clone = label . clone() ; label_clonelabelclone() . connect_clicked( move | _ | { inc_btnconnect_clicked( . set_label( "Incremented" ) ; label_cloneset_label( } ) ; } let dec_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Decrement" ) ; dec_btnnew_with_label( { let label_clone = label . clone() ; label_clonelabelclone() . connect_clicked( move | _ | { dec_btnconnect_clicked( . set_label( "Decremented" ) ; label_cloneset_label( } ) ; }
I’m using blocks to create the nested namespace so I don’t have to be that creative with naming. But more importantly, the code above compiles and even works!
Some might expect that this code won’t work as we create independent clones of gtk::Label . I believe this type (as any other Widget) is just a reference to some GTK object so cloning it means creating just another reference pointing to the same GTK runtime thing. You can try to add the same thing or a clone of the same thing multiple times to the window. It won’t work the second time and print runtime warning to the stderr. ( rust-gtk-counter :16318 ) : Gtk-WARNING **: 17:54:30.775: Attempting to add a widget with type GtkLabel to a container of type GtkBox, but the widget is already inside a container of type GtkHeaderBar, please remove the widget from its existing container first. :16318Gtk-WARNING **: 17:54:30.775: Attempting to add a widget with type GtkLabel to a container of type GtkBox, but the widget is already inside a container of type GtkHeaderBar, please remove the widget from its existing container first.
Adding the State
Now, in order to raise our app from the absolute bottom of uselessness to just a bottom of it, we will need to introduce some state. And what is better than good old integer. And since we’re not building just any stupid application which does nothing, and thus can be implemented in a language like Haskell, we just reach for the only enterprise approved technique - the mutation.
Let’s be naive and just add our mutable state to the app for instance somewhere here…
// Containers let container = Box :: new( gtk::Orientation:: Vertical , 3 ) ; containernew(Vertical // State let mut counter = 0 ; counter
…and mutate it in handlers. I’m doing so only for increment button for now, why I’m doing so will be more apparent later on.
// Content let inc_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Increment" ) ; inc_btnnew_with_label( { let label_clone = label . clone() ; label_clonelabelclone() . connect_clicked( move | _ | { inc_btnconnect_clicked( += 1 ; counter . set_label( "Incremented" ) ; label_cloneset_label( } ) ; }
Boom! The compiler hates us again:
[ nix-shell ] cargo run ] cargo run error [E0594]: cannot assign to ` counter ` , as it is a captured variable in a ` Fn ` closure [E0594]: cannot assign to, as it is a captured variable in aclosure -- > src/main.rs:37:17 src/main.rs:37:17 | 37 | counter += 1 ; += 1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^ cannot assign ^^^^^^^^^^^^assign | help : consider changing this to accept closures that implement ` FnMut ` : consider changing this to accept closures that implement -- > src/main.rs:36:37 src/main.rs:36:37 | 36 | inc_btn.connect_clicked (move | _ | { (move | _____________________________________ ^ 37 | | counter += 1 ; += 1 38 | | label_clone.set_label ( "Incremented" ); ); 39 | | } ); ); | | _____________ ^
And this time with a bit trickier error it seems.
I’m honestly not sure what compiler’s help is trying to tell us to do but I think it might be a good idea to encapsulate our mutation in something perhaps. After some digging in documentation I’ve found std::sync::atomic which seems like it might be a good tool for the job. There is even AtomicIsize but since it looks like this will make our “state management” a bit more verbose, let’s try to decouple it.
We can also remove our state : i32 as this won’t take us anywhere it seems.
We’re still in the main.rs (because I can’t import and I’m lazy). In my case, I’m going to put this above the main procedure.
use std::sync::atomic:: { AtomicIsize , Ordering }; AtomicIsizeOrdering struct Counter(AtomicIsize) ; Counter(AtomicIsize) impl Counter { Counter fn new(init : isize ) -> Counter { new(initCounter AtomicIsize:: new(init)) Counter(new(init)) } fn increment( & self ) -> isize { increment( let old = self . 0 . fetch_add( 1 , Ordering:: SeqCst) ; oldfetch_add(SeqCst) + 1 old } }
As you can see, we’re doing bunch of interesting things here. The essential idea is to use atomic operations to alter the state. If you’re interested in details, I recommend you study the documentation of std::sync::atomic. Now it’s a time to integrate our glorified integer into application starting with initialization of counter value.
// Containers let container = Box :: new( gtk::Orientation:: Vertical , 3 ) ; containernew(Vertical // State let counter = Counter:: new( 0 ) ; counternew(
And of course, click handler closure:
// Content let inc_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Increment" ) ; inc_btnnew_with_label( { let label_clone = label . clone() ; label_clonelabelclone() . connect_clicked( move | _ | { inc_btnconnect_clicked( let val = counter . increment() ; valcounterincrement() . set_label( & format! ( "Incremented to {}" , val)) ; label_cloneset_label(val)) } ) ; }
We also put the actual value into the label when we’re at it. And since this works great, we go and extend this to work with decrement button as well.
First, the new procedure to decrement the value:
fn decrement( & self ) -> isize { decrement( let old = self . 0 . fetch_sub( 1 , Ordering:: SeqCst) ; oldfetch_sub(SeqCst) - 1 old }
and then use it in decrement button clicked closure:
let dec_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Decrement" ) ; dec_btnnew_with_label( { let label_clone = label . clone() ; label_clonelabelclone() . connect_clicked( move | _ | { dec_btnconnect_clicked( let val = counter . decrement() ; valcounterdecrement() . set_label( & format! ( "Decremented to {}" , val)) ; label_cloneset_label(val)) } ) ; }
But wait what?
Compiling rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) error [E0382]: use of moved value: ` counter ` [E0382]: use of moved value: -- > src/main.rs:66:37 src/main.rs:66:37 | 48 | let counter = Counter::new(0); counter = Counter::new(0); | ------- move occurs because ` counter ` has type ` Counter ` , which does not implement the ` Copy ` trait move occurs becausehas type, which does not implement thetrait ... 58 | inc_btn.connect_clicked (move | _ | { (move | -------- value moved into closure here value moved into closure here 59 | let val = counter.increment(); val = counter.increment(); | ------- variable moved due to use in closure variable moved due to use in closure ... 66 | dec_btn.connect_clicked (move | _ | { (move | ^^^^^^^^ value used here after move ^^^^^^^^used here after move 67 | let val = counter.decrement(); val = counter.decrement(); | ------- use occurs due to use in closure use occurs due to use in closure error : aborting due to previous error : aborting due to previous error
There is another problem with moving the value but it seems we might have a chance to fix it by simply deriving the Copy instance for our Counter struct, let’s see.
#[ derive ( Copy )] derive struct Counter(AtomicIsize) ; Counter(AtomicIsize)
and try to compile it…
[ nix-shell ] cargo run ] cargo run Compiling rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) rust-gtk-counter v0.1.0 (/home/marek/Projects/rust-gtk-counter) error [E0204]: the trait ` Copy ` may not be implemented for this type [E0204]: the traitmay not be implemented for this type -- > src/main.rs:11:10 src/main.rs:11:10 | 11 | #[ derive (Copy)] #[(Copy)] | ^^^^ ^^^^ 12 | struct Counter(AtomicIsize); Counter(AtomicIsize); | ----------- this field does not implement ` Copy ` this field does not implement error : aborting due to previous error : aborting due to previous error
Not that surprising. Our atomic type doesn’t implement Copy . This won’t take us anywhere, let’s try the last resort - the documentation.
Luckily, std lib offers this reference counting primitive called std::sync::Arc which seems to offer the semantics we need.
The type Arc<T> provides shared ownership of a value of type T, allocated in the heap. Invoking clone on Arc produces a new Arc instance, which points to the same value on the heap as the source Arc, while increasing a reference count. When the last Arc pointer to a given value is destroyed, the pointed-to value is also destroyed.
We obviously want to point to the same memory if we want to be decrementing the same value we’re incrementing and reference counting will make sure this shared mutable state is available as long as it’s needed by anything just like if we had a GC.
First, we need to change the definition of the counter variable:
// State use std::sync:: Arc ; Arc let counter = Arc:: new( Counter:: new( 0 )) ; counternew(new())
so we can clone the counter in both closures (even though technically, cloning it in just one of them should be enough).
// Content let inc_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Increment" ) ; inc_btnnew_with_label( { let label_clone = label . clone() ; label_clonelabelclone() let counter_clone = counter . clone() ; counter_clonecounterclone() . connect_clicked( move | _ | { inc_btnconnect_clicked( let val = counter_clone . increment() ; valcounter_cloneincrement() . set_label( & format! ( "Incremented to {}" , val)) ; label_cloneset_label(val)) } ) ; } let dec_btn = Button:: new_with_label( "Decrement" ) ; dec_btnnew_with_label( { let label_clone = label . clone() ; label_clonelabelclone() let counter_clone = counter . clone() ; counter_clonecounterclone() . connect_clicked( move | _ | { dec_btnconnect_clicked( let val = counter_clone . decrement() ; valcounter_clonedecrement() . set_label( & format! ( "Decremented to {}" , val)) ; label_cloneset_label(val)) } ) ; }
And our awesome application compiles and runs again!
Additional Cleaning
This is really all the important stuff but there are some additional cosmetic details I just must do because of my OCD. So just quickly.
First, the code. We should really read the initial state as well so let’s add the simple getter.
fn get( & self ) -> isize { get( self . 0 . load( Ordering:: SeqCst) load(SeqCst) }
And use it to display the initial title…
// Header let header = gtk::HeaderBar:: new() ; headernew() let label = Label:: new( Some ( & format! ( "Starting at {}" , counter . get()))) ; labelnew(counterget())))
And because we want everyone to be able to enjoy our glorious application, we can provide nix based build and installation. Create the new file called default.nix (or some prefer release.nix ).
let pkgs = (import < nixpkgs > {}) .fetchFromGitHub { = (importnixpkgs{}) owner = "NixOS" ; repo = "nixpkgs-channels" ; rev = "b5f5c97f7d67a99b67731a8cfd3926f163c11857" ; # nixos-unstable as of 2019-07-24T18:57:18-05:00 sha256 = "1m9xb3z3jxh0xirdnik11z4hw95bzdz7a4p3ab7y392345jk1wgm" ; }; in with (import pkgs {}); (import pkgs {}); rustPackages.rustPlatform.buildRustPackage rec { rec { name = "rust-gtk-counter- ${version} " ; version = "0.1.0" ; src = ./. ; = ./. cargoSha256 = "0i4px1k23ymq7k3jp6y5g7dz0ysjzwrqqxfz4xg399y7zg5wwwhr" ; nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgconfig ] ; = [ pkgconfig ] buildInputs = [ cairo gtk3 glib pkgconfig ] ; = [ cairo gtk3 glib pkgconfig ] }
Unlike in shell.nix , where we used the system’s global <nixpkgs> , here we use global ones only for fetchFromGitHub and fetch exact revision of nixpkgs to make sure that we get the same version of dependencies in the future.
Now we can use (even outside of nix-shell) $ nix-build to build the whole project (and likely compile all the C as well as Rust from source) which will produce symlink named result in local directory pointing to compiled version of our package in nix-store linked to correct dependencies. $ ./result/bin/rust-gtk-counter should start the app. We should also add result to our .gitignore . You can even install the app to your nix-env with $ nix-env -if . because one never knows when (s)he will need to count from zero to some number. The app will then be installed as rust-gtk-counter .
Since I have Mac as well, I can try that nix-build is working on MacOS as expected.
Enjoy glib compile time if you try this.
Conclusion
I have to admit that I expected this whole process to be even slightly more challenging for someone with so little experience with both Rust and GTK as me. It was not all roses and rainbows though. I’ve definitely spent a lot of time reading documentation, trying to figure out what to use and how in order to get to the desired outcome. Also, our application is miles away from being advanced or even useful.
I have to admit that Rust brings some reasonable trade-offs when it comes to building a GTK application. This doesn’t mean that it’s for free though. If you expect to write the code in the same way as you would do using some binding to language with GC (like Python or JavaScript) or probably even idiomatic GTK C, you’re likely to hit some walls on the way. If you decide to use Rust for GTK application development anyway, you might want to check relm for higher level API before you start designing your own framework. If you’re a Haskeller, you should check the gi-gtk-declarative but be aware that both of those libraries are alpha. Also for you might want to check mmstick’s comment on Reddit and PopOS’ Firmware Manager source to learn about more advanced pattern of designing GTK app in Rust. And last but not least if you’re using Windows definitely check druid which is a data oriented UI toolkit written in Rust. This is the implementation of druid application similar to this one.
Will I use Rust to build some useful GTK application myself? Maybe I will! But I will definitely evaluate both Rust and some GC language (probably Haskell) and choose the more appropriate tool to do the job based on the business logic.
The whole code is available on GitHub. | {
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23 temmuz 1999'da nasa'nın sts-93 göreviyle fırlatılmış bir uydu olan chandra x-ışınları gözlemevi'ndeki chandra teleskopu kullanılarak toplanan verilerle derlenen ve zengin bir arşivi bünyesinde barındıran dijital sistemin adı (the chandra data archive) . soluk kesici
dilerseniz okumanıza piyano perim chopin ya da kendi senfonisi eşlik edebilir uzayın...
ek bilgi: uydunun adı, daha sonra nötron yıldızlarına dönüşen beyaz cüceler için mass limitini belirlemesiyle tanınan hint kökenli abd'li fizikçi subrahmanyan chandrasekhar'ı çağrıştırarak, anısını yaşatmak için verildi. aynı zamanda "chandra" sanskritçe "ay" veya "parlayan" demektir.
1. westurlund 2
yaklaşık 1-2 milyon yaşında, dünyadan 20 bin ışık yılı uzaklıkta konuşlanmış genç yıldız kümesi. hubble space telescope tarafından görüntülenen yeşil ve mavi ışıklar, yıldızların şekillendiği kalın bulutları göstermekte. buna karşılık mor hafif sis de, chandra teleskopu ile yakalanan bir görüntü. enfes.
2. 3c31
240 milyon ışık yılı uzaklıktaki 3c31 (mavi) galaksiden gelen x ışınları, astronomların galaksinin ısı-basınç ve yoğunluğunu araştırmasına olanak sağlamaktadır ve radyo dalgalarının güçlü bir yayıcısı olarak bilinmektedir. chandra verisi, aynı zamanda ngc 383 olarak adlandırılan ve balıklar takımyıldızı yönünde yaklaşık olarak 230 milyon ışık yılı uzaklıkta bulunan merceksi bir radyo gökada'nın kenarındaki jet blast durumunu da göstermektedir. burada, chandra x-ışığı görseli, hubble'ın görünen ışık verisiyle (sarı) harmanlanmış haldedir.
3. psr j 1509-5850
ilk olarak 1967 yılında keşfedilen pulsarlarla ilgili olarak, astronomlar artık günümüzde binden fazla bu tarz uzay cisimleri hakkında bilgi sahibidir. psr j1509-5850 adındaki uzay cismi, dünyadan 12 bin ışık yılı uzaklığında konuşlanmıştır ve görselde de merkezde parlak, beyaz bir nokta olarak yer almaktadır. ürettiği upuzun x ışığının -ki tersi yönünde de bir dışa taşma vardır- yayılımı fotoğrafta da fark edilmektedir. chandra tarafından yakalanmış (mavi) x-ışınları ile radyo yayılımları (pembe) tüm alanı kaplamış.
4. abell 665
iç içe geçmiş ve son derece güçlü, büyük şok dalgaları açığa çıkarabilen bir galaksi kümesi içinde yer alan ursa major'un yıldızı olan sistem. chandra'nın saptadığı (mavi) x-ışınları sıcak gaza işaret etmektedir. şok dalgası ise fotoğrafta merkeze yakın; geniş, beyaz alanda yer almaktadır.
5. rx j0603.3+4214
şekli şemali nedeniyle, ''diş fırçası/toothbrush'' nickname'ini alan galaksi topluluğu. (bkz: pareidolia).
6. ctb 37a
astronomların ifadesine göre yaklaşık her 50 yılda bir, samanyolu galaksisi'nde bir süpernova patlaması gerçekleşmektedir. ctb 37a uzay cisimciği de, dünyadan 20 bin ışık yılı ötede, samanyolu galaksisi'nde yer alan bir süpernova kalıntısıdır. fotoğraf; (mavi) x-ışınları ve (pembe) radyo dalgalarının, (oranj) kızılötesi ışınları içinde yer alan toz ve gaz bulutlarına doğru genişlediğini göstermektedir.
nasa'nın alabama, huntsville'de bulunan ''marshall uzay uçuş merkezi'' chandra programını yürütmekte ve cambridge, massachusetts'de bulunan ''the smithsonian astrofizik gözlemevi'', chandra'nın bilim ve uçuş operasyonlarını kontrol etmektedir.
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South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a rising star in the Democratic party, will marry his partner Chasten Glezman on Saturday, as the city's LGBT Pride week comes to an end.
The 36-year-old also will be notably missing from the Indiana Democratic Party State Convention, which is the same day in Indianapolis.
The couple is getting married at The Cathedral of Saint James Episcopal church at 4 p.m. Saturday. The ceremony will be carried on the church's live stream. (Search "St. James South Bend" at youtube.com.)
Buttigieg, who became South Bend's mayor in 2012, is one of the most notable members of the state's Democratic party and has been making national headlines as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2020. He was one of nine potential candidates to meet with Barack Obama in recent months, regarding the future of the Democratic party.
He's been featured in profiles from top political publications, such as Politico, and lost a bid to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2017.
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In 2016, he was chairman of the state convention, making his absence in the 2018 convention more noticeable.
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The military veteran came out as gay in a 2015 essay in the South Bend Tribune, and got engaged to his boyfriend this past December.
"Like most people, I would like to get married one day and eventually raise a family," he wrote in 2015. "I hope that when my children are old enough to understand politics, they will be puzzled that someone like me revealing he is gay was ever considered to be newsworthy."
His wedding ceremony is exactly one week after state Republicans opted to keep language specifically praising marriage between a man and a woman in the party platform.
Buttigieg responded to the GOP's decision on Twitter: "Quick question for @indgop after today’s platform vote against marriage equality: Do you propose that our marriages be broken up? Or just stripped of legal protection?" | {
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The new animated Starship Troopers movie is the closest thing to a true sequel to the Verhoeven film — and it's the nearest thing we've seen yet to Heinlein's original vision. And now you can see for yourself — here's an exclusive look at the first 10 minutes of Starship Troopers: Invasion.
Watch Carmen and Carl reunite, and a crap load of bugs flit from space and stab a bunch of soldiers. Who knew Neil Patrick Harris had turned into such a dick?
Here's a synopsis:
A distant Federation outpost protected by the Starship John A. Warden comes under attack by bugs and the team on Fast Attack Ship Alesia is assigned to help evacuate the survivors and bring military intelligence safely back to Earth. Before the attack ship can rendezvous with the starship, Carl Jenkins, now at the ministry of Paranormal Warfare, takes the starship on a clandestine mission and goes missing in the nebula. The battle-hardened troopers are then charged with a rescue mission that may have much more sinister consequences than they ever could have imagined.
G/O Media may get a commission LG 75-Inch 8K TV Buy for $2150 from BuyDig Use the promo code ASL250
Starship Troopers: Invasion is available now on iTunes before its 8/28 Blu-ray and DVD release. | {
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MSNBC contributor David Jolly shockingly suggested on Tuesday that the social media messages written by Parkland student Kyle Kashuv sounded like ones of a mass shooter and he "deserves a closer look" as to whether the pro-Second Amendment advocate should be able to purchase a firearm.
Jolly began by telling MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle that he has taken a "harder line" in the debate over whether or not Harvard should have rescinded Kashuv's acceptance after racist and anti-Semitic messages written by the student when he was 16 years old emerged. The former Congressman said today's political leaders have given "greater permission" to people with "racist feelings," and heralded the importance of Harvard taking a stand.
Then he launched into the more shocking part of his statements, comparing the Parkland survivor's online language to that of mass shooters.
CONSERVATIVE PARKLAND STUDENT DROPPED BY HARVARD ASKS FOR FORGIVENESS: 'I WISH I COULD TAKE IT BACK'
"My immediate reaction when I really dug into this, these are the social media postings we see of a shooter and we ask, ‘Where were the signs?' See something, Say something. We see a shooter, and then we go back and look at social media posts and this is exactly what we see," Jolly said.
"I understand the sensitivity of this man toward Parkland. I'm not a mental health professional to assess him on those grounds but what I'm suggesting... "
"But Congressman, is that too far?" Ruhle interrupted. "Can you make that a leap like that?"
HARVARD RESCINDS OFFER TO KYLE KASHUV, PRO-SECOND AMENDMENT PARKLAND SURVIVOR, DUE TO PAST REMARKS, HE SAYS
"It is not. No, Jolly responded, "because if an incident were to occur -- and I‘m not saying it will with this young man -- but these are the exact posts we find of people, particularly those who advocate for stronger gun rights, who has been given an audience with the President of the United States in the Oval Office, by Nikki Haley as well, by Vice President Mike Pence, who was an invited guest to a rally to speak for Matt Gaetz and Ron DeSantis, who was a speaker at the NRA recently... you have to question how do we promote somebody with these social media posts in their background."
The ex-lawmaker concluded by saying Kashuv "deserves redemption" but also "deserves a closer look if someone with this profile should be able to purchase a firearm under the gun laws in the United State."
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Kashuv has repeatedly apologized for his offensive messages, insisting he has "transformed" into a better human being since the deadly 2018 shooting in Parkland. | {
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Keto Whoopie Pies! This is such an easy recipe and such a fun one too! These low-carb whoopie pies are an American favorite that is perfect for birthday parties, special occasions, or just a random sweet treat.
You’d think they would be hard to make but it’s really simple — you’ll start by making the soft chocolate cookies then whipping up the quick buttercream to stuff them with. You could also add any flavorings you wish to the filling, salted caramel anyone?
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0 days, 0 hours, 15 minutes Hands-on 15 minutes Overall 30 minutes Allergy information for Keto Whoopie Pies ✔ Gluten free ✔ Nightshade free ✔ Pork free ✔ Avocado free ✔ Coconut free ✔ Fish free ✔ Shellfish free Pescatarian Vegetarian Print Recipe Download Recipe
Nutritional values (per serving)
Net carbs 4.9 grams Protein 6.3 grams Fat 44.5 grams Calories 441 kcal Calories from carbs 4%, protein 6%, fat 90% Total carbs 8.7 grams Fiber 3.9 grams Sugars 2.4 grams Saturated fat 23.9 grams Sodium 328 mg ( 14 % RDA ) Magnesium 73 mg ( 18 % RDA ) Potassium 234 mg ( 12 % EMR )
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Lauren Lester Creator of Healthful Creative Lauren is a food photographer, recipe developer, and author. She is the founder of the creative content agency, Healthful Creative. HC specializes in helping food centered brands share their story through recipe development + food photography. More posts by Lauren Lester | {
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Transit For Nashville campaign kicks off with message that time is now
A campaign kickoff was held Saturday to push a multi-billion dollar mass transit plan for Nashville that supporters attending will take to the streets with urgency.
Transit For Nashville conducted the Get Out the Vote kickoff at Plaza Mariachi on Nolensville Road. Coalition members, transit supporters and community leaders and officials were there.
The campaign was set in motion Tuesday when the Metro Council voted to make Mayor Megan Barry’s transit referendum part of the local primary election on May 1.
More: Nashville transit coalitions enter campaign mode with May 1 ballot set
“Today we’re kicking off a lot of neighbor-to-neighbor conversations about transit and about why this plan is so important to pass on May 1,” said Ethan Link, the co-chair of Transit for Nashville coalition and assistant business manager of the Southeast Laborers. “I think it is a good time. The reason is that it’s such an urgent issue.”
The campaign begins after Barry recently acknowledged an extra-marital affair with the former head of her security detail. The mayor was among a number of public officials who attended Saturday’s kickoff, and she talked informally with a number of people, but didn’t speak as part of the program.
“We’ve always said this would be really good to have on the ballot in May, and that hasn’t changed,” Barry said. “I think you’re going to see an overwhelming number of citizens of Davidson County be for transit.”
Saturday’s kickoff included distributing yard signs and signing up volunteers who will knock on doors, make calls, host house parties and work on election day in support of the transit initiative. T-shirts, TV and radio advertisements and social media will also be part of the plan.
More: Analysis: Mayor Barry's affair complicates already difficult transit fight
Michael Sharpe, 56, signed up to volunteer Saturday with Transit For Nashville, pointing to opposition he said also includes oil and car companies.
“It’s not just a local battle,” he said.
“I think overall people want us to address transit, address traffic, no matter what else is going on in the city or is in the headlines,” Metro Councilman Jeremy Elrod said. “People see traffic every day.”
The cost of the transit plan is being listed with a present-day figure of $5.35 billion paying for light rail and bus improvements with a cumulative $8.95 billion price tag that considers operating and other long-term costs.
More: Nashville council votes to add transit referendum with two dollar amounts to May ballot
Nashville voters will decide whether to raise four taxes, including the sales tax, to pay for the mass transit plan.
NoTax4Tracks, a group that opposes the plan, hopes to convince voters the transit initiative will put Nashville at the top of the nation in sales tax for a plan that won’t work.
“Do you have a message that works with voters?” NoTax4Tracks spokesman Jeff Eller said. “We do, they don’t.”
Transit for Nashville, which formed in the fall, reported more than 30,000 signatures on a petition to put transit on the ballot from a number of community events, spokeswoman Kelly Brockman said.
"This is our time, this is our issue," U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, said at the kickoff. "It's time for the citizens of Nashville to decide how they feel about it."
Reach Andy Humbles at [email protected] or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles. | {
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Addressing North American Jewish leaders in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his controversial freezing of a compromise deal to expand the pluralistic prayer platform at the Western Wall, blaming pressure from the “ultra-Orthodox street,” and arguing that religion and state issues in Israel have always been settled with “ad hoc compromises” and “slowly evolving arrangements.”
While the agreement — made in January 2016 and suspended a year and a half later — will not be fully implemented, he vowed that a new “refurbished” prayer platform will open very soon.
Dismissing the discussion over the wall and other contentious matters, such as conversion, as issues that can easily be “overcome,” Netanyahu said the biggest problem facing world Jewry today was the loss of Jewish identity, and that the development of Jewish consciousness and pride in the minds of young Jews was the Diaspora’s most important mission.
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Asked about Diaspora Jews’ concerns regarding the lack of religious pluralism in Israel, Netanyahu replied by noting that even the country’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, had failed to bridge the gap between the secular majority and an ultra-Orthodox minority, without which he was unable to form a government.
“These are two conflicting principles — you can’t resolve it with a unifying principle. You resolve it by a series of ad hoc compromises, and they evolve over time,” Netanyahu said at the closing plenary of the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly.
“From time to time, the status quo is challenged. It evolves in step-functions. By the way, most of human progress until recently has been step functions. You sort of settle on a status-quo and it goes up to a certain point, and then it changes,” he continued.
On the matter of who would be authorized to perform conversions to Judaism, Netanyahu said that during his first term as prime minister he had found a good compromise with the Yaakov Ne’eman Commission, which survived for 20 years before it was challenged. The current government then commissioned a report by Moshe Nissim, which Netanyahu said was a “good compromise,” but added that he is currently unable to pass it. “It depends on the political realities,” he said.
Turning to the Western Wall, he recounted negotiating a compromise deal calling for a pluralistic prayer platform at the holy site that would be “accessible in an uplifting way” to everyone. That blueprint included the creation of a joint entrance to all three prayer areas — the pluralistic one and the two gender-separated sections to be used by Orthodox worshipers.
“We had technical drawings, the whole thing. Part of that [agreement] had explanatory notes, when I brought it to the government, which would imply an indirect recognition in Israel of the Conservative and Reform streams,” Netanyahu said. “And that was okay. People agreed. Then it was challenged, immediately, by the ultra-Orthodox street, and they basically said, you know, ‘Choose: You have a government, no government.’”
Netanyahu also said that members of the opposition may attack him for caving to the pressure, but that he has proof that they had themselves had made offers to the ultra-Orthodox parties “that exceed the ones given by Likud.”
Rather than canceling the agreement, he merely suspended it, Netanyahu said. “Keep it there. Don’t cancel it. But move with what the agreement actually says you do, which is refurbish the plaza.”
Netanyahu noted that work started on Tuesday to put back the boulder that fell out of the wall on to the egalitarian platform in July.
“This should speed up the conclusion and I expect the plaza to be completed [soon],” he said. “We finished nearly all the regulatory work, which was just impossible, but we’re getting there. That plaza will be there, refurbished, new, safe, very beautiful.”
Israel is and will remain the home of all Jews, the prime minister went on, to applause from the audience. “I don’t care whether they’re Conservative or Reform or Orthodox, and I don’t care if they’re completely secular or non-believing.”
The balance between religion and state in Israel is different from the system that exists in the US or elsewhere, he went on, “But it is what it is here. This is what we have: a series of slowly evolving arrangements.” Ultimately, those arrangements reflect the “evolution of the Israeli electorate,” he said.
Toward the end of his appearance, as his host, outgoing JFNA chair Richard Sandler, was about to bid the prime minister farewell, Netanyahu asked to make another point, stressing what he said really worries about him about Diaspora Jewry.
“What I’m concerned with when it comes to the Jewish people is one thing, and that’s the loss of identity. It’s not the question of the Wall or conversion; we’ll overcome that. It’s the loss of identity,” he said.
Paraphrasing an article by Ammiel Hirsch, Netanyahu said that those who are not concerned with Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.
“There is some basic truth to that,” he said. “Jewish survival is guaranteed in the Jewish state, if we defend our state. But we have to also work at the continuity of Jewish communities in the world by developing Jewish education, the study of Hebrew, having the contact of young Jews coming to Israel.”
What is needed is a new approach, suitable for the internet age, that will help Diaspora Jews “understand that their own future as Jews depends on continuous identity,” Netanyahu said.
“It’s protecting Jewish identity and developing Jewish consciousness that is the most important thing. It transcends politics; it touches on the foundations of history,” he concluded. “We’re one people. Let’s make sure that every Jewish child in the world knows how proud they should be to be Jews.” | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
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