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(Reuters) - The FBI said on Monday it received multiple tips about a security threat minutes before a gunman opened fire in a California synagogue, killing a woman and wounding three others, but lacked sufficient details or time to prevent the attack.
Howard Kaye holds his daughter Hannah Jacqueline Kaye at the funeral for Lori Gilbert-Kaye, the sole fatality of the Saturday shooting at Congregation Chabad synagogue in Poway, north of San Diego, California, U.S. April 29, 2019. REUTERS/John Gastaldo
Police are investigating what motivated a 19-year-old suspect to open fire on the Chabad of Poway synagogue in suburban San Diego on Saturday, including whether to bring hate crime charges against the man who surrendered to police shortly after the attack.
The FBI said it received tips about an online post referring to a potential attack that did not include “specific” information about the post’s author or location. Investigators immediately began working on identifying the author but the shooting began only five minutes after the tips arrived.
“The FBI thanks the alert citizens who saw and reported the post,” the bureau said in a statement.
Members of the synagogue returned to the temple on Monday for the funeral of Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, the congregant who was killed in the attack.
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, one of three people who were wounded, losing his right index finger in the shooting, presided over the memorial service. He clutched a single yellow flower in his bandaged hand from a bouquet Gilbert-Kaye had sent him at the weekend before her death.
“There’s a big garden out there. God took the rose of the garden, and he brought her up to heaven,” Goldstein said. “We saw the darkest of humanity. I saw it face to face. I wish to never see that ever again.”
Mourners also applauded the heroism of another of their congregants, Oscar Stewart, 51, a U.S. Army and Navy veteran who served in Iraq and who confronted the gunman in the lobby of the synagogue on Saturday and chased the assailant outside.
The shooting occurred six months to the day after 11 worshippers were shot to death at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the deadliest attack ever on American Jewry.
Slideshow ( 5 images )
‘TERRIFYING MYSTERY’
The accused gunman in Saturday’s bloodshed, identified by authorities as John Earnest, fled the scene but called police a short time later in order to surrender.
Earnest, who is being held without bail, appears to have written an online manifesto in which he also claimed responsibility for a pre-dawn arson attack at a nearby mosque last month and professed inspiration from the mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand that killed 50 people in March.
His parents expressed shock and sadness in a statement on Monday, saying their son had become “part of the history of evil” perpetrated on Jewish people.
“How our son was attracted to such darkness is a terrifying mystery to us,” the statement said. “Our heavy hearts will forever go out to the victims and survivors.”
They said they were cooperating with investigators.
Stewart said in an interview on Monday he was sitting in the temple sanctuary during Sabbath services when he recognized the sound of gunshots.
For a moment he began running toward the exit with other congregants, then turned around and headed toward the gunfire.
“I was an instrument of God,” he said. “I had no conscious effort in what I was doing.” He charged the gunman, screaming, “I’m going to kill you!”
He said he pursued the gunman, who looked frightened and had stopped firing, when he fled the synagogue.
Another worshipper, an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent named Jonathan Morales who was armed, also ran outside and fired several shots at the gunman’s car as he drove away.
Almog Peretz, an Israeli citizen visiting his family, was hit but still managed to help shepherd children to safety, witnesses said.
His 9-year-old niece, Noya Dahan, was also wounded. Her family moved to the United States from Israel in search of a safer life after their home was repeatedly shelled by Palestinian rockets.
Gilbert-Kaye, one of the synagogue’s founding members, was a deeply caring member of the community, her friends remembered.
She drove one congregant who had developed breast cancer to every appointment and helped take care of her children, Goldstein said.
“She is a person of unconditional love,” Goldstein told reporters, adding that he felt Gilbert-Kaye “took the bullet for all of us.”
A friend, Audrey Jacobs, described her in a Facebook post as a “woman of valor” whose final act was to protect others. | {
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Doctors in Switzerland have successfully separated eight-day-old twin girls who were joined at the liver and chest.
The sisters, Lydia and Maya, are believed to be the youngest ever to survive the surgery.
Read: 47-Year-Old Twins Are Addicted to Being Identical
The girls, who were born two months prematurely in December with their triplet sister Kamilla, were separated during a five-hour operation at a hospital in Bern, Switzerland on December 10.
Doctors had initially planned to separate the girls after a few months but a week after their birth, their conditions began to deteriorate, the Swiss paper Le Matin Dimanche reported.
One of the twins, who weighed just 2.4 pounds each, had blood pressure that was too high, while the other's blood pressure was too low - so doctors were forced to act.
The surgery was unlike anything the surgeons had done before, Barbara Wildhaber, head of pediatric surgery at the Geneva University Hospital, told Le Matin Dimanche.
Read: Formerly Conjoined Twins, 14, Reunite With Doctors Who Separated Them
"We were prepared for the death of both babies, it was so extreme," she said.
But it was a success.
"It was magnificent," Wildhaber said. "I will remember it my entire career."
The sisters, who are among about 200 separated conjoined twins in the world, are recovering well, the paper reported.
Watch: Meet Best Friends Who Look Like Identical Twins
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Anyone who watched the 2016 Redskins got the feeling that the offense wasn’t very efficient. The piled up enough yards to set a team record for a franchise that has had some pretty good offenses. But when it came to the “let the points soar” part of the team fight song, well, it wasn’t really there.
RELATED: Can Colt McCoy produce at a lesser cost?
Here are what the numbers looked like in 2016. The Redskins were third in total offense with 6,454 yards. But they were in the middle of the pack, 12th, with the 383 points scored. They were one of only two teams in the top 10 in offense to score fewer than 400 points (Steelers, 399). The Falcons, who finished second in total yards, led the NFL with 540 points scored. That’s the equivalent of over 22 more touchdowns for a Falcons team that gained just 199 more yards than Washington. You don’t have to think real hard to figure out why one team had a bye in the playoffs while the other is sitting them out.
But the Redskins’ offensive inefficiency wasn’t just bad by 2016 standards; it was historically bad. In the history of the NFL only one other team has piled up more than 6,400 yards of offense and managed to push across fewer than 400 points was the 2012 Detroit Lions. Those Lions actually were a little less efficient, compiling more yards (6,540) and scoring fewer points (372).
If there was one game that epitomized the way the Redskins offense spun its wheels it was the game against the Bengals in London. They racked up 546 yards of offense and scored just 27 points. Since the 1970 merger teams have gained 546 yards or more and have scored 27 points or fewer 11 times. There have been over 11,000 games played since the merger so that has happened in about a tenth of a percent of them.
MORE REDSKINS: What happens to offense if Sean McVay leaves? | {
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused members of the Obama administration of undermining President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran by telling the Iranians to “just hang on” until Trump loses in 2020.
“I'll be straight up with you,” Pompeo says in an interview for the American Enterprise Institute’s national security podcast “What The Hell Is Going On?,” which I co-anchor with my colleague Dany Pletka, “you have folks who served in the previous administration who are telling the Iranian leaders today, ‘Just hang on. President Trump will lose in the election in November and we'll go back to appeasement. America will write you a big check, we'll underwrite your terror campaign around the world, we'll give you a clear pathway to a nuclear weapon system. Just wait until the Trump administration is finished.’”
This is outrageous. When President Trump came to office, Iran was on the march across the Middle East, its expansionism fueled by cash it received from the Obama nuclear deal.
DEFENSE SECRETARY ESPER: 'IT'S TIME THAT IRAN STARTED ACTING LIKE A NORMAL COUNTRY'
As a result of Trump’s decision to pull out of the deal and impose the most crippling sanctions ever on Tehran, Iran’s economy is contracting, inflation is spiraling and the regime has been forced to cut funding for its terrorist proxies.
LISTEN TO THE "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" PODCAST
“Hezbollah has fewer dollars today. The Iraqi Shia militias have fewer dollars today. The Iranian regime is having to make choices in their defense budget for 2020. The world hasn't actually seen them yet, they're coming. If you're an Iranian deciding to participate in the Iranian military, you should be prepared to take a pay cut.” Pompeo says. And now the Iranian people are engaged in the largest popular uprising since the 1979 revolution.
The Trump administration is succeeding in its efforts to destabilize the regime in Tehran. For Obama officials to actively undermine those efforts is disgraceful.
The Trump administration is succeeding in its efforts to destabilize the regime in Tehran. For Obama officials to actively undermine those efforts is disgraceful.
The secretary of state also added that in the wake of Iran’s aggression in the Persian Gulf, the Trump administration has taken a number of steps to increase deterrence in the region.
“We have increased activity in the Strait of Hormuz. We have announced forced posture changes in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There are a handful of things that we have done that I know the Iranians understand have increased risks should they decide that they want to act out again and put American lives, American assets or those of our friends and partners in the region at risk.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER
Unfortunately, our deterrence posture is not working as well as our sanctions. The Iranians are getting away with increasingly bold attacks on the U.S. and its interests.
First, they attacked Japanese and Norwegian oil tankers; then, they shot down an unmanned U.S. drone; then they attacked Saudi oil facilities; then attacked a U.S. military base and killing a U.S. citizen and injuring four American service members; and now they have escalated again, deploying a mob to overrun our embassy in Baghdad, which is sovereign U.S. territory. The U.S. needs to impose serious costs on Iran for those actions, or they will continue to escalate.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Asked if other regimes under sanction might also wait out the 2020 elections to see if Trump loses, Pompeo said “this issue that you described is pretty acute with respect to the counter-Iran campaign because the previous administration and in fact many Democrats have a radically different vision of how we ought to treat Iran. It's not the case in many other places.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Pompeo also discussed the administration’s national security priorities for 2020 including North Korea, China, Syria, Afghanistan and what he considers the number one foreign policy accomplishment for which President Trump does not get sufficient credit. You can listen to the full interview here.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM MARC THIESSEN | {
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A PHOTOGRAPHER has created a unique series taking a look at the people involved in ‘swingers’ lifestyle.
David Haslam, who currently lived in the United States, has spent the last eight months getting to know and photograph the people involved with “swingers” culture in southeast Michigan.
17 Photographer David Haslam spent the last eight months snapping “swingers” in Michigan Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
The 52-year-old has over 30 different people for the series, called Swing Strong, ranging from small gatherings to hotel parties of around 80 people.
Haslam has been a photographer for over 20 years and was looking for an interesting new project when a friend and former swinger challenged him to document their culture.
17 The series is called Swing Strong ranging from small gatherings to hotel parties of around 80 people Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 Swinging is the practice of couples engaging in sex with other partners as a social activity Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 The British-born photographer wanted to document what goes on a “swingers” party Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 He said the swingers he met have regular jobs that stretch across income levels, education levels and fields Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
“I was having lunch with a few friends and discussing future book projects,” said Haslam, who is British-born but moved to America when he was 23-years-old.
“One of the friends, who was an active swinger, challenged me to do a book about the lifestyle. She introduced me to a group of swingers near my area, and the idea took off.
“I had worked with and known this friend for over 15 years.
"She had told me about swinging about 10 years ago quite accidentally, but she had left the lifestyle after marrying a man she met through swinging.”
17 'The men out-number the women at many of these events, and as a result the women always get plenty of action if they want it' Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 Body types range almost as widely Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 The snaps focuses on the swinging lifestyle culture in southeast Michigan Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
Haslam, who is also an author of six books, had no previous experience of what swinging culture was like until he was invited to meet five active female swingers in January this year.
He wanted to get a sense of the people behind this lifestyle and document what goes on a “swingers” party.
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Haslam said: “The swingers I’ve met are people with regular jobs that stretch across income levels, education levels and fields. Body types range almost as widely. There are people with fit bodies, and others with more than a little extra padding.
“The men out-number the women at many of these events, and as a result the women always get plenty of action if they want it. As a matter of fact, the entire culture, at least from what we’ve seen so far, is controlled by the women. No means no. People are protective of the ladies involved. Respect is shown, and if it isn’t, someone shows the person with bad manners the door.
17 Many swingers use the internet to arrange meetings with like-minded people Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 The swinging community is dominated by couples Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 The photographer conducted a survey on the people involved in the culture and through discussions at events Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 He found that women are far more comfortable with the men they meet in the lifestyle compared to men they meet on outside Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 His study also found the level of acceptance of diversity was very high Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
“Many single people are in the lifestyle, as are many couples. Some have been married for years and are using it as a way to spice up their love life. Others are just dating or even have a swing partner that is a friend they attend events with, for convenience and safety. Condoms are used in most cases. I suppose some of the people attending events might be cheating on partners, but the swinging community is dominated by couples.”
Haslam also used the opportunity to conduct a survey on the people involved in the culture and through discussions at events.
He found that women are far more comfortable with the men they meet in the lifestyle compared to men they meet on outside due to the vetting process within the community.
The study also found the level of acceptance of diversity was very high compared to typical American society and friendships became almost “family-like” after being formed trough swinging.
He plans to publish the photos and research into a book, Swing Strong - The Naked Truth of a Secret Lifestyle, starting with a pilot edition.
17 He plans to publish the photos and research into a book, Swing Strong – The Naked Truth of a Secret Lifestyle Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 He says the book will contain responses from surveys, stories contributed by participants and factual information for those unfamiliar with the lifestyle Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 'I think people are curious about swinging and desire a peek into the world, or for those who might be interested in trying it out for themselves' Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
17 Haslam has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the book Credit: David Haslam/Guzelian
Haslam added: “If funded, the book will be a detailed representation of the lifestyle culture in southeast Michigan. It will contain responses from surveys, stories contributed by participants and factual information for those unfamiliar with the lifestyle.
“I think people are curious about swinging and desire a peek into the world, or for those who might be interested in trying it out for themselves. It is also a vehicle for self-expression, both physical and intellectual, by the participants.
“Many of them would not be considered sexy by mainstream standards, yet they exude confidence and sensuality in every aspect. It has been an unexpected benefit to help many individuals portray their sexuality.”
Haslam has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the pilot edition of the book after receiving positive backing from the swingers community. | {
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Londonist
High Wages But High Rent: Is London Worth The Trade-Off?
Photo by Stew Dean from the Londonist Flickr pool.
The conversation is a familiar one: friend who's moved out of London comes to visit and is shocked at how expensive everything is. They then espouse the wonders of their new home city declaring it to be cheaper than London. You respond that the capital may be expensive, but wages are higher than elsewhere.
But are you financially better off living in London? Here's the maths:
Cost of living
The first thing is to look at how much the basics would cost in each city. This includes rent, utilities, internet, a monthly travel card and a gym membership. One thing to note is that the cost of rent for London is calculated based on a one-bedroom flat outside the city centre, whereas for the remainder of the cities the cost of rent is modelled on a one-bedroom flat in the city centre.
There aren’t too many surprises so far — we know that London, Cambridge and Oxford are expensive places to live. So how do these compare to the average wages in each city?
Income
Adding the average income after tax into the picture starts to reveal a little more. The latest Office for National Statistics data on average wages relates to 2013, so these figures are adjusted using the inflation rate to pro rata 2015.
Interestingly, the average wages do not appear to correlate to the average cost of living for each city. Clearly the difference in income and cost of living in Edinburgh is higher than other cities, including London.
Cost of leisure
Before we draw a conclusion, it’s worth noting disposable income will only get you so far depending on which city you are in. If I had £300 in London and £300 in, say, Glasgow, then you would expect that the £300 would go a lot further in Glasgow in London.
To counteract this effect, let's adjust the actual disposable income to reflect how much it is actually worth in the city you are living in.
Let's compare the price of a three-course meal, four pints of beer and an adult cinema ticket in each city with the national average price. The average, by the way, is £43.11.
In the chart above, the cost of a three-course meal, four pints of beer and a cinema ticket in London (£58) is 35% higher than the national average
We can use these percentages to adjust the disposable income for living in each city so that we can compare the cities on a truly like-for-like basis.
Disposable income
So we have found out the basic cost of living, the average income, the remaining disposable income and then adjusted that to reflect how much it costs to go out and do the things you enjoy in each city. Does living in London mean we are financially better off?
Well, it doesn’t appear so. By these calculations, we would be almost three times better off living in Edinburgh, and nearly twice as well off living in Cardiff, Sheffield or Belfast.
There are, of course, other factors to take into consideration: unemployment levels in each city; the distribution of wealth in London; the immeasurable value of living in a city you love.
We won’t be buying a one-way ticket to Edinburgh just yet but next time there's that conversation about where to live, we'll have to rely on arguments other than the higher wages.
By George Hodgson-Abbott, customer experience and analytics, Capgemini UK | {
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Legal Update
The Legal Team is mutating, it is growing, and it is ready to rock on!
Line Elodie Derungs, our current Head of Legal, has resigned to focus on personal and professional projects. Even after her departure, SwissBorg and Line Elodie will keep in close touch, and Line Elodie will serve as a legal consultant for us. Line Elodie has done a fantastic job setting up the whole SwissBorg Legal Department with the idea in mind to keep it safe from harm, be it external or internal. Her work has established a solid basis for her successor to build on.
Ardian Balaj will take-on Line Elodie’s responsibilities and lead a team of consultants to move on with the licensing processes worldwide. Ardian has been hard at work recruiting young and motivated people to build this army of lawyers! Hard work and good luck bring fantastic result: we are very proud to announce that three new junior lawyers will join us in December and assist Ardian in building the perfect in-house legal department for a startup like SwissBorg.
New Legal Hires:
Serena Fontana , a licensed Italian lawyer, she will join SwissBorg as Junior Legal Officer and work on many different aspects of contractual and corporate law, as well as deal with AML risks and requirements.
, a licensed Italian lawyer, she will join SwissBorg as Junior Legal Officer and work on many different aspects of contractual and corporate law, as well as deal with AML risks and requirements. Anda Pandrea , a research assistant, coming from the very reputable Law School of the University of Fribourg, will be our new Junior Regulatory Officer, whose role will be to assist with the organisation of the legal department, research crypto matters such as smart contracts, etc.
, a research assistant, coming from the very reputable Law School of the University of Fribourg, will be our new Junior Regulatory Officer, whose role will be to assist with the organisation of the legal department, research crypto matters such as smart contracts, etc. Julian Grech is a Maltese lawyer and licensed notary with 2 LLM from the University of Fribourg as well; he will be our bridge between Switzerland and Malta.
Malta Here We Come! This month Malta is our big news. We are delighted and relieved to have received the confirmation from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) that SwissBorg is authorised to provide services under the VFA Act during a 12 months transitory period!
We have submitted a Proof of Concept, i.e. a proof that our concept is actually working. It does NOT mean that the MFSA licenses us in Malta, and it does NOT mean that the MFSA already supervises us. What it means is that we will be able to deploy our services during the next 12 months, while requesting the real VFA license during this period. What it means is that we have convinced the MFSA that our products are in development and that SwissBorg is a serious player in this new game!
Caledo will be our VFA Agent and is in the process of being authorised as such by the MFSA. Informal discussions with Maltese lawyers lead to the first Agents authorisation around March 2019. The moment Caledo reaches this authorisation, we will launch the proper VFA licensing process. Patience and hard work. In the meantime, we’ll do our best to comply with the VFA Act requirements. And kick off the licensing process to obtain a broker/dealer!
Japan: November has also been busy on the legal/regulatory side of Japan. We love our Japanese Community and being able to provide services to them is a project we hold dear. The Japanese team, led by Ken and Anthony, has started the hard work to get all required documentation for the Virtual Currency License file (VC License). The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is very strict and very demanding — given last year’s hacking events faced by various exchanges — when it comes to licenses issued to crypto undertakings in Japan! The benchmark is high, and so are the expectations of the FSA.
UK: We are pausing the development of the Small Electronic Money Institution in the UK and waiting for early 2019 to know the position of UK authorities regarding cryptos to determine the strategy after 30.03.2019. Even though the press shows that the UK and the EU are making significant progress towards a Brexit deal, the situation remains very unclear as to the conditions under which this deal will come to life; and they still have a long way to go.
Our lawyers in the UK will, therefore, focus on Intellectual Property (IP), to protect SwissBorg.
Once the situation is clearer on the crypto side as well as the Brexit side, we will reconsider the best options available to serve our British Community, be it from Malta or in the UK itself.
Switzerland: Legal issues, when it comes to Blockchain and cryptos, are still very vivid. Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity are still part of our everyday life as crypto lawyers. More than ever, it is important to build alliances, gather people around pressing topics, be they regulatory, tax-related or any other legal matters, to discuss, to exchange, to dispute, to do something!
SwissBorg Japan
Mark Tanser joins us as a Senior Operations Management Consultant. He will be assisting with the FSA license application process and set up of the organisational and risk management structure of the Tokyo Office. Previously, Mark ran an FX derivatives retail trading business in Tokyo, obtaining a Type 1 Financial Instruments Business license (Japanese broker-dealer license)and setting up IT systems and operations. He has extensive experience as a derivatives trader with expertise in exotic options and structured products.
Haoran “Harry” Zhang joins us as a content management intern. Harry will be responsible for the translation of SwissBorg content into Japanese and Mandarin, as well as assisting Amber with community management in China. Please welcome Mark and Harry to the Tokyo Team!
Alex Fazel Reports from Legal Tech Tokyo Event
Thanks to the well-received SB presentation at the BU event in October, Alex Fazel, our Head of Communication, was invited to deliver the same content, but, entirely in Japanese this time in front of the tier-one law firms and financial institutions. The event “was eye-opening as many of the more traditional players had very little knowledge about crypto assets but seemed very intrigued about our smart wallet. Several visitors came back to our booth to ask us when the Japanese version of the SwissBorg app will be available.” | {
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While many are debating how the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) will impact our futures, especially with jobs — many fail to realize that the technology is already dominating a majority of our daily lives.
Continue Reading Below
From choosing a movie on Netflix to using our smartphones to shopping, Americans are interacting with AI whether they realize it or not.
Here are seven examples of how you are using AI every day.
1. Smartphones
If you use a smart assistant, whether it’s the Google assistant, Siri, Alexa or Bixby, you are interacting with AI.
2. Google Maps
Using anonymized location data from your smartphone, Google can analyze the speed of movement of traffic at any given time and help commuters avoid traffic incidents like construction and accidents.
3. Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft
How do you think they determine the price of your ride or the wait time? Many ridesharing apps use machine learning to determine ETAs for rides, costs and optimal routes for drivers.
4. Email
While your email inbox may seem like an unlikely place for AI, you may want to look at one of its most important features — the spam filter. Through the use of machine learning algorithms, many email services can filter out a majority of spam emails through key words and message metadata.
5. Banking
A majority of banks now offer the ability to deposit checks through a smartphone app, eliminating the need for customers to go to an ATM or bank. According to several reports, a vast majority of those banks which offer the service rely on technology developed by Mitek, which uses AI to decipher and convert handwriting on checks into texts.
6. Social Networking
Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat all use AI, whether it’s through facial filters, auto-suggesting emoji or hashtags, for ad placements. Facebook also uses the technology to personalize your newsfeed and ensure that you’re seeing posts that interest you.
7. Online Shopping
Whether it’s Amazon, Walmart or one of your favorite retailers, many e-commerce sites are using AI to help you shop by suggesting products it thinks you might like. | {
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Codiac Regional RCMP are turning to the public to help find a missing 14-year-old girl from Moncton.
Police say Madison Tomah failed to return home from school on Friday, and they are concerned for her well-being.
Officer believe she may be with friends in the Greater Moncton area, but haven’t found her yet.
Police say Madison has long blonde hair and blue eyes. She is five-foot-four and weighs approximately 120 pounds.
She was last seen wearing a black hoodie and tall brown boots. She also owns a white Roxy book bag.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Codiac Regional RCMP | {
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James Spader, Halle Berry, Kevin Bacon
Please send all questions to [email protected] or tweet them to @NatalieAbrams
Anything on The Blacklist? — Michelle
While everyone has been focused on the mystery of Liz's father, Season 2 will also explore who Liz's mother was. "If the part about my dad wasn't true, what is the truth, if any, that I need to learn about my mom?" executive producer John Eisendrath says of Liz's mindset this year. In other news, there will be a small time jump when the show returns, but Berlin will still very much be in the picture as the main villain in the "first portion of the year," Eisendrath adds.
Will Molly's alien boyfriend Marcus pop up again on Extant? — George
Yes, and the fact that whatever this entity is appeared to Molly as her dead first love is key to the big mystery of the show. "She's reminded that her past is as important as what's going on in her present because it's all relative," Sergio Harford, who plays Marcus, says. "You'll slowly start to figure out their past and the relationship that they had makes sense to what's going on currently in her situation, even with her family."
I know it's really early, but I was wondering if you had any scoop on the next season of The Following? — Alan
I hear that the show is casting Ryan's new girlfriend, an emergency room doctor — handy! — who has an 8-year-old daughter. What makes her perfect for Ryan? Her hardscrabble past and terrible taste in men!
Please tell me you have some good news for Calzona on Grey's Anatomy! — Betty
I'm fresh out of good news. But... "The concept of the surrogate reveals more problems than it solves," executive producer Shonda Rhimes tells me. "They pretended a lot of things were OK when they weren't OK and it's time to face those problems. They'll either work them out or not and figure out what they want to be next." Don't shoot the messenger!
Did everyone survive the explosion from the Chicago Fire finale? — Tindra
It's not looking good. If case you haven't seen this, you should know that not everyone will walk away unscathed. So who will be extinguished? Well, a fresh face will be joining the cast, and she's a paramedic. (She's also a runaway bride on the hunt for a new groom.)
How will Joan feel about Sherlock's new protégée on Elementary? — Ethan
Joan and Kitty will have an, er, interesting first meeting that turns pretty physical. And how will Joan feel about Sherlock's return from England? She gives him a rather icy reception, which is totally perfect for Lucy Liu, right? Also: Did you see this?
I still can't believe it's the final season of Parenthood! What can you tease for Season 6? — Hayley
The final season will include at least one more love story, but you might be surprised who it involves. "One story I'm really looking forward to is telling the story of Max's first real crush, which I think will have a lot of fun and humor in it," executive producer Jason Katims says. "I always love to find something new to play for that character." Here's hoping Hank has at least some helpful dating wisdom to share!
Is it too much to hope that Caity Lotz will be back on Arrow next season? — Katrina
Even though our favorite Canary passed off her leather jacket to Laurel and disappeared into the ether with Nyssa, I hear Sara will be back for the Season 3 premiere. I wonder how she'll feel about Oliver and Felicity going on a date!
What's going to happen to those four survivors on The Strain? — Jared
Let's just say that survivor doesn't equal victim. "We learn a lot more about these four survivors and about how instrumental they are in the spread of the vampirism," executive producer Carlton Cuse tells me. "They become a very essential public distraction that allows the other 206 victims on the plane to turn and return home to their loved ones"
Anything on the new season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? — Denise
Let's play a game. I'll give you a description and you guess which Marvel character this newcomer might be. I hear they're casting for a ruggedly handsome, physically fit actor to play a character who can escape any situation, is a bit of a wild card and, though he's mostly interested in personal gain, always ends up doing the right thing. Get to guessing in the comments!
Will Felicity ever make her way over to The Flash? — Manuel
"That's our hope," executive producer Greg Berlanti tells me. "Our hope is to get some crossovers going sooner rather than later with all the shows." Interestingly enough, the producers had discussed the possibility of Felicity and Barry dating across shows — a la Lindsay and Severide on the Chicago shows — but it sounds like they have something else in mind. "We have all sorts of romantic possibilities for both of them on both shows," he says. "Hopefully the first time Felicity comes to town, we'll deal with all that stuff." Bonus scoop.
When are we going to meet that new alien race Defiance promised us? — Kithma
Soon! Episode 7 will introduce us to the Gulani, a sexy, energy-based race of aliens. "They're kind of like the boogie man," Grant Bowler says. "They're what everybody is terrified of. The Gulani were never meant to come to Earth." But when one of the Gulani escapes their energy prison on The Ark, it goes on the run around Defiance wreaking havoc. Sounds like a job for the lawkeeper to me!
Mega Rave: Sure, Audrey's death on the 24: Live Another Day finale was heartbreaking, but when President Heller told the P.M. that he wouldn't even remember that he had a daughter (because of his incipient Alzheimer's), I was absolutely destroyed.
Mini Rant: I don't think I can handle what's likely to be a very emotional death in the final season of Parenthood.
This Week's Recommendation: Married (Thursday at 10/9c on FX) Starring Oscar winner Nat Faxon and Hollywood's in-demand best friend Judy Greer, this honest comedy masters self-deprecation with jokes that make light of trying to keep the spark alive.
Crave scoop on your favorite TV shows? E-mail Natalie at [email protected] or drop me a line at Twitter.com/TVGuide
(Additional reporting by Sadie Gennis and Kate Stanhope) | {
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You only get one chance to make a first impression. Just look at the reactions to the first trailer for the rebooted Hellboy movie, starring Stranger Things’ David Harbour as the titular demon. Many felt it was out-of-whack with expectations, anticipating something more in line with the Guillermo del Toro films. But we can calm our fears next time – because a new Hellboy trailer is coming very soon and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola says it will be “SO much better.”
Mignola, who both wrote the original Hellboy comic run, as well as designing Hell’s least favourite demon, took to Twitter (H/T CBR) to say: “The new Hellboy trailer is coming next week. This one is SO much better.” And, yes, those caps were his, seemingly wary of the negative reaction the first trailer received.
Mike Mignola posted this then immediately Deleted it. New Hellboy trailer next week folks ! Whoop Whoop ! I’m so Excited #Hellboy #BPRD pic.twitter.com/Y3mCmYEPWSFebruary 13, 2019
Except there’s one problem. Mignola then deleted his tweet. He might have received a telling off about spilling the beans about the Hellboy trailer release date. Or his thoughts maybe didn’t quite toe the company line when it comes to being all positive, all the time. That much isn’t clear. What is certain, though, if we take Mignola at his word, is that the next Hellboy trailer is coming the week commencing February 18.
The first trailer arrived on December 19, which was a Wednesday. However, we don’t have any clear idea as to what day it’ll drop, just that it’s (probably) coming next week. So, be sure to turn notifications on for the official Hellboy Twitter account. Here’s hoping Mignola is good on his word – and it’ll be interesting to see what sort of vibe Hellboy takes this time around.
Here's all of the upcoming movies you need to know about coming your way in 2019. | {
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Ci sarebbero almeno otto casi di morbillo all’ospedale pediatrico Giovanni XXIII di Bari: e il numero di bambini infettati potrebbe crescere. Secondo quanto riferisce «La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno» il contagio potrebbe essere stato innescato dal figlio di genitori «no-vax».
Secondo quanto si legge sul giornale il focolaio epidemico sarebbe scoppiato anche per via della tardiva applicazione dei protocolli previsti dalla legge: il “caso indice”, quello da cui tutto è cominciato, non sarebbe stato segnalato per tempo alle autorità di igiene pubblica. Una bambina di 10 anni, figlia di genitori anti-vaccinisti, potrebbe dunque aver innescato una catena di contagi. Tra i contagiati anche un bimbo di 11 mesi, ricoverato nello stesso reparto per otite e ora alle prese con una malattia molto grave. | {
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Say the name Frank Miller to a comics fan and you’re likely to get some version of the same myth.
It always starts the same. Frank Miller used to be a genius.
He’s the guy that rescued Daredevil from irrelevance and wrote the definitive Wolverine story before he single-handedly changed the face of comics with The Dark Knight Returns. His work was so influential that it is accepted as truth that he alone brought on the wave of “grim and gritty” comics of the 1990s.
But then the story gets to Miller’s The Dark Knight Strikes Again and everything changes. Miller has gone from genius to crank. His new work (particularly All-Star Batman and Holy Terror) is so bad, so amateurish and slapdash, that the usual qualitative signifiers just don’t hold up. This is the platonic ideal of bad comics. His once evocative pencils are now cringe-worthy (when they’re not outright laughable).
And his dialogue seems almost designed to be insulting to the collective intelligence of his readers. Frank Miller on Batman: “I basically just right down what an alcoholic abusive uncle would say.” Remember this infamous scene?
Miller’s artistic downturn also coincides with what many see as a shift in his personality. The once astute social observer has been replaced by a racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, paranoid nutcase.
In short, everything about Frank Miller now makes it hard to believe that he ever had a career in the first place.
But there’s a problem here and the problem is this:
Miller’s work was always kinda shitty.
In fact, Miller’s work has always been uneven and sometimes laughable, and there have been more than a few hints at the fascist, misogynist, bigot he eventually became publicly.
Let’s take the book credited as being one of the finest Batman stories ever written, The Dark Knight Returns. I won’t get in to the hyperbolic praise DKR has gotten since being published because you’re probably heard it. Most of it credits Miller with returning Batman to his “dark” and “brooding” roots. But this is not technically true. Denny O’Neil rescued Batman from the camp ghetto years before DKR came out. If anything Miller traded O’Neil’s moodiness for a vision of “reality” so cliché and paranoid that it almost comes off as a kind of reverse-camp.
For all the praise it’s gotten for being the Batman story, DKR manages to paint an extremely out of character Batman. If people thought Miller’s depiction of Batman as an abusive and thuggish prick in All-Star Batman is off base, they should look back into DKR because he’s essentially the same creature. Miller’s Batman does not think; he punches. He’s not a detective; he’s a brawler. His solution to every problem, from gang violence to political corruption, is violence.
Compare the violent thug in DKR to the Grant Morrison’s paranoid planner or Scott Snyder’s brilliant tactician to see how one-dimensional and off-character Miller’s take on Batman is (and this is aside from the fact that Miller’s Batman kills and uses guns).
You can see a similar tendency in every one of Miller’s works. He doesn’t “do” character. His characters are all basically variations on the same macho power fantasy. They pose. They talk to themselves in a hard-boiled monotone lifted straight out of Spilane and Chandler. Their only tools are violence and their only goals are well, usually nothing more than their own whims (even Batman’s goals in DKR are essentially non-existent).
But this is not Miller making a critique of this kind of empty violence. No, this is Miller celebrating it. In Miller-world power is what separates right from wrong, men are judged on how much they effect their own will and women, are either victims in need of saving, over-sexualized whores, or scheming she-bitches (In DKR, Catwoman is an aging sex-worker, Carrie Kelly is a sexless child, and the new commissioner Yindel is the woman attempting to neuter Batman).
None of this is particularly more “adult” or “sophisticated”. Miller’s works don’t investigate moral problems or examine characters or even ask particularly difficult questions. Instead, Miller’s work depicts such investigations as symptoms of a morally bankrupt and indulgent society.
Adult work is work that escapes the moral black hole of “good and evil” that superhero comics have been stuck in for decades. Miller didn’t transcend the idea of good vs evil at all. He doubled down on it and insisted that those who boldy follow their own will are the true moral actors. Not those people who stand on principles like “thinking,” “caring,” and “talking”.
And let’s not forget the art. Miller’s recent art is consistently and uniformly bad. But his earlier art was often just as rushed and sloppy as his current work. Over the course of DKR’s run, Batman goes from being an actual human with something resembling a human shape… to a hulking grotesque.
Okay, credit where credit is due. Miller worked on some amazing stuff. His collaborations with David Mazzucchelli, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Geoff Darrow are brilliant. Batman: Year One in particular deserves almost all of the praise its received and Elektra: Assassin is amazing in spite of being unreadable. But I’m beginning to think that these works succeed in spite of, rather than because of, Miller’s involvement.
And, yes, Miller is entitled to his opinions about whatever he happens to have opinions about even when he supports said opinions with “facts” that are simply not true. But when you declare that all Muslims are genital mutilating, scientifically incapable, barbaric crypto-terrorists, and then proceed to write a book based on the idea, then you’ve officially jumped the shark and landed squarely in crazy old man land.
The sad part of all of this is that it is now impossible to look at his early work and not see the signs of the artist, and person, Miller later became. When you look underneath the layers of nostalgia and reverence, what you see is the same misogyny, the same asinine paranoia, and the same fascistic beliefthat power is its own justification. Maybe it’s a little less pronounced, maybe a little less blatant, but it’s there just the same. | {
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Northwestern football has scheduled five future non-conference games against Rice, South Dakota State and Tulane.
The announcement of a two-game series with the Tulane Green Wave will be the most immediate impact for Northwestern fans. The first game will take place at Ryan Field on September 12, 2020. This will move the previously scheduled game with the Central Michigan Chippewas to September 19, 2020. Northwestern will play at Tulane on August 30, 2025.
If you think that’s far away, that’s nothing compared to Northwestern’s scheduled series with the Rice Owls. Northwestern will travel to Houston to play Rice in 2029. Rice will visit Evanston in 2031. That’s 13 years down the road! Will Inside NU still exist in 2031?
Lastly, Northwestern has scheduled a 2026 meeting with the FCS South Dakota State Jackrabbits. If anyone is confused, the Big Ten dropped its policy of banning teams from scheduling FCS games in 2017. South Dakota State is a good FCS program, but the Jackrabbits are not quite as well-known for FBS upsets like North Dakota State. Still, Northwestern’s last game against an FCS opponent did not end well, so we can’t promise anything. | {
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson welled up with outrage over the decision by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to drop felony charges against TV actor Jussie Smollett, who had been facing trial for concocting a hate crime to benefit his career. Smollett’s penalty: two days of community service and forfeiture of the $10,000 in bond money he’d put up. And then there was Smollett himself, hands shaking as he insisted he was innocent, that he really was a victim. | {
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(Video: Monica Akhtar / The Washington Post; Photo: Stephen Lam for The Washington Post)
(Video: Monica Akhtar / The Washington Post; Photo: Stephen Lam for The Washington Post)
LIVE National
188,000 evacuated as California dam threatens floods. Here's what you need to know. | {
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FORMER Tory leader William Hague has raked in more than £1million in just nine months from making speeches to big business.
The peer, who charges more than £25,000 per appearance, has clocked up 44 speaking engagements since the end of last year.
4 Rich voice . . . William Hague's cashed in since leaving the Cabinet Credit: Getty Images
He has toured the world — appearing at events in New York, Hong Kong and Toronto in recent months.
The ex-Foreign Secretary has spoken at events held by major firms including Mastercard, JP Morgan and Royal Bank of Canada.
The sums involved dwarf his salary as a Cabinet minister that totalled £134,000, including his MP’s salary.
4
4 Super speech . . . Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton backs William Hague Credit: Reuters
Lord Hague, 55, left the Commons before the last election and was made a peer in October last year.
He has been described as the “David Beckham of toasting” by US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
His speeches are organised by top after-dinner agency Jeremy Lee Associates, who rate him AA.
RELATED STORIES TALK ISN'T CHEAP Cameron already coining it in post No10 with lucrative speech to US private equity firm Exclusive OZZY CASHES IN George Osborne is charging £75,000 a pop to give after dinner speeches – more than an MP’s annual salary Risky business Brexit would be 'irresponsible and potentially dangerous' at time of global uncertainty, says William Hague BRAD'S RAGE AT JOLIE'S COVEN Brad grew furious as Angelina had advisers axe his staff - and her divorce lawyer is a pal THE SUN SAYS Osborne proves he's no quitter by getting his head down on the backbenches
Business tycoon Lord Sugar, 69, also commands the £25,000-plus fee.
4 You're hired . . . Lord Alan Sugar also earns top dollar for his speeches Credit: PA:Press Association
And Olympics supremo Lord Coe, 60, earns more than £25,000 per speech, according to the speaker bureau JLA.
The fees contrast with those TV chef Ainsley Harriott, 59, and former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss, 39, who receive between £5,000 and £10,000 per engagement. | {
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EL MUNDO › POR EL AVANCE DE PODEMOS EN ESPAñA Y LAS CRíTICAS DEL GOBIERNO GRIEGO
A la situación en el sur de Europa se suman las dudas de Gran Bretaña sobre si continuar o no dentro de la Unión Europea y el triunfo en Polonia de un presidente de la derecha nacionalista, muy euroescéptico.
Por Elena Llorente
Página/12 En Italia
Desde Roma
La Unión Europea (UE) tiembla ante el no rotundo del gobierno griego a seguir imponiendo restricciones a la población para pagar las deudas con el FMI (Fondo Monetario Internacional) y ante la posibilidad de un default. Pero Bruselas tiembla también por el triunfo de Podemos en España y sus críticas a la UE, por las dudas de Gran Bretaña sobre si continuar o no dentro de la Unión Europea y por el triunfo en Polonia de un presidente de la derecha nacionalista, muy escéptico respecto de la Europa unida. Todo este mar de críticas no sólo están causando polémicas y debates a todos los niveles, sino generando incertidumbre que a su vez tiene –y tendrá– efectos económicos. Esta semana sin ir más lejos, después de que Grecia anunció oficialmente que no podría pagar el 5 de junio las cuotas que le corresponden de los 1600 millones que debe al FMI, las bolsas de valores acusaron el golpe, tanto el lunes como el martes, con pérdidas que oscilaron entre el 3,11 por ciento de Atenas, el -2,09 por ciento de Milán, el -1,83 por ciento Lisboa y -1,4 de Francfort.
Hay quien dice que si no fuera porque están en Europa, los griegos estarían desde hace mucho viviendo una situación similar a la de Argentina en 2001. Con una deuda pública que era en 2014 de 317 mil millones de euros, equivalente al 177 por ciento de su PBI (Producto Bruto Interno), Grecia debe dinero no sólo al FMI, sino también a Alemania (60 mil millones), Francia (46 mil millones), Italia (40 mil millones) y España (26 mil millones) principalmente, por préstamos concedidos en décadas pasadas por el Fondo UE de ayuda a los estados miembros. Pero ahora, a no ser que en estos días se llegue a un acuerdo, no puede pagar nada más, porque eso significaría imponer nuevas restricciones a sueldos y jubilaciones que el premier Alexis Tsipras se niega a hacer. “Las cuatro cuotas para el FMI –explicó el pasado fin de semana en televisión el ministro del Interior Nikos Voutsis– que en junio llegan a 1600 millones de euros, no serán giradas al Fondo porque simplemente no hay más dinero.” “La razón por la cual las tratativas entre Grecia y sus acreedores están empantanadas no es porque el gobierno de Tsipras no quiere hacer las reformas económicas solicitadas por las autoridades europeas, sino porque se le pide aplicar nuevas medidas de austeridad que impedirían el crecimiento económico”, dijo por su parte el ministro de Economía, Yanis Varoufakis. Y ayer agregó con cierto optimismo: “Grecia pagará el 5 de junio porque habremos llegado a un acuerdo con los acreedores internacionales”.
Los hechos de la última semana en Europa despertaron los más controvertidos comentarios en Italia. “El viento de Grecia, el viento de España, el viento de Polonia no corren en la misma dirección. Pero todos esos vientos dicen que Europa debe cambiar”, comentó el primer ministro italiano Matteo Renzi. Para el líder de la derechista y nacionalista Liga Norte, Matteo Salvini, los resultados electorales “son un mazazo para los defensores de la Europa de los bancos y para los siervos de Bruselas. Lo que está sucediendo es una señal muy clara de que la gente quiere retomar el control de las fronteras, de los bancos, y dice basta a los burócratas de Bruselas”. Según la virtual ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de la Unión Europea, Federica Mogherini, “los resultados electorales, aun de modo diametralmente opuesto, y la situación en el Reino Unido y en Grecia, demuestran nuestra necesidad de volver a sentirnos europeos. Ser fieles al proyecto europeo aun con el coraje de cambiar”.
En juego no sólo está el posible default de Grecia sino la llamada Grexit, es decir la salida de Grecia del euro y todo lo que eso podría significar para los países que aceptan la moneda única europea (19 de los 28 miembros de la UE). A lo que se le agrega el referéndum que Gran Bretaña –que no forma parte de los 19 países euro– tiene intenciones de hacer sobre su continuidad dentro de la UE. El primer ministro inglés David Cameron, recientemente reelegido, quiere obtener de Europa varias reformas, entre ellas algunas sobre la asignación de subsidios europeos y sobre la inmigración, tema durísimo en los últimos meses en toda Europa. Y quiere que estas reformas se produzcan antes del referéndum que ha prometido organizar no más allá de 2017. Para tratar estos puntos Cameron se encontró la semana pasada con el presidente de la Comisión Europea, Claude Juncker, y lo hará sucesivamente con sus colegas de Francia y Alemania
Al menos para Grecia, se espera que surja alguna noticia más optimista después del encuentro con el Parlamento Europeo que el miércoles tendrá Tsipras en Bruselas y de la reunión de jueves y viernes en Dresde (Alemania) donde se encontrará el G-7 económico, es decir los ministros de Economía de los siete países (occidentales) más poderosos (Canadá, Francia, Alemania, Japón, Italia, Reino Unido y Estados Unidos) entre los que se encuentran los acreedores de Atenas. | {
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FILE PHOTO - The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission hangs on the wall at SEC headquarters in Washington, DC, U.S. on June 24, 2011. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has suspended some of its pending in-house court cases, after a Denver-based federal appeals court found the agency had violated the Constitution in how it hired its administrative law judges.
In an order dated May 22, the SEC said it would suspend any cases in which a defendant will have an option to appeal a case before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers the states of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.
The SEC’s order comes after that same appeals court earlier this month declined reconsider the ruling which found the SEC’s hiring of its judges violated the Constitution’s appointments clause. | {
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WASHINGTON — Holiday shipping and the 2012 election helped the Postal Service stem its losses, but the agency’s financial woes continued in the first quarter, which ended Dec. 31.
The Postal Service posted a $1.3 billion loss in the first quarter, compared with a $3.3 billion loss over the same period the previous year. The agency said the first quarter has traditionally been one of its strongest periods.
Total mail volume continued to decline, however. It was 43.5 billion pieces for the quarter, down from 43.6 billion for the same period a year earlier, according to agency officials.
Revenue from first-class mail, which provides the bulk of the revenue for the Postal Service, declined $237 million, or 3.1 percent, from the same period the previous year, with a decrease in volume of 834 million pieces, or 4.5 percent. Revenue from advertising mail increased $141 million, or 3.1 percent, in the first quarter compared with the same period a year earlier on a volume increase of 783 million pieces, or 3.6 percent. The increase is largely attributable to official election mail and political campaign advertising related to the presidential and Congressional elections mailed during the quarter, which began Oct. 1. | {
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David Sills V shows off his length and speed on this 49-yard touchdown during West Virginia's win over Kansas. (0:34)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- David Sills V has learned to embrace all that he has been. And all that he never was.
He was the wunderkind quarterback, who first pierced the taboos of early-age recruiting.
He was the 13-year-old whom Lane Kiffin notoriously offered to USC, after watching only one highlight clip.
He was then the latest cautionary tale of an athlete gaining fame too young.
But that wasn't the end of Sills' story.
And after exhausting his quarterback ambitions through all means, including giving up his scholarship at West Virginia for one last try in junior college, Sills has found a new calling.
Now back with the Mountaineers, Sills has remarkably re-emerged, reinventing himself into one of the top receivers in college football, tied for the national lead in touchdown receptions.
"My story, if you want to say, is nothing I would've pictured," he says. "But I'm having so much fun now. The most fun I've ever had playing football.
"And I'm not playing quarterback."
David Sills V was 9 years old when his dad really began to believe that his son might have special talents. At the age when boys are riding bikes and playing little league baseball, Sills was named top quarterback at a week-long, summer Philadelphia Eagles' football camp.
"That kinda showed I wasn't just some crazy dad who thought his kid was better than he is," said David Sills IV, who played cornerback for the Virginia Military Institute.
The following summer, the Sills family was in the market for a QB guru to take Sills to the next level.
At the time, Steve Clarkson, who had tutored Ben Roethlisberger, was training USC Heisman winner Matt Leinert for the NFL draft when he started getting calls from Sills IV.
"I called him six or seven times, left messages, but he never answered or called me back," Sills IV said.
On the other side, Clarkson didn't know what to make of this dad from Delaware asking him to work out his pre-adolescent son.
"But [Sills IV] was persistent," Clarkson said. "At a certain point, it was like, he really wants this to happen."
David Sills V, right, began working with QB guru Steve Clarkson at the age of 10. Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Clarkson finally relented. He told Sills IV they could come to Pasadena after the draft, and he'd give Sills a look. "He had this attitude of, 'Yeah, sure, I'll take your money,'" Sills IV said.
Clarkson still believed Sills was too young after the first session.
"I thought, 'We'll do one more workout, and I'll tell them to come back in five years,'" he said.
But that next session, Sills dazzled with a natural throwing motion and an arm strength that defied his age. Clarkson had never seen anything like it. Sills wowed Clarkson even more in the ensuing days, displaying an uncanny knack for understanding defensive coverages.
"This was not normal," Clarkson said. "I started to rethink, 'How young is too young?'"
After later visiting the family in Delaware, Clarkson agreed to take on, by far, the youngest client he'd ever had.
Sills was 10 years old.
Lane Kiffin entered the picture three years later. Clarkson was in Miami for Super Bowl XLIV, and Kiffin had just left Tennessee for USC. Clarkson called, and at the end of their conversation, asked if Kiffin would watch a YouTube clip.
"No explanation given," Clarkson said. "Just asked his opinion."
"I thought I was looking at a 10th or 11th grader," Kiffin recalled, in a phone interview about Sills with ESPN.com.
As impressed as he was, Kiffin couldn't figure out why Sills was so skinny. "That's because he's 13," Clarkson told him, prompting an expletive of disbelief from Kiffin.
"He just seemed so far advanced for a kid that age," Kiffin said. "It just seemed if he stayed on that track, he was going to be an elite kid, an elite player. If the kid kept growing, he could end up being as big as [USC Heisman winner] Carson Palmer, who we'd had a few years before."
Putting aside the prudence of evaluating a quarterback off a single YouTube video, it wasn't - and still isn't - against the rules to offer a middle-schooler. But it certainly was taboo. An unspoken rule of recruiting.
It didn't take long, however, for the notion to pop into Kiffin's head.
In a follow-up phone call that same day, Kiffin broached Clarkson with the idea of offering Sills a scholarship.
"Of course, I know you're going to be offering him when he's a junior," Clarkson joked back.
"No," Kiffin retorted. "I mean like right now!"
"We thought about [Sills' age]," Kiffin said. "At the same time, we had never seen anybody look like that. ... We thought he could be a great quarterback."
By that time, Sills had already fallen in love with USC. Working out with Clarkson in California, he had gotten to meet Trojans quarterbacks Leinart, Matt Cassel and Matt Barkley.
"His childhood dream was to go to USC," Clarkson said.
The Sills family discussed the offer. That same evening, they called Kiffin, and Sills committed.
"His opinion kind of was, 'That's where I'd want to go anyway, so why wait?'" Sills IV said. "But we didn't know anything about football recruiting. Being as naïve as we were, we just said, if that's where you want to go, sign up.
"Then the world decided to have an opinion."
Lane Kiffin made headlines in offering middle schoolers while at USC. Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire
At a Super Bowl party, Clarkson tipped off ESPN's Shelley Smith about the commitment. Soon, the news was on the ESPN crawl, and before long, seemingly everywhere else.
Overnight, Sills became a household name. Soon, the hot takes followed: Why would Kiffin do this? How could the parents allow it? Was Sills really this good?
"It just went viral," Clarkson said. "I'm walking down radio row the week of the Super Bowl, and the whole row is talking about, not the Super Bowl, but about this 13-year-old accepting an offer from USC. It took off like a wildfire. It went crazy."
As crazy as it got, Sills IV said his son never wavered.
"What the media, TV, radio said about him, it never fazed him," he said. "Didn't change him, didn't change who he thought he was."
But just as Sills' fame was taking off, his quarterback shine began to lose luster.
The next season as an eighth grader, Stills started for the Red Lion varsity squad, and he continued to thrive as a freshman, totaling 28 touchdowns.
From there, Sills' high school career began to tumble.
Red Lion was purchased by a group that sought to de-emphasize football, prompting Sills IV to help start a new online school based out of Maryland for Sills and his teammates. Eastern Christian Academy, however, was unable to gain accreditation initially in Maryland, and Sills played only three games as a sophomore.
Then in November of his junior season, he broke his knuckle, which Clarkson believes forever changed Sills' passing technique.
"It organically created this funny wrist motion," he said. "And he never got it back to where it was when people thought he was the perfect passer. He just couldn't get over the hump for whatever reason."
Meanwhile, back in Los Angles, Kiffin had already been fired on the tarmac of LAX.
Sills enjoyed his celebrity, training with Matt Cassel and Matt Barkley. Arash Markazi/ESPN.com
New USC coach Steve Sarkisian didn't pull Sills' scholarship, but he made it clear Sills was no longer in the Trojans' plans. USC had already landed a commitment from ESPN 300 quarterback Ricky Town. The Trojans were also heavily pursuing another ESPN 300 prospect -- Sam Darnold.
"The communication went from slim to none," Sills IV said. "David went out there to meet with Steve. David said the body language was, 'You're not my guy, and I don't want you.' That's when David decommitted."
To compensate for his diminished passing skills, Sills attempted to become more of a running quarterback his senior year. He'd always had the athleticism, yet never utilized it, focusing on sticking in the pocket instead. But in the third game, he broke a bone in his ankle, knocking him out for the season.
Once the model of a perfect quarterback, Sills had become damaged goods.
Sills had been injured, altered and discarded. Yet Dana Holgorsen still saw promise.
"You watched him and [the ball] didn't come out great," the West Virginia coach said. "But you loved his demeanor and his starting-quarterback mentality, his savvy and all the intangibles. I just loved the kid. I thought he was an unbelievable football player.
"And I wanted him on my team."
"He just seemed so far advanced for a kid that age. It just seemed if he stayed on that track, he was going to be an elite kid, an elite player." Lane Kiffin
His freshman year in 2015, Sills was redshirting while splitting time at scout-team quarterback. The Mountaineers were getting ready to play Liberty, which had a bigger wide receiver. None of the West Virginia scout-team receivers had much size. So at 6-foot-4, Sills was asked to man receiver for the week.
"He goes to scout team and just starts tearing it up," Holgorsen said. "... [defensive coordinator Tony Gibson] was like, 'Dang, we can't cover David Sills.' That's when I started watching him really play receiver."
The Mountaineers needed help in their rotation there. So in Week 6, Holgorsen approached Sills about playing receiver. Not wanting to burn a year of eligibility to play quarterback, Sills confesses he was reluctant.
"Then the Sunday after the game, [Holgorsen] told me, 'We really need you to play. The team needs you,'" Sills said. "And I was like, 'OK, I'll play.'"
That next game at Baylor, Sills remarkably caught two passes, including a 35-yard touchdown.
"I had never seen him run a pattern in my life," said Sills IV, who took the family to Waco for their first West Virginia road game. "It was absolutely shocking -- especially for a kid that at one time was considered a statue quarterback."
Sills would catch another touchdown in the Mountaineers' bowl game. But even though he seemed to be a natural at wide receiver, Sills couldn't shake his quarterback ambitions. In the spring of 2016 he rotated between quarterback and receiver but couldn't find peace.
"You know, he just couldn't let it go," Holgorsen said. "So he came in and said, 'Coach, I love it here. I love my team. I love my coaches. But I just can't let it go.' And I said, well, 'I'm not giving you that chance. But I encourage you to go play quarterback. If it doesn't work out, call me, or I'll call you.' And I gave him a big hug."
And so, Sills left West Virginia to go play quarterback for El Camino College -- a community college in Torrance, California, just down the road from the university where 13-year-old Sills believed he was destined to star.
At El Camino, Sills tried desperately to resuscitate his quarterback dreams. For seven months, he lived on the couch at the apartment of high school buddy Khaliel Rodgers, who was then an offensive lineman for USC. Every day, Sills would drag Rodgers out to the parking lot to practice taking hundreds of snaps.
"He was so determined," said Rodgers, now a starting lineman for North Carolina. "I've never seen anybody work harder than him."
Sills had a decent season for El Camino. Over 10 games, he threw for more than 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns. But the offers never came.
"You think you're going to play in the [Los Angeles Memorial] Coliseum with 100,000 people watching," Sills said, "and you actually go play 20 miles down the road at a junior college with 500 people watching."
Holgorsen, however, was still watching, too.
And just as Sills was about to consider walking on anywhere that might take him, Holgorsen called and asked if he was ready to come back to West Virginia and truly give receiver a shot. Finally, Sills was.
"Quarterback was 100 percent out of my system," he said. "I think if I would've stayed [at West Virginia], I don't think I would've gotten it out."
"I'm at peace now," Sills says. And he's applying the same determination to wide receiver that once made him a quarterback prodigy. On the fly, that has transformed him into the go-to receiver for West Virginia quarterback Will Grier. "I've never been more impressed with somebody," said Grier, who was amazed when he first was introduced to Stills - the adolescent quarterback whiz Grier envied through much of high school. "The dude is a legit receiver, and he's only played it a year."
Sills has become WVU's go-to receiver and leads the country in TD receptions. Carlos Herrera/Icon Sportswire
In the opener, Sills had nine catches in a loss to Virginia Tech. But on the second-to-last play of the game, he failed to corral a low liner from Grier in the end zone that would've tied the Hokies. Holgorsen estimates that in the following two weeks Sills caught 1,500 low balls before and after practice on his own. "I've never seen a kid work as hard, from an intelligence point of view, and work ethic point of view," Holgorsen said. "He tries to outwork everybody." To Clarkson, that is nothing new. "He went back (to West Virginia) with a clear conscience," Clarkson said. "And he's happy. And that's the story."
Well, almost the story.
Sills' groundbreaking commitment to USC made it more acceptable for schools to pursue prospects not yet in high school. Because of Sills, it was no longer so taboo.
Three years after Kiffin offered Sills, Dylan Moses had not even started eighth grade when LSU and Les Miles offered him. The same summer, UCLA offered quarterback Lindell Stone before he'd taken a snap for Southlake Carroll High School. The following day, Kentucky gave an offer to cornerback Jairus Brents, who was just 13. Tate Martell, another Clarkson quarterback protégé, wasn't in eighth grade, either, when Sarkisian offered him to Washington.
But this summer, Illinois took the trend to a new level, offering 10-year-old youth football star Bunchie Young.
Now at Florida Atlantic, Kiffin hasn't stopped recruiting junior-high kids, either. This May, he offered Kaden Martin, the 13-year-old son of USC offensive coordinator and former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin.
All of this might make some feel uneasy. For Sills, it doesn't at all.
"It's really how they take it," he said. "If someone gets an offer and they think they don't have to work hard anymore and take the foot off the gas, then I think it is something that happened too soon. But if they take it that, 'I want to live up to this,' and keep going and get better, then I don't think it's too soon."
Sills did all he could to live up to that day when he received an offer at 13.
Now, he's living another story. And, another dream.
"It's the most interesting and impressive story I've ever been a part of," Grier said. "It's absolutely insane, and I love it.
"There's going to be a 30 for 30 on him someday." | {
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Kuwait City (AFP)
A Kuwaiti Islamist member of parliament on Monday proposed legislation calling for members and supporters of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail.
The draft legislation, submitted to parliament by MP Waleed al-Tabtabai, proposes Iran-backed Hezbollah be classified a "terrorist organisation".
It also stipulates a jail term of between 10 and 20 years for members of Hezbollah and anyone who shows any form of loyalty to the group.
It also proposes jail terms of up to five years for anyone displaying Hezbollah's yellow logo or any symbol associated with the group.
The supreme court in Sunni-ruled Kuwait, which has a sizeable Shiite minority, last month convicted 21 Shiites of forming a "terrorist cell" with ties to Iran and Hezbollah and plotting attacks in the Gulf state.
Kuwait has protested to Lebanon over the alleged training of the cell members by Hezbollah, which has ministers in the Beirut government.
Last week, authorities expelled 15 Iranian diplomats and shut down the military, cultural and trade missions of the Iranian embassy in Kuwait over Tehran's backing of the "terrorist cell".
Iran said the allegation is baseless
Fourteen of the 21 convicted members are on the run. Local media said they fled to Iran by sea.
Around a third of Kuwait's native population of 1.35 million are Shiites.
© 2017 AFP | {
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randomly set the time on your phone's alarm Goes off in public so people will think you have a text
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Medya Ombudsmanı Faruk Bildirici, Anadolu Ajansı'nın 'erken yaşta evlenen' tanımını tedavüle sürerek, küçük kız çocuklarının istismarını meşrulaştırmaya çalıştığını dile getirdi. Bildirici AA'nın iki günde benzer 6 haber yaptığına dikkat çekerek, "Anadolu Ajansı, siyasi iktidarın medya kampanyasının kullanışlı aygıtı olmuş da haberimiz yok" görüşünü savundu.
Bildirici, "Hilal Kaplan’ın, Meclis açılır açılmaz af konusunun gündeme getirilmesini savunduğu yazısını okuyunca biraz geriye dönüp, haberleri taradım. Yeni Akit, Türkiye, Yeni Şafak gazetelerinde de bu yönde haberler çıkmıştı son günlerde. Ama asıl dikkatimi çeken Anadolu Ajansı’nın haberleri oldu. Meğer AA sadece "Erken yaşta evlenen kadın eşinin cezaevinden çıkacağı günü bekliyor" haberini geçmemiş. 15-16 Nisan günleri aniden harekete geçip, benzer başlıklar taşıyan ve hemen aynı dille kaleme alınmış tam altı haberi servise koymuş. Haberlerin altısında da 14 yaşındaki kız çocuklarının istismarı normalleştirilmeye, istismarcılar için de mağduriyet algısı yaratılmaya çalışılmış." ifadesini kullandı.
Bildirici yazısında şunları kaydetti:
Bu haberlerin tümünde kadınlar/kız çocukları için “erken yaşta evlenen” ya da “küçük yaşta evlenen” tanımı yapılıyor. Kadınların/kız çocuklarının ağzından “kaçarak evlendikleri”, “severek evlendikleri” gibi anlatımlara yer veriliyor. Halbuki altı haberdeki kadınların altısı da “evlendikleri” günlerde henüz 14 yaşında. Medeni Kanuna göre henüz “ergin” birey değiller o sırada. Çocukların kendi istekleriyle evlenmelerinden, rızalarından söz edilemez. Kanuna göre, evlilik için 18 yaşına girmiş olmak gerekiyor. Olağanüstü hallerde hakim 16 yaşını doldurmuşların evlenmesine karar verebiliyor.
Ama AA, çocuk olduklarını göz ardı ediyor. Kadınlar/kadın örgütleri “çocuk gelin” tanımına bile karşı çıkarken, “Erken yaşta evlenen” tanımını tedavüle sürerek, küçük kız çocuklarının istismarını meşrulaştırmaya çalışıyor.
Halbuki Türk Ceza Yasası’nın 103. Maddesi, 15 yaşını tamamlamamış çocuklara karşı gerçekleştirilen her türlü cinsel davranışı, “çocukların cinsel istismarı suçu” kabul ediliyor. Bu durumda “evlenen” değil, “evlendirilen” demek daha doğru.
AA’nın haberlerinde “Eşinin yolunu gözlüyor”, “Mutlu haber bekliyor”, “kadın ailece yaşadıkları mağduriyetin giderilmesini umut ediyor” gibi duygusal bir dil kullanılıyor. “Yalnız kalan genç kadınlar”, “babasız kalan çocuklar”, “zor durumdaki aileler” tablosu oluşturularak, ergin erkeklerin 14 yaşında kızlarla birlikte olmasına masumiyet kazandırmaya, normalleştirmeye çalışılıyor. | {
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FILE PHOTO: The logo of Apple company is seen outside an Apple store in Bordeaux, France, March 22, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
(Reuters) - Apple Inc AAPL.O is in the final stages of certifying advanced screens from Chinese display maker BOE Technology Group Co Ltd 000725.SZ for its iPhones, as it attempts to reduce reliance on Samsung Electronics, the Nikkei reported on Wednesday.
Apple will decide by the end of this year whether to take BOE on as a supplier of organic light-emitting displays (OLED), the Japanese business daily reported, citing sources.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The iPhone maker is "aggressively testing" BOE's flexible OLED, raising the possibility that Apple could for the first time source this advanced display technology from China, according to the report. (s.nikkei.com/2Z8Axf9) | {
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Editor's note: This story was originally published in October 2015. As Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, it is worth taking a look at what the U.S. economy might look like under his proposed policies. Also, check out our Donald Trump Stock Portfolio, a list of 15 stocks that could do well under President Trump. The introduction and the sections below on immigration, taxes and trade have been updated.
There's no denying Trump has done a good job of making himself rich -- he's worth somewhere between $4.5 billion and $10 billion, depending who you ask. Can he make the rest of America rich, too?
Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, becoming perhaps the most unanticipated figure to ever enter the Oval Office. The economy will be at the top of Trump's agenda as president and serve as the most important barometer of his performance.
On the campaign trail, Trump admitted the economy wasn't something he looked forward to tackling. In a January 2016 interview with "Good Morning America," he offered up a bleak assessment and added that, in terms of fixing it, it's a task he'd rather skip.
"We're in a bubble," he said. "And, frankly, if there's going to be a bubble popping, I hope they pop before I become president because I don't want to inherit all this stuff. I'd rather it be the day before rather than the day after, I will tell you that."
In a subsequent April interview with the Washington Post, Trump reiterated his doomsday view of the economy, suggesting we might be headed for recession. But that time around, he appeared more open to the idea of his being in charge of finding remedies.
"I can fix it. I can fix it pretty quickly," he said.
He'll soon have a chance to put his -- or rather, our -- money where his mouth is.
Trump was the 2016 election cycle's most riveting figure. He initially focused his attention on immigration reform, calling for a wall to be built between Mexico and the United States and demanding the deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants. He has wavered on that last point, now promising to initially focus on criminal undocumented immigrants, but he has stuck to his guns on the wall.
He later rolled out other policies and positions: a major tax code overhaul; repeal and replace Obamacare; renegotiate or "break" NAFTA; stop hedge funds from "getting away with murder" on taxes; reforming the Veteran's Administration; and impose import tariffs as high as 35%. All while keeping the deficit in check, growing the economy and leaving entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security untouched.
Those who fear Trump's plans should find common cause with those who love them: "I'm not sure how much of what he actually says today will be his positions a year from now," said Michael Busler, professor of finance at Stockton University.
"Take Trump seriously, but not literally," has become a common refrain. Trump's own campaign suggested he is playing "a part" to garner votes.
While Trump certainly has some grandiose ideas -- and equally lofty rhetoric to accompany them -- deciphering the exact nature of his economic policies is a complex task. Not to mention he won't have a free pass from Congress, even though it remains under Republican control.
Here are some insights into what the U.S. economy and markets look like under President Trump if he is able to push his agenda through Congress.
Trump's Expensive Immigration Plan
Trump's immigration plans cost him a handful of business deals, but they might cost the United States much more.
The American Action Forum, a right-leaning policy institute based in Washington D.C., estimates that immediately and fully enforcing current immigration law, as Trump has suggested, would cost the federal government from $400 billion to $600 billion. It would shrink the labor force by 11 million workers, reduce the real GDP by $1.6 trillion and take 20 years to complete (Trump has said he could do it in 18 months).
"It will harm the U.S. economy," said Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum and chief economic policy adviser to Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. "Immigration is an enormous source of economic vitality."
The effect would be felt on both supply and demand.
Check Out TheStreet's Donald Trump Stock Portfolio.
A number of industries that depend heavily on cheap immigrant labor would be devastated -- especially agriculture. "There would be an abrupt drop in farm income and a sharp rise in food prices," said John McLaren, professor of economics at the University of Virginia with expertise in international trade, economic development and the political economy.
Companies that sell to the immigrant population would be affected as well, leading to decreased revenues for local businesses and a loss of American jobs.
"Immigrants, whether they are legal or illegal, always spend a portion of their earnings in the location where they have their jobs," McLaren said. "And in a lot of our urban centers, this is actually an important part of the economy."
He pointed to the case of Postville, Iowa, where in 2008 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided a slaughterhouse and meat packing plant, detaining 389 undocumented workers (and jailing 300 of them). The raid caused most of the more than 1,000 immigrants not caught to leave the town of 2,300, devastating the local economy in the process.
He also noted his own research, which suggests each immigrant creates 1.2 local jobs for local workers, most of which go to U.S. natives. "Obviously, those jobs would disappear if the undocumented were just yanked away," he said.
It is worth noting that Trump appears to have backed away from his mass deportation stance slightly, outlining priorities that would lead to the deportation of what The Washington Post estimates would be 5 million to 6.5 million immigrants. He has warned, however, that "anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation."
Trump has also discussed reducing the number of jobs held by legal immigrants, namely by increasing the prevailing wage requirements for H-1B visas (visas that allow U.S. employers to recruit and employ foreign professionals) -- an element of his plan that is often overlooked. His thesis is that doing so would force companies to give jobs to domestic employees instead of overseas workers. The maneuver would benefit some, but not most.
"If I'm an American software programmer, I probably would benefit somewhat from making it harder for highly-skilled software programmers from elsewhere," McClaren said. "It's really hard to argue that the country, as a whole, benefits from that. It would be bad for most Americans, and it certainly would be bad for corporations."
An extreme anti-immigration policy could also cause collateral damage to the American image. "What's the American brand after we've rounded up 11 million people and sent them packing?" said Jim Pethokoukis, a columnist and blogger at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank based on Washington, D.C. "Do people still view America the same way?"
Perhaps it's a good thing the real estate magnate's immigration plans are essentially impossible to implement in full.
Tax Cuts for Everyone, and Deficits, Too
Trump's tax plan, unveiled in September, is perhaps the most detailed proposal he put forth while campaigning. It entails implementing tax cuts across the board, though some in the middle class would see their tax bills go up.
"His tax plan is one of the most dynamic and pro-growth tax plans out there," said Merrill Matthews, resident scholar at the Institute for Policy Innovation, a Texas-based, right-leaning think tank. "You would find a huge amount of new business investment and companies willing to put their money out there to begin growing the economy."
Trump's tax plan stacked up fairly well against his fellow Republican presidential primary contenders. It wasn't as drastic as proposals put forth by Ted Cruz and Ben Carson but did, like most GOP tax structures, favor the rich.
Perhaps the biggest distinguishing feature of Trump's proposal is his hard cap on business taxes at 15%, which might be especially appealing to freelancers and the self-employed.
But there's a catch: Trump's tax plan would reduce revenue enormously, and the federal budget deficit would almost inevitably skyrocket.
Nonpartisan tax research group the Tax Foundation calculated that Trump's plan in its original form would cut taxes by $11.98 trillion over the course of a decade. It would lead to 11% growth in the GDP, 6.5% higher wages and 29% larger capital stock as well as 5.3 million jobs. However, it would also reduce tax revenues by $10.14 trillion, even when accounting for economic growth from increases in the supply of labor and capital.
"That tax cut would produce faster economic growth and a bigger economy -- as long as you pay zero attention to the fact that it would dramatically increase the deficit and budget debt," said Pethokoukis.
Trump in August adjusted his platform, calling for a top income tax rate of 33% rather than a past plan for 25% as well as the full expensing of capital investment and a deduction for childcare costs.
An updated version of the Tax Foundation's analysis determined Trump's more fleshed-out tax plan would reduce federal revenue by between $4.4 and $5.9 trillion, depending on how it handles pass-through businesses. The group noted that the change would reduce the revenue loss from his original plan, but it would depend significantly on how wide the new bracket thresholds are.
Trump has promised to reduce spending, though he hasn't explicitly said how. Moreover, he has said he will maintain entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, two of the costliest parts of the federal budget.
"If there weren't any spending cuts that materialized, you would see the deficit widen substantially the moment the plan was enacted," said said Alan Cole, an economist with the Center for Federal Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation.
In the face of such an enormous deficit, creditors might begin demanding higher interest rates on U.S. bonds, and the markets would be spooked.
"I can't imagine markets would react well to it. I can't imagine global investors looking to relocate will look on a United States that is driving deliberately over a fiscal cliff," said Holtz-Eakin. "Sending the U.S. into a debt spiral where you're borrowing interest on previous borrowing will generate a market reaction that will be far from benign and that will, I think, in the end overwhelm the beneficial effects."
Of course, just because Trump hasn't yet explained how he will cut spending doesn't mean he won't. "It's not unusual for a politician to say, 'I'm going to cut spending,' and not give specifics," Matthews said.
Check Out TheStreet's Donald Trump Stock Portfolio.
Changing Views on Health Care
Health care appears to be the number one item on Trump's and Congressional Republicans' agenda. The GOP has already taken steps to begin the process of rolling back the Affordable Care Act, and Trump has said he will fill in the blanks on repealing and replacing President Obama's signature law once his Health and Human Services Secretary, Georgia Representative Tom Price, is confirmed.
In his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, Trump touted universal health care and laid out an ideology on the subject that, frankly, looks pretty un-Republican. On the campaign trail, he promised to "take care of everyone." But his campaign health care plan, released in March, sang a different tune.
While campaigning, the Trump camp outlined a seven-point plan for health care in America, including the repeal of Obamacare, the allowance of purchases of health insurance across state lines and block-grant Medicaid to states, among other things.
"This strikes me as a mixture of what is mostly Republican orthodoxy...with a couple of oddball proposals," said Roger Feldman, professor of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota. One of the unique aspects of the plan: allowing consumers to re-import drugs from overseas.
At a February town hall event hosted by CNN, Trump was critical of Obamacare, noting that "rates are going up 25, 35, 45, 55 percent." He emphasized that he was not receiving campaign money from insurance or pharmaceutical companies "so I can do what's right."
"I don't think [Trump's health care proposal] is based on economic analysis, I think it's based on channeling a populist dislike of insurance executives," said Feldman. "If he really tried to do the things he said he would do the insurance industry would be in the crosshairs."
The ability for consumers to buy their health insurance in other states is perhaps the health-related proposal Trump discussed most on the campaign trail. The idea is not new -- such a bill was introduced in Congress a decade ago -- but it is impactful.
When pressed for detail on his plan at the February 25 Republican debate hosted by CNN, Trump focused on the state lines issue, repeating on a handful of occasions his proposal to get rid of "the lines" around each state "so we can have real competition."
"You get rid of the lines, it brings in competition," he said. "So, instead of having one insurance company taking care of New York, or Texas, you'll have many. They'll compete, and it'll be a beautiful thing."
"I think it could be a potentially significant improvement in insurance," Feldman, who in 2011 co-authored a paper on consumer response to a national marketplace for individual health insurance, said. "It would do that by allowing people to buy insurance in states with fewer regulations, and that would, in turn, cause a restructuring of the health insurance industry."
Based on a pre-Obamacare baseline, Feldman and other researchers concluded such a system would result in seven million more people being insured by opening up the insurance markets to more competition.
Of course, not everyone agrees.
"It doesn't actually achieve you much," said Matthews, pointing out that a policy in another state may not translate to access to the network of physicians and pre-negotiated prices locally-purchased policies often afford. "It's not a bad idea, but it is no panacea."
Too Tough on Trade?
Trump likes to talk trade. And while has said he is a "free trader," he has also clarified he doesn't like the deals the U.S. has done, such as NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Art of the Deal author has promised to negotiate better agreements.
"One of the things that's often lost is that [Trump] has a strong business background, he understands how commerce works," said John Hudak, a fellow in governance studies at Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Brookings Institution.. "He has more business training than any American president we've ever had."
Check Out TheStreet's Donald Trump Stock Portfolio.
But the ramifications of some of Trump's proposals might be less than ideal.
Take China, one of his top talking points. He has proposed negotiating with the country to prevent it from manipulating its currency and keeping it too low for American manufacturers -- and workers -- from competing.
"The reality is that when China devalues its currency, the goods that they produce become cheaper, and as a result, while we may lose some manufacturing jobs, the rest of the population gets to buy things a lot cheaper than they would if the products were made [in the U.S.]," said Busler. "The jobs he would bring back are yesterday's jobs."
In November, Trump released his full plan for U.S.-China trade reform, in which he pledged to immediately declare it a "currency manipulator," force it to uphold intellectual property laws and end its "illegal export subsidies and lax labor and environmental standards," among other measures, in order to help American manufacturers -- and workers -- compete.
He has continued his aggressive rhetoric since the election, and the figures who will serve as top trade advisers in his adminitration -- Peter Navarro, Robert Lighthizer and Wilbur Ross -- signal a tough stance on China as well.
Trump has also pinpointed imposing tariffs on imported goods, for example, suggesting a 35% tax on automakers that manufacture cars in Mexico. Such a maneuver might bring jobs back stateside, but it might not. Instead, it could just mean people paying more for what they're buying.
"If he puts 35% taxes on products, the manufacturing will still not come back to the U.S., and all it will mean is U.S. consumers have to pay 35% more for the products that are made outside the country," said Busler.
"American consumers would end up paying more for things, and that hurts the economy if you're putting tariffs on those other things," said Matthews.
The Trump Effect
Trump's brand has contributed an enormous amount to his net worth -- he says more than $3 billion. But how will that Trumpiness translate to the White House? Perhaps not well, especially if he keeps up with his Twitter habits.
"That off-the-cuff, gruff, tell-it-like-it-is approach that Donald Trump has may be great for headlines and a stadium full for supporters, but what unguarded comments like that from a president do is make dramatic fluctuations in the world economy, in stock markets in the United States and in the world," said Hudak. "Think about how much the market reaction is to the choice of two or three words from the Federal Reserve chairman."
The words chosen by American officials can have serious economic repercussions, and the country -- and the world -- have equally high expectations for their commercial and diplomatic capabilities. The blunt way of speaking that has made Trump so popular among Republican voters could be detrimental once he's in the Oval Office.
"His brand of rhetoric would actually make for profound economic instability," Hudak said.
He has already proven the ability to shake markets with a tweet.
But Trump is a smart guy, and he may be able to adjust. Matthews pointed to the Clinton administration, which took a few months to settle in.
"You wonder if the Trump administration would be the same until they got things under control, or got him under control," he said.
And some say Trump's style bodes well for the future of America and its economy.
"I think Donald Trump is good for the Republican Party, and I think he's good for the country," Busler said. "Donald Trump is not afraid to face the public and raise his voice, even if it is politically unpopular."
Check Out TheStreet's Donald Trump Stock Portfolio.
This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned. | {
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Текст: Екатерина Врублевская
В мае Phantom Press переиздали роман Джуно Диаса «Короткая фантастическая жизнь Оскара Вау». Смачно написанная проза, пропитанная доминиканским ветром, горестями и радостями одной семьи и целого народа. Книга-сказка, которая трогает за живое и поднимает серьезные вопросы, при этом залихватски виляя бедрами, целомудрие – это ведь не про магический реализм, правда?
«В Санто-Доминго рассказ не рассказ, если он не отбрасывает магическую тень».
«Короткая фантастическая жинь Оскара Вау» – история на самом деле грустная, написанная выходцем из бедной многодетной доминиканской семьи, который очень хорошо и лично знаком со всеми тяготами тамошней жизни. Будь эта драма разыграна в российских интерьерах, она превратилась бы в талантливое бытописание семейства алкоголиков на фоне нищих дворов – в лучших традициях надрывной и упаднической эстетики Звягинцева.
Однако, к счастью, действие разворачивается в жарком, солнечном Санто-Доминго, где в зарослях тростника пахнет корицей, едят маниоку и жареные бананы и очень любят жизнь. В рамках литературной традиции Латинской Америки, культуры очень чувственной и очень чувствующей, слово всегда идет вместе с телом. Сухопарой европейской зауми или российской бытовой безнадежной чернухе здесь места нет. Оттого история Оскара Вау – это в первую очередь сумасшедшая витальная сила.
Это сказка, где сложно отличить вымысел от реальности, потому что автор, который, кстати, взял за роман Пулитцеровскую премию и еще массу престижнейших наград, ни на чем не настаивает. Он просто рассказывает нам про самую обычную жизнь одной обычной семьи, которую преследуют беды. Возможно, беды связаны с Фуку – проклятием, в которое очень верят местные. Возможно, в несчастьях виноват Трухильо – тиран, управляющий страной и мучающий свой народ, а возможно, во всем виновата «грозная красота» женщин семьи, красота настолько животная и притягательная, что вместе с восхищенными мужскими взглядами притягивает и кучу проблем.
Роман разбит на части, где уделено внимание представителям разных полов и поколений. От забавного мелкого мальчугана до страдающего ожирением подростка; от мудрой архитепичной старухи до юной красотки в расцвете сил. Есть здесь и проститутки, и эмигранты, есть бедные и есть богатые. Текст, как качественный пирожок, напичкан плотно и очень вкусно – как героями, так и событиями, жанрами и культурными слоями. Комиксы, история (все трудные места, связанные с географией, политикой и историей страны, прояснены настолько подробно, что по объему комментарии едва ли уступают основному тексту), семейная сага, мыльная опера, притча, бойкие очерки.
Словом, если вы еще не успели познакомиться с Оскаром, хотя едва ли он является главным героем, это совсем неважно, обязательно обзаведитесь знакомством. Оно совершенно точно очень вдохновляет. | {
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Question: what would happen if a Republican pundit called Michelle Obama "mean" and suggested President Obama "unleash" her on an opponent? On With All Due Respect today, co-host Heilemann said that whereas her public image was that of a "lovely and matronly figure," First Lady Barbara Bush was in fact as "mean" and tough as anyone, and said he'd like to see the Bush campaign "unleash" her on Donald Trump.
Heilemann's comment, which we'll stipulate he presumably meant as a compliment in his own way, came in the context of a Jeb campaign video in which Mrs. Bush praises her son as a problem solver--but also takes an unsubtle shot at people who talk "about how popular they are, how great they are." Take that, Donald! Heilemann said he would like to see the Bush campaign "unleash" Barbara on Trump, saying she "might be the one best able to stand up to him." | {
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Emerald Pellot graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a degree in Writing & Popular Culture. She worked as Senior Editor of College Candy for 2 years, covering feminism, popular culture, and college life before joining LittleThings in 2015. Based in New York City, Emerald covers a wide range of topics from human interest pieces to celebrity news.
Denver mom Nadia Borja was horrified when school bullies took her son’s $7,000 hearing aids and smashed them.
Now, the third grader is unable to hear properly until the family can muster up the funds.
“They took them and obviously destroyed them without reason,” Nadia said.
Nadia took her son Gabriel to a Denver Broncos football game, but she had no idea that a veteran with disabilities had another plan in store. The veteran appeared on camera but chose to remain anonymous during a KDVR interview.
“It hit home because I wear them and that’s why I decided to help,” he said.
“To just know that there are people who like to help — I am sure, I am hoping people will follow suit and take my example because it can’t be easy to come up with seven grand.”
Reporter Greg Nieto passed the envelope full of cash to the desperate mother. She immediately broke down in tears.
“Thank you, thank you. I don’t know how to express it enough, how thankful we are,” Nadia said.
The family is working with an outside organization to get the new hearing aids. Fortunately, because of this Good Samaritan, they are already making a huge stride forward.
Please SHARE this story on Facebook with your friends and family to give this veteran some recognition for reminding us about the importance of giving.
Footage provided by KDVR Denver | {
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According to a just-issued press release from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Google has committed to updating Android with support for Bluetooth Smart (also known as Bluetooth Low Energy) "in the coming months." That means future smartphones and tablets running the OS will be able to take advantage of the low power consumption in devices like the Fitbit Flex and Pebble smart watch. Current hardware also stands to benefit: the Nexus 4 was recently re-certified as Bluetooth 4.0-compatible, so these benefits could be enabled in a future software update.
Speaking of software updates, Google will need to deliver one to enable that Bluetooth Smart functionality. And based on a number of tweets from an I/O developer session, it apparently plans to do so within just a couple months — perhaps as soon as July. Google has revealed that API 18 will contain the necessary tools to help developers implement Bluetooth Low Energy in their apps. Crucially, each revision of the developer API has come alongside a fresh version of Android. Android 4.3 was widely expected to be revealed on stage today, but that demonstration failed to materialize. Google may have some kinks left to work out in its next major Android revision, but we may finally get a peek before long.
Android 4.3 or 4.2.3? Which will it be?
In fact, the Bluetooth SIG seemed to be expecting a new release of Android today. Its press materials make it sound like that was the plan, anyway.
The newest version of Android OS natively supports Bluetooth Smart Ready technology.
We should know whether that "newest version" ends up being Android 4.3 or a minor 4.2.3 update soon enough. | {
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TAMPA — Ashley Iovinelli of Woodridge, Ill., recently joked that she would do whatever it takes to see her beloved Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup final.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are making sure she has to do just that.
To keep Amalie Arena blue all playoffs, the Lightning front office has pursued an aggressive ticket strategy that blocks people with out-of-state credit cards from purchasing tickets through the team's Ticketmaster portal. Only Floridians, who are presumably Lightning fans, can buy tickets directly.
"We've done everything we can to preserve a hometown environment, and we're relatively happy with what we've done so far," said Bill Wickett, executive vice president of communications for the Lightning.
The policy has irked opposing fans all playoffs, and Chicagoans are the most recent victims.
"It's bad sportsmanship," said Iovinelli, who has family in Florida and is planning to attend Game 5 (if necessary) on June 13 with her husband and parents. "This is big. This is the playoffs. It's not this competition to see who can get the most fans. It's about watching hockey, so it's very frustrating."
The Lightning first tested the strategy last year when it restricted international ticket sales during the playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens.
In addition to the ticket rules, anyone who sits in the pricey Chase Club and Lexus Lounge, about 1,400 seats, is prohibited from wearing opposing team apparel. If they do, they'll be asked to change clothes or will be moved into another area of the arena.
The policies follow a trend of professional sports teams, particularly in smaller markets, taking steps to ensure their fans have first dibs on home tickets. The rules were stated on Ticketmaster and have been in place for all four rounds of the playoffs.
But word of the policy made its way for the first time to Chicago on Monday, where it was met with outrage and accusations of foul play. The policy wasn't created to specifically target Chicago's faithful, who travel as well as or better than any NHL team's, but it was taken as a slight by their fans.
It's particularly vexing in Chicago because fans there have experienced this before. For years, the Nashville Predators have adopted similar strategies to keep red and black sweaters out of their arena. Anyone looking to get into a regular season game against the Blackhawks had to purchase an additional ticket to another game. The two teams clashed in the playoffs this year. The Predators blocked Illinois ticket sales, too.
Longtime Chicago sports talk radio host Dan Bernstein slammed the Lightning's ticketing strategy in a column that went viral among incensed Blackhawks followers on social media.
"This kind of ridiculous behavior ignores the speed and power of the secondary market to get tickets in the hands of those most motivated to attend, which in the end will be a contingent of Chicagoans large enough to unsettle the nervous Mr. Wickett and others," Bernstein wrote.
Bernstein is a well-known agitator in Chicago, but, in regard to the resale market, he might have a point.
The Lightning can't restrict who buys tickets using online resale websites such as eBay, StubHub or Craigslist.
Illinois residents so far make up 20 percent of all tickets purchased for Game 1 on StubHub, said Cameron Papp, spokesman for the online ticket exchange. That far outpaces the norm; the home state of the visiting squad usually accounts for only 5 to 8 percent of sales, Papp said.
The markup on those sites is considerable — the cheapest seats run for $335 on StubHub, while it costs nearly $5,000 to sit right behind the glass — but it appears Blackhawks fans are willing to pay it. Iovinelli, who already booked flights, is expecting to pay up to $500 each for tickets.
Restricting direct ticket sales can lead to a boost in out-of-state purchases on sites such as StubHub, Papp said, particularly when a committed fan base is on the other end.
Ticket sales on StubHub during the series are expected to be the highest ever for Lightning games, fueled mostly by interest within Tampa Bay, but from Chicago, as well.
"The Blackhawks are one of those teams in the NHL that give us a bit of a boost," Papp said, noting that the five other Original Six franchises typically do as well.
Chicago is the fourth Original Six team the Lightning will face these playoff. It's a fact not lost on Wickett.
"It's a challenge we worked through for the first three series," Wickett said. "There's lots of traditions and lots of big followings."
One tradition of the Blackhawks is to cheer and clap loudly during the national anthem — a display that creates a unique atmosphere in Chicago's United Center, but a custom that annoys when tried in other arenas.
Nashville, whose president and COO is former Lightning executive Sean Henry, has opted at times to play God Bless America instead of the anthem or to conduct a crowd sing-along to keep Blackhawks fans from yelling.
Wickett said the Lightning may take a similar approach.
"We've done some sing-alongs during national anthems, so we would look to do that again," he said.
There's one local industry that doesn't mind if there's an influx of flights from Chicago to Tampa: tourism.
Bob Morrison, executive director for Hillsborough County Hotel & Motel Association, said hotels were happy to see Chicago defeat Anaheim because of its proximity and fan base. But he also said he expects most of the increased hotel stays will come from media, NHL officials and production crews already slated to arrive for the series, while Blackhawks fans will make up a smaller share.
Iovinelli said she doesn't understand why Tampa would not welcome the visitors and their pocketbooks.
"The Chicago fans bring their cities a lot of money because we travel heavy and we go out," she said. "I just don't know how the NHL is allowing this to happen."
For Wickett, it's simple: "We're really excited about all the Tampa residents and the way they've supported the team."
Contact Steve Contorno at [email protected]. Follow @scontorno. | {
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Diskursethik Eine Strategie gegen den Hass auf Facebook
Von Simone Miller
Ein Mann postet per Smartphone auf Facebook. (dpa / picture alliance / Luong Thai Linh)
Angesichts der Ressentiments, die in den sozialen Netzwerken herrschen, könnte man manchmal aus der Haut fahren. Dabei fühlen sich die Verfasser von Hass-Postings durch ihr persönliches Netzwerk noch bestärkt. Doch was tun? Die Diskursethik könnte helfen.
Blasen gibt und gab es auch im Analogen – zum Beispiel als Bild-Blase, faz-Blase, taz-Blase. Denn auch ein Zeitungsabonnement ist eine Form des weltanschaulichen Filters. Und keine von ihnen hat das Abendland je zum Platzen gebracht.
Es gibt allerdings einen gewaltigen Unterschied zwischen den Zeitungs- und den Social-Media-Blasen – die Zeitungen nehmen sich als gestalterisches Organ der Gesellschaft ernst. Sie gehen davon aus, dass ihre Inhalte zumindest in Teilen gesellschaftlich wirksam werden und dass sie deshalb Verantwortung für deren Vertretbarkeit tragen.
Anders die Facebook-Hater. Denen scheint es herzlich egal zu sein, ob ihre Forderungen gesellschaftlich vertretbar sind oder nicht. Das müsste den Rest der Welt nicht interessieren, griffe die rhetorische Raserei der digitalen Wutbürger nicht die Grundrechte einiger Mitmenschen und damit die Grundlagen der Demokratie an.
Facebook-Hater treten Minimalkonsens der Demokratie mit Füßen
Jede Demokratie fußt auf einer Minimal-Version des Guten, dem geteilten Selbstverständnis nämlich, dass ihre Bewohner alle Gleichwertige unter Gleichwertigen sind. Genau die treten die Wutbürger auf Facebook aber mit Füßen, zum Beispiel dann, wenn sie Menschen mit Tieren vergleichen oder sogar zu ihrer Tötung aufrufen.
Wie soll eine demokratische Gesellschaft also mit Gruppen umgehen, die ihre eigenen Voraussetzungen infrage stellen? Oder anders gefragt: Wie nimmt man der teils menschenverachtenden Digital-Blase ihr bedrohliches Schillern?
Der deutsche Philosoph und Soziologe Jürgen Habermas - Begründer der Diskursethik (picture alliance / dpa - Martin Gerten)
Vielleicht muss man an dieser Stelle auch über den Zusammenhang zwischen Kommunikationsform und Inhalt nachdenken. Eine der großen Einsichten der Diskursethik besteht darin, dass die Form auf den Inhalt wirkt.
Man denke an den berühmten zwanglosen Zwang des besseren Arguments. Natürlich geht es Jürgen Habermas dabei um einen Idealtyp der Kommunikation und nicht um eine auf Dauer gestellte politische Praxis. Trotzdem legt die Diskursethik nahe, dass sich in demokratischen Gesellschaften vor allem die Form qualifizieren muss, damit sich der Inhalt frei entfalten kann. Habermas‘ berühmter zwanglose Zwang des besseren Arguments kann sich eben nur in einer freien und gleichen Diskussion durchsetzen.
Einbeziehung aller Argumente unter dem Vorzeichen gegenseitigen Respektes
Auch auf Facebook gibt es einen Zusammenhang zwischen Form und Inhalt: Hier wird zum einen unter dem Schirm eines transnationalen Privat-Unternehmens diskutiert, dessen kuratorische Funktion – oder besser Dysfunktion – nicht öffentlich kontrolliert werden kann.
Zum anderen legt sein Herzstück, die Kommentarfunktion, das Pamphlet näher als das Argument. Pamphlete wollen zuspitzen und übertreiben; sie wollen also gerade nicht abwägen und verallgemeinern.
Weder der Rahmen noch die Instrumente qualifizieren Facebook also als Form und Forum des demokratischen Streits. Die Diskursethik empfiehlt uns dagegen die Integration der Betroffenen in eine Diskussion unter dem Vorzeichen des gegenseitigen Respektes. Dort sind alle dazu angehalten ihre Perspektive als reale Option für die Gesellschaft ins Spiel zu bringen. Und damit deren gesellschaftliche Wünschbarkeit unter Beweis zu stellen.
Anders formuliert: In einer ehrlichen Diskussion wären die Facebook-Wüteriche dazu aufgefordert, ihre eigenen Inhalte tatsächlich ernst zu nehmen.
Ein produktiver Streit außerhalb von Facebook würde entlarvend wirken
Ganz im Sinne des zwanglosen Zwangs des besseren Arguments würde dann hoffentlich auffliegen, dass rassistische Ressentiments nur Wenige wirklich überzeugen können. Aus dieser Perspektive wird eines deutlich: Nicht die rassistische Social-Media-Blase ist das größte Problem – sondern das aktuelle gesellschaftliche Unvermögen, diese Blase zu übersetzen in produktiven Streit.
Es genügt nicht, diese Aufgabe den Parteien und Parlamenten zu überlassen. Wahrscheinlich haben wir es also auch hier mit einem Problem von Form und Inhalt zu tun: Es könnte sein, dass die Mittel der repräsentativen Demokratie für die Integration des Streits nicht genügen.
Denn der Verdacht liegt nahe, dass das Ausmaß dieser digital formulierten Wut, neue Formen und Institutionen des Streits nötig macht.
Diese neuen, partizipativen Streiträume gilt es zu erfinden. | {
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Paramount Insurance Merged
(note, the Maryland company with a similar name is NOT affiliated with this agency)
Paramount Insurance Agency
has merged with
Brown's Insurance Agency, Inc.
Continue to BROWNSINSURANCE.COM
We have closed our office on Backlick Road in Springfield, Virginia.
We are now offering coverage through MORE insurance companies to find the best fit for your insurance needs.
Our offices are now at:
9170 Prince William Street
Manassas, Virginia 20110
And our mailing address is P.O. Box 1219 Manassas, VA 20108-1219
Office hours: 8:30AM through 5:00PM Monday through Friday
Phone us at (703) 866-7777
or call Brown's Insurance at (703) 368-0333
choose extension 505 for Aaisha, or extension 403 for Savi.
NEW EMAILS: [email protected] for Aaisha
and [email protected] for Savi
Note: If you need to pay your premium by check but the drive to Manassas is too far, we can take your check by phone at no additional charge.
Continue to WWW.BROWNSINSURANCE.COM
© 2018, 2019 Brown's Insurance Agency, Inc. | {
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Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption The students' union is setting up emergency bubble wrap-bursting sessions
University students have ordered hundreds of metres of bubble wrap to burst as a way of relieving exam stress.
The University of Leicester students' union is planning "bubble wrap stations" where students can relax by popping the packaging material.
Puppies will also be brought in to soothe stressed-out students.
Michael Rubin, president elect of the students' union, said "mental well-being is a top priority" during exams.
The students claim that the instant gratification of popping bubble wrap is a better relaxant than meditation or yoga.
Petting zoos
There will also be a more traditional form of emergency support, with free tea on offer.
"We know how stressful exams can be," says Mr Rubin.
Nia Phillips, a media and sociology student, says many students "may feel too ashamed to speak out about exam stress".
And she says that public events aimed at reducing stress can help students "without having to announce to anyone how they're feeling".
Petting zoos have become a feature of stress-busting during university exams.
Last week, at Bath Spa University, a petting zoo was set up outside the university library, offering such diversions as stroking goats and feeding ducks.
Earlier in the year, Leicester had tested its own animal relaxation, with a cow, goat, geese, chickens and a Shetland pony.
This has become an international phenomenon. Last week, the University of Canberra ran a stress-busting week, offering a petting zoo, with piglets and lambs, and a pop-up pub.
However there have been animal rights' challenges to the concept of a petting zoo.
Stirling University decided against a petting zoo after being contacted with concerns about the welfare of animals.
Animal rights' campaigners, Peta, welcomed the decision by Stirling students, saying it would spare animals the "stress of travel, confinement and handling".
They recommended bouncy castles or back massages as alternative options.
Such experiments can be problematic in other ways.
Earlier this month, at a university in Missouri in the United States, a bear cub in a petting zoo bit one of the students.
The university then had to put out a statement to say that the bear did not have rabies.
Appropriately for the exam season, the university said: "The bear cub does not have to go through any additional testing and will be spared." | {
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By ZEKE MILLER, CATHERINE LUCEY and JOSH LEDERMAN
SINGAPORE (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to depart early from his unprecedented summit with Kim Jong Un, the White House said Monday, declaring that nuclear talks with North Korea have moved “more quickly than expected.”
Trump had been scheduled to fly back to Washington on Wednesday morning after spending Tuesday with the North Korean leader in Singapore. But on the eve of the summit, he altered his schedule, opting to return at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday after a full day of meetings with Kim — almost 15 hours earlier than previously anticipated.
“The discussions between the United States and North Korea are ongoing and have moved more quickly than expected,” the White House said in a statement.
It wasn’t immediately clear what specific progress, if any, had been made in preliminary discussions between U.S. and North Korean officials in the run-up to the Tuesday summit. In fact, only hours before the White House announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had seemed to lower expectations for the meeting, which Trump had earlier predicted could potentially yield an on-the-spot deal to end the Korean War.
“We are hopeful this summit will have set the conditions for future successful talks,” Pompeo said on Monday evening.
The summit — the first ever between a sitting American president and North Korea’s leader — was to kick off at 9 a.m., the White House said. After greeting each other, the two leaders planned to sit for a one on one meeting that a U.S. official said could last up to two hours, with only translators joining them. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the plans and insisted on anonymity.
The White House said the daylong summit would also include a working lunch and a larger meeting involving aides to both leaders. On the U.S. side, Trump was to be joined by Pompeo, chief of staff John Kelly, national security adviser John Bolton and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, along with a few others.
Before flying home, Trump planned to speak to reporters in Singapore after concluding the summit, the White House said.
The last-minute change of schedule came as both sides finalized preparations for the meeting. Trump on Monday forecast a “nice” outcome, while Kim spent the day out of view. | {
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People who have known John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE for years say no one should expect the White House chief of staff to act like a career politician.
They say the Kelly who offered a detailed and moving account of how the bodies of soldiers killed in action are packed in ice before being transported back to their families is the same man they’ve known for years — someone who speaks his mind and feels deeply about service to the country.
They also recognize the Kelly in his sharp and combative attack on Rep. Frederica Wilson Frederica Patricia WilsonHarris calls it 'outrageous' Trump downplayed coronavirus House passes bill establishing commission to study racial disparities affecting Black men, boys Florida county official apologizes for social media post invoking Hitler MORE (D-Fla.), who appeared to offend the former Marine general with her participation on a call President Trump made to a fallen soldier’s widow. Kelly’s response angered congressional Democrats.
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And they haven’t been surprised that Kelly has sometimes fallen into controversy — first with the attack on Wilson, and later with televised comments in which he said the Civil War was caused by a failure to compromise.
“I think John does speak his mind and says what he thinks,” former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, for whom Kelly served as a senior military aide during his time at the Pentagon, said in an interview with The Hill.
“The thing that John is not, really, is a politician. He’s never played that role.”
Panetta and others say Kelly is unaccustomed to the political spotlight.
Before becoming chief of staff, he served as Trump’s secretary of Homeland Security for a little more than six months — but before that had not held a politically appointed position.
Since taking over the White House job, Kelly has undertaken a brutal schedule. He’s up at 5:30 a.m. every morning and at his desk by 7 a.m. He doesn’t leave the White House until night — a schedule typical for a presidential chief of staff.
Some blame his comments about the Civil War at least in part on that marathon schedule.
“By 5 p.m. he’s been on the job almost 12 hours. I don’t know when they taped that news segment, but he looked tired to me,” said the source close to Kelly. “Now you’re answering questions in front of millions of people. He’s not really trained for that.”
The source added: “He gets his hands burned by saying a comment and trying to describe his sense. He doesn’t desire the stage. That has caused some setbacks on him. He’s telling his own personal opinion and people are attacking him from a different perspective.”
Perceptions about Kelly have changed in the last six weeks.
Kelly is one of several generals working in high-profile positions for Trump, and was initially cast by some as a career servant of sorts focused more on keeping the government functioning than in carrying out a political agenda for the president.
He has consolidated power within the White House, jettisoning freelancers such as short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucci and chief strategist Stephen Bannon, who had his own line to the president that went around Kelly’s predecessor as chief of staff, Reince Priebus.
The seemingly anguished expressions on his face during Trump’s controversial remarks about how there were good people on both sides of the white supremacist marches in Charlottesville, Va., in August played into the narrative of Kelly as a public servant holding things together.
But since then, it’s become more clear that Kelly shares some views with Trump and others in the administration, particularly on national security and immigration.
Kelly reportedly told other members of the administration that if it were up to him, the number of refugees the United States would accept each year would be between zero and one. The administration decided to limit the number of refugees in the next year to 45,000 — the lowest level since the Reagan administration.
This week, reports emerged of Kelly’s frustration about a pending Homeland Security Department decision on tens of thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans who had been given temporary residence. Kelly, along with White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert, reportedly pressured acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke to expel them.
Sources say that Kelly’s views on immigration and border control, which have been criticized as hard-line, come from his sharp focus on staunching the illegal drug trade when he led U.S. Southern Command.
“He has no reservation that we need stronger border control,” said the source who has known Kelly for decades. “It's very much a personal thing for him.”
The high-profile political role is new for Kelly, who spent more than four decades in uniform separated from the partisan feuds in Washington.
Those who know Kelly the general describe him as a genuine, frank and approachable man.
“He is a Marine first and foremost. He basically spent his life in the Marine Corps in various roles, obviously went to war, led troops into battle, and felt very strongly about the Marine Corps,” Panetta said.
“Semper Fi is something that is part of his very fiber as a human being.”
Kelly was born into a working class Irish Catholic family in Boston. He began his career with the Marines in 1970, rising through the ranks to serve in a number of high-profile positions.
“I grew up in Boston in a very, very, very Marine town,” he told NPR in a 2015 interview. “So back in my neighborhood in Boston, a working-class neighborhood, when you got your draft notice, you went down, and you took your draft physical. And then, if you passed it, you joined the Marine Corps.”
Kelly served as the Marine commandant’s liaison officer to the House of Representatives in the mid-1990s and went on to serve three tours in Iraq. In 2010, Kelly’s son died in battle in Sangin, Afghanistan, an event that has had a tremendous impact on his life.
“I can remember going with him to Arlington to visit his son’s gravesite and that was just, for me, a very moving experience, but I think it also told me a lot about John and the sense of loss that he experienced from this, when he lost his son,” Panetta said.
It was Gen. Joseph Dunford, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and one of Kelly’s closest friends, who delivered the news that his son had been killed in Afghanistan.
Kelly has delivered striking speeches reflecting on loss and honoring American service members, one commemorating Veterans Day in 2010 — just two days after his son’s death.
“We read that speech back in Afghanistan and it was pretty f------ powerful,” said one Marine who served alongside Kelly’s son.
In 2011, Kelly became the senior military assistant to then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and later to Panetta.
“We developed, obviously, a strong relationship. I think because I am a son of Italian immigrants and his mother is Italian, even though his name is Kelly,” said Panetta. “We both in many ways came from the same backgrounds and share some of the same values, and I think as a result just built a strong relationship during the time I was secretary.”
President Obama chose Kelly to lead Southern Command in early 2012, putting him in charge of national security operations covering a vast region that includes Central and South America and Guantanamo Bay.
There, Kelly was known for speaking his mind, publicly objecting to the Obama administration’s efforts to shutter the military prison at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and to open up all combat jobs to women.
Less than a year into retirement from the Marines, Trump, then president-elect, chose Kelly to serve as his secretary of homeland security. He was confirmed in an 88-11 vote on Inauguration Day.
Kelly won the ire of congressional Democrats for lashing out at Wilson for what he said was her for bragging about securing federal funding for a field office in her state in 2015, an allegation that was later disproven.
“[For] Kelly to do that, I got to tell you, it is shocking to the conscience,” Rep. Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene CummingsBlack GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview Overnight Health Care: US won't join global coronavirus vaccine initiative | Federal panel lays out initial priorities for COVID-19 vaccine distribution | NIH panel: 'Insufficient data' to show treatment touted by Trump works House Oversight Democrats to subpoena AbbVie in drug pricing probe MORE (D-Md.) told CNN. “And you know what I'm afraid of, you know, a lot of people look at President Trump and hear the various insulting things he says, and I'm hoping that that is not metastasizing to General Kelly, because, again, I think he — I find him to be an honorable man.”
The controversy initially erupted because Wilson had criticized Trump’s comments to a Gold Star widow, suggesting they were insensitive.
Kelly has refused to apologize, and a source close with Kelly said the controversy over the remarks “destroyed his heart” because he had given Trump advice about making the call.
Panetta, who advised Kelly on the challenges of serving as chief of staff when he took the job, said Kelly “has to be careful” not to undermine his credibility as chief of staff.
“That’s where I think John just has to be careful that when he’s asked to do those things, that he understands that he’s really got to think about what he does say, recognizing that it can be misinterpreted, recognizing that it can become controversial,” he said. | {
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If you're expecting a plethora of new cannabis-infused products to hit the Canadian legal market next week, prepare to be disappointed.
It looks like most cannabis producers will be making their first foray into the cannabis-infused market with only a handful of products before rolling out their full portfolio over the next year. Some companies are choosing to hold off on selling Cannabis 2.0 products next week, pausing their plans to ensure they meet safety and quality standards.
Cannabis-infused vape devices will be the first major product that most pot companies make available Dec. 16, the day when infused offerings will be legally available for sale in Canada. As well, prices for all these next-generation products are expected to vary from producers' suggested retail pricing due to the fragmented nature of provincial wholesale operations in the country.
A Pax Labs Inc. Era cannabis vaporizer and a Bloom Farms cannabis oil pod are arranged for a photograph in Berkeley, California, Oct. 23, 2018. Bloomberg/Cayce Clifford
The vape market is expected to be crowded, however, with Health Canada noting that more than 700 different cartridge-based vaping systems have been submitted to the regulator for sale in Canada, with more than 50 licensed producers expected to sell vapes in the country.
Michael Freeman, an analyst with Raymond James, said the slow rollout of cannabis-infused products reflects lessons learned from last year when many companies released items without knowing what customers wanted.
"They went into the market without a lot of market intelligence that led to an error in market understanding and consumer behaviour," Freeman said in a phone interview with BNN Bloomberg, adding that Canopy Growth Corp. booked a steep writedown after its softgels didn't sell as well as the company anticipated.
"For product formats that are more difficult and expensive to produce, there'll be a more methodical and intentional approach to their rollout."
Freeman also noted some of these products may be delayed because producers often don’t have the necessary manufacturing expertise.
"Many companies haven't figured out how to properly test a cookie or chocolate yet," he said.
Cannabis edibles. BNN Bloomberg/David George-Cosh
Companies like Cronos Group Inc., Organigram Holdings Inc., and Aphria Inc. will be solely making vape products available for sale next week, with other items, such as extracts and edibles, to be rolled out next year.
Eric Klein, the head of marketing for Cronos, told BNN Bloomberg in a phone interview that the company's focus on launching vape devices first comes as the market for cannabis-infused vapes is "unproven."
"Being first doesn't necessarily earn you the right to win," Klein said. "Having the right proposition is more important to us than your launch time."
Klein added the company spent a significant amount of time internally constructing proprietary vape devices that emphasized safety and consistency alongside counterparts at Altria Inc., the tobacco company which invested $2.4 billion in Cronos in March. For example, Cronos designed its vapes with stainless steel rather than brass to avoid rust and heavy metal leakage, customized their heating element and improved their battery technology to prevent overcharging, he said.
When it comes to edibles, only a handful of companies will have those products available next week.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. will make gummies under its Drift and San Rafael brands available for sale in flavours such as pineapple and blue raspberry and packaged with five pieces at two milligrams of THC each. It will also sell caramel and chocolate squares, chocolate truffles, mints, cookies and vapes, all with various amounts of THC.
Canopy Growth already showcased its Cannabis 2.0 products during several media events over the past few months. The world's biggest cannabis company will have several vape devices on the market — disposables, so-called "510" cartridges and closed pod systems — as well as a lineup of infused beverages ranging from two milligrams of THC and CBD to 10 milligrams of THC. It will also sell three kinds of chocolate bars with each square containing two milligrams of THC.
Canopy Growth's cannabis-infused-beverage machine. BNN Bloomberg/David George-Cosh
However, Canopy is pushing the release of its vapes and edibles to January rather than making them available next week, the company stated in a recent release.
Organigram will also make its infused chocolates available sometime in the first quarter of the year, while its powdered products that can be added to drinks will come in the second quarter of 2020, CEO Greg Engel told BNN Bloomberg recently.
Nanaimo, B.C.-based Tilray Inc. said in a statement last month it will have a range of cannabis-infused chocolates, mints, baked goods, and gummies rolled out over the course of the next year, but a spokesperson declined to provide specifics on timing.
Meanwhile, some cannabis producers are holding off entirely on selling their next generation cannabis-infused products until sometime next year.
WeedMD Inc. said it expects to sell its vape devices as well as extract products in the first quarter of next year as it still needs its quality assurance team to complete their review of the new offerings before submitting them to Health Canada for final approval, said Marianella Delabarrera, the company's spokesperson, in an email to BNN Bloomberg.
Hexo Corp. Chief Executive Officer Sebastien St-Louis said his company is holding off its national rollout of Cannabis 2.0 products until the first half of next year to make sure it has its supply chain set in place to avoid any logistical hiccups.
"Nowadays, any prelude without being in the market is useless because investors are waiting to see the numbers and I don't want to tip off my competitors on what I'm doing," St-Louis said.
St-Louis said the company does plan to have products like vapes and cannabis-infused beverages hit the market sometime next year. Its vape products are currently undergoing clinical trials for effectiveness, data that he hopes will help convince provincial policymakers in Quebec to lift their ban on vaping devices.
"We want to be doubly sure that our products are safe," he said. "We're waiting from data [from third-party testing] to make sure there are no adverse reactions."
Cannabis Canada is BNN Bloomberg’s in-depth series exploring the stunning formation of the entirely new — and controversial — Canadian recreational marijuana industry. Read more from the special series here and subscribe to our Cannabis Canada newsletter to have the latest marijuana news delivered directly to your inbox every day. | {
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Right. I've struggled with this issue for a very long time, and I'm just going to come out and say something, even if that means I'll never get a god-damn star.
Before you label me as a 'concern troll' and throw me out the window, let me tell you that I believe that larger people should NOT be shamed or mocked, that yes, they are people too, and that yes, it is totally their right to look however they want, weigh whatever they want, and have whatever health they want. I agree that there are major body image problems in western media and we need to re-normalize our standards of popularly displayed people to include people of all shapes and sizes.
But it irks the SHIT out of me when I hear this: "BMI is not an indicator of health!" and leave it at that. Ok, maybe it's not in all cases. But 1, it's actually alright for many, many people, especially if you're not borderline. 2, BMI aside, waist-to-hip ratio, fat caliper measurements, body fat percentage... any measurement you want to choose - these are linked to a higher incidence of breathing problems, cardiovascular problems, diabetes... The scientist in me screams when we act like this isn't the case. IT FUCKING IS.
Now if someone wants to choose to put their health at risk, that's their own damn prerogative. But I feel like we're throwing the baby out with the bath water here. We don't have to body snark and shame larger people to continue to say "actually, losing weight if you're majorly obese has been shown by all the evidence to improve just about all aspects of your health, and since we care about the health and happiness of other people, this is an issue that I would like to spread. But if you chose to ignore it, that's fine too."
It's really great that all the large people who hang out on Jezebel are super-fit (or that's the impression I get) but all my friends who are obese can barely keep up with me when I walk a little too quickly, and running is out of the question. They are in their early/mid-twenties and are already plagued by sleep apnea, diabetes (type II), and hardened arteries. And yet they don't think it's an issue. I've asked them, and they think it's not a big deal because almost everyone they know is that way, and everyone they know is unconcerned about their weight - they do not link, honestly, and I've discussed this (we're very good friends, and quite honest), weight with their health problems. The health problems just happen to everyone they know (most of whom are obese as well in their families), and it's something that the doctor will fix. When the doctor tells them 'oh you have sleep apnea' they don't say 'oh I should try and lose some weight!' they go 'how much is a CPAP?'
So while it's really easy for Jezzies to say 'EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT WEIGHT AND HEALTH, DUH!" Well, maybe on Jezebel they do, but in the real world, they fucking don't. And while I'm all about body acceptance, I'm not ready to throw out lack of actual knowledge about their medical issues and actual scientific evidence. You can be open, embracing of all body images, encouraging of personal freedom about body image, and still honest about what's been proven in study after study.
So no, I don't have the answer, maybe someone does. But my guess is that a lot of the people on this post who have been labeled as 'concern trolls' are actually people who agree with me - no shaming, and no de-personification, and total support of your own freedom to do what you like with your body, but also cringing whenever we see another Jezzie throw out all links of weight/fat % and health. Why can't we just say 'yes, body snarking is very bad, and it's stupid' and end the argument there, without then going on to say about how science is wrong wrong wrong? Let's tackle the social problem on one end, and the health problem on the other (so we can actually work with the science instead of against it) and create a happier place for all.
Anyway, that's my rant, and I'm sorry for anyone else in this post who has been too scared to say anything (like me) for fear of being mocked and ignored, and for anyone who was labeled a concern troll when they actually are concerned and as anti-all-the-bad-stuff as anyone else on the site, just hates to see the science mocked.
It's times like this when I'm sad because I feel like the whole issue is totally verboten on Jezebel so we don't even get to have a real exchange of ideas. Because anyone who doesn't say the prescribed words just gets labelled and ignored. And yes, I'm sure some are just concern trolling, but our eagerness to label everyone with differing opinion or raising a concern as a troll just stifles the discussion, which is really the best thing about Jezebel. The end. | {
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On Monday, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough warned that Democrats might lose in November, because despite President Trump’s unpopularity among many, the president has achieved many conservative goals.
“The question Democrats should be asking themselves today is whether Trump’s expanding populist checklist will energize the conservative base in November enough to keep his congressional handmaidens in charge,” Scarborough wrote. “Unless Democrats find their voice and an alternative to Trump’s bleak agenda, his pathetic populist shtick might just do the trick this fall.”
Scarborough claims to be a Republican, and he once represented the GOP in Congress, but liberal slant dominated every word of this Washington Post column. Even so, the MSNBC host discovered a very pertinent point: Trump has been delivering on conservative policies far more than the #AntiTrump Republicans anticipated. Not all of the president’s achievements are “populist,” but they will resonate among conservatives in November.
The MSNBC host essentially accused Republicans of selling their souls for Donald Trump. While it seemed at first like they had gained little in return, Scarborough had the vision to admit that the “blundering billionaire has actually begun to fill his political trophy case with victories sure to inspire the conservative base.”
Republican candidates justifying their support for Trump can point to many concrete achievements. “For starters, they can point to Trump’s conservative judicial nominees beyond [Supreme Court Justice Neil] Gorsuch as cause for celebration,” Scarborough admitted. The list actually proved quite expansive.
Their “talking points can also include massive tax cuts, a bigger military budget, regulatory reform and the gutting of the Environmental Protection Agency,” the MSNBC host noted. “Other wedge-issue winners include the planned withdrawal from the Paris climate accords, scrapping of the Iran nuclear deal, undermining Obamacare, moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, attacking federal employee unions and promoting extreme immigration policies. Add to that the mocking of political correctness and identity politics, and you have a platform sure to inspire the activists who drive today’s Republican Party.”
To be clear, the MSNBC host does not support any (?) of these policies. He merely admits that they might play well to many voters in November. “While many of these policies will drive up the federal debt and diminish U.S. power across the globe, and will likely be reversed by a stroke of his successor’s pen, Trump’s list of ‘accomplishments’ are scratching an ideological itch that establishment Republicans could never reach,” Scarborough wrote.
As if his attack on these policies were not clear enough, he emphasized that these things would “prove to be disastrous in short order.”
“But Trump is not concerned with history’s judgment,” the self-assured fake Republican liberal proudly wrote. “He simply wants to stay out of jail and complete his first term.”
Stay out of jail? Oh right, Scarborough thinks the president should be in jail for “colluding” with the Russians. For the MSNBC host, Donald John Trump is the devil.
While Scarborough deserves credit for admitting that Democrats are in trouble, he only came to this conclusion after many paragraphs of lambasting Trump.
“It has been hard to grasp why so many conservatives would sell their political souls to a man who wallows in racist stereotypes, questions federal judges’ legitimacy, flogs the free press, undermines Madison’s constitutional norms, declares war on America’s intelligence community, and attacks Justice Department and FBI leaders he appointed for refusing to kill special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation,” the MSNBC host wrote. Some of those criticisms are genuine, but most are ridiculous overstatements: “flogs the free press”? Really?
Even in his paragraph opening up the idea that Trump has accomplishments to present to conservative voters, Scarborough got in a few jabs at the president: “Republican candidates justifying their support for a man who lies about payoffs to porn stars, lies about policies that rip infants from their mothers’ arms and lies about the existence of White House staffers speaking on his own behalf now have more than Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch to justify their devotion to the ‘carnage’ president.”
As for lying about “the existence of White House staffers,” that charge is particularly rich, seeing as it is the media’s twisting of Trump’s insistence that his staffer did not say negotiations with North Korea were “impossible,” as The New York Times reported. Video has since emerged proving that the staffer did not call the negotiations impossible, but instead of admitting fault, the Times twisted Trump’s words, accusing him of saying his own staffer didn’t exist.
Yes, many Republicans who support Trump firmly today did oppose him at one point. Scarborough rightly noted that “House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) declared a Trump comment to be a ‘textbook‘ example of racism before quickly endorsing him. Mike Pence told friends and political allies that the New York billionaire was an unacceptable Republican nominee before eagerly accepting a spot on Trump’s ticket.”
Many Republicans opposed Trump, but when he won the GOP nomination and then the presidency, they came around. Trump has proven better than many #NeverTrump conservatives warned he would (this writer included). That doesn’t erase Trump’s past — Scarborough recalled many offensive statements the candidate made on the campaign trail and before, along with the scandals over his alleged relationships with porn stars.
Liberals can berate Trump all day, every day — do they do anything else? — but at the end of the day, he is the president. Conservatives need to evaluate candidates based on their values, their promises, and what the Republican Party has achieved.
Like it or not, Trump is president. How will each candidate deal with that reality? Will a Democrat who excoriates Trump stonewall any potential progress by constantly pushing for his impeachment? Will a Republican champion the best parts of Trump’s accomplishments and do the best he or she can to further a conservative agenda?
The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate will be different this time next year. Voters have choices to make. Scarborough is right: the GOP does have concrete achievements to bring back to voters, and the Democrats have only excuses for why they refused to work with the majority party.
Recent polls suggest the Democratic advantage might be shrinking. Joe Scarborough helped explain why. | {
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Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Overnight Defense: House Democrats unveil stopgap spending measure to GOP opposition | Bill includes .6B for new subs | Trump issues Iran sanctions after world shrugs at US action at UN Navalny calls on Russia to return clothes he was wearing when he fell ill MORE plans to switch President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE's proposed ambassador to Australia to instead be the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, The Washington Post reports.
A senior White House official told the Post that the administration is planning to re-nominate Adm. Harry Harris, a pick that had been approved by the Australian government to be an ambassador to that country, to be his nominee for South Korea envoy.
Harris, who is currently the head of U.S. Pacific Command and was expected to retire this year before being called to serve in Australia, has reportedly told Pompeo he is willing to serve in South Korea.
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Harris's hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was going to be held on Tuesday, but the administration asked for it be postponed.
Marc Knapper has been serving as charge d’affaires leading the U.S. Embassy in Seoul for the past 15 months, but the Post reported that Pompeo wants to move Harris to South Korea because of the urgency to fill the post with one of Trump's nominees as talks with North Korea over its nuclear program ramp up.
Trump is expected to participate in a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sometime in May or June to discuss North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
An official announcement on Harris’s new nomination is expected shortly after the president gives his final approval, the Post reported.
Still, Harris's nomination to serve as the top ambassador to South Korea will likely take some time.
Democrats could also use it to extract more details from the administration about its strategy for the talks with North Korea, the Post noted. | {
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’s debutconfounded genre readers and absolutely amazed readers and authors alike with its dark tone and fantastic prose. She then followed her debut with fantastical tales of angels, daimons, and mankind in 1930 turbulent Spain.are giving away three copies of "” Omnibus to Three Lucky Winners!!!To enter, please send an email to [email protected] with your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject:. Giveawayand was open to participantsThank you for entering and Good Luck!Open To AnyoneOnly One Entry Per Household (Multiple Entries Will Be Disqualified)Must Enter Valid Email Address, Mailing Address + NameNo Purchase NecessaryGiveaway has ENDEDWinners Will Be Randomly Selected and Notified By EmailPersonal Information Will Only Be Used In Mailing Out the Books To The Winner | {
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When I was first exposed to a charismatic worship service, I experienced a bit of sensory overload. The shouting, the lights, the blowing of the shofar, the rapid speaking in tongues, the bodies twisting and falling over… it was all new and a bit much. Over time I learned to deal with flags, the arms raised and bodies swaying, and I even came to admire it and eventually participate in these forms of worship. That said, there was a long while where I could not help but judge the wackier practices and expressions of faith taking place. In fact, I still probably do judge these things. The “fire prayer” specifically annoyed me a great deal. For those foreign to charismania, this is when somebody lays hands on an individual and repeatedly declares “fire.” I dismissed it as manipulative and a futile attempt at prayer (and spirituality). Yet I saw people fall down, shake, and weep as the chant of fire, fire, fire came out of the mouths of those ministering.
Now, the fire tunnel was even more of a joke. The picture above illustrates what they look like. A train of people go through a tunnel of those offering “ministry,” and hands are briefly laid on people for prophecy and prayer. Often those ministering simply yell “fire!” And again, I would see people very visible affected and moved by this experience. People would come out of the fire tunnel basking in the love of God, sometimes with uncontrollable laughter and other times in quiet tears.
Despite seeing all of this, I still could not help but think that these sincere, good people were obviously unwell.
I remember a few nights where I looked across the sanctuary and saw people laughing. I was genuinely disgusted by what I perceived to be irreverent, and thought it was either a mental health issue or a demon. One day, though, in all my doubt and cynicism, I found myself laughing for over 30 minutes during ministry time, having what old school Pentecostals would call a “glory fit.” I felt consumed by joy and overcome by the love of God. I was physically sore for days.
After many months of worshiping alongside charismatics, I began having more and more emotional, strange, mysterious, and mystical experiences. My judgement towards the phenomena associated with Toronto Blessing and “river churches” started to die down, as I found myself laughing, weeping, shaking, and even struck completely still by God. I kept finding myself humbled by having the value of what I judged proven to me by the Holy Spirit herself.
Though I kept having my concept of discernment obliterated by the Holy Spirit, I still held on to as much cynicism as I could. Yes, I speak in tongues—and I even shake from time to time in prayer—and I have laughed in the Spirit and fell over before—but no, no, no, that ‘fire’ prayer is still ridiculous. As much as I felt so convinced of this, and as silly as the whole fire tunnel thing seemed, I jumped out of my seat when a fire tunnel was forming during one night of worship. Perhaps I was testing God, or perhaps it was a push from the Spirit, or maybe I just wanted to experientially know that this was nonsense—I have no idea, but I joined the train into the tunnel. A few people shouted five to ten word prophecies over me, and some laid hands longer than others to pray something coherent, but then I reached an old sweaty lady and she quickly laid hands and she prayed that goofy prayer: FIRE! As she shouted, immediately my body started getting warm and I began trembling. My knees grew too weak to remain standing so I jumped out and laid on the floor. A modesty cloth was immediately placed on my exposed navel as I twitched away with a heart swollen with love.
I encountered God through an absurd medium. The woman who was praying for me was dripping makeup on me as she passionately cried out to God a simple prayer. More drops of sweat came off her face than words out of her mouth. Perhaps she was authoritatively imparting grace into my life, or perhaps she was interceding on my behalf, but whatever she did worked. I met God in the sweat, in the shouts, in the absurdity.
There is something profoundly incarnational when God peeks through these silly things. These moments are so intensely human and yet, in that, divine. I would think that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t waste her time on these bizarre attempts to know and experience her, but maybe she does value the wacky ways we approach her. Maybe all our ways of approaching her are kind of wacky. There’s a lot of pretension and arrogance and hard-heartedness in so many of our prayers and maybe she’s just so excited to have some willingness, some yielding, some raw love, that she can handle a little bit of our ridiculousness.
There is something about such clumsy devotion that reveals the Incarnation so clearly. I’ve had similar experiences in the Society of Friends, with vocal ministries reflecting this union of Humanity and Divinity in Christ. I’m not talking about the attempts at being thought-provoking and heart-warming, that we so often see in liberal meetings, but I’m talking about that eccentric, sometimes hard to follow, but brimming with God kind of message. Something holy was surfacing through this goofiness. You may be listening and growing impatient with what seem to be tangents but find yourself at the end of the message with a heavy silence, finding the Seed in you growing, with a few rising queries that you cannot help but lean into.
I cannot help but think of Mary Magdalene’s odd devotion to Jesus in John 12, as she poured expensive ointment on his feet and washed them with her hair. How bizarre, how strange, and even irresponsible. Judas Iscariot called out Mary for her irresponsibility, for being wasteful, but Jesus affirmed Mary’s extravagant and strange devotion. He was thankful, even if it was ridiculous. I would even say that I’m confident that Jesus accepts us in such a way. He likes how odd we are. Something of God surfaces in us when we are odd, truly and rawly ourselves. He delights in it.
May we be willing to reach for God and their love with all that we are. Even if it makes us shake, scream, weep, laugh for hours, prophesy judgment, march naked, taunt the bourgeoisie, etc. Even if it makes us seem all kinds of strange, wild, and foolish. With each other, for each other, in the Spirit of the living of God. May we, by God’s grace, strengthen the conviction in the masses that another world is possible. May our circus of disciples reveal that it is in fact here, among us, breaking in, and ready to consume all of creation. | {
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In this short timelapse video, we see a Japanese spider crab shed its old shell. The process rides the line between gross and amazing; for almost a minute it looks like not much is happening, then, boom, a brand-new crab sneaks out! Freaky, indeed. And check out the hordes of tiny crabs running around on the bottom of the tank.
It's worth mentioning that these things can grow to huge sizes in the wild, attaining weights over 40 pounds (!!) with a 12-foot claw-to-claw span. This is all by way of saying, I welcome our giant crab overlords. Enjoy six hours compressed into less than two minutes (without sound):
For a bit more on these crabs, check out this video showing "Britain's biggest crab":
(Via The Kid Should See This.) | {
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Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Matej Novak
A dying star's final moments are captured in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The death throes of this star may only last mere moments on a cosmological timescale, but this star's demise is still quite lengthy by our standards, lasting tens of thousands of years!
The star's agony has culminated in a wonderful planetary nebula known as NGC 6565, a cloud of gas that was ejected from the star after strong stellar winds pushed the star's outer layers away into space. Once enough material was ejected, the star's luminous core was exposed, enabling its ultraviolet radiation to excite the surrounding gas to varying degrees and causing it to radiate in an attractive array of colors. These same colors can be seen in the famous and impressive Ring Nebula (heic1310), a prominent example of a nebula like this one.
Planetary nebulae are illuminated for around 10,000 years before the central star begins to cool and shrink to become a white dwarf. When this happens, the star's light drastically diminishes and ceases to excite the surrounding gas, so the nebula fades from view.
Explore further Hubble view of a nitrogen-rich nebula | {
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Mark Salter, longtime speechwriter for John McCain, has been revealed by several sources to Time as the anonymous author of "O" the novel, a fictional account of a 2012 presidential run that is supposedly loosely based off Obama's own presidential campaign.
In his 19 years on McCain's staff, Salter has collaborated with McCain on several nonfiction books and speeches. McCain apparently said he and Salter are "like brothers."
Also, it seems the definition of "in the room" is being used rather loosely in this case.
Sources aside, Time also mentions a couple of circumstantial clues that suggest Salter is the mystery author, including:
The "O" publisher Jonathan Karp (at Simon and Schuster) was Salter's editor on books he did with McCain.
(at Simon and Schuster) was Salter's editor on books he did with McCain. Salter's "non-denial denial was the closest to a confession of any suspect who was publicly asked."
There is a story early in the book that would have been known only to a McCain campaign insider such as Salter.
So whose name has now been cleared?
Stephen Colbert ran down the list on his show last night: "author of "Primary Colors" Joe Klein, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, and even Rahm Emanuel (though if Rahm had written it, it would probably be called 'F')."
Publisher Karp even said, "Some people have suggested that it's Stephen Colbert..."
"I suppose it's possible," said Colbert, "I do have frequent episodes where I black out, though I've never woken up with a book before."
Finally, the insider speculation can end! Video below. The Wire even makes a cameo. | {
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Helping out on Thanksgiving doesn’t always mean going to a soup kitchen or volunteering event. Sometimes it can be as simple as reaching out to friends and neighbors to see how they’re doing! This is especially important if you know of anyone who’ll be alone on Thanksgiving Day. Consider inviting them over to eat and spend time with you and your family. | {
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After stepping out of the headlines and into the courtroom as part of a pre-midterms cease-fire, Robert Mueller appears poised to make his dramatic return to national politics with a new set of indictments centered around WikiLeaks and Roger Stone. According to multiple reports, the special counsel has been zeroing in on whether Stone or other Donald Trump associates had advance knowledge of Russia’s hacking of Clinton e-mails, which WikiLeaks later published. (Stone denies this.) A peripheral figure in the Stone saga is, of course, Julian Assange, who founded WikiLeaks in 2006, but has spent the last six years holed up in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, evading authorities in both Sweden and the United States. If Mueller were to make his next move against Stone, he might also be expected to take action against Assange. So it is perhaps unsurprising that Assange’s name also surfaced this week, thanks to a slipup by the Department of Justice.
According to The Washington Post, an August 22 filing in an unrelated case mentions Assange twice by name. Arguing that a case involving a man accused of coercing a minor for sex should be kept sealed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen Dwyer, who is also working on a long-standing case against WikiLeaks, wrote that both the charges and the arrest warrant “would need to remain sealed until Assange is arrested in connection with the charges in the criminal complaint and can therefore no longer evade or avoid arrest and extradition in this matter.” Elsewhere in the filing, Dwyer wrote that “due to the sophistication of the defendant and the publicity surrounding the case, no other procedure is likely to keep confidential the fact that Assange has been charged.” Seamus Hughes, a terrorism expert at the George Washington University, first noted both mentions. “To be clear, seems Freudian, it’s for a different completely unrelated case, every other page is not related to him,” he wrote on Twitter. The office “just appears to have Assange on the mind when filing motions to seal and used his name.”
Exactly what charges Assange is facing remains unclear. In the past, prosecutors have considered conspiracy, violating the Espionage Act, and theft of government property. During the Obama administration, the Justice Department held back on going after Assange amid concerns that doing so was similar to prosecuting a news outlet. (Charging someone for publishing accurate information, Assange’s lawyer Barry Pollack told The Guardian on Thursday, is “a dangerous path for a democracy to take.”) The recently ousted Jeff Sessions, however, took a more Draconian stance on government leaks, and prosecutors were reportedly told over the summer that they could start compiling a complaint. So far, the D.O.J. has not offered further details. “That was not the intended name for this filing,” Joshua Stueve, a spokesman for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, told The New York Times, explaining that “the court filing was made in error.”
Whether Assange will be charged as part of the Russia probe is also unknown, though it seems likely. Presumably, the mention of Assange’s name in legal documents has spooked Trumpworld, which is already on edge in anticipation of the next Mueller bombshell. According to Politico, the White House suspects more indictments are imminent, potentially targeting a cabal of Trump family members and associates for their connections to WikiLeaks. On Wednesday, the special counsel delivered a one-page motion to a Washington judge stating that former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the U.S. and making a false statement in a federal investigation, “continues to cooperate with respect to several ongoing investigations.” Then, on Thursday, Mueller’s office and Paul Manafort’s lawyers jointly requested a 10-day extension to file a report pertaining to the former campaign chairman’s sentencing. | {
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Lara Cuenca Gómez
19/09/2018
El Ejecutivo de Pedro Sánchez ha comenzado a desempolvar este acuerdo político, que lleva casi un año durmiendo en un cajón, poniendo en circulación los fondos y las primeras medidas que ha calificado como ‘más urgentes’. Las asociaciones de mujeres con discapacidad exigen el cumplimiento íntegro del Pacto con especial intensidad, porque confían en que sea la llave para eliminar las barreras materiales y simbólicas que las alejan de la justicia.
Las mujeres con discapacidad fueron especialmente activas en los grupos de trabajo que se pusieron en marcha para confeccionar el Pacto de Estado contra la Violencia de Género, firmado el 28 de septiembre de 2017. También lo están siendo en la exigencia de su cumplimiento, sumándose a los manifiestos y marchas de mujeres que reivindicaban la aprobación del presupuesto asignado para su efectiva aplicación, reclamando al Estado español que realice las reformas legales necesarias que todavía siguen pendientes para que verdaderamente se dé cumplimiento al Convenio de Estambul y que los recursos que se pongan en marcha sean accesibles para todas las mujeres independientemente del tipo de discapacidad que presenten.
El hecho de tener una discapacidad da lugar a formas específicas de violencia machista (que no sufren las mujeres sin discapacidad) y a formas agravadas (de aquellas que nos son comunes). Algo en lo que, hasta hace bien poco, no se fijaba ni el movimiento por los derechos de las personas con discapacidad, ni el movimiento feminista. En la actualidad, persiste una resistencia a considerar a las mujeres con discapacidad como víctimas potenciales de la violencia de género. Esto, por un lado, obedece, como señala María del Carmen Barranco, profesora de Filosofía del Derecho de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid e investigadora del Instituto de Derechos Humanos Bartolomé de las Casas (IDHBC), al concepto que en España manejamos sobre violencia de género, el recogido en Ley Orgánica 1/2004, de 28 de diciembre, de Medidas de Protección Integral contra la Violencia de Género, que solo contempla como tal la ejercida por parejas o exparejas.
Si esto dejó hace tiempo de ser suficiente para las mujeres en general, lo es aún menos para las mujeres con discapacidad: “Pensemos, por ejemplo -señala Irene Vicente Echevarría, investigadora también del IDHBC- en aquellas formas de violencia en las que el agresor no es la pareja o expareja, sino su familia, sus tutores legales…, o en aquellas que tienen lugar en residencias o centros de internamiento y son producidas por sus cuidadores».
Izaskun Jiménez Gómez, técnica de igualdad de la Federación Coordinadora de Personas con Discapacidad Física y Orgánica de Bizkaia (FEKOOR), coincide en que su organización “lleva años machacando con que el término violencia de género no es inclusivo”. «Hay otros agresores que no tienen nexo o lazo de unión con nosotras, que esa ley no recoge y con lo cual nosotras no podemos acceder a todos los recursos, prestaciones y las ayudas que de ella caen. Porque, ¿qué pasa, por ejemplo, con la violencia por omisión de cuidados (abandono) o la violencia institucional?”
El 68% de las mujeres con discapacidad vive en instituciones y la mayoría están expuestas a la violencia de personas de su entorno, ya sea personal sanitario, de servicio o cuidadores. “La institucionalización -señalan desde Fundación CERMI Mujeres- es una forma específica de violencia ejercida hacia mujeres y niñas con discapacidad, que se ven obligadas a vivir en entornos cerrados y segregados como resultado de la única respuesta a su atención y exclusión de la comunidad, lo que supone la negación de sus derechos de plena ciudadanía”. Hay poco espacio para la intimidad en estos lugares. El cuerpo de las mujeres es más accesible, de ‘dominio público’ para el personal del centro.
Otras formas de violencia específica contra las mujeres y niñas con discapacidad son los abortos coercitivos, las esterilizaciones forzosas o las modificaciones de la capacidad de obrar (antes, incapacitaciones legales), ‘prácticas’ que afectan a más mujeres con discapacidad que a hombres con discapacidad y que tienen componentes y/o efectos distintos en ellas que en ellos. Por ejemplo, en el caso de la modificación de la capacidad de obrar, los estereotipos que pesan sobre las mujeres con discapacidad propician que “sus familias, como mecanismo de seguridad, soliciten su incapacidad para someterlas a esterilizaciones y privarlas de sus derechos sexuales y reproductivos. Además, la cultura patriarcal considera a las mujeres con discapacidad más “desvalidas” y en absoluto capacitadas para tomar decisiones relacionadas con su salud, su patrimonio o cuidar a sus hijos e hijas. Bajo ese supuesto manto protector, algunos juzgados las incapacitan y las matan civilmente”, señalaba Laura Seara en la presentación del informe ’Las mujeres con discapacidad en las sentencias de los tribunales españoles’. En el caso de los hombres con discapacidad, la ‘incapacitación’ suele ser por motivos de manejo de su patrimonio. Además, las esterilizaciones forzosas, que sufren especialmente las mujeres con discapacidad intelectual o psicosocial, pueden agravar la situación de indefensión y vulnerabilidad ante los abusos sexuales, porque el agresor no corre el riesgo de que un embarazo se convierta en evidencia del abuso.
El otro motivo de resistencia a considerar a las mujeres con discapacidad como potenciales víctimas de la violencia de género lo encontramos en los estereotipos que presentan a estas mujeres como seres asexuados, infantilizados, percibidos como incapaces de generar deseo sexual y de tener una pareja.
Sin embargo, se estima que aproximadamente un 13% de las mujeres que son asesinadas por sus parejas y/o exparejas cada año en España son mujeres con discapacidad. Y según el informe ‘Violencia de género hacia las mujeres con discapacidad’, elaborado por la Fundación CERMI Mujeres, el 31% de las mujeres con discapacidad ha sufrido violencia machista en algún momento de su vida, más del doble que las mujeres sin discapacidad (12,5%). El informe se basa en una macroencuesta que no contempla violencias contra mujeres incapacitadas e institucionalizadas, por lo que las cifras reales apuntarían a una incidencia aún mayor. En cuanto a violencia sexual, se registran cifras que triplican, e incluso cuadruplican, la media. Fundación CERMI Mujeres reclama una macroencuesta específica sobre violencia de género contra mujeres con discapacidad, así como que se tenga en cuenta la variable de discapacidad en todos los estudios que en materia de violencia de género se hagan en España.
Un sistema de justicia vetado
El Pacto de Estado vendría, en parte, a acabar con la invisibilización de estas agresiones. Entre sus medidas, incluye una reforma de la definición incluida en la L.O. 1/2004 para extenderla a todas las formas de violencia contra las mujeres (las incluidas en el Convenio de Estambul), que también surgen de una sociedad patriarcal y que se ejercen sobre las mujeres por el mero hecho de ser mujeres. Es decir, además de la física, psicológica y sexual, incluiría la violación, la mutilación genital femenina, el matrimonio forzado, el acoso sexual y el acoso por razones de género, las esterilizaciones forzadas o los abortos coercitivos. “Es un buen punto de partida para contribuir a visibilizar el fenómeno”, subraya la profesora Barranco.
Sin embargo, en el paquete de medidas ‘urgentes’ que han iniciado su trámite parlamentario -entre las que se encuentran devolver las competencias a los ayuntamientos en materia de violencia de género, permitir que los menores puedan recibir asistencia psicológica con el consentimiento materno o que sea suficiente un informe de los servicios sociales o especializados para que se reconozca a las mujeres como víctimas de violencia de género, sin que medie denuncia- no se incluye la ampliación del concepto de violencia de género. La ministra de Igualdad ha emplazado a los grupos a que de aquí a final de año se completen todas las medidas de modificación legal que conlleva el Pacto.
Pero no es sólo un problema de conceptos. El acceso a la justicia está vetado para las mujeres con discapacidad. Barreras simbólicas y de accesibilidad – física, cognitiva y sensorial- se interponen entre ellas y la obtención de protección y reparación cuando tratan de hacer valer sus derechos en sede judicial.
Esto, advierte la Fundación CERMI Mujeres, vulnera claramente el artículo 24.1 de la Constitución, que establece que “todas las personas tienen derecho a obtener tutela efectiva de los jueces y tribunales en el ejercicio de sus derechos e intereses legítimos sin que en ningún caso pueda producirse indefensión”. Y, también los consensos internacionales: la Convención sobre la Eliminación de todas las Formas de Discriminación contra la Mujer (art.15) y la Convención sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad (art.13).
Estereotipos que pesan
Si nos atenemos al número de denuncias presentadas por violencia machista por parte de las mujeres con discapacidad o al número de sentencias relacionadas con mujeres con discapacidad, podríamos llegar a pensar que esta violencia como tal no existe, que no es estructural, que se trata, a lo sumo, de ‘casos aislados’.
Para Barranco, el primer obstáculo es que en el caso de mujeres socialmente consideradas dependientes, se tiende a justificar y naturalizar la relación de poder con personas de su entorno. “En la medida en que se considera una situación ‘natural’, no se reacciona frente a ella’, sostiene.
Otras veces, el problema es el desconocimiento: “Las mujeres con discapacidad intelectual no solemos denunciar porque no sabemos que estamos sufriendo violencia de género o porque no sabemos cómo hacerlo y a quién pedir ayuda”, apunta Blanca Torres, integrante del grupo de mujeres de la Asociación para la Atención de Personas con Discapacidad Intelectual Ligera e Inteligencia Límite (Adisli) y experta en violencia de género. De nuevo, los prejuicios hacen que no se trabaje la educación sexual y afectiva con ellas. Torres considera fundamental que puedan realizar formaciones específicas sobre prevención y empoderamiento ante la violencia de género, como las que ella ha realizado en la UNED.
A eso se añade la desconfianza que existe en muchas ocasiones acerca de los testimonios de las víctimas con discapacidad de la violencia machista, especialmente si se trata de mujeres sordociegas o con discapacidad intelectual o psicosocial. Como apunta la investigadora Vicente, “si una mujer sin discapacidad necesita probar que no miente, exagera o se ha buscado la agresión, en el caso de las mujeres con discapacidad esto cobra un nuevo y más profundo sentido”. Así que cuando estas mujeres, que tienen la consideración social de ‘niñas eternas’, verbalizan que están sufriendo violencia de género, su entorno habitual suele quitarle importancia. Y si consiguen superar esa incredulidad inicial, será el sistema de justicia el que vuelva a poner en duda su testimonio. Marian Andrés Acha, integrante de la Comisión de Igualdad de Fekoor, coincide en que en las pruebas periciales y durante la instrucción del juicio “hay muy pocos profesionales que pongan en valor el testimonio de la víctima”.
Mención especial, afirma la profesora Barranco, requieren las mujeres con discapacidad intelectual y psicosocial a las que se les modifica la capacidad de obrar y que, como consecuencia, pueden estar privadas de la posibilidad de acceder a la justicia por sí mismas, si no es a través de una persona intermediaria (tutora o curadora), lo que las sitúa en una situación de especial vulnerabilidad.
Los prejuicios y estereotipos en torno al género y la discapacidad impregnan la labor de los Cuerpos de Seguridad del Estado, la Abogacía, la Fiscalía y la Magistratura, levantando unas barreras actitudinales que impiden el acceso a la justicia en igualdad de condiciones.
La inaccesibilidad de los recursos
Existen otras barreras: las puramente materiales relacionadas con el entorno físico y la comunicación e información, que hacen, como señala Barranco, que la justicia, a veces, no sea accesible para mujeres con discapacidad sensorial o física “y que casi nunca lo sea en el caso de las mujeres con discapacidad intelectual’.
Los recursos existentes para víctimas de la violencia de género no cumplen los requisitos de accesibilidad debido a que manejan todavía el modelo de una mujer estándar, sin ningún tipo de discapacidad, y no suelen estar disponibles en formato braille o en lectura fácil. “Muchas veces las mujeres con discapacidad intelectual no respondemos a las preguntas y nos quedamos retraídas y cohibidas, por el simple hecho de que la información no está adaptada a lectura fácil y por miedo a que piensen que preguntamos mucho, que tenemos muchas dudas”, apunta Torres. “También tenemos miedo, inseguridad, nos sentimos más vulnerables, nos da mucha miedo responder a las preguntas que nos hacen en el juzgado si no estamos acompañadas por alguien que nos dé seguridad y confianza para realizar todos los trámites y papeleos que hay que hacer para poder denunciar”.
Andrés Acha considera “tremendamente horrible” que no permitan a las mujeres con discapacidad acudir a la toma de declaración con su asistente personal, “con lo cual muchas veces se pierde información que la víctima nos intenta dar: por falta de medios o porque no la entendemos”, expone
Que en estas condiciones una mujer con discapacidad consiga llevar a juicio su caso puede considerarse una proeza, afirman desde Fundación CERMI Mujeres. Y las que llegan al recurso, “¿cuentan con intérprete de lengua de signos en sus terapias, asesoramientos jurídicos y sociales?, ¿las profesionales están formadas para atenderlas o, por el contrario, se las está derivando a otros recursos, “especializados”, por así decir, en su discapacidad, como servicios sociales o residenciales disponibles, y no en violencia de género?”, se pregunta la investigadora Vicente.
Pacto de Estado: ¿el final de la revictimización y la impunidad de los agresores?
La suma de todas las barreras tiene dos consecuencias fundamentales: la revictimización de las mujeres con discapacidad y la impunidad de las agresiones. Las barreras no solo impiden que las mujeres víctimas de violencia accedan a la justicia, explica la profesora Barranco, sino que además están generando violencia institucional: “Hay dos violencias: la que sufro y a la que me somete el sistema cuando voy a pedir amparo”, afirma.
El Pacto de Estado puede ser una oportunidad para ponerles fin. Reconoce la necesidad de realizar campañas publicitarias de prevención contra la violencia de género, acoso, agresiones sexuales, etc. incluyendo material accesible; la inclusión en las bases estadísticas oficiales de indicadores por tramos de edad y discapacidad; la progresiva adaptación de los recursos de apoyo y atención; la implementación de medidas de asistencia personal para que las mujeres con discapacidad puedan tomar el control de sus propias vidas, para evitar la violencia familiar o de género y la institucionalización.
Las organizaciones de mujeres con discapacidad reclaman que la formación a la que se alude en el Pacto no sólo vaya dirigida a juristas, sino a todas las y los profesionales que trabajan con las víctimas de violencia machista, como el equipo de valoración pericial, resalta Marian Andrés. Torres coincide: “Hace falta más personal especializado en discapacidad para que las mujeres que vayamos a denunciar estemos más tranquilas y seguras”.
Las mujeres con discapacidad deben participar en esa formación, tanto en su diseño como, en la medida de lo posible, en su impartición, así como en todas las decisiones políticas que se vayan adoptando, insisten las asociaciones. Como señala Mari Carmen Azkona, integrante de la Comisión de Mujer por la Igualdad de FEKOOR, “las mujeres con diversidad funcional debemos estar en todos los foros, también en el ámbito judicial. Porque nosotras somos las protagonistas de nuestra vida y también de lo que queremos reivindicar. Sin nosotras no se va a poder hacer”, concluye.
Este reportaje es una actualización del trabajo final que hizo Lara Cuenca Gómez para el curso online de Periodismo de-generado que impartimos en el Campus Relatoras. Próximamente lanzaremos una nueva edición del curso. Puedes seguir a Relatoras en Facebook o Twitter para estar al día. | {
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It’s official: Starz is the newest contender in the streaming video subscription service space. CEO Chris Albrecht revealed at the Television Critics Association winter press tour his cable company is currently developing its own streaming subscription option.
At this point, Starz has only confirmed its streaming service is in the works. In fact, according to a report from Adweek, Albrecht said there’s “nothing to really talk about” at the moment, noting how the cable company is looking at different ways to distribute content through current partners (like Amazon, where Starz is an add-on subscription option for Prime members) or through new outlets. “It’s an exciting project for us, and when we feel that we have it right, I think we’ll look at some business opportunities and make some decisions on that,” Albrecht stated.
The decision to launch a streaming video service is a complete change of reported plans for Starz. Adweek notes that in early 2015, Albrecht said Starz was “probably far away” from launching an SVOD option. “If you’re running a business, you have to look at what your own opportunities and challenges are, and we’re a premium channel that’s fairly new to the originals business,” Albrecht said. “We want to establish our bona fides with our distributors and with our current subscriber base.”
Starz’s streaming video-on-demand service is undoubtedly an answer to similar services from the network’s competition. Over the last year or so, various cable and broadcast television networks such as CBS, Showtime, and HBO have all launched their own video subscription services. Starz’s decision to create its own service will, of course, only add to the ever-growing pile of SVOD options, but also shows the premium cable network isn’t about to be left out of the streaming subscription game just yet. | {
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The podcast marathon returns to raise money for Child's Play.
It's all over! The telethon was a huge success, and we sincerely thank all the donors, special guests, audience callers, and fantastic NWR staff members who made all this work so well. We did get a recording of the show, warts and all, and we'll be releasing it in parts this week.
Telethon Recording, Part One (3:07:29) - MP3 or AAC
Telethon Recording, Part Two (3:05:43) - MP3 or AAC
Telethon Recording, Part Three (3:09:10) - MP3 or AAC
(We'll leave the original event page below in case you want to see how it all went down!)
We're back with another mega-podcast for charity, all performed live with many opportunities to interact with the NWR crew and our special guests. Please consider supporting this event with a generous donation to Child's Play -- all money goes directly to Child's Play and counts toward our fundraising goals. When certain amounts are reached, we'll unlock another hour of exciting live content!
Join us in the chat room while we're on air. Schedule is below the chat box. Having trouble? You can also connect with a dedicated IRC client. Server: irc.browsingtheinternet.com Channel: #nwr
JIGGAWHAT: An epic, slightly precedented Nintendo/gaming-themed live audio "podcast" telethon
JIGGAWHY: To support Child's Play, a charity that provides toys and games to sick kids
JIGGAWHO: Nintendo World Report staff, special guests, and you!
JIGGAWHEN: Saturday, November 19, 12:00pm (Noon) Eastern until...?
JIGGAWHERE: Right here! Check back for the audio stream, live chat, and donation link.
JIGGAHOW: Magic of the Internet
Here at Nintendo World Report, we've long been supporters of Child's Play, the fantastic charity that provides toys and games to hospitalized kids. If you're not familiar with Child's Play, check out the official website and listen to Jonny's RFN Special interview with Mike Krahulik, co-founder of the charity (and Penny Arcade), way back in 2007. So, when our old friend Karl Castaneda brought us an idea for doing a special, live-streaming podcast to support Child's Play, we got excited. Not only can we do things live that don't make sense in the recorded version, like real-time listener interaction, but the lack of editing means there are fewer constraints on how long the show can run. Then we thought... why not do it telethon-style, all day long? It was amazing last year, and we were able to raise over $2000 for this amazing charity, all thanks to our wonderful listeners and fans!
***If you are new to NWR podcasts, please be advised that the show contains explicit language . We're doin' it for the kids, but the show itself is for grown-ups.***
Content Program and Fundraising Goals
(Note: Schedule and guests are subject to change before and even during the event. Each hour of content will be unlocked when the corresponding donation goal is met. Fundraising goals are totals; i.e. all previous donations are counted toward the amount.)
12:00 EST - Intro / New Business (Free)
1:00 EST - Skyward Sword Spoiler-Free Review Roundtable with Special Guests ($400)
2:00 EST - Listener "Mail" Call-In Bonanza ($800)
3:00 EST - Game of the Year Roundtable ($1200)
4:00 EST - Radio Trivia Live with TYP and Greg ($1600)
5:00 EST - Memoirs of a GameCube w/ Billy Berghammer ($2000)
6:00 EST - Famicast: Live from Japan ($2400)
7:00 EST - NWR Connectivity Jeopardy ($2800)
8:00 EST - Shenanigans! - TBD ($3200)
We will make every effort to obtain a clean recording of this live event, but due to the complex technical nature of doing so, we cannot guarantee a recording will be available later. Please plan to attend the event live if you want to be sure!
Prize List for Trivia Winners (Pick your prize! We'll ship anywhere! No donation required to win.)
Swag:
Professor Layton & The Eternal Diva (DVD, English, Region 1) - Courtesy of UncleBob
Sonic plush headwear
Nintendo pin badge set (Link, Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Luigi) + MGS:Snake Eater 3D Lanyard
Nintendo pin badge set (Link, Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Super Mario, Fox)
Mario Sports Mix T-shirts M,L,XL
Conduit 2 T-shirts M x 2
Disney Guilty Party T-shirt XL
Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion T-shirts XL x 2
Call of Duty 4 T-shirt 2XL
Goldeneye T-shirt L
Rune Factory 2 Plushie
Windwaker Link Plushie
"Booker" Animal Crossing Plushie
"Ghost Mario' Plushie
Street Fighter 3DS T-Shirt (Small)
Street Fighter 3DS Cap
Star Fox 64 3D Scarf
Nintendo 3DS Lanyard
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Lanyard
Check back soon for more gaming swag to be given away during the event!
Games:
Your choice of any WiiWare or Wii Virtual Console game ($10 limit, four winners, U.S. only) - Courtesy of UncleBob
Beat City (DS)
Jam With The Band (DS)
MotoHeroz (WiiWare - Canada Only)
NIS America Pack: Sakura Wars (Wii), Phantom Brave (Wii), Atelier Annie (DS) - Courtesy of NIS America
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (DS)
Fishing Master (Wii)
Check back soon for more games to be given away during the event!
By using the ChipIn feature, 100% of your donation will be sent directly to Child's Play via PayPal (no fees will be deducted, since Child's Play is a non-profit organization). The ChipIn box simply helps us track how much money has been raised through this event. Additional hours of the live show will be unlocked once we reach certain fundraising goals. You can start donating NOW to help make sure this will be an epic event and a big help to Child's Play! We hope to make a rough recording of the entire live show available to each donor and maybe to all RFN subscribers. However, for technical reasons, we cannot guarantee that a recording will be possible. Be sure to attend the live broadcast on November 19th so you don't miss a thing! | {
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This article contains a somewhat niche collection of information: recovery tactics for six of Melee’s low tier characters. For some, this information may only come in handy when trying to style with these low tiers in friendlies. For others who have subjected themselves to the torture that is maining a low tier, this kind of information may prove crucial in garnering positive results of any kind. If low tiers can find their way back to the stage after getting hit, they take care of at least one of the many ways in which higher tier characters can oppress them. In any case, here are the fundamentals for recovering as the next six characters on Melee’s tier list.
Mario:
Though his recovery is far from the best in the game, Mario has a decent set of tools which he can utilize in order to recover, and he is certainly better off than his medicinally trained counterpart. His Up-B, Super Jump Punch, moves upwards at a diagonal angle, covering a decent amount of vertical and horizontal space, and will commonly be used to reach the stage at the end of a recovery sequence. Of course, Mario has several tools which he can mix into these recovery sequences before having to rely on his Up-B.
If Mario has been launched far above and away from the stage, he can use his Side-B, Cape, to slightly propel himself forward while also stalling his air speed momentarily. By button mashing during his Down-B, Mario Tornado, Mario players will make their character gain a slight vertical boost, granting him a little bit of additional vertical mobility if he has fallen particularly far below the ledge.
True to his own games, Mario can wall jump, naturally buffing his recovery on stages with walls. What’s more, if the Mario player Up-B’s into a wall and flicks the control stick the opposite direction, Mario’s Up-B will be cancelled into a wall jump, thus allowing Mario to Up-B a second time. Thanks to his cornucopia of recovery options, Mario has a decent shot at making it back to the stage whether he is far away from or far below the ledge, although there is a bit of technical difficulty when it comes to completing all portions of his recovery sequence successfully.
Young Link:
Young Link’s Up-B, Spin Attack, is mediocre, often causing him to rely on his other recovery options to at least set up his Up-B to the ledge. Young Link can use his hookshot to perform a wall grapple. Most commonly, Young Link players will recover from offstage by air dodging upwards, using the wall grapple to attach to the side of a stage, and then Up-B’ing after releasing from the side of the stage. That being said, Young Link does have a few other tricks which can be used to improve his recovery even further. Notably, Young Link can perform a bomb recovery offstage if he has an active Bomb while he is trying to recover. He does so by Up-B’ing before the Bomb explodes; once it does explode in his hand, he will gain access to another Up-B. He also possesses the ability to wall jump.
In addition, Young Link has a unique tactic known as the “Boomerang Super Jump,” wherein Young Link will leap a great distance into the air if a previously launched Boomerang returns to him while he is tethered to the side of a stage. Naturally, this technique can be hard to implement into practical play, and Young Link rises such a great distance that he may have a hard time landing on the stage without getting punished. However, the latter is somewhat remedied by the fact that the Boomerang Super Jump can be cancelled by performing another aerial action. Players should also note that this technique is only possible on versions 1.0 and 1.1 of NSTC copies of Melee, making its actual competitive uses very limited.
Donkey Kong:
Donkey Kong can be one of the most difficult character to successfully recover with, at least under certain circumstances. His Up-B, Spinning Kong, interestingly grants him an impressive amount of horizontal distance which, when coupled with his heavy weight, gives Donkey Kong an acceptable level of survivability. Unfortunately for him, Spinning Kong provides very little vertical distance, making him effectively helpless if he is spiked or meteor smashed. He can also slightly stall in the air using his Side-B, Headbutt, although this is rarely necessary since his Up-B is usually adequate for making it back to the stage if he is not already below the ledge.
Link:
Link’s recovery is unsurprisingly very similar to that of his younger self, although there are a few slight distinctions of which Link players should be aware. Link’s tether is slightly longer than Young Link’s, allowing him to recover from a little bit farther out. In addition, he can perform his bomb recovery by throwing a Bomb upwards and Up-B’ing into it, gaining his second double jump afterwards. This could at times prove to be more practical than waiting for the Bomb to explode in his hands, as he could plausibly not have enough time for the Bomb to explode before he falls to his demise.
The other aspects of Link’s recovery are worse than those of Young Link. Link’s Up-B provides less vertical distance than Young Link’s, and he also lacks the ability to wall jump, giving him even less leniency in his recovery than Young Link overall. Link can also perform the Boomerang Super Jump, though as previously mentioned, this is highly situational and even impossible on many copies of Melee.
Mr. Game & Watch:
There isn’t much to say about our favorite two-dimensional friend when it comes to recovering. His Up-B, Fire, allows Game & Watch to cover a very large vertical distance, making him somewhat difficult to kill off the bottom. Mr. Game & Watch lacks any additional recovery options though, so his recovery can easily become predictable. Indeed, if the opponent has figured out how to combat Game & Watch’s Up-B, then he has little hope for mixing up his recovery to throw his opponent off-guard.
Roy:
Roy’s recovery is somewhat similar to, though in general worse than, Marth’s. His Side-B, Double-Edge Dance, offers less of a horizontal boost than Marth’s, and it has greater endlag, meaning it cannot be used to stall in the air as many times as Marth’s can. These facts, along with the fact that he falls faster than Marth, leaves Side-B as an underwhelming tool when used for recovering.
Roy’s recovery does gain a little bit of variety due to the unique properties of his Up-B, Blazer. Roy’s Up-B can be angled much more drastically than Marth’s, allowing Roy to go for a straight vertical angle similar to Marth’s Dolphin Slash, or instead to angle the move more horizontally. These properties give Roy a little bit more freedom when picking when and in what positions to Up-B given his distance from the stage.
Once again, this group of characters lacks a coherent standard of recovering ability. While Mario and the Links have technically challenging recoveries which can be difficult to master, Donkey Kong and Mr. Game & Watch have very straightforward recoveries which, though decent, can quickly become predictable. In any case, each of these characters has a decent shot at making it back to the stage upon getting launched. Though these characters and their recovery techniques may be obscure, the final article in this series will cover the most obscure, rarely seen characters in all of Melee.
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El rechazo de PSOE, Unidas Podemos, PP, Ciudadanos y Vox ha impedido este martes que la Junta de Portavoces del Congreso reconsiderara el rechazo de la Mesa de la Cámara a hacer pública la hoja de servicios del policía franquista, el torturador Antonio González Pacheco, 'Billy el Niño'. Se trataba de una petición que había sido formulada por el diputado de EH Bildu en la Cámara Baja, Jon Iñarritu, pero que no ha salido finalmente adelante. Sin embargo, minutos después Unidas Podemos ha rectificado y ha anunciado que votará a favor de la iniciativa en cuanto vuelva a llegar a la Mesa de la Cámara.
EXCLUSIVA: La hoja de servicios del torturador 'Billy el Niño'
Saber más
Fuentes de Unidas Podemos habían explicado a este diario a primera hora de la tarde que la información acerca de la hoja de servicios de Billy el Niño "debe ser pública, pero ahora mismo no es legal desclasificarla, tal y como han asegurado los letrados del Congreso. Por ello, nosotras queremos cambiar la ley para que esta información pueda ser pública y además podamos quitarles las medallas a personajes como Billy el Niño", concluían. También buscan modificar la legislación el PSOE y el PNV.
Pese a estas explicaciones Iñarritu se mostraba muy molesto con la posición del grupo confederal. "¡Sorpresa! Unidas Podemos se suma al PP, Vox, Ciudadanos y PSOE en la Junta de Portavoces para vetar que el Gobierno tenga que facilitar la hoja de servicios de Billy El Niño. ¡Otro sapo más!", señalaba en su perfil de Twitter. Junto a EH Bildu han votado a favor de hacer público el historial del torturador ERC, Más País y CUP, según han explicado fuentes parlamentarias.
En declaraciones en el pasillo en el Congreso Iñarritu ha afirmado no entender "el criterio" de PSOE y Unidas Podemos ya que la hoja de servicios "había sido filtrada". "Solicitábamos que se nos facilitara de manera completa", ha recalcado. El diputado de EH Bildu ha anunciado que volverá a presentar la misma solicitud además de una batería de comparecencias parlamentarias.
🟣¡Sorpresa!
ℹ️ Unidas Podemos se suma al PP, Vox, C’S y PSOE en la Junta de Portavoces para vetar que el Gobierno tenga que facilitar la hoja de servicios de “Billy El Niño”.
🐸 ¡Otro sapo más! #MemoriaHistórica pic.twitter.com/jdhZB7pSe9 — Jon Inarritu (@JonInarritu) 4 de febrero de 2020
Minutos después, el portavoz de Unidas Podemos en el Congreso, Pablo Echenique, ha publicado otro tuit justificando su decisión pero asegurando que el grupo rectificará y apoyará hacer público el historial del torturador. "Hoy en la Junta de Portavoces hemos votado en contra de divulgar la hoja de servicios de Billy el Niño porque teníamos dudas jurídicas (nunca de fondo). Hemos estudiado el tema en detalle y hemos reparado en el error. Cuando vuelva la solicitud a la Mesa votaremos a favor", ha señalado.
Hoy en la Junta de Portavoces hemos votado en contra de divulgar la hoja de servicios de Billy el Niño porque teníamos dudas jurídicas (nunca de fondo). Hemos estudiado el tema en detalle y hemos reparado en el error. Cuando vuelva la solicitud a la Mesa votaremos a favor. — Pablo Echenique (@pnique) 4 de febrero de 2020
En declaraciones a la prensa, Echenique ha añadido que "en la próxima mesa" votarán a favor. "Que se publique la hoja de servicios está muy bien pero lo que queremos es que este señor acabe en la cárcel", ha añadido. "Debería ser juzgado por sus crímenes y como mínimo deberían retirársele las medallas. Es una vergüenza que un torturador tenga esas medallas", ha zanjado. Iñarritu ha agradecido después a Unidas Podemos su cambio de parecer.
El vicepresidente Pablo Iglesias también ha reconocido el error y ha pedido perdón a las víctimas del policía franquista: "Nos hemos equivocado en la junta de portavoces y no hay excusa que valga. Las víctimas del torturador Pacheco no merecen vernos fallar. Las buenas intenciones no justifican errores como este. Por suerte podemos rectificar. Mis disculpas avergonzadas a las víctimas".
Hoy nos hemos equivocado en la junta de portavoces y no hay excusa que valga. Las víctimas del torturador Pacheco no merecen vernos fallar. Las buenas intenciones no justifican errores como este. Por suerte podemos rectificar. Mis disculpas avergonzadas a las víctimas https://t.co/FsqmDbXdJ7 — Pablo Iglesias 🔻 (@PabloIglesias) 4 de febrero de 2020
Hace más de un año, en diciembre de 2018, eldiario.es consiguió no obstante acceder a la hoja de servicios del agente más temido del franquismo. Un expediente hasta entonces secreto y que reveló que el Estado gratificaba con reconocimientos públicos y premios en metálico la detención y represión de estudiantes y comunistas.
González Pacheco consiguió ser funcionario en prácticas por oposición el 1 de septiembre de 1969. Tres meses después era subinspector segundo y, a partir de ahí, empezó una escalada de méritos basados en detenciones, desarticulación de grupos comunistas o represión de estudiantes en los años más intensos de las protestas callejeras en España.
Su labor, además de ser premiada con felicitaciones públicas y muchas veces con dinero en metálico, le llevó a ascender "500 puestos" de golpe dos meses antes de la muerte de Franco. Fue el 25 de septiembre de 1975 cuando su expediente, al que tuvo acceso este diario, reflejó que "adelanta 500 puestos en el escalafón que le han sido reconocidos por méritos". Además, desde 1972 a 1982 fue galardonado con cuatro medallas policiales que incrementaron su pensión un 50%. | {
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Red Bull says it must get to the bottom of Mark Webber's ongoing start problems after seeing them cost the Australian another strong result in Belgium.
Webber's campaign has been blighted by a series of poor starts and, at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, his afternoon was hampered when he had another poor getaway from third on the grid.
Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, says the clutch issues are inexcusable and highlight a potential chink in the team's armour that could prove costly as it bids to seal a fourth consecutive world championship title.
"We approach each race as they come, we try to get the best out of the car, we keep pushing in all areas - but there are things we need to improve," said Horner.
"We particularly need to address the start issue with Mark, and have to get on top of that. It has cost us too many points so far."
Horner said that Webber's poor start in Belgium was down to the clutch not working as expected.
Once Webber had dropped down the order there was very little he could do to recover.
"We had a clutch that under delivered and created a horrible start for Mark," explained Horner.
"We could see on the formation lap that the clutch did not appear to be performing as it should. Adjustments were made on the formation lap but the clutch has not delivered as it should have done at the start.
"That compromised him into the first turn and then you are on the back foot from there.
"Fernando [Alonso] got a run on the down hill into Eau Rouge and, after that point, the race became fairly static.
"It was only Fernando who made progress from that point onwards.
"We could close up, but we didn't have enough straightline speed at the end of the straight and we lost ground in the dirty air of the middle sector." | {
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well im not much of artist but im a youtuber that mostly plays competative fighting games and alot of splatoon.
Also I'm 27 | {
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t.A.T.u. also pulls off two surprising victories in our Girl Group Week fan poll!
As Billboard.com's Girl Group Week comes to a close, we wanted to reveal the results of our Girl Group Week Readers' Poll, which allowed pop fans to vote for their favorite girl group albums, songs, music videos and much more. With hundreds of thousands of votes cast in just three days, it's time to congratulate Spice Girls, 2NE1 and Fifth Harmony for emerging from the crowded field of girl groups and coming out on top in some of the biggest categories!
2NE1, the all-girl K-pop group that has recently made an impact in the States, had its album "Crush" voted as the favorite girl group album as a write-in vote, besting full-lengths by Little Mix, Spice Girls and Destiny's Child. The group also was voted the most fashionable girl group, earning 30 percent of the votes in the category.
Meanwhile, the Spice Girls' "Wannabe" was voted the fans' favorite girl group single, with the U.K. collective's only No. 1 Hot 100 single trumping favorites like TLC's "Waterfalls" and Destiny's Child's "Say My Name." And although voters dubbed the Spice ladies the most overrated girl group, Ginger, Sporty, Posh, Baby and Scary also won the category "Girl Group That Needs To Make a Comeback." Start practicing those dance moves now!
Although Fifth Harmony only won one category -- Most Promising New Girl Group -- they did so impressively, taking home a whopping 96 percent of the votes. And finally, provocative pop duo t.A.T.u. also emerged as winners from the Readers' Poll, with fans proclaiming them the most underrated girl group as well as naming their "All The Things She Said" clip as their favorite girl group music video.
Check out the full results from the Girl Group Week Readers' Poll below. And thanks for voting!
Favorite Girl Group Album
1. 2NE1, "Crush" (22%)
2. Little Mix, "DNA" (15%)
3. Spice Girls, "Spice" (12%
Favorite Girl Group Single
1. Spice Girls, "Wannabe" (23%)
2. Destiny's Child, "Say My Name" (15%)
3. Pussycat Dolls, "Don't Cha (7%)
Most Underrated Girl Group
1. t.A.T.u. (27%)
2. Orange Caramel (25%)
3. Sugababes (5%)
Most Overrated Girl Group
1. Spice Girls (37%)
2. Destiny's Child (28%)
3. Dixie Chicks (4%)
Most Promising New Girl Group
1. Fifth Harmony (96%)
2. Girls' Generation (1%)
3. 2NE1 (1%)
Girl Group That Needs To Make a Comeback
1. Spice Girls (29%)
2. Destiny's Child (23%)
3. Pussycat Dolls (14%)
Favorite Girl Group Music Video
1. t.A.T.u., "All The Things She Said" (23%)
2. Spice Girls, "Wannabe" (13%)
3. Destiny's Child, "Say My Name" (11%)
Most Fashionable Girl Group
1. 2NE1 (31%)
2. Spice Girls (16%)
3. Destiny's Child (12%) | {
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Cider Ireland ran a cider tasting recently on the top floor of Nick Munier’s new restaurant, Avenue, in Dublin’s Crow Street in Temple Bar.
The event sought to get media coverage for the new cider vintages that are now available.
The association of craft cider makers now numbers 13 active members in the all-island organisation.
To be a member one must produce “true Irish craft ciders, made from the juice of 100% Irish-grown, Irish-pressed apples” according to Emma Tyrrell, Chairperson of Cider Ireland.
With a reputation for nearly always being sweet, the craft cider makers are keen to express the wide diversity of taste possibilities in cider production.
Essentially, the Association lobbies for craft cider makers and according to Emma, any sought-after growth in cider volume looks to take from the wine market as much as from the beer market.
“Cider’s much more of a ‘foody’ drink than beer” she explained to me at the tasting, “and a true dry cider is actually hard to find.”
Cider is also good for the gluten-intolerant consumer as it does not contain any gluten, she pointed out.
And while cider-making is considered to be harder than beer-making, creating craft cider is one step harder again as all her members use only pressed apple juice, not water, so there’s less flexibility it the final product.
What’s more, craft cider producers cannot brew all year round and the making of craft cider is considerably more labour-intensive. | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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Report: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger Named One Of The Least Desired Teammates
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A new survey of 85 defensive players across 25 NFL teams delivered very candid results about their feelings towards the quarterbacks in the league, including Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The players in the study conducted by The Athletic were asked 12 questions pertaining the signal-callers they face during the season. The players spoke on condition of anonymity to allow for the most truthful responses.
When the players were asked which quarterback would they least want as a teammate in the locker room, Roethlisberger was tied for second worst in the league with 11% of the vote. Big Ben shared second place with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston. Cam Newton was the top answer with 14 percent.
Players named Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback who was most dangerous on third down with 34% of the vote. Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes followed behind Rodgers. Roethlisberger received multiple votes along with Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Deshaun Watson.
The entire article can be read on The Athletic’s NFL page. | {
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When living the military lifestyle, you just accept that there will be many things you can’t control. One thing you can control? How you spend and how you save. While that may look different every time you PCS to a new duty station, having a spending and savings plan (aka a budget) in place is so important.
We’ve created an easy to use, but thorough, Spending and Saving Plan tool to use. Before you get started, here are some tips to help you #ThinkLikeASaver, ensuring that your money is working smarter and harder for you. | {
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A personal message from Dr Mark Hill (May 2020) contributors to the site. The good news is Embryology will remain online and I will continue my association with UNSW Australia. I look forward to updating and including the many exciting new discoveries in Embryology!
Introduction
Human fetal uterus growth
This page introduces the uterus as part of the internal female reproductive tract development. Two paramesonephric ducts form from coelomic epithelium extending beside the mesonephric ducts. In the absence of Mullerian Inhibitory Factor these ducts proliferate and grow extending from the vaginal plate on the wall of the urogenital sinus to lie beside the developing ovary. The paired ducts begin to fuse from the vaginal plate end, forming the primordial body of the uterus and the unfused lateral arms form the uterine tubes. Recent research points to the paramesonephric ducts also being the entire embryonic origin of the vagina. For the pregnant uterus see implantation and maternal decidua.
Historic Embryology Johannes Peter Müller (1801 - 1858) in 1830 was the first to describe the female genital duct that develops as the uterus and vagina, historically named after him as the "Müllerian duct". The current terminology is the "paramesonephric duct".
Category:Uterus
Some Recent Findings
Review - Müllerian duct anomalies coincident with endometriosis[1] "The association between obstructed müllerian duct anomalies and endometriosis has been well established and the pathogenesis is attributed to the theory of retrograde menstruation. However, this relationship with endometriosis is less clear in women with unobstructed müllerian duct anomalies and in those with rudimentary uterine structures that lack functioning endometrial tissue. This article reviews the embryology, genetics, pathophysiology, and American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) classification for müllerian duct anomalies together with the genetics and pathophysiology of endometriosis to provide a framework for understanding the complex relationship between these two entities. Available published data examining the coexistence of endometriosis in relationship to müllerian duct anomalies, including studies that stratify this relationship according to specific classes of anomalies, are reviewed and organized. Awareness of the increased prevalence of endometriosis among patients with uterine anomalies, particularly those with outflow obstruction, may facilitate early diagnosis of endometriosis and subsequent intervention, with the potential to reverse disease symptoms and arrest disease progression." The histone methyltransferase EZH2 is required for normal uterine development and function in mice[2] "Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a rate-limiting catalytic subunit of a histone methyltransferase, polycomb repressive complex, which silences gene activity through the repressive histone mark H3K27me3. EZH2 is critical for epigenetic effects of early estrogen treatment, and may be involved in uterine development and pathologies. We investigated EZH2 expression, regulation and its role in uterine development/function. Uterine epithelial EZH2 expression was associated with proliferation and was high neonatally then declined by weaning. ...In summary, uterine EZH2 expression is developmentally and hormonally regulated, and its loss causes aberrant uterine epithelial proliferation, uterine hypertrophy and cystic endometrial hyperplasia, indicating a critical role in uterine development and function." Livebirth after uterus transplantation from a deceased donor in a recipient with uterine infertility[3] "Uterus transplantation from live donors became a reality to treat infertility following a successful Swedish 2014 series, inspiring uterus transplantation centres and programmes worldwide. However, no case of livebirth via deceased donor uterus has, to our knowledge, been successfully achieved, raising doubts about its feasibility and viability, including whether the womb remains viable after prolonged ischaemia. ...We describe, to our knowledge, the first case worldwide of livebirth following uterine transplantation from a deceased donor in a patient with congenital uterine absence (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser [MRKH] syndrome). The results establish proof-of-concept for treating uterine infertility by transplantation from a deceased donor, opening a path to healthy pregnancy for all women with uterine factor infertility, without need of living donors or live donor surgery." Review - The cell biology and molecular genetics of Müllerian duct development[4] "The Müllerian ducts are part of the embryonic urogenital system. They give rise to mature structures that serve a critical function in the transport and development of the oocyte and/or embryo. In most vertebrates, both sexes initially develop Müllerian ducts during embryogenesis, but they regress in males under the influence of testis-derived Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH)." Outcome of assisted reproduction in women with congenital uterine anomalies: a prospective observational study[5] "Consecutive women referred for subfertility between May 2009 and November 2015 who underwent assisted reproduction were included in the study. As part of the initial assessment, each woman underwent three-dimensional transvaginal sonography. Uterine morphology was classified using the modified American Fertility Society (AFS) classification of congenital uterine anomalies proposed by Salim et al. ...Congenital uterine anomalies as a whole, when defined using the modified AFS classification, do not affect clinical pregnancy or live-birth rates in women following assisted reproduction, but do increase the incidence of preterm birth. The presence of uterine abnormalities more severe than arcuate uterus significantly worsens all pregnancy outcomes."
Older papers These papers originally appeared in the Some Recent Findings table, but as that list grew in length have now been shuffled down to this collapsible table. See also the Discussion Page for other references listed by year and References on this current page. WNT4 coordinates directional cell migration and extension of the Müllerian duct essential for ontogenesis of the female reproductive tract[6] "The Müllerian duct (MD) is the anlage of the oviduct, uterus and upper part of the vagina, the main parts of the female reproductive tract. Several wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family member (Wnt) genes, including Wnt4, Wnt5a and Wnt7a, are involved in the development of MD and its derivatives, with Wnt4 particularly critical, since the MD fails to develop in its absence. We use, here, Wnt4(EGFPCre)-based fate mapping to demonstrate that the MD tip cells and the subsequent MD cells are derived from Wnt4+ lineage cells. Moreover, Wnt4 is required for the initiation of MD-forming cell migration." WNT4 LHX1 is required in Müllerian duct epithelium for uterine development[7] "The female reproductive tract organs of mammals, including the oviducts, uterus, cervix and upper vagina, are derived from the Müllerian ducts, a pair of epithelial tubes that form within the mesonephroi. The Müllerian ducts form in a rostral to caudal manner, guided by and dependent on the Wolffian ducts that have already formed. Experimental embryological studies indicate that caudal elongation of the Müllerian duct towards the urogenital sinus occurs in part by proliferation at the ductal tip. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the elongation of the Müllerian duct are currently unclear. Lhx1 encodes a LIM-homeodomain transcription factor that is essential for male and female reproductive tract development. Lhx1 is expressed in both the Wolffian and Müllerian ducts. Wolffian duct-specific knockout of Lhx1 results in degeneration of the Wolffian duct and consequently the non-cell-autonomous loss of the Müllerian duct. To determine the role of Lhx1 specifically in the Müllerian duct epithelium, we performed a Müllerian duct-specific knockout study using Wnt7a-Cre mice. Loss of Lhx1 in the Müllerian duct epithelium led to a block in Müllerian duct elongation and uterine hypoplasia characterized by loss of the entire endometrium (luminal and glandular epithelium and stroma) and inner circular but not the outer longitudinal muscle layer. Time-lapse imaging and molecular analyses indicate that Lhx1 acts cell autonomously to maintain ductal progenitor cells for Müllerian duct elongation. These studies identify LHX1 as the first transcription factor that is essential in the Müllerian duct epithelial progenitor cells for female reproductive tract development." HGNC The origin of the Mullerian duct in chick and mouse[8] "In vertebrates the female reproductive tracts derive from a pair of tubular structures called Mullerian ducts, which are composed of three elements: a canalised epithelial tube, mesenchymal cells surrounding the tube and, most externally, coelomic epithelial cells. ... We show that all Mullerian duct components derive from the coelomic epithelium in both species. Our data support a model of a Mullerian epithelial tube derived from an epithelial anlage at the mesonephros anterior end, which then segregates from the epithelium and extends caudal of its own accord, via a process involving rapid cell proliferation. This tube is surrounded by mesenchymal cells derived from local delamination of coelomic epithelium." Essential roles of mesenchyme-derived beta-catenin in mouse Mullerian duct morphogenesis[9]
Paramesonephric Duct
The Müllerian duct (= paramesonephric duct, preferred terminology) paired ducts that form the epithelial lining of female reproductive organs: utererine tube, uterus, upper vaginal canal. The term "paramesonephric" duct means beside the mesonephric (Wolffian) duct, which is its anatomical location in early development. Mullerian refers to Johannes Peter Müller (1801-1858) a German scientist who specialised in comparative anatomy. These ducts initially form and then degenerate in the male.
A recent study using both chicken and mouse embryos has shown that these initially paired tubular structures derive from the coelomic epithelium.[8]
"Müllerian epithelial tube derived from an epithelial anlage at the mesonephros anterior end, which then segregates from the epithelium and extends caudal of its own accord, via a process involving rapid cell proliferation. This tube is surrounded by mesenchymal cells derived from local delamination of coelomic epithelium."
Mullerian ducts have three elements:
a canalised epithelial tube mesenchymal cells surrounding the tube coelomic epithelial cells
Duct Molecular Development
The paired paramesonephic ducts (Müllerian ducts) go through a series of developmental changes recently identified as regulated by a number of molecular factors.
Initiation
Coelomic epithelium Lim1 expressing cells are specified to a duct fate.[10]
Lim - proteins named for 'LIN11, ISL1, and MEC3,' are defined by the possession of a highly conserved double zinc finger motif called the LIM domain. LIM domain-binding factors - interact with the LIM domains of nuclear proteins are capable of binding to a variety of transcription factors.
Invagination
Wnt4 - induces duct invagination to reach the mesonephric (Wolffian)
Elongation
WNT9b - from mesonephric duct to guide paramesonephric duct elongation. Cysteine-rich secreted glycoprotein.
Pax2 - also acts in elongation and duct maintenance. Member of the paired box protein family.
Cells at the leading tip proliferate and form the duct elongating to reach the cloaca (urogenital sinus).
Uterine Development Movie
Anterior view of development of the female uterus and vagina between Week 9 and 20. The paramesonephric ducts (red) fuse in the midline to form the genital canal. The urogenital sinus (yellow), in contact with the paramesonephric duct, thickens to form the sinusal tubercle which extends as a solid vaginal plate, then becomes hollow as the sinovaginal bulb, finally forming the vagina.
Development Overview
Common Female Internal Genital Tract Differentiation Mullerian Duct (paramesonephric) - blue (This historic image mislabels the vaginal origin)
The data below gives an overview of the timecourse of embryonic human uterine development.[11]
Carnegie stage 18 - Mullerian duct to the coelomic cavity was formed as the result of an invagination of the coelomic epithelium - stage 18
Carnegie stages 19 - 23 - duct grows independently from the invagination - stage 19
Week 20 - uterine horn fimbrial development begins and continues after birth - second trimester
Fetal Uterus
Urogenital sinus of female human embryo of eight and a half to nine weeks old (From model by Keibel) (Image: Gray's Anatomy) (Image modified from: Drews U, Sulak O, Schenck PA. Androgens and the development of the vagina.Biol Reprod. 2002 Oct;67(4):1353-9. PMID: 12297555)
Fetal Uterus Growth
Graph shows the growth during the fetal period of the uterus between week 19 and 38.[12] During this time the uterine circumferunce increases from about 20 mm to just under 60mm and the width increases from less than 10mm to just over 20 mm.
Uterine horn fimbrial development begins after week 20 and continues after birth.
Uterine growth continues postnatally, increasing outer muscle thickness and cyclic changes in the lining with puberty.
Adult external uterine orifice to the fundus is approximately 6.25 cm.
Newborn Uterus
Growth of the Uterus in the Postfetal Period Age Length of corpus (mm) Length of isthmus (mm) Length of cervix (mm) Total length (mm) Fetus of 7 months 22 Child of 5 weeks 27 1 year 10 23 14 months 10 5 12 27 2.5 years 8 6 12 26 3 years 9-10 5-6 10 25 3.5 years 6 5 16 27 9 years 9 4.5 13 27 11 years 12 6 19 37 13 years 27 56 15 years 59 16 years 41 12 25 78 17 years 27 6 22 55 17 years 20 4 16 40 18 years 36 5 31 72 19 years 27 5 28 60 19 years 28 6 27 61 19 years 24 8 21 53 20 years 30 6 16 52 20 years 30 7 21 58 22 years 35 5 29 69 28 years 40 10 28 78 29 years (nulliparous wife) 34 10 34 78 30 years (virgin) 38 7 29 74 Data compiled from Hegar (1908) | Uterus Growth Table | Collapsible Table | Uterus Development
Uterine Tubes
Adult Human right uterine tube and ovary
Developing Uterus (cat) showing relationship to ovary and degenerating mesonephros.
The unfused portion of the paramesonephric ducts will form the uterine tubes. Note that there are several synonyms used for the paired uterine tubes or Fallopian tubes or oviducts or uterine horns.
In the adult, the uterine tube has been described in 4 anatomical regions.
infundibulum ampulla isthmus intramural funnel-shaped (up to 10 mm in diameter) end of the oviduct. Finger-like extensions of its margins, the fimbriae, are closely applied to the ovary. Ciliated cells are frequent. mucosal folds, or plicae, and secondary folds which arise from the plicae divide the lumen of the ampulla into a very complex shape. Fertilization usually takes place in the ampulla. narrowest portion (2-3 mm in diameter) of the tube located in the peritoneal cavity. Mucosal folds are less complex and the muscularis is thick. An inner, longitudinal layer of muscle is present in the isthmus. penetrates the wall of the uterus. The mucosa is smooth, and the inner diameter of the duct is very small.
Mucosa
formed by a ciliated and secretory epithelium resting on a very cellular lamina propria.
The number of ciliated cells and non-ciliated secretory cells varies along the oviduct.
Secretory activity varies during the menstrual cycle, and resting secretory cells are also referred to as peg-cells.
Some of the secreted substances are thought to nourish the oocyte and the very early embryo.
Muscularis
inner circular muscle layer and an outer longitudinal layer.
An inner longitudinal layer is present in the isthmus and the intramural part of the oviduct.
Peristaltic muscle action seems to be more important for the transport of sperm and oocyte than the action of the cilia.
Uterine tube (monkey) histology overview
Uterine tube (monkey) epithelium and underlying histology
Uterine Blood Supply
Uterine Glands
Uterine Gland Secretory Phase
Uterine adenogenesis is the term used to describe the formation of uterine glands from the epithelial lining of the uterus that begins prenatal in humans. In other species, the overt development occurs postnatally and has been described through a 3 step the sequence:
differentiation and budding of the glandular epithelium. invagination and tubular coiling of the epithelium. branching of the glandular elements and their expansion throughout the endometrial stroma toward the myometrium.
Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction occurs through Wnt signalling during this process:
Wnt7a - expressed in the luminal epithelium
- expressed in the luminal epithelium Wnt5a - expressed in the mesenchyme
In mice, this development sequence occurs between postnatal day (PND) 5 to 7 and involves Wnt up-regulation of Lymphoid Enhancing Factor 1 (Lef1).[13]
Postnatally both prolactin and estradiol-17 beta (and their receptors) regulate gland development. There are some gland species gestational differences, in both sheep and pigs the glands provide additional histotrophic support by undergoing extensive hyperplasia and hypertrophy.[14]
Postnatal Growth
Growth of the Uterus in the Postfetal Period Age Length of corpus (mm) Length of isthmus (mm) Length of cervix (mm) Total length (mm) Fetus of 7 months 22 Child of 5 weeks 27 1 year 10 23 14 months 10 5 12 27 2.5 years 8 6 12 26 3 years 9-10 5-6 10 25 3.5 years 6 5 16 27 9 years 9 4.5 13 27 11 years 12 6 19 37 13 years 27 56 15 years 59 16 years 41 12 25 78 17 years 27 6 22 55 17 years 20 4 16 40 18 years 36 5 31 72 19 years 27 5 28 60 19 years 28 6 27 61 19 years 24 8 21 53 20 years 30 6 16 52 20 years 30 7 21 58 22 years 35 5 29 69 28 years 40 10 28 78 29 years (nulliparous wife) 34 10 34 78 30 years (virgin) 38 7 29 74 Data compiled from: Hegar K. Anatomical investigations on the nullipara uterus with special consideration of isthmus (Anatomische Untersuchungen am nullipara Uterus mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Isthmus). (1908) Beitraae zur Geburtsh. u. Gynak., vol. 13, 1908. reference list | Uterus Growth Table | Collapsible Table | Uterus Development
Uterus Histology
See also Menstrual Cycle - Histology
Uterine tube histology overview showing epithelium and underlying muscular layers
Uterine tube epithelium histology showing secretory and ciliated cells
Uterine body endometrium and myometrium during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle overview
Uterine body endometrium during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle
Uterine body endometrium during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle overview
Uterine body endometrium during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle
Abnormalities
[15] Uterine didelphys, obstructed hemivagina, and ectopic ureter on MR imaging in a 17-year-old girl.
There are at least two clinical society classifications for female genital tract abnormalities:
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology—European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESHRE-ESGE)[16] American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) [17]
ESHRE-ESGE Classification
European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESHRE-ESGE)[16]
Uterine anatomical deviations deriving from the same embryological origin:
U0 - normal uterus
- normal uterus U1 - dysmorphic uterus
- dysmorphic uterus U2 - septet uterus
- septet uterus U3 - bicorporeal uterus
- bicorporeal uterus U4 - hemi-uterus
- hemi-uterus U5 - aplastic uterus
- aplastic uterus U6 - for still unclassified cases
Main classes have been divided into sub-classes expressing anatomical varieties with clinical significance. Cervical and vaginal anomalies are classified independently into sub-classes having clinical significance.
ESHRE/ESGE Classification of Uterine Anomalies European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) Class U0 - incorporates all cases with normal uterus.
- incorporates all cases with normal uterus. Class U1 - (Dysmorphic uterus) incorporates all cases with normal uterine outline but with an abnormal shape of the uterine cavity excluding septa. Class I is further subdivided into three categories Class U1a - (T-shaped uterus) characterized by a narrow uterine cavity due to thickened lateral walls with a correlation 2/3 uterine corpus and 1/3 cervix, Class U1b - (uterus infantilis) characterized also by a narrow uterine cavity without lateral wall thickening and an inverse correlation of 1/3 uterine body and 2/3 cervix Class U1c - (others) which is added to include all minor deformities of the uterine cavity including those with an inner indentation at the fundal midline level of less than 50 % of the uterine wall thickness.
- (Dysmorphic uterus) incorporates all cases with normal uterine outline but with an abnormal shape of the uterine cavity excluding septa. Class I is further subdivided into three categories Class U2 - (septate uterus) internal indentation >50 % of the uterine wall thickness & external contour straight or with indentation <50 % Class U2a - (partial septate uterus) characterized by the existence of a septum dividing partly the uterine cavity above the level of the internal cervical os Class U2b - (complete septate uterus) characterized by the existence of a septum fully dividing the uterine cavity up to the level of the internal cervical os.
- (septate uterus) internal indentation >50 % of the uterine wall thickness & external contour straight or with indentation <50 % Class U3 - (bicorporeal uterus) external indentation >50 % of the uterine wall thickness Class U3a - (partial bicorporeal uterus) characterized by an external fundal indentation partly dividing the uterine corpus above the level of the cervix Class U3b - (complete bicorporeal uterus) width of the fundal indentation at the midline >150 % of the uterine wall thickness) completely dividing the uterine corpus up to the level of the cervix Class U3c - (bicorporeal septate uterus) characterized by the presence of an absorption defect in addition to the main fusion defect.
- (bicorporeal uterus) external indentation >50 % of the uterine wall thickness Class U4 - (hemi-uterus) incorporates all cases of unilateral formed uterus. Hemi-uterus is defined as the unilateral uterine development; the contralateral part could be either incompletely formed or absent. Class U4a - (hemi-uterus with a rudimentary (functional) cavity) characterized by the presence of a communicating or non-communicating functional contralateral horn Class U4b - (hemi-uterus without rudimentary (functional) cavity) characterized either by the presence of non-functional contralateral uterine horn or by aplasia of the contralateral part.
- (hemi-uterus) incorporates all cases of unilateral formed uterus. Hemi-uterus is defined as the unilateral uterine development; the contralateral part could be either incompletely formed or absent. Class U5 - (aplastic uterus) incorporates all cases of uterine aplasia, formation defect characterized by the absence of any fully or unilaterally developed uterine cavity. Class U5a - (aplastic uterus with rudimentary (functional) cavity) characterized by the presence of bi- or unilateral functional horn Class U5b - (aplastic uterus without rudimentary (functional) cavity) characterized either by the presence of uterine remnants or by full uterine aplasia.
- (aplastic uterus) incorporates all cases of uterine aplasia, formation defect characterized by the absence of any fully or unilaterally developed uterine cavity. Class U6 - is kept for still unclassified cases. <pubmed>23894234</pubmed> See also ICD10 Congenital malformations of genital organs (Q50-Q56) Links: Genital System - Abnormalities | Uterus Development | image - simplified cartoon
Uterine Duplication
A range of uterine and vaginal anatomical anomalies based upon the abnormal development and fusion of the paramesonephric ducts and vaginal plate development. Unicornate Uterus - failure of the paramesonephric ducts to fuse. A single paramesomnephric duct has fused with the vaginal plate and now opens into the vagina, while the other forms a diverticulum. Bicornuate Ectopic Page | Play
Bicornuate uterus containing conceptus chorionic sac with placental cord on one side.
Septate Uterus
Uterine residual septum classification:
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) criterion with an internal fundal indentation length equal or greater than 1 cm[18] European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology—European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESHRE-ESGE) classification of female genital tract congenital anomalies with an internal indentation at the fundal midline greater than 50% myometrial thickness.[16]
Septate Uterus Ultrasound[19]
Uterine Duplication
(uterus didelphys, double uterus, uterus didelphis) A rare uterine developmental abnormality where the paramesonephric ducts (Mullerian ducts) completely fail to fuse generating two separate uterus parts each connected to the cervix and having an ovary each.
Uterus/Vaginal
Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH, MRK anomaly, Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, RKH syndrome, RKH) consists of congenital aplasia of the uterus and the upper part of vagina due to anomalous development of Müllerian ducts, either isolated or associated with other congenital malformations, including renal, skeletal, hearing and heart defects. Has an incidence of approximately 1 in 4500 newborn girls and has been associated with a microdeletion at 17q12.[20]
There has been recently a single report of a MRKH syndrome woman giving a live-birth after uterus transplantation from a deceased donor.[3]
Cervical: cervical agenesis, cervical duplication
Environmental Abnormalities
DES Diethylstilbestrol or diethylstilbetrol, is a drug that was prescribed to women from 1938-1971 to prevent miscarriage in high-risk pregnancies. The drug acted as a potent estrogen (mimics natural hormone) and therefore could also act as a potential endocrine disruptor. This led to a number of developing fetal reproductive tract and other abnormalities. In the female fetus, it increased risk of abnormal reproductive tract and also carcinogenic (cancer forming). In the male fetus, it increased the occurance of abnormal genitalia. The drug was banned by FDA (USA) in 1979 as a teratogen, it had previously also been used as livestock growth promoter and could have potentially entered the human food chain. (More? endocrine abnormalities | chemicals | drugs)
Cervical Cancer
In Australia, the "Pap Smear" test was replaced in 2017 (1 December) by a new "National Cervical Screening Program". This new program will use new technologies to detect HPV DNA rather than pathological screening for abnormal cells from a "Pap Smear". See the last report Cervical screening in Australia 2019[21]Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019. Physical activity during pregnancy 2011–12. Cat. no. PHE 243. Canberra: AIHW. PDF</ref>, that used Pap tests as the screening tool (data for women screened between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2017)
For more information see the external links below.
DOH Information Video Australian Department of Health (Published on Nov 1, 2017)
"The two yearly Pap test for women aged 18 to 69 will change to a five yearly human papillomavirus (HPV) test for women aged 25 to 74. Women will be due for the first Cervical Screening Test two years after their last Pap test."
"The Cervical Screening Test detects infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Partial genotyping is used to determine the type of HPV into one of two groups: oncogenic HPV 16/18 or oncogenic HPV types other than 16/18 as a pooled result." (NCSP Factsheet)
ABC radio program Monday 27 March 2017 - Death of the pap smear? | ABC Audio - Death of the pap smear?
History of the Pap Smear
The information below relates to the original "Pap Smear" (Papanicolaou smear, pap test, cervical smear) The text below is from the ABC - Great Moments In Science.
"Luckily, we have the famous Pap Smear - an excellent way to find cancer of the cervix before it digs in locally and/or spreads throughout the body. The Pap Smear is named after a certain Dr. Papanicolaou - who did a Pap Smear on his wife virtually every day for 20 years.
George Nikolas Papanicolaou was born in 1883 in Kymi, a small town overlooking the Aegean Sea on the Island of Euboea in Greece. His father, Nikolas Papanicolaou was both the Major of Kymi and a medical doctor. His older brother, Naso, had studied law, so his father convinced George to continue in the family medical tradition. So George studied medicine, and did well, graduating with a degree in honours in 1904............"
Broad Ligament
The broad ligament is found associated with the internal human female genital tract. It forms a mesentery consisting of a double fold of the peritoneum that connects the uterus to the peritoneal floor and walls. Anatomically it has three parts: mesometrium - surrounding the uterus mesosalpinx - surrounding the uterine tube mesovarium - surrounding the ovary Abnormalities include peritoneal endometriosis.
Molecular
Wnt genes - Wnt4, Wnt5a, and Wnt7a implicated in the formation and morphogenesis of the Müllerian duct.
Wnt7a - mediates the patterning of the oviduct and differentiation of the uterus.
beta-catenin - manufactured in the mesenchyme is a downstream effector of Wnt7a.
Bmp2 - decidualization regulator of gene expression and function (shown in mouse uterus).
Lim1, Lhx9, Emx, Pax-2, Hox-A9, Hox-A10, Hox-A11, Hox-A13, WT1, SF-1, GATA-4. TGF-beta
References
↑ Abdom Radiol (NY) , , . PMID: DOI. Pitot MA, Bookwalter CA & Dudiak KM. (2020). Müllerian duct anomalies coincident with endometriosis: a review., . PMID: 32179978 ↑ Biol. Reprod. , , . PMID: DOI. Nanjappa MK, Mesa AM, Medrano TI, Jefferson WN, DeMayo FJ, Williams CJ, Lydon JP, Levin ER & Cooke PS. (2019). The histone methyltransferase EZH2 is required for normal uterine development and function in mice., . PMID: 31201420 3.0 3.1 Cancer , 62, 2263-6. PMID: Parikh PM, Charak BS, Banavali SD, Koppikar SB, Giri N, Nadkarni P, Saikia TK, Gopal R & Advani SH. (1988). A prospective, randomized double-blind trial comparing metoclopramide alone with metoclopramide plus dexamethasone in preventing emesis induced by high-dose cisplatin., 2263-6. PMID: 3052785 ↑ Wiley Interdiscip Rev Dev Biol , , . PMID: DOI. Roly ZY, Backhouse B, Cutting A, Tan TY, Sinclair AH, Ayers KL, Major AT & Smith CA. (2018). The cell biology and molecular genetics of Müllerian duct development., . PMID: 29350886 ↑ Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol , 51, 110-117. PMID: DOI. Prior M, Richardson A, Asif S, Polanski L, Parris-Larkin M, Chandler J, Fogg L, Jassal P, Thornton JG & Raine-Fenning NJ. (2018). Outcome of assisted reproduction in women with congenital uterine anomalies: a prospective observational study., 110-117. PMID: 29055072 ↑ Hum. Mol. Genet. , 25, 1059-73. PMID: DOI. Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen R, Skovorodkin I, Xu Q, Miinalainen I, Shan J & Vainio SJ. (2016). Wnt4 coordinates directional cell migration and extension of the Müllerian duct essential for ontogenesis of the female reproductive tract., 1059-73. PMID: 26721931 ↑ Dev. Biol. , 389, 124-36. PMID: DOI. Huang CC, Orvis GD, Kwan KM & Behringer RR. (2014). Lhx1 is required in Müllerian duct epithelium for uterine development., 124-36. PMID: 24560999 8.0 8.1 Dev. Biol. , 302, 389-98. PMID: DOI. Guioli S, Sekido R & Lovell-Badge R. (2007). The origin of the Mullerian duct in chick and mouse., 389-98. PMID: 17070514 ↑ Dev. Biol. , 307, 227-36. PMID: DOI. Deutscher E & Hung-Chang Yao H. (2007). Essential roles of mesenchyme-derived beta-catenin in mouse Müllerian duct morphogenesis., 227-36. PMID: 17532316 ↑ Development , 131, 539-49. PMID: DOI. Kobayashi A, Shawlot W, Kania A & Behringer RR. (2004). Requirement of Lim1 for female reproductive tract development., 539-49. PMID: 14695376 ↑ Anat Rec A Discov Mol Cell Evol Biol , 272, 514-9. PMID: DOI. Hashimoto R. (2003). Development of the human Müllerian duct in the sexually undifferentiated stage., 514-9. PMID: 12740945 ↑ Hum. Reprod. , 14, 215-8. PMID: Soriano D, Lipitz S, Seidman DS, Maymon R, Mashiach S & Achiron R. (1999). Development of the fetal uterus between 19 and 38 weeks of gestation: in-utero ultrasonographic measurements., 215-8. PMID: 10374123 ↑ PLoS ONE , 7, e40312. PMID: DOI. Shelton DN, Fornalik H, Neff T, Park SY, Bender D, DeGeest K, Liu X, Xie W, Meyerholz DK, Engelhardt JF & Goodheart MJ. (2012). The role of LEF1 in endometrial gland formation and carcinogenesis., e40312. PMID: 22792274 ↑ Biol. Reprod. , 65, 1311-23. PMID: Gray CA, Bartol FF, Tarleton BJ, Wiley AA, Johnson GA, Bazer FW & Spencer TE. (2001). Developmental biology of uterine glands., 1311-23. PMID: 11673245 ↑ Pediatr Radiol , 40, 358-60. PMID: DOI. Wang ZJ, Daldrup-Link H, Coakley FV & Yeh BM. (2010). Ectopic ureter associated with uterine didelphys and obstructed hemivagina: preoperative diagnosis by MRI., 358-60. PMID: 19924410 16.0 16.1 16.2 Gynecol Surg , 10, 199-212. PMID: DOI. Grimbizis GF, Gordts S, Di Spiezio Sardo A, Brucker S, De Angelis C, Gergolet M, Li TC, Tanos V, Brölmann H, Gianaroli L & Campo R. (2013). The ESHRE-ESGE consensus on the classification of female genital tract congenital anomalies., 199-212. PMID: 23894234 ↑ Fertil. Steril. , 49, 944-55. PMID: . (1988). The American Fertility Society classifications of adnexal adhesions, distal tubal occlusion, tubal occlusion secondary to tubal ligation, tubal pregnancies, müllerian anomalies and intrauterine adhesions., 944-55. PMID: 3371491 ↑ Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol , 35, 593-601. PMID: DOI. Bermejo C, Martínez Ten P, Cantarero R, Diaz D, Pérez Pedregosa J, Barrón E, Labrador E & Ruiz López L. (2010). Three-dimensional ultrasound in the diagnosis of Müllerian duct anomalies and concordance with magnetic resonance imaging., 593-601. PMID: 20052665 ↑ Hum. Reprod. , 29, 1420-31. PMID: DOI. Ludwin A, Ludwin I, Pityński K, Banas T & Jach R. (2014). Role of morphologic characteristics of the uterine septum in the prediction and prevention of abnormal healing outcomes after hysteroscopic metroplasty., 1420-31. PMID: 24838703 ↑ Orphanet J Rare Dis , 4, 25. PMID: DOI. Bernardini L, Gimelli S, Gervasini C, Carella M, Baban A, Frontino G, Barbano G, Divizia MT, Fedele L, Novelli A, Béna F, Lalatta F, Miozzo M & Dallapiccola B. (2009). Recurrent microdeletion at 17q12 as a cause of Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome: two case reports., 25. PMID: 19889212 ↑ Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019. Cervical screening in Australia 2019 . Cancer series no. 123. Cat. no. CAN 124. Canberra: AIHW. PDF
Reviews
Passos IMPE & Britto RL. (2020). Diagnosis and treatment of müllerian malformations. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol , 59, 183-188. PMID: 32127135 DOI.
Farage M & Maibach H. (2006). Lifetime changes in the vulva and vagina. Arch. Gynecol. Obstet. , 273, 195-202. PMID: 16208476 DOI.
Cummings AM & Kavlock RJ. (2004). Function of sexual glands and mechanism of sex differentiation. J Toxicol Sci , 29, 167-78. PMID: 15467266
Articles
Deutscher E & Hung-Chang Yao H. (2007). Essential roles of mesenchyme-derived beta-catenin in mouse Müllerian duct morphogenesis. Dev. Biol. , 307, 227-36. PMID: 17532316 DOI.
Guioli S, Sekido R & Lovell-Badge R. (2007). The origin of the Mullerian duct in chick and mouse. Dev. Biol. , 302, 389-98. PMID: 17070514 DOI.
Hashimoto R. (2003). Development of the human Müllerian duct in the sexually undifferentiated stage. Anat Rec A Discov Mol Cell Evol Biol , 272, 514-9. PMID: 12740945 DOI.
Search PubMed
Search May 2007 "embryonic uterine development" 3,025 reference articles of which 491 were reviews.
Search Pubmed: Uterus Development | embryonic uterine development | Paramesonephric Duct | Mullerian Duct | Endocrine Disruptors | uterine+adenogenesis
Additional Images
Human uterine tube ciliated epithelium SEM
Urogenital indifferent
Urogenital female
Mouse - paramesonephric duct
Ultrasound uterine and ovarian vascularity
Unicornate uterus
Historic drawing of the uterine tube (Reinier De Graaf)
Cervical mucus plug
Terms
Note some of these terms relate to the adult or the maternal uterus during pregnancy.
cervical cerclage - A clinical birth procedure involving circumferential banding or suture of the cervix early (between 12 -14 weeks) or when required to prevent or treat passive dilation prior to completion of pregnancy (37 weeks), described as cervical insufficiency.
cervical insufficiency - (CI) A clinical term describing a painless and progressive dilatation and effacement of the cervix that may lead to second trimester abortions or preterm delivery. It has also been described as inability of the uterine cervix to retain a pregnancy in the absence of uterine contractions. The condition may in some instances treated clinically by cervical cerclage. The biological basis is currently undetermined with some evidence showing a genetic relationship.
cervical length - There is some data that shows the risk of spontaneous preterm labour and delivery increases in women who have a short cervix PMID 8569824.
cervical mucus plug - (CMP) During early pregnancy, maternal glands located at the cervical junction between vagina and uterus secrete mucus that forms a plug or barrier between these two structures.
cervical pregnancy - A rare type of ectopic pregnancy with implantation at the cervical canal, occurring with an incidence ranging between 1:1,000 and 1:18,000 pregnancies. Clinically, when an associated haemorrhage occurs a hysterectomy is usually performed.
cervical ripening - Clinical birth term describing the hormonal softening of the cervix to allow expansion in preparation for birth.
cervix - (Latin, cervix = neck) The female anatomical region of the uterus forming a canal that opens and connects to the vagina.
fallopian tube obstruction - (tubal occlusion) A blockage of the uterine tube that can affect fertility due to a pathologic occlusion, spasm or plugging and also be either unilateral (single tube) or bilateral (both tubes). Described anatomically as in the proximal, the mid or the distal part of the tube.
fundus - (Latin, fundus = "bottom") Top part of the uterus body lying between the two uterine tubes and a common implantation site.
hysterosalpingography - A clinical diagnostic technique used to visualise the uterine cavity by X-ray.
hysteroscopy - A clinical diagnostic technique used to visualise the uterine cavity by a camera or video.
peg-cell - (resting secretory cell) A histological term for the non-ciliated secretory epithelial cells located within the uterus.
Pouch of Douglas - (rectouterine pouch or rectovaginal) Anatomical description of the female peritoneal cavity lying between the back wall of the uterus and rectum.
rectouterine pouch - (Pouch of Douglas or rectovaginal) Anatomical description of the female peritoneal cavity lying between the back wall of the uterus and rectum.
sonohysterography - A clinical diagnostic technique used to visualise the uterine cavity by ultrasound. Firstly, fluid is injected through the cervix into the uterus, then ultrasound is carried out to image the uterine cavity.
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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2020, September 23) Embryology Uterus Development. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Uterus_Development | {
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Clinking champagne glasses, sparking confetti, shiny balloons, spectacular firework displays bursting in the sky, music, laughter and cheer are all common associations with New Year’s Eve celebrations.
It enhances the palpable magic that fills the air as a significant celestial shift occurs in the skies.
It turns out that there are several ancient civilizations who also observed the New Year with their own unique festivals and customs. Ancient Egyptians, for instance, celebrated it in a big way because the New Year coincided with the annual flood of the Nile River.
The flooding of the Nile was considered auspicious by the Egyptians because its waters were the primary source of sustenance for the crops that fed their people throughout the year.
The New Year came to be known as a time of renewal and was commemorated with rituals, religious rites and even a bit of partying that involved music, revelry and copious amounts of Egyptian beer!
Just like the Nile River, the New Year floods into our lives to wash away remnants from the past year and nourish us with new possibilities for the next year. Just like those ancient farmers in Egypt, we are bestowed with fertile grounds to harvest new dreams or take on a fresh approach towards old ones.
Every year, the Universe unfailingly promises us the opportunity to rectify and to progress in all facets of our lives. We get another chance to recalibrate ourselves so that we can move closer towards our dreams.
Yet many studies have shown that although most people start off the year feeling charged up about what they plan to accomplish in the upcoming year, their efforts to act on these goals gradually declines. As the excitement of the New Year wears off, they revert to old ways.
Eventually the practice of setting New Year’s resolutions got a bad rap because many people render it to be ineffective and short-lived – but this could not be further from the truth.
If we play our cards right, we’ll be able to tap into our enthusiasm for a fresh start. If we’re mindful and strategic, we can use New Years as a launching pad for projects that we’ve been incubating.
I’m going to share my personal rituals that I follow to prepare me for a new year. These techniques will not only help you get ready for the year ahead but it will allow you to process the lessons from the previous year.
Here are five simple steps that you can take to ensure that the following year will be both fruitful and fulfilling:
1. Review the previous year: In preparation for the forthcoming year, the first step is to reflect on the year that has passed. Review the main highlights of the year by looking through photos or any memorabilia that you have collected over the past few months. This activity will encapsulate all the wonderful memories that you’ve had during the year. You could also make a list of all the wins, challenges and lessons that you experienced.
2. Look at the big picture of your life: It’s seasy to be caught up in the minutiae of daily living and forget how it all ties up with the big picture of your life. We need to look at our lives at the macro level by clarifying our mission, vision and values, to ensure that our current path is in line with our True North. One of the best ways, in my opinion, to stay connected to our vision is by creating a vision board.
3. Create your resolutions and build a game plan: The first two steps of this process are meant to give you a strong foundation to make informed decisions about how you would like to proceed in the next year. Based on a combination of your evaluation of the previous year and your Big Picture perspective, you’ll be able to write well-thought-out resolutions. You can either categorize your goals based on different areas of your life (family, friends, love, money, career, health, etc.) or you can create generic goals.
4. Create systems, structure and rituals: It’s essential to set aside time for taking any necessary action towards achieving your goals. Realizing your resolutions is not something that will magically happen by just dreaming about it. It will require deliberate and consistent efforts that’ll eventually yield the results that you desire. For example, if one of your goals is to lose 10 pounds, you would need to commit to taking certain steps on a regular basis, such as visiting the grocery store to buy fresh and healthy foods twice a week, or spending 30-40 minutes jogging outside every day.
4. Stay motivated: There’s a possibility that your enthusiasm for achieving your resolutions might dwindle as a couple of months roll by, especially if you aren’t seeing immediate results from your efforts yet. It’s during times like these when you’ll require a boost of inspiration to keep the momentum going. There are a variety of ways that you can stay motivated, such as speaking with friends or a coach who can give you support and hold you accountable, acknowledging and rewarding yourself for the progress that you have made so far, listening to motivational music, repeating affirmations while visualizing your goals, or glancing at your vision board.
The New Year represents the next chapter of your life. Get ready to turn the pages over and witness all the wonderful opportunities that await you in this new chapter. Grab your pen and continue writing the riveting story of your life – a story that has the power to inspire others.
All my best on your journey,
Seline
Question for you: What initial action steps will you commit towards making this new year your best yet?
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Netflix spent a bundle on “The Get Down” — its most expensive series ever — and so far Baz Luhrmann’s epic ’70s hip-hop drama hasn’t come close to being as popular as several of the company’s other recent originals, according to third-party research.
While Netflix has steadfastly refused to release data about its shows, other providers have sprung up to try to estimate viewership of and buzz about its original productions. The initial results for “The Get Down” indicate that the show has not been a big hit, a likely disappointment for the streamer given that it cost at least $120 million to produce, as Variety reported in July.
The first six episodes of the 12-part “Get Down” premiered Aug. 12. According to Symphony Advanced Media, “The Get Down” in the first 31 days of release garnered 3.2 million total viewers among U.S. adults 18-49, with an average audience rating in the demo of 2.33.
That’s less than half the audience of several other Netflix originals over the same 31-day time frame after premiere. “Orange Is The New Black” season 4, for example, had 15.56 million 18-49 viewers in that window (with a rating of 11.25), followed by “Fuller House” (15.23 million, 11.01), “Stranger Things” (13.23 million, 9.56), “Making a Murderer” (12.28 million, 8.87) and “Marvel’s Daredevil” season 2 (8.18 million, 5.92), per SymphonyAM.
Another data provider, Parrot Analytics, tracks demand for TV shows as an indicator of intent to view. Among U.S. consumers, the company measured 22.2 million total “demand expressions” for “The Get Down” in the week following its release. That put it at No. 6 for Aug. 14-20 for all TV shows, behind “Game of Thrones” (43.7 million), “Stranger Things” (38.9 million), “Mr. Robot” (33.6 million), “Preacher” (23.9 million), and “The Walking Dead” (23.1 million).
But the buzz for “Get Down” quickly died down, falling 40% in the second week and 21% and 30%, respectively, over the next two weeks, to 7.46 million demand expressions for the week of Sept. 4-10 (trailing “Stranger Things,” “Narcos” and “OITNB” among digital originals), according to Parrot Analytics.
Netflix didn’t respond to a request for comment on the data for “The Get Down,” which was produced by Sony Pictures Television. But company execs have routinely dismissed estimates about video viewing on its platform as inaccurate. In addition, Netflix measures the performance of titles over the entire lifespan of their run on the service, not just in the first few weeks after it debuts. And it’s also worth noting that the data from SymphonyAM and Parrot Analytics covers just the U.S., and Netflix is streaming “Get Down” worldwide.
Meanwhile, critics have been mixed on the show. “The Get Down” has a 74% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared with 95% for “Stranger Things” and 96% for “Orange Is the New Black.” “‘Get Down’ is a beautiful mess, a flawed show interspersed with moments of remarkable brilliance,” Variety‘s Sonia Saraiya wrote in her review.
To collect its data, SymphonyAM uses audio-code recognition software that passively measures viewing habits of a panel of more than 15,000 people. Parrot Analytics measures hundreds of billions of data points across multiple platforms, weighting them based on relevance, including YouTube and other video services, social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, fan and critic rating sites, and file-sharing piracy services.
Daniel Holloway contributed to this report. | {
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Everyone's out living their lives And I'm just sitting here viewing the pictures of them live their lives.
146 shares | {
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According to a newly released survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 75 percent of Americans feel North Korea’s nuclear program is a critical threat facing the United States. And unfortunately for the Trump administration, its recent efforts to rein in the so-called “hermit kingdom,” while the boldest of any administration to date, are likely to fall short of stopping Pyongyang from developing an even more powerful nuclear weapon along with ever more advanced missiles to strike the U.S. homeland.
But before we dissect what Team Trump got wrong when it comes to North Korea—and how they can still get it right—we need to give credit where credit is due.
This administration dared do what no other has in the past: name Pyongyang its number one foreign policy priority. With no silver bullet at the ready to solve what is clearly the ultimate Pandora’s Box—boobytrapped with what can only be described as a nuclear armed fuse—President Trump delivered on a campaign promise to tackle the biggest threats facing America today. With North Korea now six to eighteen months away from building a hydrogen bomb, challenges like ISIS, Russia, the Syrian Civil War or anything else seem to pale in comparison. Just the amount of analysis and news coverage dedicated to the dastardly deeds of Kim Jong Un alone is a win—shining a much-needed spotlight onto a regime that should have been tossed into the scrap heap of history long-ago.
If history tells us anything, China has never, ever, enforced UN Security Council resolutions when it comes to North Korea.
It seems, at least for the time being, the Trump administration has decided to follow the most obvious path of trying to restrain North Korea, attacking the lifeblood of the Kim regime: its exports to the outside world. Over the weekend, the U.S. led an international coalition passing a tough UN Security Council resolution that one senior White House official described to me as “sanctions on Hulk Hogan-style steroids.”
Yikes.
On the surface, the sanctions do seem quite muscular. The move, supported by China as well as Russia, take away roughly one-third of North Korea’s export revenue, or a billion dollars, from an economy that is roughly worth only fourteen billion. Considering the fact that Pyongyang’s economy is the size of tiny Laos, this has all the appearances of a devastating response to North Korea’s two recent long-range missile tests.
Except it’s not. You see, there is a fatal flaw when it comes to applying sanctions to North Korea: almost all of Pyongyang’s exports go to its Communist brother-in-arms, China. And if history tells us anything, China has never, ever, enforced UN Security Council resolutions when it comes to North Korea. In fact, it seems quite clear this latest sanctions action will be what all the other sanctions resolutions end up being: a scrap of worthless paper.
The simple fact is Beijing is likely more afraid of North Korea than we are. Senior Chinese officials have told me time and time again they fear that if they put too much pressure on the Kim regime it could collapse—and they would own the problems that would create. As one Chinese official told me last week: “The great rule we learned from you [the United States] when it comes to international politics is that if you break it, you own it. We aren’t going to risk collapsing the North Korean regime. We don’t want to deal with that nightmare. We will apply pressure, but you will never be happy with how far we are willing to go.”
From there—at least the way Beijing sees it—it could get even worse. China also fears creating a situation where if North Korea were to collapse there could be a civil war, where rival factions fire atomic or chemical weapons at each other—and millions would likely perish. They also don't want countless scores of refugees to feed or, at some point in the future, a united Korea that is allied with America that would be a powerful counterweight to Beijing.
For China, a divided Korea, even as dangerous as it is, suits their interests in some respects. We aren’t talking much about the South China Sea or Taiwan, for instance, so Beijing does gain an important advantage on other issues if North Korea takes up all the foreign policy bandwidth in Asia.
Despite these challenges, which I would argue are inflated from China’s point of view—Beijing could easily offer alternative options to help the international community push back against a common threat, like getting Kim to the negotiating table—China’s strategy seems quite clear. Beijing wants to ensure the status quo holds for at least the short- to medium-term.
Thankfully there is still time to make some important course corrections to see these sanction actions constrain North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang simply can’t be allowed to continue building more and more advanced nuclear weapons and missiles. Sanctions are the best of the worst options—and they need to be enforced, unless China wants to offer a better idea.
President Trump should use his Twitter feed and tell the world Beijing has 30 days to comply with UN sanctions on North Korea—or else. He should declare: “China, I am watching your actions on North Korea—keep your word on the sanctions. The world is watching.” If Beijing does not, he should name and shame on his Twitter feed any Chinese entity that is helping North Korea evade the sanctions.
Then, he should impose unilateral sanctions on those firms, such as stopping them from using the U.S. financial system or doing any business here in America—possibly sanctioning large Chinese banks or state-owned enterprises. Then, Team Trump needs to press forward on making sure China plays by the rules on trade, pushing back in the South China Sea or over Taiwan, or wherever else Beijing is pressing its luck. That might be just the only way to get China to keep its word. | {
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Ari Aster selected British composer Bobby Krlic (also known by his stage name as The Haxan Cloak) to score the film. Best known for his dark instrumentals, Krlic has delivered a masterwork of tense, atmospheric pieces and beautiful orchestral movements. The compositions weave expertly with the looming threats clad in the daylight of Scandinavian countryside.
Milan Records is proud to be releasing Krlic's score on vinyl. The release features Krlic's compositions pressed on a single 180 GramMay Queen Green Colored Vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket featuring stunning sinister imagery from the film and exclusive illustrations. | {
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The rules for Japan’s Video Game World Qualifier Tournaments have been announced in Black and White‘s video game guide. Bangiras has translated the rules below. Their qualifier tournaments will begin in March and winners will be able to compete at Worlds 2010 in San Diego for the title of World Champion. Whether or not these rules will apply to America’s qualifier tournaments remains to be seen. Only Pokemon from Isshu can be used (excluding Victini, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genosect).
Each match is a double battle, though the amount of Pokemon that can be used in a match is not mentioned. It might be “bring six Pokemon and use four” like in the past.
Pokemon should be Level 50. Pokemon higher than that will be lowered to Level 50. Pokemon Level 49 and below will remain at the same level.
You can’t use duplicate Pokemon or Items.
You can’t change your Pokemon, Items, etc. during the tournament. | {
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A Bahraini paedophile ring terrorised hundreds of underage British boys online because they believed their 'morals were lower' and 'easier to corrupt', according to a new documentary.
Five Middle East-based men, all of which were under the age of 21 at the time, used 'extreme' levels of blackmail to bully the youngsters into performing lewd sexual acts on webcam. They believed manipulating UK males was less difficult compared to those in other countries.
Their reign of horror and how they were brought to justice is the focus of a new Channel 4 programme called Hunting The Paedophiles: Inside The National Crime Agency.
A Bahraini paedophile ring who groomed hundreds of underage British boys into performing lewd sexual acts online has been brought to justice following a global manhunt (Picture posed by model)
In terror began to unfold in November 2011 when Surrey-based constable DC Matt Strickland was called in to interview a 13 year old boy. 'He told me that he had started communicating with somebody online,' DC Strickland said.
'I think, as a young person, when you're communicating with somebody via social media you lose yourself - it's very easy to forget that you don't know this person at all.'
The victim's mother revealed that her son had been speaking to a 14 year old girl called 'Justina' via instant messenger. The girl told him she liked English boys and having 'a chat and a laugh' with them.
The mother reported that the pair spoke happily for a couple of months until things took a sinister turn.
'It moved into the boy being asked to do various different things - to take his clothes off, to expose various parts of his body, to do various indecent acts via video camera,' said DC Strickland.
'He had been tricked by this person he thought was a friend. Actually that person is not a friend, that person only wanted one thing and now they've got it.'
The strategies used by the law enforcement team responsible for bringing the perpetrators to justice is the focus of a new Channel 4 documentary called Hunting The Paedophiles: Inside The National Crime Agency
Using these indecent images, the perpetrator then tormented the boy and threatened to send them to his friends unless he carried on 'performing'.
'She was asking him to do more and more bizarre things that he really didn't feel comfortable with,' said the boy's mother. 'He realised that it was serious and this person needed to be stopped.'
Within weeks, Surrey police found nearly 40 more boys between the ages of 10 and 15 had been groomed online. Their stories were identical.
With the case too big for Surrey to deal with, it was handed to The National Crime Agency's CEOP (Child Exploration and Online Protection Centre) branch and senior investigating officer Steph McCourt. The new operation was titled Operation Perdition.
'There is no typical child sex offender,' she said. 'It can be anybody of any age or any nationality, any race, any religion, any walk of life. So at first, you can never tell who it is you're going after.'
There is no typical child sex offender. It can be anybody, of any age or any nationality, any race, any religion, any walk of life Senior Investigating Officer Steph McCourt
The documentary follows how the team worked with other agencies to piece together information and track down the culprit.
The first challenge they faced was identifying the person behind the username 'Justina'.
Investigators trawled conversations on the various different victims's computers for clues and quickly identified that the offender was using several platforms including Facebook, Skype and MSN, to contact over 1,200 children.
During this time, the Surrey-based victim's mother said the culprit had recorded videos of her son performing sexual acts and sent them to pupils at his school.
'You just physically feel sick to the pit of your stomach. There's a horrible person out there that's doing this to my son,' she said.
An alert was sent out to other police forces in Britain and cases were being brought forward from other counties. 'Justina's' photographs were identified as belonging to a teen porn actress.
The CEOP had their first breakthrough after finding an image of a man on one of the victim's computers.
'Offenders always make mistakes at some point because they believe - especially using the internet - that they will not be found,' said Steph McCourt.
'It was significant. Somebody that appeared to be of Arab origin, male. We needed to identify this individual as quickly as possible because, in this case, every day that passes another child is at risk.'
Within weeks, Surrey police found nearly 40 more boys between the ages of 10 and 15 had been groomed online. Their stories were identical (Picture posed by model)
Social workers were brought in to help detectives safeguard victims. Children were passed onto police from 24 counties and the CEOP believed there were many more to come.
Investigators tried to track down the culprit using their IP address - this details the location of the person and the device they are using.
At the same time a clue to the suspect's location was found in a message on social media.
'It's like a domino effect and we use those pieces of information to build a picture,' said Steph McCourt. 'There was a photograph sent to a victim, a sports car - a method of enticement trying to impress a teenage boy. It had Arabic plates and it turned out to be Saudi plates.'
The IP data was also pointing to the offender being overseas and, eventually, to an address in the middle eastern kingdom of Bahrain.
Steph McCourt was deployed to the country's capital Manama and because the National Crime Agency has no authority overseas she had to work alongside local police.
'When we're in a different country we have no powers, we have no authority, we are coming into an uncertain place. We didn't know how receptive they would be, what their attitudes were to this sort of offending as well,' she said.
Bahraini police were 'shocked' to find the IP address was in their country - 'It's something new to our society, something horrible' - but they were keen to help and find the person responsible.
Using an IP address the CEOP zoned in on a street address. It led them to an internet cafe, which was used by a lot of local people.
The CEOP began working with social media companies to try and discover who the offender could be. They found the culprit was using more than 50 accounts at various times and the main social network they used was called Tagged - with more than 300 million users the aim of the site is to make friends.
A representative called Jill Eisenhart, located at Tagged's headquarters in California, began monitoring the accounts.
'The level of manipulation in these accounts was extreme,' she said. 'As you read the interaction they were dripping with hate almost. The children, in their replies, were desperate. It made me sick. There's no doubt they revelled on the pain they inflicted on those children.'
Bahraini police were 'shocked' to find the IP address was in their country - 'It's something new to our society, something horrible' - but they were keen to help and find the person responsible (Picture posed by model)
Although, the CEOP thought it might be the work of a lone ranger Ms Eisenhart discovered different users on different IP addresses in different locations. It had to be more than one person.
Working with The National Crime Agency, the team were now on the trail of a paedophile network.
'We knew then that we were dealing with more than one but how many? We didn't know,' said Steph McCourt. 'They were definitely coluding with each other. These offenders thought they were untouchable. They have this confidence.
'They don't think they will be found. That they can do what they like. That they can sit behind their computer screens and target people in the UK, well that's where they were wrong.'
The National Crime Agency estimated the number of children contacted by the Bahrain ring was above 18,000.
Cases of abuse had spread to every county in the UK. The abuse was also becoming more severe - children were asked for humiliating images and to include siblings or friends in the abuse.
But the team made a breakthrough when data from Tagged discovered a possible location of a member of the ring.
At first, the house appeared to belong to an old lady but surveillance later discovered she had a son. Police issued a warrant and stormed the house. They discovered a 21-year-old man who had lots of computers and devices in his bedroom.
These offenders thought they were untouchable. They have this confidence. They don't think they will be found Senior Investigating Officer Steph McCourt
Forensics later unlocked his hard drive and uncovered indecent videos, images and conversations with children.
After being questioned and facing multiple charges for sexual offences, the man revealed there were four other members of the group - including two brothers.
He said the ring would gather in coffee shops and public places.
Bahraini police had a limited amount of time to catch the other gang members.
With guidance from Tagged, they caught the other four men in less than 24 hours.
The men behind 'Justina' were all under the age of 21 and arrested in their family homes.
'They were so young. We knew the moment the enforcement takes place it will shatter their lives,' said Steph McCourt. 'But, let me be clear, lives of other people have been shattered.'
Police found over 30,000 indecent images of underage boys from across six continents although most of their victims were in the UK.
'We wanted to know why UK victims were targeted,' said Steph McCourt, 'Their first reason they gave was that the children spoke English. But the second was more interesting because their perception of English children was that their morals were lower, easier to corrupt because of the society in the UK.'
In May 2013, the five offenders were exposed and sentenced to a combined 20 years in prison for assaulting thousands of children across six continents.
Later that month, The National Crime Agency received a call from West Midlands Police. They had discovered a new online profile that had similarities to 'Justina' and all the same children listed as contacts. But instead of Bahrain the IP address was based in the UK.
The CEOP traced a man to County Durham and found an encrypted hard drive and laptop which was set to self delete.
The man was English and had been masquerading as a girl from Florida.
He pleaded guilty to sexual offences against children and was jailed for four years.
The Bahraini ring were sentenced to a combined total of 20 years.
It took two years for The National Crime Agency to find all of the victims. | {
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Mediation talks between junior doctors and their employers today have failed to resolve a deep dispute between them over rosters.
Photo: RNZ / Brooke Jenner
About 3000 junior doctors went on strike last week, in a dispute between the Resident Doctors Association and DHBs over hours, rosters and pay.
The regulatory body for all doctors, the Medical Council, stepped in this week and urged cooperation at today's talks.
Both sides agreed to mediation this week, with talks that began mid-morning today in Auckland, but by the afternoon it had failed.
District health boards this afternoon said they were disappointed the Resident Doctors Association had rejected attempts to resolve the row and prevent another strike next week.
They said they bargained in good faith, but the union had no new suggestions for addressing issues such as hospitals' need for greater flexibility in rostering.
Union national secretary Deborah Powell rejected that, saying they had ideas but the DHBs would not withdraw planned clawbacks concerning the rosters.
"What we suggested was that we simply roll over the current collective employment agreement, but importantly accept the medical council's invitation to have the chair of the medical council work with us to find solutions to these problems."
The DHBs said they would keep making contingency plans for the second 48-hour strike beginning 7am Tuesday. | {
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Comcast and Disney are fighting over 21st Century Fox. AT&T has won the right to buy Time Warner.
Who's still up for grabs?
A handful of companies could be in play as Big Media races to consolidate and survive in a rapidly changing industry.
Shares of Discovery (DISCA) have climbed 5% since a federal judge signed off on the AT&T-Time Warner deal on Tuesday, dismissing the government's antitrust concerns. CBS (CBS) has climbed 5%. And the film studio Lionsgate Entertainment (LGFA) has jumped 3.5%.
All three own lucrative film and TV assets that might make them attractive to companies that want to compete with Netflix's (NFLX) expanding empire.
Lionsgate is behind the "Twilight" and "Hunger Games" franchises. Discovery and CBS have vast TV libraries. The flagship AMC Networks channel broadcasts "The Walking Dead."
"I think that there's clearly a merger wave sweeping through media," said Barton Crockett, an analyst at B. Riley FBR.
Entertainment is part of what made Fox (FOXA) and Time Warner such valuable targets. In addition to the FX cable channel, Fox controls the rights to the "X-Men" and "Avatar" film franchises. Time Warner also owns Warner Bros. and HBO. (CNN is a unit of Time Warner.)
At this point, potential partnerships are little more than speculation. But Crockett said it would make the most sense for telecom or technology companies — think Verizon (VZ) or even Apple (AAPL) — to look for something to buy.
Related: Will Verizon join media merger mania?
Diversification and scale helped bring AT&T and Time Warner together. Internet companies already deliver shows and movies directly to customers, which means they don't need to rely on a traditional distributor like AT&T.
Not everyone may walk away with a partner. In a research note published last week, Jefferies equity analyst John Janedis described the field of "transformational" mergers as "rapidly shrinking."
He pointed to CBS as the "most attractive asset" on the market, but he noted that the company is still tied up in prolonged merger talks with sister company Viacom (VIA), the owner of MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount.
Crockett said media companies have to move quickly. Tech companies in particular are already spending big money to snap up their own TV and film properties. Apple and Netflix are spending billions to acquire and make their own shows.
Related: How will Apple create its media empire?
That could make legacy businesses less valuable in the long run.
"Timing is of the essence," Crockett said. "If the content companies wait too long, those guys might no longer be interested."
If there's an exception to that theory, Crockett said it's probably Disney. Unlike AT&T and Comcast, Disney isn't a traditional distributor, but it has several widely recognizable franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe and "Star Wars."
Disney is trying to survive by making an even bigger bet on the content business by fighting for Fox. Disney is also getting into distribution: It bought a majority stake in BAMTech last year and plans to launch its own streaming service.
It's not clear what Disney will do if it loses the fight for Fox. MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson recently suggested another purchase, like the private film company MGM, might not be out of the question. MGM controls the James Bond franchise.
Disney is looking for a global, pre-established property "that can live many years in the future," Nathanson told clients during a conference call Wednesday.
— CNNMoney's Matt Egan contributed to this report. | {
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Will Noble
Seen These Pride Roundels On The Tube?
Edward Johnston's world-renowned roundel has had a makeover at tube stations across London.
These special rainbow roundels doff their colourful caps to Pride Month — the international celebration of LGBTQI+ communities everywhere. And let's be honest, they look pretty darn tasty too.
The transgender flag roundel
Joining the Pride roundel (updated to represent the BAME LGBT+ community), is a Trans Pride roundel, plus the all-new Bi Pride roundel. Each roundel takes it colours from flags associated with the communities.
See how many of these you can spot across the network, ahead of the big Pride parade on 6 July (clue: Hammersmith might have some).
The all-new Bi Pride roundel
Staynton Brown, Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Talent at TfL said:
TfL has always been a strong supporter of Pride in London, the LGBT+ community, and everyone who lives in our vibrant and diverse city. We welcome all communities and London is open for all to enjoy – whether you're here to work, study or just enjoy London.
Check out our things to do over Pride Month in London.
The Pride flag flies proud at TfL's headquarters on Broadway
If you happen to be around St James's Park, you'll also notice the Pride flag fluttering from TfL's HQ. Nice touch. Are you watching, Donald Trump?
All images © TfL | {
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KITCHENER, Ontario, March 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- James E. Wagner Cultivation Corporation (“JWC” or the “Corporation”) (TSXV: JWCA), is pleased to announce that on March 1, 2019, the Corporation closed the advance of the loan in the amount of CDN$3.5 million (the “Loan”) pursuant to the previously disclosed loan agreement dated February 19, 2019 (the “Loan Agreement”) between, among others, JWC and Trichome Financial Corp. (the “Lender”).
As consideration for providing the Loan and pursuant to TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”) Policy 5.1 – Loans, Loan Bonuses, Finder’s Fees and Commissions, JWC has issued 291,667 bonus warrants to purchase common shares of JWC (the “Bonus Warrants”) to the Lender. Each Bonus Warrant is exercisable into one common share of JWC at an exercise price of CDN$0.80. The Bonus Warrants are exercisable for a period of two years from the date of issuance, expiring on March 1, 2021. The Bonus Warrants are subject to a four month hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws which will expire on July 2, 2019.The issuance of the Bonus Warrants was approved by the TSXV on February 27, 2019.
Details of the Loan Agreement are set forth in the Corporation’s news release dated February 20, 2019.
About James E. Wagner Cultivation Corporation
JWC’s wholly-owned subsidiary is a Licensed Producer under the Cannabis Regulations, formerly the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”). JWC is a premium cannabis brand, focusing on producing clean, consistent cannabis. JWC uses an advanced and proprietary Dual Droplet aeroponic platform named GrowthSTORM™. JWC was founded as a family company and is based on family values. JWC began as a collective of patients and growers under the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (the precursor to ACMPR). Since its inception, JWC has remained focused on providing the best possible patient experience. JWC’s operations are based in Kitchener, Ontario. Learn more at www.jwc.ca.
For additional information about JWC, please refer to JWC’s profile on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) or the Corporation’s website: www.jwc.ca .
Notice regarding forward-looking statements:
This press release contains statements including forward-looking information for purposes of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) about JWC and its business and operations which include, among other things, statements regarding JWC and any information with respect to the entering into of a loan agreement, the availability of funds thereunder, and the issuance of warrants by the Corporation to the lender pursuant to the loan agreement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release are based on the Corporation’s current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions, and beliefs and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances, including expectations and assumptions regarding: general economic conditions, the expected timing and cost of expanding the Corporation’s production capacity, the internal opportunities, the development of new products and product formats, the Corporation’s ability to retain key personnel, the Corporation’s ability to continue investing in its infrastructure to support growth, the impact of competition, trends in the Canadian cannabis industry and changes in laws, rules, and events, performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications as to whether, or the times at which, such events, performance or results will occur or be achieved. The forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of such words as “anticipated”, “will”, “expected”, “approximately”, “may”, “could”, “would” or similar words and phrases. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those implied in the forward-looking statements. For example, risks include risks regarding the cannabis industry, economic factors, the equity markets generally, funding and grant related risks and risks associated with growth and competition as well as the risks identified in the Corporation’s Filing Statement and other filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com . Although JWC has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on current assumptions which management believes to be reasonable. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information about this release, please contact:
Nathan Woodworth, the President and Chief Executive Officer
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (519) 594-0144 x421 | {
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Hamas video of RPG fire on israeli tank, the trophy system destroyed the rocket before it hits. | {
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Apparently, there are enough Orthodox Jews and Christians sympathetic to Israel claiming that former president Jimmy Carter‘s cancer is a divine punishment from God to warrant an influential Rabbi to argue otherwise.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Rabbi Benjamin Blech wrote a post concerning the matter for the website Aish, which serves as the digital arm of the Orthodox Jewish outreach organization Aish HaTorah.
“There are those already proclaiming with prophetic certainty that Jimmy Carter is being punished by God for his sins against Israel and the Jewish people,” writes Blech. “And with that smug analysis of heavenly justice these false prophets have unwittingly besmirched millions of righteous and God-fearing people who similarly find themselves suffering from incurable diseases and facing painful deaths.”
He goes on to point out that others, especially faithful Orthodox Jews and outspoken supporters of Israel, are suffering from incurable cancers, too.
“The Torah taught us not to dare make judgments based on equating someone’s suffering with sin and be guilty of the crime of the friends of Job.”
Blech offers a few examples of what Orthodox Jews have been saying about Carter’s cancer. However, reporter Uriel Heilman also includes a link to a rather shoddily-produced Christian YouTube series that argues much of the same. That is, that Carter is dying from cancer because he was a really, really bad person when it comes to all things Israel.
[h/t Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the Jerusalem Post]
[Image via screengrab]
— —
>> Follow Andrew Husband (@AndrewHusband) on Twitter
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] | {
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Megan Cassidy
The Republic | azcentral.com
The man accused in Phoenix’s “Canal Killer” case may have his ancestors to blame for his 2015 arrest.
Records show forensic genealogy was key in leading police to Bryan Patrick Miller, a man now facing a death-penalty trial in the early 1990s slayings of Angela Brosso and Melanie Bernas.
Using a method with little precedent in the world of criminal justice, a California genealogist named Colleen Fitzpatrick handed police what would amount to a case-busting lead: the suspect’s last name.
“The name Miller came up in my analysis,” Fitzpatrick wrote in an email that she later forwarded to investigators.
Miller, a now-44-year-old father, was arrested within weeks of Fitzpatrick’s emails with police. His trial is scheduled to begin April 28.
Naming a suspect through genealogy
Police had long held samples of crime-scene DNA they believed belonged to the killer, and Miller had remained in Phoenix for much of his adult life. But as investigators often bemoan, a DNA sample is useful only if you have a suspect's sample against which to compare it.
The first crime occurred in November 1992, when 22-year-old Angela Brosso failed to return home from a bike ride. Police soon would find her headless body near 25th Avenue and Cactus Road, and her head in the Arizona Canal several days later.
Ten months later, 17-year-old Melanie Bernas would face a chillingly similar fate. In September 1993, the high school student also had been out on a bike ride before her apparent abduction. Her body, which was discovered the next day, also was found in the canal.
After months of speculation, police confirmed what the community had feared. The two murders were connected by a single suspect’s DNA.
Over the years, it is likely officials had run the suspect’s DNA through databases such as CODIS, a national repository for the profiles of known criminal offenders. But because Miller had never been to prison, his DNA profile would not have been included in this database.
After Miller’s January 2015 arrest, police confirmed the link was made through surreptitiously collecting Miller’s DNA and matching it with that of the unknown person's. (Collection methods can include picking up a suspect's used cigarette or water bottle, but police have not released details on this specific operation.)
What remained unclear was how an investigation that had fielded thousands of tips, dozens of leads and crossed state lines had winnowed to a pool of suspects small enough for detectives to track down one man’s DNA.
Police emails provided to The Arizona Republic through a public-records request provide the missing link in the investigation’s timeline.
That link began in October 2014, when genealogist Fitzpatrick attended a human-identification conference in Phoenix.
Phoenix investigators attended too, and learned about the potential to glean an unknown person's surname by analyzing a DNA profile’s paternal lineage through the Y chromosome.
Investigators at the conference also met Fitzpatrick, who has carved a niche in identifying people, including helping to name an unknown child on the Titanic and the remains of a serviceman who died in a plane crash in 1948, according to her website.
By late December 2014, Fitzpatrick was providing email updates to Sgt. Troy Hillman of the homicide department’s cold-case unit.
Phoenix police and Fitzpatrick declined to comment for this story, with Phoenix police citing the upcoming criminal trial. Fitzpatrick said she would defer to Phoenix police on when she could comment. The Republic consulted with genealogy experts to help decipher some of the more technical portions of the emails.
It appears Phoenix police began by providing Fitzpatrick with a profile of the suspected killer's DNA.
While much of the documents released to The Arizona Republic were redacted, Fitzpatrick indicates in them that she tapped at least one publicly available DNA database.
In a Dec. 27, 2014 email, Fitzpatrick mentions the private commercial companies Family Tree DNA and Ancestry.com — which both have their own database of DNA profiles — and a commercial kit called Y-filer. Fitzpatrick notes that only Family Tree DNA has a certain marker test from a certain area in the profile.
Fitzpatrick already has flagged the surname by this email.
“I checked Ancestry.com briefly to see if there were any Millers living in the apartment complex near the Canal,” she wrote. “Of course there were quite a few. I haven't had a chance to look through them to see if there is a benefit for making the map — it may be too crowded.”
In an email from Fitzpatrick to a conference employee written shortly after Miller’s arrest in January 2015, Fitzpatrick said Miller had been on Phoenix police’s “extensive list of candidates.”
The fact that the name “Miller” emerged in her analysis, she said, “caus(ed) the Phoenix PD to take a closer look at him.”
Dad genes
It is unclear from the emails exactly how Fitzpatrick was directed to the surname.
Bennett Greenspan, the founder and CEO of commercial genetic testing company Family Tree DNA, was briefed on this story and posed a possible scenario.
Greenspan said there are several companies, including Family Tree DNA, Ancestry.com and 23andMe, that will compare a DNA signature to those already in their database. The service can be used to locate distant relatives or to help adopted individuals locate their biological families.
The databases for each company are populated by others who have submitted their DNA profile and opted in to allow others to find them, Greenspan said.
He said Family Tree DNA has the ability to test for Y-STR, which comes from the Y, or paternal chromosome. Records indicate Fitzpatrick analyzed the Y-STR for the Canal Killer case.
Y-STR stands for short tandem repeats, which Greenspan described as a genetic “stutter.” The stutters, he said, are passed on “from a father to his son, literally unaltered for generations.”
Greenspan said it’s likely that one or more of Miller’s relatives — even distant — had opted to submit their DNA to one of these databases. The database would then generate the names of those with the same Y-STR. And because male lineage is more likely to carry a surname through generations, it was likely that the database generated a relative or relatives with the last name of “Miller.”
Greenspan said he knew of Fitzpatrick, but didn’t know if it was his database that she used for the case. He said it was certainly possible that she submitted the profile anonymously.
“It’s a community-built database that allows people to compare, match and share data, share family stories — that’s what it’s designed for,” he said. “It may be used for forensic purposes, but they’re doing it around the system.”
The tests are typically used by private customers, he said. It could be two men with the last name “O’Brien” want to see if they’re related. Or someone who is adopted could use the test to find relatives and a likely biological family name.
“We sell 50,000 of these things per year. It is a repository — a treasure trove of potential information,” he said. “The truth is, if you don’t have anything to hide, it doesn’t matter.”
Familial testing and privacy concerns
The surname search used to point police to Miller is similar to that of familial searches that have gained notoriety in recent years.
With familial searches, police are able to test an unknown DNA profile with those of known offenders in criminal databases. If there are genetic similarities with a known criminal, police can use the information to build a family tree; eliminating or highlighting certain relatives based on their age or residence at the time of the crime.
One of the most celebrated examples of this method came in 2010, with an arrest in Los Angeles’ notorious “Grim Sleeper” case.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a familial search of prisons pointed to a convict whose DNA was similar to that of a serial killer. After police created and analyzed the family tree, the prisoner’s father, Lonnie David Franklin Jr., emerged as a suspect.
Earlier this year, Franklin was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl. In August, he was sentenced to death.
Familial testing can provide police a vital lead when other searches have come up empty. But critics have argued that it can place innocent people under police scrutiny solely based on their relation to a suspect.
Take the case of Michael Usry, a New Orleans filmmaker who recently became ensnared in a 1996 murder investigation of Idaho Falls teenager Angie Dodge.
According to the Associated Press, Usry's father had submitted his DNA to a non-profit organization years earlier, and that data had later been acquired by Ancestry.com. In 2014, Idaho Falls police submitted the unknown person's DNA to Ancestry.com, which produced a close match.
This signaled that the killer may have been a close relative to the donor, and police acquired a search warrant for Ancestry.com to turn over the name of the donor.
Usry was the right age to be the killer, and in turn was interrogated for hours. AP reports that Usry at last submitted a blood DNA sample, and remained under suspicion until he was ruled out.
Critics of the process say familial testing could have sweeping implications for privacy rights.
"When law enforcement is searching private databases of DNA and there's no regulation and no judicial supervision, that does raise profound concerns about what is permissible activity by law enforcement," said Steve Mercer, chief attorney for the Forensics Division of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and a vocal opponent of familial testing.
Mercer noted that there already are several forms of law-enforcement activity that could be useful but are not tolerated by society. Police aren't allowed to enter homes without a warrant, take someone into custody without probable cause or practice "stop and frisk" tactics.
"There's so much that we take for granted that the police aren’t allowed to do in our everyday lives," Mercer said. "But of course, if efficiency was the only limiting factor, then the police could do all of those things, because they’re going to catch some bad people doing that."
David Kaye, an associate dean for research at Penn State University who studies genetics and its application in law, said privacy concerns will be a “significant question” if this field expands.
He said it would be important to see what types of disclosures the commercial companies make to their users.
“If you sign up, do they warn you that by signing up, you’re making information about your ancestry available to anyone? That it can be used by … authorities, including those investigating crimes?” he asked.
Generally speaking though, Kaye said, it could be argued that the commercial DNA databases are public domain, and therefore fair game for police.
“The question is, is this different than looking at someone walking down a public street?” he said. “Traditionally there’s been no expectation of privacy where the general public can find information.”
Kaye said potential harm depends on what police do with the surname once they have it. Though a separate DNA test is taken to show a direct match, there is a possibility that information could be leaked and publicly implicate an innocent person.
Still, Kaye argued, the same types of gaffes can come as a result of other investigative leads, like faulty eyewitnesses.
“There are issues present,” he said. “But I guess my own view would be that if police are discreet about this, it’s simply another clue.”
Could the search lead to more arrests?
Kaye said the prospect a surname search had been tossed around in literature about a decade ago, but he had never seen it come to fruition.
Records indicate that the method comes with limitations.
After the success of Miller’s arrest, Phoenix police apparently sent at least six other DNA profiles to Fitzpatrick for analysis. Records released to The Republic indicate their initial luck hasn’t yet repeated itself.
In various emails, Fitzpatrick explains having trouble with partial DNA profiles, and notes that the databases are “skewed in favor of Caucasian Europeans.”
“I have not checked for a name on that last case because I saw it was Native American,” Fitzpatrick wrote in an early 2016 email to Hillman.
Hillman and Fitzpatrick then discuss checking a DNA profile’s ethnicity before moving on to the more expensive surname search.
“This is pioneering work, so that it pays to be flexible as we find out more about how to use of the databases,” Fitzpatrick said during this conversation. “There are certainly other cases that can be solved. It's a question of stacking the deck in our favor.” | {
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System Activity Monitors ↘️ free! (iOS)
Monitor and visualize iOS activity like memory usage, battery life, used space, and more; avg 4/5 stars (960+ ratings); was $0.99, now free!
🆕 Love Flickr? We do too, and have a MDM Deals Flickr channel you should follow! | {
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The evolution of Oculus Avatars
Video games have had realistic-looking, customizable humans for decades — this should be simple, right?
It is not simple. When you look at another player in a traditional multiplayer game, there’s generally no expectation for the character to move exactly like a human would — you know it’s being piloted by someone sitting on a couch, holding a gamepad. This lack of expectation is a saving grace.
In VR, when you see an avatar moving in a realistic and very human way, your mind begins to analyze it, and you see what’s wrong. You could almost think of this as an evolutionary defense mechanism. We should be wary of things that move like humans but don’t behave like us. (Cue fifty years of sci fi filmmaking and paperbacks).
Human skin, we learned, is really difficult to fake. When humans talk, the skin stretches over cheekbones and coloration changes, all of which is very hard to reproduce in a convincing manner, particularly in the tightly constrained compute budgets of VR experiences.
Eye and mouth movements are equally important to get right. It’s not enough to make the eyes blink and to articulate the jaw when you are talking. There are other social cues delivered by the brows, cheeks, and lips. These are nonverbal and, without a face-tracking camera, difficult to simulate.
It’s because of challenges like these that our teams at Facebook Reality Labs are having to invent completely new technologies to enable more realistic avatars over the next decade.
In the absence of mature technology, however, our initial approach was to abstract away from these problems.
Making humans look significantly less human and breaking the expectation of realism worked well. Our colleagues working on Facebook Spaces pursued a fully articulated avatar with simulated eyes, mouth, and arms, using a cartoon style to abstract away from anything that might come across as uncanny or heighten the discontinuity of simulated and tracked behaviors.
At the same time, we learned the value of greater realism. Presented with a more human likeness and proportions, people automatically understood the space someone was occupying; the distinct shape of the nose bridge could indicate attention and facilitate conversational turn-taking, even when viewed side-on. And realism opened up the use of avatars in contexts where toon avatars felt less appropriate, such as business meetings in VR.
For the launch of Oculus Avatars in 2016, we started with a volumetric and sculpturally accurate human representation, and we used a monochrome texture to abstract away from anything that felt too much like skin. We faded or covered areas of the body we couldn’t reliably simulate, all to deemphasize what was not really there and to focus attention on the very human motion of the head and hands that we could track using our hardware. | {
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Von Laura Müller-Sixer 05. Juli 2017 - 13:32 Uhr
Egal ob "ein Döner mit allem und scharf" oder Halloumi für die Veggies: So ein gefülltes Fladenbrot geht einfach immer! Wir zeigen euch die besten Döner der Stadt sowie einige Alternativen.
9 Bilder "Mit allem, ohne Scharf!" Wir haben uns auf die Suche nach dem besten Döner der Stadt begeben. Vegetarische Alternativen inklusive! Foto: dpa
Stuttgart – Zum Lunch mit den Kollegen, als rustikales "Candlelight-Dinner" und auf dem Nachhauseweg von der Afterhour: Der Döner ist ein echter Snack-Allrounder. Auch wenn bei seinem Verspeisen meist mit Verlusten, beziehungsweise Flecken auf der Kleidung zu rechnen ist, noch viel schwieriger gestaltet sich die Suche nach dem persönlichen Favoriten.
Auf der Suche nach dem besten Döner
Damit ihr fündig werdet, wenn der nächste Hunger kommt, liefert unsere Galerie eine kleinen Döner-Guide durch Stuttgart mit der ein oder anderen Alternative zum türkischen Klassiker.
Jetzt stellen sich eigentlich nur noch die Fragen: "Scharf? Mit Knoblauchsoße oder ohne? Pute oder Rind? Mhm, Zwiebeln? Vielleicht lieber Yufka? Heute mal vegetarisch? Wie, veganer Döner?... | {
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"Jamaica's Gateway to Bitcoin, Crypto and Blockchain Technology"
There's a new resource for Jamaicans entering the crypto-sphere. BeachfrontCrypto.com has news, tips and a forum for Jamaicans to discuss Bitcoin, crypto and Blockchain Technology.
There's also a Bitcoin Faucet so you can learn how to use cryptocurrencies without risking your own money.
The Beachfront Crypto Forum is live and the free Bitcoin $BTC faucet is active!
Source
What is Parley?
Parley is a Steem-based Reddit competitor that allows users to submit links and curate news they find around the web in order to promote discussion on the Steem platform. Read more
More Steem | {
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The realities of Australia’s controversial method of dealing with refugees has been exposed in 8,000 pages of leaked documents that reveal systematic child abuse on Australia’s offshore detention island Nauru.
The Guardian received the leak from inside the detention system which exposes more than 2,000 reports detailing assault, sexual abuse, self harm and unfit living conditions, half of which concern children. It provides a damning case against the Australian government for failing to act on previous reports or to properly care for those under its detention.
Read more
While a 2015 investigation by the Australian Senate into the Nauru detention center revealed worrying conditions for refugees, including incidents of sexual assault and self-harm, new revelations provide a greater scale to the problems at the offshore site.
The leaks reveal 1,086 incidents involving children, who make up only 18 percent of Nauru’s 442 detainees. There are 59 reports of assault on children within the files.
Perhaps the most chilling reports come from incidents of children acting abnormally, likely as a result of trauma and their internment.
One girl sewed her mouth shut, and a guard reacted by laughing. Another girl pointed to her vagina and said a male detainee “cut her from under.”
Thirty cases of self-harm in children were reported, and over 150 cases of threatened self-harm in children.
Read more
In one incident, a teacher reported that a girl requested increased shower times. “Her request has been accepted on condition of sexual favours. It is a male security person. She did not state if this has or hasn’t occurred. The security officer wants to view a boy or girl having a shower,” the report reads.
The revelations coincide with the findings of the Australian Senate which revealed a number of attempted suicides and incidents of children self-harming. It also described overcrowding and unhygienic conditions in Nauru, with cases of typhoid and TB reported. Impetigo and lice along with vermin and insects have spread around the island.
Australia’s second detention island, Manus, holds more than 800 men. It too has seen controversy, with detainees reporting abuse and neglect. Australia’s Christmas Island also houses refugees and has seen riots, fires and hunger strikes by refugees attempting to protest conditions.
The three islands are difficult to access, and are known to be uninviting to reporters.
Doctors working in immigration centers challenged the Australian government’s Border Force Act in July, due to Section 42, which prevents “unauthorized disclosure” about camp conditions. Violators can face two years in prison if they break the rule.
Read more
“Doctors are obliged to put their patient’s interests above all other interests and to advocate for public health,” Dr Barri Phatafod said. “No one should expect any less from their doctor, or from the medical profession as a whole.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection responded to the Nauru leak, telling the Guardian: “Alleged incidents within the regional processing centre are investigated and where appropriate referred to the Nauru police force (NPF) for investigation. Refugees living in the community are encouraged to report all incidents of assault to the NPF.”
“The Australian federal police has deployed officers to work alongside the NPF and build their capacity to investigate complex and sensitive incidents. Australia provides comprehensive medical support services to the regional processing centre in Nauru and to the Nauruan government health facilities.”
| {
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"J'veux du soleil", le documentaire de François Ruffin et Gilles Perret consacré au mouvement des Gilets Jaunes sortira au cinéma le 3 avril.
Jour2fête
3 ans après Merci Patron! - qui a remporté le César de meilleur documentaire en 2017 - le réalisateur et député François Ruffin revient avec J'veux du soleil, un documentaire consacré aux Gilets Jaunes. Co-réalisé avec Gilles Perret, qui a récemment mis en scène L'Insoumis sur Jean-Luc Mélenchon, le long métrage s'intéresse au quotidien des manifestants. Le député insoumis décrit lui-même son film comme étant un "road-movie dans la France des Gilets jaunes".
Lors de l'annonce du projet en janvier dernier via sa chaîne Youtube, François Ruffin a précisé qu'il reverserait l'intégralité de ses droits d'auteurs au Secours populaire. Précisant que son métier, en tant que débuté, est de représenter la nation.
Distribué par Jour2fête, le documentaire devrait sortir dans nos salles le 3 avril prochain. | {
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As the Supreme Court prepares to hear questions in a controversial Edmonton hotel killing case, Central Albertans held signs and lit candles to honour the woman who died.
About 30 people attended a candlelight vigil for Cindy Gladue, held by the Red Feather Women of Red Deer, in front of the Red Deer Provincial Court House Wednesday evening.
Bradley Barton, an Ontario trucker, said Gladue died after a night of consensual, rough sex in an Edmonton motel in June 2011. Her body was found in the bathtub after Barton called 911. She had an 11-centimetre cut in her vagina and bled to death.
A jury found Barton not guilty of first-degree murder and manslaughter in 2015.
Theresa “Corky” Larsen Jonasson, with the Red Feather Women, said the story of Gladue’s death is heart-wrenching.
“We were all taken out at the knees when we found out he was acquitted. We believe she didn’t get a fair trial because of her background.
“As long as things like this keep happening, we’re going to be here. And it keeps happening,” she said.
The Crown appealed the not guilty verdict following nationwide protests and the Alberta Court of Appeal ordered a new trial.
The Appeal Court ruled serious errors were made in the original trial and in the judge’s charge to the jury about Barton’s conduct and on sexual assault legislation as it pertains to consent.
The sentence will be appealed in Ottawa’s Supreme Court Thursday. The court will hear arguments on several procedural matters, including the role of interveners, but may also decide for the first time whether an “objective likelihood of harm” cancels out sexual consent.
The Alberta Crown, as well as attorney generals in other provinces, including Ontario, is arguing for such an addition to the law.
Dino Bottos, Barton’s lawyer, said it would be a big deal if the top court agrees. He plans to argue that the Crown brought up the consent versus harm argument on appeal – not at trial – and it shouldn’t affect his client’s case.
Barton has testified that he hired Gladue for two nights of sex. He said he found her dead in the tub when he woke up after the second night.
A medical examiner testified that the wound to Gladue’s vaginal wall was likely caused by a sharp object and, in a rare move, he used Gladue’s preserved vaginal tissue as an exhibit.
–With files from The Canadian Press
Sign up here Get local stories you won't find anywhere else right to your inbox. | {
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Santa Cruz del Islote is a tiny island on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Five hundred people live in 115 houses on an area the size of a soccer field. | {
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Ellen Pao drops sexism case appeal Published duration 14 September 2015
image copyright Getty Images image caption Ellen Pao was ordered to pay her former employer's legal costs after losing the case.
A Silicon Valley executive who lost a high-profile sexism case against her former employer has decided not to appeal against the verdict.
Following the trial she was ordered to pay $1m (£650,000) of venture capitalist firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers' legal costs.
The firm said at the time it would waive the costs if she did not appeal.
The case gripped the tech community as diversity within the industry is a topical issue - the sector is generally dominated by a white male workforce, and many of the larger companies have pledged to address the imbalance.
Ellen Pao had claimed in court that she missed out on promotions during her time as a junior partner at Kleiner Perkins because of her gender, and was fired after she complained.
The firm maintained its decisions were related to her performance in the role and the jury agreed.
"We remain committed to gender diversity in the workplace and believe that women in technology would be best served by focusing on this issue outside of continued litigation," said Christina Lee, a spokesperson for the investor, at the end of the trial in April.
'Personal pain'
" My experience shows how difficult it is to address discrimination through the court system," Ms Pao wrote.
She added that the case had been painful "personally and professionally" for both her and her family.
In her article for the website Re:code, Ms Pao criticised the legal system and the huge financial costs involved.
"I have a request for all companies: Please don't try to silence employees who raise discrimination and harassment concerns," she said.
"Instead allow balanced and complete perspectives to come out publicly so we can all learn and improve."
Ms Pao stood down in July as chief executive of her subsequent employer, community website Reddit, following a huge backlash against some of the changes made by the site. | {
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NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints burned through 11 kickers in Sean Payton's first 11 years as head coach. But they finally found a keeper when they signed Baltimore Ravens castoff Wil Lutz during Week 1 of the 2016 season.
He made history for them Monday with a game-winning 58-yard field goal as time expired in the Saints' 30-28 victory over the Houston Texans.
Not only was it a career long for Lutz, but it was also the longest field goal in the final 10 seconds of a season-opening game since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
"We all felt like it was going to happen the minute we heard that ball go off his foot," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. "It was a thundering kick, and we all knew it was going in the uprights."
That isn't hyperbole -- well, not totally. The Saints were so confident in Lutz's leg that receiver Ted Ginn Jr. appeared to celebrate after he caught a pass at the Texans' 40-yard line with two seconds left. He thought that was close enough for Lutz to win it.
"We all knew," Saints running back Alvin Kamara said. "We see him do it in practice. If we get Wil in position, we knew he could hit it."
Lutz actually missed a 56-yard attempt wide left before halftime Monday. But he finished the game 3-for-4 on field goal attempts. Last season, he made 28 of 30 before the Saints signed him to one of the richest kicker deals in the NFL (five years, $20.25 million).
The Saints obviously had more success borrowing a young kicker from the Ravens than the Minnesota Vikings did (Minnesota traded a fifth-round pick to Baltimore for kicker Kaare Vedvik this summer, only to cut him weeks later). But part of that was because the Saints stuck with the undrafted rookie from Georgia State even when he had a couple early wobbles in 2016, including a missed 61-yard attempt that would have won his NFL debut.
Lutz brought up that game on Monday when asked how much pride he takes in the confidence the Saints have in him.
"You know, it's crazy. It brings back a memory. And the only reason I thought about it today is because Brad Seely is [the Texans' special-teams] coach. He was the Oakland coach my first game ever, when I missed a 61-yarder left. And Coach [Payton] stood up here and told me that he still had confidence in me," Lutz said. "And it kinda gives me chills thinking about that. And here we are three years later, so it's pretty wild."
Like most kickers, Lutz talks all the time about trying to keep the process the same for every kick. But he admitted Monday, "I gotta be honest, that one felt a little different."
"Obviously, I'm confident in what I do. I'm confident in my operation. I knew with 37 seconds left that we were going to have an opportunity to get at least close to field goal range. In that situation, there's not a single kick I'd turn down," Lutz said. "You know, we talk about the ebbs and flows of a game. The first half didn't go my way. And that's what this game is all about is bouncing back and being able to have your teammates have your back and make a kick like that.
"That's gotta be -- that's gotta be a top-one moment for me." | {
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Stuntman, reality star, and comedian Steve-O is back in Tampa as part of his The Bucket List Tour.
His last visit in February of 2017 was hard to forget.
"We mounted a trampoline on to a pickup truck which we dove from as it sped across a bridge," the Jackass star explained.
Steve-O dove 25 feet from the Indian Rocks Beach bridge into the water below and hit the surface so hard that he split the skin on his back.
"It hurt a lot."
Steve-O says he does what he does for laughs, but the particular stunt he pulled in Indian Rocks Beach last year didn't leave many people laughing, because diving off of the bridge is illegal and the stuntman was on probation at the time.
”As soon as we filmed it, I reached out to TMZ," he recalled. "I said, 'hey, I’ve got this great stunt and it constitutes a violation of my probation.' Then I thought, 'why did I say that? I’m so dumb.'"
A representative for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office told FOX 13 that since there was no complaint filed, their office would not pursue charges.
”It was a really nice thing, and I think I took every opportunity to publicly thank the community.”
Now, Steve-O is working his way down a new list of stunts for his Bucket List Tour, and the Bay Area made the cut again.
He says he just needs a helicopter to turn his latest stunt plan into a reality.
"So we can have a sumo wrestling match 50 ft above the ocean on a trampoline under a helicopter."
His latest stunt is to be determined, and so is the next phase of Steve-O's career.
He says The Bucket List could be his last hoorah, making room for the next generation of stunt stars. Though he doesn't necessarily recommend his career path.
"I don’t know what I would say to anyone who’s trying to follow the path that I’ve chosen in life. I certainly know better than to discourage anyone but I think there could be better plans."
For information on Steve-O's Bucket List Tour, visit https://www.steveo.com/pages/tour-dates. | {
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NBC5'S NATHANIEL REED WAS ON HAND TODAY FOR THE FIRST BURIAL UNDER THE NEW LAW. <TRT: 1:41> <GEORGE BREWER// PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS: THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT FOR US ? AND WE DESERVE EVERY LITTLE BIT OF HONOR WE CAN GIVE THEM> In Randolph ? a procession of patriots guard riders ? guarding over the remains of a long departed World War II veteran <TOM GIFFIN//PRESIDENT, VERMONT OLD CEMETERIES ASSOCIATION: AS FAR AS A PICTURE I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. BUT WE DO KNOW HE WAS A ? WW II NAVY VETERAN AND HE HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE FUNERAL HOME FOR OVER 20 YEARS> We don't know much about Fredrick E Armstrong -- he had no family when he died in Southern Vermont in 1997. For 22 years? < TOM GIFFIN//PRESIDENT, VERMONT OLD CEMETERIES ASSOCIATION: HE SAT ON A SHELF ? IN A FUNERAL HOME> Untouched and Unclaimed by family Under Vermont law ? there was nothing they could do < TOM GIFFIN//PRESIDENT, VERMONT OLD CEMETERIES ASSOCIATION: BY LAW THEY COULDN'T RELEASE THE REMAINS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FAMILY MEMBERS > So veterans, advocates, and the legislature got to work ? and found ? an outpouring of support <ROBERT HOOPER // (D) CHITTENDEN-6-1: I STOPPED GETTING COSPONSORS CAUSE I WAS RUNNING OUT OF PAPER> Act 9 -- passed unanimously by the house and senate earlier this year and was signed by the governor. Armstrong -- the first burial under the new law < GEORGE BREWER// PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS: I DOUBT THERE WAS ANYONE HERE WHO REMEMBERED THIS MAN. AND TO SEE ALL THESE FOLKS? ITS HEARTWARMING> < ROBERT HOOPER // (D) CHITTENDEN-6-1: YOU NEVER KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER THAT STANDS TO PROTECT YOUR FREEDOM. YOU DON'T NEED TO, YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW PEOPLE WERE THERE ? MAYBE HE DIDN'T DIE IN WWII BUT HE SERVED, WITH HONOR, HE DESERVES THIS. > Under the guard of patriots he never knew, ARMSTRONG
Advertisement 22 years after his death, community memorializes 'unclaimed' veteran 'He deserves this' Share Shares Copy Link Copy
On Friday, over 20 years after Navy veteran Frederick Armstrong died, his ashes were laid to rest at the Vermont Veterans Cemetery in Randolph. According to Tossing Funeral Home, Armstrong was predeceased by his family, which meant the funeral home was unable to release his ashes for burial. According to Tom Giffin, president of the Vermont Old Cemeteries Association, until last year, there was legally nothing the funeral home could do. "By law, they couldn’t release the remains because there was no family members," he told NBC5. Until Friday, he said, Armstrong's ashes "sat on a shelf, in a funeral home."Last year, Giffin enlisted the help of freshman state Rep. Robert Hooper, D-Chittenden-6-1, to pass a bill to allow the remains of unclaimed veterans, such as Armstrong, to be buried in the Vermont Veterans Cemetery.Hooper's bill, Act 9, easily won bipartisan and "tri-partisan" support in the State House. "I stopped getting co-sponsors 'cause I was running out of paper," Hooper said.Act 9 unanimously passed the Vermont House and Senate earlier this year and was signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott in a ceremony. On Friday, the Patriot Guard Riders were one of several groups that turned out to pay their respects to Armstrong, who is the first veteran to be buried under the new law."These are people who fought for us, and they deserve every little bit of honor we can give them," said George Brewer, the Vermont state captain of the Patriot Guard Riders. "I doubt there was anyone here who remembered this man. And to see all these folks, it's heartwarming," he said."(Armstrong) deserves this," declared Hooper, one of several politicians in attendance on Friday. "Maybe he didn’t die in World War II but he served, with honor."Surrounded by members of Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, Patriot Guard Riders and members of the public whom he never knew, Armstrong was finally laid to rest. | {
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Like any person "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" a headless chicken does, indeed, run around crazily and without much thought—at first. But if that chicken is Miracle Mike, a chicken that actually spent 18 months without a head, the phrase takes on a new meaning.
To be a chicken with its head cut off, if that chicken is Mike the headless chicken, is to embark on a national tour and to be profiled in Time magazine. It is to spend your days drinking a milk-water mix dropped down your exposed throat from an eyedropper. And it is to die, when that eyedropper is accidentially left behind, a relatively calm death, in a motel room.
But let's begin with Mike's decapitation. In 1945, a Mrs. L.A. Olson, (wife of farmer Lloyd Olsen, says Time), chopped the head off a chicken. The blow was aimed with the intent of keeping as much of the neck intact as possible, says Bec Crew for Scientific American. (The neck meat was to be a treat for a visiting mother.) Olsen whiffed her blow and separated some, but not all, of the chicken's brain from its body.
Chicken's brains are arranged at such an angle that the most basic parts of the brain, the cerebellum and the brain stem, can remain nestled in the neck even if most of the head is gone, says Rebecca Katzman for Modern Farmer.
The day after Mike's supposed execution, says Ester Inglis-Arkell for io9, Mrs. Olsen found the chicken “sleeping with the other chickens, his neck tucked under his wing.”
Either his owners knew they had something big, or they just felt sorry for him. Either way, they took care of him and fed him with an eye dropper. Word spread about The Headless Wonder Chicken and people paid a quarter to see the marvel.
Soon, Mike's fame spread further, and he died in 1947 while he was on national tour. Occasionally, fluid would gather in his throat and need to be cleared; his owners had lost the tool they usually used to do the job. Mike choked to death on his own spit—and was finally still. | {
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We’d like to get a feel for how much and what type/types of design thinking training you’ve had. How you use it in your work; and what tools would benefit you as you use, and teach others to use, design thinking methods. We’ll sometimes abbreviate design thinking to DT.
While the comment fields are optional, we’d love to hear your insights. Thanks in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts!
OK | {
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Mago: So let's talk about the brackets. How was yours?
Tokido: My pool wasn't particularly difficult. There weren't [that many] strong players in it. I feel that I made it out pretty swimmingly. In fact, I don't even recall anyone that left a lasting impression on me. Really, I don't think I lost a round throughout the pool play. Things started getting rough once there were matches between pool winners, though.
Mago: I remember you had some hard matches.
Tokido: Yeah, I was confident, but there were some dark horses. For example, there was this Hakan player that I heard nothing about. After I was done with my pool, I went to check out who I was getting matched with next, and this guy was mopping the floor with Hakan. I immediately thought to myself: "This Hakan is good". So then I went back to my room and started brainstorming for countermeasures against Hakan; re-watching my past matches against EBI, for example. But once I actually got down to the match, it ended up being really close, and I barely won.
Mago: I heard about that.
Tokido: I don't think there's a footage of that match, but I wouldn't have been surprised if I lost. It came that close. The other guy looked so ready and motivated, and maybe that's what I should expect from someone who picks a character like Hakan, but it was a memorable moment for me.
Mago: But come to think of it, there were a lot of Japanese players who had uphills getting to top 32. Like you, Kazunoko, right?
-a moment of silence-
Kazunoko: Ah, yes, I was listening.
Mago: Were you? Are you ok? You aren't fooling around or anything, are you?
Kazunoko: No no, I was listening. We're talking about formidable players we faced, right? (laughs)
Tokido: Yeah, that match against Sakura came pretty close, right?
Kazunoko: It REALLY came down to the wire.
Mago: How far into the tournament was this?
Kazunoko: This was the final of my pool.
Mago: Oh? And he was really good?
Kazunoko: So I have this prejudice that international Sakura players are so aggressive and tend to go nuts with offense... But this Sakura player seemed to have done the homework and prepared for the Yun matchup, and he never really took risks attacking. I thought to myself "There are people this good in America...?"
Mago: Do you know where he was from?
Kazunoko: I think America...? I hear he's pretty well known.
Momochi: If I remember correctly, his name was Alex Myers?
Kazunoko: Yes yes, that's right.
Momochi: I heard he's been making a name for himself.
Bonchan: I, too, have heard that he's pretty famous now in the states.
Fuudo: I wouldn't have been surprised if he 3-0'd you. I was with Kazunoko and saw his matches a lot [at EVO], but he just barely won most games. His opponents generally controlled all matches. Watching them got me worried.
Mago: From what I heard, [Alex Myers] dropped two rounds that should've been an easy win for him?
Fuudo: It wasn't exactly like that. So for one thing, he made a situation where he pushed Kazunoko to the corner, full-charged Sakura's Hadoken, and made Kazunoko guess high-low, as a wake-up mixup. But [Kazunoko] then did a desperate EX upkicks and landing that got him a win.
Mago: Haha, yeah it was like "Would you even go for that in this situation?!"
Fuudo: Personally, I thought it was a situation where [Alex Myers] should have played safe and seen what Kazunoko was going to go for after the fireball. Maybe a high-low mixup AFTER confirming that Kazunoko decided to block that fireball. But Kazunoko pulled the trigger when they both had pretty much no health, and he won the bet.
Mago: And needless to say, if Alex Myers blocked or evaded that EX upkick, Kazunko would have lost?
Fuudo: Yes, it would've been a walk-off win for Alex.
Mago: Wow, he nailed it, then. How did you feel about that, Kazunoko?
Kazunoko: Yeah, well... that guy's mixups were just perfect.
Mago: He was that good?
Kazunoko: So good... So good that I probably just couldn't have held it in any longer. I was like, "This is it, this is the end of me. I have no clue what's coming next, so I have to bet everything on this upkick..." And it just so happened that I won the bet and got that round and game. I heard the crowd go wild. Well, it was more like disappointed sighs... They were like "This guy...". (laughs)
Mago: Haha. But from what Fuudo was saying, in that situation the only thing [Alex] would've gone for is the high-low mixup.
Kazunoko: Yeah... well, I just couldn't predict which one was coming.
Mago: I see. Yeah, those come with experience. It's important to keep playing with that in mind. Let's get back to Tokido. You got matched with Snake Eyez, correct?
Tokido: Yes, I played Snakes Eyez after the Hakan match. I've had the opportunity to play (roughly 30 friendly matches) with Snake Eyez in Australia in the past, so I had a good idea about how he plays and how he would approach the [Akuma] matchup. But this time... long story short, I couldn’t bring the win.
Mago: It was a really good match. The footage is up on youtube, so watch it and you can find out for yourself. But Tokido and Snake Eyez both showed great mobility and movement, and I thought it was overall a great match watching it.
Tokido: At the beginning of the match, I decided to change my approach and did some different things that I thought would work better against Snake Eyez, but he adapted so quickly. So I employed my old tactics back after second game, and it worked out pretty well and I came close to winning, but sadly I blew it at the very end.
Mago: But you know, losing to Zangief would always be like that, is what I think.
Tokido: Yeah, maybe you're right. Zangief is at advantage when he could rope his opponent into close-range slugfest. Since Akuma can avoid that with ground and air fireballs, [how I played against Snake Eyez] seems to be how that matchup typically goes.
Mago: Momochi, what did you think?
Momochi: Yeah, well... I played against Snake Eyez at 25th anniversary and lost using Akuma, so... I can only say "I know how that feels". (laughs) The community seems to think it's a braindead matchup for Akuma, but personally, it's not easy by any means. Zangief is a hard character to go up against.
Mago: So you were sent to Loser's bracket after losing to Snake Eyez. Then what happened?
Tokido: Hmmm....
Mago: Ah, let's change the format. Instead of reviewing each person's full EVO experience at a time, let's get through our matches up the point where we got done with pools. So we just talked about 8am pools, so next is 10am?
Kazunoko: Well, we already talked a lot about my match.
Mago: Yeah, with Alex Myers. Were there any other notable players?
Kazunoko: Not really... I struggled my very first match against this Oni, but that was because I was still stretching and getting my engine started. I did YOLO upkicks very early on, got blocked, and ate a full raw Ultra. My health melted and lost that round in the blink of an eye. I even thought I might get eliminated with my first match. My movement was just so stiff, but Fuudo got my back and advised me to relax and take it easy. That helped me bring it back.
Mago: Oh, Fuudo was with you a lot?
Fuudo: Yes, this EVO, especially in pools, I wanted Kazunoko to be around me and give me advice. I feared that there will be a kind of losses where I feel so helpless and don't know what to do. I wanted Kazunoko to help me as much as I was eager to help him. So we cheered for each other.
Mago: Wow, excellent teamwork.
Kazunoko: But yeah, that was about it.
Mago: Who was at 12pm?
Momochi: Wait, I was in 10am bracket as well. Everything went swimmingly until Winner's Final where I fought Smug...
Mago: WHAT?!
Momochi: I fought the guy who is in same team as Smug the Dudley player.
Mago: Ah, so not Smug? You scared me. I thought he was in Bonchan's pool.
Bonchan: Yeah, I didn't think his pool was THAT difficult.
Momochi: So Smug's teammate is a Hakan/Guile player. And there's this Yang player that I heard about from my friend in America. I showed him my pool bracket and asked him if there's anyone good, and he told me to take note on this Yang player. I tried to look him up on youtube to do some research on him, but there were just no results. (laughs) I found some videos after swapping one letter, but I was skeptical if it's the same guy. So I asked my friend again to double check if it's the same guy he has in his mind, but he said that guy is definitely a Yang player. I took his word for it and decided to prepare for Yang, Guile, and Hakan matchups. But... there just wasn't any Yang in my pool. So in the end I just got matched with that Hakan/Guile player. You know, Hakan is kinda scary... Since I mainly use Ken, I was hoping he would go for Guile. But at the back of my mind, I already made a decision to pick Juri if he showed any sign that he would pick Hakan. So right when I went to the station, I had Ken on my side of the character select screen already, making my intention to pick him from start evident. Then thankfully he picked Guile, so it worked out for me. That match went without a hitch, and I made it out of my pool.
Mago: That's an interesting thing about EVO. The rules about character select are not clear cut. No players are really required to declare and register their main characters.
Bonchan: For players who use multiple characters, character select in and of itself is a reading/mind game.
Mago: But you can ask the pool manager to be a judge if there are any issues.
Momochi: For me, there wasn't an issue. [Character select] went pretty smoothly. Picking known main character was like an unspoken rule.
Mago: I see. Who was at 12pm?
Fuudo: My pool wasn't too difficult. I got an intel at first that Lapchi is there. I was determined to win against him, but I don't think he was in my pool. He was [at EVO], though, right?
Mago: Yeah, I heard he was in the same pool as this guy called Nerotan, who is other fellow Japanese player. I heard he went up against Lapchi in their pool's final, and they had a good game. It was a Blanka mirror match, and Lapchi lost. But anyway.
Fuudo: Nothing really happened. I think I made it out not losing a round.
Mago: And next is 2pm? I was in that. My pool was just uneventful. Nothing happened.
Bonchan: You mean you didn't make anything happen? You were just that good?
Mago: Yeah, it was just a really easy pool. It might come off rude to those who were in that pool, but they were just not in the same league as me. I don't think I lost a round. I breezed through it and made it out, and that means getting top... 256? Ok, now Bonchan.
Bonchan: I saw this good Makoto and good Guile playing in my pool. Either way, it's not a matchup I like, so I already felt discouraged there. Makoto player was really good, but Guile player took the game. I got matched with him in Semifinal, but for some reason he picked Ryu instead. I went "You're kidding me. Are you trying to psych me out?". He even went so far as to picking Ultra 1. I thought he was throwing this match. I just swept him easily. I thought "Picking Metsu Hadoken? This is a last call to go back!".
Mago: Oh yeah, that's right. Since you play Sagat, you have a harder time against Guile than Ryu.
Bonchan: Yeah, and what I don't get is that he seemed to play Guile as his main. He was playing comfortably with Guile from what I've seen. I still don't understand why he picked Ryu and stuck with him. I was expecting him to pick Guile after the first loss.
Mago: You know, something like this seems to have happened to you a lot this tournament.
Bonchan: Yeah, there were a lot of cases where my opponents picked characters that I find easy to deal with. But other than that, I made it out pretty easily.
Mago: Ok, so after pools... let's talk about the rest in order of who lost first.
Tokido: So I told you about my matches up to my loss against Snake Eyez. Then who did I get matched next...?
Mago: We can look it up.
Tokido: Yeah, after Snake Eyez I had some rough matches. The one I still particularly remember is the one against Kiyomatsu.
Mago: I remember that.
Tokido: That match... was happening behind the curtain. So before my match, Kiyomatsu (who's from Osaka) was up against Kojiro (the Chun player), and winner of that was matched with me. I was watching that match and thought it was neck and neck, but Kiyomatsu seemed just one step ahead and won. And then comes my turn to face him, and... he was really strong. A lot of it was due to the fact that I never really got a chance to play him previously. He's been a known Guy player since Alpha 3, and at the time he used to go by Teacher.
Mago: Oh yeah, I remember that. Not sure if he really was a teacher in real life, though.
Tokido: He was really good. I think of all the players I fought, he seemed more prepared for Akuma matchup than anyone else. His Guy was just so in-synch with his thoughts. It came down to the final round, and I just barely won. No one was really watching it, but that was a good, close match.
Mago: I'm surprised to hear Kiyomatsu's name because he hasn't really been playing at arcades. He seems to be practicing at home. So maybe that led you to underestimate him?
Tokido: Yeah. I heard nothing about him [in Ultra]. After Kiyomatsu, I then played Louffy.
Mago: You played him that early?
Tokido: Louffy match... I was confident...
Mago: I don't really recall you losing to Louffy in the past.
Tokido: True, but that was pre-Ultra versions of the game. Not only did Akuma still have dominating oki game, but it was also easier to play footsie. Another thing that's different in Ultra is Rose's new anti-fireball option, EX soul spiral. So zoning her with fireballs has become harder. I was trying to come up with new plans on the fly and started experimenting like shooting fireballs at a closer range, but I then soon realized it doesn't work.
Mago: Yeah, he looked very well composed.
Tokido: He's always been good at fireball game and adapting, but this time he seemed more motivated than ever before. Halfway through the game, I knew my approach just doesn't work against such a player like Louffy, so I decided to stop fireballs altogether and focused on ground game. But that didn't work either...
Mago: I don't blame you. It was tough. Well, you know, there are a lot of skillful players in Europe. I'm sure Louffy has as much experience fighting with players who use a lot of fireballs as with those who focus on ground, close-range game. So he was better than you expected?
Tokido: Yeah... And one thing I thought watching him play is that he's really good at knowing when to forward dash.
Mago: Is that so?
Tokido: If you don't know how to deal with that, Louffy matches are an uphill battle. You see, Rose's recovery from her forward dash is 20 frames, slightly longer than average, but she travels so far. So she could sneak in forward dash throw from a range you don't usually expect it. I need to work on a counter for that.
Mago: In addition, I believe her dash recovery got reduced by 1 and is now 19. It greatly supplemented Louffy's game. And maybe for other Rose players too... (laughs) Apparently a lot of people are playing Rose now.
Bonchan: It's like last year's Xian all over again.
Mago: A lot people used Gen then? There's probably no one left now, though, right? (laughs) But Rose isn't as difficult as Gen, so people might stick with her. Ok, so you were defeated by Louffy, and as far as USF4 is concerned, you were done? You played well. I guess it's now my turn? Long story short, though, there isn't much for me left to talk about.
Momochi: But you got pretty far in the Winner's brackets?
Mago: Yeah, true. The thing is, I checked my brackets the moment they got announced, and I thought I'll cruise through it easy. I just didn't notice anyone that would give me trouble. Well, in reality, there was Misse that I noticed later, and I expected him to give me a hard time. He has good records in arcade and everything, but of all Japanese players I would rather get matched with him than Kojiro. I don't like the Chun matchup. Kojiro was in my brackets but in Loser's side, so I wasn't worried about him.
Bonchan: I heard Misse got sent to Loser's side in pools, so it was already determined that you're not going to get matched with him.
Mago: That's right. Here's what happened though. So my pool and Misse's pool started at the same time, and I was trying to study him and avoid him at the same time. (laughs) It was hard because, you know, I should say hi and start a conversation and everything if we were to see each other. That's just a social protocol, right? It's not like we're complete strangers. But still, it was hard for me to cheer for him because I didn't want to get matched with him. I wanted to win like everyone else, you know? It's hard to honestly say "Hey, best of luck, man. I hope to see you in a match. Let's do our best!". But anyway, somewhere early in the bracket, maybe 1st or 2nd match, he played this Hugo guy... Hugo something, I think it was a number. Tokido played him in the past, counter-picking Bison with Honda. So against Misse's Makoto, he picked Yun, and Misse lost that match. I knew he was devastated in shock, but I couldn’t help but pretend I didn’t see it. So I breezed through my first pool, and for the match I originally expected Misse, I played this guy instead, and he wasn’t all that impressive. I heard there were some upsets in his pool.
Momochi: So what happened to Hugo guy after beating Misse?
Mago: Not sure, I think he lost. I didn’t face him. Anyway, while getting through these pool winners, I crossed path with Sanford.
Bonchan: Oh yeah, I remember that. He changed his character, it looked like.
Mago: Yeah, I’ve always thought he was Sagat player. At CEO, I think 2 years ago? I played him and he was still using Sagat then. So I thought Sagat matchup shouldn’t be too bad for my part. But then he picked Oni, and it caught me off guard.
Tokido: He’s been using Oni for a while.
Mago: Yeah, I have heard that also. Sanford kind-of went under my radar, so I had to study him last minute. But as for Oni matchup itself, I got coached by Wao when I was in Osaka for Topanga League and stuff, so I was comfortable and not worried too much. I won the match pretty easily. Well, Sanford did win one.
Bonchan: Really? Wow
Mago: Because he’s such a dirty player!
Bonchan: Whoa, what happened?
Mago: Yeah, well, do you guys have experience in playing side-by-side with the other player? Sanford is probably an expert in pulling dirty tricks in that area, it’s crazy. So you see, when you share a screen, you usually first make sure you and the other player are on the same footing by providing some personal space between two seats, euphemistically saying “This is my area”. But Sanford ignored all that, and the first thing he did when he came up to the stage, he pulled his chair and leaned all the way toward the monitor. He even started playing like that.
Bonchan: So he was sort of covering the screen, if you were to see it from behind?
Mago: Well, it didn’t go THAT far, but he was basically clinging on the monitor table. I thought, what the hell, is he nearsighted?
Bonchan: Some people have weird playing habits. There are even people who bring their own tables [on which they rest their sticks].
Mago: Yeah, but Sanford wasn’t like that.
Bonchan: Come to think of it, PR Rog plays really close to the monitor also. The thing is, Balrog players need to keep some buttons held for doing turn punches and stuff, and all their effectiveness is lost if they reveal their fingers and buttons too much. So that’s why they tend to sit slightly ahead of the other player to hide their fingers.
Mago: So they’re covering their fingers with their bodies?
Bonchan: Yeah, like that.
Kazunoko: Then you’ve got to sit close to the monitor with him, you know?
Mago: So yeah, [hiding buttons] happens when you play with international players. But Sanford had the opposite idea. He intentionally SHOWS his hands in the open. That’s the reason he sits so up close to the monitor. So what he did was… well, before that, he always sits on 1P side. He sat there and angled his chair toward me, making a position where I can see [his hands]. When I sat on my side, inevitably his hands are in my line of sight. Then during the match, I knocked him down, right? So I went to go for some oki mixup, but I see him insanely wiggling and mashing his stick. (making the CLICK CLICK CLICK noise)
Bonchan: He was like, I’M MASHING NOW. (laugh)
Mago: Yeah, and I was startled. It scared the hell out of me, so I aborted my oki [and tried to block], but then he just grabbed me. I was like, what is wrong with this guy. You guys would hardly have noticed it from just looking at a tape. He got me with that like 5 times in a row, and I thought “This guy doesn’t play fair”.
Tokido: Ah, so that’s where you’re coming from. [I’m surprised to see] there are people employing such dirty conducts. But I guess players overseas are used to that kind of stuff. Just the other occasion I played Wolfkrone, he was doing this (swinging arms) and almost hit my face with his elbow.
Mago: But yeah, these behaviors are interesting. (laughs) More often than not, international players intimidate you with sound, so we need to learn how to deal with it.
Tokido: Yeah, even though a lot of people might not be aware of it, you inevitably use the sound your opponent is making, to some extent, as a cue to your advantage when you play side-by-side. Given that, silent buttons and pads are beneficial.
Mago: The reason I use silent buttons is I hate bringing the “reading” and “strategies” outside of the game. Like, pretending doing something you’re not going to do or faking out your moves… Players [like Sanford] seem to know how to incorporate them into their games, but I’m not really good at doing them. So as long as my button sounds are not giving the other players some clues for my actions, it’s good enough for me. I can play in a “normal” manner this way. But yeah, studying these practices exploiting the sound is underway. Anyway, back to Sanford. In the 3rd game 2nd round, when he did the insane wiggling again, this time really going for a DP, I blocked it and he hanged himself. After defeating Sanford, I think I faced a T. Hawk player. I beat him uneventfully. Really nothing happened there. And that got me to top 32.
Tokido: Oh, so you were winning until there?
Mago: Yeah, until then I was still in Winner’s side. Can I cut it here for now? What happened after this is really short.
Bonchan: Some of us already got eliminated before you, so why don’t you finish it and tell us all. (laugh)
Mago: Ah, okay. So I made it to top 32, Winner’s side 16. I got matched with Gackt. To be honest, when I first heard that, I thought it was a gimme. Looking at our past records, I’ve won most matches decisively. So complacency got the better of me, and I expected him to play the same way he always has. But in reality, he played totally differently. He was playing aggressive rushdown while I was trying to play conservatively because I didn’t want to take any risks. But all his risk-taking paid off, and before I knew it I found myself getting cornered all the time and lost. After losing the first round, I knew I had to do something, but again, I was complacent. I’ve beaten this guy before, so I could hardly change my strategies.
Tokido: Yeah, but to be fair, this is a new version of the game. You wouldn’t say you’ve figured out the Fei mirror in this game already, would you?
Mago: You’re right. I was just confident that I’ve figured [Gackt] out, but maybe I need to look into what has changed [about Fei mirror] in Ultra. In 2nd round, I stubbornly tried to bring it back with the same tactics, and ironically, I lost that match… uneventfully. I got sent to Loser’s side. To be honest, I was so devastated that I lost to Gackt. In defeat, I sighed and thought “This is where the real competition starts… how many more matches do I need to win to get to top 8…?” Then a moderator directed me to my next match off-stage, and I found Louffy already sitting and looking so motivated as if to say “Come on, next!”. I was like, are you serious? I just lost to Gackt, and now I already have to face Louffy? Is this for real? Louffy was in totally different side of the tournament from me (pools, brackets), so he popped up on my radar out of nowhere. Not to mention, I wasn’t really prepared for the Rose matchup. The footage for that match is definitely up online, so please watch it. It didn’t go too bad, but the thing about Louffy is, he knows exactly when you’re in fear of him. So he further took advantage of that mental state I had, and made the situation much worse for me to the point where I had no chance of coming back. That’s kind of how it went, and it led to my loss. Long story short, he played really well. That concluded my EVO 2014, the result was tied at 17th. Thank you for all your support.
Kazunoko: No, no. Thank you for great matches.
Mago; Man, that took longer than I thought. I knew it was going to be, though. And who’s up next? Kazunoko?
Kazunoko: Ok, my story is long also.
Bonchan: That’s cool. Tell us as much as you’d like. I’m sure you have a lot to share.
Kazunoko: This Mr. 2nd-place is pretty obnoxious, isn’t he? (laughs) Anyway, after my first pool, I faced this Sagat player who employed the same dirty “noise” strategy that Mago mentioned. He went for uppercut like crazy. On oki, he wiggled and mashed his stick regardless of whether he really does uppercut. He also had a coach who seemed to be giving him advice on when to uppercut. I suspected this because his uppercut attempts were inconsistent. It gave me some trouble, but I seemed to have out-footsied him overall and pulled a win.
Mago: His name was… 200 yen.
Kazunoko: After this match, I couldn’t really have a coach on my side, so it forced me to play safe and careful. I knew that, if I were to go nuts with offense and that doesn’t work, I would feel so helpless without a coach. So I wanted to stay composed and think carefully before taking my plans to action. After defeating this Sagat player. I faced Ohnuki.
Mago: In the brackets I see Shinya Ohnuki.
Kazunoko: I haven’t heard his full name in a while. (laughs)
Mago: You stayed in Winner’s side until then?
Kazunoko: Yeah, there were close calls here and there, but I thought overall I was in a groove. It showed the clear disparity between character tiers. Nothing really happened… other than the psychological guilt driven by sighs of disappointment from the crowds (who were cheering for Nuki) every time I landed a red focus combo.
Mago: Did you feel like, is this banned? (laughs)
Kazunoko: Yeah, they were like “Show some mercy”. After I beat Nuki, I played another Japanese player, Pugera, an Ibuki user. I’ve played him once at Taito station before, but he wrecked me that time, so I was worried to face him again. I felt that the reason I lost then was because I committed to offense too much, so this time I decided to play defensively. It worked out, and I won the first match. I got the first round off the second match also, so things seemed to be going my way. But he’s so tenacious, and his defense was hard to crack. I rushed to close it out and got hit by his crouching jab which led to a combo. Then I couldn’t block the incoming mixups and lost. I thought I played my best, but he was one step ahead of me in defense. My backdash also got read.
Mago: Offense doesn’t really mean much if you’re not actually landing your attacks, even for Yun.
Kazunoko: Yeah, you’re right. Pugera was also keeping the distance such that he won’t get hit by my red focus cancel. When I had 3 bars, I got greedy and squeezed in shoulder [after MP] every opportunity I had. He took advantage of that and focus-absorbed the shoulder, forward dashed, and rushed me down. He clearly outclassed me, and I have no complaints about my loss.
Mago: Wow
Kazunoko: I was in shock right after that match, though. [Given the power of Yun] I was pretty confident, but couldn’t get back on the flow. Then I went to the Loser’s side and faced Sentosu.
Mago: Sentosu? Are you serious?
Kazunoko: I thought “I can’t lose this one”. I teach him Blazblue. Anyway, he uses Poison, and I find that matchup hard to deal with. I usually pick Ultra 2 for this matchup. You know that slow projectile? Heavy fireball? I tend to step on it with a dive kick a lot. If I can’t get around fireballs with dive kick, I figure Ultra 2 is a good choice. But then the matchup becomes a long waiting game. I would just focus-absorb fireballs and don’t initiate offense. He looked confused to me, probably because he’s never played against Yun with Ultra 2. I managed to take advantage of his mental state like that and pulled a win.
Mago: I hear Sentosu made it pretty far this tournament. He was really happy about that. Alleged by a friend of his… well, Gensuke…
Bonchan: (laughs) It’s like you don’t even know him.
Mago: Oh wait, I lied. It was Oshino Pepe. Anyway, according to him, Sentosu was so happy to make top 32 and broke down in tears on his way back to his room, which was caught on stream. I realized I’ve taken [making top 32 at Evo] for granted and was reminded how happy he must have been. Anyway, what happened after defeating Sentosu?
Kazunoko: Next up was Ryan Hart. I wasn't happy when I heard I was getting matched with him. But oddly enough, he picked Ryu.
Mago: Ryu?!
Kazunoko: I was like, are you sure about this? But from what I gather, he prepared a lot for Ryu-Yun matchup. I was under an impression that he already knew when to go for heavy uppercut right at the very beginning of the match. But at the back of my mind I knew that counter picking in this situation means he’s not confident to beat me with what he knows best. So I knew he would try to catch me by surprise with uppercuts. I blocked all of them from early in the match and gained complete control throughout. But after that match, he immediately went back to Sagat in the blink of an eye. Picking the ultra combo instantly and everything. Ping, ping, ping! It was insane how fast all that was. Anyway, I struggled against his Sagat.
Mago: Did he get a win off you?
Kazunoko: No, but his reactions were on point. He uppercutted my dive kicks right through. But I could afford going aggressive on him because I already had a win. And well, I won. After the match Ryan and I had a conversation, and he told me he should’ve picked Sagat from the start. He thought Sagat got nerfed so much that Ryu was a better option. Then he started rambling on about how great Bonchan is, even though I didn’t even ask him…
Bonchan: Well, well, well. I won’t blame him. (laughs)
Mago: I hear there’s a whole network of Sagat players worldwide, but #1 is supposedly Leslie. (laughs)
Kazunoko: After defeating Ryan, I faced Justin.
Mago: That’s right. What did he pick?
Kazunoko: Well, Rufus, as expected. I thought Elena might have been a possibility. Not sure if he knew I was ready for the Elena matchup, but he went straight to Rufus. Historically I’ve been neck and neck with Justin, but from what I recall the last time I beat him the match went kind-of stalemate. He didn’t really initiate offense, so I would wait until he’s out of patience and find a spot where I can hit with dive kick. I was hoping this match would go that way as well. But this time he pulled some advanced waiting game. It felt like he really wasn’t going to make ANY move until there’s only like 20 seconds left on the clock. But you know, in this version EX lunge punch is +1 on block. So in general I’m the one who loses the waiting game and starts the offense 20 seconds down the clock, but I get to start that offense with +1 advantage. So I chip his health away little by little, and once I get a considerable life lead he has no choice but to start making some wild guesses and risks. Then it’s my turn to control the waiting game. Wait until he makes a mistake and capitalize on it. The whole set went like that. He pulled one win, but overall it went pretty easy.
Mago: Well, the man who sent Justin to Loser’s is sitting next to you.
Bonchan: (nods)
Mago: Unfortunately his side of story will be told last. (laughs) Anyway, after Justin, it was…
Kazunoko: Oh, before that, after Justin match, I went over to the staff and asked who I’m facing next. The guy pointed to the match that was going on out at the back and said “Whoever wins that one”. I looked over, and it was Filipino Champ and Momochi. Then Umezono came over and watched the match with me…
Mago: Wait, on that note, don’t listen to Umezono. He only brings bad news. When I was playing in pools, he popped up and stopped by out of nowhere. He looked dying for some reason, so I asked him if he was okay. Then he goes “Daigo lost to Champ”, out of breath. I was like “What?! How did the game go?”. Then he said “There were so many people in front of me, I couldn’t see. Apparently Champ swept him”.
Bonchan: He [exaggerates] like a media news reporter.
Mago: Yeah, and I found out later that it wasn’t even one-sided.
Kazunoko: He sure loves gossips. (laughs)
Mago: For real. He didn’t even watch the match, and he was in shock. He always has crazy things to share.
Kazunoko: I told Umezono I’m getting matched with whoever wins between Champ and Momochi, and man, that serious look on his face. It was like “That’s some hard road ahead of you”.
Mago: When he makes a face like that, it’s saying a lot.
Kazunoko: He asked me, “Which one are you rooting for? For the Japanese player, no question, right?”
Mago: Such an ugly question.
Kazunoko: Yeah, to which I replied “I’m really sorry, but I can only look at Champ right now”
Mago: On one hand you have Dhalsim, and on the other you have Momochi.
Kazunoko: I had this urge to play against Dhalsim at the time, almost as if I was in love with him. I was like, “I really want to see you”. Dogura then joined us and was concerned about who I’m getting matched with next. He and Umezono started joking about how I’m screwed if Momochi beats Champ. (laughs)
Mago: Umezono is an interesting guy. (laughs)
Kazunoko: But Yossan was different. He was actually sorry for me and agreed that he would root for Champ in my shoes.
Mago: I bet he was saying something different when Momochi was around. (laughs)
Kazunoko: Well, he still cared for me until the match was over. Anyway, so I got matched with Momochi. Should I talk about this [or wait until Momochi's turn to speak]?
Mago: Sure, let’s see how it was from your perspective.
Kazunoko: So since my loss to him in Singapore, I made a different approach and prepared for the matchup. I won the first game convincingly. Everything went as I expected, and I thought maybe I could make it this time. But that’s as far as I can remember. (laughs)
Mago: It was like, before you knew it, your name was gone from the brackets. (laughs)
Kazunoko: Exactly like that. I just remember shaking hands with Momochi, not even sure who won. Anyway, jokes aside, after the first game, I just got swept.
Bonchan: You were getting hit whenever you tried to close the gap. I saw the replay. You were frail. The moment you walked into [Momochi’s] range, he caught you every time and never missed connecting heavy Shoryuken. He didn’t give you a chance to escape. You need to learn to retreat. Momochi was also consistent with catching your Tetsuzanko with focus attack.
Kazunoko: After I lost to him that round, I already needed a coach so badly.
Mago: And so, you came close but lost to Momochi…?
Kazunoko: Looking back, I wouldn’t call it close.
Mago: Yeah, sorry. I didn’t see the match, so I don’t really know what to say. And that was your Evo? What place were you?
Kazunoko: 13th…? Same as last year, I think. | {
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In the April national elections, the voting ballot given to citizens to select a party list may be the size of a tablecloth. Forty parties claim to have successfully nominated at least 27 candidates in constituencies spread across a minimum of nine counties and Budapest to be able to field a party list in April. One hopes that the National Election Office will reject at least some of these parties, considering the fact that it is impossible for a party without a website, social media presence and a platform to have legally collected a minimum of 13,500 signatures in two weeks. What happened in the 2014 election, for instance, is that bogus parties shared and forged names and signatures from each other’s list.
Dozens of political parties with no websites, no social media presence and no program have sprung up ahead of the 8 April vote to pocket lavish taxpayer funding and then, presumably, to disappear the day after the vote. A total of 40 parties have submitted party lists ahead of the April election and at least 12 of them have almost no record of real political activity. If the National Election Office approves each of them to run, the ballot will include not only the “Hungarian Party of Poor People,” but also the “Party for the Poor” and the “Party for All the Poor” too. The ballot will include the “Hungarian Party of People Who Want to Do,” as well as the “Movement for the Will to Do.” With national party lists, these parties that were economical with their time when it came to coming up with their names will be paid at least 149 million forints in taxpayer funds, but as much as 597 million forints if they manage to field candidates in each of the 106 electoral districts.
It’s true that an amendment accepted in parliament requires parties that do not reach 1% support on their party list to refund their state funding. However, the “business parties” that have no chance of even coming close to 1% clearly assume that Hungarian authorities will not be willing or able to collect. After all, they have been lucky thus far. Smaller political parties with years or decades of history and with real programs and candidates had extreme difficulty collecting 13,500 valid signatures to field a party list. Legitimate candidates spoke about how it would take 7 hours of canvassing apartment building after apartment building to get a dozen signatures. Yet parties with no supporters, no social media presence and no website “miraculously” managed to have a much easier time at this.
So let’s take a look at some of these nascent political parties–seemingly in business for no other reason than to line the pockets of their founders.
Movement for the Will to Do (Tenni Akarás Mozgalom): No website and no Facebook page.
Hungarian Party of People Who Want to Do (Tenni Akarók Magyarországi Pártja): The party has a Facebook page, established in November 2017, with only 308 friends. (It appears to be a personal page, rather than a group or organizational profile.) The party has no website.
The Party for the Poor (Szegényekért Párt): The party has a Facebook page with 139 followers and a website which claims the party was founded in 2014. The party does have a platform, but with only 139 Facebook followers, I am astounded as to how they managed to collect more than 13,500 valid signatures required to field a party list.
Alternative Hungarian People’s Party (Alternatív Magyar Néppárt): No website and no Facebook page.
The Party of People Living in Hungary Who Work and Study (MEDETE Párt): No website, to Facebook page.
Indicative of the utter absurdity of the electoral system adopted by Fidesz in 2011, some couples and family members have each established their own political parties and are running against each other in the same electoral district. In one Csongrád county electoral district, the candidates include János Szimandl of the Party of Families, his wife Ibolya Nagy of the Cooperation Party and another family member, Tamás Szimándl, who represents “The Party of People Living in Hungary Who Work and Study” (MEDETE Párt).
The blatant abuse of the Fidesz electoral system does not stop here. This week we found out that Katalin Lévai, a former minister in the previous MSZP-SZDSZ government who angered many when she announced that she established her own political party called Lendülettel (“With Momentum,” not to be confused with the actual Momentum party) submitted a nomination form which included names and signatures that were copied verbatim from the nomination forms of the local Fidesz candidate. The names on Ms. Lévai’s list in many cases appeared in the same order as on the Fidesz candidate’s nomination form.
How did Ms. Lévai, allegedly an opposition candidate opposed to Fidesz, get a hold of the Fidesz candidate’s nomination forms? The answer is clear to most who follow Hungarian politics: it is in Fidesz party interests to have an endless list of opposition parties, some with names similar to real parties, run and cause confusion or chaos on the ballot, as well as take a few hundred votes in closely contested ridings from real candidates. | {
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The Prime Minister David Cameron has affirmed his commitment to same sex civil marriage while addressing a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) reception at Downing Street.
Read the Prime Minister’s remarks:
“I just wanted to say three things to you tonight. First of all, this party is really a celebration of the immense contribution that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people make in every part of our country, in the arts, in media, in sport, in business, in finance - that’s what tonight is about and I want to thank you for the immense contribution that you make to our country.
The second thing I wanted to say - there are a number of anniversaries - it’s the 40th anniversary of the first Pride march in London, the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Jewish Gay Equality Group and I think it’s worth remembering the journey that politics has been on in terms of gay equality over the last forty years - the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the lowering of the age of consent to 18, the equalisation of the age of consent that the Blair government achieved, the introduction of civil partnerships - backed by my party and I just want to say I am absolutely determined that this Coalition government will follow in that tradition by legislating for gay marriage in this parliament. I make that point not only as someone who believes in equality but as someone who believes passionately in marriage. I think marriage is a great institution - I think it helps people to commit, it helps people to say that they’re going to care and love for another person. It helps people to put aside their selfish interests and think of the union that they’re forming. It’s something I feel passionately about and I think if it’s good enough for straight people like me, it’s good enough for everybody and that’s why we should have gay marriage and we will legislate for it.
And I know there’s going to be some big arguments, there will be arguments obviously within political parties including my own, there will be arguments with many of the public that take a different view, although it is worth noting that opinion polls consistently show that the public support the case for equality and obviously there’ll be arguments within the Churches as well and I can say how great it is to see some Church men and women here tonight supporting this cause.
I run an institution - the Conservative Party - which for many many years got itself on the wrong side of this argument, it locked people out who were naturally Conservative from supporting it and so I think I can make that point to the Church, gently. Of course this is very, very complicated and difficult issue for all the different Churches, but I passionately believe that all institutions need to wake up to the case for equality, and the Church shouldn’t be locking out people who are gay, or are bisexual or are transgender from being full members of that Church, because many people with deeply held Christian views, are also gay. And just as the Conservative Party, as an institution, made a mistake in locking people out so I think the Churches can be in danger of doing the same thing.
The third point I wanted to make is, changing laws is important, legislating is important. But what is equally important - arguably now what is more important - is actually going to be changing culture; whether it’s on the football field, or in the rugby dressing room. Changing the culture whether it’s in the school playground, changing the culture in the workplace, changing the culture everywhere so that people can genuinely feel we live in an equal, fair and tolerant country. And changing the culture is much more difficult than changing the law, changing culture is much more subtle and difficult. But the promise I can make you is that this coalition government is committed to both changing the law and also working to help change the culture and the Conservative party absolutely backs that. This is something I personally feel very passionately about.” | {
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People use science fiction to illustrate philosophy all the time. From ethical quandaries to the very nature of existence, science fiction's most famous texts are tailor-made for exploring philosophical ideas. In fact, many college campuses now offer courses in the philosophy of science fiction.
But science fiction doesn't just illuminate philosophy — in fact, the genre grew out of philosophy, and the earliest works of science fiction were philosophical texts. Here's why science fiction has its roots in philosophy, and why it's the genre of thought experiments about the universe.
Philosophical Thought Experiments As Science Fiction
Science fiction is a genre that uses strange worlds and inventions to illuminate our reality — sort of the opposite of a lot of other writing, which uses the familiar to build a portrait that cumulatively shows how insane our world actually is. People, especially early twenty-first century people, live in a world where strangeness lurks just beyond our frame of vision — but we can't see it by looking straight at it. When we try to turn and confront the weird and unthinkable that's always in the corner of our eye, it vanishes. In a sense, science fiction is like a prosthetic sense of peripheral vision.
We're sort of like the people chained up in Plato's allegorical cave — staring at shadows on the cave wall, but never seeing the full picture.
Plato is probably the best-known user of allegories — a form of writing which has a lot in common with science fiction. A lot of allegories are really thought experiments, trying out a set of strange facts to see what principles you derive from them. As plenty of people have pointed out, Plato's Allegory of the Cave is the template for a million "what is reality" stories, from the works of Philip K. Dick to The Matrix. But you could almost see the cave allegory in itself as a proto-science fiction story, because of the strange worldbuilding that goes into these people who have never seen the "real" world. (Plato also gave us an allegory about the Ring of Gyges, which turns its wearer invisible — sound familiar?)
Later philosophers who ponder the nature of existence also seem to stray into weird science fiction territory — like Descartes, raising the notion that he, Descartes, could have existed since the beginning of the universe (as an alternative to God as a cause for Descartes' existence.) Sitting in his bread oven, Descartes tries to cut himself off from sensory input to see what he can deduce of the universe
Or the Scottish philosopher David Hume, best known for questioning whether causation can be empirically proved. As Gilles Deleuze writes about Hume:
Empiricism has always harbored other secrets... [Hume]'s empiricism is a sort of science-fiction universe avant la lettre. As in science fiction, one has the impression of a fictive, foreign world, seen by other creatures, but also the presentiment that this world is already ours, and those creatures, ourselves... Science or theory is an inquiry, which is to say, a practice; a practice of the seemingly fictive world that empiricism describes.
And let me just put in a plug for Hume, who's an unusually engaging writer among philosophers, and probably a must-read for science fiction geeks.
And by the same token, the philosophy of human nature often seems to depend on conjuring imaginary worlds, whether it be Hobbes' "nasty, brutish and short" world without laws, or Rousseau's "state of nature." A great believer in the importance of science, Hobbes sees humans as essentially mechanistic beings who are programmed to behave in a selfish fashion — and the state is a kind of artificial human that can contain us and give us better programming, in a sense.
So not only can you use something like Star Trek's Holodeck to point out philosophical notions of the fallibility of the senses, and the possible falseness of reality — philosophy's own explorations of those sorts of topics are frequently kind of other-worldly. Philosophical thought experiments, like the oft-cited "state of nature," are also close kin to science fiction world building. As Susan Schneider writes in the book Science Fiction and Philosophy, "if you read science fiction writers like Stanislaw Lem, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Sawyer, you already aware that some of the best science fiction tales are in fact long versions of philosophical thought experiments."
But meanwhile, when people come to list the earliest known works that could be considered "real" science fiction, they always wind up listing philosophical works, written by philosophers.
A Trip to the Moon in the 2nd Century
Plenty of works of fabulist writing are referred to as "the first piece of science fiction" here and there. But the earliest to make that claim is probably A True History by Lucian of Samosata, who was a Syrian philosopher. Lucian wrote True History in the 2nd Century, to satirize the ideas of Sophist philosophers and the tendency of many thinkers to engage in flights of fancy.
In True History, the narrator takes off on a sea voyage — but then a waterspout lifts his ship into the air, and it eventually flies to the Moon, where Lucian spends a lot of time describing the all-male Lunar society. The Moon is also full of giant creatures, including giant insects, giant birds, giant vegetables and huge "cloud centaurs."
Another candidate for the first work of science fiction is a philosophical treatise by an Islamic physician named Ibn al-Nafis (1213-1288) — who's most famous for discovering pulmonary circulation, the notion that the heart pumps blood into the lungs. (Contrary to the long-accepted theories of Galen, who believed the body has two separate circulatory systems.)
Ibn al-Nafis' contribution to science fiction is a text called Theologus Autodidactus, or "al-Risala al-Kamiliyya fil-Sira al-Nabawiyya." Its main character is "spontaneously generated" on an island, and has to deduce the nature of the world around him through pure observation, thus proving that Islamic teachings are compatible with science and empirical observation. Along the way, he introduces ideas like restoring someone's body from a single part (a process akin to cloning), and ends the story with one of the first fictional accounts of the apocalypse.
And then there are early accounts of utopian societies — starting with Thomas More's Utopia in 1515, which is the "trope namer" for the whole concept of utopia. More explores a society that might not seem utopian to many of us — criminals are enslaved for life, and sexuality is repressed — but it's a notable thought experiment. Roughly a hundred years later, Francis Bacon writes The New Atlantis, in which Europeans land in a fictional country called Bensalem full of strange inventions, such as the submarine and the microscope.
And then there are the great satirical travelogues of the 17th and 18th centuries — including the many, many novels about traveling to the Moon by various means. When these didn't involve the Moon, they involved strange lands on Earth, with weird customs. (Like Francis Bacon's Bensalem.) And more often than not, these travel stories are poking fun at politics and religion — and essentially, satires on human nature.
Take, for example, Daniel Defoe's The Consolidator (1705), in which a ship called the Consolidator (possibly the first spaceship to have a name) visits the Moon. The author of Robinson Crusoe uses the Lunar society to poke fun at international politics. He also makes fun of schisms between Anglicans and other Protestants and Catholics versus Protestants, with the Antepredestinarians at odds with the Universal Soulians. There's also a long passage where the main character meets a Lunar native who refuses to believe that the protagonist came from Earth, and this turns into an object lesson in how easy it is for two people to be right, and yet have a falling out. You can read the whole thing here.
And then, of course, there's the most famous travelogue of them all — Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, most recently made into a regrettable Jack Black movie. When I first read Gulliver's Travels, the satirical elements kind of went over my head, with all the tiny people and big people and horse people — but basically the man who once wrote a poem about the fact that everybody poops is trying to expose how base and terrible people actually are, in spite of our fancy social graces.
Lilliput, as The Victorian Web puts it, is literally society in miniature, creating "a satire on the universal human tendency to abuse political power and authority, to manipulate others and deceive ourselves." The final section, with the Yahoos, "suggests that the aspects of our lives of which we are most proud are merely slightly more complex versions of the activities which, when they are engaged in by Yahoos, we recognize as being foul, brutal, and disgusting."
So when people are listing the earliest examples of science fiction, or reaching for the genre's direct antecedents, it's pretty much all thought experiments and fables aimed at illuminating philosophical ideas. You have to look at much more recent works to find stories that are more concerned with technology and science, for their own sake, than philosophical notions. And even a number of stories that are considered part of the science fiction "canon" were largely aimed at illuminating philosophical notions.
Artificial Life and the Machine Stops
Leaving aside Lucian and Ibn al-Nafis, the work most often listed as the first official piece of science fiction is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein — which, like many works of Romanticism, is a response to the writings of Descartes, Rousseau and other philosophers on human nature and the nature of existence. Frankenstein's monster famously speculates about what life would be like in a state of pure nature, saying "If our impulses were confined to hunger, thirst, and desire, we might be nearly free; but now we are moved by every wind that blows and a chance word or scene that that word may convey to us."
Shelley may also have been influenced by the 18th century French philosopher Julien Offray de La Mettrie, who believed the human body was a machine, with no soul — La Mettrie speculated that a craftsman could create a mechanical man that could have human traits, which La Mettrie called "a new Prometheus," the same phrase Shelley uses for Frankenstein's creation.
Jumping ahead, arguably the first depiction of a false utopia and of a world ruled by a computer is E.M. Forster's "The Machine Stops," published in 1909. In "The Machine Stops," people live underground, in little individual "cells," without having any direct contact with each other. Forster introduces the notions of television screens and videoconferencing, as well as a society where everybody's needs are met via computer. Unfortunately, the Machine is breaking down, and the story's hero, Kuno, realizes that people need to live on the surface of the planet and reconnect with nature.
But among other topics, Forster is poking fun at the notion that direct experience is less important than studying second- and third-hand accounts of things, because knowledge (like air underground) is endlessly recirculated. "Let your ideas be second-hand, and if possible tenth-hand, for then they will be far removed from that disturbing element — direct observation."
And then there's Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World — another famous work about a false utopia and a world ruled by science. Huxley considered himself a philosopher and social critic first and foremost, writing tons of essays on topics that are adjacent to his famous novel. (He even wrote a whole book revisiting the themes of that novel, Brave New World Revisited.)
It's worth reading Huxley's 1930 essay "The Boundaries of Utopia" in its entirety. He talks about the notion that all of our individual "rights" in modern society come from owning property rather than from anything innate — because the more money you have, the more you can exercise your rights. And then Huxley asserts that any post-scarcity utopia, in which everybody has equal property, must by necessity curb "excessive enjoyment of liberty."
And finally, philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote a short story in 1953 called "Satan in the Suburbs," about a mad scientist named Dr. Mallako, who posts a big sign saying "HORRORS MANUFACTURED HERE," and inviting people to apply within. Dr. Mallako preys on the weak-minded and the bored, implanting them with horrific memories and suggestions — each of Dr. Mallako's nightmares comments on current issues or philosophical ideas, but also allows Russell to explore the notion that the unconscious mind could lead people into irrationality and possibly doom the human race.
So it's not just that science fiction happens somehow to be an ideal literature for exploring ideas about the nature of reality, ethics and humanity — these ideas are built into the core of the genre, because they're where science fiction came from. We first needed stories about artificial life and going to the Moon to explore questions about who we are and how to lead a good life, going back to the earliest myths and fables. And without these questions, we wouldn't have science fiction, as we know it.
Note: This article overlaps slightly with our article on the roots of science fiction from Sept. 2008. | {
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100 Beautiful Sentences in Literature
How do you pick the most beautiful sentences in Literature?
Are beautiful sentences full of nice turns of phrase?
Or are beautiful sentences full of wisdom?
Must beautiful sentences be full of risk and ambition, or can they be subtle and simple?
Must beautiful sentences make you feel something?
As I was combing through thousands of lovely sentences to make this list, through my library of books and internet lists and polling my writer friends, I decided that the best sentences accomplished a combination of those four criteria. Still, I was swamped with possibilities.
To limit the sheer number of beautiful sentences, I created some artificial boundaries:
I limited myself to modern authors , authors writing in the last 50 years or so, because there are many websites that list classic lines of literature and I don’t want to repeat them.
I’m also limiting the list to one submission per author .
sentences under 100 words, because anything past that becomes its own beast, and it’s unfair for a 10 word sentence to have to compare to an epic monster sentence (If you want longer sentences, look at the I’ve also decided to opt for beautifulbecause anything past that becomes its own beast, and it’s unfair for a 10 word sentence to have to compare to an epic monster sentence (If you want longer sentences, look at the longest sentences in English ).
I’m picking virtually all of these from fiction, not nonfiction (with the exception of one — find it if you can), and I’m not picking first lines of books because those deserve their own list.
Let’s dig deeper into these four criteria:
Beautiful Phrasing I find beautiful language necessary but not sufficient. Few sentences below use prosaic language, but if they do, they acheive beauty by the complexity of their construction, the way the sentence unspools. But if a sentence is only beautiful, and doesn’t stretch for anything more, I feel admiration but not love. After all, there are millions of gorgeous lines of prose, and we only have so much attention. Wisdom By wisdom I mean truth, insight, ideas. A sentence functioning as an aphorism. On many of the lists I found around the internet, such as the Buzzfeed list of 51 Beautiful Sentences and the Esquire list of 70 Sentences, this was their main criteria. The language didn’t have to be lovely or ingenious, but they wanted an idea to hoist its flag. For me, wisdom is a secondary consideration after beauty. I would pick a beautiful sentence over a wise sentence any day, because a wise sentence treats language as a mere vehicle while a beautiful sentence elevates language as the primary goal. Ambition Ambition isn’t just length, although it often appears that way. Ambitious sentences attempt new forms, rebel against syntax and grammar rules, and innovate with language. I love ambitious sentences, but it’s not essential for a perfect sentence. In this list I’ve tried to find a mix of both formally ambitious sentences and sentences that stay well within the rules but create beauty in orderly and masterful ways. Sentiment No one talks about emotion as a primary consideration for a good sentence. But I look for whether a good sentence elicits sadness or joy, awe or horror. I don’t just want to admire the lines and curves of the prose, I want a string to be plucked deep inside me. An emotionless sentence can look perfectly fine standing on its own, but line them up end to end and they’re the death of a book. One sentiment that is often overlooked in beautiful sentences is humor — a few of the sentences below are quite funny, but I wish I had more.
I’m trying to avoid one-trick ponies in my selections below: a sentence that does one good thing is wonderful, but it isn’t the best sentence that could be written.
I’m also not going for what I would call an “instructional sentence.” I’d compiled hundreds of great sentences in a file of mine, but when I examined, I realized most of them were designed to teach something to the reader. They contained some technique, some trick, some device that could be learned and replicated. The sentences below can be learned from, but that’s not their primary beauty. They are beautiful for the sake of beauty itself.
One last criteria for longer sentences: I want to see a narrative. By a narrative I mean some kind of turn from the beginning to the end. It doesn’t have to be a surprise, although it’s usually surprising. There needs to be a shift, an evolution, a gradation by the end. If the beautiful sentence ends and I’m still in the same place where I started, that’s a problem.
Lastly, if you like this list you might like some other lists at Bookfox:
But let’s stop talking about sentences and start looking at them.
100 Beautiful Sentences
1. “Undressing her was an act of recklessness, a kind of vandalism, like releasing a zoo full of animals, or blowing up a dam.”
– Michael Chabon
2. “Jack put his arm out the window, waving his hat like a visiting dignitary, backed into the street, and floated away, gentling the gleaming dirigible through the shadows of arching elm trees, light dropping on it through their leaves like confetti as it made its ceremonious passage.”
– Marilynne Robinson
3. “A sudden warm rainstorm washes down in sweet hyphens.”
– J.M. Ledger
4. “And as the ax bites into the wood, be comforted in the fact that the ache in your heart and the confusion in your soul means that you are still alive, still human, and still open to the beauty of the world, even though you have done nothing to deserve it.”
– Paul Harding
5. “Within seconds of that thought, the train entered Washington, where she was to come to her end more than sixty-eight years later, a mother to seven living and two dead, a grandmother to twenty-one living and three dead, a great-grandmother to twelve, a great-great grandmother to twins.”
– Edward P. Jones
6. “We were all a little drunk with spring, like the fat bees reeling from flower to flower, and a strange insurrectionary current ran among us.”
– Tobias Wolff
8. “When he was dry, he believed it was alcohol he needed, but when he had a few drinks in him, he knew it was something else, possibly a woman; and when he had it all — cash, booze, and a wife — he couldn’t be distracted from the great emptiness that was always falling through him and never hit the ground.”
– Denis Johnson
9. “Lizards skit like quick beige sticks.”
– Richard Beard
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10. “Saint Rufina, a famous woman who had been a very lovely young princess with long black hair who decided to give up her jewelry and become a nun and wear only the roughest clothes, and who died in a terrible way, by being eaten to death by wild dogs that ran through the church in the dead of wintertime, was in a special chapel all to herself, where one arm of her was set aside, that someone had scooped up and saved from the dogs, because everyone had loved her for her kindness and her healing ability.”
– Nicholson Baker
11. “I heard the sonic rip of a military jet, like a giant trowel being dragged through wet concrete, but saw only blue above, a raw and saturated blue that seemed cut from an inner wedge of sky.”
– Rachel Kushner
12. “The sky, at sunset, looked like a carnivorous flower.”
– Roberto Bolano
13. “His voice traveled like a drug dripped down the spiraling canals of their ears until they had forgotten everything, until they had forgotten their own names, until they turned and offered themselves up to him, their bodies sweet and soft as marzipan.”
– Ann Patchett
14. “Men are like armored things, mountainous assemblages of armor and leather, masonry even, which you are told will self-dismantle if you touch the right spot, and out will flow passionate attention.”
– Norman Rush
15. “We waited for the taxi beside the Holderlin pump, and by the faint light that fell from the living-room window into the well I saw, with a shudder that went to the roots of my hair, a beetle rowing across the surface of the water, from one dark shore to the other.”
– W.G. Sebald
16. “On the ground, in the cave, now wrapped in darkness, they found themselves airborne over hills and valleys, floating through blue clouds to the mountaintop of pure ecstasy, from where, suspended in space, they felt the world go round and round, before they descended, sliding down a rainbow, toward the earth, their earth, where the grass, plants, and animals seemed to be singing a lullaby of silence as Nyawira and Kamiti, now locked in each other’s arms, slept the sleep of babies, the dawn of a new day awaiting.”
– Ngugi Wa Thiong’o
17. “Inside us there is something that has no name, that something is what we are.”
– Jose Saramago
18. “The Captain’s wife played the harp; she had very long arms, silver as eels on those nights, and armpits as dark and mysterious as sea urchins; and the sound of the harp was sweet and piercing, so sweet and piercing it was almost unbearable, and we were forced to let out long cries, not so much to accompany the music as to protect our hearing from it.”
– Italo Calvino
19. “Sea and sky were a single ash-gray thing and the sands of the beach, which on March nights glimmered like powdered light, had become a stew of mud and rotten shellfish.”
– Gabriel Garcia Marquez
20. “In your life there are a few places, or maybe only the one place, where something happened, and then there are all the other places.”
– Alice Munro
21. “The circle of an empty day is brutal and at night it tightens around your neck like a noose.”
Elena Ferrante
22. “In any case, at a certain point as she wandered out among the galaxies, among the whirling particles and ineffable numbers, something leaked in her mind, smudging the text of the cosmos, and she was lost.”
– Deborah Eisenberg
23. “And I still have other smothered memories, now unfolding themselves into limbless monsters of pain.”
– Vladimir Nabokov
24. “In our world, that’s the way you live your grown-up life: you must constantly rebuild your identity as an adult, the way it’s been put together is wobbly, ephemeral, and fragile, it cloaks despair and, when you’re alone in front of the mirror, it tells you the lies you need to believe.”
– Muriel Barbery
25. “Over the Tsushima Basin, they could hear the powerful clicks, like punches to the chest, of sperm whales hunting below, and nearing the island of Dogo, granite spires rose sudden from the sea, white up top from bird guano and orange below from great gatherings of starfish.”
– Adam Johnson
27. “His fate had taken him off two trains this morning, had raised him to the surface at Whitehall Street, had shown him the spinning atoms, unraveling, the end of life, all of them people tethered by love, and habit, and work, and meaning, tied into a meaning suddenly exploded, because contrary to all he had imagined, being tied, being known, did not keep you safe.”
– Claire Messud
28. “He knows your name and you know his, and you almost killed him and, because you got so close to doing so but didn’t, you want to fall on him, weeping, because you are so lonely, so lonely always, and all contact is contact, and all contact makes us so grateful we want to cry and dance and cry and cry.”
– Dave Eggers
29. “They were all scarecrows, blown about under the murdering sunball with empty ribcages.”
– Cynthia Ozick
30. “Everything was still bathed and saturated with her presence — higher, wider, deeper than life, a shift in optics that had produced a rainbow edge, and I remember thinking that this must be how people felt after visions of saints — not that my mother was a saint, only that her appearance had been as distinct and startling as a flame leaping up in a dark room.”
– Donna Tartt
31. “We die containing a richness of lovers and tribes, tastes we have swallowed, bodies we have plunged into and swum up as if rivers of wisdom, characters we have climbed into as if trees, fears we have hidden in as if caves.”
– Michael Ondaatje
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32. “As she picked up her shoes from the closet and tiptoed from the room, she felt, for a vertiginous moment, an unlawful excitement.”
– Paula Fox
33. “What I saw made me want to fell the highest spruce and watch it tip over and fall with a rush and a crash that echoed through the valley and trim it myself in record time and strip it clean myself without stopping even though that was the hardest thing to do and drag it to the river bank with my bare hands and my own back with neither horse nor man to help me and heave it into the water with the strength I suddenly knew I had, and the splash and the spray would rise as high as a house in Oslo.”
– Per Petterson
34. “He was sensitive to lives that had, beneath their surface, like a huge rock or shadow, a glory that would be discovered, that would rise one day to the light.”
– James Salter
35. “Each of her soothing utterances battered me more grievously than the last—as if I were traveling in a perverse ambulance whose function was to collect a healthy man and steadily damage him in readiness for the hospital at which a final and terrible injury would be inflicted.”
– Joseph O’Neill
36. “And maybe I tried with too much mettle — my lines might have mentioned the “Latin gusto” of her calves and hips in motion, and how the small blond hairs of her nape quelled my fear of becoming a “non crooning castrato” — because not four days after I posted the letter she arrived at the prison wearing an orange autumn dress, the strapless kind that could reverse a vasectomy.”
– William Giraldi
38. “It didn’t matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn’t heard us calling, still do not hear us, up here in the tree house, with our thinning hair and soft bellies, calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone for all time, alone in suicide, which is deeper than death, and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together.”
– Jeffrey Eugenides
39. “He’d say “I love you” to every man in the squad before rolling out, say it straight, with no joking or smart-ass lilt and no warbly Christian smarm in it either, just that brisk declaration like he was tightening the seat belts around everyone’s soul.”
– Ben Fountain
40. “I came to hate the complainers, with their dry and crumbly lipsticks and their wrinkled rage and their stupid, flaccid, old-people sun hats with brims the breadth of Saturn’s rings.”
– Karen Russell
41. “Maybe life doesn’t get any better than this, or any worse, and what we get is just what we’re willing to find: small wonders where they grow.”
– Barbara Kingsolver
42. “Around the beginning of this century, the Queen of Thailand was aboard a boat, floating along with her many courtiers, manservants, maids, feet-bathers, and food tasters, when suddenly the stern hit a wave and the queen was thrown overboard into the turquoise waters of the Nippon-Kai, where, despite her pleas for help, she drowned, for not one person on that boat went to her aid.”
– Zadie Smith
43. “Every native everywhere lives a life of overwhelming and crushing banality and boredom and desperation and depression, and every deed, good and bad, is an attempt to forget this.”
– Jamaica Kincaid
44. “As my grandfather went, arm over arm, his heart making sour little shudders against his ribs, he kept listening for a sound, the sound of the tiger, the sound of anything but his own feet and lungs.”
– Tea Obreht
45. “Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real.”
– Iris Murdoch
46. “We all owe death a life.”
– Salman Rushdie
47. “In the deep gloom he could see the electric white gashes where the water boiled over the boulders.”
– Ron Carlson
48. “We are souls shut inside a cage of bones; souls squeezed into a parcel of flesh.”
– Michel Faber
49. “Profound was Gary’s relief the next morning as he bumped and glided, like a storm-battered yacht, into the safe harbor of his work week.”
– Jonathan Franzen
50. “Old lovers go the way of old photographs, bleaching out gradually as in a slow bath of acid: first the moles and pimples, then the shadings.”
– Margaret Atwood
51. “I am not washed and beautiful, in control of a shining world in which everything fits, but instead am wandering awed about on a splintered wreck I’ve come to care for, whose gnawed trees breathe a delicate air, whose bloodied and scarred creatures are my dearest companions, and whose beauty bats and shines not in its imperfections but overwhelmingly in spite of them.”
– Annie Dillard
52. “Coming out into the late night and walking round the building with the secretive grating roll of the stony path beneath his steps, the evening throbbed back through him as blood thumps slowly, reliving effort, after exertion.”
– Nadine Gordimer
53. “Sometimes, when she’s out here alone, she can feel the pulse of something bigger, as if all things animate were beating in unison, a glory and a connection that sweeps her out of herself, out of her consciousness, so that nothing has a name, not in Latin, not in English, not in any known language.”
– T.C. Boyle
55. “Beneath your world of skies and faces and buildings exists a rawer and older world, a place where surface planes disintegrate and sounds ribbon in shoals through the air.”
– Anthony Doerr
56. “Two weeks later, the tape arrived of the race and I memorized it, especially those last hundred yards, Wowie alone, heading for the finish line, his body rhythmically stretching and contracting as his four legs reached and folded, reached and folded.”
– Jane Smiley
57. “He had no right to be there, he had already been profoundly changed, he was no good at small talk, she was half naked, it was dawn and he loved her.”
– Mark Helprin
58. “At a certain point in her life, she realises it is not so much that she wants to have a child as that she does not want not to have a child, or not to have had a child.”
– Lydia Davis (have you ever seen such a beautiful sentence that hinges on tense alone?)
59. “Some nights in the midst of this loneliness I swung among the scattered stars at the end of the thin thread of faith alone.”
– Wendell Berry
60. “Home, we drank a little wine, put on some of that sticky saxophone music we used to keep around to drown out the bitter squeaks in our hearts.”
– Sam Lipsyte
61. “And so we stood together like that, at the top of that field for what seemed like ages, not saying anything, just holding each other, while the wind kept blowing and blowing at us, tugging our clothes, and for a moment, it seemed like we were holding onto each other because that was the only way to stop us from being swept away into the night.”
– Kazuo Ishiguro
62. “I want to sleep in her uterus with my foot hanging out.”
– Barry Hannah
63. “We laughed and laughed, together and separately, out loud and silently, we were determined to ignore whatever needed to be ignored, to build a new world from nothing if nothing in our world could be salvaged, it was one of the best days of my life, a day during which I lived my life and didn’t think about my life at all.”
– Jonathan Safran Foer
64. “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
– Jack Kerouac
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65. “Heaven opened and the water hammered down, reviving the reluctant old well, greenmossing the pigless pigsty, carpet bombing still, tea-colored puddles the way memory bombs still, tea-colored minds.”
– Arundhati Roy
66. “The torch spit sparks and sent chunks of flaming tar spinning into the air behind her as she bolted across the cosmos — the only body in the heavens who was not held to a strict elliptical path.”
– Elizabeth Gilbert
67. “Figures dark beneath their loads pass down the far bank of the river, rendered immortal by the streak of sunset upon their shoulders.”
– Peter Matthiessen
68. “But it goes from bad to worse, and the moment he sets foot in Black’s room, he feels everything go dark inside him, as though the night were pressing through his pores, sitting on top of him with a tremendous weight, and at the same time his head seems to be growing, filling with air as though about to detach itself from his body and float away.”
– Paul Auster
69. “They were sorry, they were saying with their bodies, they were accepting each other back, and that feeling, that feeling of being accepted back again and again, of someone’s affection for you always expanding to encompass whatever new flawed thing had just manifested in you, that was the deepest, dearest thing he’d ever—”
– George Saunders
70. “Decisions are never really made – at best they manage to emerge, from a chaos of peeves, whims, hallucinations and all around assholery.”
– Thomas Pynchon
72. “The love I felt for her on that train ride had a capital and provinces, parishes and a Vatican, an orange planet and many sullen moons — it was systemic and it was complete.”
– Gary Shteyngart
73. “The week after Halloween had a quality both hungover and ominous, the light pitched, the sky smashed against the rooftops.”
– Jonathan Lethem
74. “Rather he consoled himself with the fact that, in the real world, when he looked closely into the darkness he might find the presence of a light, damaged and bruised, but a little light all the same.”
– Colum McCann
75. “For the first time in years, he felt the deep sadness of exile, knowing that he was alone here, an outsider, and too alert to the ironies, the niceties, the manners, and indeed, the morals to be able to participate.”
– Colm Toibin
76. “But these thoughts broke apart in his head and were replaced by strange fragments: This is my soul and the world unwinding, this is my heart in the still winter air.”
– Emily St. John Mandel (a finalist for beautiful sentences, more like poetry than prose)
77. “Life was neither something you defended by hiding nor surrendered calmly on other people’s terms, but something you lived bravely, out in the open, and that if you had to lose it, you should lose it on your own terms.”
– Edwidge Danticat
78. “There are some things that are so unforgivable that they make other things easily forgivable.”
– Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
79. “But in another city, another valley, another ghetto, another slum, another favela, another township, another intifada, another war, another birth, somebody is singing Redemption Song, as if the Singer wrote it for no other reason but for this sufferah to sing, shout, whisper, weep, bawl, and scream right here, right now.”
– Marlon James
80. “His toe scuffs a soft storm of sand, he kneels and his arms spread in pantomimic celebration, the immigrant, as in every moment of his life, arriving eternally on the shore of his Self.”
– E.L. Doctorow
81. “Sleep is no longer a healing bath, a recuperation of vital forces, but an oblivion, a nightly brush with annihilation.”
– J.M. Coetzee
82. “The only cities were of ice, bergs with cores of beryl, blue gems within white gems, that some said gave off an odor of almonds.”
– Annie Proulx
83. He had no religious belief, but it was impossible not to think of an invisible presence or witness in the room, and that these words spoken aloud were like signatures on an unseen contract.”
– Ian McEwan
84. “And even if I recognized her strategy, her sneak attack, I was afraid that some unseen speck of truth would fly into my eye, blur what I was seeing and transform him from the divine man I thought he was into someone quite mundane, mortally wounded with tiresome habits and irritating imperfections.”
– Amy Tan
85. “Every person had a star, every star had a friend, and for every person carrying a star there was someone else who reflected it, and everyone carried this reflection like a secret confidante in the heart.”
– Orhan Pamuk
86. “Memory is a great deceiver, grief and longing cloud the past, and recollections, even vivid ones, fade.”
– Daniel Alarcon
87. “Over the city lies the sweet, rotting odor of yesterday’s unrecollected sins.”
– Hilary Mantel
89. “We need to develop a better descriptive vocabulary for lying, a taxonomy, a way to distinguish intentional lies from unintentional ones, and a way to distinguish the lies that the liar himself believes in – a way to signal those lies that could be more accurately described as dreams.”
– Rivka Galchen
90. “She understood as women often do more easily than men, that the declared meaning of a spoken sentence is only its overcoat, and the real meaning lies underneath its scarves and buttons.”
– Peter Carey
91. “The road ran away westwards in the mist of the early morning, running cunningly through the little hills and going to some trouble to visit tiny towns which were not, strictly speaking, on its way.”
– Flann O’Brien
92. “We had loving beautiful sex just as soon as we could get ourselves to stop talking — loving and beautiful in the expressionist, pathetic-fallacy sense in which you might say a meadow was loving and beautiful even if it was full of hamsters ready to kill each other on sight, but only when they’re awake.”
– Nell Zink
93. “And we know, until they stop their terrible motion, until they cease swooping and darting and banging into the walls, until they alight, come to rest, exhausted, spent, there is nothing at all we can do.”
– Nathan Englander
94. “He was still a handsome man, with a tanned, chiseled face and long, thick, wavy white hair, but his cells had begun to reproduce in a haphazard fashion, destroying the DNA of neighboring cells and secreting toxins into his body.”
– Michel Houellebecq
95. “You’re an insomniac, you tell yourself: there are profound truths revealed only to the insomniac by night like those phosphorescent minerals veined and glimmering in the dark but coarse and ordinary otherwise; you have to examine such minerals in the absence of light to discover their beauty, you tell yourself.”
– Joyce Carol Oates
96. “In fact, this particular memory is one she’ll return to again and again, for the rest of her life, long after Ralph has shot himself in the head in their father’s house at twenty eight: her brother as a boy, hair slicked flat, eyes sparking, shyly learning to dance.”
– Jennifer Egan
97. “Twenty were jammed together on the stoop, tiers of heads made one central head, and the wings rested along the banisters, a raggedy monster of boys studying her approach.”
– Leonard Michaels
98. “It was plain as the stars that time herself moved in grand tidal sweeps rather than the tick-tocks we suffocate within, and that I must reshape myself to fully inhabit the earth rather than dawdle in the sump of my foibles.”
– Jim Harrison
99. “Sometimes I wonder if Junior remembers anything, or if his head is like a colander, and the memories of who bottle-fed him, who licked his tears, who mothered him, squeeze through the metal like water to run down the drain, and only leave the present day, his sand holes, his shirtless bird chest, Randall yelling at him: his present washed clean of memory like vegetables washed clean of the dirt they grow in.”
– Jesmyn Ward
100. “So, as was often the case when he was alone and sober, whatever the surroundings, he saw a boy pushing his entrails back in, holding them in his palms like a fortune-teller’s globe shattering with bad news; or he heard a boy with only the bottom half of his face intact, the lips calling mama.”
– Toni Morrison (it’s suitable to end with Toni Morrison; she could be the queen of beautiful sentences)
If you just finished this list, you’re probably awash in beauty. Soak it up, soak it in, and do one of three things:
Tell me in the comments which one of the sentences above is your favorite sentence. (I know, right? How do you pick?)
What beautiful sentences do you consider your all-time favorites? Post them below. (aka: what did I miss?)
Lastly, consider taking my course in how to write a sentence. If you love sentences, I guarantee you’ll love this course. | {
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In plangerea penala se sesizeaza faptul ca primarul Raduly Robert Kalman l-a agresat in timpul unei sedinte a grupului UDMR din Consiliul Local pe un consilier al acestei formatiuni si ca nu este pentru prima data cand ar fi fost violent cu consilierii locali si chiar cu unul dintre viceprimari.Surse apropiate anchetei au dezvaluit ca in data de 24 iunie, la o sedinta a UDMR, consilierul Csucsi Andras Robert a ridicat problema unui cetatean din oras care si-ar fi amenajat spatiul verde din fata locuintei si, cu toate acestea, a fost amendat de Primaria Miercurea Ciuc. De la acest subiect, intre primar si consilier a inceput o disputa verbala dupa care, primarul i-ar fi adresat acestuia injurii, apoi ar fi mers in spatele consilierului, care statea pe scaun, si l-a apucat de gat, l-a strans si l-a scuturat, timp in care acesta nu a putut sa se apere si nici ceilalti consilieri nu au intervenit, acestia fiind uimiti de ceea ce se intampla. Potrivit sursei citate, pe gatul consilierului au ramas urme ale agresiunii.Purtatorul de cuvant al IPJ Harghita a confirmat ca Politia a fost sesizata in legatura cu acest caz si ca ancheta este in derulare."Inspectoratul Judetean de Politie Harghita a fost sesizat cu privire la faptul ca un consilier local ar fi fost strans de gat de catre primarul municipiului (n.r. Raduly Robert Kalman), iar in sesizare este mentionat ca primarul, in repetate randuri, ar fi avut o atitudine violenta fata de mai multi dintre consilierii locali si chiar fata de un viceprimar. In cauza desfasuram activitati de cercetare si investigatie sub aspectul savarsirii infractiunii sesizate, aceea de ultraj, in care, la finalitate, data fiind competenta exclusiva a Parchetului, ne-am si adresat Parchetului de pe langa Judecatoria Miercurea Ciuc, pentru competenta cercetare si solutionare", a declarat purtatorul de cuvant al IPJ Harghita, Gheorghe Filip.Potrivit unui comunicat de presa al Parchetului de pe langa Judecatoria Miercurea Ciuc, in cursul zilei de miercuri a inceput urmarirea penala cu privire la savarsirea infractiunii de ultraj."La Parchetul de pe langa Judecatoria Miercurea Ciuc a fost inregistrat un dosar avand ca obiect imprejurarile in care s-a produs incidentul petrecut in data de 24.06.2014 cu ocazia desfasurarii unei sedinte in cadrul Primariei Miercurea Ciuc la care au participat consilieri din cadrul Consiliului Local Miercurea Ciuc, constand in agresarea persoanei vatamate C.A.R., consilier local. In cursul zilei de astazi a fost inceputa urmarirea penala cu privire la savarsirea infractiunii de ultraj prevazuta si sanctionata de art. 257(1) Cod penal", se precizeaza in comunicatul Pachetului de pe langa Judecatoria Miercurea Ciuc.Potrivit unor surse din interiorul Primariei, cei prezenti la incident nu vor sa vorbeasca despre ceea ce s-a intamplat, intrucat le este frica de primar.Viceprimarul municipiului Miercurea Ciuc, Antal Attila, a spus ca pe data de 24 iunie s-a aflat la sedinta respectiva, dar nu a vrut sa confirme sau sa infirme incidentul, precizand ca are 'o viziune subiectiva' asupra a ceea ce s-a intamplat atunci."Eu nu vreau sa confirm, ca a fost si ieri o sedinta de grup (nr UDMR) unde a incercat sa clarifice treaba, numai ca eu am plecat. (...) Nu vreau sa dau declaratii deocamdata in aceasta tema, pentru ca probabil au evoluat lucrurile, nu stiam nici de plangerea penala, nici de ce s-a discutat ieri, asa ca eu ma abtin deocamdata sa comentez. (...)Am fost si eu in sala. Atata confirm ca am fost si eu acolo", a declarat presei Antal Attila.Si viceprimarul Szoke Domokos, despre care exista informatii ca ar fi fost batut, cu alta ocazie, de primarul Raduly Robert Kalman, s-a abtinut de la comentarii. "Oficial nu vreau sa comentez despre acest subiect", a spus Szoke.Presedintele UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, nu a putut fi contactat pentru a-si exprima un punct de vedere despre acest incident, dar consiliera sa, Nagy Debreczeni Hajnal, a spus ca, din cate stie, primarul Raduly Robert Kalman si-a cerut scuze, iar acestea i-au fost acceptate."Noi asa stim, ca domnul primar si-a cerut scuze si ca scuzele lui au fost acceptate, asa ca ar trebui sa mai verificati si voi daca este actuala (nr: plangerea penala)", a spus Nagy Debreczeni Hajnal. Intrebata daca incidentul a avut loc, aceasta a raspuns: "Probabil ca da, de ce altceva si-ar fi cerut scuze?".Atat primarul Raduly Robert Kalman cat si consilierul Csucsi Andras Robert nu au putut fi contactati pentru a face declaratii despre acest caz.Primarul din Miercurea Ciuc mai este cercetat intr-un dosar penal dupa ce anul trecut, cu prilejul zilelor municipiului Miercurea Ciuc, ar fi batut un ofiter SRI, aflat in timpul liber, care l-ar fi fotografiat in timp ce se afla la o intalnire cu o delegatie din orasele infratite.Raduly Robert Kalman este la al treilea mandat de primar al municipiului Miercurea Ciuc, el candidand pe listele UDMR, fiind ales de fiecare data din primul tur. | {
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De la gestion du budget au choix de la destination, en passant par celui de l’itinéraire, des logements, des transports, des restaurants, ou encore des activités et des visites culturelles… L’organisation d’un voyage est loin d’être de tout repos. Si l’on parle de plus en plus de l’inégale répartition de la charge mentale au sein des couples hétérosexuels au quotidien, celle-ci se ressent d’autant plus en période de congés. Témoignages.
“Premières vacances” © The Film
La charge mentale ne prend pas de vacances. Popularisée par l’illustratrice Emma en mai 2017 dans sa bande dessinée Fallait demander, cette notion a récemment fait son apparition dans le Petit Larousse. Définie comme “le poids psychologique que fait peser -plus particulièrement sur les femmes- la gestion des tâches domestiques et éducatives”, la charge mentale reste associée au foyer et aux tâches qui y sont liées, telles que le ménage, l’administratif, la comptabilité et les obligations parentales. Pourtant, son inégale répartition au sein des couples hétérosexuels ne s’arrête pas aux frontières du quotidien. “Du choix de la destination à celui des dates, en passant par le mode de transport et le programme sur place… Je passe des heures à éplucher les vols, les logements, les guides touristiques et les blogs, énumère Amélie, 37 ans, en couple depuis 10 ans. En faisant ce travail d’organisation en amont, je peux profiter des vacances une fois sur place.” Qu’elles aient la vingtaine ou la trentaine, qu’elles soient mariées ou non, avec ou sans enfants; pour l’organisation des vacances, chacune porte intégralement la charge mentale de son couple.
“Avant de partir en voyage, mon mari ne se préoccupe pas du tout de ce que l’on fera ni verra; il me demande juste les dates auxquelles poser ses congés, raconte ainsi Ophélie, une mère de famille de 32 ans. Le reste, c’est moi qui gère.” “Si je devais attendre que mon copain propose de partir en vacances ou réserve quelque chose, j’attendrais longtemps, surenchérit Caroline, 27 ans, en couple depuis sept ans. Comme je n’ai pas le choix, je prends les devants et je m’occupe de tout.” “Quand on a fait un roadtrip en Italie, mon ex ne s’était renseigné sur rien, il se laissait porter, se remémore Camille, 24 ans, restée en couple pendant sept ans. Je me suis transformée en tour opératrice.”
“On a les vacances qui nous ressemblent”
Si elles le ressentent particulièrement en vacances, ces femmes portent également le poids de la charge mentale au quotidien. “Avec mon conjoint, c’est notre seul sujet de conflit récurrent”, regrette Amélie. Même son de cloche chez Caroline, qui se définit comme une “sorte d’agenda humain”. Pour Laure, 27 ans, la charge devenait “tellement pesante” qu’elle a contribué à sa rupture avec son ex-copain, avec qui elle est restée cinq ans. “J’avais l’impression d’être sa secrétaire”, raconte pour sa part Maureen*, 29 ans, au sujet de son ex, avec qui elle a passé six années de sa vie. Enfin, tandis qu’Ophélie a “toujours vécu” la charge mentale, Justine, 29 ans, doit préparer les listes de courses pour son conjoint, et Laurence, 49 ans, est la tête pensante de la maison.
“En général, comme les femmes sont plutôt chargées de l’organisation des loisirs et des sorties dans la vie courante, la charge mentale s’exprime pleinement en période de congés.”
“Il n’y a pas de raison que la situation s’inverse pendant les vacances, estime Marie Duru-Bellat, sociologue et autrice de La Tyrannie du genre. En général, comme les femmes sont plutôt chargées de l’organisation des loisirs et des sorties dans la vie courante, la charge mentale s’exprime pleinement en période de congés. On a les vacances qui nous ressemblent.” Pourtant, ce n’est pas faute de tenter de répartir la charge. “Après notre roadtrip en Italie, j’ai dit à mon ex que j’aurais aimé qu’il prenne davantage sa part, explique Camille, qui avait déjà essayé -sans succès- d’investir son compagnon de l’époque dans l’organisation du voyage. Pour les vacances qui ont suivi, il y a eu une légère amélioration: il inclinait la tête quand je lui montrais quelque chose…”.
“Tu sais faire, moi non”
De son côté, Justine a récemment fait part à son copain de son envie de partir pour le week-end de son anniversaire. “Je lui ai dit que j’aimerais qu’il s’en occupe, pour que j’aie la surprise, rapporte la vingtenaire. Il m’a répondu: ‘C’est toi qui organise les vacances, c’est toi qui sais faire. Puis, tu ne seras pas satisfaite car ce ne sera pas le programme que tu auras choisi’. La charge mentale que je porte pour les vacances est tellement énorme que mon copain en est venu à penser qu’il ne peut pas organiser un week-end seul car cela me ‘priverait’ de mon ‘plaisir’ de le faire. Pour moi, devoir penser à tout est surtout devenu une corvée.”
Le conjoint de Justine est loin d’être le seul à se réfugier derrière des prétextes. “C’était ton travail avant. Tu sais faire, moi non”, dixit le mari de Laurence. “Mais toi, tu aimes ça”, répond le conjoint de Lise, une jeune trentenaire, lorsqu’elle lui dit qu’elle aimerait qu’il se laisse moins “porter” en voyage. “Je n’ai pas voulu m’en occuper parce que je voulais avoir la surprise de ce qu’on allait faire”, rapporte Maureen en citant son ex, avec qui elle a récemment reparlé du voyage d’un mois au Japon qu’elle avait entièrement organisé l’an dernier. “Entre mes potes et mon boulot, je n’ai pas le temps d’y penser; au pire on décidera au dernier moment”, dixit le conjoint de Laure, qui précise avoir “testé le ‘dernier moment’” et que cela s’était résumé à “ne rien faire”. “Quand je demande à mon copain de regarder les logements avec moi, il me dit: ‘Choisis, tout me conviendra’, relate Caroline. Au moins, il n’est jamais chiant, mais c’est une manière de se décharger.”
Derrière la charge mentale, le poids des stéréotypes de genre
Prétextes en pagaille, difficultés à saisir le concept de la charge mentale… “Le poids des stéréotypes de genre est très présent, analyse Marie Duru-Bellat, en prenant un exemple de la vie quotidienne: Certains hommes pensent qu’ils sont moins compétents que les femmes pour repasser alors que ces dernières auront tendance à croire qu’elles le sont moins pour changer la roue d’une voiture. Il y a une part de vérité car ils et elles ont été élevé·e·s différemment. On prépare les enfants à des activités différentes, donc, dans leur vie d’adulte, il y aura un moment où ils et elles auront plus de mal à en faire certaines.”
Axel*, 29 ans, en couple depuis deux ans, opine. “Mes parents ont toujours été très équitables dans la répartition des tâches mais c’est vrai que ma mère portait toute la charge mentale, observe le vingtenaire. Quand elle faisait quelque chose pour moi et le faisait bien, j’ai peut-être pris l’habitude de me reposer sur elle sans me questionner. Je pense que je reproduis ce schéma avec ma copine: j’ai déjà voyagé seul donc je sais faire, mais je la laisse prendre les initiatives, d’autant plus qu’elle le fait très bien. Si elle n’y arrivait pas, je l’aiderais.” Axel est très sensibilisé aux thématiques féministes, de même que le conjoint de Caroline, celui de Justine, ou encore d’Amélie. Pourquoi les changements sont-ils donc si difficiles à opérer? “On ne fait pas toujours ce que l’on veut: des modèles sociologiques nous déterminent, même en étant bien informé·e·s sur ces questions”, souligne Marie Duru-Bellat.
Conscientiser, au risque de se transformer en parent
Si l’émancipation du poids de millénaires de stéréotypes de genre s’avère longue, rien n’est perdu. Outre la solution radicale de partir en vacances séparément, la conscientisation est la clé pour initier les changements. “C’est peut-être plus facile de commencer dans la vie quotidienne car les vacances ne sont pas le moment idéal pour bouleverser son mode de fonctionnement”, estime Marie Duru-Bellat. La sociologue suggère par exemple aux femmes d’écrire noir sur blanc la liste de tout ce qu’elles ont à penser et faire au quotidien puis répéter l’opération pour l’organisation des dernières vacances du couple, afin que leur conjoint réalise l’ampleur de la charge mentale.
“Sur le long terme, la répartition de la charge mentale évoluera positivement.”
Une pédagogie parfois à double tranchant. “À un moment, je n’ai plus eu envie d’éduquer mon ex, ni de devoir prendre la place d’une mère”, souffle Laure. “Mon conjoint comprend quand je lui explique le principe de la charge mentale; il entend le fait qu’il doit lui aussi être acteur mais ne sait pas le mettre en pratique, surenchérit Amélie. À 37 ans, j’ai l’impression de devoir l’éduquer.” Malgré ces récits peu engageants, Marie Duru-Bellat est optimiste. “Sur le long terme, la répartition de la charge mentale évoluera positivement”, estime la sociologue. Outre le fait de se libérer d’un poids, il s’agit d’enrayer les modèles inégalitaires qui se perpétuent malgré nous. Pour veiller à ce que ce soit le cas, ne rien céder.
Floriane Valdayron | {
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A Metropolitan police chief who was sent an unsolicited video of child sexual abuse via WhatsApp has been convicted of possessing indecent images on her phone.
Supt Robyn Williams, 54, was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey and potentially faces being sacked after 36 years of distinguished service.
Williams was at a gym class in February 2018 when she was sent the video via WhatsApp on her phone by her sister, who was outraged by its content and wanted the person behind it caught.
Under the law on possessing indecent images, it was for Williams to prove she had a legitimate reason to have it, or that she had not seen the video and did not have reason to believe it was indecent.
Williams, who had denied possessing an indecent image of a child, looked stunned as the jury delivered its 10-to-one majority verdict after more than 10 hours of deliberation. She was found not guilty of corruptly failing to report the image, after the jury rejected the prosecution’s claim that Williams had seen a thumbnail of the image, and thus was aware of its serious nature, but failed to report it because she feared getting her sister into trouble.
Williams maintained she never saw the thumbnail; it was accepted she never played the 1min video. The prosecution alleged Williams was lying to protect her sister.
Williams, who was honoured for her work after the Grenfell fire disaster, is one of the most senior female African-Caribbean police officers.
The jury heard she was a founder member of the National Black Police Association, helped set up a gay police association, campaigned for more women in policing and had received the Queen’s police medal.
Her sister and co-defendant, Jennifer Hodge, 56, was convicted of distributing an indecent image of a child. She sent it via WhatsApp to 17 people, including Williams.
Hodge had been sent it by her partner, Dido Massivi, 61, who was convicted of distributing two indecent images and possessing an extreme image.
The video was sent to Williams on a Saturday and the next day she spent several hours with her sister.
At one point in a police interview Hodge said she had mentioned the video to her sister, but later said she had not.
The prosecutor Richard Wright QC, opening the case, made it clear the defendants had no sexual interest in the images: “This is instead a case in which we allege that each of them made serious errors of judgment about how to handle this video and in dealing with it as they did, each of them has committed serious criminal offences.”
After sending the video, Hodge sent a message expressing her outrage about the video: “Sorry had to send this it’s so sad that this person would put this out please post this and let’s hope he gets life.”
The crown say that 40 minutes later Williams opened WhatsApp. Wright said: “She would have seen a tile [thumbnail] that showed the first frame of the video. It would have been clear … and we say it would have been immediately obvious exactly what it was: an indecent video of a child.”
Another person who was sent the video by Hodge reported it to the police. An investigation began and identified Williams as one of those who received the video.
After the verdict, the deputy assistant commissioner, responsible for professionalism, Matthew Horne said: “The prosecution called this a ‘sad case’ and referred to the ‘serious errors of judgment’ made by those involved. The court heard that Supt Williams has led a distinguished career in policing and previously been commended for her professionalism.
“The Independent Office for Police Conduct is carrying out an independent misconduct investigation into the actions of Supt Williams and we await the outcome.”
Williams remains on restricted duties at this stage.
The officer, who at the time was the borough commander for Sutton in south London, told the jury she never saw the image of a man sexually assaulting a girl, and would have taken immediate action if she had.
“If I’d seen anything remotely like that, I would have simply, simply – I am on speed dial to my chief inspector – I would have called my lead for safeguarding and asked what was the best possible way to get this evidence into the chain of action, so we could safeguard and best protect this child. Simple phone call, no discussion.”
All three will be sentenced on 26 November.
Supporters of Williams were aghast that she was put on trial when there was no evidence she played the video. Some in policing were also concerned that the case appeared to show a black officer being picked on, threatened with humiliation, ruin and jail.
The Police Superintendents’ Association and Black Police Association asked the Met to review the case five times but the force declined. | {
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After 11 years in the G League, Andre Ingram finally got his shot in the NBA at the end of last season. And the 32-year-old guard did not disappoint.
Called up by the Los Angeles Lakers for the final two games, Ingram dropped 19 points in his debut, captivating the Staples Center crowd and garnering worldwide attention.
Now Andre is focused on keeping his NBA career alive, staying in shape in the hopes that L.A. will invite him to training camp, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. He is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Ingram said he has received some interest but no offers from the other 29 NBA teams and he has not considered playing professionally overseas. He said he is a nervous wreck over his free agency and he has told his agent to focus on getting him back to the Lakers. General manager Rob Pelinka could not be reached for comment. Ingram said he is staying in shape and preparing himself for the possibility of being invited to training camp.
The Lakers have already added several pieces to pair with LeBron James, but could use some more outside shooters, which could work in Ingram’s favor.
“It would mean everything,” Ingram said of making the Lakers’ opening-day roster. “There is always the next thing, the next goal. Training camp is the next thing, then playing well and doing well for your team, then the next thing and the next thing. That is how it always is. Being on the [opening-day] roster would mean just as much as playing those last two games.”
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Match point. A muscular, tattooed man takes a deep breath before raising a hand to serve. His opponent purses his lips in concentration. The crowd is hushed. A ball is fired across the room, clips the edge of the table, and it’s game over. The crowd erupts in cheers and burly men launch themselves on to the winner.
Blokes playing ping pong might seem prosaic enough. Only on this occasion they are in jail. A prison guard watches over the hall, as the banter kicks in and other matches resume, older hands coaching newer members of the group.
“Everyone who’s here now is not getting into any trouble, and that’s because there’s an incentive,” says Axel James, 30, a prisoner at HMP High Down in Surrey for the past three years. “You get a good rapport with the officers. When they know that you are well behaved, you get more gym sessions and it can lead to other sports as well.” He attends the table tennis sessions each week.
To qualify for the weekly sessions, inmates must have a good record – no violence, drugs or abuse are tolerated. Traffic-light stamps that denote behaviour are meticulously recorded in a log book. Too many red entries and prisoners stay locked in their cells. The incentive appears to be working: violent behaviour has fallen by 83% among attendees – and demand is growing. So far 250 prisoners have passed through the programme since it started two years ago, with many on a waiting list eager to play.
The initiative is also aimed at tackling one of Britain’s most stubborn justice problems: the revolving door that puts offenders out on the streets and then sucks them back in again. According to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures, 29% of adults and 42% of young people reoffend within one year of release. But a select committee report this summer claimed recidivism can be dramatically reduced with sports-based programmes both in and after prison.
James looks forward to the sessions all week because he believes the movement and concentration required by the game allow him to mentally break free from the tedium of prison life. “There’s a lot of eye contact, you have to remain focused because it’s a quick game,” he says. “So I would say it’s an escape for prisoners.”
Coaches and volunteers from Brighton Table Tennis Club have been going to High Down every week to train the inmates as table tennis coaches. So far they have awarded 24 level 1 coaching qualifications. The group have got to know each other well, and have developed a genuine camaraderie as the prisoners and volunteers laugh and embrace one another in victory. “I’m really very fond of them,” says Sandie Clark, 72, a volunteer who has travelled the hour to High Down every Tuesday for a year. “They get scarred by the prison, but when they’re with us they remember who they are. There’s a warmth and an intimacy there which is not allowed for the rest of the week. The fact that people are interested in them gives them a bit of confidence – many of them are unsure of themselves.” She adds: “They’re going to come out with more than just a qualification – it empowers them, they can see other ways of coping with things.”
High Down prisoners and volunteers from Brighton Table Tennis Club gather in the prison gym after a session. Photograph: Alexi Phillips/HMP
Michael, 51, who used to be at HMP High Down and is now at an open prison, frequently returns on day release for the table tennis club. “At times, if they’re short staffed and there’s been incidents, people can be left in their cells for three or four days and only come out to get their food and go back to their wing,” he says. Tensions reach boiling point, so physical activities like ping pong “release that tension”, he believes. “Ping pong also brings people together across the prison buildings. You are one big community in prison even though you don’t like half of the people. We all have to mix, we all have to get on, we’re living under each other, like a powder keg situation.”
For Jack Finch, 34, the programme changed his life. He was introduced to table tennis in High Down during his two-year sentence. On release he went straight to Brighton Table Tennis Club and got a full-time coaching job in Moulsecoomb, on the outskirts of the city. “There’s nothing for these kids to do in Moulsecoomb, so when they see me, they’re happy to get involved in something. I’ve been there and it’s tough,” he says. “Crime is the last thing on my mind – I’ve got so much going on,” he says. “But I could’ve easily been tempted to go back to it.”
Rosie Meek, a psychology professor at Royal Holloway, University of London and author of the MoJ’s 2018 review of sport in prison, says that giving people a positive and alternative identity to that of an offender is a really powerful predictor to reduce reoffending. “Coaching is a valuable and meaningful way to do it,” she says. “If we can equip people with the skills once they come out of prison to become volunteers in their communities, to engage their kids, maybe, in table tennis, or even for some to work in this sector … that’s really powerful.”
The programme has proven so successful that the MoJ says it is “considering options for extending it further”. So far, the nearby women’s prison, HMP Downview, and Ford open prison in West Sussex have introduced similar schemes. The new justice secretary, Robert Buckland, welcomes the ping-pong scheme for “truly harnessing the power of sport to change lives and reduce reoffending”. He adds: “It is vital that we set offenders up with worthwhile skills such as teamwork, leadership and discipline, so they have a better chance of securing employment on release and resettling back into the community.”
Back at High Down, James believes ping pong is his ticket to a life outside jail. “I would definitely say having a sport like table tennis, having people come in, it opens doors for a lot of people. How are we supposed to be better people if we’re not given that opportunity?”
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