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From Jamie xx’s stunning trip through a Chinese replica of Paris to Beyoncé’s instantly-memeable baseball bat rampage, these were the videos we couldn’t stop watching this year
Text Selim Bulut
This year saw the music video bite back in a big way: after years of dwindling budgets, record labels were starting to offer directors more money to work with, coming up with inventive visual counterparts for their artist’s songs. Beyoncé dropped a full-length feature for Lemonade that was more accomplished than her self-titled effort in 2013, Rihanna worked with cult auteur Harmony Korine, artists like Drake turned even their most straightforward pop songs into cinematic shorts, Radiohead tapped invited a string of renowned filmmakers to turn songs from A Moon Shapes Pool into 15-second vignettes, and for every artist approaching their ‘visual albums’ with big ambitions (and bigger budgets), you had Grimes and Peaches getting creative their iPhones. As 2016 comes to a close, we’ve picked out a handful of the music videos that wowed us the most.
10. GRIMES – “KILL V. MAIM” (DIR: CLAIRE BOUCHER) No other video captures the madcap excellence of Grimes’ singular Art Angels as perfectly as “Kill V. Maim”. In the same way that Grimes commands full creative control of her musical vision, the video sees her take command of her visual presentation: directed by Claire Boucher with a co-assist from her brother Mac, it’s a cyberpunkish journey through a manga-esque, neon cityscape that ends in a Blade-styled blood rave.
09. BTS – “BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS” (DIR: LUMPENS) Phenomenally successful K-Pop seven-piece BTS regularly work with directorial collective LUMPENS to create intricate visual universes for their music videos. Densely layered with metaphors, allegories, and literary references, the classical imagery and dark undertones of the six-minute “Blood Sweat & Tears” video rewards inquisitive fans with its musings on themes of destiny and mortality.
08. BEYONCÉ – “HOLD UP” (DIR: JONAS ÅKERLUND) The video for “Formation” was Lemonade’s most politically-charged moment, but “Hold Up” was its most lighthearted. Bey’s baseball bat rampage, coupled with her instantly memeable lyrics – were deliberately designed for maximum virality, but the sense of genuine fun that everyone brings to the shoot (just look at those behind-the-scenes photos) kept it from seeming cynical. Plus, director Jonas Åkerlund’s stylish cinematography and intuitive understanding of colour gave it all an effortless sense of cool.
07. YEARS & YEARS – “DESIRE” (DIR: FRED ROWSON) As we wrote back when it was released in March, Years & Years’ video for the Tove Lo-featuring “Desire” ends with a cast of queer and non-binary characters in a steamy make-out sesh: it’s surprising to watch, because even today LGBTQ+ people are underrepresented in music videos from mainstream pop acts, and certainly not when they’re expressing their sexuality so openly. “Most of the pop videos I’ve seen that have male and female interaction are usually centred around a romance, and that’s great,” the band’s Olly Alexander said in a Facebook post, “But there are a lot of other sexualities and identities that are well deserving of some shiny pop video love.”
06. KANYE WEST – “FADE” (DIR: ELI LINNETZ) More stylish than the controversy-baiting clip for “Famous”, the eyebrow-raising (and headline-generating) “Fade” video stars frequent Kanye collaborator and G.O.O.D. Music signee Teyana Taylor and her IRL boyfriend Iman Shumpert, with Taylor pulling some Flashdance-inspired dance moves before transforming into a cat while surrounded by sheep (as you do). Director Eli Russell Linnetz, aged just 24 when Kanye asked him to helm the visual, told the New York Times that inspirations included Grace Jones’ work with Jean-Paul Goude, John Carpenter films, and 70s porn – “that was less about the imagery and more about the texture of the skin, the oiliness,” as he said.
05. MASSIVE ATTACK – “VOODOO IN MY BLOOD” (DIR: RINGAN LEDWIDGE) Massive Attack released a lot of good videos this year – including the backwards-walking narrative of “Come Near Me” and the Cate Blanchett-starring “The Spoils” – but the pick of the crop was probably Ringan Ledwidge’s visual for “Voodoo In My Blood”. Drawing inspiration from Andrzej Żuławski’s cult horror film Possession and Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm, the video sees Rosamund Pike possessed by a floating metallic orb in an underpass. “I’d been thinking a lot about technology – about how it’s very seductive and sexy, but also very benign until you engage with it, and how that engagement takes over your life,” Ledwidge told Dazed when the video was released, “In a funny way it is sort of like possession.”
04. KLEIN – “MARKS OF WORSHIP” (DIR: AKINOLA DAVIES JR.) South London singer/producer Klein builds an abstract, ethereal sound world on “Marks of Worship”. For its captivating video, directed by Akinola Davies Jr., she explores Nigerian traditions and her family’s religious background, building up to a spiritual release. “I genuinely thought of it as a non-song – it was a five minute interlude that I made for myself; I didn’t think it’d matter much,” Klein told us, “Akin hit it on the nail though when he sent me the treatment as that’s what the interlude was about – it was a celebration of me being cleansed.”
03. DAVID BOWIE – “LAZARUS” (DIR: JOHAN RENCK) Having kept his 18-month battle with cancer secret, the hidden meaning behind “Lazarus” – the final music video featuring David Bowie – took on a new significance only after the legendary musician’s death. Released just a few days before he passed, the video was a dignified send-off: filled with the sort of occult imagery that Bowie had always been fascinated with, there’s a fixation on (and acceptance of) mortality, with Bowie lying on a deathbed with skulls at his work desk before finally retreating into a coffin-like wardrobe. “I just thought of it as the Biblical tale of Lazarus rising from the bed,” director Johan Renck told The Guardian, “In hindsight, he obviously saw it as the tale of a person in his last nights.”
02. MYKKI BLANCO – “HIGH SCHOOL NEVER ENDS” (DIR: MATT LAMBERT) The visual counterpart to “High School Never Ends” matches the drama and cinema of Mykki Blanco’s music. It’s a queer retelling of Romeo & Juliet, shot in the German town of Freyenstein. With its backdrop of Neo-Nazism, it’s a particularly necessary story given the rise of the far right in 2016. “This video was born out of months of conversations and writing between Mykki and myself, and a world and character Mykki knew he wanted to inhabit,” director Matt Lambert told us when we picked the song as our #1 track of the year, “While commenting on the still-very-alive racism in old world Europe and timeless ideas of us vs. them, we also explore and humanize characters who weren’t often humanized as well as show the moral flaws in all who preach hate and violence.” | {
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【10月23日 AFP】ケニアで21日、アルビノ（先天性色素欠乏症）の若者たちのビューティーコンテストが開かれ、アルビノの若い男女が思い思いのファッションで独自の美しさを披露した。
アフリカの多くの地域ではアルビノの人々は偏見を持たれたり差別されたりするか、薬や呪術に用いるためとして体の一部や命を狙われたりしている。
主催者によれば、アルビノの人々を対象としたこのようなコンテストが行われるのは今回が初。コンテストでは、出場した若い男女が「ミス・アンド・ミスター・アルビニズム・ケニア（Miss and Mr Albinism Kenya）」の座を争った。
ケニア初のアルビノの議員で、コンテストの主催者でもあるアイザック・ムワウラ（Isaac Mwaura）氏はAFPの取材に対し、「アルビノの人々は美しい、ハンサムとみられることはないため、この2つの言葉がアルビノと一緒に使われることはめったにありません」と話した。さらに、「私たちの才能を世の中に示し、偏見や差別に立ち向かい、私たちについて語られる内容を変えていきたいんです。アルビノも美しい、アルビノも堂々としているということは可能です」と語った。
ケニア中部出身のある出場者は、「アフリカの人々は肌が黒い。そういう中でアルビノの子どもが生まれると、呪いだと言われてしまうのです」、「幼い頃は周りの子どもたちから怖がられることもあり、立ち向かうべきことは山ほどあります」と話した。
だが、この出場者はコンテストでは茶髪のウィッグをかぶり、緑色の瞳をきらきらさせながら、ウィリアム・ルト（William Ruto）副大統領ら観客の前に登場し、自信に満ちあふれた様子でステージを歩いた。(c)AFP/Fran BLANDY | {
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(Image credit: Razer)
Do you need a gaming headset? If so, one of our top picks—the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition—is now just $59.99 from GameStop. That's $17 lower than the current Amazon price, and a few dollars cheaper than it was last month.
The Kraken Tournament Edition is a wired headset, with an included USB DAC for use with PC, Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and other devices. It supports THX 7.1 Surround sound, and features a retractable microphone.
In our review of the regular model, we found the headset had great sound quality and a solid design, though it's not as comfortable as some more expensive competitors. Still, this is one of the lowest prices we've ever seen for the Kraken, and there's a lot to like.
Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info. | {
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We will airdrop 4,000,000 BOT to QTUM holders during Chinese New Year on Feb 16th.
Every One-Hundred (100) QTUM will receive Four (4) BOT tokens. Only wallet addresses that contain more than 10 QTUM will receive the airdrop.
Here are the details:
We will take a snapshot of the Qtum blockchain on Block 93333 (expected to be between February 1 and February 5) for the Airdrop. Users MUST complete depositing QTUM tokens into their wallets (e.g., Qbao, Qtum Core Wallet) before Block 93333 to be eligible to receive the airdrop.
We recommend users collect their QTUM tokens in a single wallet address before Block 93330 to leave time to verify that the balance can be properly queried using the Qtum Explorer. To ensure accuracy, we also recommend holding the QTUM in your wallet through Block 93335. Users may freely transfer their QTUM tokens after Block 93335.
Please store your QTUM in wallets (such as QBao or Qtum Core Wallet), QTUM stored on exchanges will NOT receive the airdrop.
Using this snapshot, the Bodhi team will perform the airdrop of Bodhi tokens on the February 16th, 2018 on Chinese New Year.
Timing: | {
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Osaka is a cosmopolitan city near the ancient capital, Kyoto, best known for its dynamic food and drinking culture, and famously outgoing people. Osaka is Japan’s second city, and on the surface might not seem like an off-the-beaten-path destination. Below are 10 things that will make even those who have already been there to revisit.
Osaka Castle
1
Osaka Castle is an important historical monument that represents the great history of Azuchi-Momoyama period during the sixteenth century. It was built in 1583 by the order of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, one of the most famous unifying warlords of Japanese history. The castle is located within the Osaka Castle Park, and it’s especially popular to visit during cherry blossom season. Source
Osaka Castle
Dotonbori
2
Welcome to Dotonbori, Osaka’s most famous neighborhood. Its famous shop displays and flashy neon lights at night attract millions of visitors. It’s also the place to tonjoy delicious food in numerous restaurants. Shopping, food, entertainment. you will never be bored of this vibrant and energetic neighborhood!. Source
Dotonboriת Osaka
Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai
3
Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai is famous for being the longest shotengai (shopping street) in Japan. Its total length is 2.6km. It is home to approximately 600 shops, including those offering Osaka dishes like takoyaki(octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes), clothing stores with super cheap and flashy clothes unique to Osaka, and shops selling various local items. Nearby, you can find the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, which recreates the landscape of Osaka from the early 1830’s. You will also find Osaka Temmangu Shrine, which is famous for hosting the deity for academics. Just by visiting this shotengai, you’re sure to fully enjoy the charms of Osaka. Source
Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai – by journey-of-japan.com
Expo City and Banpaku Memorial Park
4
About 30 minutes from central Osaka by trains, the attractions clustered in Expo City and Banpaku Memorial Park are some of the best in the city. There’s great stuff for both adults and children here, including a brilliant ethnological museum, a hands-on aquarium, a sprawling shopping center, and some excellent restaurants. There’s enough here to keep a family occupied for a full day. Visit our Northern Osaka page for details. Source
Expo City Osaka
Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street
5
Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street is lined with specialty stores of all kinds of cooking utensils and kitchen items. Osaka is called the “Kitchen of the world” where lots of chefs work with highly trained minds and skills. Stores stocking tools accommodating such professionals congregate in Doguyasuji. It started as an approach from Sennichimae of Hozenji temple to Odaishi worship at Shitennoji temple and Imaebisu Shrine lined with antique and sundries stores. In the early 20th century, they developed as wholesale stores and specialty stores of manufacturing. The arcade was built in 1970 to become the current 150m-long shopping street. On Oct 9, “Doguyasuji Festival” is held when lots of tools are on sale. Recently it has become very popular among students on field trips with the takoyaki demonstration sale and food sample-making class. Source
Sennichimae Doguyasuji – by japanhoppers.com
Universal Studios Japan
6
Universal Studios Japan (USJ) was the first theme park under the Universal Studios brand to be built in Asia. Opened in March 2001 in the Osaka Bay Area, the theme park occupies an area of 39 hectares and is the most visited amusement park in Japan after Tokyo Disney Resort. Universal Studios Japan currently has eight sections: Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Jurassic Park, Waterworld, Amity Village, Universal Wonderland and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Visitors are able to enjoy many amusement rides, ranging from child-friendly carousels to thrilling roller coasters and simulators based on popular movies such as Spiderman, Back to the Future, Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park. Source
Universal Studios Osaka
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
7
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館, Kaiyūkan) is located in the Tempozan Harbor Village of Osaka’s bay area and is one of Japan’s most spectacular aquariums. It introduces various forms of life inhabiting the Pacific Rim in a well organized and impressive way. Marine life is displayed in 15 tanks, each representing a specific region of the Pacific Rim. The central tank, representing the Pacific Ocean, is nine meters deep and home to a whale shark, the aquarium’s main attraction. Source
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan – by MIKI Yoshihito/Flickr
Shitennō-ji Temple
8
Osaka’s best-known temple, Shitennō-ji, can trace its roots back to AD 59 and was Japan’s first Buddhist temple. Highlights of a tour include the site’s five-story pagoda along with a number of other exquisitely decorated buildings including the Golden Pavilion (Kondō) with its fine statues and paintings, the Lecture Hall (Kōdō), and a lovely covered corridor linking three of the site’s gates. Source
Shitennō-ji Temple Osaka – by そらみみ (Soramimi) / Wikimedia
Spa World
9
An onsen theme park with full resort facilities, SpaWorld features natural hot springs where you will feel like you are traveling on a world tour, as well as a huge pool and other amusement spots located throughout the complex.
SpaWorld Osaka
Amemura
10
Short for Amerikamura or “American Village,” Amemura is a hub for young hipsters looking to shop, drink, or just hang out. Amemura is home to trendy and unusual fashion boutiques and thrift stores, some of the best bars and restaurants in the city, a replica of the Statue of Liberty, and the infamous Triangle Park, a regular haunt for skateboarders and home to some of the best people-watching in town. This quirky and lively neighborhood is a perfect example of the “East meets West” aesthetic. Source
Amemura Osaka – by BradBeattie/Wikimedia
Just So You Know…
Osaka was once the capital of Japan. Japan’s first full-scale palace, Naniwa-no-Miya Palace, was built in 650. The site of the palace is maintained as a park, located south of the current Osaka Castle.
People from Osaka are said to be the most outgoing in Japan.
Make your visit unforgettable by staying at the best hotels in Osaka.
Get Some Culture:
Spy cosplayers – Osaka’s version of Harajuku is Ota Road in Nipponbashi – the home of popular culture in the city.
Escape to Kyoto – Only 30 minutes away from Osaka Station, and an easy day trip.
Check out the National Museum of Art.
Attend a sumo tournament in Osaka.
Grab A Bite: | {
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In celebration of KCET's Huell Howser Presidents' Day Marathon, we're pleased to unveil our "Huell Mosaic" that features iconic imagery from each of the episodes featured in the marathon.
Can you find Huell? Also, keep an eye out for these figures:
Big Foot
Frankenstein's Monster
"AMAZING"
Richard Nixon
A sword
2 UFOs
John Muir
Luis (Huell's cameraman)
A cat doing... yoga?
Abraham Lincoln
Dinosaur bones
A caveman
Teddy Roosevelt
[Click on image to view on full screen]
Watch every episode of the marathon online here until March 4, or click through below to any episode.
Huell gets a tour of the Santa Barbara ranch home of President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, who named it Rancho del Cielo.
Visit The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace with Huell and first daughter Julie Nixon Eisenhower, as she gives a private and personal tour of the farmhouse where her father was born and raised.
Join Huell as he gets the Presidential tour of Occidental College in Eagle Rock, where Barack Obama spent his freshman and sophomore years.
California’s Gold “Emperor and the President”
Did you know that California once had an Emperor and a President?
Connect with KCET Follow Us: Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
California’s Gold “Tuolumne Meadows”
Huell visits Yosemite's high country for a walk through spectacular Tuolumne Meadows.
California’s Gold “Giant Rock”
Considered to be the worlds largest free standing boulder, and a long time sacred site to the Native Americans. In the 1950s, it became a UFO airport.
California’s Gold “Devils Postpile”
Located in the Eastern Sierras, Devils Postpile is one of nature's true masterpieces.
California’s Gold “Glacier”
Join Huell as he hikes high up in the Eastern Sierra to visit the Conness Glacier in a stunning part of the National Forest.
California’s Golden Parks “Lassen Volcanic National Park”
Huell visits Lassen Volcanic National Park to see lava flows, jagged craters and steaming sulfur vents.'
California’s Gold “Fire Lookout”
Travel with Huell to Sequoia National Forest to visit historic Buck Rock Fire Lookout.
In this adventure, host Huell Howser first visits the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which takes passengers from the warm desert floor to a snowy alpine environment in a matter of minutes.
California’s Golden Parks “Yosemite Falls Trail”
California’s Gold “Half Dome”
Huell has the adventure of a lifetime as he climbs Yosemite's formidable Half Dome along with other avid hikers. | {
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Siedmiu kolejnych policjantów otrzymało zarzuty w związku ze skandalem w Komendzie Miejskiej Policji w Olsztynie. Według zeznań świadków, policjanci mieli przemocą wymuszać zeznania od podejrzanych.
Zobacz także: Policjanci kryminalni z Olsztyna zatrzymani przez prokuraturę! Trzech funkcjonariuszy wydziału kryminalnego z Olsztyna zostało zatrzymanych przez prokuraturę. Zarzuca się im przekroczenie uprawnień, śledztwo jest w... Od ponad roku prokuratura w Ostrołęce prowadzi śledztwo w sprawie nadużyć policjantów Komendy Miejskiej w Olsztynie. W kwietniu 2015 roku media ujawniły przekroczenie uprawnień przez policjantów pionu kryminalnego w Olsztynie. Mieli oni wymuszać przemocą zeznania od podejrzanych.
Prokuratorzy z Ostrołęki postawili zarzuty kolejnym siedmiu policjantom, dotyczą one przekroczenia uprawnień i wymuszani zeznań przemocą. W tej chwili śledztwem objętych 17 funkcjonariuszy, wobec których sąd zastosował wolnościowe środki zapobiegawcze.
Jak na razie status pokrzywdzonych w sprawie ma 35 osób. - Przewidywany termin zakończenia śledztwa to 30 grudnia - informuje Elżbieta Edyta Łukasiewicz, rzeczniczka ostrołęckiej prokuratury.
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Microsoft is once again testing a new and revamped design for its personal assistant Cortana on Android. The company rolled out a major redesign for Cortana on Android and the iPhone late last year, but the latest update is more of an incremental one that improves the original redesign.
The improved look for Cortana ditches the bottom navigation bar in favor of a new hamburger menu. The hamburger menu gives you quick access to settings, the different themes for Cortana, your notebook, and more. All of these were previously buried within the bottom navigation bar and it was pretty difficult to get to the important things like Cortana’s settings.
The main feed of Cortana has also been separated into a new Interests section, while the new Upcoming section keeps track of all of your events and more.
The improvements part of the latest Cortana update does look pretty good as it gets rid of the old navigation which was quite hard to navigate. The latest update puts the important things just a swipe away, and that should be appreciated by most users.
You can get the new design for Cortana here from the Google Play Store.
Thanks for the tip, Kolton! | {
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Tulsa Police have released dashboard camera video showing the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher , an unarmed black man, by Officer Betty Shelby.
The Tulsa Police Department released several videos from the shooting. One of the videos shows the scene of the shooting from a police helicopter. In the video, one of the helicopter pilots says, Crutcher, “looks like a bad dude too … might be on something,” moments before he was shot. You can watch that video above. Other videos, recorded on dashboard cameras, can be found further into this story. The officers were not wearing body cameras.
Crutcher’s sister, who along with other family members and their attorneys called for murder charges in the case, mentioned the “bad dude” comment during a press conference Monday, saying his life mattered.
“We are truly devastated, the entire family is devastated,” said Tiffany Crutcher, Terence’s twin sister. “You all want to know who that big bad dude was? That big bad dude was my twin brother. That big bad dude was a father. That big bad dude was a son. That big bad dude was enrolled at Tulsa Community College. … That big bad dude loved God. That big bad dude was at church singing with all his flaws every week. That big bad dude, that’s who he was.”
Three days after the video was released, the district attorney announced Shelby would face first-degree manslaughter charge. You can read more about that here.
Terence Crutcher's twin sister, Tiffany speaks about her brother's death. Says That "big bad dudes" life mattered. @KJRH2HD pic.twitter.com/gajPSiPHdI — Corley Peel (@CorleyPeel_KJRH) September 19, 2016
The 40-year-old Tulsa man was shot on September 16 in the Oklahoma city after his SUV broke down.
“The video is very disturbing. It’s very difficult to watch,” Police Chief Chuck Jordan said at a press conference. He and several officials said Monday that “justice” will be found, and there will be no cover-up of what happened. Jordan and others said they could not comment extensively on the shooting or the video, citing the open case.
Police Chief Chuck Jordan said Shelby was on the way to another call when she encountered Crutcher and his vehicle. Jordan, who said he is unable to release many details because of open investigation, said Shelby requested backup because she was “not having cooperation” from Crutcher.
The dashcam video shows Crutcher walking toward his SUV with his arms held in the air, as Shelby follows behind him with her gun drawn and a second officer approaches with his Taser drawn. He has his back to her and the other officer. Crutcher appears to lean toward the SUV with Shelby at his side and the other officer behind him. A single shot can then be heard and other officers run toward the SUV.
Crutcher then collapses to the ground and Shelby yells into the radio, “Shots fired!”
You can watch the video below or by clicking here if the player does not load. The shooting occurs about the 1:40 mark of the video:
Another dashcam video shows the scene from another angle, but the officer arrived after Crutcher was already shot:
A third dashcam video also shows the scene after the shooting:
Police also released audio recordings of the police dispatch conversations:
Audio recordings from citizens’ 911 calls were also made public:
Tulsa Police said the shooting occurred near 36th Street and Lewis Avenue about 7:30 p.m., KOTV reports.
Crutcher’s SUV had stalled in the middle of the road, and police arrived to check on the situation, according to the news station.
“As they approached the vehicle a black male started towards them,” Tulsa Police spokesperson Jeanne Mackenzie told KOTV. “They asked him to show his hands. He refused to follow commands given by the officers. They continued to talk to him. He continued not to listen, not follow any commands as they got closer to the vehicle he reached inside the vehicle and at that time there was a Taser deployment and then a short time later there was one shot fired.”
The officer who deployed his Taser was named as Tyler Turnbough.
While police say Crutcher refused to raise his hands when told to do so by police, a pastor who watched the dash camera video says Crutcher had his hands “in the air,” before he was shot, the Tulsa World reports.
Pastor Rodney Goss, of the Morning Star Baptist Church, also said the video does not show Crutcher reaching into his vehicle. He said Crutcher was walking toward it.
“His hands were in the air from all views,” Goss told the Tulsa World. “It was not apparent at any angle from any point that he lunged, came toward, aggressively attacked, or made any sudden movements that would have been considered a threat or life-threatening toward the officer.”
Goss added that he did not see a weapon. In the video, one officer can be seen deploying his Taser and the other officer then fires her gun.
“It wasn’t a matter of minutes, it was a matter of moments,” Goss told the newspaper. “As quick as the officer released the Taser from his hand, Terence was falling to the ground having already been shot.”
Goss said it took several moments before anyone checked on Crutcher.
“After having been shot, a couple minutes it appears, but it seemed like a lifetime, went by before anyone actually checked with him as far as pulse — as far as whatever the case may be,” Goss said.
He also expressed concerns about audio recorded after the shooting, in which a man in a police helicopter is heard saying Crutcher looked like “one bad dude,” the newspaper reports.
Police said they wanted to show the video to the family and community leaders first.
“We wanted them to see it before it was released so they wouldn’t be blindsided by it,” Tulsa Police Sergeant Shane Tuell said. “We wanted to be able to have that intimate time with them, with their attorney, to see if they had any questions or concerns.”
You can watch the police press conference about the video below:
Shelby, 42, was hired by the Tulsa Police Department in 2011 after working for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office from June 2007 to November 2011, according to KOKI-TV. She resigned from her position as a deputy to join the Tulsa department.
A police spokesman told the Tulsa World that Shelby’s husband, who is also a Tulsa police officer, was in the helicopter at the time of the shooting “by happenstance.”
It was not her husband that made the comment about Crutcher being a “bad dude.” The other officer in the helicopter hasn’t been identified.
TPD told me it appears other officer in the chopper (who hasn't been identified) made that comment. https://t.co/9mS3SrYFlK — Samantha Vicent (@samanthavicent) September 19, 2016
Betty Shelby has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated. The Tulsa Police homicide division is leading the investigation and the county attorney will make a decision on whether the shooting was justified.
The U.S. Justice Department has launched a parallel civil rights investigation into the shooting that could also lead to charges.
She gave a statement to homicide detectives on Monday, the New York Times reports.
Her attorney, Scott Wood, told the Times that Shelby thought Crutcher had a weapon. He also said Crutcher “had acted erratically, refused to comply with several orders, tried to put his hand in his pocket and reached inside his car window before he was shot.”
Wood told the Tulsa World the incident began about two minutes before the dashcam video started. Shelby was the first officer on the scene, coming upon Crutcher’s broken down SUV, and called for backup. Her dashcam did not record video, according to police. The video begins when backup arrives.
Wood told the newspaper Crutcher was not with his SUV when she arrived, “so she isn’t really sure what’s going on.”
The attorney told the Tulsa World that Crutcher ignored the officer’s commands several times and didn’t answer her questions and reached for his pockets several times despite Shelby telling him not to.
Wood said that Shelby, based on drug-recognition training, believed Crutcher was acting erratically because he was under the influence of PCP.
Tulsa Police told KOKI-TV that a vial of PCP was found in Crutcher’s SUV after the shooting. Autopsy and toxicology results have not yet been released.
Attorneys for Crutcher’s family have said the PCP is not a justification for the shooting. They also argue that Crutcher could not have been reaching into his SUV, because the window was closed.
Wood said Shelby fired her gun at the same time as the other officer deployed his Taser, because they both perceived a threat.
“He has his hands up and is facing the car and looks at Shelby, and his left hand goes through the car window, and that’s when she fired her shot,” Wood said.
Crutcher was the father of four children, the Washington Post reports. His family says his SUV stalled as he headed home from class at Tulsa Community College, where he had been studying music appreciation.
Crutcher was also involved in his church, including singing in the choir, according to the Tulsa World.
His pastor, Terry Shannon, told the newspaper it was a “blessing and a joy” to be Cructher’s pastor, saying he attended the church “faithfully” with his family for years.
“He sang in the choir,” Terry Shannon said. “He had a beautiful voice.” | {
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In just one hour, this course is going to help you overcome 4 major creativity issues artists of every creative field struggle with on daily basis.
If you are a creative with 3 years of experience or less, this 1 hour is going to literally save you years of frustration.
The one response I keep getting from people who saw this lecture is: I wish I'd heard this lecture years ago. | {
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CRRC rail facility. Interior mock-up of HR4000. HR4000 shell.
In 2016, the Metro Board of Directors approved a contract with China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) for 64 new HR4000 subway vehicles that will be used on the Red and Purple Lines. The contract also includes five options for an additional 218 vehicles. With the Purple Line being extended nine miles to Westwood, Metro needs new rail vehicles to maintain service levels, as well as replacement vehicles for the aging vehicles in the Metro fleet — the average age of our current vehicles is more than 20 years old.
Manufacturing of the exterior shell of the subway is currently taking place in China. Recently, Metro staff visited the CRRC rail facility to view a mock-up of the HR4000. The mock-up is one-third the size of a standard rail car; the idea is to give us an advanced look and feel of the proposed design and function of the new rail cars.
The most noticeable design change is the bench seating! The side-facing seating configuration allows for a wider walkway and more room for standing passengers. Many other metro systems around the world also use bench seating on their trains, whether exclusively or in some combination of side-facing and front-facing. These include subways in Toronto, New York City, Beijing and London.
Some other changes include an illuminated line map, USB ports for passenger use and a new design in the bike area that will offer a strap to secure bikes. Please note this is only a mock-up, and final design may be subject to change.
Final assembly will take place in Springfield, Mass. A new facility is planned for the L.A. area to manufacture some of the components of the rail cars. Metro expects to receive pilot HR4000 vehicles in December 2020 and testing will follow.
A separate Metro project is also expanding the downtown Los Angeles rail yard for subway vehicles to accommodate a larger fleet.
Here are some more renderings of the new subway vehicles: | {
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OUR MISSION
Our mission is to deliver the best healthcare outcomes for individuals, at the lowest costs for funders, insurers, providers and employers.
We believe good health must be created and managed, for which people need their own comprehensive, life-long, multilingual, portable personal care record.
Our core software is used by Special Olympics for global health screening in 80 countries and by 3,000 clinicians in 4 countries in 4 languages.
Our personal care record, MyPCR, is based on our global experience.
MyPCR is a comprehensive, life-long, personal care record in the Cloud and on mobile devices (iOS and Android).
MyPCR is updated directly by individuals themselves, by doctors, nurses or pharmacists, or automatically from physician electronic record systems, where available, and from remote devices, wearables and IoT.
MyPCR automatically analyses the incoming data, interprets it, and makes it come alive by creating specific, unique, evidence-based personal care pathways for each individual.
These care pathways deliver personalized interactive alerts, reminders and follow up for the actions to take to get the best health outcomes including long term conditions (diabetes, hypertension, heart, lung, kidney disease, mental health etc.), immunizations (childhood, teens, adult, elderly and travel), and cancer screening (cervical, breast and bowel ).
MyPCR is multilingual and supports wellbeing programs, health promotion, and information resources to empower individuals for self-care and self-manage where appropriate.
MyPCR guides individuals to their best health outcomes, at the lowest costs for funders, insurers, providers and employers. | {
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4 Inches and Counting
The story of a boy on the verge of manhood - and how his penis shrinks when he masturbates.
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As her fellow patients read dog-eared magazines or swipe through Instagram, Shari Forrest opens an app on her phone and gets busy training artificial intelligence.
Forrest isn’t an engineer or programmer. She writes textbooks for a living. But when the 54-year-old from suburban St. Louis needs a break or has a free moment, she logs on to Mighty AI and whiles away her time identifying pedestrians and trash cans and other things you don't want driverless cars running into. And Mighty AI even pays her a few cents for her trouble. “If I am sitting waiting for a doctor's appointment and I can make a few pennies, that’s not a bad deal,” she says.
The work may be a pleasant distraction for Forrest, but it's absolutely essential to the dawning age of the driverless car. The volume of data needed to train the AI underpinning those vehicles staggers the imagination. The Googles and GMs of the world rarely mention it, but their shiny machines and humming data centers rely on a growing and global army of people like Forrest to help provide it.
You've probably heard by now that almost everyone expects AI to revolutionize almost everything. Automakers in particular love this idea, because robocars promise to increase safety, reduce congestion, and generally make life easier. “The automotive space is one of the hottest and most advanced fields applying machine learning,” says Matt Bencke, CEO of Mighty AI. He won't name names but claims his company is working with at least 10 automakers.
The challenge lies in teaching a computer how to drive. The DMV rule book provides a good place to start, because it covers rudimentary things like "yield to pedestrians." Ah, but what does a pedestrian look like? Well, a pedestrian usually has two legs. But a skirt can make two legs look like one. What about a guy in a wheelchair or a mother pushing a stroller? Is that a small child or a large dog? Or a trash can? Any artificial intelligence controlling a two-ton chunk of steel must learn how to identify such things and to make sense of an often confusing world. This is second nature for humans but utterly foreign to a computer.
Cue Forrest and 200,000 other Mighty AI users around the world.
The cameras mounted on today's robocars photograph almost every environment and circumstance you can imagine. Automakers and tech companies send those photos by the millions to an outfit like Mighty AI, which makes a game of identifying everything in those photos. It sounds tedious, but Mighty AI turns it into a 10-minute task with points, skills, and level-ups to keep it engaging. “It’s more like Candy Crush than a labor farm,” Bencke says. The monetary rewards, although small, help, too.
Forrest carefully draws a box around every person in each picture, then around every approaching car, and then around the tires on each car. That done, she zooms in and working pixel-by-pixel meticulously outlines things like trees. Click click, click. She selects a different color pointer and highlights traffic lights, a telephone pole, a safety cone. When she’s finished, the scene is annotated in language a computer understands. Engineers call it a "semantic segmentation mask."
The need for accuracy makes for painstaking work, but Forrest, who makes a few cents per picture, enjoys it. “It’s like why some adults color,” she says. “It’s become a relaxing task.” | {
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About US$ 174
Receive 30 x EEEARS " free shipping " select your color after the campaign
Estimated delivery Oct 2018 | {
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Physiological computing focuses on the use of biosignals for the development of interactive software and hardware systems capable of sensing, processing, reacting, and interfacing the digital and analog worlds.
However, biosignals have specific requirements for which typical physical computing platforms are not particularly tuned. Until recently, many projects ended up hindered by high costs and limited access to suitable hardware materials.
That scenario is different today, partially thanks to the following 5 DIY hardware platforms.
BITalino
This is the Swiss army knife of low-cost hardware and open source software toolkits for applications with biosignals (muscles, heart, nervous system, and others). BITalino is designed to meet the learning and prototyping needs of students, teachers, makers, artists, researchers, corporate R&D, and other users alike. Now... I’m surely biased to comment on this one, but MAKE magazine recently highlighted BITalino as "one to watch" in wearable microcontrollers. In the words of Robert McGrath, "these guys do know what they are doing, and have designed well."
For hassle-free usage, the hardware bundles multiple biosignal sensors, an ATMega328p microcontroller pre-programmed for real-time data streaming, a Bluetooth wireless interface, and a power-management block with a built-in LiPo battery charger. The software includes the OpenSignals real-time visualizer, programming APIs, and plenty of examples. OpenSignals is actually quite cool for rapid prototyping, given that it uses the "batteries-included" Python for high demanding tasks and HTML/CSS/JS for the UI—just check out the bare bone on GitHub.
Other goodies include free enclosure models that can be printed in any desktop 3D printer, an active user forum, and a growing and vibrant community.
Libelium e-Health Sensor Platform
A medical armamentarium in a board is perhaps the best way to describe the e-Health Sensor Platform made by Libelium’s Cooking Hacks open hardware division. This shield works together with an Arduino or Raspberry Pi and features blood pressure, glucose, airflow, oxygen saturation, and many other sensors you’d expect to see only on a hospital bedside. There are multiple interface options to choose from, including WiFi, 3G, ZigBee, and even the use of a camera to capture photos or videos.
Software-wise, the team has created a C++ library through which the user can read sensor data and send measurements using one of the available communication interfaces. Users also have a number of options to visualize the data, and there’s even a way to send data to the cloud. Overall, the e-Health Sensor Platform has been designed with telemedicine in mind and provides plenty of tools to do that in an affordable way.
OpenBCI
You’ve got to love these guys. Brain activity monitoring is a daunting task no matter how one goes about it. Packing most of the features of high-end Electroencephalography (EEG) equipment in an (comparatively) affordable open hardware platform with research quality signals? That deserves respect. The team at OpenBCI stepped up to the challenge and a very successful Kickstarter campaign sealed the deal. Their board packs a high-performance TI ADS1299 analog frontend, a programmable microcontroller, memory card for local storage, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for data transfer.
OpenBCI has been specifically designed for EEG, in particular targeting Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) projects, so with the kit comes a set of standard gold cup electrodes and conductive paste. There’s even the option to print out a head mount that seems straight out of a Spider Man movie. As for software, the team went for the trialled & tested Processing, providing users with a basic dashboard to visualize the data stream and features extracted from the collected data. Users also get an SDK for Python, and coming soon are its counterparts for OpenFrameworks and Node.js.
To top it all off, there’s a pretty well organized set of documents and tutorials.
OpenEEG
When it comes to DIY hardware for physiological computing, this is the grandfather of them all. Launched back in 2004 (a year before Arduino), OpenEEG started with the mission to offer an inexpensive alternative to commercial EEG devices to be used as a hobbyist tool or toy. The hardware includes a data acquisition board, active and passive electrodes, calibration tools, and other utilities, such as a modulator to use the sound card as an EEG recording device. Is this awesome or what?
Users can also hack their way through the available OpenEEG-related software apps and libraries. There are biofeedback and neurofeedback apps, a TCP/IP server for raw EEG data streaming, and even a simple game controlled by a user's brain. Other cool brain wave projects include NeuroKnitting, The Space Between Us, and Mattel’s MindFlex.
SpikerBoxes by Backyard Brains
Plexiglas, popsicle sticks, basic electronics, and a 9V battery—the brainiacs at Backyard Brains have managed to bundle these seemingly unrelated parts into their educational SpikerBoxes. Although primarily designed for schoolchildren, experiments such as the RoboRoach or the human-to-human interface are sure to unravel any users' inner child as well.
SpikerBoxes are thought out for standalone operation and have an integrated speaker to provide direct feedback in response to events such as muscle contractions, heartbeats, and others. A nice party trick is connecting the sensor boards to the audio jack on a computer or smartphone. This enables one to use the sound card as a data acquisition device and look at the data in real time.
These guys have even made a module for the littleBits educational platform. SpikerBox kit schematics and annotated schematics are available as free PDF downloads (here and here) from the project website.
In a nutshell
Although they are not classified as full-fledged medical devices, each of these platforms enables us to learn and build a pretty comprehensive body of knowledge about our health status.
In light of the book "The Creative Destruction of Medicine" by Eric Topol, low-cost DIY hardware for physiological computing is just another ingredient of a digital (r)evolution bound to create better health care practices.
We’d love to have your comments on experiences with these tools or with any similar platforms that you may be familiar with and are not listed here.
Open
Hardware
Connection
This article is part of the Open Hardware Connection column coordinated by Rikki Endsley. Share your stories about the growing open hardware community and the fantastic projects coming from makers and tinkers around the world by contacting us at [email protected]. | {
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Compared to 6404 people older than 55, there were 9048 homeless youth aged 12 to 24 in NSW, accounting for around a quarter of all homeless people. About 60 per cent of these homeless young people live in "severely" overcrowded dwellings, found Census 2016's homeless figures released last month. The figures were part of an in-depth presentation for youth homeless organisations. Youth homelessness is also likely to have been underestimated due to a "usual address" being reported for some who may be couch surfing, said the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The neglect of this age group was a disgrace, said Zoe Robinson, the CEO of Yfoundations. She is calling for a "real conversation about this problem", and a promise to halve the rate of homelessness by 2030, which would require at least double the current funding of $198 million. Simon Byrnes arrived in Sydney as a 16-year-old. Credit:Wolter Peeters
"These are the formative years," said Ms Robinson. "We’re talking about children as young as 12, who through no fault of their own, have slipped through the cracks. Youth homelessness is rarely the fault of the victim," she said. Like Mr Byrnes, many young people try to hide their homelessness, which means they may be invisible to the general public. "Someone who is couch surfing might not recognise themselves as homeless, that's part of the stigma," said Ms Robinson. "Young people don't necessarily put their hand up and say I am homeless. They say they are going through a rough patch or need a break from home." When Mr Byrnes arrived in Sydney as a 16-year-old, he felt lucky to find a bed in a refuge. "For the first two years, I would've stayed in 13 services, and definitely stayed with people who set off warning bells."
Often they'd be overcrowded so he would be kicked out. "There was a fair bit of living on the streets," said Mr Byrnes. "It is hard sleeping through the night without being murdered or sexually assaulted, but once you get into a refuge you have other problems. "When you have a bed it doesn't necessarily mean you have a life. And when you have a refuge spot, it doesn't mean everything is solved. It just goes from making it through this night to making it through the next three months," he said. He also tried boarding houses and private rental accommodation, which were nearly always too expensive other than those that were scary. One place didn't have potable water.
A boarding house had no locks on the door: "A guy jokingly said that was because we have a few pedos here and we want to check on them." Thanks to two programs, Mr Byrnes got his year 10 certificate and then his HSC while homeless. He is now studying marketing and communications at Ultimo TAFE. He finally has private accommodation, which brings him unexpected joy. "I got excited that I could buy bulk toilet paper. I cried a little inside," he said. Very boring things like saving money and having clean sheets - that remind him how his mother used to warm his sheets in the dryer with something that smelled nice - make him well up inside.
He's one of the lucky ones, he said. "I had some amazing services that managed to hold onto me and keep me around for years. It takes years to actually get you out of homelessness," he said. Cindi Petersen, the executive officer of Launch Pad, said services like hers for young homeless "were being slammed". As well as an increase in youth homelessness, there was a rise in the number of those at risk of becoming homeless. The situation was worse in Sydney and NSW because housing was more expensive than in other states, and there was a lack of public and private affordable housing. | {
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Within hours of the raid on Osama bin Laden’s Pakistani compound, the CIA had used 21st century technology to get “a virtually 100% DNA match” on the dead man. But something out of another century may come back to haunt Washington: the Al Qaeda leader’s burial at sea.
Conspiracy theorists on both the left and right were quick to insist that Bin Laden was either still alive or had been dead for years, pouncing on the government’s decision to slide the body of the world’s most wanted man off a board into the Arabian Sea.
As blogs hummed with allegations that the Obama administration had faked the middle-of-the-night raid, the Bin Laden “death hoax” threatened to replace questions about President Obama’s citizenship as the latest Internet rumor to go viral.
“I am sorry, but if you believe the newest death of OBL, you’re stupid,” antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan posted on her Facebook page. “Just think to yourself -- they paraded Saddam’s dead sons around to prove they were dead -- why do you suppose they hastily buried this version of OBL at sea?”
Infowars, the website of Libertarian radio host Alex Jones, was crammed with stories charging that the U.S. government had concocted the killing to justify a security crackdown. The Tea Party Nation website brimmed with indignant posts questioning the timing of Obama’s announcement.
“Don’t you think OBAMA needs something to assure his reelection,” one commenter wrote.
Even a relative of one of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks voiced skepticism, citing the burial at sea.
“Is it true or false? I don’t know,” said Stella Olender of Chicago, whose daughter Christine died at the World Trade Center. “To me that seems strange, that they disposed of it and no one [besides] whoever was right there knows what happened.”
The conspiracy theories spoke to the quandary facing the U.S.: proving the Al Qaeda leader’s death without inflaming his supporters and the broader Muslim world. Because of that concern, U.S. officials were considering the merits of releasing gory photos of Bin Laden taken after he was shot.
The burial, which was carried out from aboard the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the northern part of the Arabian Sea, was necessary because arrangements couldn’t be made with any country to bury Bin Laden within 24 hours, as is the general Muslim practice, administration officials said. But a senior military officer said the U.S. also wanted to avoid having a grave become a shrine that would attract his followers.
Administration officials insisted Monday that there was no question who was killed in the Pakistani raid. Along with being visually identified on the scene by U.S. operatives, Bin Laden was identified by name by a woman believed to be one of his wives, according to a senior intelligence official. On Sunday evening, CIA specialists compared photos of the body with known photos of Bin Laden, determining with 95% certainty that they were one and the same.
On Monday morning, the CIA and other agencies conducted an “initial DNA analysis,” comparing a sample taken from the body with DNA samples from several Bin Laden family members. The results, the official said, gave them “a virtually 100% DNA match.”
The intelligence community has been collecting DNA samples from Bin Laden relatives for years, according to another U.S. intelligence official. Because the family is so big, obtaining samples was not difficult, officials said, particularly from relatives who denounce Bin Laden’s activities.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a former FBI agent, confirmed that the government had more than one source of DNA.
“Through the DNA testing and other things, it is clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was Osama bin Laden, based on the science,” he said.
Dr. Frederick Bieber, a medical geneticist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said it is possible for genetic kinship analysis to be done quickly, particularly if profiles of relatives have already been completed.
“Often it can be done overnight, and in high-profile forensic investigations, it often is,” said Bieber, who declined to comment on the particulars of this case.
The administration was still weighing whether to release graphic photos of Bin Laden’s bullet-pocked body to put the rumors of a hoax to rest. (A photo, purportedly of Bin Laden’s corpse, circulating online was determined to be fake.)
“We are going to do everything we can to make sure that nobody has any basis to try to deny that we got Osama bin Laden,” said John Brennan, Obama’s top counter-terrorism advisor. “And so, therefore, the releasing of information and whether that includes photographs -- this is something to be determined.”
Some congressional leaders suggested such a move was necessary.
“Unless there’s an acknowledgement by people in Al Qaeda that Bin Laden is dead, it may be necessary to release the pictures -- as gruesome as they will undoubtedly be, because he’s been shot in the head -- to quell any doubts that this somehow is a ruse that the American government has carried out,” Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said.
“We want to make sure that we maintain dignity, if there was any, in Osama bin Laden so that we don’t inflame our problems in places around the world and still provide enough evidence that people are confident that it was Osama bin Laden,” Rogers said.
In fact, doubt was also widespread in the Muslim world.
“He is still alive,” said Sayed Mohammed, a chef at a restaurant in Cairo’s bustling Zamalek neighborhood. “He is a clever guy -- he is no Hosni Mubarak.”
And in Peshawar, a city near Pakistan’s militant-heavy tribal areas, many refused to believe that Bin Laden had been killed.
As he made copies at a Peshawar store, Muhammad Sajjad said, “I am sure he will conquer America first, then he will die.”
Of course, even if the government does release photographs of Bin Laden’s body, that will not necessarily quell the doubters.
“It’s certainly a hallmark of conspiracy theorists that whatever evidence is presented, they always find problems with it,” said Brooks Jackson, director of the nonpartisan group FactCheck.org.
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Times staff writers Neela Banerjee, Brian Bennett, Ken Dilanian, Kim Geiger, Kathleen Hennessey
and Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Ryan Haggerty in Chicago and Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Cairo and special correspondent Zulfiqar Ali in Peshawar contributed to this report.
--
Times staff contributors
Contributing to the coverage of Osama Bin Laden’s death from the Washington and New York
bureaus were Neela Banerjee, Geraldine Baum, Brian Bennett, David S. Cloud, Ken Dilanian,
Bob Drogin, Kim Geiger, Matea Gold, Tom Hamburger, Kathleen Hennessey, Lisa Mascaro,
Melanie Mason, Michael A. Memoli, Peter Nicholas, James Oliphant, Christi Parsons, Paul
Richter, Richard A. Serrano, Richard Simon, Katherine Skiba and Tina Susman. | {
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The University of York Brexit debate was pulled over concerns about the all-male panel (Getty Images)
The University of York has postponed a talk on Brexit because there were no women speakers on the eight-person panel.
The ‘Brexit and History’ conference was described by the university as intending to ‘bring together historians and social scientists to discuss the origins and potential impact of Brexit’.
A university spokesperson said that the event had been put on hold until a ‘more balanced programme’ could be secured.
Professor Lawrence Black, head of the Department of History, said in a statement: “It has come to my attention that a conference organised to explore issues related to Brexit and History has an all-male speaker list.
“The University – and the Department of History – are utterly committed to developing, maintaining and supporting a culture of equality and diversity.
“The current gender balance reflected in this conference programme does not reflect those values. We have got this wrong and I apologise for that.
View photos The ‘Brexit and History’ talk was due to be held at the University of York (Getty Images) More
“For this reason I have asked the organisers to postpone the conference in order to create a more balanced programme.
“The Department’s Equality and Diversity Committee will work further with our institutional Equality and Diversity Committee to ensure that all of our future events reflect the widest possible diversity and to ensure that this does not happen again.”
In 2015 a row broke out after York University cancelled an event for International Men’s Day.
The event, intended to highlight issues such as male suicide rates and lower life expectancies for men, was pulled after staff and alumni wrote an open letter objecting to it. | {
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Celebrating 60 years of “The Twilight Zone,“ Fathom Events has announced today that they’re bringing six classic episodes to theaters along with a brand new documentary!
Taking place on November 14, the one-night-only event “The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration” will combine digitally restored versions of six quintessential episodes with an all-new documentary short titled “Remembering Rod Serling” about the life, imagination and creativity of creator Serling, whose thought-provoking introductions continue to mesmerize fans.
Tickets are available beginning Friday, September 27, at www.FathomEvents.com and at participating theater box offices. “The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration” will be presented in more than 600 movie theaters across the country. A complete list of theater locations will be available September 27 on the Fathom Events website.
While each of the 156 episodes of the mind-bending, sometimes nightmare-inducing, series has a legion of admirers, for this special 60th anniversary presentation, “Twilight Zone” CBS has curated six particularly noteworthy fan favorites to present on the big screen – the first time ever that original episodes of the series, which originally ran from 1959 to 1964, have been presented on the big screen.
“The incredible mind of Rod Serling led to some of the most indelible moments ever created for television, and selecting these episodes was both a great pleasure and a responsibility we took seriously, knowing how much the series means to generations of fans,” said Ken Ross, EVP and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment.
Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt added, “‘The Twilight Zone’ has inspired many filmmakers and storytellers, so it is a great honor to be able to bring these classic stories to the big screen, and to offer such an incisive look into the mind of the man who created them.”
The six episodes that will be screened are:
“Walking Distance”– Busy and stressed out, Martin Sloan ( Gig Young ) is a Madison Avenue executive who stops his car at a gas station that isn’t far from the small town where he grew up. Martin decides to walk to Homewood, which he left 25 years ago, where he meets his 11-year-old self, his parents … and learns about the dark side of nostalgia. (Original airdate: Oct. 30, 1959)
) is a Madison Avenue executive who stops his car at a gas station that isn’t far from the small town where he grew up. Martin decides to walk to Homewood, which he left 25 years ago, where he meets his 11-year-old self, his parents … and learns about the dark side of nostalgia. (Original airdate: Oct. 30, 1959) “Time Enough at Last” – Harry Bemis ( Burgess Meredith ) loves to read. The only problem is, he can find neither the time nor the place for it, and he’s harangued by his boss and his wife for his passion. As sneaks into the bank vault for some reading time, there’s a massive nuclear explosion. With the world gone, Harry has nothing but reading time. There’s just one catch. (Original airdate: Nov. 20, 1959)
) loves to read. The only problem is, he can find neither the time nor the place for it, and he’s harangued by his boss and his wife for his passion. As sneaks into the bank vault for some reading time, there’s a massive nuclear explosion. With the world gone, Harry has nothing but reading time. There’s just one catch. (Original airdate: Nov. 20, 1959) “The Invaders” – An elderly woman ( Agnes Moorhead ) who lives alone a ramshackle farmhouse hears noises on her roof. When she investigates, she finds what seems to be a flying saucer, and from it emerge two small robots who seem bent on her destruction. She fights them off and destroys their ship, unaware of their true nature. (Original airdate: Jan. 27, 1961)
) who lives alone a ramshackle farmhouse hears noises on her roof. When she investigates, she finds what seems to be a flying saucer, and from it emerge two small robots who seem bent on her destruction. She fights them off and destroys their ship, unaware of their true nature. (Original airdate: Jan. 27, 1961) “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” – On a pleasant day, the residents of Maple Street are disturbed by a noise and a tremor. Unsure what to make of it, when young Tommy tells them a story he read about an alien invasion, paranoia descends upon the once-tranquil neighborhood, revealing an unsettling truth about the fragility of humanity. (Original airdate: March 4, 1960)
“Eye of the Beholder” – Janet Tyler ( Maxine Stewart ) does not look like everyone else. A horrible disfigurement has traumatized her all her life, and now on her 11th trip to the hospital, her bandages will soon come off. It this surgery to make her “normal” doesn’t work, she will be segregated for life with other afflicted people. The moment of truth is at hand. (Original airdate: Nov. 11, 1960)
) does not look like everyone else. A horrible disfigurement has traumatized her all her life, and now on her 11th trip to the hospital, her bandages will soon come off. It this surgery to make her “normal” doesn’t work, she will be segregated for life with other afflicted people. The moment of truth is at hand. (Original airdate: Nov. 11, 1960) “To Serve Man” – Michael Chambers (Lloyd Bochner) recounts recent events on earth following the arrival of an alien spacecraft. Its occupants seem benevolent, and offer to share technology to provide limitless energy and cure all diseases. Chambers, an encryption specialist, is suspicious, particularly as he examines a book the aliens have left behind. (Original airdate: March 2, 1962)
“Remembering Rod Serling” takes viewers into the fertile imagination and life of series creator Serling. It offers a closer look at the life experiences that inspired Serling’s unique blend of thought-provoking and visionary storytelling, from his time as a paratrooper in World War II to his early writing days in live television, and ultimately to the creation of this indelible TV series. Friends, collaborators and members of the Serling family offer insight into the man whose creativity has inspired audiences around the globe for 60 years. | {
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Remothered: Tormented Fathers Coming To Switch
Stormind Games have announced that the Clock Tower-inspired horror game Remothered: Tormented Fathers is coming to Nintendo Switch. Famed composer Nobuko Toda is involved in the project. The game already has Japanese subtitles, but the developer are reportedly looking for a publisher for the Switch version in the Japanese domestic market. Trailer added below…
Buy Nintendo eShop Cards | {
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Regione Toscana
Mozione chiede messa al bando olio di palma
Votato a maggioranza il testo presentato dal Movimento 5 stelle per escludere utilizzo e consumo in tutte le strutture pubbliche regionali
Impedire qualsiasi utilizzo e consumo di olio di palma in tutte le strutture pubbliche regionali; avviare iniziative per escludere dagli appalti delle mense pubbliche toscane, e dai distributori automatici, ditte fornitrici di prodotti a base di olio di palma; promuovere normative di sensibilizzazione e informazione anche prevedendo etichettature evidenti sulla facciata principale dei prodotti.Questi i dispositivi contenuti nella mozione presentata dal Movimento 5 stelle (primo firmatario il consigliere Andrea Quartini), approvata dal Consiglio regionale.In sede di dichiarazione di voto, la consigliera Serena Spinelli (Pd) ha chiarito che non si tratta di un sì a “cuor leggero” e a “scopo precauzionale”. “Sul tema il mondo scientifico sta ancora dibattendo”. “Attenzione a sposare battaglie condotte con troppo allarmismo”, ha spiegato.Da Paolo Sarti (Sì-Toscana a sinistra) è arrivata la richiesta di rimandare il testo in commissione. “L’olio di palma è terribile al pari di tutti gli oli saturi. Non facciamo crociate su una questione non scientificamente provata”.Si è dichiarato favorevole il consigliere della Lega Roberto Salvini che ha parlato più di una “moda che di una reale esigenza”. “In tutti i casi – ha osservato – sarà il mercato a selezionare la validità o meno del prodotto”.
26/10/2016 17.33
Regione Toscana | {
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The University of New Orleans has been awarded a $96,000 grant from the U.S. Army Research Office to build equipment used to identify cybersecurity risks. The research will be used to protect critical infrastructure like gas pipelines and power plants.
As part of the study UNO researchers will create a “test bed” of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems similar to those used to automate manufacturing and industrial processes. This “test bed” will include scale versions of a pipeline, a water treatment plant and a power plant, which can be used to create accurate simulations of each system.
According to Irfan Ahmed, an assistant professor of computer science and the grant’s principle investigator, security has become more important now that these types of systems are increasingly interconnected through the Internet or corporate networks and are more vulnerable to outside threats.
“This equipment will greatly enhance UNO’s ability to deliver the full spectrum of cybersecurity skills needed in the profession,” Ahmed said.
To sign up for free CityBusiness Daily Updates, click here. | {
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Donald Glover on "Girls."
When Pitchfork hit Childish Gambino in his goofy hairline and gave Camp a grisly 1.6 out of 10, he told the online publication and all his other critics "we gon' see." While his 2012 mixtape, Royalty, was a half step in the right direction, Donald Glover's latest track forecasts the same determined but ill-fated Gambino that his fans enjoyed and his critics tore apart on Camp.
From the production to the lyrical content, "Centipede" is just CG condensing repetitive themes into a six-minute track that he's found time to make; you've got to give it to him, he's a pretty busy dude. While I'd personally like to see Gambino take some risks and break out of the same lane (because otherwise his critics will always dismiss him), this track tells me that that probably won't happen.
If "Centipede" is anything more than Glover declaring his return to rap, it functions as a typical example of why a lot of critics just aren't down with D-O Double Bino.
Despite what he insists, Gambino's haters dislike him not because he "act too soft," is a sexually-frustrated black hipster, and may or may not be "the only black kid at a Sufjan concert." People who don't like him find him weak because he is just so predictably unwilling to do the uncomfortable. Given that he's taking time off Community to focus on rap and also drops bars like "Aimin' for the throne, Jay and Ye said to watch that/ They ask me what I'm doin', I say I'm stealin' rock back" or even "I know Donald Glover, he weak man, he campy/ I'm still knocked down, but I up the ante," CG is for sure after legitimacy in his rap career. But legitimizing your voice in rap requires artistic development and artistic development requires breaking out of your comfort zone (without complaining so damn much).
In "Centipede," he unsurprisingly reminds listeners that dismissive critics aren't going to stop him from getting validated in hip-hop: "I'm too fresh, man, y'all ain't never gave me that/ Stone Mountain, ain't no doubting, and these niggas won't hold me back" - an unmistakable shout out to Rick Ross (who, instead of complaining about the emotional toll he takes from being labeled as an unrelenting liar, just flips critical jabs into triumphs). There's no doubt that Gambino feels entitled to critical acclaim, but I'm skeptical that he'll ever achieve it if he just keeps saturating songs like "Centipede" with complaints about how his haters and his failed love-life make him feel helpless.
Whether it's with his girl or with his critics, Gambino always reminds us that he is more comfortable making friends than making enemies. If things get sour, you can most probably catch him at his grandmama's place searching for comfort and expecting your sympathy: "Grandma's couch, my biggest fear and fantasy/ When I ain't in her arms all I'm making is enemies" or "My girl ain't down to ride, couldn't deal with my day to day/ I'm at my Grandma's house, man, like I don't know what to say" or "High off of pressure, man, that's a stiletto/ Got your own couch now but you don't feel better." If haters won't hold him back, then why does he let his relationships or his insecurities about being disliked by others tie him up? Not that those aren't legitimate and relatable fears, but they're getting old and they're especially trivial if he's after this rap game with the hard-nosed determination that he's claimed since Culdesac ("Cause let's face it, if I wasn't working with Tina on pitches I would probably flood the market, and go Katrina, you bitches").
Nevertheless, diluting his lyrics with the same ol' story isn't insidious or destructive for Glover's rap career. He'll still have a secure fan base and his critics will probably just stop listening, if they haven't already. But for such a versatile entertainer whose whole persona is dependent on his professed ambition and how he won't stop until we say that "James Franco is the white Donald Glover," he's surprisingly lazy. Gambino can't claim he's ruthlessly determined if even his most dedicated fans can anticipate what will make him feel vulnerable and what will push him back to the comfort of his couch instead of forward. | {
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The final photograph is a composite of 87 images. ( Supplied: Steven Pearce, The Tree Projects )
It took 67 days, 12,000 images and a climb to stomach-churning heights, but photographer Steven Pearce finally got the image he was after of the world's tallest flowering plant, Tasmania's eucalyptus regnans.
The Styx Valley, past the township of Maydena, about 100 kilometres north-west from Hobart, is often damp, cold and foggy.
It is also home to the world's tallest flowering plant and one of the world's tallest trees — the eucalyptus regnans, often called mountain ash or swamp gum.
These towering gums are thought to grow to 100 metres or more, with the tallest living tree on record being Centurion in Tasmania at a confirmed 99.6 metres.
Potential to be a 'world leader'
Photographing these trees to show their entire length is extremely difficult, but this was what Pearce was determined to do.
"It's a very arduous process involving a lot of tree climbing, getting right up to the crown of these trees," he told Louise Saunders on ABC Radio Hobart.
Pearce and a team were hired by Australian Geographic to get a full-length shot of one of these giants as part of The Tree Projects, which aims to showcase some of the world's biggest, tallest and unusual trees.
Pearce said he saw taking part in the project as a way to refocus the conversation around the trees in the Styx Valley.
"I want to start a new chapter for Tasmanian tall trees," he said.
"Tall trees in Tasmania for too long have been divided between greenies and the loggers and the politics.
"Each one of these eucalyptus regrens has the potential to grow into a world leader.
"The other tallest tree in the world, the California redwood, takes thousands of years to grow this high whereas our eucalypts can grow that high in 300."
To get the full-length photo, Pearce and the team suspended between two trees a camera rig which could travel up and down to photograph the entire tree.
It took a lot of patience to get the photos needed and the team spent 67 days in the valley.
"Half an hour of weather in the Styx Valley — well, nothing really stays the same for very long out there," Pearce said.
"We had all up 12,000 photos from over 12 mornings and there were only four days which are represented in the final photograph.
"It was worth it just to be out in the Styx Valley for that long, for me."
The final photograph is a composite of 87 images and is on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery until March 19.
Climbing some of the world's tallest trees is not for the faint-hearted. ( Supplied: Steven Pearce, The Tree Projects )
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Iran has said that operations have begun at two uranium mines and a milling plant in Iran.
It said that Western opposition would not slow its nuclear work, days after talks with world powers made no breakthrough.
Iran opened the Saghand 1 and 2 mines in the central province of Yazd.
The Shahid Rezaeinejad yellow cake plant is in the town of Ardakan in the same region to mark the country's National Nuclear Technology Day.
Yellow cake can be further processed into enriched uranium to make fuel for nuclear power plants.
Also yellow cake can be used to provide material for atomic bombs if refined much more, which the West fears may be Iran's ultimate goal.
Talks between Iran and six world powers held in Kazakhstan last week failed to make progress in resolving a decade-old dispute that threatens to trigger a new war in the Middle East.
The powers want Iran to curb its uranium enrichment activity.
Iran denies Western accusations that it is seeking an atomic weapons capability.
It often announces technical advances in its nuclear programme, but these can be difficult to verify independently.
Iran has for years carried out construction work at Saghand and Ardakan. | {
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The way HBO wrapped up the complicated politics and power plays of Westeros has divided fans. Many decisions were unpopular, but George RR Martin has never been afraid of making hard choices to serve his plot. The main problem is that his brutal choices were always true to the storylines. Fans know the books will end with some of the same fixed points, so Bran will be on a throne but it is impossible to believe it will be like this. The final episode ending is impossible (some might say ridiculous) and has doomed Bran from the start.
This explanation sums it up: "Bran's government isn't merely about to collapse, it's completely impotent from day one. The other lords don't secede because there's no point; Bran's government effectively creates seven independent kingdoms." There seems no way Bran will be able to govern the remaining Six Kingdoms in any form, nor does there seem to be any reason why any of them would remain under the throne at King's landing. Sansa set an extraordinary precedent that was authorised with no discussion but simply a nod at a meeting primarily attended by Starks, with their army camped outside the remains of the city. Bran now has TWO major problems that seem impossible to solve.
Game of Thrones: Bran is doomed
Game of Thrones: Why shouldn't other regions copy Sansa?
Firstly, everything that just happened is enforced by the situation at Kings Landing. What happens when the Northmen and their armies leave? Sansa and the North will blatantly have no interest in what happens beyond their borders, so who will actually enforce Bran's government or stop any of the other regions from devolving back to their original kingdoms? The explanation on Reddit points out it all happened simply to serve the crowd-pleasing twist of Sansa being Queen in the North: "It gets Bran out of Winterfell. That leaves Sansa as the rightful heir. Bran's kicked upwards, but he hasn't got any jurisdiction over the North." Secondly, the only person who could have united all the lands behind Bran and has military credibility is Jon, but he has been banished. So, where does the power now lie in the South?
Game of Thrones: Bran's Small Council
King's Landing is destroyed and for the first time ever, its new king has no army or land of his own. Why should anyone listen to him? Robert Baratheon was a powerful lord with armies and land of his own. The Targaryens had all that and dragons. What does Bran have? Those who agreed to his coronation were Sansa and Arya Stark, with their uncle, the ineffective Edmure Tully. The others were the minor noble Lady Brienne with no armies, Ser Davos with no wealth or armies, Samwell who is not even a maester and technically has no authority and the new nameless Dornish prince who will go back to Dorne and has no major army. Yara Greyjoy who was loyal to Daenerys and is head of the most fiercely independent former kingdom in Westeros, is hugely unlikely to ever risk her men or small wealth to prop up a government she has no ties to and no need to fear. Bronn is now lord of Highgarden, but with no actual personal wealth or armies of his own. How long will the houses of that region tolerate him? Gendry is now Lord Baratheon of the Stormlands, he may be able to wield power and influence but has no experience or support base in his own lands yet.
Game of Thrones: How can Tyrion and Bronn help Bran? | {
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ALL THE THINGS! You get every single reward we've listed so far regardless of their availability! The full game with closed beta access, the soundtrack, the CD, your name in the credits and you can work with us to design any of the above content for the game.
Less | {
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Democratic Party vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia held a sparsely attended rally Friday evening at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida that stagecraft wizardry made into a packed room for the media.
The rally was held at the Clemente Center gymnasium. Two-thirds of the gym was walled off for the rally. The media pen took up one third of the remaining space. Security fencing forced the attendees to appear bunched near the stage. At stage right, a large amount of space was blocked off by black pipe and drape with a large American flag.
A couple hundred supporters were squeezed into the rally space with about eighty sent to the second floor workout room that had an open view of the gym/rally below.
It worked.
View from 'overflow room' (2nd FL gym) for Tim Kaine Melbourne rally shows two thirds of first floor gym blocked off pic.twitter.com/6kGEEF1lg6 — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
TRENDING: BREAKING: Senate Finance and Homeland Security Committees Release DEVASTATING Report on Hunter Biden, Burisma and Corruption -- CROOKED BIDEN FAMILY ENRICHED THEMSELVES AND OBAMA KNEW!
“View from ‘overflow room’ (2nd FL gym) for Tim Kaine Melbourne rally shows two thirds of first floor gym blocked off”
'Overflow crowd at Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally stands on workout equipment pic.twitter.com/7IGO3JO1yL — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“‘Overflow crowd at Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally stands on workout equipment”
View of crowd for Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally. FL Sen Bill Nelson speaking pic.twitter.com/f5i3wphLoV — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“View of crowd for Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally. FL Sen Bill Nelson speaking”
Tim Kaine speaks at Melbourne FL rally. Says @realDonaldTrump might poison, food, air, medicines because 'science' pic.twitter.com/56JkTbAn8H — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“Tim Kaine speaks at Melbourne FL rally. Says @realDonaldTrump might poison, food, air, medicines because ‘science'”
Lot of stagecraft went into making third of gym used for Tim Kaine Melbourne rally even smaller to show 'packed room pic.twitter.com/aKBtzqnQqt — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“Lot of stagecraft went into making third of gym used for Tim Kaine Melbourne rally even smaller to show ‘packed room”
More stagecraft to make Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally seem better attended. pic.twitter.com/8BjnlVtAge — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“More stagecraft to make Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally seem better attended.”
Close up shows large area next to stage blocked off w/ black drapes & large US flag at Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally pic.twitter.com/9mgGGXNOvc — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“Close up shows large area next to stage blocked off w/ black drapes & large US flag at Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally”
View of large media pen shows almost as large as space for attendees to Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally pic.twitter.com/onGua2Tdqj — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“View of large media pen shows almost as large as space for attendees to Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally”
Another view of media pen at Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally shows it took almost half floor. pic.twitter.com/M5wJJmhg6i — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) November 4, 2016
“Another view of media pen at Tim Kaine Melbourne FL rally shows it took almost half floor.”
In contrast Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence held a rally on Monday in Cocoa, Florida about 30 miles north of Melbourne attended by 900 supporters with another 800 turned away because the rally hall was filled to capacity (without stagecraft wizardry.) | {
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It only takes a minute to create happiness like this!
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The Guardian / Observer has proven to be the big disappointment of the independence campaign. If you do manage to construct a coherent shelving unit out of the Guardian’s one dimensional flat packed reports, you’ll get a shoddy and poorly manufactured piece of crap that won’t take the weight of a lying leaflet from Better Together.
You’d expect that sort of thing from the Mail or the Telegraph, but when the referendum campaign kicked off I did, naively perhaps, harbour fond hopes that the liberal traditions of the Guardian might just allow the Scottish indy case a fair shake of the stick. But no such joy, the Guardian out-Mails the Mail in its eagerness to depict independence supporters as atavistic English haters. The UK media is united in singing from the same “ooo aren’t they racist” songsheet.
The Observer was at it again this Sunday. A report on Alistair Carmichael’s latest fact-free whinge contained a number of accusations that the independence campaign has been disfigured by racism and intolerance. Of course it’s only Yes campaigners who do that sort of thing, what British nationalism being the only non-nationalist nationalism ever.
I can’t be bothered dissecting the contents of Alistair’s interview. He’s a waste of space and if he didn’t exist no one would feel the need to invent him. Ali wants us to take him seriously, and gets upset when we don’t. You don’t get respect for talking out your arse, Alistair, you get mockery. The rest of us learned that lesson in nursery school.
However he raised a couple of points that should not go unchallenged. Alistair said that it was wrong to claim that the people of Scotland and the people of England have different values. And this would be true. The people of Scotland and the people of England do, by and large, have shared values. We share those values with the rest of Europe, and just about everywhere where most people aren’t fundamentalist god-botherers of one sort or another. The problem however is that this is not about sharing or not sharing values with ordinary English people, it’s about Scotland not sharing values with Westminster. It is convenient for Alistair and Better Together to confuse the difference.
Alistair was very annoyed that he’d been called a Quisling. He was called that because he diminishes Scotland’s prospects and potential, he either knowingly lies or he repeats untruths he does not challenge, and he colludes in the stereotypes and racism which form the prism through which the Westminster elites view the Scottish independence campaign. But this is not the same as rounding up Jewish people at the behest of Nazi occupiers and sending them off to death camps, which is what yer actual Vidkun Quisling did. People were afraid of Quisling, with very good reason. Alistair is not a Quisling, he’s an Uncle Tam – a figure of fun and ridicule, not fear.
However it allowed the reporter to indulge in another bout of mud slinging. Ooo aren’t the Scots terribly racist. We need Westminster to keep our atavistic impulses in check for us.
When the Guardian does deign to cover Scotland with something approaching intelligence, it discusses the effect independence might have on England – or to be more exact, on the English political elite. Because in Guardianland Scottish independence isn’t really about Scotland at all.
How foolish of those Scots to complain that Scotland has a different political culture to the rest of the UK. Scotland is exactly the same as England, only with scenery. Scotland is nothing more than a region of the UK with a burning hatred of all things English due to ancient historical grievances. That is, to the Metropolitan commetariat, what defines us. If Scotland is defined as nothing more than a region of the UK where people hate the English, then any Scottish independence campaign must be a racist campaign.
But the reports in the UK media of the racism that supposedly disfigures the Scottish independence campaign are themselves racist. They play to racist stereotypes of semi-civilised Scots who need Westminster to civilise us. They do this in the hope that voters will be discouraged from engaging with the independence debate, so that the power of the Westminster elite will remain unchallenged.
The real racism in this campaign lies with the Guardian, the Daily Mail, and the Uncle Tams. Racism, like homophobia or sexism, is fundamentally about power. Who has power, who exercises power, and who is to be subject to that power. The British establishment have the power, and they use it to keep Scotland shut firmly in a constitutional box where the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland can be contained and ignored, and Scotland’s resources and potential can be harnessed to the demands of the Westminster elite. In order to maintain their privilege, Scotland must be trivialised and diminished. Calling supporters of independence racist and anti-English is a means to that end. | {
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Scientists velcroed wood-‘n’-clay tails onto chickens to reverse-engineer dinosaur-to-bird evolution. Really.
News Source International Business Times: “Walk Like A Dinosaur: Scientists Put Fake Tails On Chickens To Study How T. rex Might’ve Moved”
How did T. rex walk? Scientists have studied its supposed modern cousin—the chicken—to find out. And since the chicken doesn’t have a bulky theropod tail, they decided—like the Grinch in need of a reindeer—to supply it with one.
“‘All I need is a reindeer . . .’
The Grinch looked around.
But, since reindeer are scarce, there was none to be found.
Did that stop the old Grinch . . . ?
No! The Grinch simply said,
‘If I can’t find a reindeer, I’ll make one instead!’
So he called his dog, Max. Then he took some red thread
And he tied a big horn on the top of his head.” Of course, dogs are not reindeer. Neither are chickens dinosaurs. To draw scientific conclusions about the way dinosaurs walked from living chickens despite their skeletal differences and on the basis of their supposed evolutionary relationship is an unreasonable, assumption-laden activity. Image and text from Theodor Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, New York: Random House, 1957.
Fossils Don’t Walk
To learn how theropods walked, scientists chose a living model to represent them. The quality of their conclusions depends upon the suitability of their model. Their choice, unfortunately, was based on the widespread claim that dinosaurs evolved into birds.
In “Walking Like Dinosaurs: Chickens with Artificial Tails Provide Clues about Non-Avian Theropod Locomotion,” researchers from the University of Chile and the University of Illinois at Chicago write, “By experimentally manipulating the location of the center of mass in living birds, it is possible to re-create limb posture and kinematics inferred for extinct bipedal dinosaurs.” From their “more nuanced understanding of the relationship between form and function in dinosaur evolution,” they also believe they know how bird legs evolved from theropod legs.
T. rex with chicken courtesy of Dan Lietha, Answers in Genesis.
Coats and Tails
Tails were crafted from wooden sticks and modeling clay and then velcroed to an elastic coat. Chicks were raised wearing them. Tails matched body length and weighed 15% of each chicken’s body weight. This was the body:tail ratio that seemed to best mimic theropods. Tails were adjusted as the chickens grew. Each chicken’s altered center of gravity was estimated based on the center of gravity of the tail assembly.
One control group lived an unfettered life. A second control group wore lead-weighted coats that did not alter the birds’ natural balance point. Chickens were encouraged to exercise as much as possible.
Cock-of-the-Walk
When grown, these physically fit chickens were videoed as they walked and the footage analyzed. Birds ordinarily keep their femurs—which are inside their bodies—fairly horizontal, hunkering down a bit and walking from the knees using primarily the hamstring muscles. The researchers expected the altered center of gravity to prompt the birds to walk less hunched, to put more thigh movement into each step, and to thereby alter the position of the femur.
Angles between the various lower limb bones were measured and the relative orientation of the bones assessed from videos. Actually, this assessment was indirect, since a chicken’s femur and knee are hidden inside its body.
The tail-heavy chickens, compensating for their back-shifted center of gravity, leaned forward as they walked. They leaned forward enough that the femur was in a more vertical position. (See the illustration with color-coded bones. Weighted control birds also leaned forward, but the researchers judged it not enough to count.) “These results indicate a shift from the standard bird, knee-driven bipedal locomotion to a more hip-driven locomotion,” like that of dinosaurs, the researchers wrote. They suggest further research on hatchlings could reverse engineer the evolutionary process, demonstrating how theropods evolved into birds.
The Emperor’s New Clothes
To keep from falling on their backsides, these birds walked with their bodies and their thighs—anchored inside the body—tipped forward. The team concluded that evolution from dinosaurs to birds once produced the opposite effect, prompting evolving dinosaurs to crouch back more and begin walking from their knees-down using their hamstrings, until evolution eventually enclosed the bird thigh within the body. (This of course is presumably why fried chicken thighs are so much meatier than scrawny drumsticks. Thank you, evolution.) But in truth the ability of these chickens to shift their weight, adjust their walk, and keep their balance tells us nothing about their supposed evolutionary ancestors.
The chickens didn’t mind their coats and tails. “Indeed, subjects got used to the coats and artificial tails and behaved as normal.” But then, that’s not the point, is it? In fact, even the point that these birds were able to accommodate their hindmost handicap by walking in whatever way it took to keep their balance isn’t the point.
The point is that the skeletal anatomy of birds and theropods is not the same. The hips are not the same. The thighs and legs are not the same. Defining what adjustments would be needed to transition one of these designs into the other does not show that such a thing ever could or did happen.
Undercutting the Dinosaur-Bird Link
A T. rex’s femur (thigh bone) was located beneath its trunk where it would have been able to move freely. A bird’s femur is inside its body, where it anchors air sacs essential to the bird’s unique respiratory process. The attachment keeps the bellows-like air sacs from collapsing until skeletal movements compress them to supply the bird with fresh air and oxygen.
“This is fundamental to bird physiology,” said Oregon State University zoologist Devon Quick. “The position of the thigh bone and muscles in birds is critical to their lung function, which in turn is what gives them enough lung capacity for flight.”4
Believing birds co-evolved alongside dinosaurs rather than descending from them, John Ruben, coauthor of “Cardio-Pulmonary Anatomy in Theropod Dinosaurs: Implications From Extant Archosaurs” in the 2009 Journal of Morphology, said, “Birds are found earlier in the fossil record than the dinosaurs they are supposed to have descended from. That's a pretty serious problem, and there are other inconsistencies with the bird-from-dinosaur theories. But one of the primary reasons many scientists kept pointing to birds as having descended from dinosaurs was similarities in their lungs. However, theropod dinosaurs had a moving femur and therefore could not have had a lung that worked like that in birds. Their abdominal air sac, if they had one, would have collapsed. That undercuts a critical piece of supporting evidence for the dinosaur-bird link. A velociraptor did not just sprout feathers at some point and fly off into the sunset.”5
The problem with dissimilarity of skeletal structure even goes beyond the fact that birds and theropods kept their thigh bones in different places. These animals also pointed the opening of their pelvic bones in opposite directions. The theropod pelvis6 opens toward the front, as it does in modern reptiles and in mammals. The bird’s pubic opening is directed toward its back.
Pinning a tail on a chicken is certainly creative, but the starting assumption on which this experimental design is based—the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs—fails on two counts.
First of all, animals reproduce and vary only within their created kinds. This biological observation is consistent with biblical history, for Genesis 1 says God created animals “after their kinds.” He made all kinds of fully functional birds just one day before He created the land animals, which would have included dinosaurs.
Second, anatomically, the walking-parts of the bird and theropod skeletons are not even similar. Far more than absence of a big tail separates birds from theropods. Video7 of a chicken strutting along wearing a coat and a tail resembling a plumber’s helper is fun to watch, but the science doesn’t stand serious scrutiny.
The Bible explains the origin of birds. It is no surprise that God’s design for birds includes a femur position that not only makes the bird’s uniquely efficient breathing system possible but also is positioned to allow a walking bird to keep its balance. | {
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With a little bit of help from Russia, the Americans and the Syrians have established contact with each other, sending shockwaves in Turkey, which has blamed Moscow and Beijing for the continuation of strife in Syria.
Addressing the American media on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov dropped a bombshell. He said that Moscow had helped the American experts to establish contact with the Syrians on the subject of chemical weapons. “I hope I won’t disclose any big secret, but we have helped American experts establish contact with the Syrians on this issue, and we have received explanations and assurances that the Syrian government is guarding these facilities in the best possible way,” said Mr. Lavrov, as reported by Russia Today.
He also added that Russia was not considering granting asylum to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, in case he decided to quit office.
“No, we won’t grant him asylum,” Mr. Lavrov said, pointing out that the Syrian President “was a friend of other countries northwest of Syria.”
Lebanon’s Al Manar television website quoted its Arab sources in France as confirming that the U.S. delegation at the U.N. General Assembly annual session wanted to discuss with Syria, the issue of chemical weapons. The Syrian side pledged “with a Russian guarantee” that it would not use these weapons “inside Syria during the conflict between the government and the militant opposition”. However, the Syrian delegation was emphatic in stating that in case Syria was subjected to a foreign attack, in that case countries involved in inciting and participating in that attack would be legitimate targets “for the Syrian rockets… loaded with chemical warheads, including countries neighbouring Syria”.
Coinciding with the Mr. Lavrov’s announcement of opening a U.S.-Syria dialogue track on chemical weapons, Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan went uncharacteristically ballistic—blaming both Russia and China of siding with Syria. His outburst against Moscow and Beijing was aired live on NTV, a leading Turkish television station.
“The main source of disappointment is Russia. Let alone raising its voice against Syria, it stands by the massacre,” said Mr. Erdogan as reported by Reuters.
“China stands by Russia, and although [Chinese President] Hu Jintao had told me they wouldn’t veto the plan [for a safe zone] for a third time, they did at the U.N. vote.” Mr. Erdogan described the position of Iran, a staunch Syria ally, as “impossible to understand”.
Turkey has emerged as a frontline state against the Assad government, with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United States as allies.
The bitter acrimony that this has caused between one time allies — Turkey and Syria — is climbing to new heights. Syria is now seriously considering arming Kurdish fighters for combat against
Turkey, Al Manar said. Citing its “Kurdish sources,” close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria, the website said that the Assad government “had sent a letter to Turkey saying that the Turkish interference in Syria would prompt Damascus to arm every Kurdish man in both Turkey and Syria”.
The Syrian government is apparently considering supplying the Kurds advanced weaponry including the anti-tank Kornet rockets, as it considers playing its “Kurdish card”.
Adding psychological warfare to its arsenal, the Syrian army has been sending cellphone text messages nationwide to the armed opposition stating: “Game Over”. These messages have also said that the countdown to evict the foreign fighters from Syria had begun, Associated Press reported. | {
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Despite two powerful offenses meeting in Super Bowl 53, it was the defenses that took center stage for much of the game. Even though the New England Patriots moved the football well at times, they had only three points to show for it entering the fourth quarter. Likewise, the Los Angeles Rams were also sitting at three after they were forced to punt on their first eight possessions.
But after New England opened the second half with three straights punts, Tom Brady and company finally started to generate some offensive momentum on a drive that started inside of 10 minutes left in the game. What followed was the stuff of legends: first, the Patriots delivered a five-play touchdown drive to go up 10-3, followed by another series that burned the clock down to 1:12 and ended with a field goal.
Let’s dissect the first of the two series to find out how New England scored the game’s lone touchdown.
1-10-NE 31 (9:49) T.Brady pass short right to R.Gronkowski to NE 49 for 18 yards (S.Ebukam).
After a 39-yard punt by the Rams set New England up at its own 31, the team opened in a run look with fullback James Develin and running back Sony Michel aligning in an i-formation behind Tom Brady. Tight end Rob Gronkowski aligned on the outside shoulder of right tackle Marcus Cannon, with the play’s two wide receivers in a slot look on the opposite side. All in all, a run was likely to come out of this formation and situation:
However, the Patriots are never afraid to change things up to challenge defenses and they did right there. Instead of calling the expected run with Michel, Tom Brady faked the handoff to the rookie running back. From New England’s perspective, the misdirection worked perfectly as it drew three of the Rams’ second level defenders closer to the box as they all bit on the run fake. This, in turn, made the unit’s left side vulnerable for a pass.
The Patriots, of course, knew this when calling this play to counter the Rams’ aggressiveness. Gronkowski therefore started to run block against edge linebacker Samson Ebukam to further sell the run. However, he quickly released to work his way down the sideline on a swing route towards the boundary. Before he knew what had happened, Ebukam was already in a trailing position — and Gronkowski able to take the pass for 18 yards:
The call itself was a perfect drive starter called by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. With the Patriots willing to stick to the ground game all day, the play action worked well and was perfectly executed by all involved — especially Gronkowski and Brady: the tight end sold his blocking perfectly before releasing downfield, while the quarterback delivered a perfect touch pass to get the football to where only his target could get it.
1-10-NE 49 (8:50) (Shotgun) T.Brady pass short middle to J.Edelman to LA 38 for 13 yards (C.Littleton).
With the football at their own 49-yard line, the Patriots used a different personnel group and formation: New England went with a shotgun empty set aligned in a 3x2 formation. The key, however, is the skill position players on the field. While James Develin remained on the field to align to the far left, the team brought primary blocking tight end Dwayne Allen onto the field in place of Chris Hogan. Furthermore, Rex Burkhead subbed in for Sony Michel.
This, in turn, gave the Patriots a seldom used look: they essentially had 22-personnel on the field with Develin in his role as a fullback/tight end hybrid, but split everybody out with the goal of creating favorable matchups across the board. One of them came in the left side slot where Julian Edelman originally lined up:
Los Angeles countered with a two-deep zone look it liked to run on early downs against the Patriots. New England challenged the coverage by running two seam routes with the tight ends to challenge the deep parts of the field, and the outside receivers — Develin on the left and Burkhead on the right — running quick curls to force the underneath linebackers to come down:
In essence, this combination of routes cleared out the middle of the field and left Edelman one-on-one. All that was left to do for Edelman was to get open, and he did it on a familiar route: the same in/out motion he ran on the game-winner in the Super Bowl four years ago.
Edelman was able to get open quickly on the route and Brady tossed him a quick pass before the rush was able to get to him. Speaking of which: even though left guard Joe Thuney gets walked back by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, he is able to give his quarterback the time needed to complete the pass. The Patriots won in the trenches for most of the day, and this play is no exception.
1-10-LA 38 (8:16) (Shotgun) T.Brady pass short left to R.Burkhead pushed ob at LA 31 for 7 yards (M.Peters).
New England stayed in the same personnel group on the next play, with the only pre-snap difference being the alignment — and even that was just due to the fact that it was mirrored: Rex Burkhead and Rob Gronkowski now aligned on the left side of the formation, with Julian Edelman, Dwayne Allen and James Develin to the right. Other than that, it was th exact same look New England used one play earlier.
The similarities did not end there, as the Patriots also used the same route concepts with its four outside receivers: both tight ends ran seam routes, with the boundary players attacking out of quick curls. Edelman, meanwhile, ran a shallow crosser but Brady did not go for his favorite target on the day — instead, he went with Rex Burkhead, who was open against the off-coverage by cornerback Marcus Peters.
Basically, it was another simple “take what the defense gives” play that gained comparatively little yardage when view opposite the first two plays of the drive, but one that a) put the Patriots in a manageable second down situation, and b) set up what was about to happen on the next play — one run out of a familiar formation and personnel group.
2-3-LA 31 (7:43) (Shotgun) T.Brady pass deep left to R.Gronkowski to LA 2 for 29 yards (C.Littleton).
The biggest play of the day on either side saw two future Hall of Famers connection for potentially the final time: Tom Brady’s 29-yard hookup with Rob Gronkowski was a perfect display of what makes both players great, and also set up the Patriots at the Rams 2-yard line — the first and only time all day a football would be snapped in the red zone.
As noted above, the Patriots used a familiar personnel group and alignment on the 2nd and 3 play from the L.A. 31-yard line. And not just that: the team ran the same exact play it used on Edelman’s 13-yard catch, out of the exact same formation — only, like on the previous play, flipped. The pre-snap alignment therefore looked as follows, with Gronkowski in the left-side slot of the 2x3 formation:
So what made Brady go to Gronkowski instead of a shorter pass this time? The Rams did, for two reasons:
1. Despite facing the same basic alignment for the third snap in a row, the defense was scrambling to line up correctly. Linebacker Cory Littleton came over a bit late to cover Gronkowski after Julian Edelman’s left-to-right pre-snap shift across the formation. Generally, Los Angeles seemed a bit overwhelmed by the 22-look all drive long.
2. L.A. shifted to a one-high safety look right at the snap, with John Johnson serving as the deep centerfielder after originally lining up on Gronkowski’s side of the field. This, in turn, made the safety cover the deep portion from the middle instead of being able to bracket the tight end alongside Littleton. He and Brady made them pay for it.
After releasing into his route, Gronkowski played form an outside position but was able to get a step on Littleton. This was enough for Brady to trust his target to make a play on the ball — and he did by getting around the defender to catch the deep ball. Johnson, meanwhile, was as expected late to come over:
While Brady’s pass to Gronkowski was an outstanding play by both men, it would not have been possible without the offensive line again giving the quarterback ample time to make the throw as the route developed: the unit did an outstanding job against . Los Angeles’ five-man rush both in terms of winning at the point of attack but also when it comes to the communication and chemistry needed to successfully identify and stop the rushers.
Once again, both guards need to be pointed out: while Joe Thuney was able to stifle the NFL’s defensive player of the year — Aaron Donald — one-on-one, Shaq Mason was quick to get off his double-team block to move over and stop stunting wide-nine rusher Samson Ebukam:
Together with the other three linemen — left tackle Trent Brown, center David Andrews, right tackle Marcus Cannon — all winning their matchups as well, Thuney and Mason were therefore able to give their quarterback the time needed to take one of the few deep shots down the field. All in all, this play was masterfully executed by all involved: from the blockers to Brady and Gronkowski to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for using the 22-personnel to create advantageous matchups for his unit.
1-2-LA 2 (7:03) L.Waddle reported in as eligible. S.Michel left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The game’s first and only red zone snap resulted in the game’s first and only touchdown. The Patriots changed their personnel compared to the previous three plays to do what they did all year long: play smash mouth football. And as usual — especially during the postseason — the plan worked to perfection as New England used its goal line personnel to punch the football in.
The team approached the 1st and goal from the 2-yard line with a 23-personnel package that saw Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen and tackle-eligible LaAdrian Waddle line up at tight end, with Sony Michel and James Develin again in an i-formation in the backfield:
Right before the snap, Allen motioned across the formation from right to left — the side towards which the run was supposed to go. When the play was started, the Patriots immediately were able to control the line of scrimmage with Joe Thuney and Trent Brown winning their one-on-one blocks against Ndamukong Suh and Ethan Westbrooks, respectively. Meanwhile, Gronkowski set a hard edge against John Franklin-Myers.
This, in turn, left only one player unaccounted for on the off-tackle run: safety/linebacker hybrid Mark Barron, who was blocked out of the picture by James Develin. Thus, the path was free for Michel to score the sixth playoff touchdown of his young career — and to give his team a 10-3 lead with only seven minutes left in the Super Bowl.
The touchdown just like the four plays preceding it was perfectly executed by a New England offense that controlled the game for much of its first three quarters but was held back by its own miscues. When the unit did pull it all together, it was able to deliver a perfect series to take a lead the Patriots would not give up again. And while defense dominated the discussion all through the game, it was this excellent offensive series that helped tip the scales in New England’s favor.
This was the sort of drive that legends are made out of, or in other words: this was a vintage Tom Brady-led effort. | {
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The upcoming season of Game of Thrones has taken a turn for the ethereal. Entertainment Weekly is reporting today that Icelandic post-rock group Sigur Rós will appear in the fourth season of HBO's hit fantasy series, which is scheduled to air in spring 2014. According to EW, band members Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, Georg Hólm, and Orri Páll Dýrason are currently shooting on location in Croatia, though it remains unclear what role (or music) they'll play in the upcoming season.
The decision isn't a huge surprise, considering that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are fans of the band's music — which they listened to extensively while shooting in Iceland — and the show's history of casting musical acts. Members of Snow Patrol and Coldplay have made guest appearances in earlier seasons, and HBO tapped indie band The Hold Steady to arrange a Westeros tavern song that played over the closing credits of an episode last season. | {
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Estudantes protestam em São Paulo na última sexta-feira. Miguel Schincariol / AFP
O Brasil no final de 2015: a bacia do Rio Doce foi destruída, e a lama avança sobre o oceano; o presidente da Câmara dos Deputados, Eduardo Cunha (PMDB), um homem investigado por crimes de lavagem de dinheiro e corrupção, que escondeu contas na Suíça, dá início ao processo que pode resultar no impeachment da presidente Dilma Rousseff (PT), depois de constatar que deputados petistas votariam contra ele no Conselho de Ética, numa ação que pode cassar seu mandato; a Polícia Militar do Rio de Janeiro dispara 111 tiros e fuzila cinco jovens negros porque passeavam de carro à noite; as brasileiras não podem engravidar porque há um surto de microcefalia causado por vírus transmitido pelo Aedes aegypti e aquelas que estão grávidas foram condenadas a viver em pânico diante do zumbido de um mosquito; o governador de São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), autoriza a PM a jogar bombas de gás e a bater em estudantes de escolas públicas.
Obscenidade é a palavra que chega mais perto, mas é fraca demais para representar o Brasil atual. E também ela fracassa. Procuram-se palavras que deem conta do excesso de real da realidade. A crise de representação assumiu proporções inéditas. E o ano ainda não acabou.
Diante desse despedaçamento, há que se cuidar para que as palavras disponíveis, aquelas que dão nome a conceitos cuja construção é o que de melhor a humanidade criou, não sejam pervertidas e restem também elas obscenas. É neste ponto, profundo, que o governador Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB) cometeu um ato simbólico de extrema violência, para além da truculência concreta de sua polícia nas ruas de São Paulo. Em 2 de dezembro, no Palácio dos Bandeirantes, ele afirmou:
– Não é razoável obstrução de via pública, é nítido que há uma ação política no movimento. Há uma nítida ação política.
A frase do governador foi amplificada pela imprensa, em títulos de jornais e chamadas nas rádios, TV, internet. O governador denunciando o movimento dos estudantes que ocupavam as escolas públicas de São Paulo em protesto contra um plano que, em nome da “reorganização escolar”, fecharia mais de 90 escolas e remanejaria mais de 300.000 alunos. Mas, vale repetir, o que o governador denuncia? Que o movimento é político. Qual seria a acusação? É óbvio que o movimento é político. E a melhor qualidade do movimento é justamente a de que é político.
É pelo exercício da política que se alcançou o que de melhor existe na experiência humana. E não pela força, pela imposição, pelo extermínio do diálogo e das ideias e, vezes demais, das pessoas que discordam. Onde a política é suspensa, a aniquilação se instaura. Para Alckmin, porém, a julgar pela sua declaração e pelos seus atos, a política é obscena. Tanto que ele precisa denunciá-la. E insinuar que os estudantes estão sendo instrumentalizados por interesses partidários e ideológicos. É fundamental que se preste atenção a um governador, com ambições de ser presidente da República, que iguala a política à obscenidade. Ou à abominação, outra palavra que pode nos iluminar nesse momento em que a crise de representação alcança também as palavras.
Para avançar com seu decreto sem escutar os que interrompiam o trânsito, o governador autorizou a PM a usar violência
Voltemos à declaração do governador: “Não é razoável obstrução de via pública”. É assim que a frase começa. Para ele, protesto, manifestação, algo do cerne da democracia, é “obstrução da via pública”. O que se impõe nesta afirmação de Alckmin? A voz que vale é a daquele que quer passar. A via pública pertence àqueles que querem passar com seus carros. Passar, portanto, sem parar para escutar. É forte, porque Alckmin tem demonstrado governar assim, passando sem escutar. Se necessário, passando por cima, como se viu.
O que foi a imposição da “reorganização escolar” sobre a comunidade, senão um “passar sem escutar”? E o que aconteceu? O ato autoritário foi enfrentado com política. Os estudantes ocuparam o espaço público para reafirmar a necessidade de dialogar, para dizer que imposição não era possível num regime democrático. A reação foi recebida pelo governo como uma afronta à ordem e à autoridade. Mas como, se esta é uma democracia? Quem não dialoga é ditador. Diante do impasse, entre considerar a política uma obscenidade e, ao mesmo tempo, governar num estado democrático, Alckmin fez o quê? Se ele queria passar sem escutar, com seu carro e com seu decreto, o governador fez o quê? Chamou aquela que restou da ditadura: a Polícia Militar.
Como afirmou Fernando Padula Novaes, chefe de gabinete da Secretaria de Educação, é “guerra”. A palavra reveladora de como o governo se relaciona com aqueles que discordam, neste caso os estudantes, foi usada mais de uma vez numa reunião cujo áudio foi divulgado pela repórter Laura Capriglione, do coletivo Jornalistas Livres. O encontro com cerca de 40 dirigentes de ensino contou também com a anunciada presença de um militante da Ação Popular, movimento de jovens do PSDB. Na reunião, Padula demonstrou a necessidade de “desqualificar” o movimento de resistência e mostrar que a "radicalização" estava “do lado de lá”.
E, assim, na lógica de “guerra”, Geraldo Alckmin respondeu ao exercício da política com bombas de gás, com golpes de cassetete e agressões físicas e psicológicas, como humilhar e carregar à força um garoto de 18 anos pendurado de cabeça para baixo. Respondeu com repressão, como já tinha feito nas manifestações de 2013. Respondeu como um general alinhado ao golpe de 1964 responderia durante os anos de chumbo. A Polícia Militar é o que sobrou de lá, aqui. E, se como analistas de segurança pública têm dito, a polícia está descontrolada, está descontrolada porque governantes precisam controlar. E impor: passar sem escutar. Passar sobre a política. “Limpar” as ruas dos pretos e dos pobres e também dos que fazem política.
Enquanto as imagens nas ruas expunham a violência da Polícia Militar contra os estudantes, a maioria deles adolescentes, este era o discurso do governador: “A polícia dialoga, a polícia conversa, a polícia pede para as pessoas saírem, a polícia dá tempo para as pessoas saírem. Agora, não pode prejudicar quem precisa trabalhar. Então, é preciso ter o mínimo de bom senso. A polícia faz todo o trabalho, ela é capacitada, é treinada, tem paciência...”. O governador, e esta não é uma constatação banal, está satisfeito com a ação da PM. A desconexão entre o discurso da autoridade máxima do estado de São Paulo e a realidade documentada por vídeos e fotografias nas ruas de São Paulo é um fato a ser levado a sério.
Enquanto os profissionais de Brasília rebaixavam a política à chantagem, os estudantes paulistas deram uma lição ao país
É uma enormidade o que os estudantes paulistas deram ao país neste mês de resistência. Enquanto a política em Brasília, aquela feita por profissionais do ramo, era rebaixada a chantagens e tomaladacá, adolescentes deram ao país uma lição de política em sua expressão mais completa. Organizaram-se, ocuparam 196 escolas, responsabilizaram-se por elas –consertando, limpando e cuidando– e impediram que, num país e num estado em que a péssima educação pública escava um abismo, mais de 90 escolas fossem fechadas por decreto. Foram reprimidos violentamente por isso. Muitos apanharam, dezenas foram detidos, centenas sofreram as consequências das bombas de gás. Mas resistiram. E venceram. E, como o que venceu foi a política contra o autoritarismo da verdade única e da força bruta da PM, vencemos todos.
Em 4 de dezembro, o governador foi obrigado a recuar: suspendeu a “reorganização escolar”. O secretário de Educação, Herman Voorwald, deixou o cargo. Geraldo Alckmin recebeu uma lição de política dada por crianças e adolescentes. Ao ver sua popularidade despencar, conforme pesquisa do Datafolha publicada no mesmo dia em que anunciou o adiamento das mudanças até 2017, o político que iguala a política à obscenidade descobriu que não era mais possível mandar a Polícia Militar passar por cima do povo para sua verdade única passar.
Geraldo Alckmin recuou com uma frase do Papa Francisco: "Sempre que perguntado entre a indiferença egoísta e o protesto violento, há uma solução sempre possível, o diálogo". Ainda que óbvio, é uma questão de respeito restabelecer os fatos para não perverter as palavras. “Indiferença egoísta”: pode ser relacionada ao governo, que tentou impor sem debate um projeto controverso, criticado por educadores, que fechava quase uma centena de escolas e atingia centenas de milhares de alunos. “Protesto violento”: fotografias e imagens documentam a violência da PM contra os estudantes. “Diálogo”: é o que os alunos reivindicavam, enquanto no interior do governo se anunciava “guerra”. Diálogo é justamente política. Como aquilo que se faz é mais revelador do que aquilo que se fala, o governador fez seu anúncio e deixou a sala sem falar com a imprensa.
Não foi apenas Geraldo Alckmin que aprendeu algo importante com os alunos da escola pública –ou deveria ter aprendido. Há dois pontos aos quais é preciso prestar bastante atenção. Um deles, que já havia se tornado claro nas manifestações de 2013, é o de como uma parcela da imprensa da redemocratização ainda está intoxicada pelos tempos da ditadura e da censura, entre outras hipóteses para a escolha dos termos usados na cobertura. Adolescentes levam bombas e borrachadas das forças de segurança do Estado e parte da imprensa chama de “confronto”. A cada protesto nas ruas, várias reportagens começavam pelas agruras causadas pela interrupção do trânsito, como se o trânsito fosse a entidade mais importante desse acontecimento político, relacionado à grande tragédia nacional, a educação, numa hierarquia de valores bastante iluminadora. Adolescentes eram encurralados e agredidos pela PM e parte da imprensa definia como “confusão”. A PM reprimia violentamente os alunos que protestavam e uma parcela da mídia descrevia o fato como um ato de “dispersão”. Nomear os fatos com precisão é tarefa obrigatória do jornalismo.
Os estudantes “violentos” e “perdidos” da escola pública se reapropriaram do espaço coletivo e passaram a cuidar do que ninguém mais cuidava nem acreditava
Ao pensar nas manifestações contra o aumento das passagens do transporte público, em 2013, desponta outro ponto crucial: qual é o limite da opinião pública? Ou, de forma mais explícita: em quem a polícia pode bater sem causar assombro e reação, ou sem que isso provoque a queda de popularidade do governador? O que os protestos contra o fechamento das escolas mostraram é que usar violência contra alunos adolescentes é um limite para os cidadãos. Desta vez, não foi possível transformar os estudantes em “vândalos” e ganhar a opinião pública, como ocorreu em 2013, usando como justificativa a ação violenta dos black-blocs. Geraldo Alckmin apostou que conseguiria repetir 2013, quando num primeiro momento houve uma reação massiva contra a violência da polícia e, em seguida, com a conversão de manifestantes em “vândalos”, na narrativa de parte da imprensa, a opinião pública passou a apoiar a repressão policial, por ação ou omissão.
É importante pensar sobre isso, porque enquanto a violação da lei pela polícia não for rechaçada, independentemente de contra quem for, seguiremos muito mal. Se pode bater neste, mas não naquele (ou matar, como acontece nas periferias e favelas), continuaremos involuindo no pacto civilizatório. E os governantes autoritários seguirão com chance de passar sua verdade única sobre a política, calando a democracia com bombas de gás e golpes de cassetete.
O fracasso na conversão de estudantes em “vândalos” para a opinião pública, apesar de todos os esforços, revela que a escola ainda têm um lugar forte no imaginário coletivo. A educação pública, tão abandonada, tão desrespeitada, tão desinvestida nestas últimas décadas, ainda ecoa na população como um valor. Ainda ressoa a consciência de que uma escola, neste país, não pode ser fechada. Muito menos dessa maneira. A escola, tão maltratada, ainda é um símbolo positivo.
Há aqui uma lição profunda que os estudantes das escolas públicas deram não apenas ao governador, mas ao conjunto da sociedade que acredita em saídas individuais, em geral na de matricular o filho na escola privada para pelo menos salvar o seu da tragédia educacional brasileira. Quando já se tornava difícil acreditar que houvesse uma saída, os estudantes se apropriaram das escolas e, com a ajuda de parte dos pais, passaram a cuidar dela. Coletivamente, como comunidade, como cidadãos. Cuidam do que ninguém mais de fato cuidava.
Acho que ainda não chegamos perto de alcançar o tamanho desse gesto, que nestas últimas semanas levou gente que nunca tinha pisado numa escola pública a oferecer de comida a serviços. Pessoas de todas as áreas têm se apresentado para dar aulas nas escolas ocupadas. Alunos de universidades prestigiadas, aquelas em que os estudantes da escola pública foram ensinados a acreditar que nunca entrariam, pediram para os secundaristas irem até a faculdade explicar o movimento. Os estudantes conseguiram derrubar muros que quase ninguém acreditava que ainda poderiam cair. E uma estudante ouviu de uma visitante no domingo, na Escola Estadual Fernão Dias Paes, a primeira ocupada na capital paulista, uma frase simbólica: “Tenho orgulho de viver numa cidade em que você existe”. Como escreveram os repórteres Felipe Resk e Rafael Italiani, do Estadão, a escola que tem o nome de um bandeirante “se tornaria símbolo da resistência ao Palácio dos Bandeirantes”. Recusando tal pai-fundador, os alunos cobriram a estátua do “matador de índios”, na frente da escola, com um saco preto.
Os adolescentes “sem futuro”, porque pessimamente educados nas escolas, ensinaram aos adultos que política é estar com o outro no espaço público
Os estudantes que ocuparam escolas e ruas estavam até então na posição de restos. Eram os estudantes que o Estado fingia educar, em escolas abandonadas, caindo aos pedaços, em aulas com professores muito mal pagos, desmotivados e despreparados. Eram os alunos que nunca teriam muita chance na vida porque recebem uma péssima educação. Eram os estudantes “violentos” e “perdidos” da escola pública, eram também os pretos e os pobres da escola pública. Eram aqueles que restavam na condição de objetos, também de discursos eleitoreiros e de slogans indecentes. Os herdeiros do processo de redemocratização lento, frágil e precário que vivemos há 30 anos, das ações imperfeitas de inclusão social, provaram que, se a moldura do espaço público for a democracia, há lugar para as diferenças, há lugar para o outro. Aqueles que muitos acreditavam “sem futuro”, porque sem presente, ensinaram aos adultos que a política é o exercício de estar com o outro no espaço público.
De onde veio a boa notícia no rio de lama e de obscenidades que se transformou o país, no concreto e no simbólico? Dos meninos e meninas das escolas públicas. Educaram o governador, educaram a sociedade. E fizeram o que parecia impossível no atual momento do Brasil: resgataram a política. | {
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Is the Bills-in-Toronto series about to get the boot?
The Buffalo Bills and Rogers Media Inc. are meeting in two weeks, QMI Agency has learned exclusively.
Representatives from the two sides are scheduled to sit down together during the week of Jan. 12, according to a source in the position to know who wished not to be identified.
While the source would not say who called the meeting and why, nor what is on the agenda, it is more than possible -- probably likely -- that the purpose is to discuss the future of the disappointing series, which sees the Bills annually relocate one of their eight regular-season home games to Toronto’s Rogers Centre.
A Bills spokesman on Friday afternoon denied that a meeting has been set, telling QMI Agency, “We have nothing scheduled at this time.”
A Rogers Media Inc. representative could not be immediately reached.
Does Rogers want out? Do the Bills want out? Do both sides want out?
As QMI Agency reported exclusively last month, there is no provision in the current five-year contract for either side to unilaterally opt out; it would have to be a joint decision.
The current deal has five games remaining over the next four years: the annual regular-season games, plus a one-off preseason game, year to be determined.
Given recent statements from Bills president Russ Brandon, which could best be described as non-committal about the future of the Toronto series, it would be no surprise if the NFL team has asked to meet with the Canadian media giant to seek an end to the souring enterprise that has been a PR nightmare for all involved. | {
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3.2.0 Hotfix 3
Made it easier to capture Legendary Beasts.
Added an option to suppress Recipe notifications.
You can now click-through the Recipe Unlocked notification. The "Close all panels" hotkey will suppress all queued Recipe notifications.
Added an error message when trying to capture enraged Beasts.
Fixed a bug causing attack speed to appear too high while wielding a shield.
Fixed a bug causing the Giant Crabs plaque in the Menagerie to not display the correct name.
Fixed a bug causing the "Gain up to Five New Prophecies" Beastcrafting recipe to consume Silver Coins.
Fixed a bug causing some areas to not generate Legendary Beasts.
Fixed various issues with Dynamic Resolution scaling.
Fixed various client crashes.
This patch has been deployed without a restart. The client fixes, such as improvements to the UI for recipe unlocks, require you to close and restart your client to update. This patch has been deployed without a restart. The client fixes, such as improvements to the UI for recipe unlocks, require you to close and restart your client to update.
Last bumped on Mar 3, 2018, 1:20:00 PM Posted by
Qarl
on Alpha Member on
Cool what would penguins do?
[quote="Gereggy"]I got stuck in a wall, and it was glorious. :D[/quote]
[quote="Qarl"]Fixed a bug where occasionally Fairgraves, Neverdying never dies.[/quote] Posted by
Gunslingerx64
on on Quote this Post
Still not enough. single modded legendary mob should not instantly break free of a net when it's at 30% life (lvl 47 zone lvl 56 net). Most builds leveling up CAN NOT hit that monster again without killing it. The mechanic is fundamentally broken. Instead no stun/root should take place and the net should apply 100% (if your net is in range), but it can break free if you don't do enough dmg.
This encounter was after this hotfix was posted. Many worse encounters happened prior, especially with double modded legendary beasts, but left those out for obvious reasons. Last edited by habbey on Mar 3, 2018, 8:14:48 AM Posted by
habbey
on on Quote this Post
" habbey Still not enough. single modded legendary mob should not instantly break free of a net when it's at 30% life (lvl 47 zone lvl 56 net). Most builds leveling up CAN NOT hit that monster again without killing it. The mechanic is fundamentally broken. Instead no stun/root should take place and the net should apply 100% (if your net is in range), but it can break free if you don't do enough dmg.
If it breaks free if you don´t do enough damage, then all builds that don´t follow the speed meta are done and dusted with that league.
I play a summoner and it takes a long time to kill stuff, it would lock me out from ever catching anything with life reg or aoe, since my zombies just die to it and I sit there with nothing but my wand :D
What I would like to see is a timer that starts once the net is thrown and if you keep the monster in combat for 10 seconds, its yours. It would only break free, if we stop doing damage like if we die :) If it breaks free if you don´t do enough damage, then all builds that don´t follow the speed meta are done and dusted with that league.I play a summoner and it takes a long time to kill stuff, it would lock me out from ever catching anything with life reg or aoe, since my zombies just die to it and I sit there with nothing but my wand :DWhat I would like to see is a timer that starts once the net is thrown and if you keep the monster in combat for 10 seconds, its yours. It would only break free, if we stop doing damage like if we die :) Posted by
Ygidua
on on Quote this Post
" Ygidua " habbey Still not enough. single modded legendary mob should not instantly break free of a net when it's at 30% life (lvl 47 zone lvl 56 net). Most builds leveling up CAN NOT hit that monster again without killing it. The mechanic is fundamentally broken. Instead no stun/root should take place and the net should apply 100% (if your net is in range), but it can break free if you don't do enough dmg.
If it breaks free if you don´t do enough damage, then all builds that don´t follow the speed meta are done and dusted with that league.
I play a summoner and it takes a long time to kill stuff, it would lock me out from ever catching anything with life reg or aoe, since my zombies just die to it and I sit there with nothing but my wand :D
What I would like to see is a timer that starts once the net is thrown and if you keep the monster in combat for 10 seconds, its yours. It would only break free, if we stop doing damage like if we die :) If it breaks free if you don´t do enough damage, then all builds that don´t follow the speed meta are done and dusted with that league.I play a summoner and it takes a long time to kill stuff, it would lock me out from ever catching anything with life reg or aoe, since my zombies just die to it and I sit there with nothing but my wand :DWhat I would like to see is a timer that starts once the net is thrown and if you keep the monster in combat for 10 seconds, its yours. It would only break free, if we stop doing damage like if we die :)
This is not true, in case you don't do good damage you can simply throw the net later in this theoretical situation. This is not true, in case you don't do good damage you can simply throw the net later in this theoretical situation. Posted by
habbey
on on Quote this Post
Oh? Was the league too hard for the two million DPS PoB warriors? YOU CAN'T FIGHT PROGRESS Posted by
Abdiel_Kavash
on Valued Poster on Quote this Post
Scorching Ray is still causing crashes very often. Posted by
lSporadicl
on on Quote this Post
" habbey
This encounter was after this hotfix was posted. Many worse encounters happened prior, especially with double modded legendary beasts, but left those out for obvious reasons. Still not enough. single modded legendary mob should not instantly break free of a net when it's at 30% life (lvl 47 zone lvl 56 net). Most builds leveling up CAN NOT hit that monster again without killing it. The mechanic is fundamentally broken. Instead no stun/root should take place and the net should apply 100% (if your net is in range), but it can break free if you don't do enough dmg.This encounter was after this hotfix was posted. Many worse encounters happened prior, especially with double modded legendary beasts, but left those out for obvious reasons.
^100% this. i cant catch a single beast, because i cant controll the dmg of my Totems. they hit. i throw a net and if it breaks right after i throw it. the catch is gone and the monster dead. happend 1000 times to me.
Solution: let the net 3-5sec on the monster no matter how much life it has. and THAN it breaks or dont break if you dealt enough dmg. ^100% this. i cant catch a single beast, because i cant controll the dmg of my Totems. they hit. i throw a net and if it breaks right after i throw it. the catch is gone and the monster dead. happend 1000 times to me.Solution: let the net 3-5sec on the monster no matter how much life it has. and THAN it breaks or dont break if you dealt enough dmg. My Builds & Hideouts: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2083383
Hideout Community Discord: https://discord.gg/B2xQkmf
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dralanorr
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/guggelhupf Posted by
guggelhupf
on on Quote this Post | {
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LOS ANGELES -- On the same day that word trickled out about a Cleveland Cavaliers finger-pointing team meeting, the Boston Celtics huddled in Los Angeles on Monday to discuss their own struggles and privately resolved to work together to overcome one of the first rough patches the team has encountered this season.
Celtics players acknowledged their meeting after Wednesday's 113-102 triumph over the LA Clippers snapped Boston's four-game losing streak. But pressed for details, players were measured with their words and stressed the positive nature of the gathering.
"I'm trying to think about the right thing to say before it gets misconstrued," Kyrie Irving said after a long pause following a question about the meeting. "Team meetings, it happens all the time. We could call every time we meet a team meeting. And throughout your professional career there are going to be times where you're tested. And for us it was things that we can control and everyone being great at their role, and us collectively coming together even better as a group.
"When you're hitting a lull of losing games, you can tend to go your own direction and try to figure it out on your own. For us, we have great leadership at the top with [coach] Brad [Stevens], and he echoes a message to us leaders on the team, and then we go out there and try to maximize that opportunity of getting better every single day. And I think that we did a great job of just putting everything out on the table. And it's just about being professional and going out there and executing."
The Celtics arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday night having dropped three straight games for the first time all season. The team scrapped a scheduled practice Monday, but players huddled to discuss the team's recent woes.
Boston fell to the Lakers on Tuesday night, but players emerged encouraged by the progress shown on the court. Despite playing without two of their top five rotation players Wednesday in Al Horford (head) and Marcus Smart (hand), the Celtics put together one of their best offensive performances of the past month while taking down a Clippers team that was welcoming back DeAndre Jordan.
"We just all had a meeting and we talked about a lot of things that we can get better at," said guard Terry Rozier, who scored 15 points off the bench in Wednesday's win. "We were struggling, but it was good to get a win today. Just hopefully we can pick it back up and just stay positive and go up from here."
The Celtics were able to snap a four-game losing streak with a victory against the Clippers on Wednesday. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
Asked about the emphasis of Monday's team meeting, Rozier suggested the Celtics avoided any finger-pointing and instead kept the focus on the group as a whole.
"Just group things. Sometimes when you have them talks within your brothers, you don't want it to get out, but it's nothing personal," Rozier said. "It's just something that we all just have to get better at. We talked about things that we can just get better at as a group."
Pressed further on the points of emphasis in the meeting, Rozier deadpanned, "Play better as a group." Then laughed while noting, "Y'all trying to get something out of me?"
Stevens has stressed to his players that they cannot overreact to results and has tried to keep the focus on simply improving each day.
"It's a hard league. You're going to have your ups and downs, it's a marathon," Stevens said. "We were really fortunate to win 16 games in a row earlier this year and we could have lost about 11 of them. So, sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don't."
Still, there seemed to be relief in Boston's locker room after Wednesday's triumph.
Said Irving: "We like this feeling better than losing, I'll tell you that." | {
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It's been asked where all the money goes from the monthly donations, which is a completely fair question. While I can't account for every single dollar, here's the plain and simple explanation for a lot of it: my cost of living. My YouTube revenue is really a shadow of what it was because of ContentID and my constant struggle with the appeals process cutting monetization off at the legs. It's been very difficult trying to stay afloat ever since my departure from Springboard Media, which was a pretty sweet deal.
It's important to note that this has nothing to do with my departure from TGWTG; it has more to do with my issues with YouTube monetization combined with my relatively poor release schedule. It makes for a low number of ad impressions that don't pay much. True, a lot of that is my fault; I pour a lot of effort into each review to make them as perfect as I can. Quality matters to me, but my turnaround suffers massively for it.
Back in the older days, I think I was turning around a lot more but I wasn't putting out a polished product. Of course, a lot of people will say that's where I went wrong. Whereas previously I had riffs, SWAT, reviews, etc, now I focus almost exclusively on a review schedule. Things are a lot slower. And that's why I'm going to schedule my time better, to turn around that kind of varied content that made the site even more awesome back in the day.
Bottom line is, I created the Patreon essentially because my primary source of income had withered up on me. You guys are really supporting me now, and so I mean what I say when I tell you that without you, there is no show. The money's not going into a vault of gold coins I go swimming around in. I haven't forgotten you guys. I'm very angry at myself for ever delaying your rewards, even if it was in favor of working on reviews. It's why I've instituted "Patreon Day" every week in my work schedule. You deserve to be rewarded.
Anyway, I am also improving the recording setup here in terms of equipment, set design, etc. Part of that is going into my search for an editor, but I think you're right in that you need a more informed outline of the stuff I've been spending it on. So, I will be showing you more detail on the cool stuff I'm doing with the donation money! I think you'll be pretty excited about it, and I hope you'll be proud of how seriously I'm taking the responsibility of spending it. If you ask anybody who knows me, I'm always trying to spend it responsibly. | {
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Never, ever underestimate Shadowrun fans…some of the best gamers in the world who will always step up and surprise you in fantastic ways!
Shadowrun, Fifth Edition PDF & Print Preorders went on sale today. In the 6 years of operation for Catalyst Game Labs—and the 12 years for DriveThruRPG—we’ve never seen anything like this. Catalyst broke our own “best selling†first day record in a little over two hours, while in less than 8 hours DriveThruRPG passed its all time first day record, both for revenue and for number of PDFs sold.
We are floored and humbled by the brilliant Shadowrun community. Your enthusiasm and love for this great universe knows no bounds.
Thank you so much for embracing Fifth Edition with such passion…we join you in looking forward to years of action together on the mean sprawl streets of the Sixth World.
Catalyst Team | {
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Wow!! I thought this was a great created scene before checking out the tutorial but in seeing everything that went into it, I have to say it's Fantastic!! and well deserving of a Daily D! | {
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今やお洒落な女子の間では、プールは夜に楽しむのが常識。日焼けや人混みを気にせず、気軽にセレブ気分を味わえると人気上昇中です。
ホテルニューオータニ
「POOL by NIGHT THE “O” LOUNGE」／画像提供：ホテルニューオータニ プールサイドではオリジナルカクテルも提供／画像提供：ホテルニューオータニ
ANAインターコンチネンタルホテル東京
京王プラザホテル
ホテルオークラ
ホテルニューオータニ
ANAインターコンチネンタルホテル東京
京王プラザホテル
ホテルオークラ
そこで今回は、夜遅くまでプールで遊べる都内のホテルを4つご紹介します。7月18日～9月13日、赤坂の「ホテルニューオータニ」にオープンする「GARDEN POOL」は、都内シティホテル最大級の規模を誇るアウトドアプール。今年のテーマは「ハワイアントロピカル」。ヤシの木や、緑豊かな木々に囲まれ、海外や海に行かずに、癒しのリゾートムードを楽しめます。プールサイドレストラン「OUTRIGGER」では、「ハワイアンバーガー」などのハワイアンメニューをはじめ、ホテルの美味しいを集めたレストラン「SATSUKI」の人気メニューや、オリジナルカクテルなどを提供。また、7月24日～9月12日までは、真夏のプールに夕陽が射し込む夜6時から、大人のリゾート空間「POOL by NIGHT THE “O” LOUNGE」がオープン。プール全体が色とりどりのライトや、心地よいBGMとに包まれ、大人の遊び場へと移り変わります。真夏の夜にぴったりな国内トップクラスの人気DJがプレイするイベントも開催されるので、最高に盛り上がること間違いなしです。6月27日～9月30日、溜池山王駅から徒歩5分の場所にある「ANAインターコンチネンタルホテル東京」のガーデンプールが夏季限定でオープン。ホテルのシンボルが描かれた開放感いっぱいのプールは、都会のオアシスを感じさせるラグジュアリーな雰囲気で、海外からの滞在客も多く見受けられ国際色豊か。ガーデンプール内に併設された「プールサイドスナック」では、ホテルシェフが腕を振るうハンバーガーやステーキ丼、スムージー、カクテルなどを味わいながら、優雅な時を過ごせます。6月27日～9月13日、新宿駅西口から徒歩5分の「京王プラザホテル」7階屋外のスカイプールがオープン。立地・交通の便がよいことから仕事帰りのビジネスパーソンやカップルからの人気が高く、気軽に都会の喧騒から抜けだしたい時に、緑の庭園と新宿新都心の風景を眺めながら、プチバカンス気分を味わえます。また月・火曜のレディスデーには、通常よりリーズナブルにプールを楽しめるそう。更衣室やパウダーコーナーが充実しており、ホテルレストランやバーと組み合わせて、手軽に優雅な気分が味わえます。7月3日～8月31日、虎ノ門駅から徒歩10分ほどの「ホテルオークラ」に、今年も屋外スイミングプール「グリーンオアシス」がオープン。ホテルならではのエレガントな佇まいのプールで遊び疲れたら、豊かな緑に囲まれたプールベッドで、のんびり日焼けや読書を楽しむ…そんな大人の過ごし方をしたくなるホテルです。いかがでしたか？夏は特に日焼けが気になる季節、紫外線を気にせず夏の遊びがしたい時にナイトプールはぴったり。食事やお酒も楽しめることから、最近では女子会スポットとしての利用も増えているようです。休日や仕事帰りに、都会の喧騒を忘れてゆったり過ごせるナイトプールで、大人の夕涼みを楽しんでみてはいかがでしょう？（女子旅プレス／modelpress編集部）住所：東京都千代田区紀尾井町4-1電話番号：03-3265-1111営業時間：プール9：00～19：00（最終入場18：00）、7月24日～9月12日までは22：00（最終入場21：00）まで住所：東京都港区赤坂1-12-33電話番号：03-3505-1111営業時間：プール6月27日～7月24日、9月1日～30日8：00～19：00、7月25日～8月31日8：00～21：00、プールサイドスナック6月27日～7月24日、9月1日～30日11：30～17：00、7月25日～8月31日11：30～20：00住所：新宿区西新宿2-2-1電話番号：03-3344-0111営業時間：プール9：00～20：00（入場は19：30まで）住所：東京都港区虎ノ門2-10-4電話番号：03-3582-0111営業時間：プール9：00～19：30※記事は女子旅プレスの調査及び主観に基づくものであり、店舗のサービスが保証されるものではありません。【Not Sponsored 記事】 | {
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A college in California that came under attack from hackers who launched a cyberattack disrupting the institution's email, voice mail and computer systems, ended up paying a ransom in Bitcoins.
School officials at the public community college in Southern California found a ransom note.
'You have just 7 days to send us the Bitcoin after 7 days we will remove your private keys and it's impossible to recover your files,' the attackers wrote in the note as seen by The Washington Post.
Los Angeles Valley College paid a cyber-ransom in order to get back online after the school's computer network came under attack, officials confirmed
The threatening note told college administrators at Los Angeles Valley College that all electronic files on the school's servers had been encrypted and could only be unlocked with a 'private key' which would only be given once payment had been received.
The hackers chose to use Bitcoin because it can be used anonymously, without using a centralized bank.
Ultimately, the $28,000 ransom was paid after officials decided it would be cheaper to pay up than to set up an entirely new IT system.
'In consultation with district and college leadership, outside cybersecurity experts and law enforcement, a payment of $28,000 was made by the District,' Francisco C. Rodriguez, the district's chancellor, said in a statement.
The cyberattack caused widespread disruption to online, email, financial aid and voicemail systems, including locking out 1,800 students and teachers from their computers
'It was the assessment of our outside cybersecurity experts that making a payment would offer an extremely high probability of restoring access to the affected systems, while failure to pay would virtually guarantee that data would be lost.'
'While much time will pass before this matter is resolved, we have already availed ourselves of the resources provided by the policy, including assistance of cybersecurity experts,' district officials said in a statement.
Officials chose to pay $28,000 in Bitcoins to unlock the ransomware, stating it was ultimately cheaper to pay the ransom than to remove the ransomware virus
After the payment was made, district officials say that access too the college's email and information system was granted.
The attack occurred during the winter break and highlights the vulnerability of businesses and institutions to malicious hackers who look to disrupt databases and networks.
In 2016, it is believed up to 20 educational facilities were hacked including the University of Virginia, the University of Central Florida, the University of Connecticut and Michigan State University.
Phil Lieberman, a cybersecurity expert, told the LA Times that attacks are common among companies and government agencies that use the Internet.
'The attacks generally come out of Eastern Europe and cannot be stopped because the United States does not have pacts with the countries where the attacks are launched,' he said. | {
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Hrvatsku trese novi toplinski val. Temperature bi u nekim krajevima Hrvatske u iduća dva dana mogle dosegnuti i do 40 stupnjeva Celzijevih.
Kolovoz nastavlja biti jedan od najtoplijih u povijesti mjerenja. Iz Državnog hidrometeorološkog zavoda napominju kako će u idućim danima UV indeks biti vrlo visok - najopasnije bi trebalo biti na području Splita i okolice. Novi udar topline bit će kratkoga daha, jer nas već u petak, a osobito u subotu, čeka radikalna promjena vremena.
U nekim krajevima temperature bi mogle premašiti i 40 stupnjeva Celzijevih. Najkritičnije bi trebalo biti na području Splita i okolice. Liječnici savjetuju da se ne izlažete pretjerano suncu i vrućinama te da uzimate dovoljne količine tekućina.
Blizu rekorda
Temperature su posvuda opet blizu rekordnih vrijednosti, posebno na jugu Hrvatske gdje je u većini gradova danas između 37 i 41 . Iako će i u četvrtak biti pljuskova, treba izdržati do petka navečer odnosno subote kad nas očekuje jedna veća promjena vremena uz koju će biti i jakog nevremena.
Iako je vruće, ispred hladne fronte koja nam se nalazi zapadnije već će biti nestabilnosti, doduše u četvrtak samo u kopnenom dijelu.
Ujutro još posvuda sunčano i toplo ili vrlo toplo. Noćas će najniža temperatura na južnom Jadranu biti 29, ponegdje i 30 stupnjeva. I u ostalim područjima vrlo toplo jutro, ali ipak oko 20 uz slab vjetar.
Iako na prvi pogled izgleda kao da nas očekuje kišovit dan, nije baš tako - veći dio dana prevladavat će sunčano ili pretežno sunčano, a onda poslijepodne i prema večeri uz povremene lokalne grmljavinske pljuskove. Unatoč njima, bit će vruće - od 33 do najviše 37.
Vruće i pretežno sunčano i na istoku zemlje, a poslijepodne - osobito u zapadnoj Slavoniji mogući su lokalni grmljavinski pljuskovi. Bit će vruće - do 38.
Sparine uz koje će sve biti još teže podnijeti
Grmljavinskih pljuskova bit će poslijepodne i u Gorskim područjima i u unutrašnjosti Istre, no prije toga temperatura će se opet popeti i do 34. Na moru sunčano, a u noći i ovdje može biti kakvog pljuska.
Jedino na jugu i dalje sušno, vrlo vruće i noću i danju, a puhat će umjereno jugo, u zaleđu jugozapadnjak.
Nakon ovih visokih temperatura i sparine uz koju će ih biti još teže podnijeti, od petka - u večernjim satima očekujemo dosta naglo osvježenje. U subotu kiša i oblačno, moguće i jače nevrijeme praćeno jakim udarima vjetra i tučom iza čega - u nedjelju smirivanje. Na ovih 25 će se sigurno lakše disati.
I Jadranu se isto približava promjena vremena i niža temperatura, čak i na južnom dijelu kojeg su prošle ciklone i kiše potpuno preskočile. Osim hladnijeg zraka, u nedjelju će zapuhati umjerena do jaka bura i sjeverozapadnjak. Do petka navečer vrlo vruće i sparno u cijeloj zemlji uz vrlo visok UV indeks. U petak navečer kiša i velika mogućnost za olujno nevrijeme - najprije na zapadu i sjeverozapadu zemlje, a kroz noć i drugdje.
Dnevnik Nove TV gledajte svakog dana od 19:15, a više o najvažnijim vijestima čitajte na portalu DNEVNIK.hr.
Propustili ste Dnevnik? Pogledajte ga besplatno na novatv.hr
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Attention aspiring Psi Corps members and Planeteers: According to a study published August 19th in PLOS One, two research subjects 5,000 miles apart have telepathically communicated the words ‘hola’ and ‘ciao’ to each other in the first successful demonstration of human brain-to-brain communication ever. And robots only helped a little!
For the study Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technology, two participants, one in India and one in France, were able to communicate via a computer-mediated, brain-to-brain message (hyperinteraction, if you want to sound really cool) from 5,000 miles apart. Study coauthor and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Alvaro Pascual-Leone explains that the researchers
were able to directly and noninvasively transmit a thought from one person to another, without them having to speak or write […] This in itself is a remarkable step in human communication, but being able to do so across a distance of thousands of miles is a critically important proof-of-principle for the development of brain-to-brain communications. We believe these experiments represent an important first step in exploring the feasibility of complementing or bypassing traditional language-based or motor-based communication.
In order to successfully complete the experiment, the researchers used internet-linked electroencephalogram (EEG) and robot-assisted image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS. Yep.), as well as four human participants. For the transmission, one participant was placed in charge of the brain-computer interface (BCI) branch where the messages began, while the rest were charged with receiving at the computer-brain interface (CBI).
The researchers then used EEG to translate “hola” and “ciao” into binary, at which point the CBI sent the message to participants using noninvasive brain stimulation. (According to the study, researchers took special care to block tactile, visual or auditory sensory cues from interfering.) A second experiment later conducted on participants in Spain and France had a total error rate of 15%.
The Internet has already had such a profound impact on human communication, it’s hard to imagine how this instant mental messenger might change our species if the technology ever becomes more practical or widely used. As the study points out, if and when hyperinteraction becomes more mainstream, important ethical issues will have to be considered. If nothing else, our skills at ignoring each other are going to need to be next-level.
(via io9)
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In cities where space is in short supply, you need to think outside the box to make room for everyone.
When it comes to a bicycle-friendly city like Copenhagen, with its countless cyclists, cars aren’t the only modes of transportation that need to be parked. You need to allot parking spaces for bikes as well.
It is increasingly common for Danish cities to transform car parking spaces into bicycle parking spaces. Such a solution of course reduces the number of car parking spaces, but this is not necessarily a negative thing. Copenhagen, in an effort to avoid this “either/or” scenario, has tested an idea that says “yes” to both bikes and cars with an innovation called Flex-parking.
In order for Flex-parking to work, it is crucial that the two user groups – bicyclists and motorists – are in need of parking spaces at different times. Take, for example, the Ingrid Jespersen High School in Copenhagen, a test site of Flex-parking. As is the case at most other educational institutions in the city, many students bike there, but are only in class for a limited period of time during the day. The school is located in a residential area with many car owners. At night, the need for car parking increases as people come home from work. Precisely this combination of higher demand for bicycle parking during the day and higher demand for car parking at night made it possible to allocate spaces to two different uses depending on time of day.
The asphalt of the original car parking space is painted with the Flex-parking logo and text, as well as the time span allotted for bikes and cars, respectively. For example, cyclists may be allotted use of the space between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., while cars are allotted use of the space between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.
In order to ensure that time limits were respected in the Ingrid Jesperson High School test case, a pamphlet was distributed to all students and residents in the area educating them on the new initiative and how to use the spaces.
The biggest challenge with Flex-parking occurs around the times when the area switches from car parking to bicycle parking and vice versa. Occasionally a car or bike must be moved, but this has not caused any problems or accidents.
Flex-parking may not be 100 percent ideal for cyclists, as there are no bike racks. Nor may they be 100 percent ideal for motorists, who have to respect the time limit. But on the positive side, both parties – not just one of them – get a parking option. Without Flex-parking, you have to choose either car or bicycle parking, achieving more efficient use of limited resources.
The test has shown that it can be done. Yes, bikes and cars can share the space. | {
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John Poole of Primate Labs posts about some 4th Generation iPad benchmarks that appeared in their Geekbench database on Sunday night.
True to Apple's claims, the 4th Generation iPad benchmarks about twice as fast as the 3rd Generation iPad. The new iPad is based on an A6 processor which was first introduced in the iPhone 5. The iPad's processor is called the A6X, signifying the inclusion of quad-core graphics (vs triple-core) to help drive the device's larger Retina display. The 4th Generation iPad's A6X processor also appears to be clocked at 1.4GHz, slightly faster than the iPhone 5's processor which runs at 1.3GHz. This speed boost is reflected in the benchmarks above. (Readers should note that the original iPhone 5 benchmarks suggested that its A6 ran at 1.0GHz, but later more accurate testing showed it to actually to be ~1.3GHz.)
The amount of RAM in the device remains at 1GB -- the same as the 3rd Generation iPad and iPhone 5.
The 4th Generation iPad is now available for pre-order and will officially launch on Friday, November 2nd alongside the iPad mini. | {
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This week, a pair of economists have advanced a new theory. They suggest that, for many workers, a major shift in the structure of the U.S. economy may have been fatal.
The researchers, Justin Pierce and Peter Schott, found evidence that trade with China has resulted in greater rates of suicide and poisonings (including fatal drug overdoses) after 2000, when President Clinton and Republican lawmakers allowed a major increase in imports.
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Pierce and Schott suggest that as competition with Chinese manufacturing forced U.S. factories to close, many of the Americans who were laid off never got their lives back together. Instead, they fell into depression or addiction. White adults, in particular, suffered from the change in policy.
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Schott thinks that trade can have important economic benefits on the whole but that his results shows that policymakers need to do more to help those workers who are displaced.
“I’m in favor of free trade, but I’m also someone who believes that we should be honest about the consequences,” Schott said. “It doesn’t benefit everyone equally.”
The economists estimate that the increase in Chinese imports caused an additional 0.4 suicides per 100,000 residents in counties where local economies were vulnerable to competition, relative to the trend in suicide in those places before 2000 and compared with counties that were more insulated from trade with China.
The figure for poisonings was 1.3 deaths per 100,000 people, according to Pierce, who is on the staff of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, and Schott, an economist at Yale University.
The nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research published the findings in a working paper on Monday, during an uncertain moment for global commerce. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to renegotiate trade deals and has threatened punitive tariffs on Chinese goods.
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Like most experts on trade, Schott argues against new tariffs or other restrictions. Instead, he calls on policymakers to do more to ensure that everyone shares in the gains from globalization.
“Closing the door to trade — I don’t see how that’s the best possible policy response,” he said. “That makes everybody worse off.”
In 1930, the Smoot-Hawley legislation placed onerous tariffs on imported goods from China and elsewhere. This situation offered more implicit protection to the U.S. industries whose competitors confronted the steepest rates, including manufacturers of plastic bottles. Textile mills — especially those producing knit fabric and lace — also benefited.
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Lawmakers gradually weakened those tariffs over time, and those on Chinese goods had become minimal by the end of the century. U.S. industries still enjoyed implicit protection because there was always a possibility that lawmakers would allow those tariffs to revert to the high levels set in 1930. Investors looking to put money into Chinese factories had no assurance that they would be able to continue producing goods for the U.S. market.
But in 2000, Clinton and Congress made the lower tariffs permanent, Pierce and Schott wrote, a decision that most negatively affected the industries that had the highest tariffs under Smoot-Hawley.
The two economists examined records of deaths compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comparing data from counties where the local economy was more reliant on those favored industries with data from counties where other sectors were more economically important.
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The increase in suicide attributed to the increase in imports was equivalent to 4 percent of the national average. For poisonings including overdoses, the increase was about 28 percent of the national average.
The researchers also considered how trade with China affected deaths from chronic liver failure from alcohol. The results were ambiguous, possibly because it can be many years before diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver become fatal.
The opening with China was far more consequential for the U.S. labor market than previous trade deals, including the North American Free Trade Agreement. Employment in domestic manufacturing, which had been declining only gradually, plummeted after 2000.
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Other economists have estimated that Chinese imports put between 2 million and 2.4 million Americans out of work. The financial crisis in 2008 and the more minor recession in 2000 added to the decline.
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On the other hand, Pierce and Schott found evidence that exposure to Chinese competition significantly reduced the number of heart attacks, possibly because fewer people were doing strenuous labor.
On average, 2.7 fewer people died of heart attacks per 100,000 residents in the typical county with a vulnerable economy, compared with the prior trend in those counties and relative to counties that were more insulated economically.
Overall, the two economists found, the increase in Chinese imports caused an additional 13.8 fatalities from internal causes for every 100,000 residents in negatively affected counties. For external causes, the increase in the rate was 3.3 deaths.
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Schott noted that while the research focuses specifically on counties where Chinese imports had negative economic effects, trade with China might have brought economic benefits to the country as a whole, improving Americans' health.
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“This paper is about one piece of the puzzle,” Schott said. | {
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Testing By Scott Tsuneishi
Dear Import Tuner,
I'm writing to suggest a product for you to test in Fact or Fiction: voltage stabilizers. It seems like every JDM company makes one, but they never really explain how they work, just that installing them will make your car better in every way. But everyone online talks shit on them. Do they work? How do they work? Are they worth their price?
Thanks,
-Jeremy Panza,
via [email protected] Photo 2/13 | Voltage Stabilizers Can Increase Power And Torque - Fact Or Fiction
If ever there was a mysterious area of vehicle functionality, it's a car's electrical system. Engine dynamics, suspension setup, brake sizing-even tuning-are easy to understand because we can feel, observe, and visualize what's going on. More displacement equals the combustion of more air and fuel for more power. Less body roll and a lower center of gravity bring better handling. Larger brakes mean more surface area to distribute heat and less brake fade. Pre-ignition alongside elevated exhaust gas temperatures? Add more fuel. Simple.
But such is not the case in the world of electronics, where everything happens at the speed of light, by subatomic particles that announce their presence only when shorting things out, or catching stuff on fire. Following suit are shady products promising to do great things for a car's electrical system. After all, if you can't tell how well something is working, you can't say for sure whether Company X's product doesn't actually make it better. But that's why we're here.
The Claim:
Voltage stabilizers can increase power and torque.
This month, we put four of the market's most popular voltage stabilizers to the test. Not to be confused with grounding systems that supplement a car's OE battery and chassis grounds, voltage stabilizers-sometimes called "condensers"-attach directly to a car's battery at the positive and negative terminals, and purport to regulate the flow of electricity running from a car's battery to its electrical components, smoothing idle, improving output from headlights and audio equipment, increasing battery life, and improving combustion efficiency for increased power/torque and decreased emissions. Photo 3/13 | Voltage Stabilizers Can Increase Power And Torque - Fact Or Fiction
The first thing to remember is that a car's battery acts like a big voltage stabilizer already. Electricity generated from the alternator is sent to the battery and electrical devices as needed. During periods of low electrical draw (headlights, audio, A/C off, for example), excess electricity generated by the alternator charges the battery rather than passing through the system. But when the demand of a car's electrical system outweighs what the alternator can generate (during low idle, and/or high electrical draw, for example), electricity is discharged from the battery in the amounts needed to pick up the slack. The problem is that a traditional lead-acid battery can't switch from charge to discharge rapidly enough to quell small-scale voltage fluctuations or electrical "noise" that can adversely affect a car's electrical components. The more advanced (expensive) batteries and electrical systems of newer cars can do a near-perfect job of stabilizing rouge current, but in any event-say the makers of voltage stabilizer kits-there's a lot to be gained by adding an aftermarket system of capacitors to the mix. Photo 4/13 | Voltage Stabilizers Can Increase Power And Torque - Fact Or Fiction | {
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Star Citizen is a game of many parts. Rather than focus on a single core concept Star Citizen is all about choice. You can go anywhere. You can do anything. A concept as sprawling as this needs something to rein it in a little though, which is where Squadron 42 comes in. For the legions of Wing Commander fans out there, Squadron 42 is Star Citizen.
Essentially it’s the single-player component of Star Citizen, and we were itching to drill down to the core of what this module is when we had a chat with Foundry 42 director Erin Roberts. While Star Citizen basically exists in a persistent universe, Squadron 42 is going to be the single-player core that offers a mammoth campaign for old-school space shooter fans to get involved with.
Access to Squadron 42 comes bundled with a Star Citizen pledge right now, if you splash out for a ship now then you'll be able to grab Squadron 42 when it arrives next Summer. “Right now if you paid $40 that gets you the hangar and the basic ship," Roberts says. "You can go and play the Arena Commander dogfighting module right now and you'll also be able to play Squadron 42 when it's out.”
In terms of the amount of work that goes into a Star Citizen module like Squadron 42, there is a team of around 80 based in the UK beavering away on it at Foundry 42. This is just a fraction of Cloud Imperium Games’ five studios spread across the UK, the United States, and Canada. Each studio is responsible for a different aspect of what has become a sprawling title, and the onus of campaign creation falls on the team at Foundry 42, who also work on the aforementioned Arena Commander dogfighting module, which is already live. “A lot of the work we've done on Arena Commander carries straight over to Squadron 42 so it makes a lot of sense for us to work on both,” explained Roberts.
“So, Squadron 42 is basically the next Wing Commander in terms of the big, single-player experience,” Roberts continued. “I was out in Germany for Gamescom 2014 meeting a bunch of backers and it was amazing how many people came up and said they'd bought in to Star Citizen specifically for Squadron 42. They said the persistent universe is great but what they really want is Squadron 42, because it's the next big AAA Wing Commander title.
“It's basically a single-player story taking place just before the persistent universe starts. You are recruited into the military and you do a massive military campaign, and then when you finish the campaign and you muster out, you then go out into the persistent universe and start your online life.”
It’s a fully-rounded single-player campaign within a multiplayer experience essentially, but Roberts was quick to denounce a focus on one aspect over the other, saying “You don't have to do Squadron 42. You can go out into the persistent universe and not do it, but the timeline is designed in a way that Squadron 42 comes first.”
Progression in Squadron 42 comes through a number of story-based based missions, and throughout the campaign players will rank up and earn a number of benefits that transfer over to the persistent universe, including any credits you earn. Any contacts you meet within Squadron 42’s story mode you’ll be able to go out and find within the open-world, and having already made trade deals with them will be good to go for some exclusive items.
At one point we got a look around one of Foundry 42's early missions, where players are tasked with defending a mining base from an enemy onslaught. Lead environmental artist Ian Leyland introduced us to the gigantic Shubin Mining Base, which comes in at around 6km long. At the time we saw it Shubin was nearing greybox complete stage, which is almost all intended geometry place in, but no textures on any of the objects.
The sense of scale is unprecedented, and Leyland took us on a tour of the gigantic mining station that was created in meticulous detail despite its size. "Shubin's overall design is quite large, so you'll be dogfighting in and around it," explained Leyland. "It hasn't got engines so it won't be flying anywhere, it would have been made on site out of prefabricated components.
"For our missions one of the things that we wanted was to be able to fly in and around the environments, so you'll see these little nooks and crannies that you'll be able to fly through, with little trenches which, with our advanced AI, should prove pretty exhilarating. When you get on the six of an enemy fighter they'll try and lose you through narrow gaps and trenches."
Throughout the battle Shubin will steadily get more beat up, what starts off as a pristine space destroyed soon gets battered by laser fire. Depending on how successfully players defend the ship in the mission it could be a bit of a wreck after, with blown fuel tanks and destroyed gun turrets.
Perhaps most astonishing about the scale is that after high-tailing it around in a spaceship you can actually land on the station itself and walk about on it. "You'll be able to get out and go inside it and really get the scale of the structure you've been flying around," Leyland said with a grin. "We've got a first-person level of detail on a huge kilometre space station, which proved to be quite a technical challenge. Imagine the level of fidelity that you'd see in a Crysis game, but obviously you're rendering that and a 6km space station. Also this takes place in and around a fully volumetric nebular cloud, so we've got a fair amount of technical issues to figure out, but we're confident."
Land on the ship itself and it's set to be hubbub of activity, filled with AI walking about and ships landing, which Leyland believes encourages exploration. In fact all of the single-player locations have been built with the MMO side in mind, so "when you play Squadron 42 you'll see that it'll take place in areas in the persistent universe and then when you go back and see it you'll be like "Oh I was there before!""
Despite the sheer amount of time and effort that goes into each location through the campaign, anyone worried that Star Citizen would be left wanting when it comes to single-player needn’t worry, Squadron 42 will contain between 50-100 hours of gameplay. In fact Erin claims “the on-foot first-person shooter segments alone are the size of any FPS game out there, and that doesn't include the space combat sections.”
It sounds like a mammoth task Foundry 42 has on its hands and it will surely be fascinating to see how things play out over the next year or so. The first and second parts of Squadron 42's five-part run should be arriving around the middle of 2015, with parts 3 and 4 set to follow in 2016.
For more on everything that Star Citizen offers be sure to check our other features below...
What is Star Citizen - Could It Change PC Hardware Requirements and Gamer Expectations
Interview: Star Citizen Studio Director Erin Roberts On Its Crowdfunding Success | {
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Liberals rejoiced when Michele Bachmann announced her intention to retire from Congress at the end of 2014. Bachmann will no longer be around to carry the tea party banner in Congress. But she’s almost guaranteed to be replaced by another far-right conservative. Minnesota’s 6th District skews heavily Republican—voting 56 percent for Romney in 2012. Whichever GOPer emerges from the primary should easily waltz to a general election win in November. And that successor could either be a Bachmann clone or Minnesota’s own version of Grover Norquist.
The race is between two candidates from diverging wings of the Republican Party: There’s Tom Emmer, the social conservative who hews closely to Bachmann, and Phil Krinkie, a small-business owner whose mission in life is to block tax increases. A key vote for the nomination comes this week. Minnesota’s primary isn’t until August, but candidates are traditionally handpicked at summer conventions by the state party, while the primary is a mere formality. Local precincts will hold caucuses on Tuesday to elect delegates to the state convention, determining which candidate has the edge.
Emmer, a failed gubernatorial candidate from 2010, closely replicated the Bachmann model. For his first major bill after he entered the Minnesota House in 2005, Emmer proposed that the state medically castrate sex offenders. That was just the beginning of a career defined by extreme views. He’s unsure when quizzed about evolution. He favors harsh immigration laws—Arizona’s punitive 2010 law was a “wonderful first step.” He thinks a minimum wage for restaurant staff is a silly concept: “With the tips that they get to take home, they are some people earning over $100,000 a year,” Emmer said during his 2010 campaign.
Exempting Minnesota from federal laws was Emmer’s pet cause as a legislator. He proposed the Firearms Freedom Act, an implausible bill that would have declared Minnesota exempt from federal gun laws. He then took that a step further, introducing a bill that said Minnesota must ignore any federal law unless a supermajority approved each measure. “A federal law does not apply in Minnesota unless that law is approved by a two-thirds vote of the members of each house of the legislature and is signed by the governor,” his bill read. None of these measures succeeded, but they charmed the Bachmann wing of Minnesota’s Republican Party.
Despite that track record, his national reputation centered on his staunch anti-LGBT views during his 2010 campaign. He had been at the forefront of pushing amendments to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage and palled around with Bradlee Dean, a Christian radio host know for praising countries that execute gay people. When Target donated $150,000 to a pro-Emmer PAC (Best Buy and 3M—other Fortune 500s based in Minnesota—also chipped in) in 2010, LGBT groups rallied against the donation and launched a boycott of Target, which later apologized for the donation.
Emmer should be the front-runner for the nomination after reaching statewide notoriety during his run for governor. But his failure in that race left a bad impression among many Minnesota Republicans. He lost to Democrat Mark Dayton, a politician previously known for his truly inept single term in the US Senate, in a year primed for a GOP win (the party gained majorities in both houses of the state Legislature that year). When Emmer ran for one of the state’s slots on the Republican National Committee the following April, he failed to even make it off the first ballot.
His main opponent might present an appealing alternative for a state Republican Party trying to repair its image after major losses in 2012. Phil Krinkie, a fellow former House member, is equally conservative but emphasizes a different agenda. Where Emmer is the descendant of Jerry Falwell, Krinkie takes his cues from Grover Norquist—with his obstinate opposition to tax increases. (A third candidate, Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah, has struggled to raise money and lacks Krinkie and Emmer’s statewide recognition.)
“Krinkie is from the first wave of the rote right-wing Republicans, the first wave of people who voted the party line no matter what. And Emmer is just pre-tea-party,” says Sarah Janecek, a lobbyist and Republican activist. “There really isn’t much difference between Krinkie and Emmer on the issues. This is more about personality, reputation, past history.”
Krinkie, owner of a heating and air conditioning business, served in the state House from 1991 to 2006. During that time he formed the Fiscal Conservative Caucus, a coalition of fiscal hawks who opposed any and all efforts to raise taxes. His nickname in the state capitol was “Dr. No.” He was a particular thorn in the side of former Gov. Jesse Ventura, at one point personally filing a lawsuit to block Ventura’s effort to expand public transportation. His biggest national media hit to date came in 2001, when Bryant Gumble interviewed him on CBS about Ventura’s decision to announce XFL games.
Krinkie lost his seat in 2006 to a Democratic challenger by a scant 55 votes. But in 2007 he became president of the Taxpayer’s League of Minnesota, a group that mirrors the model of Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform. The group gets legislators to sign pledges against raising taxes. “They were really the organization that drove the no new taxes line, and if you do raise taxes we will get rid of you,” says Janecek. But the Taxpayers League does more than offer basic encouragement on resisting tax increases: It also keeps Republicans in check on a whole host of conservative ideals. Beyond tax increases, its 2013 scorecard ranking legislators include demerits for lawmakers who supported bills that allowed child care providers to unionize, votes to implement health care exchanges in the state, and environmental studies.
Krinkie ran for this same congressional seat in 2006 but lost the nomination to Bachmann. “Between Krinkie and Bachmann, the claim can be made that the race now features both the Legislature’s most fiscally conservative and socially conservative members,” Minnesota Public Radio said when he entered the race. Last time the GOP sided with the social wing. After eight years of Bachmann and Emmer’s embarrassing run for governor, the fiscal side might win out. | {
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Investigators gathered significant evidence during the 17-month long investigation to establish Bhandari’s connection with several foreign defence companies, politicians and even a certain powerful bureaucrat in the UPA's finance ministry.
New Delhi: A probe against arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, now linked to the ongoing Rafale controversy, was quietly buried by UPA-II government in 2013. However, the NDA government is equally guilty for sitting on overwhelming evidence and he fled to London right under the nose of security establishment in late 2016. According to the documents accessed by Firstpost, a sustained probe against Bhandari began immediately after the Aero India show held in Bengaluru from 6 to 10 February, 2013.
Before this move, a preliminary inquiry was launched by the Manmohan Singh government on 12 January, 2013 into Bhandari's shady deals. Three companies owned by Bhandari — Offset India Solutions Private Limited, Micromet ATI and AVAANA Software and Services Private Limited — came under the scanner of the Central investigative agencies for allegedly receiving kickbacks in various defence deals including Dassault, the makers of the Rafale combat aircraft.
The probe was dropped just before the NDA government came to power in May 2014. The investigation was renewed later that year by the Narendra Modi government, culminating in an income tax raid in April 2016. Despite collecting a huge cache of documents indicting Bhandari, action was delayed. Finally, in October 2016, Bhandari was charged under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and two months later, he fled to London via Nepal. The ruling BJP has now woken up to Bhandari's links with the Rafale manufacturer, but the agencies knew about his penetration in French defence companies since the initial investigation began in January 2013.
A secret note of 2013 said: "Dassault Mirage upgrade programme worth thousands of crores, have emerged through these group companies (owned by Bhandari). Commissions have been paid through international companies like Dassault, MBDA and Thales; all French companies under the garb of consultancy to Bhandari’s firms. Under offset contracts, large amount of commission have been paid via fictitious billing."
Bhandari was also running six other companies from the same office at Panchsheel Park in New Delhi, while a firm, OIS Europe Limited, linked to his relative in London was dissolved just after the income tax search and seizures at Bhandari’s residence and office premises. The note also observed that despite the ban on defence agents, middlemen continue to influence a majority of defence contracts and that the Income Tax Department must look into the key Indian Air Force procurement for evasion of tax by agents using various consultancy firms.
"Foreign defence companies do not shy away from seeking their services. All defence agents, operating under the garb of consultant, keep a battery of retired service officers, retired defence public sector undertakings officials and even bureaucrats with links in the establishment on their pay roll," it read.
The investigators had suspected that Bhandari was also working for another French multinational, operating in the aerospace, defence and security sector. They had gathered significant evidence during the 17-month long investigation beginning 2013 to establish Bhandari’s connection with several foreign defence companies, politicians and even a certain powerful bureaucrat in the UPA's finance ministry. Surprisingly, no action was taken either by UPA or the NDA government. | {
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By Micah J. Fleck
Following our previous list of Five Reasons Why Conservatives Should Vote Libertarian, TLR is now looking at the top five reasons that those other guys, liberals, should also consider voting for the Libertarian Party – in 2016, locally, and beyond.
As the resident lefty libertarian on staff, I have explained my own case before on why liberals and Democrats can and should make good allies for libertarians, but boiling down my case to five points came from a more focused appeal to the two groups’ similarities: both groups care very much about equality for all people under the law, freedom from tyranny, and economic fairness. The problem is, the mechanisms by which the liberals see fit to reach these goals are not quite the same as those held fast to by the libertarians. But perhaps, with some closer examination, the former group can find more reasons than expected to warm up to the latter… Especially with the alternative options from the main parties this year.
Here are five reasons for liberals and Democrats to seriously consider a Libertarian vote: | {
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Many US communities face worse lead contamination than Flint
By Shannon Jones
31 December 2016
In a report issued this week, the Reuters news agency said it found nearly 3,000 areas in the United States with recently-recorded lead poisoning rates that are at least double those found in Flint, Michigan during the height of the lead poisoning crisis in that city caused by tainted water.
According to the findings, more than 1,100 of those communities had lead levels four times higher than those found in Flint. In some areas of Baltimore, Cleveland and Philadelphia the rate of elevated lead tested over the last decade was 40 to 50 percent.
The lead poisoning epidemic is rooted in a variety of causes, from antiquated lead water pipes, to toxic wastes left behind by industry to peeling lead-based paint from old homes. Children in at least 4 million US households are exposed to high levels of lead.
In Flint, 5 percent of children screened showed lead levels in excess of the 5 micrograms per deciliter threshold set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The worst-hit areas in the city had more than twice that level.
The report cites the case of St. Joseph, Missouri, where in one small neighborhood 120 children have been poisoned by lead since 2010. The neighborhood is filled with aging houses, whose lead-based paint poses a deadly hazard. From 2010-2015, more than 15 percent of children tested in seven census tracts had elevated lead levels, well above the statewide average of 5 percent.
In the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, California, 7.57 percent of children tested had dangerous levels of lead.
The Reuters report notes that Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old from Baltimore, brutally murdered by police in April 2015, suffered from lead poisoning. In 2008 Gray and his family filed a lawsuit against the landlord of the row house where they were living in Baltimore’s Sandtown-Winchester area. According to legal filings, Gray and his siblings were exposed to lead and suffered developmental problems as a consequence. The case was settled for an amount that was not disclosed.
Pennsylvania had the highest number of individual census tracts, 1,100, where at least 10 percent of childhood lead tests were elevated over the last decade. In 49 census tracts, including areas of inner city Philadelphia and Harrisburg, at least 40 percent of children had elevated lead levels.
The Reuters report quotes Dr. Helen Egger, chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Child Study Center. Dr. Egger said of the data, “The disparities you’ve found between different areas have stark implications. Where lead poisoning remains common, many children will have developmental delays and start out behind the rest.”
Children who test for lead exposure levels above the CDC’s 5 microgram standard are considered at risk. The CDC estimates that nationwide, 2.5 percent of small children have elevated blood levels.
In its study, Reuters submitted requests to all 50 states for testing data on lead exposure. In particular it examined data in US Census tracts and individual zip codes in order to isolate areas of particularly high lead exposure. A census tract typically has about 4,000 residents, while the average zip code has 7,500. Reuters found 2,606 census tracts and 278 zip code areas with a prevalence of lead poisoning at least twice the rate in Flint.
Reuters was able to obtain meaningful data from 21 states containing about 61 percent of the US population. Some states said data wasn’t available and some refused to share it, citing privacy laws or other concerns.
In many communities, money for lead testing is lacking or inadequate. Reuters cited the example of South Bend, Indiana, where lead testing is falling, despite evidence of a serious lead poisoning problem in the city. In one tract, 31 percent of children tested between 2005 and 2015 had lead levels more than 6 times Flint’s rate last year.
The impact of exposure to lead is well known. Children are most at risk and can suffer irreparable brain damage and harm to the nervous system, including cognitive impairment. In adults, exposure to lead can raise the risk of high blood pressure and cause kidney damage.
The CDC is currently considering lowering its threshold for lead exposure by 30 percent. Since 2012, the CDC has set a level of 5 micrograms per deciliter as its threshold for lead exposure in children under 6 years of age. No lead exposure is safe. However, the CDC sets that level as the point above which a public health response is warranted. The agency is now considering lowering the threshold to 3.5 micrograms. The CDC says the move is aimed at prodding states to take measures to reduce lead in the environment.
There has been a very significant drop in tested levels of lead in blood samples since the US government banned the use of lead in gasoline about 40 years ago. However, the experience of Flint residents and data from studies such as that conducted by Reuters demonstrate that the problem is far from resolved.
According to a CDC estimate, 500,000 US children have blood levels above the current threshold. However, there are virtually no federal resources to deal with the crisis. The current CDC budget for assisting states with safety programs is just $17 million.
Many states have not implemented programs to reflect the lower standard adopted in 2012, which saw the threshold reduced from 10 to 5 micrograms. For its part, the CDC does not have any regulatory authority to force states to act.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. | {
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Florida is a coastal state. Nearly 80% of its 20 million residents live near the coast on land just a few feet above sea level, and over a hundred million tourists visit the beaches and stay in beach-front hotels every year. The coastal economy in Florida is estimated to account for 79% of the state’s gross domestic product, a measure of direct revenue into the economy.
People living and working on the Florida coast face threats from hurricanes and storm surge, sometimes more than once a year. Scouring of beaches by wind and waves takes away sand, and beaches must be nourished with new sand, as often as yearly, in areas with high erosion. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties now have problems obtaining near-shore, low-cost sand. This means that they will have to use considerably more expensive alternatives to native sand that may negatively impact sea turtles or beach plants, diminish the quality of the beach environment and have adverse impacts to local communities that pay for beach re-nourishment.
The threats aren’t reserved just for coastal residents. People in south Florida who live farther inland have homes and businesses on former wetlands that were drained in the middle of the 20th century. After a heavy rainfall, canals carry water to the sea. Should those canals fail, there would be massive flooding. Those canals also maintain a freshwater “head,” or buffer, that prevents salt water from intruding into the well fields that supply drinking water to the millions of residents.
In this precarious situation, how is sea-level rise affecting coastal Florida, and what can we expect in the future?
Inches matter
An important reality is that sea-level rise is not a future phenomenon. It has been happening slowly over the past decades, at about one inch every ten years. That’s a half foot since the 1960s and already it is taking a toll. Areas of Miami now have flooding at high tide—a situation not observed in the past. The drainage system in south Florida is starting to fail. Flood control structures that take away rainwater by gravity sometimes cannot flow when the ocean side of the flood gates have a higher level of salt water than the upstream fresh water sides.
Why does one inch matter? When I lived in coastal Florida, one time a major rain event coincided with high tide, which made it difficult for water to quickly exit to the ocean. When water levels rose one half of an inch from the storm, my entire neighborhood flooded and water nearly entered my house. As we hastily tried to block all of the doors with tape and towels, it hit home what a difference one more inch of sea level would have meant – the difference between no damage and perhaps thousands of dollars of damage to our home. However, over many decades, we are looking at feet, not inches of rising sea levels.
What we know now
Three years ago, leading researchers convened at a climate change summit hosted by Florida Atlantic University, the research program Florida Sea Grant and the University of Florida to discuss the future of Florida under projected climate change and sea-level rise conditions. The picture these researchers paint is bleak. Between now and 2100, floods that happen every 100 years are projected to start happening every 50, then every 20, then every 5, until large areas of coastal Florida are under water.
These experts’ discussions considered such dire things as: how to strategically abandon large areas of the Florida Keys; how animals that now live in low-lying areas will move to higher ground when human populations are vying for the same territory; and even how to reconfigure Miami into a series of islands on a historical ridge along the southeast Florida coast, knowing that at some point, even those ridges will be part of the ocean.
A report by the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council, a body established by the state’s legislature and on which I serve, developed a comprehensive report on the probable and possible effects of sea-level rise on coastal Florida. Major findings of that report included:
Sea level is likely to rise by 20 to 40 inches by 2100. If there is major melting of polar and glacier ice, sea level could rise as much as 80 inches this century
During hurricanes, higher sea levels may boost storm surge, causing greater scouring of beaches and in the worst case scenario, inundation of barrier islands and loss of coastal properties
There will be increased pressure to armor shorelines with seawalls to protect buildings from waves, but at some point this may not be effective because of escalating costs and the porous rock that underlies most of Florida, which will allow sea water to seep under seawalls.
Rising seas will shift the beach inland, imperiling coastal roads, homes and businesses.
Rising seas will stress coastal infrastructure (buildings, roads and bridges) because salt water will affect structural integrity.
Saltwater intrusion will become more common in freshwater well fields near the coast. A sea rise of just six inches will require water conservation, waste water reuse, stormwater storage facilities and alternative water supplies including desalinization.
It now is widely accepted that climate change is causing an unprecedented rise in sea levels around the world, and that locations such as Florida, where huge infrastructure and large populations live right on the coast, are especially vulnerable.
As noted in the Oceans and Coastal Council report, the risks compel us to seek a more thorough understanding of the impacts, and provide current and future generations with the information needed to adapt. Ignoring climate change or dismissing it as ‘not settled science’ will only lead to more costly and complex decisions in the future and cause greater harm to our people and our economy.
Future communities
While the challenges presented by climate change and sea-level rise are great, challenges also bring opportunity.
As Florida seeks to adapt to the changing future, it is an opportunity for us to engage in vibrant discussions at the local, regional, state and federal levels about the nature of our communities, how we want them to look in the future, and how to achieve our goals. Engaging in such conversations will help us learn and work together for the best possible future for our communities.
Many communities around the state are already doing this. Southeast Florida has its Climate Change Compact, northeast Florida is working together under the Public Private Regional Resilience Initiative, southwest Florida and Punta Gorda as far back as 2009 developed the City of Punta Gorda Adaptation Plan. With such work, we can move towards a future which, while filled with challenges and different than the past, need not be only about loss, but also about what we can accomplish. | {
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The mega project is expected to significantly redress energy crisis in the country
ISLAMABAD: Days after the successful commissioning of Mardankhel 2 Well, MOL Pakistan has started work on Mardankhel 3, another mega gas pipeline project in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is expected to significantly redress energy crisis in the country.
The pipeline that would stretch up to seven kilometres would pass through 17 villages of Hangu, creating significant employment opportunities in the otherwise deprived district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In this connection, a meeting was held between the senior officials of the MOL Group and the government authorities at MOL head office in Islamabad to chalk out relevant modalities concerning the project.
At the meeting, MOL Group Middle East, Africa and Pakistan Vice President Ali Murtaza Abbas extended his gratitude to MNA Khayal Zaman Orakzai for his continued support in the development projects of the area.
“Hangu is lucky to have an elected representative in the form of Khayal Orakzai who is a true well-wisher of this region. The commissioning of landmark mega projects like Mardankhel 1 Well and Maramzai 4 Well would not have been a reality had it not been for Orakzai’s support to MOL Pakistan. We have successfully commissioned our wells due to his efforts, which in return, were mitigating the energy crisis in the country,” Abbas remarked.
He reiterated that MOL Pakistan would keep contributing generously to the welfare projects in the area in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments.
Abbas announced that MOL Pakistan will support a solar powered water supply scheme and provide its maintenance support for two years besides setting up free medical and eye camps and a sports gala in the area.
The projects would be executed through the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Hangu, he added.
MNA Khayal Orakzai on the occasion expressed his profound appreciation for the efforts of Ali Murtaza Abbas and MOL Pakistan in sponsoring the development ventures in the area. “As an elected public representative, I feel proud to see that MOL Pakistan has invested considerably in my people and area, for which we are indeed thankful. We look forward to more support and progress for the people of Hangu,” he said.
Hangu Additional Deputy Commissioner Abdul Muneem and Hangu ASP Umar Hayat were also present at the meeting. A follow-up meeting would be held in three weeks to ensure the progress of commitments. | {
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Laura Reynolds
Quiz: How Much Attention Do You Pay To Tube Station Names?
For our latest quiz about the tube, we're paying attention to the names give to London Underground stations. Without further ado:
1. Which station was called Gillespie Road when it first opened?
2. How many tube stations have the letter 'x' in their name?
3. Name the two tube stations which contain all five vowels.
4. Which tube station has the shortest name?
5. How many stations have '&' in their name (as it's written on the official tube map)?
6. How many tube station names have the word 'Hill' in them
7. How many tube stations have the word 'Square' in their name?
8. How many stations have three or more words in their name? ('&' or 'and' doesn't count as a word).
9. Can you name the one tube station with the letter 'z' in its name?
Answers
1. Arsenal
2. Five: Brixton, Croxley, Oxford Circus, Uxbridge, Vauxhall
Special shoutout to anyone who managed to get Croxley.
3. Mansion House and South Ealing
4. Bit of a trick question: Bank and Oval are equals.
5. Five: Chalfont & Latimer, Elephant & Castle, Harrow & Wealdstone, Highbury & Islington, Totteridge & Whetstone
6. Nine: Buckhurst Hill, Dollis Hill, Gants Hill, Grange Hill, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Mill Hill East, Notting Hill Gate, Sudbury Hill, Tower Hill. Ten if you count Northwood Hills, or 11 if you want to count Hillingdon as well.
7. Four: Euston Square, Leicester Square, Russell Square, Sloane Square.
8. 15: Bromley-by-Bow, Great Portland Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3, Heathrow Terminal 4, Heathrow Terminal 5, High Street Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, King's Cross St Pancras, Mill Hill East, Notting Hill Gate, St James's Park, St John's Wood, Shepherd's Bush Market, Tottenham Court Road
9. Belsize Park
If that's got your little grey cells fired up, take a look at our collection of quizzes about London, including general knowledge, anagrams, and plenty of tube trivia. | {
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Conservative news outlets have been pretty much obsessed with the Obama administration’s 2010 approval of the Uranium One deal and have repeatedly criticized the mainstream media for not covering the story. President Donald Trump picked up the baton (yet again) on Sunday and mentioned the supposed controversy as part of his morning tweetstorm in which he tried to shift focus away from the coming Robert Mueller indictments toward Hillary Clinton. But MSNBC’s Joy Reid showed Sunday morning just how easily the whole story falls apart once you start poking at it with a few facts in hand.
Reid had Jen Kerns from the Washington Examiner on as a guest and proceeded to demonstrate just how nonsensical the whole story is when you start looking at it away from the right-wing news prism.
Watch @JoyAnnReid produce, shred, & confetti the receipts when Ex GOP Spokeswoman Jen Kerns starts with the Hillary Uranium One conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/PLU65BVFDE — Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) October 29, 2017
When Kerns starts to explain why she thinks the “Uranium One deal is problematic,” Reid immediately cuts her off. “I want to ask you a couple fact-based questions,” she said. Then she went on:
Reid: Who got the money when the Canadian company was sold to the Russian company? The Uranium One? Who received the money?
Kerns: I presume the company.
Reid: Yes. Okay, second question. Who approved the sale?
…
Kerns: Yes. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Reid: How many people sit on the committee?
Kerns: Nine members.
Reid: How many have to approve a deal like this?
Kerns: All nine of them.
Reid: All nine.
Kerns: Absolutely.
Reid: How many approved this deal?
Kerns: All nine of them.
Reid then went on to ask whether Clinton actually sat “personally on that deal.” Kerns recognized she didn’t but said “she pushed for it.” Reid then questioned those supposed Clinton ties to the deal:
Reid: Who is the person who donated to Hillary Clinton who is related to and had an investment in uranium one? What is that person’s name? Do you remember their name?
Kerns: They are board members of Uranium One donated up to $143 million I think to the Clinton Foundation.
Reid: Did he own any assets in Uranium One at the time Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State?
Kerns: You know, I don’t know that, but here’s what I would…
Reid: He did not. Sold them.
Kerns: Here’s what i would like to know…
Reid: He sold them years before. So what you’re talking about is a deal that nine members of CFIUS approved unanimously. None of them was Hillary Clinton. You have a donor who separately gave Hillary Clinton donations at a time when she was not Secretary of State. The two things cross in the night, they have no relation to each other. The members of CFIUS have been very clear Hillary Clinton had nothing to do with that approving that deal. She would have had to strong-arm eight people in order to get them to unanimously approve the deal and also the President of the United States would intervene if they saw any problems.
The CFIUS people say now that if that deal came before them today they would still approve it unanimously. There’s actually nothing about the deal that’s controversial. The only reason we’re talking about it is because per your admission, which I think is very honest, the RNC would like us to be talking about this now.
The only thing missing from Reid’s argument? A mic drop at the end. | {
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Combining zero gravity principle with massage technology, contributing a imaginary outer space with zero gravity feeling. It seems that you are flying and is totally relax, thus let your pain or stress relief.
Shiatsu kneading Deep Massage
After a stressful day of work, the massager is very relaxing and works your neck, shoulder, arm, back and waist very well. There are 2 heating pads located in lumbar area of the back to relieve back and waist pain. With 4 automatic programs that are designed to offer you professional massage throughout your whole body.
Intense Airbags & Foot Massager
The full body massager features with less than 30 airbags for your shoulders, arms, hips and legs, which is pretty intense for your relaxing. What’s more, the foot roller with heat is here to relief your muscle tension and provide you a wonderfully soothing massage. Then improve your blood flow.
ZERO GRAVITY
This chair is pretty darn fully upright and is totally comfortable in zero gravity mode. Even you are tall, your legs can automatically adjust out in zero gravity mode.
BLOOD CIRCULATION
The chair is good for pain relief and blood flow with regular massage.
FULL BODY MASSSAGE
OOTORI chair is multifunctional with the heat on, airbags on, Neck, Shoulder, Arm, Back, waist&legs settings on kneading, taping, vibrating at mix speed and foot rollers on.
EASY TO CARRY
Chair comes with 3 boxes, which is convenient to carry to your living room or bedroom.
EASY TO ASSEMBLE
1-Person assembly, simple to put together. It may takes about 15-30 mins for the whole assembling.
FDA APPROVED & 3-YEAR WARRANTY
Our massage chairs are fully tested with FDA approved and 3 years' warranty.
Measurements
Upright (L×W×H): 47.3 x 30.3 x 45.3
Reclined (L×W×H): 70.9 x 30.3 x 29.5
Weight
Net Weight: 118 lb
Gross Weight: 151 lb
Capacity
287 lb Max | {
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A Texas inmate is now on life support after an officer is seen on body camera throwing him to the ground.The video starts off showing Chester Jackson on the ground, speaking with three officers when one enters his cell.Body cam video shows the officer picking up the handcuffed Jackson, and then throwing him onto a metal slateThe inmate hits his right arm on the metal slate, then hits his head on the metal toilet.Police initially said the inmate fell.The inmate is on life support, but is said to be improving.The officer has been placed on administrative leave.The Texas Rangers are investigating. | {
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Plop les bovins,
Stellarium est une application opensource très sympathique, qui vous permet d’avoir en quelque sorte un mini-planétarium/télescope sur votre PC. Grâce à OpenGL elle va vous permettre de profiter d’une excellente représentation céleste en temps réel et de mater ça tranquillou, les fesses bien calées dans votre fauteuil.
Stellarium 0.12.1 a été publié embarquant sont lot d’améliorations et de corrections de bugs.
Parmi les principaux changements, on notera en vrac :
L’ajout de Caldwell, un catalogue de nébuleuses
Le réempaquetage de certains catalogues d’étoiles
Un cotrôle de magnitude limite pour les étoiles
L’ajout d’un gestionnaire delta-T (ne me demandez pas de quoi il s’agit)
La mise à jour de nombreuses textures pour les nébuleuses et les galaxies
Et environ une trentaine de corrections de bugs.
Comme le titre l’indique, j’ai eu quelques soucis par rapport à la version précédente, mais cela ne veut pas dire que l’application soit en cause.
Testant pas mal de choses pour le blog et ayant bientôt six mois de labeur derrière elle, ma session Gnome est à peu près aussi propre qu’un auge à cochon gourmand. Quoi qu’il en soit cette version ne fonctionne pas chez moi. Gros plantage, freeze et kill obligatoire via une session TTY parallèle pour récupérer le contrôle de mon système.
Cela dit, si ça vous tente, Stellarium peut être téléchargé et installé sur la plus part des distributions GNU/Linux, Microsoft Windows et *Mac OS X depuis cette page.
* Les développeurs du projets ont indiqué que les paquet Mac OS X pour cette nouvelle version de Stellarium seront livrés un peu plus tard que ceux des autres plateformes. Il va donc falloir patienter encore un peu ;)
Les Ubunteros peuvent également installer le bel animal via le PPA suivant, à l’aide de ces quelques lignes de commande :
Installer Stellarium 0.12.1 sur Ubuntu et Linux Mint :
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install stellarium
Désinstaller Stellarium 0.12.1 :
sudo add-apt-repository -r ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get remove stellarium
Amusez-vous bien.
Moo! | {
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Every so often—more often lately—comes news of islands just up and disappearing. Eight in Micronesia. Five in the Solomon Islands. One off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Yet there’s also been a crop of studies and researchers, led by coastal geomorphologist Paul Kench from Simon Fraser University, saying that island nations such as Tuvalu (long a poster child for the existential threat of sea level rise) not only aren’t disappearing—they’re actually growing. So how do we make sense of this? Are the low-lying islands we know today doomed? Or are we seeing some other process at work? The answer is that a million complicated things are happening all at once, and it provides a window into how hard it is to talk about what’s currently happening to the planet.
When we speak of islands that can disappear beneath the waves, it’s almost exclusively the small, low-lying ones, which form in a couple of different ways. Some are volcanic in origin, created when an undersea volcano bursts up through the sea surface, forming a small island. Sometimes those islands can stick around, but often, especially in the South Pacific, they don’t. But while they’re above the surface, coral polyps colonize the slopes of these new islands—they like to be fairly near, but not too near, the surface—and build up in a ring shape around the cone of the volcano. If the volcanic landmass gradually erodes or subsides, what’s left is just the coral and the material it accumulates, usually in a ring shape known as an atoll, with a shallow lagoon in the middle. In the case of bigger islands, when more geological activity forces them up higher, there may be a more substantial flat area rather than a lagoon.
Most other low-lying islands are barrier islands, which are generally created when tides, waves, and wind push sand and sediment to one specific place, impacted by the shape and profile of the adjacent coast. Unlike atolls, which are only found in the tropics, where shallow-water corals thrive, barrier islands can be found pretty much anywhere.
Tuvalu, seen here being swamped with sea water during unusually high tides in 2006, is all low-lying islands. Samir S. Patel
Coastal encroachment can impact larger, higher islands, but disappearing? Only the low-lyers are at risk of that. Despite the fact that barrier islands are everywhere, from the Canadian Maritimes to the Frisian Islands in northwestern Europe to all up and down the American East Coast to … well, everywhere, they’re not usually the focus of disappearing-island concerns. Barrier islands can come and go, but the islands that get the bulk of the attention for disappearing are atolls in the South Pacific. And there’s a reason for that.
“The Pacific as a basin just has a lot more variability,” says Andrew Ashton, a coastal geomorphologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. El Niño and La Niña oscillations, in which cycles of warm and cold water change the climate, hit the South Pacific hard, especially in the form of storms such as tropical cyclones. Many of the region’s islands—and it is a massive region—lie in what’s called the South Pacific Convergence Zone. A convergence zone is where winds from two separate regions, usually one cold and one hot, collide, causing a lot of rain and wind. (There’s a little one over Seattle.) The one in the South Pacific is huge and powerful, and when combined with an El Niño event, creates more with rain and wind than anywhere else on the planet. Current changes to global climate have only made this more acute. “Storms have always happened, but you’re getting a lot more of them and they’re a lot more frequent now,” says James Russell, an associate professor at the University of Auckland who studies endemic species on South Pacific islands (and how to save them).
Sandy, low-lying islands aren’t particularly fixed, like a continent. They’re incredibly dynamic, and move around a lot. Barrier islands are basically perpetually rolling over, and sometimes disappear and reappear, or split in two, or migrate up a coast. This happens with atolls, too—waves and storms and wind move sand and sediment around. Sometimes that’ll mean what was once a sandbar will breach the surface of the water, or an existing island will grow a new spit or just expand. And sometimes that means islands simply disappear. And all of this doesn’t even account for tectonic shifts, which can bring islands up and drop them down based on the level of the sea floor, or, for that matter, islands that spend part of their lives above water and part of them below, based on the tides. These aren’t really islands in the sense we’re talking about, since they can’t really support resident terrestrial life, but they will be relevant, for reasons we’ll see in a moment.
Rebun Island and Hokkaido, Japan. An island recently went missing nearby. Masaaki Tanaka/Sebun Photo/Getty Images
One big culprit that comes up when we talk about disappearing islands is sea level rise, of course. The seas as a whole, how this nearly global mass of interconnected water behaves, is insanely, insanely complicated and probably not very well understood by most people—many scientists included. Sea level was, for a few thousand years up to around the late 19th century, pretty constant, on average. Since the late 1800s, it’s been steadily rising. On average.
We keep saying “on average” because sea level changes are not the same in all places. In fact, in a lot of places, the sea level is dropping, and there are dozens of reasons for this inconstancy: some local, some regional, some global. Some operate on a decades-long cycle, or seasonally, or on a rhythm measured on a scale of millennia. Some are purely natural in cause, others can be pegged with near certainty to the influence of humans.
The period we’re in now is especially interesting and important with regard to disappearing land. The islands, they’re just a preview. The single largest cause of global sea level rise, right now, isn’t melting glaciers, but the phenomenon called thermal expansion. And it’s not particularly close. But that’s not going to be the case very much longer.
Tuvaluans have had to adapt to the risk of inundation from tides and storms. Samir S. Patel.
Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter, including sea water, to change its volume in response to a change in temperature. When temperatures rise, water molecules absorb that extra energy and bounce around more. This takes up more space—not a lot of space, but some, and when you’re talking about something as massive as the global ocean, any small amount of expansion translates to a massive volume of water. Global temperatures have risen by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, with most of that in the last half-century. And that means the water already in the ocean is getting bigger.
Researchers expect that this is just sort of the opening act for sea level rise. Widespread melting of glaciers and ice caps is next, which will have way crazier impacts on the ocean than just adding water to it. More water is the obvious one, but glaciers, as objects of great mass, actually have gravity, too—they pull water toward them. As they melt, they will lose mass, and in turn lose some of that pull. So coasts elsewhere will have to deal with expanding water, glacial meltwater, and normal sea water that isn’t as attracted to glaciers as it was before.
Yes, all of this is going to have a major impact on any low-lying land the world over. But the researchers I talked to for this story don’t necessarily think that islands are disappearing right now at a higher rate than they were in past centuries. Of the independent island nations most at risk of disappearing, Tuvalu is near the top of the list. But a 2018 Paul Kench study of all 101 islands—all small and low-lying—that make up Tuvalu reported that there’s no consistency in what is happening there at all. About three quarters of the islands actually grew in size, to one quarter that shrank, over the past 40 years. Overall, during this time period, Tuvalu grew almost three percent. This is not to say that Tuvalu isn’t in a period of intense crisis right now, because the country certainly is. But disappearing—which is a very specific thing—might not be the cause of that crisis, at least not today.
Islands such as Fala Lop in the Ulithi Atoll of Micronesia may not have much of a future. DEA/V. GIANNELLA/Getty Images
In general, the South Pacific is enduring sea level rise of about a fifth of an inch per year, according to a study from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. So is there simply too much going on to be able to tell a clear story about the fate of these places? Ultimately, understanding what is happening now is about separating signal from noise, and realizing that the impacts of the direction that global climate is headed in are simply not going to be the same everywhere. It’s about understanding that a single, highly visible phenomenon is an inadequate proxy for changing climate. That doesn’t make the outlook—especially in the South Pacific—any less dire. What makes the South Pacific so worthy of study for basically any scientist concerned with the ocean is that, because these islands are so small and barely above sea level, small changes will make an oversize impact there. And an island doesn’t need to be actually underwater to become uninhabitable.
Remember the South Pacific Convergence Zone? All the typhoons and lashing storms? What’s clearly happening now are bigger, more frequent, and more destructive waves and storms. Couple that with what is to come, and the uncertainty starts to vanish. “Anthropogenic sea level rise is starting to kick in, but it’s not a big deal,” says Ashton. This means thermal expansion is already happening, but its impact isn’t severe. But when glacial melt really starts? “By mid-century, and especially end of century, [that] will be the dominant signal.” That’s a scientific way of seeing that we ain’t seen nothing yet.
Paul Kench’s work—which ran counter to the narrative that the days of the low-lying, habitable islands that we know are gone—angered some, who see it as unhelpful to the very real plight of Tuvalu and other South Pacific island nations. But Kench notes that the mere disappearance of some islands shouldn’t be the whole story. Those harsher and more frequent storms send waves of salt water inland—sometimes over entire islands, sometimes into fields, or into fragile island freshwater sources. Homes and infrastructure are at risk, as are the unusual plant, insect, and bird species found on small islands and nowhere else. Scientists are already exploring simply moving endemic species to more stable islands.
Whether islands in Tuvalu are currently growing or shrinking, the future of the country has grown uncertain. Samir S. Patel.
Whether these islands are, in the short term, growing or shrinking is immaterial to their residents if they can no longer trust the ground beneath their feet. The more the islands themselves move, the more they become volatile, unreliable, resource-poor—potentially uninhabitable. “Some island nations, there’s no high land, really,” says Ashton. “Their only prospects are to live on these shallow islands that are going to start moving around more and more rapidly as sea level rises.”
What’s happening in the South Pacific isn’t normal, and it isn’t good. Islands disappearing just isn’t the most useful metric to understand where the region is going. Focusing on that does the people of Tuvalu, of Micronesia or Kiribati, or the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, a disservice. The bigger problem is what is actually disappearing, and that is any sense of stability, security, even hope that the cultures on these islands aren’t simply playing out the clock on the ability to exist as they have for hundreds of years. It’s something that people who live on continents, buffered from the whims of the sea, don’t understand just yet. It probably won’t be long before we do, though. | {
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Federal election 2019: Calls for Scott Morrison to sack Liberal candidate Jeremy Hearn over anti-Muslim rant
Updated
Labor is calling for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to sack Liberal candidate Jeremy Hearn after Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper exposed a conspiracy-laden anti-Muslim rant he posted online last year.
Key points: Jeremy Hearn had previously suggested Muslim Australians were hiding their true intentions
He has since apologised, describing his comments as "not right"
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has described the decision not to fire him as "incredibly weak"
"Refusing to sack him is incredibly weak and frankly, how can Scott Morrison excuse him?" Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus told AM.
"Jeremy Hearn is an Islamophobe, his comments are hate speech, they are abhorrent and an apology is not enough," he added.
Mr Dreyfus is battling Mr Hearn for the South East Melbourne seat of Isaacs.
The Liberal hopeful's comments included several suggestions Muslim Australians were hiding their true intentions, which he said were to overthrow the Australian government and introduce Sharia law.
After the story broke he apologised "unreservedly" and said the comments were "not right".
Liberal Campaign Headquarters did not respond to the ABC's questions about whether Mr Hearn would continue as the endorsed candidate.
Labor, meanwhile, is on the defensive over its campaign in the neighbouring seat of Goldstein.
It has been forced to pulp how-to-vote cards after preferencing a former One Nation supporter who espoused anti-Jewish conspiracy theories — including notions that Jews are descended from lizards — ahead of the sitting Liberal member Tim Wilson.
Liberal Senator James Paterson said the views of the candidate, John Tiger Casley, were easy to find online.
"It would not have been hard at all for the Labor Party to do the due diligence and they made a decision to put him above a candidate who is well known from a mainstream political party," Senator Paterson told AM.
And he added Labor had not followed through on its promise to pulp all how-to-vote cards preferencing Mr Casley.
"At the very least they've been very slow in getting out a new how-to-vote card if not deliberately continuing to hand out a how-to-vote card with an extreme candidate on it," Senator Paterson told AM.
The seats shaping the election
Meanwhile, the Cairns Post has published pictures of Queensland One Nation candidate Ross Macdonald touching strip club workers at a series of bars in Thailand.
The new scandal comes just a day after another One Nation candidate, Steve Dickson, quit in disgrace after he was filmed at a US strip club.
That scandal brought One Nation leader Pauline Hanson to tears during an interview with Channel Nine.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-elections, one-nation, pauline-hanson, alp, liberals, liberal-national-party, nationals, bill-shorten, scott-morrison, australia, melbourne-3000, vic, mentone-3194, mordialloc-3195, keysborough-3173, dandenong-3175
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GETTY•SIPA PRESS/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK Donald Trump, left, is accused of assaulting the woman with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
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The shocking claims come as billionaire businessman Trump marches towards the Republican Party presidential nomination. The alleged victim lodged her claim last night, accusing Trump and Epstein of "sexual abuse under threat of harm" and "conspiracy to deprive civil rights".
The allegations are not only categorically false, but disgusting at the highest level Donald Trump
But outraged Mr Trump, who is being sued for a staggering $100million (£70million), dismissed the claims as "categorically false". The alleged victim claims that "she was enticed by promises of money and modelling career to attend a series of underage sex parties".
GETTY Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, pictured in 1997
They were held at Epstein's home in New York City and attended by Mr Trump, she claims in the lawsuit. She then claims she was forced to perform a sex act on Trump and "engage in an unnatural lesbian sex act with her fellow minor and sex slave". She adds that on the "fourth and final sexual encounter" Trump "proceeded to forcibly rape the Plaintiff".
Babes for Trump Mon, April 4, 2016 Here are the hottest photos of Babes For Trump, the sexy fans of Republican candidate Donald Trump Play slideshow Babes for Trump/ Twitter 1 of 15 two women flashed their bums in tiny striped swimsuits while waving American flags
The victim also alleges in her claim she "loudly pleaded with defendant Trump to 'please wear a condom'." The alleged assaults are claimed to have taken place from June to September 1994. Mr Trump said: "The allegations are not only categorically false, but disgusting at the highest level.
GETTY Donald Trump is on track for the Republican presidential nomination | {
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Windows 10, by default, is highly popular to strip you of your privacy. Oh, Wait! Don’t you know that? Please be known that Windows 10, by default, has permission to sent lots of your data back to Microsoft servers, and you’ll never know when and how the data transfer took place. And not any antivirus or malware could stop that, but it’s you who need to do some manual settings for protecting your privacy. And not just that, even Windows 10 has a keylogger too, which is recording every stroke of data you’re typing back to Windows 10. That includes all the usernames and passwords also, which you type in websites and other places.
Although keylogger in Windows 10 was supposed to be in Windows 10 Technical preview editions only which log and send “voice information” as well as “typed characters” and was there for testing purposes only. But that news comes out to be False!
Even though Microsoft has added so many features that are really useful in the long-term, but for the betterment of those products or features, they collect a good quantity of user data. One of the most significant sources of it is Cortana, which personalizes its features depending upon your need and collects your voice inputs, contact, and calendar entries. Windows 10 also collects data from the features which are connected to the cloud. Hence, it becomes a necessity for an operating system to collect data, filter and exclude your personal information and send it to Microsoft Servers. But who’s comfortable with that? I am Not!
Ultimate Guide to Turn off Windows 10 Privacy Settings
Turning off data mining features in Windows 10 is easy, all you need to know where those toggles are, and you’re good to go. But it’s a good list to follow before you may get rid of all the data mining features of Windows 10. There are two ways to do so. Either use a free application we recommend or do the manual way, which requires few steps.
How to Turn Off Windows 10 Privacy Issues Using an Application (Easiest Method)
There are over 35 privacy issues in Windows 10, which users need to address for protecting their privacy. If you leave those as is, a good amount of data is sent back to Microsoft periodically. If you have selected “Express Settings” while installing Windows 10, you gave permissions to Microsoft to gather data of following types:
Location Data
Biometrics and Handwriting data
Advertisement and its Tracking Code
Apps access to your personal information
Windows Defender and Sample submissions
Microsoft OneDrive
Cortana & Web search
Telemetry services
Webcam and Microphone Access
Sync Data with other Devices
Using Microsoft account, Instead of local account
Sending Feedback & diagnostics reports to Microsoft
and many more…
To disable sending data from all above types, install a software application named DoNotSpy10 . This is the first software app in my knowledge, which is an antispy tool for Windows 10. This app gives you a fair choice of what data you’re fine sharing with Microsoft and What NOT. And I won’t recommend you to turn off all the features, and some are required by OS to function correctly and to manage a proper communication with other apps and for checking of updates. There are 37 settings currently which you can disable using this app as follows:
Disable Telemetry
Disable Biometrics
Disable Handwriting Data Sharing
Disable Handwriting Error Reporting
Disable Application Telemetry
Disable Inventory Collector
Disable Steps Recorder
Disable enabling Lock Screen Camera
Disable and Reset Cortana
Disable Location
Disable Sensors
Disable Web Search *
Disable Windows Media DRM Internet Access
Defer Windows Upgrades *
Disable App Notifications
Disable Password Reveal Button *
Disable and Reset Advertising ID
Disable SmartScreen Filter for URLs *
Disable Sending Writing Info
Disable Access to Language List *
Disable App Access to Location Info *
Disable App Access to Camera *
Disable App Access to Microphone *
Disable Getting to know me
Disable App Access to Account Info *
Disable App Access to Calendar *
Disable App Access to Messages *
Disable App Access to Radios *
Disable Sync With Devices *
Disable Windows Feedback Requests *
Disable Windows Update Sharing
Disable Windows Update for other Products *
Disable WiFi Sense
Disable Windows Defender *
Disable Automatic Windows Updates *
Disable OneDrive
Disable Automatic Driver Update *
Disable Automatic Windows Store Updates *
Enable Do Not Track in Edge
Disable Malicious Software Removal Tool via Windows Update *
Disable KMS Client Online Validation
Disable Retrieving Device Metadata
Disable Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program
All features marked with * are the ones we don’t recommend to disable it. Choice is yours .
How to Turn Off Windows 10 Privacy Settings (Manual Method)
So, you have chosen to turn off Windows 10 privacy settings manually, Good Enough! Following are the ways to do it:
Be Selective During Windows 10 Install
During Windows 10 installation, when Windows 10 asks you if you want to use Expressive Settings or want to Customize it? Here’s what Windows 10 asks you to agree for:
Personalize your speech, typing and inking input by sending contacts and calendar details, along with other associated input data to Microsoft. Let Microsoft use that info to improve the suggestion and recognition platforms. Let’s Windows and apps request your location, including location history, and use your advertising ID to personalize your experiences. Send Microsoft and trusted partners some location data to improve locations services. Help protect you from malicious web content and use page prediction to improve reading, speed up browsing, and make your overall experience better in Windows browsers. Your browsing data will be sent to Microsoft. Automatically connect to suggested open hotspots and shared networks. Not all networks are secure. Send error and diagnostic information to Microsoft.
So, rather than selecting Express Settings, choose Customize Settings, and you can select toggles as per your requirement and comfort. The first screen would give you the following options:
Personalize your speech, typing, and inking input by sending contacts and calendar details, along with other associated input data to Microsoft – Select OFF.
Send typing and inking data (The Keylogger) to Microsoft to improve the recognition and suggestion platform – Select OFF.
Let apps use your advertising ID for experiences across apps – Select OFF.
Let Windows and apps request your location, including location history, and send Microsoft and trusted partners some location data to improve location services – Select OFF.
Also read: How to Completely Remove Candy Crush Saga from Windows 10
Click Next. Now you’ll be presented with options pertaining to customize your privacy settings related to Web browsing, connectivity, and error reporting.
Use SmartScreen online services to help protect against malicious content and downloads in sites loaded by Windows browsers and Store apps – Select ON. (This option is recommended to use)
Use page prediction to improve reading, speed up browsing, and make your overall experience better in Windows browsers. Your browsing data will be sent to Microsoft – Select OFF.
Automatically connect to suggested open hotspots. Not all networks are secure – Select OFF.
Automatically connect to networks shared by your contacts – Select OFF.
Send error and diagnostic information to Microsoft – Select ON. (It’s safe to use this option)
Also read: Windows 10 Will Automatically Disable Pirated Games or Softwares
Turn Off Privacy Settings in Windows 10 After Installation
Just in case, while installing Windows 10, you didn’t customize the settings as I mentioned above, you can do it now by below-given steps:
Open the Start menu and select Settings. Alternatively, you can press Windows key + I to open Settings directly in Windows 10.
Open Privacy, and you’ll be present with a long list of options you need to take care of.
By default, the General tab would be opened. Select options as follows:
Let apps use my advertising ID for experiences across apps (turning this off will reset your ID) – Select OFF. Turn on SmartScreen Filter to check web content (URLs) that Windows Store apps use – Leave it as ON. Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improving typing and writing in the future – Select OFF. (This is the Keylogger) Let websites provide locally relevant content by accessing my language list – Leave it ON . (I don’t see any issue leaving it ON as this option would enhance user experience).
Moving on to Location Tab, ideally, you should leave the location ON. The choice is yours. As many apps like Windows maps require location access, News, Weather, etc., or any other apps from other niches like Banking, Search, etc. Choice is Yours .
On-Camera Tab, it’s usually required by apps like Browser and others. If you turn it OFF, then maybe when you’ll install Skype, you’ll not be able to do video chat, as all apps would be blocked to use Camera. Hence ideally, you can leave this ON.
The microphone can also be left ON. I don’t see any issue leaving it ON as it would be required for doing voice chats via apps.
Speech, inking & typing (Getting to know you) helps Windows and Cortana to get to know you better by collecting data like Contacts, calendar entries, speech, handwriting patterns, and typing history. Immediately turn this Setting OFF.
Account Info should be turned OFF, as we are not sure what use of this information any app would do.
Contacts access can be turned OFF for most apps. Although it’s required by email application and would help you in getting enhanced user experience in Windows 10 and if you use email application of Windows 10, you should leave it ON, and turn it OFF for other apps.
Email applications again require the calendar and remind you of activities while you’re busy doing other works. Ideally, I would leave it ON.
Messaging must be turned OFF. I do not see any valid reason for giving any app access to your personal messages.
Radios again should be turned OFF. I don’t want any app to use my Bluetooth without my explicit permission.
Other Devices (Sync with devices) should be turned OFF unless if you use devices like Beacons, which is a low-cost piece of hardware — small enough to attach to a wall or countertop — that use battery-friendly, low-energy Bluetooth connections to transmit messages or prompts directly to a smartphone or tablet. Also, if you have an Xbox or other devices that sync and pair with your tablet or PC having Windows 10, you can leave this ON.
Also Read: Fix Cannot Download Windows Updates in Windows 10 and 8 When Behind a Proxy or Firewall
Feedback & Diagnostics can be turned OFF. You’ll need to select Never from the drop-down menu of “Windows should ask for my feedback.” Or if you’re kind enough to give Microsoft your valuable feedback, then you can turn this setting ON by selecting Once a Week from the dropdown.
Background apps – Ideally, I don’t like to allow so many apps to keep running in the background as these consume battery and creates a distraction at work. Turning off Apps background activities can enhance battery life a lot. Be wise in selecting which one to Turn OFF and which not.
Turn OFF WiFi Sense
Open Settings and then “Network and Internet.” Navigate to the WiFi tab and select your current wireless connection and click Manage WiFi settings. WiFi sense is a significant threat to your privacy and must not be left ON. Read more about it here, why WiFi sense must be turned OFF.
To turn OFF WiFi sense, just toggle OFF both settings i.e. Connect to suggested open hotspots and Connect to Networks shared by my contacts .
Turn OFF How Windows 10 Updates are Delivered
Open Settings and select “ Update and Security.”
Open Windows Update Tab and select Advanced Options .
Tab and select . Click “ Choose how updates are delivered. “
“ Turn the Toggle to OFF for “Updates from more than one place.”
Also read: How to Stop Automatic Updates of Windows 10
Turn OFF Windows Error Reporting Service
To turn OFF windows error reporting service, you need to set it to manual setting.
Open Run command box by pressing Windows key + R.
Type in the following command:
services.msc
and Enter. Services dialog box would open up.
Select Windows Error Reporting Service to Manual by double-clicking on it and selecting Startup type to Manual from the dropdown menu.
Also, select “Diagnostic Tracking Service” and “dmwappushsvc“ and set both to Manual or Disabled for Startup type. Stopping these two would stop transfer of telemetry and data collection in Windows 10.
Turn OFF Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
Customer Improvement Program is a hidden service that collects information about your computer hardware and your usage pattern, collects that data, and sends it to Microsoft secretly. You might get shocked to know that this program could even count how many times you opened the Start menu or how many programs you have pinned in your Taskbar. This is one of the most significant privacy buster program in Windows 10. To turn this feature OFF, do the following steps:
Also read: How to Stop Automatic Updates of Windows 10
The easiest way to access this setting by typing it in on the search bar of Windows 10.
Type in: customer experience improvement and the select result of “ Change Customer Experience Improvement Program Settings “.
Select NO, I don’t want to participate in the program.
Since I had Windows 10 Enterprise activated, so these options are grayed out for me permanently, as you can see in the screenshot.
Turn OFF Cortana or Remove it Completely.
Last you need to turn OFF Cortana as it’s of the biggest program which collects user’s data and sends it to Microsoft. Here’s a guide to completely disable Cortana and removing it from Windows 10.
I hope you may follow all steps given on this ultimate guide to turning OFF windows ten privacy settings. | {
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The latest wave of online dating sites forgoes mysterious equations in favor of straightforward, sometimes unexpected, matching techniques.
Whereas Match.com, eHarmony and OkCupid promise to calculate your ideal mate based on your actions and stated preferences, these new sites use some interesting new criteria such as common friends, activities, alma mater or even face structure to make matches.
A team commissioned by the Association of Psychological Science recently deemed the purely algorithmic approach to online dating no more effective at predicting compatibility than a good old-fashioned chat.
We're not sure that any of the seven approaches below would be any more effective. But many of them are certainly more fun.
1. Clique: Stop Dating Strangers
When the dating world plugged into the Internet, it largely catered to the classified-style dating that preceded it — facilitating meetings between strangers who might like each other. But the age-old method of meeting dates through friends was largely ignored by online dating sites.
Clique, which will celebrate its one-year anniversary Valentine’s Day, is trying to make that method its niche. On the invite-only site, only you, your friends and people connected to you by fewer than three degrees are visible. When you’re browsing profiles, you can see how you’re connected to each person, and your friends can make match suggestions for you.
Upside: A personal reference for every potential date.
Downside: Your common friends will inevitably hear feedback about your dates.
2. Sparkology: Ivy League Men Only
Sparkology has set out to filter its community with rigid criteria. To join the site, you need to be a college graduate. If you're a man, you need to be a verified graduate of a school on the site's list of "top universities."
Payment also works a bit differently than traditional dating sites. Women pay a flat fee per month to be on the site. Men pay a small fee to start conversations, which theoretically prevents them from spamming everyone on the site.
Upside: Men have to invest each time they communicate and are less likely to do so when they aren't sincerely interested.
Downside: Although the site's founders point out that its list of top universities includes 85 schools, Sparkology is still no doubt missing some interesting, successful people who don't happen to have a top-notch college degree.
3. Nerve Dating: Less-Painful Introductions
Once a site for listing personals, Nerve Dating relaunched in 2011 with a focus on natural ice breakers. Users post mini-updates on their profiles that answer simple questions such as "What did you do last night?" Whether they read a book, saw a concert or watched TV, the hope is that it will give others a reason to connect. Browsing the site is free, but unlimited messaging costs $20 per month.
Upside: there's something to talk about when you message someone for the first time.
Downside: Another status to update.
4. SinglesAroundMe: Location-Based Dating
SinglesAroundMe is an Android, BlackBerry and iPhone app that lives up to its name. Quite simply, it uses the GPS feature on your phone to find singles near you, literally plotting them on a map. Profile information is pretty limited, but there's an option to message people to find out more if you fork over $2.95 per month or $19.95 per year. So far I have gotten one message on the network: "you are a fake!drop dead."
Upside: Dating people near you seems practical.
Downside: When proximity is the major criteria of interest, there may be reason to question the motives of people who contact you.
5. HowAboutWe: Activity Dating
HowAboutWe puts focus on the date rather than the individual. Users propose fun activities. Other users can send them messages if they like their ideas. To send such a message, however, you'll need to fork over between $7.99 and $34.99 per month depending on how long you commit.
Upside: Fewer coffee shops, more adventures.
Downside: "How about we… communicate only through facial expressions for the first 30 minutes of our date." How about not.
6. Soul2Match: Similar Faces
Soul2Match promises to match singles based solely on one piece of information from each of them: their headshot. Founders Jorn Eiting and Linda van Liempt are serious. They cite several studies that show what we’re all really looking for in our ideal mate is ourselves.
“The more two people have similarities in their faces, the more they look alike, the happier they are in the relationship, the stronger the relationship,” Eiting told Mashable in September.
The website compares your mugshot with other faces to rate your compatibility.
Upside: Entertainment.
Downside: Remember that research the company cites? Some of it shows that couples with similar levels of attractiveness are the happiest. Other research says people trust those who have similar facial features more than those who don’t.
The best proof for Soul2Match‘s matchmaking method is a 1999 study that used computer-graphic image manipulation to generate male faces that looked like female participants. For example, if a woman’s cheekbone stuck out 0.3 percent more than the average woman’s cheekbones do, the program would generate a male face with cheekbones that stuck out 0.3 percent more than the male average. Women were more likely to rate faces as attractive that had been manipulated to match their own.
Trouble is, a later study by Lisa M. DeBruine of McMaster University showed that people are more likely to rate faces similar to their attractive when it’s the same sex than photos of the opposite sex.
“The same-sex bias … is a product of specialized responses to facial resemblance as a cue of kinship,” DeBruine wrote; it helps us “favor kin in a non-sexual prosocial context and avoid kin in a mating context.”
In other words, her theory is that it’s all part of the brain’s recognition mechanism that helps us be nice to family members — and avoid incest.
7. Grouper: Group Dating
Grouper arranges group dates between three women and three men.
Upside: Less pressure and a "meet three new people for one time commitment" structure.
Downside: Here's to hoping you and your friends don't all fall for the same person in the other group.
BONUS: 12 Pinterest Boards for Valentine’s Day Inspiration
12 Valentine's Day Pinterest Boards
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, adventtr | {
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Why the fuck doesn't someone turn on more lights in this house ?
103 shares | {
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news, latest-news
INDUCTEES Ask Raiders record-holder Jason Croker which modern day Canberra player best resembles him and there's a scratch of his shiny head. The obvious answer is Raiders centre Jarrod Croker, raised in Goulburn close to his own hometown of Crookwell. Both made their first grade debut at 18, and not only do they share a surname, but Jarrod has even assumed Jason's nickname "Toots". "A lot of people used to ask me early on in his career if he was was my son," 41-year-old Croker said, laughing, again pointing out they aren't related. In terms of playing style, though, think closer to Jack Wighton. Croker was the ultimate utility, Canberra's original Mr Fix-It. He started his career on the wing in 1991, and by the time he'd finished it a club-record 318 games later, he was playing second row and had filled nearly every position in between. In Canberra's last premiership-winning year of 1994, he played every game - four on the wing, 12 at five-eighth, two at lock and eight in the second-row. So Croker can relate to Wighton, who has played every backline position but halfback in his 45 NRL games. "He's pretty much come through the same development I did, playing centres, now playing fullback. He's a good outside back and once he thickens out he'd be a good backrower too, he's pretty physical," Croker said. "I'd still like to see him get another shot at number six, too. Obviously they tried him there this year, the team was in a tough situation, they had to win games and [coach] Rick [Stuart] stood by him, but it didn't happen. I dare say he could still end up in that position. "He's a bit taller than me, but pretty much the same build as when I started. There's a fair few similarities ... but I'm a better sort, hands-down." As so the other side of Croker emerges, not just the dedicated clubman who bled green, but the larrikin. A raw-boned kid who grew up skipping school to work on his family's potato farm, throwing around sacks full of spuds, so strong that when he joined the Raiders he used to clasp the uprights of a goal and hang himself parallel to the ground. "I tried it a couple of years back, I took a group down to Melbourne for the F1 and they dared me ... It didn't work out too well. I slipped down the pole, cracked my shoulder and nearly dislocated it." Croker joins a long and distinguished list of Raiders players in the ACT Hall of Fame: Gary Belcher, Brad Clyde, Laurie Daley, Dave Furner, Mal Meninga, Ricky Stuart and Steve Walters. "At the top I'd reckon," he laughs again, asking about where he'd sit in Raiders folklore. He also holds the club record of 120 tries. "There were so many good players and leaders in those Raiders teams, if you couldn't perform with those blokes around you you'd struggle." JASON CROKER Raiders first grade: club records 120 tries, 318 games NSW: 5 matches 1993-2001 Australia: 5 Tests, 2000
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/fb1ff5a7-df07-4247-b6cc-d51e1e64c93e.jpg/r3_0_727_409_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg | {
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Republicans and even some Democrats are out to scare you about Medicare for All. They say it’s going to dismantle health care as we know it and it will cost way too much.
Rubbish.
The typical American family now spends $6,000 on health insurance premiums each year. Add in the co-payments and deductibles that doctors, hospitals, and drug companies also charge you—plus typical out-of-pocket expenses for pharmaceuticals—and that typical family’s health bill is $6,800.
But that’s not all, because some of the taxes you now pay are for health insurance, too—for Medicare and Medicaid and for the Affordable Care Act. So let’s add them in, again for the typical American household. That comes to a whopping $8,975 a year. Oh, and this number is expected to rise in the coming years.
Not a pretty picture. If you’re a typical American, you’re already paying far more for health insurance than people in any other advanced country.
And you’re not getting your money’s worth. The United States ranks near the bottom for life span and infant mortality. Or maybe you’re one of the 30 million Americans who don’t have any health insurance coverage at all.
You see, a big reason we pay so much for health insurance is the administrative costs involved in private for-profit insurance. About a third of what you pay goes to the people who oversee billing and collections. And then of course there are the marketing and advertising expenses, and the profits that go to shareholders or private-equity managers.
What happens if we have Medicare for All?
Let’s first consider a limited version that keeps private insurance—as proposed by candidates including Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Kamala Harris. The insurance costs remain the same because it’s the same private insurers and the same co-payments and deductibles. The only difference is more of this would be paid through your taxes, rather than by you directly, because the government would reimburse the insurance companies.
This could help bring down costs by giving the government more bargaining leverage to get better prices. But we don’t know yet how much.
Now, let’s talk about a different version of Medicare for All that replaces private for-profit health insurance, as proposed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. In this version, total costs—including a possible combination of premiums, co-payments, deductibles, or taxes—are even lower. This option is far cheaper because it doesn’t have all those administrative expenses. It’s public insurance that reimburses hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies directly and eliminates the bloat of private insurance companies.
Economists at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst say Medicare for All that replaces private for-profit insurance would reduce costs by about 10 percent, mostly from lower administrative and drug costs. The Urban Institute estimates that households and businesses would save about $21.9 trillion over ten years, and state and local governments would save $4.1 trillion.
You’d pay for it through a combination of premiums, fees, and taxes, but your overall costs would go way down. So you’d come out ahead. And everyone would be covered.
You’d keep your same doctor or other health-care provider. And you could still buy private insurance to supplement Medicare for All, just like some people currently buy private insurance to supplement Medicare and Social Security. The only thing that’s changed is you no longer pay the private for-profit corporate insurers.
Any Medicare for All is better than our present system, but this second version is far better because — like Medicare and Social Security — it’s based on the simple and proven idea that we shouldn’t be paying private for-profit corporate insurers boatloads of money to get the insurance we need.
It’s time for true Medicare for All. | {
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look at all these little kids who aren't getting the references to the original film
208 shares | {
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One of the most ominous developments in the seven-year Syrian conflict is how it has become a proxy war between two nuclear-armed global powers (the U.S. and Russia). And it’s not only the battling military factions — it’s our entire cultural outlook. Current American political discourse concerning Russia feels like it’s straight out of the Stanley Kubrick film “Dr. Strangelove”; just change “precious bodily fluids” to “the presidential election,” or “the site of the alleged chemical attack.”
“I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion, and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.” -General Jack D. Ripper
Harkening back to the “with us or against us” rhetoric of the second Bush administration, a BBC performer — I mean “journalist” — recently framed Western relations with Russia as an “information war” while discouraging basic critical thinking and rational discourse. That’s right, folks; from the makers of the blockbuster hit The Cold War comes a new and terrifying global thriller: Cold War II!
Independent journalists and pundits are now being viciously smeared and painted as Kremlin stooges left and right, often for merely questioning the Russiagate narrative and the growing push for more Western military involvement in Syria (which is often justified in a dubious manner). And this is happening at a time when the Doomsday Clock is set at two minutes before midnight and nuclear annihilation is as imminent as ever.
But alas, dear reader, I am merely human, and therefore tend to seek patterns that will allow me to make some sense of reality. I admit I was tempted to frame recent American alliances as a series of recycled fashion trends, but honestly, these odd bedfellows might just result from the pure belligerence and delirium of an empire in decline.
If you feel like there is no rhyme or reason to whom the American Empire associates itself with at any given moment, you’re probably right. That’s how a growing number of Americans are beginning to feel. Remember that time militias armed by the Pentagon fought against militias armed by the CIA? Like, what the actual fuck, Scoob?
The Military Industrial Complex is a raging juggernaut intent on either sustaining global instability or maintaining relatively “stable” dictatorships that serve American “national security interests.” Since America® is now a privately held corporation, a major concern of our military is the bottom line of its shareholders (the defense contractors) and, in a warped philosophical and existential sense, geopolitical control over certain regions and the natural resources contained therein. But on the ground, the results of U.S. intervention are the same every time: death, destruction, suffering, and chaos (and, in some cases, the emergence of open-air slave markets).
In addition to the seemingly mindless sociopathic violence and need for absolute control over the destiny of others, our ostensibly benevolent “defense department” operates on a simple scientific principle; inertia. The budget keeps increasing, and the covert actions, invasions, drone strikes, and missile strikes continue almost automatically. We’re not in the peace business. If fact, peace is bad for business. Plus, our leaders have had no experience with such a concept. If the U.S. military tried peace, they’d probably fuck it up and bomb a hospital in Pakistan or something.
As Frederick Douglass once famously said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” We the People need to step in and stop this cycle of violence by supporting and promoting independent journalism to inform the public, and by engaging in grassroots political campaigns to kick these bloodthirsty imperialists out of office. Now, to squeeze in one last cultural reference: Just like the time The Blues Brothers got the proverbial band back together, we need to get the anti-war movement back together. | {
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Billionaires at Davos made their fortunes on the pre-2008 bubble and are neither willing or qualified to solve actual world problems like the future of energy, Steve Keen, professor of economics at Kingston University, told RT.
Donald Trump on Friday addressed political and business elites who gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The US President talked up his vision of protectionist trade policies, tax cuts and deregulation.
RT: How would you assess Donald Trump’s economic policies? Is he doing as much good for America as he claims?
Steve Keen: Of course not. He always dramatically exaggerates everything. It’s been his business practice all the way through. And he got quite a bit of bad press from that in New York for quite some time before he ran for president. But I am actually in favor of his industrial attitudes, because he doesn’t see free trade as being a vehicle of growth. Frankly, when you look at the economic theory behind it, it is nonsense … What gives you growth is investment and industrialization. To some extent what he is doing may help America invest slightly more.
But the rest of what he is doing is so destructive. To even invite foreigners to come to America and say: “Come over here and innovate” when they know they face the most draconian immigration regime in America’s history is rather ironic … the irony of that is surely lost on Donald Trump.
Lights go out on Biden as he talks of US ‘leadership’ in #Davos speech https://t.co/pb0pWkVCwdpic.twitter.com/LRDJaEv3op — RT (@RT_com) January 18, 2017
RT: What have been your thoughts on this summit? Should emphasis be on a pro-globalization, pro-growth agenda in the world right now?
SK: Not pro-globalization. Globalization does not lead to growth – it actually leads to Rust Belt states, as we’re seeing in America, and polarization with more income going to capitalists, and less going to workers over the globe, even though workers in the Third World might benefit. And a major fact that is not even being considered by the people in Davos right now – is the impact of us slowly finding it more and more expensive to get oil out of the ground, which is by far the real engine of growth in the economy – is actually turning that oil into energy. And the amount of fringe that is being left right now is diminishing. That is probably one of the two major economic crises confronting the global economy in the next ten years. And it is not even being discussed in Davos.
'They’re hiding from a real discussion' https://t.co/vVeWMIyGZi — RT (@RT_com) January 25, 2018
RT: How do you expect other countries, China, for instance, to react to Trump’s protectionist policies? To what extent will the US suffer if it starts imposing import tariffs?
SK: One of the major problems they have is they’ve actually lost their domestic industrial chains in America by relocating their production over the last 40 years to free trade zones and to cheap labor centers in places like China. And as Apple’s boss [Tim Cook] said just recently: “To do high quality manufacturing, you need to have engineers who can handle those machines.” He said a meeting of those people in America might fill the room he was talking in – a meeting with the same people in China would fill a stadium. America cannot respond rapidly to the top of relocation of production that Trump is trying to achieve.
Davos: Where talk on ‘inequality’ is cheap, but a burger platter costs $59 (Op-Edge by @NeilClark66) https://t.co/I2On7Hl7E9 — RT (@RT_com) January 27, 2018
RT: Are the people that go to Davos the right people to solve the planet’s worries right now? What do you think needs to be done to address global poverty and growing inequality? Can it be done at such places as Davos?
SK: No way. The people going to Davos are the crème de la crème – and they are not the crème of the intellect, they are crème of the money. You’ve got billionaires there, who’ve made a fortune out of the bubble before the bubble burst back in 2008. They’ve made a fortune again courtesy of central banks printing money and driving up the process of their shares in quantitative easing. They are the people who want the business-as-usual to continue. When we’re coming to a series of major turning point for the global economy, particularly around that capacity to continue getting energy out of fossil fuels, and that transition, you need people to understand this stuff – that’s scientists, that’s engineers, it’s experts in climate change. There aren’t very many of those in Davos. | {
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Scientists at Rutgers and Stanford universities have created a new technology that could someday help treat Parkinson’s disease and other devastating brain-related conditions that affect millions of people.The technology – a major innovation – involves converting adult tissue-derived stem cells into human neurons on 3-D “scaffolds,” or tiny islands, of fibers, said Prabhas V. Moghe , a distinguished professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Rutgers University.
The scaffolds, loaded with healthy, beneficial neurons that can replace diseased cells, were injected into mouse brains.
“If you can transplant cells in a way that mimics how these cells are already configured in the brain, then you’re one step closer to getting the brain to communicate with the cells that you're now transplanting,” said Moghe, research director for the School of Engineering/Health Sciences Partnerships at Rutgers. “In this work, we’ve done that by providing cues for neurons to rapidly network in 3-D.”
In their multidisciplinary study, published online today in Nature Communications, a dozen scientists from several Rutgers teams and Stanford discuss the 3-D scaffolds and their potentially widespread benefits.
Neurons, or nerve cells, are critical for human health and functioning. Human brains have about 100 billion neurons, which serve as messengers that transmit signals from the body to the brain and vice versa.
Moghe said a 3-D scaffold, developed by the scientists, consists of tiny polymer fibers. Hundreds of neurons attach to the fibers and branch out, sending their signals. Scaffolds are about 100 micrometers wide – roughly the width of a human hair.
“We take a whole bunch of these islands and then we inject them into the brain of the mouse,” he said. “These neurons that are transplanted into the brain actually survived quite miraculously well. In fact, they survived so much better than the gold standard in the field.”
From left to right: Neal Bennett, Nicola Francis, Apoorva Halikere, Prabhas Moghe, Joachim Kohn, Zhiping Pang of Rutgers University. Photo: Nick Romanenko Indeed, the scaffold technology results in a 100-fold increase in cell survival over other methods, Moghe said.
And that may eventually help people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, and concussions, he said.
These diseases and conditions often arise from the loss of brain cells. Parkinson’s disease, for example, is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a key neurotransmitter. Brain cell loss can lead to trembling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; rigidity, or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; slowness of movement; and impaired balance and coordination, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The next step would be to further improve the scaffold biomaterials, allowing scientists to increase the number of implanted neurons in the brain. “The more neurons we can transplant, the more therapeutic benefits you can bring to the disease,” Moghe said. “We want to try to stuff as many neurons as we can in as little space as we can.”
The idea is to “create a very dense circuitry of neurons that is not only highly functioning but also better controlled,” he said, adding that testing of mice with Parkinson’s disease is underway to see if they improve or recover from the illness.
Eventually, with continued progress, the researchers could perform studies in people. Moghe estimated that it would take 10 to 20 years to test the technology in humans.
Developing the scaffold technology and reprogramming the stem cells in the scaffolds was “very hard team work,” he said. “It took many years to get here, so there was a lot of sweat and toil.”
Aside from Moghe, study authors include: Aaron L. Carlson, Neal K. Bennett and Nicola L. Francis of the Rutgers Department of Biomedical Engineering; Apoorva Halikere of the Rutgers Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology and the Child Health Institute of New Jersey at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Ronald P. Hart, Stephen Clarke and Kenneth Paradiso of the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Rutgers; Jennifer C. Moore of the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey; Marius Wernig at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California; Joachim Kohn of the Rutgers Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, New Jersey Center for Biomaterials; and Zhiping P. Pang of the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology and Child Health Institute of New Jersey at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
For more information, contact Todd B. Bates at [email protected] or 848-932-0550. | {
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Image by Wikimedia Commons
Coca Cola in Israel donated 50,000 shekels, or about $13,850 to Im Tirtzu, a right wing group that targets leftists and human rights groups in Israel.
The donation was first reported by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
Im Tirtzu had tried to keep the donation secret by requesting the Israel Corporations Authority not to report it. But the group declined Im Tirtuz’s request. A document stating that decision was obtained by Uri Zaki with the left-wing Meretz party.
Last year Im Tirtzu came under fire by politicians across the political spectrum when it singled out several of Israel’s leading cultural figures, including authors David Grossman and Amos Oz, as “moles in culture.”
The group has been accused of fascism. In 2013 the group tried to clear its name by suing leftwing Israelis who called Im Tirtzu a fascist group, but a judge said that the group exhibited “certain principles of fascism.”
“A contribution to Im Tirtzu is support for promoting Zionism in Israeli society, protecting Zionist interests and protecting the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces from persecution and defamation,” Im Tirtzu said of the Coca Cola donation, according to Haaretz.
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff | {
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Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Location: 2141 RHOB Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Hearing: Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Committee on the Judiciary
2141 RHOB
Washington, D.C. 20515-515 Support Documents Witness List [PDF] Added 02/03/2020 at 11:03 AM
Member Attendance [PDF] Added 02/07/2020 at 10:58 AM
Letter from AAJC to HJC Submitted By AAJC [PDF] Added 02/07/2020 at 10:58 AM
Letter from the FBI Agents Association to Chairman Nadler and Ranking Member Collins Submitted By the FBI Agents Association [PDF] Added 02/07/2020 at 10:58 AM
New York Times Article Titled "Justice Department Investigating Migrant Shelter Provider" Submitted by the Honorable Sylvia Garcia [PDF] Added 02/07/2020 at 10:58 AM
New York Times Article Titled "'Chaos is the Point': Russian Hackers and Trolls Grow Stealthier in 2020" Submitted by the Honorable Joe Neguse [PDF] Added 02/07/2020 at 10:58 AM
New York Times Article Titled "The Plot to Subvert an Election Unraveling the Russia Story So Far" Submitted by the Honorable Mary Gay Scanlon [PDF] Added 02/07/2020 at 10:58 AM Witnesses The Honorable Christopher A. Wray
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation Wray Testimony [PDF]
Wray Truth in Testimony [PDF]
Wray Biography [PDF] | {
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Dear Alex,
I have walked a strange path through the world. As a young boy I, obviously, had a high pitched singing voice. I, in turn, ended up singing the female part. Over time, this developed into my thing. I sang the female part. I had a beautiful high voice. Then, I found Undertale the Musical. I could sing along to every part. I realized how much of a personality my other voices had. At first it was more of a person I saw by my side, a person I could become in a moment, and leave the next. However, one night, screaming to a world where no one could hear me, I realized things. I realized I wanted to be a girl, You gave me something brilliant. I realized that some day I would have to tell my parents, that day happens to be tomorrow. Somehow, that’s not really the point of this. I wanted to talk not about how that, but about how your light and hope has guided me. I was in a dark place sometimes, thinking about things I shouldn’t have. Fortunately, that never really lasted very long. I just sat up on the roof and sang about how I was going to make history or how I always had friends. I know you will have had many people tell you of the great things you have done for them, but I hope that this little thing is unique.
Thank You, thank you for, despite all being the one beam of light that aims straight down the path. It is lit by many things from the side, wayward, a twisty mess, but you are always right behind me, pointing dead ahead. For how long your beam stretches out I doubt you will leave my path any time soon. | {
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Genuine couples are being prevented from getting married and are subjected to “insulting” and “gruelling” checks as part of a government crackdown on sham marriages, a Guardian investigation has found.
Couples and lawyers described wedding ceremonies being interrupted so that the Home Office could question people about their sex lives, an official finding a nude picture on a person’s phone and showing it to others in the room, and dawn raids carried out to check if couples were sharing a bed.
In one case, a couple were told their relationship could not be genuine because they were wearing pyjamas in bed. In others, people have been detained for months after being wrongly accused of entering into a sham marriage.
In recent years the government has made it more difficult for migrants to wed in the UK, in an effort to stop people using marriage to UK or EU citizens as a means to remain in the country.
Since changes to the law in 2015, registrars have been required to report to the Home Office whenever most categories of migrants give notice of marriage. The Home Office was given powers to delay nuptials for up to 70 days to allow for investigations.
Information obtained by the Guardian through a freedom of information request shows registrars sent 2,868 section 24 reports – which alert the authorities to a potential sham marriage – in 2018, a 40% rise from 2,038 in 2014. Lawyers said registrars had become “infected with the culture of the hostile environment”.
Of those reports last year, 1,618 (56%) were deemed worthy of investigation, compared with 1,439 (58%) in 2015. The Home Office refused to share data on the number of marriages found to be shams.
Nath Gbikpi, of Wesley Gryk Solicitors, said the government’s approach to migrant marriages needed to be seen as part of its hostile environment policy. “The Home Office has put itself in a position where it can prevent a genuine couple, whom they agree to be in a genuine relationship, to get married,” she said.
One couple, Qasim, 29, from Pakistan, and Debora, 33, from Portugal, were asleep at home when they were raided by four officials in January 2016. “We were questioned separately about our relationship and then Qasim was arrested, taken away and locked up in detention for four months before the Home Office finally accepted that our relationship was genuine,” Debora said.
“I was in a state of shock and trauma all the time I was in detention,” said Qasim. “It was very insulting that the Home Office came inside our home to check that everything was joined.”
Another couple who sought permission to marry were told their relationship would not be investigated, only to have their wedding ceremony interrupted by officials, according to a statement submitted to their lawyers and provided to the Guardian.
The statement said the couple were taken into separate rooms and asked about their sex lives, including details about sexual positions and contraception. The woman was so distressed that partway through the interview she refused to answer any more questions. The Home Office officials then halted the ceremony and declared the marriage to be sham.
The couple, who are still together, were so humiliated that they did not tell their reception guests that the marriage had not been permitted to go ahead, instead continuing with the event and pretending to celebrate.
In another case, a gay couple were invited to a Home Office reporting centre for an interview after they requested permission to enter into a civil partnership. The couple were questioned separately, the British man for 90 minutes and his Thai partner for five hours.
The Home Office asked to inspect the couple’s phones and found an email sent by the Thai man many years before to a former partner, which included a naked photo of himself. This photo was shown to everyone in the interview room, leaving the man feeling humiliated, the couple said.
“He described the whole experience as disgusting,” the British man said. “They grilled him in a very aggressive way that he found very shocking.” The immigration case was finally concluded a few months ago in the couple’s favour.
The Home Office declined to comment on individual cases.
Poppy Firmin, a caseworker at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said: “Many people go through the asylum process unrepresented. In the meantime you can’t work, you often can’t study, and then you may or may not be permitted to marry. Or you may be detained after your marriage ceremony is gatecrashed by Home Office officials. It’s very degrading.”
Elizabeth Ruddick, of Wilsons Solicitors, said: “Home Office officials may come to your home early in the morning and check up on the number of toothbrushes … The Home Office has the right to interfere every step of the way, and some registrars have become infected with the culture of the hostile environment.”
A Home Office spokesperson said the government was focused on ensuring that family migration was based on a genuine relationship. “Registrars are given comprehensive evidence-based guidance on circumstances that may raise suspicions about a marriage, such as certain behaviours and the level of information one party knows about another,” the spokesperson said. “It would then be for Home Office immigration officials to decide whether or not to investigate further.” | {
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Company Prepares for Commercial Production of Units for Cannabis Industry
Environmental – Water reclaimed from cannabis waste was API- and contaminant-free, allowing for re-use in growing operations or safe discharge. On-site treatment removed the need to landfill, haul or incinerate waste.
Compliance – Micron-treated cannabis waste exceeded Health Canada requirements. The Company's proprietary software further optimized the compliance process through comprehensive data collection and recordkeeping.
Automation – Micron's innovative and automated systems significantly reduced time requirements for waste handling.
VANCOUVER, Sept. 24, 2018 /CNW/ - Micron Waste Technologies Inc. ("Micron" or the "Company") (CSE: MWM, OTC: MICWF, Frankfurt: 7FM2), a leading developer of waste digesters for food and cannabis waste, today reported positive results from the optimization of the Cannavore™ cannabis waste processing units with Aurora Cannabis Inc. ("Aurora") (TSX: ACB). The Company will now optimize the technology for sub-zero operations, as well as add computerized remote operating capabilities, following which Micron will commence to offer the units commercially.
"We are very pleased with the outcome of the trial and are now moving into commercialization and will begin selling the units to the wider cannabis industry," said Micron president Alfred Wong. "With the onset of adult usage in Canada and a rapidly growing international cannabis market, the number of operators in the sector has increased dramatically. Current waste disposal methods are expensive and inefficient. Our technology not only significantly improves the economics of cannabis waste disposal, but also streamlines compliance procedures, leading to a substantial reduction in time requirements to deal with waste handling. With our technology, customers will be at the forefront of innovation and environmental stewardship, showing leadership through commitment to clean air and water in Canada and around the world."
Micron's first Cannavore was trialed at Aurora's Mountain facility near Calgary, which is one of seven Aurora facilities. Subject to Micron's technology meeting certain milestones per a collaboration agreement announced in December 2017, Aurora has committed to installing Micron's technology at its other facilities. Site visits have commenced for Aurora Vie in Montreal and Aurora Sky in Edmonton. Micron is developing additional units earmarked for these sites.
"With guidance from Aurora, we have developed a system which checks a box previously overlooked by cannabis cultivators," said Dr. Bob Bhushan, Micron co-founder and chief technology officer. "Data capturing and processing is invaluable and now customers using the Cannavore can go beyond "seed-to-sale" and mine cannabis waste analytics to improve efficiencies, reduce staff time, aid compliance and help evaluate growing operation metrics."
The industrial-grade Cannavore pulverizes and renders cannabis waste in combination with a proprietary blend of microbes and enzymes designed and developed by Micron. Importantly, as part of Micron's full-system waste treatment platform, effluent from the digester is further treated to derive clean greywater which can be re-used in growing operations. Alternatively, the treated regulatory-compliant greywater from the Cannavore, which meets municipal discharge standards, can be safely discharged. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in cannabis waste are further biologically treated via a proprietary process to denature cannabinoids present, keeping them out of watersheds where they could bio-accumulate.
The Micron Cannavore was engineered based on proven technology used by the Company in its Organic Waste Digester Unit. The world's first closed-loop cannabis waste processing system was designed to Aurora's specifications to be a clean technology solution to process organic waste generated from the growth and cultivation of cannabis, while mitigating concerns about the potential environmental impact.
The Cannavore Digester and the Organic Waste Digester units have been awarded an Industrial Design Certificate of Registration from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), with patent pending in the United States.
About Micron Waste Technologies Inc.
Micron Waste Technologies Inc is a well-funded technology company with over $6 million in working capital. The Company's organic waste management system processes organic waste directly on-site and treats the resulting waste water into clean water which meets municipal sewage discharge standards. The treated water can be discharged directly into the sewer or recycled back into industrial or agricultural operations. The Company has developed the world's first cannabis waste management system which denatures APIs from waste streams. Please visit our website at www.micronwaste.com for further information. Micron is a public company with listings on the CSE: MWM, OTC: MICWF, and in Frankfurt: 7FM2.
On Behalf of the Board
Rav Mlait
Chief Executive Officer and Director
The Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:
The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. By its very nature, such forward-looking information requires the Company to make assumptions that may not materialize or that may not be accurate. This forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information.
SOURCE Micron Waste Technologies Inc.
For further information: Media Inquiries: Karen Lauriston, +1.905.691.1185, [email protected]; Investor Relations: +1.844.318.8216, [email protected], www.micronwaste.com
Related Links
https://micronwaste.com
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Article content
When Lisa Zamparo was 19, she wrote down her goals. By 30, she had accomplished them.
She was a chartered professional accountant. She spent years at a big firm on Bay Street before taking a finance director’s role with an $85,000 salary. She lived what she calls a “Sex and the City” lifestyle, shopping and wining and dining.
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Yet, she faced the days with anxiety and felt unfulfilled and decided to re-evaluate her life and her relationship with money.
“I was at a high-paying job and I was spending a lot — almost as if I was compensating for not being happy,” the 32-year-old Toronto resident says. “I came to realize that I had set goals based on the idea that I measured my success by dollars. But that kind of success is empty.”
So Zamparo quit her job and, in August of 2015, started her own financial coaching company, helping people realign their spending with their values.
While not everyone will reach an outcome as drastic as Zamparo’s, challenging your financial beliefs and behaviours can go a long way toward replenishing your bank account and enriching your life in general. | {
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The Queensland government’s new controversial procurement strategy stacks the deck of public tenders against interstate and international suppliers, and is illegitimate under Australia’s free trade agreements.
The strategy, Buy Queensland, is set to start next month. It will apply to all public agencies, statutory bodies and government-owned corporations that purchase goods and services, commission major projects and infrastructure, or build schools, housing and other community facilities.
Every year the Queensland government spends more than A$14 billion on essential goods and services, on top of a further A$4 billion of capital expenditure used to build and maintain infrastructure assets such as roads, schools and hospitals. So these tenders are worth a lot to any business.
The strategy has questionable economic logic, as it limits the competition for public tenders, likely pushing government expenditure up without substantial modelling that proves superior returns for the local job market. It also explicitly contravenes a number of Australia’s international trade obligations.
The main legal issue is that the Buy Queensland strategy plans to apply a local benefits test, with a weighting of up to 30% for all significant procurement. Also, where possible, it envisages inviting one regional and one Queensland supplier to quote or tender for every opportunity. It sets out that the government will use local contractors and manufacturers in significant projects valued at A$100 million and above.
The government will decide between businesses via four incremental zones. These prioritise suppliers with a workforce whose usual place of residency is located first within a 125km, then regional, then state, then national radius of where the goods or services are to be supplied.
Queensland Government, Department of Housing and Public Works
Effectively, this action plan discriminates among Australian businesses and openly excludes foreign investment from the A$18 billion procurement market in Queensland.
Australia’s trade deals
Australia’s international trade obligations on government procurement are either bilateral or multilateral, according to the trade deal. At the bilateral level, Australia’s procurement market is thoroughly integrated with New Zealand’s.
Australian suppliers also have legally-binding access to the procurement markets of the US, Singapore, Chile, South Korea and Japan. Of course, this works both ways. All Australian governments are required to treat domestic suppliers and firms from those countries in the same way.
The pool of businesses affected by this policy might get larger, as Australia is currently negotiating several bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs), including with the EU, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Peru. However, not all FTAs necessarily exchange access in government procurement.
For example, the China-Australia FTA only contains a commitment to negotiate a reciprocal agreement on government procurement, once certain requirements are met.
At the multilateral level, apart from the failed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), Australia is negotiating procurement market access in South East Asia with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and globally through the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). Most importantly, in September 2015, Australia launched the negotiations to accept the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA).
The GPA is a multilateral agreement within the framework of the WTO. This means that not all WTO members, like Australia, are necessarily parties to the agreement.
The fundamental aim of the GPA is to mutually open government procurement markets among its parties. The GPA already has 47 WTO members that have started procurement activities worth US$1.7 trillion annually to international competition, as estimated by the WTO.
Russia and China are also in the process of accepting the GPA. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade estimates that China’s government procurement market alone is worth US$1.5 trillion annually.
The general aim of international procurement agreements is to ensure that tender processes are transparent and non-discriminatory. In practice, this means that Australian firms can bid for government procurement contracts in markets worth trillions of dollars every year with more operational certainty and access to legal recourse.
On the other hand, Australian governments can save taxpayer money thanks to more competitive bidding. It remains to be seen whether more Australian jobs will be created by procurement exporters than are destroyed by purchasing from overseas firms.
International government procurement requires a sophisticated approach to be able to safeguard geopolitical objectives in negotiating trade agreements and marry these with commercial and government interests.
If actually implemented in future public tenders, the Buy Queensland procurement strategy will plainly fail the legal tests set by Australia’s international trade obligations. It will then create regulatory uncertainty in the government procurement market and deter business investment and innovation.
Worse still, the Buy Queensland procurement strategy also jeopardises Australia’s credentials as an open and competitive economy in the global markets. It surely sets a dangerous precedent and breaks new ground for populist economics in Australia at this delicate time of global geopolitical instability. | {
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Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in law and senior adviser, is squeamish about repealing Obamacare, The Washington Post reported earlier this week.
Kushner, along with Trump’s economic adviser Gary Cohn, strategist Steve Bannon and policy adviser Stephen Miller, “have emphasized the potential political costs to moving aggressively,” the Post’s Juliet Eilperin and Amy Goldstein write, while another group of White House advisers is eager to make big changes to the health care industry.
For Kushner, the cost of following through on his father-in-law’s repeated and unambiguous promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is more personal than for other aides to the president.
No, affordable care for a life-threatening illness afflicting a family member is not on the line, as it is for many Americans. Instead, it’s a family member’s business.
Kushner’s brother, Josh, co-founded Oscar, an insurance company that is valued at $2.7 billion. That would be an obvious appearance of a conflict of interest, at the very least, and the potential for a conflict is even greater because Oscar was started for the express purpose of making money on the state exchanges for individual insurance that were created as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Oscar, a website and app, sells insurance directly to individuals who aren’t already eligible for insurance through their employer or a government program. Under the ACA, individuals who aren’t already covered are required to buy insurance or pay a penalty under what is called the individual mandate. And the federal government may partially subsidize the plans that the Oscar app sells and manages. Precisely how big that subsidy is depends on the type of plan and the buyer’s income and, eventually, on the health care law that the Trump administration passes ― or fails to pass.
Oscar did not respond to requests for comment.
Oscar
In response to specific questions about Jared Kushner’s involvement in crafting Trump’s health care policy, a White House spokesperson would say only that “several White House staffers are working feverishly and productively with the House and Senate every day to work through the issues to create a better health care system for all Americans.”
The conflict-of-interest rules that govern federal workers prohibit executive branch employees from making decisions that affect their immediate family’s finances. But as Jared’s brother, Josh Kushner’s business falls just outside the scope of those conflict-of-interest laws for federal employees. Nevertheless, “there might be some question of whether it is appropriate to weigh in on decisions that have an enormous impact on [his] brother’s assets,” Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor who was the chief ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush and who endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, told The Huffington Post in November.
Sign up for the HuffPost Must Reads newsletter. Each Sunday, we will bring you the best original reporting, long form writing and breaking news from The Huffington Post and around the web, plus behind-the-scenes looks at how it’s all made. Click here to sign up! | {
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BOSTON -- David Ortiz turned a warmer than expected April into an incredibly hot start.
Ortiz finished the best April of his career with a pair of solo homers, Mike Aviles hit a three-run shot and the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 11-6 on Monday night.
His reason was a simple one.
"With this weather, yes," Ortiz said, without hesitation when asked if it's the best he's felt this early into a season. "You try to work on something you haven't done in five months."
Darnell McDonald had a two-run homer and Marlon Byrd drove in a pair of runs to support a decent start by Clay Buchholz, who held Oakland to one run until he gave up five in his last inning.
But it's Ortiz's torrid start that's helped carry Boston's offense. He hit .405 in April with six homers and 20 RBIs, posting a .543 average in Fenway Park (19 for 35).
"David's the star of star's right now," Boston manager Bobby Valentine said. "He's hitting to all fields. It's hard to get a strike by him. The swing is probably as good as it can get."
It was Boston's seventh win in eight games, coming off a 6-1 road trip.
Former Red Sox outfielder Josh Reddick hit a three-run homer for offensively challenged Oakland, which dropped its third straight. The A's entered the day having scored the majors' second fewest runs (67) behind only Pittsburgh's 46.
When the Red Sox left town after their initial homestand of the season, they were on a five-game losing streak and had just blown a 9-0 lead in a loss to the rival Yankees.
Boy, how things changed.
Boston charged through Minnesota and Chicago, only losing the finale of a four-game series against the White Sox and returned to Fenway looking like a team that was expected to be strong in the AL East.
On Monday, they knocked around A's starter Tommy Milone (3-2) for eight runs -- seven earned -- in 4 2/3 innings en route to an 11-1 lead after five innings.
Milone had retired 22 of the 26 lefties he faced until Ortiz homered leading off the second, the first of two he gave up to the big slugger.
"Both fastballs," he said. "They were supposed to be a little more in than they were. But, you know, caught too much of the plate and obviously a good hitter like that is going to hit those pitches."
After the big lead, the Red Sox almost reverted to that ugly loss against the Yankees before Vicente Padilla escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Daric Barton in the seventh. Reddick bounced into an inning-ending double play with the bases-loaded in the eighth.
Buchholz (3-1) gave up six runs on seven hits, walking five and striking out five in 6 2/3 innings.
Oakland cut it to 11-6 in the seventh, with Coco Crisp getting a two-run single before Reddick hit his homer.
Milone, who had a pair of eight-inning scoreless outings in his first four starts, had given up only six total runs in his previous starts.
Trailing 1-0, the Red Sox scored four in the second. Ortiz, in his 15th season, led off with a homer into the A's bullpen, Byrd and Aviles had RBI singles, with Aviles later scoring on second baseman Jemile Week's throwing error.
McDonald homered off a light-tower in left-center to make it 6-1 in the third.
The Red Sox then chased Milone during a five-run fifth. Ortiz homered into the Red Sox bullpen to make it 7-1, a drive that right fielder Reddick made a leaping attempt on, and had the ball tip off his glove before he fell into the pen. A member of the Red Sox picked up his hat and handed it to him before he hopped back onto the field.
"That's actually the first time I've had a chance to rob one," he said. "I've done it 1,000 times in batting practice and never had it in a game."
Byrd had an RBI double against reliever Jordan Norberto and Aviles hit his three-run homer into the Green Monster seats to make it 11-1.
The A's had taken a 1-0 lead in the second when Kurt Suzuki scored from third as the Red Sox caught Barton in a rundown.
Game notes
It was Ortiz's 38th career multihomer game, 36th with Boston. He's one behind Ted Williams for most in club history. ... Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis was a late scratch with tightness in his lower back. He also missed Sunday's loss in Chicago with the same injury. ... Reddick, traded from the Red Sox in an offseason deal that brought OF Ryan Sweeney and injured closed Andrew Bailey, played his first game against his former team. "I hope I can go out and have a few good games and show my former team what they're missing," he said before the game. ... Buchholz has now allowed at least five runs in each of his five starts. | {
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Europe should refrain from giving lessons to Turkey on migration issue: Juncker
PARIS – Anadolu Agency
AA photo
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on Nov. 25 said Europe should refrain from giving lesson to Turkey on the issue migration, a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan defiantly criticized a major suggestion came from the European side to suspend the country’s accession talks.
Speaking to “Global Conversation” program of the Euronews channel, Juncker recalled that Turkey opened its doors for more than three million refugees and has done, along with Jordan and Lebanon, more than what the EU did, thus called on the members of the community to be reasonable with their criticisms.
“Turkey is a crucial ally, and this is not only because of the refugee crisis. Of course there is an obvious fact that Turkey has hosted more than three million refugees which Europe could not do. Therefore I demand Europe to refrain from giving lessons to Turkey on this matter. Turkey has done more than Europe, along with border countries of Jordan and Lebanon. Thus when talking about this issue, one should be modest,” said Juncker.
Upon a question on Turkey’s accession talks with the EU, Juncker said “the real question that should be posed is: does Turkey want to abide by all criteria needed to become an EU member? I do not think Turkey asks this question to itself. As this question is not asked, there is no answer to it either,” said Juncker.
On Nov. 25 Erdoğan harshly criticized the voting at the European parliament that suggested the community to halt talks with Turkey concerning its accession, a decades-long aspiration of the country. The European Parliament argued that Turkey’s state of emergency, introduced after the July 15 coup attempt in the country, brought “disproportionate repressive measures.”
“Some 30-40 votes for ‘no’ and 400-500 votes for ‘yes.’ What would happen if all of you voted ‘yes?’ You never treated humanity honestly and you did not look after people fairly. You did not pick up babies when they washed ashore on the Mediterranean. We are the ones who are feeding around 3.5 million refugees in this country,” Erdoğan said.
“You did not keep your promises. When 50,000 refugees turned up at the Kapıkule [border gate] you cried out and began to say ‘What will we do when Turkey opens the border gates?’ Look, if you go further, those border gates will be opened. You should know that,” he added. | {
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Like Hamlet, the Duke of Sussex is the epitome of the ‘tortured prince’. But as long as he remains an active royal, he can never dodge the media spotlight
To be or not to be an active royal, that is the question raised last week on behalf of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. It was aired by a concerned media after Harry used the media – his friend Tom Bradby’s ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey – to discuss his bitter feelings about the media.
That circular progression forms the perimeter of the hole in which the 35-year-old prince finds himself trapped. He feels surrounded by the same intrusive lenses he blames for his mother’s death and, like Diana, Princess of Wales, he has tried to break free from them with an emotional appearance on primetime television.
Are his complaints legitimate or a case study in the kind of spoilt privilege that is normally filed under the phrase “first-world problems”? Certainly the dubious optics of discussing his own struggles against the distressing backdrop of African deprivation did not go unnoticed by his critics. Nevertheless, what seems beyond doubt is that Harry is a genuinely troubled soul, a 21st-century tortured prince.
For many years he was known as the fun-loving brother, a walking-talking-drinking threat to stately protocol. If you were looking for one of the Queen’s grandchildren to be photographed playing naked billiards with a woman in Las Vegas or wearing a swastika armband at a fancy-dress party, then Harry was your man.
He was Prince Hal, the riotous royal without a role, a wayward but essentially likable young bloke who seemed to react to his weighty birthright with an irrepressible instinct for rebellion. But more recently, his anguished ruminations have suggested another Shakespearean hero – Hamlet, the tormented prince who wants to avenge the death of a parent.
To hear him speak in Bradby’s film, and indeed to watch his body language, was to see a man who, at least by his own lights, was taking up arms against a sea of troubles.
“Part of this job,” he told Bradby, “and part of any job, like everybody, is putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of the stuff, but again, for me and again for my wife, of course there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue. But all we need to do is focus on being real, and focus on being the people that we are, and studying up for what we believe in.”
It may not have been a soaring soliloquy with an innate understanding of poetic metre, and you sense Harry has spent more time reading self-help books than the Bard, but it was clearly heartfelt and it expressed perhaps the only good advice given by Polonius, the chief counsellor in Hamlet: to thine own self be true.
But who is Harry? One of the things that the man who is sixth in line to the throne has always found difficult to accept is that millions of strangers, people he’s never met, feel as if they know who he is and are therefore in a position to pass judgment on him.
When he was 21 and a cadet at Sandhurst, he gave an interview in which he said: “I’m never going to … convince the general public of who I am or what I want them to think I am, because my image is always being portrayed as something else. I don’t want to change. I am who I am. I’m not going to change because I’m being criticised in the press.”
Though he is older and wiser, the conviction that he is routinely and deliberately misrepresented remains unchanged. This sense of being made a caricature is an issue, he has said, that also aggrieved his father – in Prince Charles’s case as a hapless and ineffectual busybody. It’s not hard to imagine that Charles’s obvious resentment of the media has helped inform his youngest son’s suspicions.
The problem is that the media are vital to the monarchy’s survival, like a parasite on which the host comes to depend. If their visits, births and weddings ceased to be the subject of media attention, they would sink into irrelevance. Royalty – the idea of a superior bloodline – is a dying anachronism, but celebrity is alive and flourishing.
All we need to do is focus on being real, and focus on being the people that we are Prince Harry
The Queen will very likely prove to be the last monarch to retain a regal distance from the outside world. She is the embodiment of Walter Bagehot’s famous maxim about not letting in “daylight upon magic”. But that era has passed, even if the Queen lives on. Harry’s parents both appeared on television in separate discussions of their adultery. His uncle, a friend of a convicted paedophile, has been accused of sleeping with a trafficked teenager, accusations that have been strongly denied. The royal curtains have been irreversibly opened.
Diana was said to have been a “modernising” influence on the starchy ways of the Windsors. The “people’s princess” brought a populist touch to the dutiful business of photo opportunities. She was a democratising force, even if her approach was not always appreciated by the royal household.
Harry told Bradby that he wouldn’t be “bullied into playing the game that killed my mum”. It’s an understandable sentiment. His mother died in a car crash under pursuit from paparazzi when he was just 12. But it’s hard to think what other game is available to a royal who wants to maintain a high profile.
Harry’s wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has experience of the Hollywood kind of celebrity, a system controlled by ferocious publicists producing stage-managed interviews. According to a CNN report, based on “a source close to the Sussexes”, she seems to have believed she could play a role in reforming an antiquated institution to harness the “value” of a couple that has “single-handedly modernised the monarchy”.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Harry and Meghan at the WellChild Awards in London this month. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock
That kind of controlled approach to image-maintenance may work with Vanity Fair but it’s not going to play in a tabloid world in which off-the-record briefings and forthright opinions are the lifeblood of royal coverage. In that context, it’s impossible to suppress stories about tensions between Harry and his brother, or accusations of hypocrisy for campaigning on climate change while flying in private jets.
Yet Harry and his wife do have a large amount of public goodwill, regardless of their battle with the press that led Harry earlier this month to sue the Daily Mirror and News Group Newspapers, publisher of the Sun, and his wife to sue the Mail on Sunday. As a mixed-race couple, they represent a refreshing break with the prejudices of the past.
Moreover Harry, like his mother, has a winning personal touch with ordinary people. An executive at the Children’s Society says that he recently did some work with the charity in which he charmed everyone he dealt with.
Dylan Jones, the editor of GQ, says he’s met the prince several times and always found him “approachable, funny, engaging and whip-smart”. He recalls a photo session in which David Bailey was on confrontational form, but Harry managed to win the banter contest.
“He doesn’t suffer fools gladly,” says Jones, “but then why should he? He’s always come across as a leader.”
Perhaps his greatest strength, at this particular juncture in history, is his vulnerability. By coming forward a couple of years ago to discuss his mental health problems, he chimed with a younger generation eager to normalise the issue of mental illness. He spoke of how he shut down his emotions for 20 years after his mother died, and how he consulted a therapist.
As someone who not only lost his mother at a tender age but also, according to his own testament, killed enemy fighters in Afghanistan, he has a lot of haunting experiences to resolve. It doesn’t help, of course, to be doing it under attack from a hostile media. Harry strongly implied to Bradby that his dark days had returned.
If that is the case, he has two options. The first is to develop a zen-like indifference to the speculation and criticism that his life as a leading royal generates. To suffer, in other words, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The other is to help revive “the Firm” by cutting back on its numbers. He could take the large fortune he has, withdraw from public life, and devote himself to the good causes of his choice.
That way he and his wife can live rather than, as she puts it, “exist”. To be or to thrive: that is the royal question the celebrity prince must face.
• This article was amended on 29 October 2019 to clarify that the legal action is against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of the Sun. | {
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The January jobs report showed more than 100,000 jobs were created last month than economists expected. Beats of that magnitude usually spark a lot of optimism about the economy, driving stocks higher over the subsequent days and months and benefiting energy, industrial and banking stocks the most, history shows.
CNBC analysis using the Kensho tool looked at all the times in the last 20 years when the jobs report exceeded estimates by 100,000 or more and what happens to stocks and certain sectors the day of the report, as well as one week and three months later. | {
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Les députés français se penchent vendredi sur le projet de loi visant notamment à sanctionner les clients des prostituées et à abroger le "délit de racolage passif". Des dispositions qui divisent la classe politique et l'opinion publique.
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Après des semaines de controverse médiatique en France, le débat à l'Assemblée nationale sur la proposition de loi visant à sanctionner les clients de prostituées a démarré vendredi 29 novembre, dans un hémicycle où avaient pris place à peine une vingtaine de députés.
Si le texte "renforçant la lutte contre le système prostitutionnel" fait débat au sein de chaque parti comme dans l'opinion, seuls les écologistes et une poignée de députés UMP défendront dans l'hémicycle la suppression de la disposition la plus controversée, celle qui punit l'achat d'actes sexuels d'une amende de 1 500 euros.
De fait, les divisions se font plus visibles près de l'Assemblée où ont lieu deux rassemblements : l'un contre la pénalisation du client à l'appel du Syndicat du travail sexuel (Strass), l'autre pour cette disposition, à l'appel d'associations féministes ou d'aide aux prostituées (comme le mouvement du Nid).
En images : manifestation contre la pénalisation du client, aux Invalides à Paris {{ scope.counterText }} {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} {{ scope.counterText }} i {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }}
"Je ne dors plus la nuit depuis ce projet de loi", confie à FRANCE 24 Djovana, l’une des "travailleuses du sexe" qui manifestent aux Invalides contre le projet de loi. Comment vais-je gagner ma vie si la loi passe ?" Dans le cortège, François-Xavier Perrault, du Parti radical de gauche dénonce pour sa part "une loi idéologique aux conséquences négatives qui plongera les prostituées dans la clandestinité et dans les réseaux mafieux".
"Hypocrisie"
La rapporteur du texte, Maud Olivier (PS), a donné le coup d’envoi de l’examen de cette proposition de loi en s'en prenant à "l'hypocrisie" des opposants : "Il suffirait qu'une seule prostituée se dise libre pour que l'esclavage des autres soit respectable et acceptable ?"
"Comment trouver glamour les 10 à 15 pénétrations par jour subies par les prostituées contraintes, pour des raisons évidemment économiques avec des conséquences dramatiques sur leur santé ?", a-t-elle continué. Et la députée d’ajouter, en citant l'anthropologue Françoise Héritier : "Dire que les femmes ont le droit de se vendre, c'est masquer le fait que les hommes ont le droit de les acheter".
"Comment faire semblant d'ignorer que c'est l'argent des clients qui alimente les proxénètes ?", a-t-elle ajouté, précisant que le chiffre d'affaires de la traite des êtres humains en Europe était de "trois milliards de dollars" (2,2 milliards d'euros).
Le texte, qui n'interdit pas la prostitution, légale en France, propose également d'abroger le "délit de racolage passif", une demande des prostituées. Ceci en dépit des réserves du ministre de l'Intérieur, Manuel Valls, pour qui ce délit est un outil d'"aide à la connaissance des réseaux", via les garde à vue et les auditions.
La disposition prévoit enfin des mesures d'accompagnement social pour celles qui veulent quitter la prostitution. Les étrangères – 80 à 90 % des prostituées, selon l'Intérieur – engagées dans un "parcours de sortie" pourront obtenir un titre de séjour de six mois, renouvelable.
On estime à plus de 20 000 le nombre des prostituées en France. Elles viennent notamment d'Europe de l'Est (Bulgarie, Roumanie), d'Afrique (Nigeria, Cameroun), de Chine et d'Amérique du Sud. La grande majorité est victime de réseaux de proxénétisme et de traite.
La proposition de loi, qui devra ensuite être adoptée au Sénat dans les mêmes termes pour entrer en vigueur, s'inspire de l'exemple de la Suède, où les clients sont pénalisés depuis 1999, ce qui a conduit à une réduction de moitié de la prostitution de rue en 10 ans.
Avec AFP
Le résumé de la semaineFrance 24 vous propose de revenir sur les actualités qui ont marqué la semaine Je m'abonne | {
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Lauryn Hill performs during the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on April 29, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Lauryn Hill says she will "make it up" to fans angry that she arrived over two hours late to an Atlanta concert Friday night (May 6) and performed for fewer than 40 minutes.
Ms. Lauryn Hill Launches 'Diaspora Calling' Music and Art Series in Brooklyn
Hill wrote on her Facebook page Sunday (May 8) that she doesn't show up to shows late because she doesn't care, but because of the artistic process. The challenge, she said, is aligning her energy with the time.
The concert was held at Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheatre, which has an 11 p.m. noise curfew. Many in attendance expressed their outrage about the situation on social media.
In the note, Hill said that she will announce details of how she will make it up as she has them. | {
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Don’t worry – Socrates made it out the building, and is currently living happily with a wife and three children. (Oh, and the blue sock is named Napoleon, at least so he seems to think.) | {
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Hours and hours after Chloe Dykstra implied that Chris Hardwick sexually assaulted her while they were involved, the Talking Dead host has strongly denied the claims of his former girlfriend.
“These are very serious allegations and not to be taken lightly which is why I’ve taken the day to consider how to respond,” said Hardwick in a statement Friday night. “I was heartbroken to read Chloe’s post. Our three year relationship was not perfect—we were ultimately not a good match and argued—even shouted at each other—but I loved her, and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.”
Hardwick went on to detail the circumstances of their eventual separation, seemingly quote from Dykstra and how he was “blindsided” by her online account earlier today.
Related Story AMC Under Pressure To Pull Chris Hardwick Show Over Abuse Allegations
“When we were living together, I found out that Chloe had cheated on me, and I ended the relationship,” Hardwick asserts. “For several weeks after we broke up, she asked to get back together with me and even told me she wanted to have kids with me, ‘build a life’ with me and told me that I was ‘the one,’ but I did not want to be with someone who was unfaithful,” he added in the carefully crafted response. “I’m devastated to read that she is now accusing me of conduct that did not occur. l was blindsided by her post and always wanted the best for her. As a husband, a son, and future father, I do not condone any kind of mistreatment of women.”
The response from the long time AMC host and Nerdist founder came late in the day after ex-girlfriend Dykstra wrote a harrowing first-person account of their three-year relationship online.
While never calling out Hardwick directly by name, the Web TV personality and cast member of Syfy’s Heroes of Cosplay‘s post on Medium had numerous details about the “mildly successful podcaster” who became “a powerhouse CEO of his own company, their age difference and more. Details that pretty clearly were indicative of the now married Hardwick, who announced his break up with Dykstra in 2014 online.
Since Dykstra went public with her claims earlier today, pressure has been building on AMC to halt the June 17 Season 2 debut of Talking With Chris Hardwick, either permanently or at least until a full investigation into the actress’ claims is conducted. The cabler and home of The Walking Dead has remained silent on the matter but sources tell Deadline that execs have been mulling over the pleas of reps of Talking guests to address the situation.
Set to play a big presence next month at San Diego Comic-Con, as he has in past years, there is no word if Hardwick will still moderate the inaugural panel of first female Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker or the Hall H return of The Walking Dead.
In her essay this morning, Dykstra outlined a relationship that had restrictions placed on her going out at night, having male friends or speaking in public. Most damning it also claimed that she was the victim of sexual and emotional assault by the unnamed ex-boyfriend.
Dykstra also alleged that after she broke up with him, Hardwick and a female colleague successfully worked to have her blacklisted from the industry, calling companies she had been employed by “to get me fired by threatening to never work with them.”
Additionally, Dykstra also took to Twitter on her claims and the response she had received:
I quietly posted an article today, unlisted on Medium. It clearly made the rounds. I’m overwhelmed and I want to thank all of you for your support and kind words- they mean so much to me. I may take some time off the internet, please know your support means everything to me. — Chloe Dykstra (@skydart) June 15, 2018
Before I take my break, I do want to address something re: the company he founded. As I understand it, the person has not been associated with that company for several years, and I hope that they will not suffer as a result of my essay. Be kind to them, they are good people. — Chloe Dykstra (@skydart) June 15, 2018
However, the allegations did quickly prompt now Nerdist owners Legendary Entertainment on Friday to bleach out any reference to Hardwick on the site he founded. .
“Chris Hardwick had no operational involvement with Nerdist for the two years preceding the expiration of his contract in December 2017,” Legendary said. “He no longer has any affiliation with Legendary Digital Networks. The company has removed all reference to Mr. Hardwick even as the original Founder of Nerdist pending further investigation.”
Hardwick’s image is still among those at the top of the AMC Twitter feed. | {
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According to the latest report, Bitcoin is an overbought area
Bloomberg analyst Mike McGron pointed out that BTC has been the most bought since the December 2017 bubble of Bitcoin (BTC).
When a similar pattern was seen in the past, it then dropped for several weeks.
“If there is such a huge bubble, there should be many people who need to sell”
Some other experts say the price is about $ 14,000, about three times the current price.
Also, BKCM founder Brian Kerry, an American virtual currency investment company, expects the next bitcoin price target to be $ 6000.
What can be understood by referring to these is that even experts are divided on what will happen to the next market.
What I absolutely know is that there is no ever-rising market, and no ever-falling market.
Once I adjust the price, I think it will enter a rising trend.
However, it is best to match the flow of the actual price movement
Invest in a long-term view.
Or make a profit in the selling position even if entering a downtrend in leverage trading.
This kind of investment method is recommended!
Our information links.
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https://amanpuri.io/tokensale/
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https://t.me/amanpurichat
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Paris - Former PSG sports director Leonardo has won his appeal against a 14-month football suspension in front of a court in Paris on Tuesday.
"The administrative court has decided to suspend the measure," the Brazilian's lawyer Paul Mauriac said.
The 1994 World Cup winner with Brazil was hit with the hefty ban after barging a referee in the tunnel following a Ligue 1 match at the end of last season.
He denied it was voluntary but was nevertheless hit with the lengthy ban, after which he left his post with the French champions.
"It's a great relief, he has regained his freedom of movement and can join any club or team. We haven't forgotten that he has already endured a five-month suspension," Mauriac said.
"Leonardo will speak later. He's happy, relieved, and conscious of having conducted a legitimate battle. His persistence was rewarded. It was a milestone."
Leonardo was originally banned for nine months after his shove on Alexandre Castro, which was caught on camera, following PSG's 1-1 draw at home to Valenciennes on May 5.
That was extended to 14 months after the Brazilian appealed to the French Football Federation (FFF).
The French National Olympic Committee then declared it was not the right body to judge on the case as Leonardo did not hold a licence with the French football authorities.
His lawyers had argued that because Leonardo did not hold a FFF licence he could not be sanctioned by the French football body. | {
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The controversy known as #FochGate continues today, as Wargaming, the publisher behind the quietly popular MMO World of Tanks, was exposed on Friday for threatening to use YouTube's copyright strike system to remove a video from YouTuber SirFoch that was hyper-critical of the game's recent Premium Tank, which he called pay-to-win.
SirFoch, who has remained almost entirely silent since revealing this controversy, was removed from World of Tanks' "community contributor" after posting a video including a slew of "F*** Wargaming" lines and calling their new tank, the Chrysler K Grand Finals, pay-to-win nonsense, to put it lightly. SirFoch chatted with Zoltan "Ph3lan" Sipos via discord, where Sipos openly threatened to remove the video with a copyright strike, which would jeopardize SirFoch's ability to monetize future World of Tanks videos.
Jim Sterling: Wargaming Rolls Back Claims that YouTuber's Negative Reviews Contain 'Hate Speech' - GameRevolution WATCH GALLERY
Although the Head of Community Management at Wargaming, Florian "Nijal" Mentl, publicly apologized to SirFoch for the incident, not everyone at Wargaming was on the same page. Sipos doubled down on his decision to threaten a copyright strike, and, using the same wording as a statement sent to various publications this morning, accused SirFoch of using "homophobic slurs" and "hate speech" in his videos, citing this as the primary reason for threatening the copyright claim. It's a standard "it's not what you said, but how you said it, argument."
Overlooking the fact that copyright claims are not to be used to block that kind of content anyway, it doesn't appear that SirFoch did use any slurs or hate speech. After popular YouTuber Jim Sterling of The Jimquisition posted a long video today outlining the controversy, even recounting an email exchange where he asked Wargaming for examples of this kind of inflammatory language, Wargaming reached out to him to say that they are "no longer standing by the claims" that SirFoch used any sort of hate speech or slurs.
"That was their direct response to today's Jimquisition when asked about it. They're very quick to change a tune," Sterling Tweeted.
The likely origin of this claim is SirFoch comparing the new tank to "AIDS," which is certainly insensitive to those affected with HIV, but isn't inherently homophobic.
But more on the topic of YouTube, the Google-owned company protects using copyrighted content for the purposes of critique and criticism, no matter how vitriolic it may be. In fact, using their copyright system in the way Sipos threatened is considered an abuse of that system. Sterling dealt with a similar issue when game developer Digital Homicide sued him for defamation as a result of his YouTube videos. The lawsuit was, of course, thrown out.
So that leaves Wargaming in a bit of a tricky spot. After originally claiming that they would never issue a copyright strike against someone, only to be confronted with evidence of a very credible threat to do just that, they changed their tune to say that their intent was only to silence the "homophobic" "hate speech" with which SirFoch criticized their new tank. Now that they've backed away from these most recent claims, Wargaming has yet to explain either why they threatened to remove the video, if not for copyright nor for hate speech, or what they intend to do now that they've admitted they were in the wrong.
Again, many forum users are speculating or calling for the firing of Sipos, but many more are claiming the situation has been completely overblown, mostly defending the game itself from accusations of pay-to-win. Like any good scandal, though, this one seems far from over. | {
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NMB48の山本彩が登場するスマホ専用ムービージェネレート・コンテンツ「乙です、ソーシャルちゃん！presented by アリナミン」が公開された。「乙です、ソーシャルちゃん！」は、リア充投稿や意識高い系の投稿、すっぴん写真（と見せかけたカワイイ自慢）などなどソーシャルメディアにありがちな“ソーシャルあるある”をテーマにした新感覚コミュニケーションツール。さや姉が、名前（ニックネーム）を呼びかけながら容赦なく、時に優しくツッコんで、もやもやから解き放ってくれるコンテンツだ（スマホ専用 / http://socialchan.jp/ ）。名前のバリエーションは、日本のメジャーな名前をひと通り網羅した123種類。「ソーシャルあるある」は、全45種類（2回に分けてリリース）。組み合わせ次第で、全5,535パターンのムービーがジェネレート可能となっている。なお、コンテンツ制作前日は握手会だった山本。グラフィック撮影のほか、123通りの「名前」の呼びかけに加えて45通りの「ソーシャルあるある」コメントを一度に収録するという内容は、相当ハードなものになることが予想されたが、疲れた顔ひとつ見せずに、スムーズに撮影は進んだ。また、山本が時折見せる笑顔には、スタッフも癒やされたそうだ。一方、さや姉が“あるあるセルフィー”に挑戦した「アリナミンゼロ7 / アリナミン7（指定医薬部外品）」新TVCM「セルフィー疲れ」篇も全国で放映開始となる。今回のCMコンセプトは「セルフィー」。山本が、休憩中のオフィスで、移動中で、カフェで……と、あらゆるシーンでセルフィーを撮影していく。セルフィーにありがちな「虫歯ポーズ」や「ガオポーズ」、「ランチ自慢」など、ソーシャルメディアを利用する視聴者が「あるある」と思わず共感してしまうようなシーンを設定。また写真共有SNSを意識したスクエアのトリミング、成分情報のカットでは、チャットSNSのインターフェースを模した表示を採用するなど、全体を通じてソーシャルメディアの雰囲気が醸し出されるよう、細部にこだわった演出を施した。CM撮影は、2か所でのロケに加え、スタジオ撮影と盛りだくさん。監督からシビアなポージングのオーダーが続く中、笑顔で応え続けた山本。その甲斐あって、よりリアルなセルフィーのカットが仕上がった。また同僚とのランチのカットでは、ベストなフレーミングを追求する涙ぐましい苦労が見てとれるように、山本自身、維持するのがつらいポーズにも長時間耐えていたという。 | {
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION! While you wait for us to renovate our online store, please visit our other location sneakerology. https://www.sneakerologyny.com | {
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During the past two weeks, I spent several hours trying to optimize the Sulfur architecture without having to go for a complete “clean room” rewrite, yet. What I’ve been able to gain is that now, Sulfur is shining at 40% more speed. Several “critical” code regions went through high (and dirty) optimizations. The result is that now, Sulfur can be used without hiccups (and blocking UI). There are still a few places where some optimizations are needed, but it’s already good enough.
Sulfur inherited the code architecture from YumEx, which ended up being quite sub-optimal. I’ll probably wait for GTK+3 before reworking the codebase (would be a very good timing actually). On a more general note, I am very happy to tell you that many code paths have undergone the same treatment and general Entropy (equo, package installation) speed is now excellent (and there’s still room).
Side note: Gentoo 11.0 has been released today!
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Last month, Jam City and TinyCo announced a brand new Futurama mobile app game was on the way called Futurama: Worlds Of Tomorrow. Yesterday, we officially got the launch date for the app, which will be next week on June 29. A new trailer featuring Stephen Hawking, George Takei, Bill Nye, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson shows off the game briefly but is more here for the comedy of science personalities getting angry with each other.
The game looks to be part sim, part exploration, part RPG, and almost entirely freemium. I mean, seriously, look at the way it's designed. It resembles games from Family Guy and The Simpsons where you get some features but need to grind or pay for the rest. You can't really blame Fox and whoever else may have ties to the property for wanting to make a quick buck off of it, but considering they're keeping the details of what you'll actually do in the game a secret until launch is mighty suspect. Your best best is that you'll be given a few free missions to do before being required to pay to make the game more interesting, but we shall see how they handle it.
You can download the game next Thursday for iOS and Android phones. | {
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