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7 Key Issues to Determine
NEW DELHI: India awaits its Ayodhya moment on Thursday, almost 18 years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 that placed the country on a communal volcano which has periodically erupted from time to time. Today, individuals, parties and organizations who appealed for peace, hope the court verdict won’t lead to another eruption.At the end of the long-drawn judicial process stretching back to 1949, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court will pronounce its verdict at 3.30pm on the Ayodhya title suits — the first such order on the dispute. It may not resolve the row over whether a temple predated the mosque at the disputed site, but will certainly cast some light on the title claims.Given the emotive nature of the dispute, the Centre has cranked up its vigil, and has also goaded states vulnerable to communal tensions to do so. But there was also a hope that the moment will pass off without causing the sort of turbulence triggered by the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign and the Babri demolition.The optimism stems chiefly from two factors: The issue has lost the potency it once had. It is also felt that while many of the partisans in the temple-mosque dispute have moved on, the youth have only a faint memory of the wrenching fight for the disputed site.Whether the disputed site was a 'bhakt place' of Bhagwan RamWhether disputed structure was a mosqueWhen was it built and by whomWhether mosque was built after demolishing Hindu templeWhether idols were placed in the night of Dec 22-23, 1949Whether the claim is time-barredWhat will be the status of disputed site - inner and courtyard | {
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Description:
Totally Commercial Free with 100% Local Music of ALL kinds from Dallas & Fort Worth, Texas. A variety of local talk programs fills out our 24/7 schedule. Visit our Website for programs and showtimes. | {
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If you're a serious electronics hobbyist, the sort that builds spot welders, plasma cutters, or car battery chargers, you'll find that a large portion of your project cost consists of transformers which can range from $30-50 or more. There are thousands of non-functioning microwave ovens out there that contain perfectly good transformers that you can safely use and remove as long as you follow the correct procedures.
YouTube user MattsAwesomeStuff has a 3-part video series on just how to salvage the transformer, strip away unnecessary modules, and prepare the transformers for use in your own projects. The author gives great step-by-step instructions along with safety procedures such as discharging the capacitors before trying to remove the transformer.
Have you ever successfully salvaged electronics components from common household items? If so, let us know in the comments below.
Easiest MOT Salvage Tutorial Pt. 1 | YouTube via Hack a Day | {
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It is expected to fetch up to $4 million
An extremely rare bag used by NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong to collect the first dust samples from the Moon is expected to fetch up to $4 million at an auction in the U.S.
The bag brought back to Earth 48 years ago contains traces of the moon dust and is an exceptionally rare relic of humanity’s greatest achievement.
It will be up for auction on July 20 along with a signed photograph of Armstrong’s companion Buzz Aldrin on the Moon and other memorabilia.
“The star lot of the sale is the most important space exploration artefact to ever come to market, the outer decontamination bag used by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11 to bring back the very first samples ever collected of the Moon, traces of which remain in the bag,” according to the Sotheby’s auction house.
During the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong collected nearly 500 grammes of material finer than 1 cm, as well as 12 rock fragments larger than one cm from five different locations on the lunar surface in the region known as the Sea of Tranquillity.
The true history of the bag went unknown for decades until just a year ago. It was offered three separate times in 2014 by a small auction house garnering not a single bid. It was re-listed again in 2015, where Nancy Carlson, the current owner won the lot with a bid of $995, Sotheby’s said.
Landing anniversary
Interested in the history of her purchase, she sent it to NASA in the hope of obtaining further information.
Scientific tests revealed the dust in the bag to be moon dust, specifically from the Apollo 11 landing site.
The auction will coincide with the anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. | {
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先日、『ほのぼの一家の憲法改正ってなあに？』という漫画が、自民党公式サイトからPDFファイルで公開された。
政策パンフレット | 政策 | 自由民主党
憲法改正を分かりやすく漫画で解説します
制作は自由民主党憲法改正推進本部で、作画は柴田工房。
タイトルのとおり、憲法改正の討論を報じる新聞を受けて、家族が日本国憲法の歴史や改正の目的を語りあっていく。
http://jimin.ncss.nifty.com/pdf/pamphlet/kenoukaisei_manga_pamphlet.pdf
まず、曽祖父、祖父、父、母、息子という男女比の偏りに驚かされる。その家族が憲法改正を学ぶ動機も、下記のコマのとおり*1。
ひとり不安にさいなまれる母に対して、他の家族が全員で心配をとりのぞこうとする。まだ言葉を話せない幼い息子まで、母親を安心させようとする側にいる*2。直前の祖父の「今の憲法でこれまで問題なかったんだし変える必要ないんじゃ…」*3という台詞も、興奮する母をなだめるものだ。
解説漫画というジャンルは、あたりまえだが読者に解説するように情報や主張をつたえるもの。教えられるキャラクターの視点で描かれるのが原則だ。
さまざまな読者の疑問にこたえられるように、教えられる側のキャラクターが複数いて、異なる角度の疑問を発することが望ましい。一方的に教えこまれる関係にならないよう、教えられるキャラクター同士が議論して、自発的に学んでいく構成が自然で良い*4。
この漫画は母の視点に立っていない以上、「解説」を目的としたものではない。自説を演説するものですらない。憲法改正を不安がる人々を安心させるよう、説得する情報を教える漫画だ。あえてジャンルわけするなら折伏漫画といったところか。
そして男性が教えて女性が教えられるという関係は、以降の展開でも基本的に固定される。
たとえば日本国憲法が米国によってもたらされたと曽祖父が解説する時、登場するのは日本側も米国側も男性だけ*5。先進的な女性権を憲法草案に入れたり、日米間の翻訳にもたずさわったベアテ・シロタ・ゴードンの姿は見当たらない。
http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/hold/2008/sokkyo/news/200705/CK2007050102019250.html
むろん草案に入れた女性権のすべてが反映されたわけではなかったし*6、社会福祉については米国内部で基本的権利にとどめられてしまった。
ケーディスは「ベアテさんは日本女性のために、米国憲法以上の自由を書きましたね」と言ってくれましたが、「基本的な男女平等はいいが、社会福祉は憲法には合わない。そういうものは、民法に書かなければいけない」と認めてくれません。
日本の動きとして漫画は「二院制などいくつかの日本側の変更要望をどうにかねじ込み」*7とあるだけで、森戸辰男議員が生存権を入れたことは言及もしない。
ETV特集 5月3日（日）
制定時、国会での審議の中で日本人自身の発議によって加えられた条文がある。
「第25条 すべて国民は、健康で文化的な最低限度の生活を営む権利を有する。」
曽祖父による憲法制定の解説は、発端こそ「明治憲法をうわべだけ変えたもの」*8な日本側草案を米国が認めなかったという説明だが、具体的には「日本の無力化」*9という目的で米国が押しつけたという説明ばかり。
日米の草案の内容は論じず、短時間でつくられた草案を押しつけられたことのみ強調する*10。
制定時の先進性を解説されていないから、母は「それが今の憲法で70年くらい変わってないっていうの？」と驚くだけ。
さらに父の「あまり考えたこともなかったけど“敗戦国 日本”のままってことなのか…」という台詞を受けて、「いやよそんなの!!」「うちのルールを隣の家の人に口出しされてるみたいなものじゃない!!」と怒る*11。いわば隣の家に迷惑をかけた結果としての口出しであることは説明されない。
そして後回しにされた女性権の説明は、男性だけで語りあう*12。
同じ場所に母がいるのに、このコマ内には姿すら見えない。女性が自由にふるまえるのは家族が許す範囲であり、解説漫画としては無知な母という役割にとどまり、自分が学んだことを男性に教える逆転はない。
女性権の解説そのものも、家族や地域と衝突するかのような表現とセットにされている。
この漫画は、憲法が個人や団体の権利を守ることを疑問視しつづけている。刑法でとりしまれることを憲法に記載するべきだと主張する*13。
拡充すべきと議論される代表的な権利は、環境権と地方分権くらい。
憲法制定時の時代状況について、「スマホだけじゃなくプライバシーもストーカーも環境問題もそんな言葉すらなかった」とプライバシーにも言及しているが、そこで母は「エコとロハスは女の必須事項ですっ」と環境問題だけ注目し、家族の結論としては父の「翔太の未来を考えるとやっぱり環境問題は大事だよなぁ」という台詞に収束してしまう*14。地方分権も足踏みしていると祖父が批判したかと思えば、曽祖父の「憲法は国の形を定め国を変えていくもんじゃよ」という台詞から国の話に戻されてしまう*15。
環境権や地方分権を自民党がどれほど重視できているかはさておいても、この漫画をとおして個人の権利が賞揚される場面は少ない。せいぜい憲法に規定がないこととして「犯罪被害者の人権」「プライバシー」「国民に対する説明責任」が「環境保全の義務」と同じ1コマでまとめて言及されるくらい*16。それも具体的にはふみこまず、緊急事態要項の話題にうつっていく。
憲法が国家をしばるためのものだという原則は、一貫して軽視されている。
この漫画でモノローグをのぞいた最後の台詞は、母の「日本っていい国よね」*17だ。
はたして自民党の見ている「いい国」とは、どのような世界なのだろうか。 | {
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Among the crowd of fresh graduates waiting to collect their degrees at the Suntec Convention Centre, grey-haired Eugene Low could easily have been mistaken as another proud parent.
Instead, it was his 18-year-old elder daughter, and wife, 44, who were the proud spectators.
The 45-year-old yesterday became the oldest student in Singapore Management University (SMU)'s 15-year history to be awarded a bachelor's degree, after graduating from the School of Information Systems.
The senior military expert in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) said: "SAF was my passion and I went with it. Studying wasn't my passion then but, with time, I found that there is a need for qualifications."
Mr Low had graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic in 2007 with a diploma in Engineering Informatics. Both of his academic pursuits were fully sponsored by the SAF.
FULFILLING A NEED SAF was my passion and I went with it. Studying wasn't my passion then but, with time, I found that there is a need for qualifications. MR EUGENE LOW, a senior military expert in the Singapore Armed Forces, on turning his attention to academic pursuits
Despite having 24 years of working experience with the SAF, studying alongside peers 20 years his junior proved to be a challenge at first.
Said Mr Low, who has two daughters: "I came on a little too strongly initially, but I took a step back to let them do their work and help them along the way. They have brilliant ideas that just needed polishing."
One coursemate was 25-year-old Lee Xiang Rui, who graduated with a perfect grade point average score.
He also started a development studio with two friends during his second year. Among the applications it produced was Guess The Word SG, a charade game which has more than 200,000 downloads on mobile platforms.
Mr Lee said: "University is the best time to try out different things and, for me, I was open to challenges."
Mr Lee and Mr Low were among this year's 2,348 SMU graduates, its largest batch yet. A spokesman said one reason for this was the increased intake for SMU's postgraduate programmes.
Among the postgraduates receiving their degrees were the inaugural batch of 10 from the SMU Warriors Scholarship (SWS) scheme, which aims to ease the transition of retiring SAF personnel into working life outside. Eight new SWS scholarships were given out at an earlier ceremony yesterday.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who was the guest of honour at SMU's commencement ceremony, urged graduates to not stop expanding their horizons.
"Look for mission and purpose in your work, build meaningful relationships in your personal life, and think about 'we', and not just 'me' in giving back to society." | {
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I hope you took a look at my picks last week, because if you did then you hit it big. Rickie Fowler had 130.5 fantasy points and a runner up finish. Lee scored 99 fantasy points tying for 4th with 12 under. Will Wilcox finished tied for 21st, 7 under, and Tiger Woods even came to play shooting an 8 under, tying for 18th. My lock of the week, Ollie Schniederjans, shot a 9 under, tying for 15th. At one point on Friday he was 10 under with a three-stroke lead and I loved every minute of it.
Ricky Barnes was playing well until his 78 on Sunday, resulting with an even score for the tournament. My sleeper, Whee Kim, who was priced at $5,500 tied for 11th, 10 under for the tournament. Erik Compton was my worst pick, and the player I stayed away from, Robert Allenby, missed the cut. Unfortunately I did not pick the winner, Troy Merritt. It was Merritt’s first PGA tournament win, winning by three strokes and finishing 18 under. Golfers now head to LeBron James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio for the World Golf Championships- Bridgestone Invitational.
Editor’s Note: Our Partner DraftKings is hosting another huge tournament on August 13th. The Millionaire Maker has a jaw dropping $1,000,000 prize to first place and $3,300,000 in guarenteed total prizes, and it's only $20 to enter! You can also win a spot in the contest by placing in one of the many satellite tournaments.
If you sign up and make a deposit now, you’ll get a 100% bonus on your first DraftKings deposit. We’ll also give you free access to RotoBaller’s Premium MLB DFS Lineup Picks and Tools (a $29.99 monthly value).
The best gofers will be competing in this tournament: the likes of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, and Zach Johnson. The tournament will be played in Firestone Country Club on the South Course. The course is 7,400 yards long and plays to a par 70. Due to this tournament being part of the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Japan Golf Tour we will get to see the game’s best golfers. Defending champion Rory McIlroy will not be participating due to his ankle injury, but we will still see some pretty great golfers mentioned earlier.
Note: the cheapest players are $7,000, which seems odd. This tournament has a very strict invitation policy, as there are only 77 players in the field, usually half the field in other tournaments. You can read more about the invitation policy here. Another very important thing to note when making your lineup is that there is no cut, meaning every player will play four rounds no matter what. A key stat to remember for this tournament is that Greens in Regulation will play a huge factor in who wins this weekend, so players with a high ranking should be considered.
PGA DFS High-Priced DraftKings Picks ($9,500-$12,500)
Adam Scott ($10,200 Vegas 15-1)
Scott has been playing great as of late, tying for fourth at the U.S. Open and tying for 10th at the British Open, the last tournament he played in. Scott ranks second in GIR, and fourth in driving distance. He won this tournament in 2011, tied for 14th in 2013 and tied for eighth last year. I’d say he’s got a great chance to win this tournament.
Henrik Stenson ($9,900 Vegas 23-1)
Three of the last five winners of this tournament were first or second in ball striking. Stenson ranks number one in that category and fifth in drive accuracy percentage. The last two winners were first and second in GIR. Stenson is number one in that category. He has not had the greatest season to date (tied for 19th at Masters, tied for 27th at U.S. Open and tied for 40th at the British Open). He finished runner up two years ago and last year tied for 19th. He has finished in the top 20 four times in eight tries at this tournament. He is my pick to win.
Quick Hitters
Jordan Spieth ($12,500 Vegas 5-1) will be up there, but it can be risky to choose the favorite when the cheapest player is $7,000.
Dustin Johnson ($10,800 Vegas 27-2) will smoke the ball, but his putting has to improve if he’s got any shot of winning this one.
Rickie Fowler ($10,500 Vegas 14-1) is a good alternative.
PGA DFS Mid-Priced DraftKings Picks ($8,000-$9,400)
Keegan Bradley ($8,800 Vegas 30-1)
The St. John’s product won this tournament in 2012, tied for second a year later, and tied for fourth last year. Throw out the stats on this guy. It's safe to say he will play well again this weekend and possibly improve from his previous results.
Brooks Koepka ($8,400 Vegas 45-1)
Koepka has been stellar in his last four tournaments: tied for 18th at U.S. Open, tied for 22nd at the Scottish Open, and tying for 10th at British Open. He is 14th in GIR, eighth in driving distance, and eighth in total putting. Don’t let him get overshadowed by the bigger named players, as he’s still a great lower price choice.
Paul Casey ($8,000 Vegas 60-1)
Casey hasn’t had the greatest season but finished tied for sixth at the Masters and had a runner up finish at the Travelers. Casey ranks seventh in GIR and sixth in ball striking. Casey has played well here with five top 20 finishes, including tying for fourth in 2006.
PGA DFS Low-Priced DraftKings Picks ($7,000- $7,900)
Danny Lee ($7,700 Vegas 85-1)
Besides getting cut at the British Championship, he had a great July. He opened July with his first PGA Tour win at the Greenbrier, followed that up with a third place tie at the John Deere Classic, and last week tied for fourth at the Quicken Loans National. If you’re looking to shed some salary, look no further than to Lee.
Robert Streb ($7,500 Vegas 10-1)
In Streb’s last outting, he had a nice showing at the British Open, tying for 18th. He’s had seven top 10s including a win earlier in the year at the 2014 McGladery Classic. Streb ranks 10th in GIR, and 29th in total putting.
Graeme McDowell ($7,300 Vegas 225-1)
This man is getting zero respect. He tied for eighth last year, yet he’s priced as one of the cheapest players. I understand he has not been playing well all year, but if you want a player at a great price who could really surprise, he’s your guy.
DFS & Fantasy Golf Chat Room | {
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The National Park Service has withdrawn a proposal to revise permit regulations for First Amendment protests near the White House and on the National Mall, including a proposed rule that would have opened the door to charging protest organizers for certain services.
The feds had raised concerns about growing taxpayer costs, noting that the Occupy DC demonstration in 2012 cost taxpayers about $480,000. Each year, the agency has issued about 750 permits for “First Amendment activities,” The Associated Press reported.
The proposed charges to organizers would have including setting up and taking down barricades, trash removal and repairing harm to the grounds. Critics said charging the organizers would have made it harder for people to exercise their constitutional rights. The proposed rule also would have restricted how much of the sidewalk outside the White House would be accessible to protesters.
The Park Service said in a statement Monday: “In response to more than 140,000 comments received from the public and stakeholders, the National Park Service (NPS) today announced it is withdrawing its August 2018 proposal to revise the First Amendment and Special Use Permit regulations for the National Mall, President’s Park and other national parks in the Washington, D.C. area.”
The Park Service noted that the revisions were devised to maintain the opportunity of protestors to hold special events and right to demonstrate while outlining clear restrictions that would protect the National Mall and President’s Park for visitors.
The statement added: “The National Mall and President’s Park are regarded as premier civic and symbolic spaces in our nation, and the volume and complexity of permit requests has increased dramatically over the years. The intent of the proposed revisions was to maintain the public’s opportunity to hold special events and right to demonstrate while outlining clear parameters that protect the iconic landmarks, views and grounds for use and enjoyment of citizens and visitors from around the globe.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
There have been several large demonstrations on or near the National Mall since President Trump assumed office. The Women’s March in January 2017 brought protesters from throughout the country to Washington, and that has been followed by protests of the president’s actions on climate change and guns, to name a few.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | {
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has surged ahead of the pack in a new Iowa poll, even surpassing former Vice President Joe Biden.
The new CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers shows Warren with 22% of the caucusgoers' support, whereas Biden has just 20%.
Warren is also gaining ground — her numbers have surged ahead by seven percentage points since June, while Biden's have dipped by three.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has been gaining ground in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination and has even surpassed former Vice President Joe Biden, a new CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers shows.
Warren has jumped to 22%, while Biden is polling at 20%, the poll shows. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
Read more: Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are pulling ahead of the Democratic field, but voters don't think they can beat Trump
Strikingly, Warren's poll numbers have surged by seven percentage points since June, while Biden's have dipped by three percentage points.
The next-highest polling Democrats are Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont at 11% and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 9%.
Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden addresses a crowd at a town hall event at Clinton College on August 29, 2019 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Sen. Kamala Harris of California has the backing of 6% of the likely caucusgoers, while both Sens. Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar have the support of 3%.
The businessman Andrew Yang, investor Tom Steyer, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke are each at 2%.
Read more: Trump's rivals for the 2020 Republican nomination are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to name recognition
The poll also surveyed favorability ratings, which showed another surge for Warren — a whopping 75% now have a favorable view of her.
The poll showed that Warren's supporters are generally more enthusiastic than Biden's, with 32% of her supporters being "extremely enthusiastic" and just 22% for Biden. | {
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Judge suggests sonogram law to be upheld
AUSTIN - U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks did not make a final ruling in a controversial sonogram case Friday, but suggested his hands are tied and he likely will allow the law to stay in effect.
A three-judge appeals panel last week reversed Sparks' earlier decision to temporarily stop the law on grounds that it violated First Amendment rights and was unconstitutionally vague. The appeals judges emphasized that parties suing the state likely would not win.
"I don't know what you want me to do. You just can't ride a horse that's been buried," Sparks told Julie Rikelman, a senior staff lawyer for the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is contesting the law.
The organization plans to ask the entire 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the case. Sparks doubted the court would agree to do so.
"What authority other than a Scottish-Irish temper would I have to reverse the (appeals panel) other than to feel good?" Sparks asked.
The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the bill last year requiring physicians to provide a sonogram before performing an abortion. A woman seeking an abortion has options to view the sonogram images and to hear the fetal heartbeat. She also is required to hear the medical explanation of the sonogram at least 24 hours before the procedure.
Supporters of the law believe it will help reduce abortions in Texas, which currently number nearly 80,000 per year.
Jennifer Martinez of San Antonio, a member of Operation Outcry, attended the hearing and supports the sonogram law.
"Women still have a legal right to choose an abortion, but they would be doing it with more information," she said. "Giving women information about their babies and then having that information, they can choose to either save the life of their unborn child or they can choose to abort."
But Rikelman, the lawyer for the group fighting the law, told the judge it would "force doctors to violate medical ethics" and "leaves no room at all for physician judgment."
Rikelman told Sparks he could establish a factual record that the law does not represent a reasonable regulation of medicine.
But Sparks appeared resigned to the appellate decision, which said the state's "interest in respect for life is advanced by the dialogue that better informs the political and legal systems, the medical profession, expectant mothers, and society as a whole of the consequences that follow from a decision to elect a late-term abortion."
"I have to wait sometimes a year for an opinion from the 5th Circuit. This one came within a week," Sparks said. "They made this statute totally enforceable, I suspect, just to prevent this court from acting. That's what it is."
Mayela Banks, of Lampasas, also attended the hearing because her abortion 28 years ago has turned her into an opponent of the procedure.
"I am very happy that women of Texas will have an opportunity to see their children before making such a life-altering decision," Banks said. "I never had the opportunity to ask questions before I aborted my only child."
[email protected] | {
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Marzini Clinic
Naturopath in Gold Coast, QUEENSLAND
Conveniently located in the beautiful hinterland of the Gold Coast, the Marzini Clinic was founded in Australia in 1985.
Dr Marzini’s Naturopathic Clinic, utilizes the latest drug free methods and techniques for treating all Musculoskeletal Pain, Digestive Disorders, Natural Cancer Support, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Naturopathy, to treatments in Natural Aesthetic Medicine and Cosmetology (Skin Needling and Bristle Tip Microdermabrasion). We pride yourself on the quality of our work and are happy to accommodate your needs.
We continuously attend further education courses, research new equipment, work closely with many overseas hospitals and treatment centers, to ensure cutting edge technology, techniques and knowledge are implemented, recommended and supported with our treatment protocols.
We are the Australian Agent for Beijing Tiantan Puhua International Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre. With more than ten years of experience, it is one of the oldest Stem Cell Treatment and well known Cancer Centres in the world. We provide advice and work in close liaison with the hospital and its patients.
Note: The clinic embraces natural medicine as a whole and does not utilize drugs or chemical substances of any kind, nor do we cure or treat any conditions in an orthodox sense. | {
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This is a guest post by Andrew Criscione who co-organizes the Mises Group in Boston, Ma. He hosted Jeffrey Tucker for a dinner with the Mises Group members and shared the experience.
The Boston Austrian Economics Group held the event “Bitcoin and Bowties” featuring Jeffrey Tucker, CEO of Liberty.me and publisher of Laissez Faire Books. Tucker is an influential Austrian economist, author, and former editor for the foremost repository of Austrian thought, Mises.org. Austrian economics is a school that holds much weight in the libertarian and crypto-anarchist circles so intertwined with bitcoin cliques, and like all schools of economics it has recently faced the challenge of consistently incorporating bitcoin into its theory.
Jeff talked in-depth about advanced Austrian postulates, and he addressed head-on the extremely negative stances that many self-proclaimed Austrians have taken on bitcoin using Austrian economics as their basis. Pop Austrian economics was the subject of much criticism, with special attention paid to claims that Austrian economics requires money be a physical commodity, and especially the fallacy that money must have “intrinsic value”.
Tucker didn’t challenge the foundations of Austrian economics, but he ended the evening with a call for Austrians to revisit some of their preconceptions. If Satoshi Nakamoto had studied pop Austrian economics, Tucker added in a more-controversial quip, he may never have even invented bitcoin. A common misinterpretation of the Austrian Regression Theorem, wherein money must be a physical commodity, is to blame. Tucker admitted that he himself never thought non-physical money could arise. He described a bitcoin as a non-physical commodity, a stake in a powerful and extremely useful protocol, a set of information that for practical purposes is scarce and thus obtains a price on the market.
A notable topic of discussion was the concept that crypto-currencies makes money substitutes obsolete, and without banknotes and ledgers based on trust, there cannot be any fractional reserve banking. Thus clear property relationships in money can be restored, and the Austrian debate between free banking and full-reserve banking becomes irrelevant in a world of crypto-currencies.
Tucker also questioned the relevance of traditional Austrian definitions of inflation, noting that there is no single Austrian definition, and pointing out that the premier Austrian economist, Ludwig von Mises, didn’t even have a uniform definition, changing wordings between his two foundational Austrian works The Theory of Money and Credit and Human Action.
Austrians have historically labeled gold mining as non-inflationary. Crypto-currency mining acts economically similar to gold mining, so if gold mining isn’t inflationary, neither is crypto-currency mining. But if crypto-currency mining is not inflationary, then we cannot say things like “Dogecoin is more inflationary than bitcoin”. Such terminology is extremely useful, though, as Tucker points out. Using “more inflationary” to describe a currency that is a lesser store of value is something mainstream economists have been doing for decades, but which the Austrians have traditionally scorned. Perhaps, Tucker opines, the mainstream language is best suited to describe crypto-currencies, out of practicality if nothing else.
The event was hosted at Jamie’s Restaurant in North Andover, Massachusetts, in a former factory at the center of what was the Silicon Valley of the 19th century. The mechanical capital invested in this region created enough wealth for hundreds of thousands if not millions of human lives that could only be sustained in the industrialized society it brought about, and these machines were on display in a museum attached to the restaurant. Tucker held a touching recognition service of sorts by the machinery. He implored us all to give thanks to the workers whose hard labor produced the necessities of life we take for granted, and he praised the buildup of capital, the tools workers need to produce.
Tucker remarked during the event how “deflationary” currencies such as bitcoin incentivize saving. Saving is the absence of consumption, and it frees up resources for investment which would otherwise be consumed. This sacrifice of consumption in order to pay for investment and production is the fuel of a first-world society: All wealth and material comfort comes into being through it. The wealth seen in that museum grew on a monetary system based in gold, another “deflationary” currency.
Austrian economics may have hit an intermission as it struggled to describe bitcoin. In the past, Austrians were at home in the world that museum represented, a world where physical money reigned supreme and investment could be seen in physical form. But due to the work of prominent Austrians like Tucker (and notably Konrad Graf, whose work Tucker recognized), Austrian economics is ready for Act II, set in a world of non-physical money and non-physical commodities in general. Free enterprise is ready to take the stage. | {
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This email has also been verified by Google DKIM 2048-bit RSA key
Daily Media Report 7.6.15
From:[email protected] To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Date: 2015-07-06 20:44 Subject: Daily Media Report 7.6.15
*National: * -- Report on how the GOP is running into problems with social issues; panel with Bob Shrum and Jess McIntosh; shifts into conversation about how this influences HRC; Shrum said HRC was clearly on the right side of social issues, listed immigration and women’s rights; Shrum said Democrats would be united in 2016 because there was a lot on the line including SCOTUS. MSNBC’s The Ed Show <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=42938693-7497-4fea-8bfb-044fe93f584d> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Bob Shrum on HRC on the right side social issues.mp4 -- Discussion about HFA putting up a rope line between HRC and reporters; Greg Gutfeld said HRC doesn’t like borders unless their around reporters; Gutfeld said HRC is boxing the press in with their own progressive assumptions; Juan Williams said the rope line played into the GOP narrative by making it seem like a coronation; shifted into report about HRC’s first interview going to a CNN reporter who attended one of HRC’s aide’s weddings a few weeks ago; Gutfeld defended the choice, said many people attend liberal and conservative weddings; interviewed Katie Pavlich; Pavlich said it was embarrassing for the press that the press agreed to walk behind a rope; Gutfeld said this story was about the press not about HRC; Eric Bolling and Kimberly Guilfoyle brought up the press chasing after the Scooby van; Pavlich said she doesn’t feel bad when the press complains now because they walked in a row backwards; Williams said it was very common for press to be herded; showed footage of Jen Palmieri on MSNBC’s Morning Joe explaining why HFA used the rope; Williams said he thought Palmieri made a mistake with the rope; Bolling said Palmieri admitted as much; the hosts discussed HRC’s “granting” of interviews like royalty; Pavlich noted that Brianna Keilar wouldn’t admit her bias for going to a Clinton aide’s wedding. Fox News’ Outnumbered <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=ab5e3b34-89be-4dda-9446-77cdd3370aca> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Fox News The Five HRC July 4 rope line parade 1.mp4 Fox News’ Outnumbered <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=90816c4c-cb40-4ef2-bc7f-26addc9f5255> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Fox News The Five HRC July 4 rope line parade 2.mp4 -- Report on Sanders Commenting on HRC’s Congressional Ties: Thomas Roberts reported about Sanders gaining enthusiastic crowds of supporters but still not being able to gain the support of many democrats that support HRC. Roberts showed a clip of Sanders claiming that HRC has ties with many members of Congress. Sanders commented on how many groups of Americans, such as the elderly and working people are moving towards Sanders’ direction because they want a candidate that is willing to take on the establishment. Frances Rivera asked whether or not Bernie Sanders was a real threat to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid. Democrats, mostly, claimed that Sanders is not a threat. Sixty-nine percent of respondents claimed that Sanders is a force that could potentially cause issues for HRC.MSNBC’s MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=726bfb99-b097-4ea6-babf-dc3529a50954> . 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC establishment ties.mp4 -- Report on HRC and Press in New Hampshire: Gretchen Carlson claimed that HRC’s campaign sparked an uproar in New Hampshire by moving the press and news media through ropes and suppressing them from being too close to HRC. Carlson showed a clip of Jennifer Palmieri’s interview on Morning Joe. Palmieri stated that HRC’s campaign allows for as much interaction with press as possible, but that press interaction cannot get in the way of HRC being able to campaign. Palmieri claimed that the press is not as important as they think they are for a political campaign. Richard Fowler claimed that the rope line used by HRC is too much. Richard claimed that Palmieri makes a good point by claiming that a division between the press is needed to talk to voters. Mercedes Colwin claimed that HRC has only had about 6 interview since January. Mercedes Colwin claimed that the press is necessary to connect with voters. Carlson said that HRC’s team has made it a point to make herself more available through national television. Fox News’ The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=9d1df48b-8464-4567-bfaa-367b72eae36b> . 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC rope line.mp4 -- Report on HRC’s use of Ropes During Fourth of July Parade: Alix Steel commented on HRC’s use of a rope line to prevent press from getting too close. Mark Halperin claimed that HRC’s campaign did this purely for logistical reasons. Halperin claimed that the rope line is only getting so much publicity because it is HRC that is the one using the rope line. Halperin claimed that HRC is now attempting to do national television interviews. Scarlet Fu claimed that if the rope line incident were to have happened four years ago, it would not have been that big of an issue. The only reason it is now, according to Fu, is because of social media. Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Markets <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=4e0c2bd9-346b-4e7b-806d-794e3695e48d> . 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC using rope line logisitical.mp4 -- Report on HRC and ISIS: Eugene Robinson claimed that HRC was a bit more hawkish than President Obama when she was in the administration. HRC favored more arms and training for the moderate Syrian rebels. HRC has been incredibly cautious, and she does not want to have a plan put forward, according to Eugene Robinson. MSNBC’s Now with Alex Wagner <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=b52415fb-d41f-436d-8cc9-7b447a3d4514> . 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National HRC ISIS.mp4 -- Report that HRC used a rope line to keep members of the press at bay in New Hampshire; Thomas Roberts said maybe HRC would like something similar to keep Bernie Sanders at bay because he’s getting closer in the polls; showed footage of Jen Palmieri on Morning Joe talking about HRC’s communications strategy; interviewed Alex Seitz-Wald; Seitz-Wald said HRC talking to national reporters now was a “natural progression” of HRC’s strategy; Seitz-Wald noted that the rope line issue wasn’t an issue in-and-of itself – noted other candidates had done this – but that it became a major controversy when journalists didn’t get a chance to talk to HRC; Seitz-Wald said he understood the need for distance because HRC wanted to be with voters without 20 cameras around her, said reporters will take every opportunity they can get if HRC didn’t give them other opportunities; Thomas Roberts noted it’s hard for viewers to feel bad for media not having access. MSNBC’s Live With Thomas Roberts <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=5d424335-e500-4be5-9b16-f90512b49ee0> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Alex Seitz Wald defended HRCs July 4 rope line.mp4 -- Brianna Keilar reported that she would have the first national interview with HRC; panel with Gloria Borger and Jeff Zeleny; Keilar noted Bernie Sanders is rising in the polls, questioned whether this was why HRC was starting to do interviews; Borger said this was part of HFA’s plan, said doing interviews would be useful for HRC; Borger said HRC would probably bring up Donald Trump and talk about the differences between Republicans and herself and maybe bring up Sanders; Zeleny said HRC knew she had to come out of the bubble wrap and talk to reporters; read a quote Jen Palmieri gave to The Atlantic about sacrificing coverage; Borger said it made HRC look not relatable; Borger said HRC’s interview was an opportunity for HRC to be the serious adult in the room compared to Republicans who were dealing with Donald Trump. CNN’s Wolf <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=1039534b-0685-40a8-beac-36b27227b3cf> , 2015 07 06, Hillary Clinton Clips, National, Brianna Keilar announces first interview with HRC.mp4 -- Report on HRC starting to make herself available to the media despite concerns from HFA about possible missteps; read Jen Palmieri’s quote that HRC was “all onboard”; shifted into report that HRC hid reporters behind a rope during the July 4th parade; Kennedy predicted HRC’s first interview would be with Andrea Mitchell or Ellen Degeneres; Andrea Tantaros said reporters have to cover HRC, said they can’t just give up covering her even if there’s nothing to cover; Tantaros said if HRC gives even some access that the bar is set so low she’ll seem more transparent. Fox News’ Outnumbered <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=e0a8fee1-5fc4-4b74-b6f2-b2df49a7cf0b> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Outnumbered on HRCs first national interview.mp4 -- Report that reporters were upset about HRC’s use of a rope in New Hampshire; reported many people noted the visuals were poor for HRC; reported that HRC was about to be more available to national media; interviewed Mark Murray; Murray said the press always expected to be able to speak with HRC eventually, said the press knew this stage was coming; Murray said the July 4thparade was all about optics, said roping the reporters was an error – not a deadly error – that highlighted the challenges HRC had with the press corps; read quote by Jennifer Horn criticizing HRC, Murray said GOP would pounce on the rope line. MSNBC’s News Nation <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=686b5ef2-a402-421e-b854-f0617860858d> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Mark Murray on HRCs use of July 4 parade rope line.mp4 -- Report that HRC would start to give national interviews in the next week; showed footage of HFA roping off reporters at a July 4 parade; showed footage of Chris Christie on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom; panel with Alan Colmes and Tammy Bruce; Bruce noted that the media complied with the rope line like sheep; Colmes said it was terrible optics for HFA, said one of the reasons Bernie Sanders was doing well was because he was open and transparent; Colmes said candidates did not need the media right now; Colmes said HRC didn’t need the media like Republicans trying to break through needed the media; Bruce said HRC was trying to keep . Fox News’ Happening Now <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=ffa61989-db37-4d89-a01b-5d4e5855b747> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Alan Colmes Tammy Bruce on HRC July 4 rope line.mp4 -- Report that illegal immigrant confessed to shooting woman in San Francisco; panel with Jehmu Greene and Deneen Borelli; Borelli brought up that HRC and other Democrats support sanctuary cities. Fox News’ America’s Newsroom <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=53b2952f-cfce-4509-a8f8-83de54b6242e> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, San Francisco shooting HRC santuary city cities.mp4 -- Report that HRC roped off media in New Hampshire; Ana Cabrera (guest host) said this fit into the dialogue that HFA; panel with Sally Kohn and Ron Christie; Kohn said the optics were awful, said this was a step too far; Kohn said she was not a big fan of HFA and HRC, said HRC was her own worst enemy; Cabrera reported HFA said it was to make sure voters could see HRC; Christie said the rope line made HRC looked detached. CNN’s CNN Newsroom With Carol Costello <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=addd919a-2cbb-4aba-87cd-846bb1852f34> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Sally Kohn Ron Christie on HRC rope July 4 parade.mp4 -- Brief report that HRC would grant national press interviews within the next week; mentioned that HRC got a lot of heat for roping off press access during the July 4th parade. MSNBC’s The Rundown With Jose Diaz-Balart <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=74ea2a0d-4105-49c9-bd85-912019452033> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC to give national interviews and July 4 rope.mp4 -- Report that reporters were held away from HRC by a rope; interviewed Brit Hume; Hume said he’d not seen anything like it in his career; Hume then defended HFA, said there were problems in the past particularly in New Hampshire of media totally surrounding candidates (he describes all of the camera people and microphones) and rendering the candidate invisible to people watching the parade; Hume said the problem was it looked bad; Hume disputed Bill Hemmer’s question about whether reporters should have ignored the guidelines. Fox News’ America’s Newsroom <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=a8b55195-b374-482a-979b-bff01afb6188> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Brit Hume on HRCs use of rope during July 4 parade.mp4 -- Report that HFA “literally penned the media” while HRC marched in a July 4th parade; interviewed Marc Thiessen; showed HRC’s remarks from the Toner Prize celebration in March when she talked about having a new relationship with the press; Thiessen said he’d never seen a campaign literally herd the press; Thiessen said the worst part was that the press went along with it, said the press should have gotten out of the rope line; Thiessen said the optics of HRC here were terrible, mentioned the WaPo timer of how long it’s been since HRC spoke to a member of the press; Thiessen said HFA doesn’t want the press to overhear HRC talking to ordinary Americans; Thiessen said HRC’s team vets all of the people with whom she comes into contact. Fox News’ America’s Newsroom <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=53ee617d-827c-4729-b716-f586ea9f4d0c> ,2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Marc Thiessen on HRCs rope line for July 4 parade.mp4 -- Report on San Francisco releasing immigrant who murdered woman over the weekend; reported that HRC and Sanders voted for sanctuary cities; shifted into report about HRC roping off reporters during the July 4th parade; (some solid puns here Brian – “stringing along reporters” “maybe she thought they were actual stringer reporters”); interviewed Bret Baier; Steve Doocy asked why reporters would agree to be roped off; Baier said reporters agreed so they could have access; Doocy said HRC never talks to the press. Fox News’ Fox & Friends <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=17918a11-94ed-4562-8584-2cb894ccd10c> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Fox and Friends on HRC July 4 parade rope press.mp4 -- Focus group with South Carolina voters led by Alisyn Camerota; one woman said she did not trust HRC because she was “caught with so many issues”; two men said HRC would be a strong leader; one man said HRC was looking out for he own interest; one man said men had messed up the country enough and it was time to give a woman a chance; one man said he liked Sanders but would support HRC if she was the nominee. CNN’s New Day <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=e724ddb0-7b7c-4a8c-af50-d2095953dc72> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, CNNs Alisyn Camerota SC focus group.mp4 -- Report that HRC put up a rope line for the reporters during the July 4th parade; panel with John Avalon and Margaret Hoover; Avalon said this was a sign that HFA was “my way or the highway”; Avalon said if you treat the press corps with contempt that you’re going to get contempt back; Alisyn Camerota said HRC had the reporters literally on rope leash; Hoover said the HRC 2016 campaign was supposed to be a relaunch with the press but roping off the press was right out of the 1990s. CNN’s New Day <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=377a50bd-d7a5-4276-bd5b-51ae189928ab> , 2015 07 06 Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, CNNs New Day on HRC roping reporters July 4 parade.mp4 *States: * *Iowa:* --Report on HRC in Iowa: Reporters claim that HRC will be in Iowa, and that she possess an 18 point lead over Bernie Sanders. KFXA-IOW(FOX)’s FOX 28 Morning Live, Iowa City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=aa885603-7e7c-444c-8491-fc5efd28715d> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC leading Iowa.mp4 --Report on HRC in Iowa City. HRC will be in Iowa City tomorrow morning and will attend a house party in Ottumwa.KCRG-IOW(ABC)’s TV9 Morning News, Iowa City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=38ef2fb5-0427-4d03-8bed-6fbca1d8b8c7> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC in Iowa events.mp4 --Report on HRC on Homosexual HONY post: HRC comments on a young homosexual boys’ picture claim that his future will be amazing. KTVO-DT2, CBS’ Morning News, Ottumwa (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=a0a74d55-be35-4757-b7be-48756c684501> 2015.06.07., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC HONY.mp4 --Report on HRC in Iowa: Reporters claim that HRC will be in Iowa this week. Reporters comment on Sanders narrowing gap between himself and HRC in the polls. KGAN-IOW(CBS)’s CBS2 This Morning, Iowa City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=e5fcdd9e-3326-460f-8472-4e27430d8d4f> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC in Iowa narrows Sanders.mp4 *New Hampshire:* --Report on HRC getting criticism during parade: Reporters claim that HRC received criticism for her Benghazi emails. The campaign used ropes to protect HRC from reporters. Campaign officials claimed that the ropes were necessary in order to allow HRC to speak to voters. Republicans claim that this incident was just another example of Democrats ducking questions. WFXT-BOS(FOX)’s Fox 25 Morning News, Boston (MA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=a11de6a7-792e-43c3-879e-dbf99c457b4d> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC ropes.mp4 *Nevada:* --Report on HRC getting specific on issues: Reporters claim that HRC was specific on how she wants to be a small business president. KLAS-LV(CBS)’s 8 News Now at 4 am, Las Vegas (NV). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=b5bc431e-1b4c-401e-a1c5-3fd64f848817> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC small business.mp4 *South Carolina:* --Report on HRC in New Hampshire: Reporters claim that HRC was specific on issues in New Hampshire when she spoke to crowds of voters. Reporters claim that HRC wants to be the small business president. Reporters claim that HRC has seen her lead in New Hampshire shrink in recent polls. WTAT-CHS(FOX)’s Morning News at 7, Charleston (SC). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=895f6970-02c0-4197-86cc-f1f6160e24f7> 2015.06.07., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC voters New Hampshire.mp4 *Bernie Sanders: * --Report on Bernie Sanders and issues: Reporters claim that Sanders told crowds in New Hampshire that he is about fighting for working people. Reporters claim that the polls have shown Sanders’ closing the gap on HRC for the early states. WTAT-CHS(FOX)’s Morning News at 7, Charleston (SC). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=8a665208-dfa3-4d8b-a570-3ffdd95057fe> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC Sanders working people.mp4 --Report on Sanders on HRC: Sanders claims that it is not surprising that HRC is in the lead. However, he claims that it is interesting to see how there are many Americans that are moving towards his campaign. Sanders claims that ordinary people, working people, elderly people want Sanders to take on the establishment. WMBF(NBC)’s WMBF News Today at 6:30 am, Myrtle Beach (SC). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=0f16e283-c973-4ac2-b06a-9e7b1ba54b96> Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, HRC Sanders Americans.mp4 --Report on Sanders in Iowa: Sanders has shrunk by 26 points the lead of HRC. Sanders had hundreds of supporters in Iowa surrounding him. Sanders claimed that he is a big believer in door to door campaigns. In New Hampshire polls, he is just 8 points from taking the lead. Reporters claim that he would suffer most in the financial realm. Dudley Dudley endorses Sanders. Dudley claims that she was impressed by Sanders style and hi focus on money and politics. KCAU(ABC)’s ABC9 News This Morning at 6, Sioux City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=5864186a-cf89-4815-8211-e1211a612430> 2015.07.06., Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders crowds endorsement.mp4 --Report on Sanders and working class people: Sanders tells reporters that he has always fought on behalf of working class families and against Wall Street. KMEG(CBS)’s Siouxland News at 10, Sioux City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=26659b7f-7e60-4f0d-9d7e-2df8a3f05112> 2015.07.06., Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders Wall Street.mp4 --Report on Sanders and Greece: Sanders commented on the Greek vote by saying that Europe must support Greece’s effort to build an economy that will lead to job creation, higher income, and less unemployment. Fox Business Network’s Varney and Company. <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=fd222a32-dccd-429c-87af-0a4c4874b83a> 2015.07.06, Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders on Greece.mp4 --Report on Sanders and tax rates: Sanders claims that he would raise taxes on certain incomes so that the tax money could be used for making education free and to create more jobs. Headline News’ Morning Express with Robin Meade, 2015.07.06., Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders on tax rates.mp4 <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=1b159b9f-f2dd-479d-859b-5c84b8212f7e> --Report on Sanders as a socialist: Reporters claim that Sanders is incredibly radical in his issue areas, but for some reason he appeals to the American public. Fox Business Network’s Varney and Company. <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=98795c1d-79b6-4df5-a5eb-22dca10a0933> 2015.07.06., Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders radical.mp4 --Report on Sanders in New Hampshire: Reporters claim that voters want to know why Sanders is gaining in New Hampshire, and what HRC has to say about not being as strong of a front runner as she was expected to be. Fox News’ America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer-Martha MacCallum. <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=8dfb70b1-27e9-470f-984b-685cf778b730> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton; Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders HRC compete.mp4 --Report on Sanders as an Independent: Reporters claim that Sanders is going to have difficulty running in places where he comes off as a socialist and Independent. Reporters claim that Sanders will be unable to run as an alternative to HRC because he is not truly a Democrat. Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria Bartiromo. <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=8ee69e23-5277-4041-921b-e287e8d05a1c> 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton; Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders independent.mp4 --Report on Clinton campaign and Sanders: Campaign officials claim that Sanders is a concern for the Clinton campaign. MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 2015.06.07., Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders HRC campaign.mp4 <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=1c13fccb-19a7-4bbf-b526-b07dd695a4ea> --Report on Sanders drawing crowds: Bernie Sanders drew the largest crowd in Iowa over this weekend, according to reporters. MSNBC’s Morning Joe <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=cad355d7-f43a-4574-b95b-190bf3602607> , 2015.07.06., Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, Sanders crowds.mp4 --Report on Sanders over HRC: Sanders has claimed that he is the longest standing Independent senator that has ever served in Congress. Sanders claims that HRC has networks and ties that are much stronger. However, he believes that there are Americans who want to see a new, promising candidate, but that the public should not be surprised that the establishment is for HRC and not Sanders. Fox News’ Fox and Friends First <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=664160db-f49a-4ec8-9c95-674d9fb79112> , 2015.07.06., Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, HRC Sanders establishment.mp4 --Report on Sanders gaining ground on HRC: Reporters claim that Sanders is narrowing the gap on HRC, and that HRC’s campaign director claims that the campaign does view Sanders as competition. Reporters showcase Jennifer Palmieri’s clip from Morning Joe. Reporters asked whether or not Bernie Sanders is a real threat to HRC’s 2016 bid. Overall, 69% of voters claimed that Sanders is a threat to HRC. MSNBC’s Live with Thomas Roberts <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=6f000b6d-6af9-4df9-a47f-c45b3a8843f3>. 2015.06.07., Hillary Clinton; Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, HRC Palmieri Sanders.mp4 --Report on Sanders as a Threat: John Dickerson comments on Sanders drawing in big crowds. Fernando Espuelas states that Sanders is appealing to the constituency that is disillusioned by HRC. Mike Allen claims that HRC is not threatened by Sanders. HRC will begin to place an emphasis on more progressive policies so many of Sanders followers may come back to HRC, according to Allen. CBS’s Face the Nation <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=24e9a22e-3baf-413a-8879-fb5e6408d297>. 2015.06.05., Bernie Sanders; Hillary Clinton, Clips, National, HRC Sanders threat.mp4 --Report on Sanders’ policies: Amy Klobouchar claims that Sanders speaks with authenticity. Klobouchar claims that Sanders and HRC are similar in many policy aspects such as economics, helping the middle class, education, and higher education. CBS’s Face the Nation <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=2a716a40-0e77-44f1-80e2-0571695132f9>. 2015.05.07., Hillary Clinton; Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, HRC Sanders parallels.mp4 --Report on Sanders over HRC: Anne Gearan claims that Sanders is drawing in much larger crowds than expected. Bill Kristol claims that sanders has more individual donors than Barack Obama had in 2007. ABC’s This Week <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=9678cb62-552d-4d92-9eec-a348d531349e>. 2015.07.05., Hillary Clinton; Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, HRC Sanders donors.mp4 --Report on Sanders as a Democrat: Reporters claim that Sanders is an ideal protest candidate for HRC. Reporters claim that Sanders is aiming to get candidates rallied up, and make candidates question HRC’s policy issues. Reporters claim that there is a constituency of White liberals that blame Obama for not speaking to income inequality. This group is leaning more towards Bernie Sanders than they are to HRC. CNN’s Inside Politics. <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=32f5f2f7-6645-4d87-9129-a3b5cba3f12b> 2015.07.05., Bernie Sanders, Clips, National, Sanders on constituencies.mp4 *Martin O'Malley:* --Report on MOM and Climate Change: MOM claims that climate change is the greatest business opportunity to come to America in years. MOM was an Independence and Ankeny this past weekend speaking about climate change.KCAU(ABC)’s ABC9 News This Morning at 6, Sioux City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=a58e94e6-b139-454e-8a47-49f7f4127fc5> 2015.06.07., Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM climate change business.mp4 --Report on MOM in Iowa: MOM met with voters during his three day tour. WQAD-DAV(ABC)’s Good Morning Quad Cities, Davenport (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=f3611bee-d884-43a2-b29c-4aca606b97df> 2015.07.06., Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM tours Iowa.mp4 --Report on MOM in Iowa as a contender: Reporters claim that MOM in Iowa could have lost his moment as a potential contender because he is not spending time in Iowa. Other reporters claim that MOM could win in Iowa if he makes a stronger showing in Iowa, and that many Iowa voters could sway in his direction. Reporters claim that Sanders will most likely beat MOM as HRC’s alternative. WHO-DM(NBC)’s Today in Iowa Sunday, Des Moines (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=789d2046-2e8b-46e7-9365-8aced0f9d79c>2015.07.05., Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM Sanders Iowa.mp4 --Report on MOM in Iowa: Reporters claim that MOM stated that his record as governor could be translated to the White House. He also spoke about a detailed plan for climate change. He calls for the U.S. to move for clean energy in 35 years. KCAU(ABC)’s This Week in Siouxland, Sioux City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=4149fe21-907f-42aa-a955-fa512250dc8c> 2015.07.05., Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM in Iowa Climate Change.mp4 --Report on MOM in Iowa: MOM claims that people want new leaders and that they need new leaders to get things done. MOM touches on social security, stabilizing the economy, and climate change programs. Voters claim that MOM could be a possible contender. WHO-DM(NBC)’s Channel 13 News at 10., Des Moines (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=1c901835-5fd0-4464-aca5-ded834897ad8> Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM issues.mp4 --Report on MOM in Iowa: Reporters claim that MOM spoke about economic issues and Wall Street during his 10 stop tour in Iowa. KCRG-IOW(ABC)’s KCRG TV9 Saturday Morning News, Iowa City (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=e3c880ec-7bd5-4a5a-987c-5344ce19a350> 2015.07.06., Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM campaigning Iowa.mp4 --Report on MOM on jobs: MOM claimed that we must raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour. MOM claims that people want an alternative to HRC. O’Malley only has 3% support according to the Quinnipiac poll. KCCI-DM(CBS)’s Des Moines, IA. KCCI 8 News This Morning, Des Moines (IA). <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=a8564da0-a404-4caa-b97d-856ea74cb7c3> 2015.06.07., Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM jobs.mp4 --Report on MOM as Democrat: Reporters claim that MOM is the only Democratic presidential candidate that has declared himself as a Democrat, other than HRC, for his entire career. MSNBC’s Meet the Press <http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=eb6f761a-f73c-4870-8da7-66e4d12f89ca>. 2015.06.07., Martin O’Malley, Clips, National, MOM democrat.mp4 | {
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DeepMind’s AI learned to play StarCraft. Next, Tesla’s AI will try to learn to drive.
Scaling up machine learning with massive training datasets
AlphaStar, a new AI from Google‘s DeepMind, has learned to play StarCraft II. AlphaStar defeated MaNa – one of the top professional StarCraft players in the world – in five consecutive games in December. It remains an open question whether AlphaStar won through sheer mechanical superiority – the speed and precision of its clicks and keystrokes – rather than good strategy and tactics. MaNa defeated a new version AlphaStar in a live match in January. The new version was deprived of an unfair advantage: the ability to see the entire game map at the same time.
Some StarCraft fans have complained that, despite DeepMind’s assurances, AlphaStar is able to execute a superhuman number of clicks and keystrokes. With precise enough unit control, it’s possible to have absurd, godlike power in StarCraft. MaNa already won when one unfair advantage was removed. If the mechanical aspects of AlphaStar were truly limited to human levels, its competitive strength against humans might falter. Hopefully DeepMind will put this to the test.
No matter how that shakes out, I think it’s safe to say that AlphaStar is genuinely compelling because it has learned some intelligent behaviours. Some of these are simple: if a group of units is moving across the map and one unit trails behind, AlphaStar will send the group back to collect the straggler. There is safety in numbers, and this is a habit human players pick up. Some behaviours are advanced: AlphaStar expends extra resources to create more workers than can be put to use mining. This might seem wasteful, but the backup workers allow AlphaStar to maintain the maximum mining rate after its base is attacked and workers are killed. According to one analysis I’ve seen, the extra productivity following an attack more than outweighs the cost of the backup workers. It seems like AlphaStar may have discovered a new, better strategy that until now has escaped even professional human players.
Even where AlphaStar has an unfair advantage against human players, what it has learned is still impressive. It deftly moves units in and out of the line of fire to avoid attacks while dealing damage. The fact that it knows that it should do this, and it knows how to do it is remarkable. To me, this feels analogous to some of the robotics challenges that engineers are trying to solve today. A self-driving car needs to keep a safe distance away from other road users, while still being aggressive enough to push around a car that’s parallel parking, or a truck that’s unloading in the middle of the street. That’s the same sort of task AlphaStar has learned: keep away when it’s dangerous, press ahead when it’s safe.
AlphaStar learned to play in two stages that used two different machine learning techniques.
Stage 1: Imitation learning
Blizzard, the company that makes StarCraft, has released millions of anonymized human-played games for use in AI research. This allowed DeepMind to use a technique called supervised imitation learning (one of a family of techniques that fall under the umbrella of imitation learning). Supervised imitation learning attempts to predict actions from states. In StarCraft, a state would be everything that AlphaStar knows or perceives about the current match at any given moment. An action would be anything it does in the game. After observing a huge number of state-action pairs in those millions of games played by humans, it tries to predict what a human would do and does that.
Supervised imitation learning is just the application of supervised learning, by far the most popular machine learning technique, to the problem of imitating human behaviour. A typical application of supervised learning is image recognition. It goes like this:
Pay humans to label 1 million photos of various objects with labels like “tree”, “pickle”, “doll”, “key”, etc. Train a neural network – a network of artificial neurons – on the set of 1 million labelled images. The network learns to predict labels like “pickle” and “doll” from images of pickles and dolls (if there are enough good examples of each object type). When you show the neural network new images of pickles and dolls that it hasn’t seen before, it can guess the correct label over 80% of the time.
Supervised imitation learning applies this same approach to states and actions, rather than images and labels. One way to think of it is that a human StarCraft player “labels” each state with the correct action.
After using just supervised imitation learning, DeepMind estimates that AlphaStar was at the level of a human player in StarCraft’s Gold or Platinum league. That would put AlphaStar at roughly median human performance: somewhere above the bottom 30% of players, but somewhere below the top 30%. This is an impressive proof of concept for imitation learning.
I wonder if now more companies are going to start using imitation learning. Amazon holds a robotics contest every year where the challenge is to get a robot arm to move sundry objects from one box to another. With a big enough research budget, a company like Amazon could pay thousands of people to control robot arms and thereby create a dataset for imitation learning.
Stage 2: Reinforcement learning
Reinforcement learning is trial and error. An AI or “agent” takes a random action, and tries to determine its effect on its reward (i.e. its score in a points system devised by human engineers). For instance, an agent might observe the correlation (over a large number of trials) between taking a certain action and winning a game of StarCraft – or sub-goals that engineers have defined, like increasing resources or avoiding damage.
Reinforcement learning is analogous to the Darwinian evolutionary process of random mutation and natural selection. Given enough exploration of possibility space – following paths of incremental improvement – remarkable things can evolve.
After being trained with imitation learning, DeepMind trained AlphaStar with a form of reinforcement learning called “self-play”. AlphaStar entered into an epic 200-year StarCraft tournament with 300 different versions of itself. The 300 AlphaStars played for a combined 60,000 years. The final form of AlphaStar that played against MaNa is an amalgam of all the AlphaStars from the tournament, a single agent that combines their strengths.
Imitation learning followed by reinforcement learning is a one-two punch I suspect we could see a lot of in the future. If you can use imitation learning to get an AI to a decent level of performance, you cut down on the amount of random exploration that has to be done. With an activity like StarCraft, where the space of possible of actions is astronomical, and where complex sequences of actions are required (e.g. make workers to get resources to make buildings to make combat units to attack the opponent), imitation learning can create a starting point that might require a prohibitive amount of computation to get to with random exploration.
The AlphaStar approach to self-driving cars
AlphaStar raises a big question: is it harder for a neural network to learn to drive a car in a city than to learn to play StarCraft well enough to defeat a professional? If the answer is no, then self-driving cars are imminent. If the answer is yes, then we need to understand what makes driving a harder problem for neural networks than professional-level StarCraft.
In October 2016, Tesla announced that all the cars it produced from then on would have the hardware it believed to be sufficient for full self-driving. This includes 360-degree cameras and ultrasonics, and a forward-facing radar. Recently, reporter Amir Efrati cited unnamed sources who claim that Tesla is leveraging that hardware for supervised imitation learning:
Tesla’s cars collect so much camera and other sensor data as they drive around, even when Autopilot isn’t turned on, that the Autopilot team can examine what traditional human driving looks like in various driving scenarios and mimic it, said the person familiar with the system. It uses this information as an additional factor to plan how a car will drive in specific situations – for example, how to steer a curve on a road or avoid an object. …Tesla’s engineers believe that by putting enough data from good human driving through a neural network, that network can learn how to directly predict the correct steering, braking and acceleration in most situations. “You don’t need anything else” to teach the system how to drive autonomously, said a person who has been involved with the team. They envision a future in which humans won’t need to write code to tell the car what to do when it encounters a particular scenario; it will know what to do on its own.
By current estimates, Tesla has sold about 390,000 cars with the latest hardware, which drive 12.5 million miles per day. The fleet is increasing by over 5,000 cars per week. The rate at which Tesla manufactures and sells cars is also expected to increase significantly over time, possibly to 8,000 per week by the end of 2019. This means the Tesla fleet is accumulating miles at a fast and accelerating rate. By the time the fleet reaches a little over 1 million cars, it will be driving 1 billion miles per month.
Tesla, and Tesla alone, has access to a massive dataset of state-action pairs for use in supervised imitation learning. If Tesla is as successful as DeepMind was with AlphaStar, its AI will learn to drive about as competently as the median human driver. That would be revolutionary. It sounds almost too good to be true, and yet that is not in itself a reason to doubt it.
Waymo (formerly the Google self-driving car project) tested out supervised imitation learning on a very small scale. Its neural network, ChauffeurNet, trained on 60 continuous days of driving, which translates to 25,000 to 75,000 miles, depending on average speed. When moved off course, ChauffeurNet was able to recentre itself in its lane with a 100% success rate. ChauffeurNet has a 90% success rate in nudging around a parked car, including scenarios where its starting speed is set so high that even a human driver might not be able to avoid a collision.
Tesla has the opportunity to try the same supervised imitation learning approach with 100,000 times more data. Even if the end result is not satisfactory, the agent trained with imitation learning can be dropped into a driving simulator. Somewhat like AlphaStar, it can share the road with many different versions of itself in order to experience at least a rough approximation of what it’s like driving amongst humans.
If reinforcement learning in simulation yields significant, measurable improvements in autonomous driving, that would unlock a new scale of funding and therefore a new scale of computational resources. DeepMind spent about $4 million worth of computation on training AlphaStar. For a technology that could easily generate billions in profit in a short amount of time, investing $400 million in computation would be a rational investment.
In support of the reinforcement learning approach, Mobileye (now owned by Intel) has apparently achieved some success by doing reinforcement learning from scratch – with no imitation learning beforehand. Mobileye has some interesting demo videos showing the system in action.
OpenAI (the non-profit co-founded by Elon Musk and Sam Altman, among others) used reinforcement learning from scratch to train an AI to play Dota 2, another popular competitive game. The AI, called OpenAI Five, has yet to defeat a professional team, but it did beat a team of humans who all individually rank in the top 0.5% of Dota players. OpenAI Five also apparently learned some complex behaviours, such as using spells and abilities at opportune times, and anticipating the movement of a fleeing opponent.
OpenAI’s Chief Scientist, Ilya Sutskever, says that prior to OpenAI’s work on Dota, the conventional wisdom among AI researchers was that reinforcement learning fundamentally wasn’t capable of solving hard problems. Sutskever argues that OpenAI Five demonstrates that, up until recently, reinforcement learning just wasn’t being used with the scale of training data required to solve hard problems. OpenAI Five trained on 180 years of self-play per day.
To summarize:
Waymo’s ChauffeurNet shows some interesting results for imitation learning applied to autonomous driving.
OpenAI Five is a compelling demonstration of reinforcement learning from scratch. Mobileye also claims to have had some success in applying reinforcement learning from scratch to autonomous driving.
And AlphaStar shows the effectiveness of combining both imitation learning and reinforcement learning.
Tesla, with its unique scale of training data for imitation learning, is the only company currently in a position to try the AlphaStar approach to autonomous driving. So far it’s only been reported that Tesla is using imitation learning, but it seems logical to augment the AI’s driving with reinforcement learning, especially if imitation learning falls short of human-level driving ability. A posting for an intern position says Tesla is looking for candidates with expertise in reinforcement learning, among other topics.
AlphaStar and OpenAI Five both show how autonomous cars might quickly progress from basically non-functional to superhuman in a relatively short timespan. AlphaStar’s training was completed in a matter of weeks. AI is a domain where progress – as measured by how intelligently an AI behaves – can be slow or non-existent for a long time, and then happen in a sudden flash, as if out of nowhere. I think this is because teams spend a long time plugging away at software engineering work, setting up the training system before finally letting it loose. Once training begins, sometimes it doesn’t take long to start producing unexpectedly good results.
This means that, with autonomous cars, we can’t simply assume that progress will continue at the same rate it has for the last 15 years. We can’t look to the past and assume the future will mirror it. There are new technologies now, being applied with a new scale of training data. If imitation learning and reinforcement learning fail, there has to be a good explanation of their failure – some specific reason why the behaviours of human drivers are not learnable by neural networks using these techniques. Why, exactly, might these techniques succeed or fail? That’s the deeper level of understanding we should strive for. | {
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French president Emmanuel Macron spent €26,000 on makeup in the first three months of his presidency, according to French media.
News magazine Le Point said that Macron received two invoices of €10,000 and €16,000 from a freelance makeup artist.
The president worked with the freelancer before he was elected and the individual accompanied him during all foreign visits and press conferences, the magazine said.
A spokesperson from the Élysée Palace told BMFTV that the freelancer’s employment was “an emergency” and that spending in this area was “destined to be reduced significantly”.
The president’s entourage also defended the spending, with one saying: “Yes, it’s high, but it’s lower than his predecessors.”
In 2016, then-president Francois Hollande received media scrutiny for claims that his personal hairdresser was on a salary of €10,000. | {
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UPON “Order ni Misis,” the captain of the fishing boat that suspected Chinese militia sunk on June 9 in Philippine waters off Palawan snubbed a Malacañang meeting set yesterday with President Duterte.
As caught on video by ABS-CBN News, Lanie the wife of fb GemVer captain Junel Insigne told her husband by phone to go back home. He was then about to fly to Manila where the President was waiting.
The video triggered a torrent of comments on social media, dominated on opposite sides by followers and critics of Duterte, with the crowd in-between having a hard time injecting sense and sobriety in the partisan exchange.
Using social media political content as indicator, we sense a deeply divided nation, torn between those who adore and those who abhor Duterte, with one side no longer listening to the other.
The main argument of those who did not want the meeting to take place was that the boat captain would just be pressured, if not bribed, by the President’s operators into recasting his narration of the ramming and sinking of his boat to move it closer to the version of the Chinese.
The pro-Duterte crowd, on the other hand, said the media and the “yellows” (anyone voicing criticism is daubed yellow) were manipulating Insigne and his crew of 21 to put Duterte and China in bad light.
The general public, by this time, should know how to spot and ignore partisan talk and propaganda. So we think the exchange can still help ventilate suppressed thoughts and clear enough space in the public mind for the truth.
The ABS-CBN caption of its video of the “Order ni Misis” (our own, not the network’s, tag for it) said: “Junel Insigne, captain of GEM-VIR1, did not push through with plans of traveling to Manila to meet President Duterte. The video shows his wife Lanie telling him to return to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.” (The boat’s name painted on its hull is f/b GEM-VER.)
“Order ni Misis” was a catchy line in the jingle of a popular brand of cooking oil decades ago. It played on the presumed tendency of Filipino men to follow the order of the wife. Although the menfolk will not readily admit it, Philippine society is matriarchal, IMHO.
Junel, who we presume is now in San Jose placating his “misis,” said in a TV interview the day before that he would ask the President in their meeting to: (1) help in repairing his boat, (2) ban Chinese from the Recto Bank area, and (3) prosecute the Chinese who damaged his boat and nearly killed the crew.
Against that list, we had planned to compare the outcome of their meeting. The snub set us back, as well as Malacañang’s think tank and the usual political kibitzers.
Since June 9, Duterte’s stock has been falling with each day that he remains quiet about the incident. Questions have been raised about his loyalty to his countrymen versus the Chinese as his partiality to China had been demonstrated not a few times already.
While he waits to be able to say his piece on the hit-and-run incident in the Recto Bank area, his PR handlers are having a hard time putting together a narrative that will hew close to the facts without offending Xi Jinping, his friend and benefactor. https://tinyurl.com/y43rzqxr
• New BSP office for public affairs/investors
A NEW office dedicated to communications and investor relations has been created in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to fulfill the bank’s vision “to be recognized globally as the monetary authority and primary financial system supervisor supports a strong economy and promotes a high quality of life for all Filipinos.”
BSP Gov. Benjamin Diokno said the office, under a managing director, will handle communications, including investor relations, media relations and corporate affairs with the goal of raising the country’s sovereign ratings.
He said the new office will aim to “create and coordinate more robust enterprise-wide efforts to harness communications as a key policy instrument for achieving BSP’s strategic and operational goals and to facilitate more focused development of communications as an organizational competency.”
The BSP has a Corporate Affairs Office (CORAO) and an Investor Relations Office (IRO). Pending Commission on Audit assessment of some questioned activities in the two offices, their status is being reviewed. Meantime, the IRO head has resigned.
Insiders say that journalist Margaux Salcedo, a low-key campaign strategist, is being eyed to head the new BSP communications department. The news has been well received in media circles.
While Salcedo maintains a lifestyle persona and is respected as a food critic, she is known among news and public affairs writers as an expert communications strategist. Formerly a news anchor of GMA Network and host of the morning show Unang Hirit, she became campaign spokesperson of former President Erap Estrada.
After the 2010 elections, she was spokesperson of Stradcom Corp. when it had its crisis with the Land Transportation Office. In the past three elections, she steered the communications strategy of a senatorial candidate who landed in the Top 3 in 2013, handled the nationwide Voters Education Campaign of 2016, and the campaign preparations for a presidential aspirant in-between.
Her deeper background for investor relations includes her being a graduate of Ateneo Law School, where she was senior editor of the Ateneo Law Journal. She is also an Economics graduate of De La Salle University.
Salcedo worked for the firm of Cesar Villanueva, former chairman of the Governance Commission on GOCCs, and for Supreme Court Justice Josue Bellosillo, before becoming Estrada’s spokesperson.
We asked Salcedo about her reported heading BSP’s Office of the Managing Director – Communications and Investor Relations. She said she has not yet signed on, as she is writing two books and building a boutique publishing house that will focus on legacy books such as biographies and coffee table books for institutions.
* * *
ADVISORY: Postscripts are archived at manilamail.com. Author is on Twitter as @FDPascual. Email feedback to [email protected] | {
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MMA fighter War Machine (born Jonathan Koppenhaver) is wanted by Las Vegas police in connection with the alleged beating of his ex-girlfriend Christy Mack and another unnamed victim on Friday. Today, Mack released a statement on what happened, along with photos of her injured face and body. The images, which follow the below text, are disturbing:
These are the photos Mack sent out of herself in a hospital bed.
War Machine referenced the incident last night and said he had found Mack with another man, as if that would legitimize beating her.
Machine has a history of assault. He attacked a former girlfriend at a porn industry party back in 2009, and has served time in jail for a felony assault in 2010, among other arrests. He also tweeted that he raped Mack last year before he and Mack claimed it was only a joke.
Photo: Getty | {
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Multiple reports have confirmed that YG Entertainment is planning to hold BIGBANG’s concert in April, but clarified news on WINNER and iKON’s guest appearance.
According to numerous reports from an anonymous source on March 19th, BIGBANG has scheduled their comeback concert from April 24th to 26th at the Olympic Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The concert is described to be a part of their promotional activities for their latest album release.
However, YG Entertainment clarified these reports and stated that, “We scheduled BIGBANG’s concerts from April 24th to 26th in advance. Since making their debut, they have been holding concerts with their album release so we reserve the venues in advance.” It was further explained that the album release has been delayed as the members, who prioritises quality over release dates, are still working hard on their latest material.
Furthermore, as the album release date is yet to be finalised, the decision to continue with the original concert dates is still being discussed. The agency also clarified that WINNER and iKON will not be performing as opening acts, denying previous reports that they will be performing on BIGBANG’s tentative concert dates.
The final decision for their concert dates are set to be confirmed next week.
Previously, YG Entertainment’s CEO Yang Hyun Suk has mentioned, “Prior to the end of this year, following BIG BANG as the lead, WINNER and iKON both will release new albums as well. Three teams are busily preparing for their albums.”
Source: TV Report, Star News and OSEN | {
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Dianne Feinstein is the oldest sitting senator in America. She entered Congress in 1992 (when I was 4 years old). Today, at age 84, she is running for a fifth term in office, and a lot of people in the Golden State are unhappy about it—enough to deny Feinstein the state Democratic Party endorsement at this past Saturday’s convention. Ad Policy
Feinstein spent a great deal of that convention serving scrambled eggs to the delegates and giving speeches about her decades of legislative experience—which suggests that she still doesn’t get why her reelection bid hasn’t been embraced by all. Her primary opponent, State Senate President Kevin de León, put it bluntly during the convention when he proclaimed that “it’s time for a new generation to lead.”
He’s right.
The question many have asked as Feinstein runs once again has been—“Is an 84 year-old politician too old to run for office?” But that question oversimplifies the matter. As with all aging politicians, it’s not Feinstein’s numerical age per se that is the problem. Rather, it’s her political distance from a Democratic base that is becoming younger and more progressive. Millennials and Gen Xers—who outvoted Baby Boomers in 2016 and will likely do so again this November—are a demographic that Democrats must turn out in high numbers. And the inconvenient reality for Feinstein is that her politics are not shared by this rising electorate. Her record of service, while impressively storied, contains highlights such as voting for the 1994 crime bill, voting for the Iraq War, giving the NSA carte blanche to spy on citizens, and recently writing a bill that would have required local authorities to comply with ICE.
Feinstein has made the case that her experience should be considered a powerful asset. But, with good reason, younger voters are skeptical of that argument. In American politics, decades of service in public office is often confused for a kind of civic meritocracy. Henry Kissinger, who should be considered a war criminal, still gets invited to black-tie dinners and Ivy League campuses. Hillary Clinton, a politician with dodgy judgment, was hailed as “the most qualified presidential candidate ever.” By this logic, someone like Feinstein should have been a shoo-in for the party’s endorsement.
But today’s young voters are looking for more than just experience for the sake of itself. These voters hold progressives views in high regard, but also consistency and integrity when it comes to those views—leaders whose politics, party affiliation, and actions are closely interlinked and non-contradictory. Bernie Sanders, who is only eight years younger than Feinstein, had no trouble winning over millennials, because his entire career has been a crusade for the kind of economic populism that many young people dream of now.
What happened to Feinstein last Saturday is what happens when politicians fail to perform regular self-assessment checks of how useful they are to up-and-coming generations, and how well they speak to youth priorities like economic justice, criminal-justice reform, and protecting immigrants from the Trump administration. Back in the 1990s, Feinstein could afford to ignore her lefty critics without jeopardizing her electoral odds. But tuning out those activists for decades blinded her to how her party’s base had evolved.
Feinstein isn’t alone in her newfound vulnerability. The rise of young voters will also pose a big problem for Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, should he chose to launch one. As soon as young people take a closer look at his startlingly anti-progressive record—which includes co-authoring the 1994 crime bill and supporting several bills that made it tougher for Americans to reduce their student debt—not to mention his condescending comments about millennials—Biden, age 75, will be exposed as another elder statesmen clinging to power, an old guard so enamored with his service that he failed to see the angry youthful crowds materializing at the gates.
The humiliation of Dianne Feinstein is a warning for today’s senior political leaders. The youth are coming. The gates are still closed. That leaves two choices. Open the gates and have dialogue with the underrepresented. Or watch as they break in and breeze right by you. | {
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When I tell people I make seedbombs, they look puzzled and ask, ‘What is a seedbomb?’. They think they are edible (some fancy new superfood) or a cosmetic product. Rarely do people think they are horticultural. I smile and begin a well-rehearsed explanation. Firstly, they are NOT EXPLOSIVE OR EDIBLE! A seedbomb is a little ball made up of a combination of compost, clay and seeds.
‘What is it for?’
The compost and clay act as a carrier for the seeds so they can be launched over walls or
fences and into inaccessible areas such as wasteland or railways. ‘But what is the point? Why can’t you just throw seeds loose?’ Most seeds are very light and there is risk of them being blown away by the wind, making them unsuitable for launching long distances.
‘How do I make them?’
There are various ways of making seedbombs. You need to find a carrier for the seeds. My method uses natural ingredients – compost and clay. The compost offers nutrients for the seeds to germinate and grow strong during their infancy and the clay binds the seedbomb, making it hard enough not to break when it hits the ground.
‘How do they work?’
After about three weeks the first seedlings work their way through the seedbomb and root into the ground below. The seedlings will then grow into mature plants and face whatever conditions Mother Nature has in store for them. As they grow, more seeds germinate and the seedbomb begins to dissolve. This can take days, weeks or months – it depends on the quantity of rainfall. Seeds will remain dormant until their environmental needs are met with these factors: water, correct temperature and a good position to grow in.
The beauty of seedbombing
Here you have in the palm of your hand a little revolution, something that can change the face of the earth, something that contains the early stages of a field of wild flowers, edible crops or a herb garden. You can use seeds of one plant for your seedbombs or combinations of compatible seeds. This is called ‘companion planting’, where you use plants that grow well together and assist each other in a number of ways, such as pollination, deterring pests and soil conditioning. With a little help from Mother Nature, something as small as a seedbomb has the potential to improve the natural structure of an area in one fell swoop.
Sensible seedbombing
A seedbomb is a little ball of life and comes with a responsibility to choose your plants and be used in the correct way. You have to consider not only the environment where you choose to launch your seedbomb, but also the welfare of the plant. It is your job as a gardener/seedbomber to make sure the seeds get a good chance of germinating and have a good probability of reaching infancy and – even better – maturing into plants that flower and fruit and connect the ends of the circle of growth.
Why are they used?
Seedbombing is another form of seed dispersal, a human intervention into what is already happening in nature anyway. It is an efficient way of deliberately dispersing seeds, but trying to work in harmony with nature, too, by being considerate of wildlife and natural habitats. Seedbombs are seeds wrapped up in a blanket of earth, which acts as a carrier for the seeds and enables them to be launched in areas that are physically challenging to access, like fenced-off wasteland or motorway banks. Because of their size and strength they can simply be thrown over the fences or out of car, train or bus windows. They provide the accuracy needed to get the plants to where you want them to grow. It does help if your aim is good though! The risk of damage to the seeds is minimised because the blanket of earth offers protection from harsh weather conditions and seedeaters such as mice and birds. Apart from the fact that they are really good fun to make, they actually work and it’s so exciting when you see thefirst shoot come through!
Where to launch seedbombs
Seedbombs can be launched anywhere as long as there is soil beneath them. Their versatility is part of their charm.
✱ They can be used in home gardens, window boxes or the veggie patch.
✱ Allotments – edible plants or wild flowers to attract bees to pollinate food crops.
✱ Launch them in alleyways and path networks around your local city, town or village.
✱ They can be used to create an explosion of colour on urban green roofs, on sheds or on outbuildings.
✱ Seedbombs are just perfect for throwing responsibly out of train, car and bus windows; they make journeys for future travellers much more attractive.
✱ Roadsides, central reservations and roundabouts, railways and urban tree pits.
✱ Unmaintained areas, so that the seedbombs can grow undisturbed.
✱ Next time you see a foxglove growing by a set of traffic lights, you’ll know a guerrilla gardener has been there!
A seedbomb history
If something has been used effectively throughout time, it is given validity; you know it has been tried, tested and perfected. When it comes to seedbombs, one man has done just that. Masanobu Fukuoka incorporated his ancestral gardening techniques into his own farming methods and, in so doing, started a revolution. Seedbombs are an ancient Japanese practice called Tsuchi Dango, meaning ‘Earth Dumpling’ (because they are made from earth). They were reintroduced in 1938 by the Japanese microbiologist/ farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka (1913–2008), author of The One Straw Revolution.
Fukuoka led the way into the world of sustainable agriculture by initiating ‘natural farming’. His methods were simple and produced no pollution. His technique used no machines or chemicals and almost no weeding. Seedbombing was part of Fukuoka’s annual farming regime. He believed that Mother Nature takes care of the seeds we sow and decides which crops to provide us with, like a process of natural selection, because ultimately nature decides what will grow and when germination will occur, be that in 7 days or several seasons away.
Fukuoka grew vegetables like wild plants – he called it ‘semi wild’. He seedbombed on riverbanks, roadsides and wasteland and allowed them to ‘grow up’ with the weeds. He believed that vegetables grown in this way – including Japanese radish, carrots, burdock, onions and turnips – are stronger than most people think. He’d add clover to his vegetable mixes because it acted as a living mulch and conditioned the soil.
Projects
Where land has been intensively farmed by modern methods, the natural fertility is destroyed. Fukuoka used clover seedbombs to rehabilitate natural fertility on dead land so that food crops could be grown successfully again. In 1998, hundreds of locals in Arnissa, Greece – families, schoolchildren, ministers, farmers, journalists – were inspired by Fukuoka’s work to partake in launching tons of seedbombs over 10,000 hectares of desolate land damaged by human activity. The seeds were donated by the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Institute of Agrarian Research.
Greening deserts with seedbombs
Fukuoka encouraged people to collect seeds and instigated a movement for desertgreening with seedbombs. He successfully ‘greened up’ land all over the world, including Greece, India and the Americas.Through his works, land has come ‘alive’ again, with plants and wildlife and food for the people.
Seedbomb benefits
Seedbombs are full of potential wrapped up in a pocket-sized ball of mud! They can make ugly, forgotten land beautiful and useful again; restore plant and wildlife populations; nourish and feed the soil, people and animals; bring communities together, educate and – importantly – bring joy.
Nature
As seen with Fukuoka’s work, there are countless benefits to using the seedbomb method for planting. They are successfully used to grow food crops and meadowland and replant areas that have suffered from drought or forest fire damage, as well as being suitable for small-scale gardens and allotments. Seedbombs help to create vegetation in areas where it is absent or sparse due to the land being neglected. They present the prospect of attracting wildlife such as bees, birds and butterflies into our urban environment, making them available to pollinate our city flowers and food crops and help the production of fruit and seed. Seedbombs can be used to repopulate an area with diminishing numbers of wild flowers, which in turn will attract wildlife that may, too, be diminishing.
Urban environment
On an aesthetic level, the plants provide colour and character to otherwise unattractive sites that are usually broken into and could be littered with rubbish and the classic shopping trolleys and broken glass.
Areas such as this are in danger of fostering feelings of apathy, an ‘Oh, what’s the point, the place is a mess anyway’ attitude.
Some sites stay undeveloped for a number of years and become part of the personality of the area; numerous people will walk past these places every day and not even notice the potential. Desolate spaces may be used by people acting undesirably and are often a location for fly-tipping. Unfortunately, this kind of activity could be a danger to the public because the fences get pulled down, leaving these spaces open to adventuring children. Often no one wants to claim responsibility and implement a clear-up because ownership of the land could be a grey area, while some sites are pending construction. Guerrilla gardeners target areas like these as potential sites to glam up with donated plants and recycled, reclaimed and reused objects.
Community
Guerrilla gardens are an open forum for people to make a positive contribution to ugly areas within their community that may have a negative impact not only aesthetically but demographically too. Abandoned wasteland can encourage antisocial behaviour and crime, whereas a sense of ownership, however temporary it may be, will encourage local communities to work together on improving their neighbourhood. Some guerrilla gardeners work stealthily and under the cover of darkness, wielding spades and plants and a torch! It’s a bit tricky and is often where seedbombs prove their worth. The anonymity of seedbombing is part of the appeal; a five-second action is less demanding than physically planting something, therefore making it easier for reluctant guerrilla gardeners to join in – no fence-scaling needed here! Seedbombs are fun and easy to make and can be an activity that appeals to all age groups and walks of life, from farmer to amateur grower. Community gardens offer a space to have group gardening days and local events, like seed collecting, swapping and the making and launching of seedbombs – and that’s gotta be good, right?
Ourselves
Making seedbombs is such a relaxing activity to do on your own or with the family. Kids love the whole process as it involves design, dexterity, consideration, communication, maths, botany and a big dollop of patience. And the elation and pride felt when you launch the seedbomb and when you see the seedlings appearing and maturing into flowering plants is priceless.
Seedbombs: Going Wild With Flowers by Josie Jeffery is published by Leaping Hare (www.leapingharepress.co.uk) and costs £9.99 | {
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When I saw this, I couldn’t help but think of that of Frank Zheng holding Leo Valdez like it was nothing! 😂 | {
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Aerospace engineers have come up with some revolutionary forward-thinking amazing straight-up insane designs. Sometimes these dreams never make it off the drawing board, but sometimes—some wonderful times—they become real. And when these alien bodies lift off into the firmament, it's like watching a spaceship transporting the human race directly into the future. Check these amazing planes out:
Stipa-Caproni, an experimental Italian aircraft with a barrel-shaped fuselage (1932).
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Vought V-173, the "Flying Pancake", an American experimental fighter aircraft for the United States Navy (1942).
Photo: San Diego Air & Space Museum/Scribd
Blohm & Voss BV 141, a World War II German tactical reconnaissance aircraft, notable for its uncommon structural asymmetry.
Photo: wwiiaircraftphotos.com
Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster, an experimental bomber aircraft, designed to have a very high top speed (1944).
Photo: U.S. Air Force
Libellula, a tandem-winged and twin-engined British experimental plane which gives the pilot an excellent view for landing on aircraft carriers (1945).
Photo: William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images
North American XF-82. Stitch together two P-51 Mustangs, and you get this long-range escort fighter (1946).
Photo: U.S. Air Force
Northrop XB-35, an experimental flying wing heavy bomber developed for the United States Army Air Forces during and shortly after World War II.
Photo: U.S. Air Force
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, an American prototype jet fighter, intended to be deployed from the bomb bay of the Convair B-36 (1948).
Photo: U.S. Air Force
Martin XB-51, an American "tri-jet" ground attack aircraft. Note the unorthodox design: one engine at the tail, and two underneath the forward fuselage in pods (1949).
Photo: U.S. Air Force
Douglas X-3 Stiletto, built to investigate the design features necessary for an aircraft to sustain supersonic speeds (1953 - 1956)
Photo: NASA/DFRC
Lockheed XFV, "The Salmon," an experimental tailsitter prototype escort fighter aircraft (1953).
Photo: U.S. Air Force
De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle flying platform, designed to carry one soldier to reconnaissance missions (1954).
Photo: U.S. Army/army.arch
Snecma Flying Coleoptere (C-450), a French experimental, annular wing aeroplane, propulsed by a turbo-reactor, able to take off and land vertically (1958).
Photo: Keystone/Getty Images
Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar, a VTOL disk-shaped aircraft developed as part of a secret U.S. military project (1959)
Photo: William "Bill" Zuk/Wikimedia Commons
HL-10, one of five aircraft built in the Lifting Body Research Program of NASA (1966 - 1970).
Photo: NASA/DFRC
Dornier Do 31, a West German experimental VTOL tactical support transport aircraft (1967).
Photo: amphalon
Alexander Lippisch's Aerodyne, a wingless experimental aircraft. The propulsion was generated by two co-axial shrouded propellers (1968).
Photo: Flying Magazine, Apr 1960
Hyper III, a full scale lifting body remotely piloted vehicle, built at the NASA Flight Research Center in 1969.
Photo: NASA/DFRC
Bartini Beriev VVA-14, a Soviet vertical take-off amphibious aircraft (1970s)
Photo: Alex Beltyukov/Wikimedia Commons
Ames-Dryden (AD)-1 Oblique Wing, a research aircraft designed to investigate the concept of a pivoting wing (1979 - 1982).
Photo: NASA/DFRC
B377PG - NASA's Super Guppy Turbine cargo plane, first flew in its outsized form in 1980.
Photo: NASA/DFRC
X-29 forward swept wing jet plane, flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, as a technology demonstrator (1984 - 1992).
Photo: NASA/DFRC
X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft, a subscale prototype jet built by McDonnell Douglas for NASA (1996 - 1997).
Photo: NASA/DFRC
Beriev Be-200 Seaplane, a Russian multipurpose amphibious aircraft (1998).
Photo: amphalon
Proteus, a tandem-wing, twin-engine research aircraft, built by Scaled Composites in 1998.
Photo: NASA/DFRC
What is your favourite weird aircraft? Show us! | {
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Q: When you approach a traffic circle and want to turn left, can you go around the left side of the circle or do you have to stay right and drive all the way around?
A: In most situations, you’ve got to drive all the way around the right side of the circle, Seattle Police spokesman Mark Jamieson said.
Drivers who don’t risk a $124 ticket.
According to Seattle Municipal Code 11.54.040, a code regarding illegal turns, “no person shall make a left turn or a semicircular or U turn except through an opening provided for that purpose in the physical barrier, median barrier, or no-passing zone line on any limited access facility.”
Jamieson pointed to code 11.53.080, which states that when there is a physical barrier, planted area or median island “every vehicle shall be driven only upon the right-hand roadway unless directed or permitted to use another roadway by official traffic-control devices or peace officers.”
Jamieson didn’t know how often people are ticketed for breaking the traffic circle law.
Here’s the complete text form 11.53.08011.53.080 about medians and barriers in divided streets:
Whenever any street has been divided into two (2) or more roadways by a physical barrier or by a planted area or by a median island not less than eighteen inches (18″) wide formed either by solid yellow pavement markings or by a yellow cross-hatching between two (2) solid yellow lines so installed as to control vehicular traffic, every vehicle shall be driven only upon the right-hand roadway unless directed or permitted to use another roadway by official traffic-control devices or peace officers. No vehicle shall be driven over, across or within any such physical barrier or planted area or median island, except through an opening in such physical barrier or planted area or median island, or at a crossover or intersection established by public authority. (RCW 46.61.150)
I asked this Jamieson question after a friend complained I was breaking the law by driving around the left side of traffic circles. I told her my driver’s ed teacher had no problem with it, and was sure I was fine.
We made a bet. Now I have to vacuum and wash her car.
Have a question for cops, firefighters or prosecutors?
Submit them here. We’ll continue this as a regular Seattle 911 feature.
Click on the links for some previous answers.
Submitted questions may be edited or paraphrased for length. | {
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WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton is making bashing Wall Street and hedge fund managers part of her campaign message. But she doesn’t have to go far to find folks who work in the industry. Both her daughter and son-in-law have worked in the financial industry. Son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky still does. Plus, the Clintons made a good deal of money since leaving office, investing book and speaking profits to reap millions.
And those conflicting images are playing out across her campaign.
She’s loudly and proudly taking swings at Wall Street. “You see corporations making record profits, with CEOs making record pay, but your paychecks have barely budged,” she said Saturday in her announcement speech. “While many of you are working multiple jobs to make ends meet, you see the top 25 hedge fund managers making more than all of America’s kindergarten teachers combined. And, often paying a lower tax rate.”
And it’s not just using hedge fund managers as a shorthand for wealthy people to push her populist message. In April, Clinton got specific at a town hall meeting, saying hedge fund managers shouldn’t be able to conduct “trading for the sake of trading” just to make a profit. “Maybe we should not let that go on because that is unfortunately kind of at the root of some of the economic problems that we all remember from '08," she said.
It seems to be a direct response to the concerns that she’s hearing from within her own party. Liberals have long expressed concerns Clinton is too cozy with Wall Street. Clinton, no doubt, will take in a sizeable amount in campaign donations from the financial sector. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has been one of the most vocal Wall Street critics -- a position that stoked calls from the left for her to run for president despite repeated insistence she isn’t interested.
Clinton's relationship to Wall Street already has become a favorite jab on the campaign trail. Democratic challenger Martin O’Malley likes to point to out Clinton has the backing of Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., who is also running, talks frequently about the need to reign in Wall Street.
Clinton is enjoying historically high levels of support and popularity within her own party. But after having started 2008 on top only to lose to then-first-term-Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton doesn’t appear willing to take anything for granted. And she’s trying to make sure she doesn’t let the skepticism grow.
She attempted Monday to address the criticism she isn’t positioned to run a populist campaign that takes digs at Wall Street. Joe Scarborough, former Republican congressman and MSNBC host, called it the best response Clinton hasn’t given so far on the campaign trail.
“I've been saying pretty much the same thing since I was a college student,” Clinton said at a campaign stop in New Hampshire Monday. “I'm proud of my progressive credentials and experiences and accomplishments. And I am waging a campaign about what I think is best for the country, and it's going to be up to the American people to draw their own conclusions."
There may be little downside to Clinton’s anti-Wall Street rhetoric. Republicans and independent voters are increasingly less enthusiastic about the financial industry. One need only look to the tea party opposition to the Export-Import Bank to see that conservatives are taking increasingly anti-Wall Street positions.
There is no winning for Republicans if it becomes a battle between one pro-Wall Street party and another against it. Mitt Romney, who made his millions in venture capital, could never escape the caricature that he was out of touch with average people.
Plus, Clinton probably isn’t losing any support in the financial industry. “It’s just politics,” one Democratic hedge fund manager told Politico. | {
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On Anniversary of Assyrian Massacre, Kurdish Leader Urges Unity With Christians
On the 84th anniversary of the of the former Iraqi Kingdom's attack that killed thousands of Assyrian people in northern Iraq, Kurdish President Masoud Barzani has stated that steps towards independence from Iraq are the only way to ensure history doesn't repeat itself. "The only medicine for all our pains and the only guarantee to ensure that disasters are not repeated is to take steps toward independence," wrote Barzani in a statement on Sunday.
From August 7 to August 11 in 1933, the armed forces of the Kingdom of Iraq attacked 63 Assyrian villages in what are now located in the provinces of Nineveh and Duhok. The campaign left around 3,000 Assyrians dead, according to a 2003 report from the International Federation for Human Rights. The Assyrians are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Mesopotamia and northern Iraq, tracing their own history back 6,767 years. Religiously, they are now predominately Christian and locally split along Chaldean, Syriac, and Ashuri sects. "On occasion of the 84th anniversary of this disaster which is concurrent with the third anniversary of the ISIS brutal attack on Christian brothers and sisters and other communities in Nineveh plains," Barzani wrote, "I reiterate that Christian brothers and sisters along with all the other communities of Kurdistan in the past, now and in the future, times of pain and success, have been involved and share the same destiny." According to 1987 Iraqi census, 1.4 million Christians, including the Assyrian community, lived in Iraq. But many have since migrated to the West after years of persecution and economic hardship. "The Simele massacre is part of the hardship and calamities which happened to all the people of Kurdistan," Barzani added. "It is also strong evidence that partnership has been meaningless in the state of Iraq, genocide, extermination and massacres have been the share of social and religious makeup of the country." Local community leaders now estimate that about 400,000 Christians were living in Iraq (including the Kurdistan Region) prior to the rise of ISIS in 2014. About half that many still remain in 2017, with nearly 200,000 having immigrated to places like Lebanon, Sweden, Australia and other western states. "And now that the nation of Kurdistan is taking steps toward independence, the demands and rights of Christian brothers and sisters in Kurdistan will be protected in all stages, fraternity and coexistence in Kurdistan will be stronger," Barzani wrote. The Kurdistan Region plans to hold a referendum on independence on September 25. The minister for Kurdistani areas outside of the Kurdistan Regional Government's administration has announced preparations for the vote. Iraq's Shiite-led Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary units and Kurdish Peshmerga now have largely provided security in Christian areas across Nineveh. Most Christians in Iraq fled to the Kurdistan Region when ISIS came in 2014. Fractured along their own political and sectarian lines, some Christian families have begun returning to their villages in places like Qarakosh, Bartella, Tel Skof and Al-Qosh, as they continue to call for further protection -- often from the international community. The director of media for the Assyrian Democratic Movement spoke with Rudaw English about what his community is doing to remember the atrocities of 1933. "For us, this is a like a genocide," Kaldo Ramzi, a Chaldean from Ankawa said. "Every year we remember this as a symbol of our suffering and surviving in Iraq." He explained that tomorrow there will be events between Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Syriacs to remember this and other massacres their people have faced. Ramzi believes that Baghdad and Erbil should stop struggling for control in Nineveh because this is such a diverse area. On the topic of Christian IDPs or those who are in Nineveh or elsewhere participating in the referendum, Ramzi said they have expressed in three meetings with President Barzani that if the KRG wants to tell the world it is inclusive, then they need to back it up with actions. "We have emphasized that our name, symbols and language haven't been incorporated into Kurdistan," Ramzi explained. "We do need some people to participate, but they shouldn't feel obligated to participate." | {
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There are only so many fish in the sea. And our appetite for seafood has already stressed many wild fisheries to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the planet's growing population will only further increase the need for animal protein, one of the most resource-intensive types of food to produce.
With this in mind, a team led by researchers at UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the Marine Science Institute (MSI) looked at the feasibility of fish farming, or aquaculture, in the Caribbean. The team focused specifically on offshore mariculture -- ocean-based operations done far from shore -- which offers a promising alternative to land-based and coastal aquaculture, where space is limited and environmental impacts are often high.
The group discovered that even under conservative estimates, the region could produce over 34 million metric tons of seafood per year. This potential yield is more than two orders of magnitude larger than the region's current seafood production. The results appear in the journal Nature Sustainability.
"The Caribbean has a large potential for off-shore mariculture," said Lennon Thomas, the study's lead author, who serves as a project researcher at MSI. "And meeting this potential can be accomplished by developing mariculture in a relatively small amount of ocean space."
The researchers' model predicts the region could produce 40 million metric tons of seafood in less than 1.5 percent of its countries' exclusive economic zones. This is roughly half of the current global wild fisheries catch, Thomas said. Under current market conditions, the Caribbean could match its current seafood production by farming in just 179 square kilometers, or a mere 0.006 percent, of its marine space.
The team used cobia as their model species to estimate the Caribbean's potential for commercial mariculture. Cobia is a premium fish with high market value that is well suited to farming in warmer waters. By combining elements like fish growth and habitat suitability with factors such as farm profitability and investment risk, the model developed by the group provided more realistic estimates of mariculture potential than if it had focused solely on biology or economics.
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Thomas's team considered socioeconomic and political factors to estimate the risk levels associated with investing in mariculture in each of the countries in the region, and came up with three scenarios. The first considered the results of farming in all suitable areas, while the second considered only areas that would be profitable over a 10-year timeframe, at a 10-percent discount rate. The third case mirrored the second, but with discount rates between 10 and 25 percent, based on the relative risk of investment estimated for each country.
Other papers have examined the physical and environmental factors influencing mariculture production potential on a global level, and researchers have previously applied bio-economic models to individual farms. But this new study is one of the first to analyze mariculture potential from a bio-economic angle at a regional level, explained Tyler Clavelle, a researcher at MSI and one of the paper's coauthors. This gave the group a better understanding of the tradeoffs when developing farms in different areas within and across countries.
The results in all scenarios are promising. "Even accounting for the economics of an expensive operation like cobia farming, there are large areas of the Caribbean that could be profitable for off-shore aquaculture," said Clavelle. Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas have the largest potential, with roughly 8,500 and 4,100 square kilometers, respectively, of area profitable for mariculture.
Insufficient capital presents one significant barrier to mariculture development in the Caribbean. Offshore mariculture is a relatively new, and therefore riskier, industry. Adding in the political and economic instability in certain parts of the region creates a higher risk for foreign investors, Thomas explained.
Thomas and Clavelle acknowledged that many people distrust aquaculture, believing it is bad for the environment. The researchers suspect the industry suffers this negative reputation because most of it is currently done on land or near the shore, where the farms' feed, waste and other inputs can have negative impacts on surrounding ecosystems.
"Offshore mariculture overcomes many of the shortcomings and potential negative impacts that people often associate with coastal or inland aquaculture," said Thomas. Deeper water and stronger offshore currents can prevent negative water quality impacts from aquaculture, while also avoiding sensitive nearshore habitats like coral reefs and seagrass meadows.
"Mariculture is very space efficient. And we have vast expanses of offshore ocean areas," said co-author Sarah Lester, an assistant professor at Florida State University who completed her PhD at UC Santa Barbara. "So we can be really selective about where we locate fish farms, choosing locations where profitability is high and economic impacts are low."
While the team looked specifically at cobia production in the Caribbean, the model could be applied to other species and regions as well. And the group intends to consider these in future work. They also plan to explore how climate change and increasing ocean temperatures will affect offshore aquaculture. Currently the researchers are investigating the impact of mariculture policy across the Caribbean on development trends, which promises insights that will complement their findings in this paper.
"In the Caribbean, like we see globally, seafood demand is increasing while many wild fisheries have been overfished," said Lester. "Currently many Caribbean countries import large amounts of seafood -- aquaculture offers a promising avenue for economic development and tasty, sustainable local seafood production." | {
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1. “I think it is undeniably true that the human brain must work in models. The trick is to have your brain work better than the other person’s brain because it understands the most fundamental models: ones that will do most work per unit.” “If you get into the mental habit of relating what you’re reading to the basic structure of the underlying ideas being demonstrated, you gradually accumulate some wisdom.”
Every human can assimilate only so much information through their senses and has only so much memory and processing power. Humans must make decisions constantly. Charlie Munger’s belief is that by learning and thinking using the big models which have been developed by the very best minds, you can become “worldly wise.” The good news is that you don’t need to have perfect understanding of all these models. What you will need is greater knowledge and understanding of the models than the other people you compete with in a given activity like investing. You will naturally know some models better than others. Some mental models work better than others in some situations and knowing which models to use and when is a key part of good judgment. For better or worse, having good judgment often comes from making bad judgments. The process of acquiring wisdom is just that – a process. Acquiring wisdom takes time and effort.
2. “You’ve got to have models in your head. And you’ve got to array your experience ‑ both vicarious and direct ‑ on this latticework of models. You may have noticed students who just try to remember and pound back what is remembered. Well, they fail in school and in life. You’ve got to hang experience on a latticework of models in your head.”
Richard Feynman liked to tell this story about something his father taught him: “You can know the name of that bird in all the languages of the world, but when you’re finished, you’ll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird.” Rather than just knowing the names of various mental models, Charlie Munger is very focused on acquiring a deep understanding of these models so they can help him better understand the world. He believes that it is through the application of models in a varied range of settings in life that genuine learning takes place. Mistakes, folly and foibles are an inevitable part of this process. Robert Hagstrom describes the lattice approach as follows: “each discipline entwines with, and in the process strengthens, every other. From each discipline the thoughtful person draws significant mental models, the key ideas that combine to produce a cohesive understanding.”
For Charlie Munger this approach comes naturally: “For some odd reason, I had an early and extreme multidisciplinary cast of mind. I couldn’t stand reaching for a small idea in my own discipline when there was a big idea right over the fence in somebody else’s discipline. So I just grabbed in all directions for the big ideas that would really work. Nobody taught me to do that; I was just born with that yen.” Charlie Munger notes that some knowledge and skill acquisition happens based on personal experience and some vicariously through the experiences of other people. Watching other people make big mistakes is a lot less painful than making those mistakes yourself. Reading widely in a range of different domains is the most effective technique to expand the opportunities to learn from the experiences of others. Of course, Charlie Munger reads constantly. A great investor who does not read a lot is rarer than hen’s teeth.
3. “Well, the first rule is that you can’t really know anything if you just remember isolated facts and try and bang ‘em back. If the facts don’t hang together on a latticework of theory, you don’t have them in a usable form.”
This quotation from Charlie Munger reminds me of the scene in the movie The Paper Chase when a character named Brooks is faced with a need to think and reason during Socratic dialogue a classroom but instead tries to use his photographic memory of facts from the cases to find a response. Perfect recall of facts is not enough and Brooks found himself floundering in the classroom when asked to think and reason. Speaking of memory, I remember well when I first read Robert Hagstrom on this latticework concept which Charlie Munger espouses since it made me feel much better about my curiosity about all aspects of the world: “Those who cultivate this broad view are well on their way to achieving worldly wisdom, that solid mental foundation without which success in the market–or anywhere else–is merely a short-lived fluke. To drive his point home, Charlie used a memorable metaphor to describe this interlocking structure of ideas: a latticework of models. ‘You’ve got to have models in your head,’ he explained, ‘and you’ve got to array your experience-both vicarious and direct-on this latticework of models.’ So immediate is this visual image that latticework has become something of a shorthand term in the investment world, a quick and easily recognized reference to Munger’s approach.”
4. “What are the models? Well, the first rule is that you’ve got to have multiple models ‑ because if you just have one or two that you’re using, the nature of human psychology is such that you’ll torture reality so that it fits your models, or at least you’ll think it does.”
Charlie Munger is bringing up the tendency of humans to drift into dysfunctional patterns of thought like psychological denial when faced with something unpleasant. There are many sources of psychological and emotional dysfunction which will be discussed throughout Munger Month on this blog and many mental models that can be used to try to prevent mistakes from occurring. Using the right models can help you avoid what Munger calls “the psychology of human misjudgment.” Munger believes that by applying a lattice of models from disciplines like behavioral economics an investor can discover decision-making errors. Perfection is not possible to achieve, but following a better decision making process is possible. Focusing on having a sound decision making process rather than outcomes in any given case is wise. In the long term, it is a better process that will generate the better overall result. Reading too much into a good outcome that results from a bad process or a bad outcome that results from a good process, can create big problems.
5. The models have to come from multiple disciplines ‑ because all the wisdom of the world is not to be found in one little academic department. That’s why poetry professors, by and large, are so unwise in a worldly sense. They don’t have enough models in their heads. So you’ve got to have models across a fair array of disciplines. You may say, ‘My God, this is already getting way too tough.’ But, fortunately, it isn’t that tough ‑ because 80 or 90 important models will carry about 90% of the freight in making you a worldly ‑ wise person. And, of those, only a mere handful really carry very heavy freight.”
You do not need to know every mental model or even know them all deeply to make better decisions, but you do need to understand how most of them work at a basic level at least. It is also important that you read often and broadly especially since these models do change and are updated over time. The goal is to acquire wisdom and common sense rather than to be an academic expert in one or even a few narrow domains. One piece of good news about this process is that each new model is easier to learn since the other models you already know give you a foundation which makes incremental learning easier.
6. “When I urge a multidisciplinary approach- that you’ve got to have the main models from a broad array of disciplines and you’ve got to use them all – I’m really asking you to ignore jurisdictional boundaries. If you want to be a good thinker, you must develop a mind that can jump these boundaries. You don’t have to know it all. Just take in the best big ideas from all these disciplines. And it’s not that hard to do.” It is important that you read outside of your domain if you want to avoid failing based on man with a hammer syndrome. If all you know is medieval poetry or auto mechanics you are not going to acquire usable wisdom in life. Without worldly wisdom, you end up like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest says Charlie Munger. Read widely and be curious. Think for yourself and be open to new ideas. Use many models from many disciplines when thinking about a problem. For example, when thinking about an economy or a business Munger has suggested it is useful to apply models from biology. Munger has said for example “Common stock investors can make money by predicting the outcomes of practice evolution. You can’t derive this by fundamental analysis — you must think biologically” and “I find it quite useful to think of a free market economy—or partly free market economy—as sort of the equivalent of an ecosystem.”
7. “You must know the big ideas in the big disciplines, and use them routinely — all of them, not just a few. Most people are trained in one model — economics, for example — and try to solve all problems in one way. You know the old saying: to the man with a hammer, the world looks like a nail. This is a dumb way of handling problems.” Munger believes that thinking clearly is a trained response. He points out that “if you want to become a golfer, you can’t use the natural swing that broad evolution gave you. You have to learn to have a certain grip and swing in a different way to realize your full potential as a golfer.”
Some people take to this mental models approach and some people don’t. Some people find it interesting and some people don’t. One sure way to fail is to look at the world only through the lens of only one model. The surgeon or nutritionist who only thinks about the world through the lens of their particular discipline is a danger to themselves and others.
8.”You have to realize the truth of biologist Julian Huxley’s idea that ‘Life is just one damn relatedness after another'”
“You must have the models, and you must see the relatedness and the effects from the relatedness.”
One of the most enjoyable thing about the lattice approach is when you see how “it all fits together.” When you use a lattice of mental models approach you quickly learn that everything is related including the models themselves. This relatedness often allows an investor to use analogies to solve problems and find opportunities. The more you know about more things in life, the more you see how it all fits together. The process is like solving a huge puzzle that is never fully completed. The last three words in the previous sentence (“never fully completed”) are very important. The more you know, the more you know, that there is more that you do not know.
9. “I’ve been searching for lollapalooza results all my life, so I’m very interested in models that explain their occurrence.”
One particularly important phenomenon related to mental models is what are called “complex adaptive systems.” If you adopt the model of complex adaptive systems you accepts the idea that the whole of many things is more than the sum of the arts and that there are many systems that cannot be modeled with certainty. Even after the fact, causation is impossible to prove with certainty when it comes to this phenomenon. Once you accept the idea that some things are simply not predictable, your world view changes. In Munger’s view it is better to have common sense and be Worldly Wise than futz around with a lot of models that are precisely wrong rather than approximately right. This is in part why Munger likes to say: “People calculate too much and think too little.”
10. “You need a different checklist and different mental models for different companies. I can never make it easy by saying, ‘Here are three things.’ You have to derive it yourself to ingrain it in your head for the rest of your life.”
Faced with the tendency of humans to fall down when making decisions based on the use of dysfunctional heuristics, humans can benefit from using tools or nudges to stay rational. Checklist are just such a tool. Despite the fact that a checklist is helpful in developing a better decision making process there is no formula or recipe for success in investing or most other aspects of life. Even with the best investing systems judgment and wisdom are required since risk, uncertainty and ignorance are constants in life. Life is always throwing new situations at you but they sometimes are quite familiar.
11. “Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group … then to hell with them.”
To use worldly wisdom properly you must be prepared to be a contrarian. Being a contrarian will inevitably sometimes make you unpopular or lonely. Accepting this solitary state of affairs at times is essential since it is mathematically provable that you cannot outperform the crowd if you are the crowd. In the longer term you will ironically be more popular as long as you are right enough in your contrarian views. Of course, being a contrarian and wrong is not helpful and it is magnitude of correctness and not frequency of correctness that should be tracked on your scorecard.
12. “If you don’t keep learning, other people will pass you by. Temperament alone won’t do it – you need a lot of curiosity for a long, long time.”
“The theory of modern education is that you need a general education before you specialize. And I think to some extent, before you’re going to be a great stock picker, you need some general education.”
“If you skillfully follow the multidisciplinary path, you will never wish to come back. It would be like cutting off your hands.”
“It’s kind of fun to sit there and outthink people who are way smarter than you are because you’ve trained yourself to be more objective and more multidisciplinary. Furthermore, there is a lot of money in it, as I can testify from my own personal experience.”
Charlie Munger, Robert Hagstrom, Michael Mauboussin and others I admire are advocates of a broad liberal arts education. I am not just talking about what you take as courses in school but what you learn about throughout your life. The best investors never stop learning. I particularly love the original title of Robert Hagstrom’s book Investing: The Last Liberal Art since it is such a true statement. Knowing a lot about a lot in many disciplines and being “a learning machine” are attributes of the best investors.
To sum up this blog post it is useful I think to just quote Charlie Munger on the benefits of his approach: “I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest, sometimes not even the most diligent, but they are learning machines. They go to bed every night a little wiser than they were when they got up and boy does that help, particularly when you have a long run ahead of you.…so if civilization can progress only with an advanced method of invention, you can progress only when you learn the method of learning. Nothing has served me better in my long life than continuous learning. I went through life constantly practicing (because if you don’t practice it, you lose it) the multi-disciplinary approach and I can’t tell you what that’s done for me. It’s made life more fun, it’s made me more constructive, it’s made me more helpful to others, and it’s made me enormously rich. You name it, that attitude really helps.”
A partial list of some Mental Models used by Charlie Munger, compiled from many sources
Accounting:
Balance Sheet
Cash Flow Statement
Depreciation
Double-Entry
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Income Statement
Sunk Cost
Biology:
Genetics
Natural Selection
Physiology
Business:
Moats
Five Forces
Brand
Chemistry:
Autocatalytic reactions
Bohr Model
Kinetics
Thermodynamics:
Uncertainty Principle
Viscosity
Computer Science:
Abstractions
Algorithms
If-statements
Recursion
Economics:
Agency Problem
Asymmetric Information
Behavioral Economics
Cumulative Advantage
Comparative Advantage
Competitive Advantage
Creative Destruction
Diminishing Utility
Economies of Scale
Elasticity
Externalities
Markets
Marginal Cost
Marginal Utility
Monopoly and Oligopoly
Network effects
Opportunity Cost
Price Discrimination
Prisoner’s Dilemma
Public and Private Goods.
Specialization
Supply and Demand
Switching Costs
Transaction Costs
Tragedy of the Commons
Time Value of Money
Utility
Engineering:
Breakpoints
Feedback loops
Margin of Safety
Redundancy
Law:
Burden of Proof
Common law
Due Process
Duty of care
Good Faith
Negligence
Presumption of Innocence
Reasonable doubt
Management Science:
Occam’s razor
Parkinson’s Law
Process versus Outcome
Mathematics, Probability and Statistics:
Agent Based Models
Bayes Theorem
Central Limit Theorem
Complex Adaptive Systems
Correlation versus Causation
Combinations
Compounding
Decision Trees
Inversion
Kelly Optimization Model
Law of Large Numbers
Mean, Median, Mode
Normal Distribution
Permutations
Power Law
Regression Analysis
Return to the Mean
Scaling
Sensitivity Analysis
Philosophy, Literature and Rhetoric:
Metaphors
Similes
Abduction
Pragmatism
Realism
Reductionism
Physics:
Critical Mass
Electromagnetism
Equilibrium
Inertia
Newton’s Laws
Momentum
Quantum Mechanics
Relativity
Shannon’s Law
Thermodynamics
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Doi ani nu au răspuns niciunei întrebări, doar celor puse de procurori. Sunt trei, administrau împreună clubul Colectiv, iar acum răspund împreună pentru moartea a 64 de oameni şi rănirea pe viaţă a peste 100. La doi ani de la tragedie, unul dintre patronii clubului a vorbit în exclusivitate cu reporterul Digi24 Ioana Ciurlea. Un interviu în premieră cu Costin Mincu, despre responsabilitate, vină, învăţăminte şi viitor.
Ioana Ciurlea: Aş vrea să ne întoarcem în seara de 30 octombrie 2015, ştim ce nenorocire a fost la Colectiv, unii de la televitor, alţii pentru că am fost acolo. Unde eraţi în seara aceea și cum aţi aflat ce s-a întâmplat?
Costin Mincu: Eram în Bucureşti, am aflat de la cei doi asociaţi ai mei și de la unul dintre angajaţi, care m-au sunat și mi-au spus ce se întâmplă. În primele momente nu am ştiut cum să reacţionez, ulterior, după câteva zeci de minute, m-am îndreptat către club. Mi-am dat seama ajungând în apropierea clubului că nu pot intra, exista un perimetru, erau foarte mulţi salvatori, foarte multe forţe de ordine, mi-am sunat singurul prieten care îmi este și avocat și am plecat împreună către Poliţia Capitalei.
- Vă sunaseră deja poliţiştii?
- Nu, pe drum unul dintre colegii mei a fost sunat.
- Dar de ce aţi simţit nevoia să mergeţi la poliţie?
- Nu am ştiut cum să reacţionez. În primul rând nu înţelegeam ce s-a întâmplat, am crezut că este vorba de o explozie, nu puteam să îmi explic nimic. Aveam doar percepţia unei tragedii enorme și nu ştiam unde să merg în altă parte. M-am gândit automat că pot fi de folos, nemaiputând intra înăuntru, doar să merg la poliţie.
„Orice mi se va întâmpla de acum încolo este incomparabil cu suferinţa lor”
- Aţi fi putut fi în seara aia în club?
- Categoric da. Este o întâmplare că nu am fost și rămâne un gând permanent, dar aşa a fost să fie.
- Care gând?
- Că ar fi trebuit să fiu acolo și că dacă eram poate aş fi reușit cumva să împiedic tot ce s-a întâmplat.
- Ati fost arestaţi.
- Nu ştiu cum să vă spun... Consider că este ofensator pentru victime să vorbesc despre ce mi s-a întâmplat mie. Pentru că orice mi s-a întâmplat mie și orice mi se va întâmpla de acum încolo este incomparabil cu suferinţa lor. Referitor la arest, eu personal consider întemeiată prima parte a arestului, un judecător a considerat că în acel moment se impune, lucru pe care îl consider absolut drept.
- Ati ştiut vreun moment că materialele pe care le folosiți nu sunt sigure pentru situaţii de incendiu?
- Nu, nu am ştiut nicio clipă că materialele sunt neconforme, la fel cum nu am crezut niciodată că există o stare de pericol. Nimic din toată perioada în care a existat clubul, acolo având loc foarte multe evenimente, majoritatea dintre ele cu mai mulţi oameni decât au fost în acea seară, nimic nu m-a făcut să cred că există o stare de pericol real și că se poate întâmpla ceva, nici măcar cu un rezultat mult mai mic.
„Sunt total de acord că am folosit materiale neconforme. Partea cu ieftin eu sincer nu o înţeleg”
- Procurorii vă acuză că aţi cumpărat materiale ieftine.
- Da, asta este sintagma pe care toată lumea o are în cap atunci când se gândeşte la noi, la patroni. Din punctul meu de vedere, și susţin cu tărie lucrul asta, este total neadevărată. În aceleași timp sunt părţi din această acuzaţie pe care eu nu le înţeleg. Nu cunosc să existe ceva în lege care să te oblige să cumperi ceva la un anumit preţ. Sunt total de acord că am folosit materiale neconforme, dar la asta cred că ar trebui să se limiteze o acuzare. Partea cu ieftin eu sincer nu o înţeleg. Aceste materiale ne-au fost ofertate, ne-a fost dat să alegem între mai multe materile, de către o firmă de construcţii care a executat și lucrarea. Administratorul acestei firme, constructorul în fapt, a avut câteva apariţii publice imediat după incendiu, a doua sau a treia zi, dânsul a lansat acestă teorie, spunând le-am oferit mai multe materiale, unele mai scumpe, altele mai ieftine, unele cu un grad de rezistenţă la foc mai mare, altele cu grad mai mic, insistând că noi am ales varianta mai ieftină. Procuroii ne numesc pe noi în rechizitoriu constructori...
Această firmă nu are nicio calitate în dosar, lucru pe care eu îl consider nedrept. Dar nu este vorba exclusiv de punctul meu de vedere, ci de punctul de vedere al expertului, expert numit de procuratură, deci nu este un expert parte al nostru. Este expertiza-bază de la care pleacă ancheta procurorilor, pentru că, vedeţi, absolut normal, procurorii nefiind experţi într-un anumit domeniu, simt nevoia să se adreseze unui expert care să le explice legal și din punct de vedere tehnic cine și ce parte de responsabilitate a avut în această tragedie. În expertiza tehnică judiciară domnul inginer scrie negru pe alb: „executantul lucrărilor pentru Music Holl este SC Luxuary Media SRL, aceasta a executat lucrări cu nerespectarea legii privind calitatea soluţilor tehnice adoptate.” Este clar că acest burete nu a fost lipit de noi, nu am fost să îl căutăm într-un magazin, să îl cumpărăm și să îl lipim singuri. Repet, nu pot să înteleg de ce la doi ani de la eveniment acest constructor nu este tras la răspundere sub nicio formă, nu este parte din dosar, este doar martor în acuzarea noastră.
Mai departe, referitor la sintagma asta care atârnă cu patroni care au cumpărat ceva ieftin, vreau să vă arăt decalaraţia domnului Suto, administratorului societăţii, care spune în faţa procurorilor „valoarea totală a lucărilor pe care le-am executat aferente amenajărilor se ridică la suma de 64 de mii de lei cu TVA, achitată integral de client.” Eu nu consider sub nicio formă că aceste lucrări au fost ieftine, și aşa cum a declarat executantul lucrărilor el a fost cel care ne-a oferit soluţiile. Noi l-am găsit pe internet, am văzut un site foarte bine făcut, lucrări expuse, dânsul având clar o experienţă în a face aceste lucrări de design acustic. Am mers către constructorul care ni s-a părut cel mai aplicat pentru această specialitate și care prezenta o experienţă, din acest punct de vedere. Am spus asta și în faţa procurorilor, soluţiile care ne-au fost prezentate de domnul Suto ne-au fost propuse cu titlul că au mai fost executate și în alte cluburi. Eu am o amintire cu clubul Union Jack din Galaţi, dânsul ne-a spus că aceste soluţii au fost aplicate și acolo. Eu nu cred că poate fi legal ca un constructor cu experienţă și expertiză să ofere materiale neconforme și să execute lucrări faţă de contractanţi care nu au niciun fel de specializare în acest domeniu. Nu am crezut nicio clipă că aceste materiale pot fi atat de periculoase. Tot în acestă expertiză tehnico-judiciară, la întrebarea procurorului dacă buretele și adezivul folosit este conform pentru a fi pus în vânzare, răspunsul expertului este NU. Adică aceste materiale se vindeau ilegal, ele neavând toate certificările pentru rezistenţă la foc. Aceste certificări ne aduc înapoi la ISU, pentru că laboratoarele ISU, din ce scrie domnul expert, sunt cele care trebuie să reglementeze fiecare material dacă este sau nu conform, în ce condiţii se poate utiliza. Procurorii bănuiesc că au citit această expertiză, aşa cum am citit-o și noi. Mă aşteptam ca aceste materiale să fie retrase de pe piaţă, pentru că acest burete extrem de periculos poate fi folosit în continuare în grădiniţe, şcoli, în alte baruri.
- Unde crezi că ai greșit?
- Categoric resimt o parte din responsabilitate și cred că am partea mea de responsabilitate în toată tragedia asta. Nu am ştiut să fac ceva ca tragedia asta să nu se întâmple, dacă aş fi putut să fac ceva aş fi făcut, doar că nu priveam atunci lucrurile aşa cum le privesc acum.
- Cum a fost autorizat clubul, atunci când voi aţi mers la primărie să anunţaţi că deschideţi un loc în care vor fi mulţi oameni...
- Colegul meu Cătălin s-a ocupat de partea de documente. Din câte ştiu, felul în care am obţinut noi autorizaţia de la primărie este un fel absolut normal pentru momentul respectiv. Pașii sunt următorii, te duci la primărie, spui că vrei autorizaţie, ţi se dă o listă cu un set de acte necesare, depui aceste documente, plăteşti taxele aferente și după o anumită perioadă de timp ţi se eliberează autorizaţia de funcţionare.
- Există câteva neconcordanţe între timpii în care au fost depuse cererile, în sensul că cererea de eliberare a autorizaţiei a fost depusă înainte de cererea de eliberarea a avizului, or legea spune că înâi ai nevoie de aviz și mai apoi de autorizaţie.
- Nu ştiu să vă spun absolut nimic în legătură cu asta... Din punctul meu de vedere aşa funcţionau primăriile. Nu ştiu să vă spun mai mult... Înţeleg de ce primăria și primarul, funcţionarii care au eliberat acele documente, sunt trimiși în judecată, pentru că au eliberat o autorizaţie de funcţionare pentru un spaţiu mai mare de 200 de metri pătraţi cu nerespectarea legii împotriva incendiilor, care spune că pentru spaţii aglomerate nu se poate da avizul și acordul de funcţionare decât în urma obţinerii avizului de securitate la incendiu. De ce dânșii au făcut lucrurile aşa nu ştiu, mă depăşeşte.
- Aveaţi o declaraţie dată pe propria răspundere.
- Cătalin a depus această declaraţie pe propria răspundere. Nu ştiu cum arată, din câte înţeleg, declari pe propria răspundere că eşti conform cu orice alte documente ar mai fi necesare. Consider cumva incorect și nedrept, deși cumva mă depăşeşte. Nu pot însă să nu mă întreb, după toată tragedia asta, cum este posibil să atribui unor oameni, care nu au niciun fel de specialitate în prevenirea incendiilor, responsabilitatea de a avea grijă de vieţile altor oameni. Clar în cazul nostru nu a fost vorba de un spaţiu de 200 de metri, dar colegul meu nu a minţit absolut deloc în niciun formular completat. E deja de notorietate că pe autorizaţie scria 80 de locuri. Bun. Autorizaţia a fost obţinută pentru 420 de mp, dimensiunea reală a clubului. Nimeni nu a spus că este mai mic decât este. Nimeni nu a minţit... Procurorii spun că am declarat un număr de scaune mai mic... În primul rând, nu ştiu ca primăria să normeze numărul de locuri. Înţeleg că în special după tragedia de la Colectiv, numărul de locuri este normat de inspectorii ISU.
-Și atunci ce este cu aceste 80 de locuri?
- Acest număr de scaune este cerut de dânșii pentru a norma o taxă de mediu. În clubul Colectiv nu existau mai mult de 80 de scaune. Încă o dată, în declaraţie colegul meu Cătalin a spus clar, sunt 420 de mp pentru care solicităm autorizaţie și 80 de scaune. Cu un an înainte de tragedie noi anunţam poliţia pe adresa de mail oficială de existenţa unui eveniment identic cu cel din noaptea tragediei în care noi închiriam spaţiul către un organizator de evenimente, iar organizatorul urma să aibă un spectacol cu 600 de persoane.
- Și de ce aţi anunţat poliţia atunci?
- Am fost vizitaţi de un inspector de la poliţie în ideea că noi regmentări cereau din partea noastră să avem camere de supraveghere montate în club, să avem un contract cu o firmă de securitate.
- Vreau să vă întreb sincer dacă aţi dat vreodată bani?
- Nu. Înţeleg exact întrebarea dumneavoastră. Poate merg într-o direcţie în care unii vor judeca, dar oamenii care au ieșit în stradă în momentul colectiv au spus „corupţia ucide.” Nu există aşa ceva în cazul nostru, după cunoştiinţele mele nu...
- Dar vi s-a cerut vreodată?
- Nu. Când Cătalin a depus la primărie... Cum să vă spun? Poate că această autorizaţie de funcţionare este dată prea uşor, dar trebuie să vă gândiţi că taxa pentru a funcţiona un an în legalitate este 3000 de lei. Nu s-a pus niciodată problema de a plăti ceva în plus. Nu!
- Câţi oameni erau în club în seara de 30 octombrie?
- De doi ani de zile toată lumea vorbeşte de 400 de oameni. În expertiza Institutului Naţional de expertize Criminalistice, în urma vizionărilor imaginilor de pe camerele de supraveghere, constată un număr între 270 și 290. Nu pot spune cu precizie pentru că erau persoane care mai ieşeau, mai intrau, evenimentul fiind cu intrarea liberă.
- Și spuneţi că în alte seri au fost cinci, şase sute de oameni?
- Da. Da. Da. Categoric, dacă dimensiunile acestei tragedii sunt cum sunt la 290 de oameni te gândeşti cumva în urmă ce s-ar fi întâmplat la 600 de persoane.
- Aţi ştiut până în momentul tragediei sau chiar în noaptea aceea că nu sunteţi în regulă din punct de al siguranţei la incendiu?
- Categoric nu. Fără a încerca să înlătur partea mea de responsabilitate în toată tragedia asta, consider că ar trebui fiecare să răspundă pentru ce a făcut și pentru ce era în zona lui de competenţă. Inspectorii ISU care au verificat și au întocmit documente și au făcut instructajul angajaţiilor de la clubul Colectiv în vederea prevenirii incendiilor, erau inspectori la departamentul de autorizare și prevenţie. Adică... prevenţie și autorizare.. Nu altceva. Ma gândesc că dânșii erau primii specialişti care ar fi putut să spună dacă un burete era conform, dacă o ieșire este neconformă, dacă trebuie să faci ceva în aşa fel încât oamenii să fie în siguranţă în acel loc.
- În Colectiv era o singură ieșire...
- Da... Existau două ieșiri, una era blocată, pentru că a doua ieșire comunica cu alt club. Practic era... Cum să vă spun... comună.
- Dar dacă uşa aia ar fi fost deschisă...
- Nu ştiu să vă spun... Din punct de vedere al experţilor, dânșii spun că ar fi fost un pericol și mai mare pentru că în clubul Salsa, aflat perete în perete cu Colectiv, în seara tragediei erau alţi oameni. Probabil această uşă ar fi însemnat extinderea tragediei și în clubul alăturat. Eu înţeleg perfect că căile de acces pe care le aveam noi nu au fost suficiente, este clar pentru mine, dar spun că oameni care au studii de specialitate și care sunt avizaţi în a reglementa aceste lucruri au intrat, au ieșit pe aceleași uși, și nu o dată, de mai multe ori, nu au fost doar aceste controle, au fost și alte autorităţi care ne-au controlat în tot acest timp și nimeni nu a spus niciodată „Băi, aici la voi este o problemă, există un scenariu în care cineva poate să păţească ceva”. Nimeni, niciodată nu a spus asta.
- Și nu v-aţi pus problema?
- Nu, pentru că în momentul în care cineva care e specialist îţi spune: ești în regulă, îţi întocmeşte documente, îţi instruieşte personalul, completează teancuri de documente, nu-ţi pui problema „ştiţi eu consider că dvs nu faceţi bine ce faceţi”. Pentru că administratorul unei societăţi comerciale nu are o pregătire în domeniu. În fapt nu este o meserie în nomenclatorul de meserii. Ok... Sunt responsabilităţi, dar ce susţin eu este că pentru soluţionarea acestui dosar ar fi drept să judecăm fiecare responsabilitate în cadrul de competenţă al fiecărui participant la acestă tragedie.
Cred că dacă trecem uşor peste și organele care au atribuţii în a schimba ceva trec peste partea asta, consider că există un risc major ca incidente de genul asta să se întâmple din nou.
Aș vrea să vă citesc tot din această expertiză tehnico-judiciară: Instituţiile publice, primării, inspectorate pentru situaţii de urgenţă, inspectoratul de stat în construcţii nu au un rol activ în îndrumarea investitorilor pentru desfăşurarea diverselor lucrări și prevenirea încălcării normelor, acestea asumându-și, de regulă, doar rolul de control. Disfuncţiile majore care au condus la evenimentele la care face referire dosarul puteau fi prevenite în cazul în care fiecare instituţie dintre cele enumerate aveau rol activ în întocmirea unor proceduri clare și aplicabile la care să aibă acces orice persoană care doreşte să desfăşoare o activitate comercială într-un spaţiu ce urmează a fi construit sau reamenajat.
Noi am fost controlaţi, chiar de inspectorii de la departamentul de prevenţie. Dânșii au dispus nişte măsuri, au spus: „ştiţi un circuit nu este bun, ar trebui schimbat, montată un fel de siguranţă suplimentară”.
- Și aţi făcut asta?
- Da. Tot dânșii au spus că este o dicuţie mare pe tema extinctoarelor, au spus ar trebui să cumpăraţi extintoare. Sunt facturi în dosar care arată că noi am cumpărat extinctoare.
„Dacă lucrurile se opresc cumva în stadiul ăsta în care suntem după doi ani nu se va ști niciodată adevărul”
- Și totuși, în dosar scrie că au fost folosite foarte puţine extinctoare.
- Nu ştiu să vă răspund. Cineva ar trebui să desluşească toate aceste lucruri, dar eu vă spun că este factură, colegul meu Alin chiar după primele vizite ale pompierilor a achiziţionat aceste extinctoare.
- Dar ştiţi dacă extinctoarele erau la îndemâna oamenilor și au fost uşor de utilizat?
- Eu ştiu că erau răspândite cumva prin toată sala. Nu ştiu ce s-a întâmplat în momentele alea de panică, e clar că a fost disfuncţională toată partea asta de intervenţie.
- Pompierii au spus iniţial că nu ştiu de existenţa clubului Colectiv.
- Lucrul asta din nefericire este consemnat în rechizitoriu de către procuratură. Procuratura și în momentul în care a trimis acest dosar în instanţă consemnează un răspuns oficial al ISU prin care spune că nu avea cunoştinţă de existenţa clubului Colectiv. Este de notorietate în acest moment că ISU cunoştea de existenţa clubului. În primă fază ministrul de Interne de la acea vreme, domnul Oprea, și domnul Arafat au ieșit în noapte incendiului și în zilele următoare susţinând că ISU nu cunoştea de existenţa clubului. În timpul audierilor noastre, noi am spus mereu „ştiţi, noi am fost controlaţi și ni s-au întocmit documente”. Mai mult decât atât, planul de evacuare, de exemplu, a fost întocmit de aceşti oameni.
În acele momente, indiferent de ce am fi spus noi, direcţia anchetei era una și aceeași. După ce alţi administratori au ieșit public și au spus „vedeţi că oamenii aştia trei au dreptate, și noi am fost controlaţi de acceași inspectori”, DNA deschide un dosar și se îndreaptă spre acesti doi inspectori care au efectuat controlul.
ISU revine cu un comunicat și se delimitează total de cei doi, spunând că aceştia au venit în nume propriu în control și că şefii lor ierarhici nu cunoşteau activitatea dânșilor de control pe platforma Pionierul. Nu cred că există un om care să poată să creadă aşa ceva.
Cu aproximativ o lună înainte, organizatorul Emagic înştiinţează ISU la nivel de comandă, oficial, prin fax, că va organiza un eveniment la care aşteaptă 200 de persoane în clubul Colectiv și în etajul 1 al Fabricii pionierul.
Li se răspunde, „da e în regulă, cunoaştem”... Dânșii solicită și doi pompieri în cadrul evenimentului, li se spune „nu avem cum să vă trimitem, aveţi grijă ce se întâmplă”. În momentul în care avocatul, chiar în timpul unor audieri pe care le aveam în faţa procurorilor, a vrut să depună acest document, dovada fără nicio urmă de dubiu că ISU ştia de noi, procurorul, după ce și-a trecut privirea prin el a spus, „mda, depuneți prin registratură, nu mă deranjați acum”. Ulterior, după ce acest document a fost publicat de domnul Tolontan, același procuror îl suna pe avocatul meu să îi ceară acest document, între timp depus prin registratură.
Momentul în care domnul Arafat spune „am fost minţit” elucidează acest mister și spune clar că ISU a minţit când a spus că nu ştia de noi, nu erau în baza noastră de date. Am să spun asta încă o dată. Cred că am partea mea de responsabilitate în toată tragedia asta și mai cred că dacă lucrurile se opresc cumva în stadiul asta în care suntem după doi ani, nu se va şti niciodată adevărul, nu se va înţelege niciodată cum de s-a ajuns la o asemenea tragedie, discutând de ceva nemaiîntâmplat în România și n-o să înţelegem ce ar fi trebuit să facem să nu se producă.
- Una dintre acuzaţiile procuorilor este că aţi încurajat participarea unui număr foarte mare de oameni la concertul respectiv.
- Nu consider că am încurajat, categoric eu am greșit, am fost într-o eroare imensă, considerând că acel club nu are niciun fel de problemă din punctul asta de vedere. Noi nu am fost normaţi de nicio instituţie la un anumit număr de oameni, nu ne-a zis nimeni că putem funcţiona, dar că avem o capacitate limitată.
Această acuzaţie, că am permis și încurajat un număr mare de oameni, este luată din acest contract de închiriere. În contract, nu ca o condiţie a contractului, ci ca o modalitate de plată, se stipula că pentru un anumit prag de oameni există un anumit preţ al chiriei. Vedeţi, procurorii interpretează subiectiv acest contract de închiriere... nu ştiu... poate aşa e meseria lor, dar la fel mie mi se pare nedrept. Nimeni nu a spus în cadrul contractului: dacă nu vin 400 de oameni nu puteţi ţine evenimentul. Puteau să vină 50, 100, 400. În funcţie de câţi veneau, acest prag al chiriei scădea, dar asta nu era o condiţie a contractului. E clar că în acel spaţiu au fost prea mulţi oameni, nimeni nu poate să creadă altceva, pentru că avem tragedia în sine care vorbeşte, dar de ce dânșii aduc această acuzaţie suplimentară... Eu nu înţeleg prea bine acest „aţi încurajat”. „Aţi încurajat” mie îmi spune că am avut o intenţie, iar noi suntem acuzaţi de nişte fapte din culpă. Noi nu am ştiu ce număr de persoane suportă acestă sală pentru a nu pune în pericol viaţa nimănui. Nicio secundă nu am avut o percepţie clară, iar noi să încurajăm un număr mai mare decât ar fi trebuit acolo.
- Factorul declanşator al incendiului au fost acele artificii. Ştiaţi că vor fi montate în club?
- Nu, eu nu am avut cunoştinţă de acest lucru.
- Dar aţi fi permis utilizarea lor?
- Nu, și vă spun de ce. Sub acel burete exista un tavan fals din lemn. Și noi, cumva, ne-am gândit la acel tavan din lemn că ar putea fi...
- Bun, dar în club se și fuma. Teoretic se putea aprinde ceva și de la o ţigară.
- Este adevărat, doar că, vedeţi, îmi este foarte uşor după tragedie asta imensă să îmi imaginez scenarii de genul acesta. Doar că întorcându-mă înapoi nu aveam niciun reper care să mă facă măcar să îmi imaginez acest lucru. Am spus asta și în faţa judecătorului de drepturi și libertăţi, dacă aş putea să dau timpul înapoi, l-aş da și aş face ceva să nu se întâmple. Din păcate asta e doar o expresie a regretului, pentru că, continuând acest exerciţiu de imaginaţie, dacă aş da timpul înapoi, cu suma de cunoştinţe de atunci, nu aş putea schimba nimic. Pentru că nu ne-am imaginat niciodată, nici eu nici colegii mei, că aşa ceva se poate întâmpla. Continuând însă cu întrebarea dvs, eu nu am fost în club în ziua aia, dar colegul meu Alin a interzis folosirea acestora. Înştiinţat de unul dintre angajaţi, el s-a dus către oameni care montau aceste artificii și le-a spus: nu montaţi lucrurile astea aici. Asta este iar o parte peste care procurorii trec uşor și nu o iau în considerare.
- Dar firma de artificii este responsabilă în dosar...
- Este responsabilă, dar vedeţi, noi suntem acuzaţi că nu am oprit acel joc de artificii. Alin le-a spus, nu le montaţi, este riscant, iar artificierul fiind, încă o dată, un om avizat, de specialitate, în timpul meseriei lui, i-a spus că acele artificii sunt cu flacără rece.
Patron Colectiv: Procurorii au greșit când s-au grăbit să trimită dosarul în judecată
- Sunteţi judecaţi pentru ucidere și vătămare din culpă. Sunt două procese începute, pompierii într-o parte, voi, artificierii și responsabilii de la primărie în alt proces.
- Noi suntem trimiși în judecată fără a fi trimis, la doi ani de la tragedie, și pirotehnistul care a declanşat artificiile în seara respectivă.
- El a fost rănit și a fost introdus în anchetă mai târziu...
- Din punctul meu de vedere procurorii s-au grăbit, probabil în urma unei presiuni publice, să trimită dosarul în judecată, dar la doi ani după, acest pirotehnist nu este trimis. Eu nu am studii în domeniu, dar nu pot să nu mă întreb cum poate judeca un judecător fără omul care a aprins practic clubul. Sper că dosarul celor doi ofiţeri ISU va fi reunit cu aceste două dosare și sper că pirotehnistul va fi trimis în judecată în aşa fel încât în momentul în care se va judeca acest dosar judecătorul să poată să aibă în faţă toţi oamenii care sunt în momentul asta găsiţi responsabili pentru ce s-a întâmplat. Mai mult, revin, nu ştiu cum poate judeca un judecător fără a fi nici măcar anchetat constructorul, firma care a realizat lucrărille.
- Care va fi apărarea dumneavoastră? V-aţi gândit să pledaţi vinovat și atunci lucrurile ar fi, cel puţin din punct de vedere al etapelor procesului, mult mai simple?
- Nu mă gândesc din acest punct de vedere. N-am cum să mă gândesc altfel, sunt conştient, aşa cum v-am spus pe parcursul acestui interviu, că am partea mea de responsabilitate, dar aş vrea să fie definită corect și să înţeleg la sfârşit cu ce am greșit, unde era de competenţa mea să fac ceva și unde nu am făcut. Cred că asta ar trebui să își dorească toată lumea, să ştim când se va termina acest proces tot adevărul. Cum s-a putut întâmpla aşa ceva, ce oameni au greșit, ce instituţii au greșit. Vedeţi, eu mă refer la acest dosar până în momentul tragediei, dar el consider că are o parte destul de mare și după acest moment. Am observat în instanţă că sunt avocaţi ai părţilor vătămate care cer și introducerea și altor persoane și instituţii care au avut un rol post eveniment. Din punctul meu de vedere, în forma în care este acum, se judecă o parte din tot ce s-a întâmplat și sunt alte direcţii ale dosarului care sunt total neluate în calcul de procurori pentru că judecătorul judecă ce i s-a trimis spre judecată. Atâta timp cât procurorii nu închid celealte cauze, nu adună toţi oamenii, nu văd cum ar putea fi un prces echitabil.
- La ce vă aşteptaţi? Acuzaţiile care vi se aduc presupun pedepse de 15 ani de închisoare.
- Îmi doresc ca la finalul procesului toate lucrurile să fie clare. Și... da, înţeleg să îmi asum greşelile și voi fi pedepsit pentru ele, aşa cum va considera judecătorul, decizia va deveni definitivă dintr-un anumit punct și din acel punct... voi începe o pedeapsă. Consider că e tot ce pot să fac. În același timp, ce mă apasă este că nu văd până în acest moment o intenţie clară a celor care se ocupă de anchetă să ducă tot acest proces și toată acestă tragedie spre o lumină totală.
Ce i-ar spune unui părinte care și-a pierdut copilul în Colectiv
- Sunt părinţi, rude ale celor care au murit sau care au rămas schilodiţi pe viaţă care cer sume foarte mari de bani, despăgubiri de ordinul sutelor de milioane de euro. Vă gândiţi la lucrul asta și la ce aţi putea pierde din punctul ăsta de vedere?
- Din punct de vedere personal... Nu am ce pierde mai mult... Sunt un om absolut normal, nu am sume de bani, averi, case, mașini de lux sau tot ce s-a speculat imediat după incendiu. Mi se pare absolut normal ca părţile vătămate să ceară prejudicii.
- Ce i-aţi răspunde unui părinte pe care l-aţi putea întâlni pe stradă sau în sala de judecată dacă v-ar spune că și-a pierdut copilul din cauza dvs?
- Că îmi pare rău. Îmi cer iertare și regret că nu am ştiut să fac ceva în aşa fel încât tragedia să nu se întâmple. Mai mult de atât... ce să îi spun... Nu am pretenţia că înţeleg durerea prin care trec oamenii care au pierdut oameni acolo...
- S-a schimbat ceva în România în perioada asta?
- Cred că anumite lucruri s-au schimbat, cel puţin la nivel de percepţie, ne punem alte întrebări și societatea vede altfel lucrurile vizavi de toată partea asta de securitate la incendiu. Oamenii au învăţat să își pună întrebări, dacă un loc e sigur, dacă nu e sigur, dar ce cred că nu s-a schimbat este atitudinea autorităţilor, legislaţia, pregătirea oamenilor pentru asemenea accidente nu s-au schimbat. Și aici exemplele sunt clare. Evenimentul din clubul Bamboo, evenimentul de la azilul de bătrâni care e extrem de recent. Astea nu se pot schimba până când instituţia care are rolul detrminant de a ne proteja pe noi toţi de astfel de evenimente nu înţelege că rolul ei de prevenire a fost și rămâne unul nul.
- În aceşti doi ani care au trecut de la tragedie nimeni nu v-a auzit vorbind. Deloc.
- La început nici nu aş fi putut să vorbesc, nu am înteles mult timp ce s-a întâmplat. Pe măsură ce timpul a trecut s-au strâns lucrurile de care vorbim acum. Am crezut mereu că o declaraţie, un interviu, ar putea răni familiile și aşa destul de rănite și sper că în interviul ăsta nu i-am lezat cu absolut nimic. Vorbesc acum pentru că nu văd sub nicio formă lucrurile îndreptându-se, adică nu văd o dorinţă reală de a se înţelege ce s-a întâmplat la Colectiv și de a se distribui responsabilităţile corect, în aşa fel încât restul societăţii, care nu este afectată de acest eveniment, să înţeleagă și să schimbe anumite lucrurile făcând un al doilea Colectiv o experienţă irepetabilă. | {
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are a group of world class athletes who have performed the world’s greatest exhibitions of power, strength, speed, inspiration, and motivation in every state and in over 40 countries for over 30 years. They use their talents to spread the gospel and inspire people around the world to make positive changes in their lives. | {
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YouTube has been largely overlooked in the national discussion about the spread of fake news, which typically centers around Facebook and Twitter. But that is changing. Last week, writer James Bridle posted on Medium about the booming world of online videos for children. Bridle explores a world of automatically generated videos based on children’s content on YouTube, as well as human-generated parodies of kid content that might show up in their feeds. It’s too easy for scammers to harvest revenue from traffic from kids’ attention. “I suppose it’s naive not to see the deliberate versions of this coming,” Bridle writes. YouTube has said it will implement new policies in response.
ICYMI: Breitbart’s “sinister” response to Washington Post‘s recent bombshell
But it’s only one of many problems that Google (which owns YouTube) is dealing with in surfacing good information, whether on Google, Google News, or YouTube. While the platform does not want to hide any content (except videos produced to promote terrorism), it continues to get bad press when it surfaces fake news or conspiracy theories as primary results. Google was heavily criticized last month after its search promoted a 4chan post spreading misinformation about the Vegas shooter. And, of course, Google also recently testified alongside Facebook and Twitter in Congressional hearings about potential Russian use of their platforms to influence the election.
In the wake of the Sutherland Springs shooting, The New York Times podcast The Daily and others have pointed out how YouTube, especially in the information vacuum following a violent incident, will prioritize clips of reactionary commentators making up information above actual news reports.
ICYMI: Why people are concerned about the Times‘s Monday Trump administration scoop
This isn’t just bad for the consumer, it’s also bad for business. In September, Forbes reported that YouTube advertisers were “spooked” that their ads would be sold against questionable content. And YouTube’s response, in turn, had a negative effect when many legitimate YouTubers also saw their videos de-monetized. The company is now experimenting with other options for creators to make money—so that the few bad apples don’t end up ruining the harvest.
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For a history of changes on YouTube, visit our handy platform timeline.
More on platforms and journalism:
YouTube is also taking a stronger stance on extremist content, removing more of the jihadist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki’s sermons from its platform. Previously the platform limited removal of videos to hateful or violent content, but it has expanded its purview.
Sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom observes that the Facebook ads shown to her changed when she was reaching out to various populations for her research on non-traditional students. I’m curious: have any journalists experienced the same? Let us know at the email below.
The Tow Center for Digital Journalism’s Research Director Jonathan Albright has also written (before joining Tow) about how AI can easily generate fake news en masse on YouTube by packing segments with keywords.
“Even small independent news outlets can have a dramatic effect on the content of national conversation,” says a new, five-year study from Harvard touting the advantages of being a smaller, independent outlet in this day and age. This study nicely complements the findings from a study at the Tow Center, set to go live in a few hours, on how local newsrooms can capitalize on the unique reporting they bring to the field.
Other notable stories
A scary story in Wired, “How one woman’s digital life was weaponized against her.”
ICYMI: Twitter’s bot problem isn’t going away
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Nausicaa Renner is digital editor of CJR. | {
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Stastical Advice for A/B Testing
A/B testing is awesome. It's fun, it's lucrative, and it's one of the most visible and impactful things that you can do as a data scientist / statistician / anyone-interested-in-optimization at a company. It's undeniably satisfying to see a change you proposed make a multi-million dollar difference. (If only you could get paid on commission!)
Before you write that email to your CEO demanding a raise, though, it's worth making sure that your test-evaluating process is correct. It would be... unfortunate if subsequent testing showed that your decision to color all your CTA buttons hot pink wasn't worth the "mad stacks" that you claimed, and was in fact actively harmful. To avoid such embarassments, you'd like to implement some sound statistical practices for evaluating your A/B tests.
Unfortunately, good statistical methods for A/B testing are more complicated then they are sometimes thought to be. (If you haven't already read it, check out the whitepaper "Most Winning A/B Test Results are Illusory".) Questionable practices seem to be widespread (take a look at the first few hits on Google), and these mistakes can fatally bias your A/B testing program.
So here are five recommendations to correct for what are in my experience the most frequent difficulties. This is scattered advice for specific issues, rather than a blueprint for the elusive Perfect Process for Evaluating A/B Tests, but I hope that it's helpful in thinking about the way you'd like to run your experiments. Most of this articles are written from a Bayesian perspective (primarily because I like having posterior distributions), but there's some Frequentist content as well - both approaches have their merits in different situations.
The Beta distribution is preferable to its normal approximation when modeling a \(k\)-successes-out-of-\(n\)-IID-trials test, e.g., a converstion-rate-based A/B test. Hopefully your sample size is large enough for this not to matter, but it's worth being aware of - especially when you have a small sample, or your conversion rate is close to \(0\) or \(1\), since these are situations in which the normal approximation is particularly bad.
Failing to correct for multiple comparisons is one of the most common A/B testing mistakes. Hierarchical models are one way to address this problem.
If you stop an A/B test as soon as the results "look significant", you put yourself at a shockingly high risk of false positives. Set a stopping time in advance, or use a conservative dynamic p-value.
Follow-up testing is a cheap way to double-check your test. Do it! Also, be mindful of your overall success rate; when this is low, you should be especially suspicious of successful tests.
Coming soon. For now, just worry :-) | {
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Oracle is the top database vendor, leading with a market share of 41.6% in an industry that is worth $36 billion. Amazon Web Services trails way behind Oracle on that list, in fifth place. At first blush, this may seem like a no-contest between a leader and a laggard, but you’d be mistaken. AWS is the top cloud database today.
Source: DB-engines.com
AWS has climbed the ranks fast, and is a growing threat to Oracle. This is obvious in the amount of time Larry Ellison spent trashing AWS databases at the last Oracle OpenWorld. But how do AWS’ database services compare with those of Oracle’s? That’s what we discuss in this post.
AWS database options
AWS provides a wide range of cloud services, including VMs, databases, storage, monitoring, serverless computing, and more. Over the last decade, Amazon has been evolving its database services, and today has a foothold in the entrenched database market.
Amazon’s first cloud database service was SimpleDB, a NoSQL database launched in 2007. This database has a storage limit of 10GB per domain, and isn’t very scalable. However, AWS offers a slew of other database products such as RDS, DynamoDB, and Aurora, each serving a different purpose.
DynamoDB is a NoSQL database service that’s easy to manage. However, AWS Aurora, the newest of AWS’ databases, delivers high throughput at lower costs than DynamoDB, and is now preferred over DynamoDB. RDS is a relational database service with options to run six different database engines, including Oracle and Aurora.
But what makes AWS databases stand out from competitors? The cloud. Amazon made it easy for users to migrate and run traditional databases like Oracle’s—on its own cloud. While the competition was happy to sell more physical servers to their customers, AWS focused on building a database service that’s cloud-native, fully managed, and delivers on the key objectives of a database service.
AWS databases perform well on three important and basic features of a database—elasticity, availability, and cost efficiency.
Elasticity: Traditional databases scale up. This is a big drawback because you need to keep purchasing expensive servers as your needs grow. AWS databases, on the other hand, are able to scale to any extent on demand. So, as your organization grows and requires more storage, AWS databases scale automatically and greatly improve utilization.
Availability: Creating backups of your work is very important, as there is always the chance that you could lose your data for good. Oracle lets you perform basic backups using RMAN (and for advanced backup, you need to pay for a separate backup service). With AWS, though, your data is automatically backed up in two different locations apart from your original database. So if by chance the original data is corrupted or lost, you have two other backups.
Flexible cost: Traditional database vendors like Oracle charge customers on a yearly or monthly licensing model. This requires you to plan ahead and over-provision resources in case of a spike. AWS, on the other hand, lets you pay for use. This saves costs, and ensures you’re ready for any spike in volume.
AWS’ focus on making databases easy to manage and scale is paying off. At the recent AWS Summit, Werner Vogels, AWS CTO, said that in a single month, customers migrated 23,000 databases from traditional vendors like Oracle to AWS. But this is still a byte-sized stat when compared with Oracle’s long list of customers. You can’t count Oracle out just yet.
Oracle’s fight back
Even though Amazon is growing fast, Oracle is still the most popular database provider. Oracle databases carry features yet to be developed by Amazon. Oracle’s chairman, Larry Ellison, harped on these strengths in his OpenWorld keynote. These include features such as a variety of hosting options, and a more mature database platform.
Source: Oracle.com
Hosting options: AWS gives its users only a single storage option—the AWS public cloud. Oracle, on the other hand, gives its customers three different choices—private cloud, public cloud, or a public cloud instance running in the user’s datacenter. Shedding its image of a traditional server-centric vendor, Oracle now puts cloud front and center of its database strategy.
Management console: Oracle boasts about its platform, Exadata, as the most reliable and powerful database platform. It can provide a server-to-server speed of up to 40 gigabits per second. Exadata provides better resource usage and resource information, amongst many other features.
Compliance and governance: Oracle’s E-Business Suite (EBS) is a popular suite of enterprise applications that many large organizations rely on. These organizations have chosen EBS for compliance, security, and a host of other criteria. It’s easier (and even necessary) for these organizations to go with an Oracle database that better integrates with their applications, and meets compliance requirements. This holds true for banking, insurance, and healthcare where compliance is the number one priority.
Conclusion
According to Larry Ellison, the fight has just begun, and it will take a lot more from AWS to compete with Oracle. Oracle is without a doubt the more mature option, but AWS is making databases easier to manage and more cost-effective. What you end up using will depend on your situation. For modern cloud-native applications with regular workloads, you’re probably better off with AWS, but for compliance-heavy apps and Oracle-native apps, Oracle’s databases are ideal.
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March's Lowdown
Being wronged by a corporation is painful enough, but getting your day in court is no picnic either. Aside from having to go up against a deep-pocket corporation's pack of snarling lawyers, the judicial system itself is cumbersome, slow, and costly. And to us uninitiated outsiders, a courtroom's cult-like rituals, punctilious language, and black-robed authoritarians are intimidating. No wonder so many of the workers, consumers, small businesses, and others who get stomped on by the corporate powers shy away from taking their legitimate grievances into those chambers.
Luckily, though, a less formal, alternative system is available to render justice in disputes between corporations and aggrieved citizens. Arbitration, it's called, allowing two conflicting parties to choose a neutral third party to review facts, hear-out both sides, and make a ruling to resolve the conflict. "Faster, cheaper, and more efficient!" exclaim effusive proponents of the arbitration process.
Fine, but does it deliver justice? It could, for the original concept of voluntary, face-to-face resolution of conflict--without the elaborate structure of lawyers, judges, and juries--makes sense in many cases. But remember what Mae West said of her own virtue: "I used to be Snow White, then I drifted." Likewise, today's practice of arbitration has drifted far away from the purity of the concept.
All you really need to know about the present process is that it's the product of years of conceptual monkeywrenching by corporate lobbyists, Congress, the Supreme Court, and hired-gun arbitration firms looking to milk the system for steady profits. Good luck at getting even a crumb of justice from that cabal.
For the past three decades (and the last one in particular), they have steadily been perverting the arbitration alternative by corporatizing the process. First and foremost, these fixers eliminated choice from arbitration, turning a voluntary process into the exact opposite: Mandatory. Let's take a quick spin through it:
Unlike courts, arbitration is not a public system fully subject to such measures as conflict-of-interest laws, but a private business;
Far from being neutral, so-called "third-party" arbitrators are--get this!--usually chosen by the corporation involved in the case;
Major corporations are constantly in arbitration against consumers, workers, and others, and they generally handpick arbitrators from firms with proven records of favoring the corporation--worse, some of these "neutral" umpires are actually under contract with corporations that engage in multiple cases;
The corporation also gets to choose the city or town where the case is heard, allowing it to make the case inconvenient, expensive, and unfair for individuals bringing a complaint;
Arbitrators are not required to know the law relevant to the cases they judge, follow legal precedents, or even be lawyers (though most are);
Normal procedural rules for gathering and sharing evidence and safeguarding fairness to both parties do not apply in arbitration cases;
Arbitration hearings and the arbitrator's deliberations are closed to the media and the public;
Arbitrators need not reveal the reasons for their decisions --so they are not legally accountable for errors, and their decisions set no legal precedents for guiding future corporate conduct;
Even if an arbitrator's decision is legally incorrect, it still is enforceable, carrying the full weight of law; and
There is virtually no right to appeal an arbitrator's ruling.
A third way You don’t hear much about it, but there is another path to justice for some consumers who’ve been wronged by a corporation: Small claims courts. ... [read more]
That 10-point litany adds up to a kangaroo court! So who in the world would choose such a rigged system? No one. Which is why corporate America has resorted to brute force and skullduggery to drag you into their arbitration wringer.
By "force," I mean that practically any business relationship you have with a corporation (customer, employee, supplier, franchisee, etc.) begins with you signing away your Seventh Amendment right to go to court over any corporate mistreatment you might later suffer. This perfunctory, boilerplate agreement mandates, compels, forces you into the stacked-deck arbitration game, ominously termed "Binding Mandatory Arbitration" (BMA).
By "skullduggery," I mean that corporations don't alert you to the fact that their contracts strip you of your right to a fair jury trial--one of the most important constitutional guarantees an American citizen has. Rather, the forced arbitration proviso is usually secluded in the tiny type of pre-printed, take-it-or-leave-it, non-negotiable contracts. No corporate representative who wants to stay employed will say to you: "By the way, Bob, before you sign, let me draw your attention to page four, subsection nine (d), paragraph six, which says...."
This is like the Field of Dreams: Build a ballpark and they will come. ----A corporate arbitrator, marveling at the nightmarish ‘ballpark’ of biased, forced arbitration that literally compels consumers, workers, and others to come to it rather than taking corporate wrongdoers to court.
By "you," I mean you, me--everyone of us who: Takes a job, gets a credit card, subscribes to cable TV, buys an insurance policy, rents an apartment, purchases nearly any new product (from a cell phone to a house), has a home remodeled or car repaired, enters a nursing home, enrolls in a for-profit degree mill, becomes a franchisee or corporate supplier, or signs up with a landscaping service.
If you seek justice because you've been gouged by your bank, discriminated against, sexually harassed, unfairly fired, cheated on wages, sold a shoddy product, denied health coverage, or otherwise been harmed by a corporation--you'll most likely find that you're barred from the courthouse door. To your astonishment, you'll learn that the indecipherable legalese on that piece of paper you unwittingly signed ("It's just a standard form," you were assured at the time) has shackled you to the corporation's own privatized court.
One-sided justice
Where did binding mandatory arbitration come from? Planet Greed. For the first 138 years of our nation, BMA was not considered legal (much less right). Until 1925 federal judges felt, almost uniformly, that no one should have to surrender their right to take their case before a judge and jury. So, many courts refused outright to enforce contracts that compelled arbitration. Corporate interests, however, wanted an end run around pesky workers, suppliers, and others who sometimes sued them, so they went to Congress, which dutifully passed the Federal Arbitration Act of 1925. It required judges to enforce BMA agreements--but it limited the enforcement to agreements between businesses.
Almost immediately, however, corporate lawyers began pecking at that limitation. By the 1980s, the Supreme Court itself had become corporatized enough that it and other courts were ignoring the 1925 restriction, marching consumers, workers, and others out of the courthouse and into the inferno of corporate arbitration.
Inferno? Let's measure it by the numbers. Unbeknownst to them, the vast majority of Americans today are bound by at least one BMA clause, and many people are tied to multiple versions of them. In 2008, the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform published a study of 21 major corporations, finding that 93 percent of their employment contracts and 77 percent of their consumer contracts contained compulsory arbitration clauses.
Since these things are written by corporate lawyers, it's no surprise that they stack the deck, load the dice, and grease the skids in favor of corporations. But--wow!--the percentage of rigged wins is flabbergasting, damning... and disgusting.
A 2000 Washington Post survey of cases involving First USA Bank, then the nation's second largest credit card company, revealed that arbitrators ruled for the bank 99.6 percent of the time. In 2007, a Public Citizen report revealed that one giant firm, the National Arbitration Forum, hired out its private adjudicators to hear some 34,000 consumer-versus-bank cases in California during the previous four years, and they ruled for the financial giants 95 percent of the time. Even more incredible, the City of San Francisco discovered in a 2008 lawsuit that of 18,045 cases brought by the financial powers against overwhelmed California consumers, NAF's private judges sided with the corporations 100 percent of the time.
Brand name riggers of the justice system Practically every national brand name you’ve ever heard of now slips predatory arbitration provisions into their customer terms-of-service agreements and/or employment agreements. Not only do these sneaky inserts strip away your constitutional right to take them to court (peremptorily immunizing them from any wrongs they do to you), but many of the boilerplate provisions also arbitrarily ban you from joining with other small claimants in class actions to hold them accountable. ... [read more]
Supremely shafted
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court is still messing with us, still systematically undermining the Seventh Amendment by herding us ever deeper into the darkness of these backroom corporate courts. The same supreme wrecking crew of Alito, Kennedy, Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas that smashed our People's democratic sovereignty with its infamous Citizens United decision, has also been siding with corporate America to sledgehammer the People's right to judicial fairness.
For example, in real courtrooms, it's common for many wronged employees or consumers who have the same complaint against a corporate rip-off to roll their small cases into one big one. This "class action" process saves money and time, because instead of 100 cases needing 100 law firms, judges, and juries, only one of each is needed. Makes sense. But common sense is a feared foreigner in ArbitrationLand, and--surprise!--nearly all BMA agreements ban class actions.
In 2010, the supremes took this ban to extremes, declaring that even if an agreement is silent on the use of class-action arbitration, class actions are still disallowed, forcing each individual to battle the goliaths alone. In a 2011 consumer case against AT&T, the Court majority ruled that even when a class-action ban in a BMA clause is so "unconscionable" that it violates state law, the corporate miscreant can nonetheless ban the class from arbitration and compel each claimant to go it alone.
This June, the Court's corporate supremists are expected to stretch the primacy of private arbitration even farther--so far that corporations could openly and willfully violate our antitrust, civil rights, and other landmark laws enacted to protect the less powerful. The case pits American Express against a group of its own small business customers that accept AmEx credit cards. The restaurateurs, retailers, and others say the powerhouse financial firm flagrantly runs roughshod over them by using its monopoly position to make them pay excess "swipe fees" on charge card transactions. Each merchant is gouged by a few thousand dollars a year, but proving their claims in court could cost about $1 million each, making solo suits cost-prohibitive. Thus, to see justice done, they filed their lawsuit as a class.
"No you don't," barked AmEx lawyers, pointing to fine print in the corporation's contract with merchants that (1) requires disputes to go to arbitration, and (2) prohibits "any claims from being arbitrated on a class action basis." The upshot? If the Court agrees with AmEx, the one-sided bit of corporate boilerplate it slipped into its standard-form contract would allow it and every other corporation to use their private judicial system to nullify an Act of Congress. In other words, by corporate fiat, America's antitrust laws (and, by extension, other basic laws) would be superseded by a piece of mumbo-jumbo that private businesses put in BMA agreements.
[An "aha!" tidbit: The US Chamber of Commerce, which claims to be the unrelenting defender of small business, has put its own legal muscle firmly behind AmEx in this case, strenuously pushing the Court to let the credit card colossus hammer the little guys.]
Supreme Court corporatists--who don't ever seem to visit reality, much less live anywhere near it--have a ridiculous rationale for forcing us into compulsory arbitration: "Mutuality of assent." This doctrine blithely assumes that the parties in an agreement have actually agreed. A corollary assumption is that the terms in the document have been read and comprehended before signing.
One clue that this is not true for BMA agreements is that they invariably reside in the fine print, the very definition of which is "deliberately obscure." Again, it's the corporation that dictates the take-it-or-leave-it provisions, writes them in what might as well be ancient hieroglyphics, and has every incentive to keep the other party from fully understanding what they're signing, thus maintaining the corporate entity's position of superior power.
"Well," scold the system's rationalizers, "a consumer is free to go next door and buy a product that doesn't have an arbitration clause." Ha! Twenty years ago, maybe, but the clauses are now nearly industry-wide, making comparison-shopping virtually futile. Plus, these agreements often contain yet another nasty sting--a provision allowing the corporation to change the terms of the contract any time for any reason --so why read today's terms if they will disappear tomorrow?
As the consumer watchdog group, faircontracts.org, bluntly puts it, mutuality of assent has been rendered "a fiction in the law" that "makes a mockery of consumer freedom in a free market."
[One more curious tidbit: The same corporations that hail mandatory arbitration as a fair, faster, and cheaper venue than courts, almost never choose to apply it to themselves. As the authors of a 2007 academic study dryly noted: "Companies value, even prefer, litigation as a means for resolving disputes with peers. Systematic eschewing of arbitration clauses also casts doubt on the corporations' asserted belief in the superior fairness and efficiency of arbitration clauses. [Corporate] assertions that mandatory consumer arbitration is justified because it provides consumers with a superior form of dispute resolutions thus appear to be disingenuous." In fact, most BMA clauses specifically provide that while other parties must go to corporate court, the corporation itself retains the option of going to a real court. Odd, eh?]
Justice for hire
Private firms like the National Arbitration Forum and JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service) have hundreds of lawyers, professors, ex-judges, and others on their rosters to hire out as "third party" referees in BMA cases. But a relatively small number of them do the heavy lifting, sometimes handling dozens of cases a day (a phenomenon grossly referred to as "bulk arbitration"). In 2007, Public Citizen profiled NAF's busiest bulker, Joseph Nardulli, a corporate lawyer in Irvine, California. He holds the record: An astonishing 68 cases disposed of in a single day!
One reason Nardulli can pop 'em out so quickly is that he seems predisposed to accept the bank's argument. On that day, banks won all 68 cases he adjudicated, and he awarded every dime of the $919,306 they asked for. Another reason is that very little "due process" is involved. Most cases are handled through what NAF calls "document hearings," but no hearing is held. Rather, the arbitrator simply reviews whatever documents the contesting parties submit. In all, Public Citizen found that Nardulli handled 1,332 cases in a four-year period, with the corporate entities winning 97 percent of them and collecting $15,039,081 of the $15,602,571 they sought.
NAF's corporate biases and conflicts of interest have proven so outrageous that the Minnesota attorney general sued it for consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, and false advertising. The case was so strong against the privately-held firm that it had to agree in 2009 to being banned from handling any more consumer arbitrations (though it still arbitrates other disputes). In a bizarre press release, NAF tried to put a sheen of respectability on its tarnished reputation by reasserting what had just been ruled false. "[The] fairness of arbitration is ensured by the independence of the national arbitrators."
How independent can arbitrators be if they take fees of up to $10,000 a day (and pocket a million or more a year) by rendering arbitration rulings that please the corporate party? The lure of such cash is having a seamy, ethically degrading impact on some in the real judiciary. A California superior court judge, for example, makes a tidy $179,000 a year, but here come the national arbitration firms, recruiting big-name jurists to join their rosters. Having that $10,000-a-day possibility waved at them gives some judges an ethical twitch--at least tempting them to go over to the privatized judicial business.
In 2000, in a three-part series on the rise of manda\0x00tory arbitration, the San Francisco Chronicle reported about an arbitration provider who helps coach judges on ways to alter what they do on the bench so they become more attractive to the private system, including taking more corporate cases, working on their arbitration skills, and developing an expertise in something like credit card law.
More alarming are cases of judges crafting their rulings to please arbitration firms. The Chronicle, for example, reported on a California woman who sued her boss for sex discrimination. But a BMA clause stuck in her contract said she could only go to arbitration, even naming JAMS as the firm that would provide the arbitrator. Through a long process, her case finally came before the state court of appeals, which ruled against her. Later, she learned that while her case was pending, one of the justices had accepted an offer to join JAMS as an arbitrator.
Demonstrating the depths to which the ethics of justice are being pulled by the forced arbitration industry, the president of JAMS expressed shock--not at what looked to be a judge's grubby conflict of interest, but that he was being criticized for it: "It's inconceivable to suggest that a pre-eminent jurist who has served on the bench for more than 20 years with an impeccable reputation for nonbias... would compromise his record in any way." | {
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12 minutes of time save on just being better at the game than I was this run. | {
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LOGAN SQUARE — Logan Square’s Kosciuszko Park is getting a complete makeover — and residents will have a chance to weigh in on the plans Tuesday.
A community meeting on the future of Kosciuszko Park, commonly referred to as Koz Park, is set for 6:30-8 p.m. at the field house, 2732 N. Avers Ave.
The city earmarked $1.85 million in tax increment financing dollars for the park earlier this year. Former 31st Ward alderman Milly Santiago announced the allocation in January.
The money will fund “across the board” improvements. Residents can expect significant upgrades to the park’s field house, pool, baseball field and soccer field.
The park also stands to get a new nature play area and a dog-friendly area under the project. The latter will likely be funded through donations and aldermanic participatory budget money — not TIF dollars.
At the meeting, residents will get to weigh in on those improvements and on the future of the park’s basketball court, which hasn’t been usable since the park district removed its hoops about a decade ago.
Park leaders said they have yet to see the official plans yet, but they want resident feedback before they do.
Do stories like this matter to you? Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. | {
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Full Flickr version:
Canon 6D, Canon EF 100-400L ƒ4.5-5.6 IS USM, at 400mm, ISO400, 1/400, ƒ/5.6
Found this little fellow today. It is a really bird of unimaginable beauty. It can hover on one place. It can dive into water in a blink of an eye. I'm now obsessed with another creature to capture closer then this.Current photo was taken from the shore of a lake. Actual bird is about 100-150 meters away. | {
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Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Wickremesinghe has refused to leave office
The man at the centre of Sri Lanka's political crisis has told the BBC he has the support of parliament and will not leave the grand mansion reserved for the island nation's prime minister.
Last week the president sacked PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and his cabinet and suspended parliament, appointing former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new PM.
But Mr Wickremesinghe says the move is illegal and will not leave office.
The constitutional crisis has already sparked protests and deadly violence.
The situation is being closely watched by regional rivals India and China, who are vying for influence in Sri Lanka. Washington has called for parliament to be convened as soon as possible.
"I still remain the prime minister and I have the confidence of the majority of members of this house," Mr Wickremesinghe told the BBC from his official residence, Temple Trees, a grand, white, colonial-era bungalow, which has, over time, become a symbol of political power in Sri Lanka.
"The constitution states that the president must appoint as prime minister the person who commands the confidence of parliament and I am the person who has that. We have asked for the summoning of parliament so I can prove my majority in the house," he said.
Image caption The BBC's Yogita Limaye spoke to Mr Wickremesinghe from Temple Trees
Mr Wickremesinghe's party has demanded that the house be convened soon and Mr Rajapaksa has suggested this could happen at the start of next week. No date has yet been confirmed.
This is an extraordinary situation for a nation that saw decades of brutal civil war, re-emerged in recent years as a top tourist destination, and which now has two people claiming to run its government.
How did we get here?
The two men in question, Mr Wickremesinghe and Mr Rajapaksa, have spent many years at opposite ends of Sri Lanka's political landscape. But the kingmaker at the centre of the debacle is Sri Lanka's current President Maithripala Sirisena.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption President Maithripala Sirisena had previously been a member of Mr Rajapaksa's government
To be clear on the extent of the political U-turn by the president, you need to go back to 2015, when Mr Sirisena appointed Mr Wickremesinghe as his prime minister and head of the coalition government that came to power after elections that year.
That itself was seen as a stunning move because Mr Sirisena was originally a member of Mr Rajapaksa's government, but then left to run against him, and defeat him, in a presidential election.
Now, after three years in a fragile coalition, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe relationship has soured, and the president has revived Mr Rajapaksa's political fortunes by appointing him as prime minister.
Image copyright EPA Image caption Supporters of Mr Wickremesinghe have been gathering outside the official residence he is refusing to leave
What's the situation on the ground?
Mr Wickremesinghe's supporters have been gathering at Temple Trees since the day he was sacked. Near the gates, Buddhist monks have been called in to chant prayers.
Aides suggest it's a way to prevent any use of force to remove the ousted prime minister from the house.
In another part of Colombo, Mr Rajapaksa has begun work. The official website of the prime minister has been updated to show his photo and profile.
Posters congratulating him have sprung up all over Colombo's streets but on Tuesday thousands of Mr Wickremesinghe's supporters marched in protest, with some likening events to a "coup".
What do the other players say?
Mr Rajapaksa has so far refused requests for an interview. In a statement released earlier this week, he explained his position.
"I was aware that at this moment of national peril, the people expected our leadership and protection," he said. "Hence, I accepted the invitation extended to me by the President to assume the position of Prime Minister".
The former president is a popular but controversial figure who ended Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009 but faced criticism for the means by which he achieved victory - many thousands of Tamil civilians are thought to have been killed by government forces in the final months of the fighting.
In his address to the nation, President Sirisena said: "I categorically state that the appointments were made totally in accordance with the constitution and on the advice of legal experts. With all respect, I completely reject the charge that what was done was a violation of the Constitution."
What is surprising many observers is that in 2015 Mr Sirisena and Mr Wickremesinghe campaigned on a platform of abolishing the all-powerful "executive presidency" in Sri Lanka as embodied by Mr Rajapaksa.
Image copyright Buddhika Weerasinghe Image caption Mahinda Rajapaksa is listed on the official website of the prime minister
Within months of winning the election they amended the constitution, reducing the powers of the president.
So, can the president remove the prime minister?
According to Nihal Jayawickrama, a legal expert, there's no provision in the constitution that would enable the president to remove the prime minister.
"There was a time when he could do that. But very dramatic changes were made to the constitution in 2015 when 90 percent of the president's executive powers were taken away. And one of the powers that was taken away was the one to remove the prime minister," he said.
"Everyone is confused. President Sirisena was supposed to give leadership to the change [of government in Sri Lanka]. He did provide it. But for some reason, he backtracked."
I asked Mr Wickremesinghe if he felt like he'd been backstabbed.
"That's to be expected in politics," he said with a smile. "If necessary there will be more protests. The general public opinion does not accept the actions of the president.
"This type of crisis really causes a big issue for the people, a lack of confidence. Look, you promised to restore democracy, you've done so many steps, and here in the main question, you disregard the powers of parliament."
The episode sets a dangerous trend for a country that voted for change in 2015. There are many in Sri Lanka who support neither side, but simply want the democratic process to be followed. | {
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Ever since former New Mexico head coach Bob Davie was let go in November, it had been rumored that ASU defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales would be a strong candidate to be the next man at the reigns in Albuquerque.
Those rumblings have rose to the surface, as multiple reports have stated that Gonzales has accepted the head coaching position at New Mexico. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports was the first person to break the news.
Arizona State DC Danny Gonzales will be the next coach a New Mexico, sources told @YahooSports. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 17, 2019
Gonzales is a native of Albuquerque and played his college football at UNM as a safety and punter. After his playing days concluded, he shifted over to coaching as a graduate assistant, video coordinator, and assistant coach over the course of nine years with the Lobos.
He then went on to become San Diego State’s defensive coordinator before arriving as the defensive coordinator with Herm Edwards at ASU.
Ultimately though, all of that has led back home for the defensive mind who has integrated a successful 3-3-5 system in Tempe over the past few seasons.
This year, ASU led the Pac-12 in turnovers with 17 recovered fumbles and nine interceptions. Additionally, Gonzales’ defense gave up just under 387 yards per game while allowing 270.1 pass yards and and 116.8 rushing yards on average.
In a season that featured many highs and lows for the Sun Devil defense, Gonzales also worked with a plethora of new faces.
Prior to the New Mexico announcement this morning, Gonzales spoke with the media as ASU was holding practice to get ready for the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.
When asked about his future at ASU, Gonzales noted that things weren’t final with New Mexico, and he wasn’t sure where it stood at the moment.
He also emphasized that he wasn’t interested in taking another defensive coordinator position at any other power-five school.
With the departure, the Sun Devils now have another hole to fill on the coaching staff just days after they rounded out their entire offensive coaching staff and hired Zak Hill as the team’s new offensive coordinator.
Nothing is certain, but it’s plausible that the team could stay in house with the opening as well by possibly promoting linebackers coach Antonio Pierce or cornerbacks coach Tony White to the role of defensive coordinator.
However, that is still to be determined. National Signing Day for college football is tomorrow, Dec. 18, and ASU’s game against Florida State in the Sun Bowl is set for Dec. 31.
Follow along with all of our coverage on the site and stay tuned for news on our Twitter account. | {
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Windows 10 has introduced several new security features. One new security feature which has been added is called Credential Guard, that helps protect derived domain credentials.
Credential Guard in Windows 10
Credential Guard is one of the main security features available with Windows 10. It allows protection against hacking of domain credentials thereby preventing hackers from taking over the enterprise networks. Along with features like Device Guard and Secure Boot, Windows 10 is more secure than any of the previous Windows operating system.
What is Credential Guard feature in Windows 10
As its name indicates, this feature in Windows 10 safeguards credentials in and across user domains in a network. While previous operating systems from Microsoft used to store ID and password for user accounts in local RAM, Credential Guard creates a virtual container and stores all domain secrets in that virtual container that the operating system cannot access directly. You do not need external virtualization. The feature makes use of Hyper-V that you can configure in Programs and Features applet in the Control Panel.
When hackers compromised a Windows operating system earlier, they could get access to the hash used to encrypt the user credentials, as it would be stored in local RAM, without much protection. With Credential Manager, credentials are stored in a virtual container so that even if hackers compromise the system, they cannot access the hash. That way, they cannot penetrate computers on the network.
In short, the Credential Guard feature in Windows 10 increases the security of domain credentials and related hashes so that it becomes almost impossible for hackers to access the secret and apply it to other computers. Thus any possibility of attack is stopped at entrance only. I won’t say Credential Guard is unbreakable, but it sure increases the level of security so that your computer and the network is safe.
Against the Credential Guards in previous versions of Windows, the one in Windows 10 disallows several protocols that may allow hackers to reach the virtual container where the hashed credentials are stored. However, the feature is not available for all computers.
Read: Remote Credential Guard protects Remote Desktop credentials.
Credential Guard System Requirements
There are a few limitations – especially if you are on budget laptops. Even Ultrabooks that don’t support Trusted Platform Module (TPM) cannot run Credential Guard though the book runs Windows 10 Enterprise.
Credential Guard runs only in the Enterprise Edition of Windows 10. If you are using Pro or Education, you won’t get to use this feature.
Your machine should be supporting Secure Boot and 64-bit virtualization. That leaves all 32-bit computers out of the scope of this feature.
This does not imply that you have to upgrade all your computers at the same time. You can use whatever computers that meet requirements after creating a sub-domain and putting incompatible computers into the sub-domain. When you configure the upper domains with Credential Guard and the incompatible computers are in a lower sub domain, the security will still be good enough to thwart credential hacking attempts.
Limits of Credential Guard
While some hardware requirements exist for Credential Guard in Windows 10 Enterprise edition, not everything is supposed to be protected by the feature. You should not expect the following from Credential Guard:
Protection of local and Microsoft Accounts Protection of credentials managed by a third party software Protection against Key loggers.
Credential Guard will offer protection against direct hacking attempts and malware seeking credential information. If the credential information is already stolen before you could implement Credential Guard, it won’t prevent the hackers from using the hash key on other computers in the same domain.
For additional information and for scripts to manage Credential Guard feature in Windows 10, please visit TechNet.
Tomorrow we will see how to turn on Credential Guard by using Group Policy. | {
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CALGARY—In a tiny waiting room sandwiched between makeshift screening areas on a converted bus in northeast Calgary, sixth graders sit patiently waiting for their dental exams.
The chilly winter morning is typical for the Alex Community Health Centre’s dental bus. Parked outside schools, shuttling kids through appointments one after the other, the mobile dental office can help as many as 90 kids a week. The kids hopping in and out of the mobile dental chairs tend to come from families who have trouble getting them to a more conventional dentist’s office, and the children often have concerning enough dental decay that they need repeat checkups.
The idea for the bus was born back in 2011, with organizers looking ahead to what they saw as a looming challenge for low-income families in Calgary: that’s when city council voted to end water fluoridation.
Calgary has long had a prickly relationship with fluoride, having voted on the issue no less than five times. Calgarians rejected fluoridation through plebiscites in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s before approving it in 1989, and residents gave it a green light a second time in a 1998 plebiscite.
In 2011, council switched course again, with a majority of councillors voting to remove fluoride from the city’s water supply after a lengthy and contentious public hearing that lasted more than 10 hours.
But a recent vote in Windsor, Ont., to reintroduce water fluoridation has some public health advocates wondering if the debate could be revived at home. Windsor city council voted 8-3 last month to reverse a 2013 vote to stop fluoridation, and many health professionals in Calgary say they’d like to see city council follow suit here.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is released into soil, water and air. But it’s also routinely added to water supplies in many countries to prevent tooth decay and cavities. In Canada, fluoride at 0.7 mg/L is considered the optimal level to support dental health. There’s still naturally occurring fluoride in Calgary’s water, but at lower levels that vary between 0.1 mg/L and 0.4 mg/L, according to the city. The first Canadian community to begin fluoridating its water was Brantford, Ont., in 1945.
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The majority of scientific research favours appropriate levels of water fluoridation, and it’s recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.
Community water fluoridation is widespread in Canada, but some parts of the country have little or no fluoride in most of their water systems. In Newfoundland, New Brunswick, British Columbia and Quebec, less than 3 per cent of the population had a fluoridated water system as of 2017, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Ontario has the highest rate of community water fluoridation in the country, with 71 per cent of the population drinking fluoridated water.
But opposition to it has been heated in some circles, with some critics questioning the health benefits or chalking it up to personal freedom — arguing the government shouldn’t dictate the chemicals to go into people’s drinking water. The latter argument swayed some Calgary councillors when they ultimately decided to take fluoride out of the water in 2011.
But Windsor’s vote came from a council that had almost entirely turned over since the last time fluoridation was on the agenda. All but one of the city councillors elected after 2013 supported putting fluoride back in the water. And this time, their discussion focused on a new Windsor-Essex County Health Unit report that found the percentage of children with decay or requiring urgent dental care increased 51 per cent between the 2011/2012 and 2016/2017 school years.
In presenting the case for restoring fluoridation, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit acting medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said he stressed to council: “It’s not only (that) we saw an increase in the number of children with more cavities, but also the severity was very high as well.”
Ahmed said he’s pleased with the outcome of the recent vote.
“Issues like dental cavities definitely impact a child’s ability to to grow up to become a fully developed adult and develop their full health potential,” he said.
“We are looking forward that our city may act as a leader to setting an example to other cities that they should be looking back at their own local data to see if there are any negative impacts.”
A University of Calgary study from 2016 found a greater increase in tooth decay in Calgary compared to Edmonton, where the water remains fluoridated. Researchers found this increase for primary teeth decay consistent with a negative effect of ending fluoridation. That prompted an ultimately unsuccessful move on council to ask public health experts for more advice.
But the fluoride debate has never fully died in Calgary: a coalition tried to make it an election issue in the 2017 municipal vote, tracking each candidate’s stance on adding it to city water.
About half the Calgary council members currently in office were elected prior to the 2011 fluoride debate, and all of them except Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who was absent, voted in favour of removing fluoride at the time. Since then, some of those councillors say they’re unsure where they fall on the issue.
At least one of the fresh faces on council would like to see the debate return: Ward 11 Councillor Jeromy Farkas, elected for the first time in 2017, said he’s in favour of restoring water fluoridation in Calgary.
But in terms of whether council is interested in rehashing the issue right now, “I don’t think that the will is there,” he said.
He’s planning to submit a request for city administration to provide information on exactly what the cost would be to go back to fluoridating the water, but his ultimate hope would be for it to inform another plebiscite on the issue during the 2021 election.
“I think that there is a requirement for elected officials to go back to Calgarians on this as an issue given the past precedent,” Farkas said.
Ward 10 Councillor Ray Jones, who was first elected in 1993, said he’s not sure there would be much more to say about fluoridation eight years after council decided to remove it.
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“It would be the same dog-and-pony show. You get the naysayers and you get the people who are in favour of it.”
Jones said he thinks council had a “healthy discussion” when they voted to remove fluoride, but it was a tough issue to sift through with strong opinions coming from both sides.
“It’s not as easy as a yes or no. It really, truly isn’t,” he said.
University of Calgary political science associate professor Brenda O’Neill recently published a study examining the politics behind the decision to stop water fluoridation in Calgary. It’s an interesting case, she said, because it’s an example of a long-standing policy being stopped, which can be a hard political sell.
“People will get up in arms over no longer getting the benefits of the program, but there are obviously reasons why that might not be the case. And one of them is if the benefits of the program are diffuse, and they’re hard to nail down — like fluoride,” she said.
For now, she said, without any other major changes, “it seems to me you’d have to have some precipitating factor for the decision to be revisited.”
In Windsor, the health unit issued several recommendations, including bringing back community water fluoridation, improving access to oral health services, and advocating to expand public dental-health programs. Some in Calgary have argued that should be the real focus of the fluoride debate.
Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell, who brought the motion that ultimately led to the decision to end fluoridation, maintains that responsibility for health rests with the province, and the onus is on those officials to look for ways to provide more equitable access to dental care.
“Alberta Health Services needs to look at cities that are successful and adjust,” she said. “They keep going back to the city, and that’s an old idea. In Europe, they have a much higher success rate (with tooth decay) and they don’t fluoridate their water.”
Ward 3 Councillor Jyoti Gondek, currently serving her first term, agrees with Farrell’s assessment.
“This is provincial jurisdiction,” she said. “They should be responsible for it fully.”
In the city, health-care workers say they’re seeing the impact of fluoride being removed from city water. The Alex bus visits schools in Calgary’s high-need areas each week, using Alberta Health Services information on tooth decay rates to find which parts of Calgary residents are most likely in need of dental care. The children they help are largely from low-income populations.
The bus provided dental checkups for 2,200 Calgarians over the last school year. But program lead Denise Kokaram said the number of people they reach annually is a drop in the bucket for a city of Calgary’s size.
“To think that we or other social organizations can keep up with this on our own without any additional community measures is ridiculous,” Kokaram said.
Kokaram said the bus has seen roughly 26 per cent of their patients in need of an urgent procedure over the past year, a number she finds staggeringly high.
“I’ve heard people who oppose community water fluoridation saying, ‘Oh, well these people need to teach their children how to brush their teeth, they need to take them to the dentist, they need to give them better food.’ Yes, you’re right. Those are all the barriers — plus more — that these families face.”
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NOTRE DAME vs. MIAMI
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (16-10, 7-8) will complete a two-game home stand against Miami (14-12, 6-10) on Sunday night (6 p.m. ET, ACC Network).
The Irish and Hurricanes will be meeting for the 24th time, with Notre Dame looking to even the all-time series (Miami leads 12-11).
Miami has won four of the last five meetings in the series and two of the last three most recent meetings at Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame is 2-5 against Miami in ACC play and was 4-7 against the Hurricanes when both teams were members of the BIG EAST Conference.
NOTRE DAME GAME DAY INFORMATION Date Sunday, February 23, 2020 Time 6:00 p.m. ET Site: Purcell Pavilion
• Notre Dame, IN
• Capacity 9,149 TV: ACC Network
• Wes Durham (play-by-play)
• Malcolm Huckaby (analyst)
Radio: Notre Dame Radio Network
• Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
• Zach Hillesland (Notre Dame '09) (analyst)
Available locally on WSBT AM/FM and worldwide on und.com. Tickets: Tickets are still available at und.com/buytickets
Notre Dame MBB Notes vs. Miami (PDF)
BY THE NUMBERS: IRISH vs. HURRICANES
1 Notre Dame leads the country in least amount of fouls committed per game (12.5). 1 Notre Dame leads the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.72. The Irish are ahead of Belmont (1.59) and BYU (1.56). Notre Dame has 436 assists this season compared to just 254 turnovers. 2 Senior John Mooney is second in the nation and leads all major conference players in rebounds-per-game with a 12.7 average. Mooney has recorded double-doubles in 21 of 25 games played this season. He is the only player in Division I averaging 16-plus points and 12-plus rebounds per game this season. 2 John Mooney is second in the nation with 21 double-doubles this season (in 25 games) behind William & Mary’s Nathan Knight (22 in 29 games) as of Friday, February 21. 2 Notre Dame is tied for second in the country in least amount of turnovers committed per game (9.8) with Virginia Tech, behind Liberty (9.6). 12 Since 1997-98 John Mooney is the only ACC player with 12 or more double-doubles in league play in consecutive seasons (or over any two seasons). Mooney had 13 double-doubles in the ACC last season and has followed up with 12 so far in 2019-20. 10.7 Sophomore Dane Goodwin is the only player in the ACC averaging double figures this season with less than three games started. He leads all major conference players in points per game off the bench and ranks sixth among all Division I players. 16.8 Notre Dame is currently eighth in the country and first in the ACC in assists per game with a 16.8 average. The Irish have posted six games this season with over 20 team assists (22 vs. Howard, 24 vs. FDU, school-record tying 33 vs. Detroit Mercy, 23 vs. Alabama A&M, 26 at Syracuse, 23 vs. Syracuse). 20 With 21 double-doubles so far this season – and finishing 2018-19 with 20 total – John Mooney joins Tim Duncan and Sheldon Williams as the only ACC players to post consecutive seasons with 20 or more double-doubles in the past 25 years. 41 John Mooney has posted 41 of his 42 career double-doubles in the last two seasons. He leads all Division I players in double-doubles since the start of the 2018-19 season, ahead of Bethune Cookman’s Cletrell Pope (36). The closest major conference player to Mooney is Colorado’s Tyler Bey with 28. 57% Shooting percentage in ACC competition this season for Juwan Durham (.568), which would place him third on the Notre Dame single-season list (minimum of 50 attempts). Currently he is behind Zach Auguste (.570 in 2014-15) and Martinas Geben (.568 in 2017-18). 65% Percentage of ACC starts that John Mooney has earned a double-double in during his career (26 in 40 games) – the best percentage since 1996-97. He is ahead of UNC’s Brice Johnson (20 of 35, .574) and UNC’s John Henson (19 of 36, .521). 84% Percentage of double-doubles in games played this season for John Mooney (21 of 25, .840). That percentage is the best in the country and threatens Blake Griffin from Oklahoma (30 of 35, .857) and Kenny Adeleke (Hartford, 24 of 28, .857) for the highest percentage in Division I over the past 20 years. 95 Career starts logged by senior T.J. Gibbs, who could become the 11th Notre Dame player to record over 100 starts in a career. Gibbs is ahead of Troy Murphy (93) and behind Eric Atkins (105). See sidebar, page 8 for the top 11 in career games started at Notre Dame. 135 Career games played by Rex Pflueger, who could become the most experienced player, in terms of games played, in Notre Dame history. Pat Connaughton (2011-15) currently holds the school record with 139 games played. Pflueger is tied for eighth in the country for active players in games played. The Dana Point, California, native is on pace to set the school record for games played in his final home game against Virginia Tech on March 7. 843 Sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb and Miami junior guard Chris Lykes were high school teammates at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. The duo helped lead the Eagles to the 2017 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title while scoring 843 combined points with 112 assists. 1896 Total victories in the history of Notre Dame men’s basketball, as the Irish close in on becoming the eighth program to reach 1,900 victories (Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, Temple, Syracuse and UCLA have all reached that plateau).
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTED BY 1,000 POINT SCORERS
Notre Dame has produced 64 1,000 point scorers throughout the history of the program with 23 of those players reaching that statistical milestone during the Mike Brey era (2000-01 – current). Of the 85 players who have suited up for Notre Dame under Mike Brey, 36 of them were recruited by the staff and exhausted their eligibility with the Irish – 20 of those players have scored more than 1,000 points in a career.
Since 2000-01, Notre Dame leads all ACC teams in 1,000 point scorers (23) and is second in the country over that time frame to Villanova.
School All-Time 1,000 Point Scorers 1,000 Point Scorers since 2000-01 North Carolina 77 20 Louisville 69 18 Duke 67 20 NOTRE DAME 64 23 Villanova 64 24 Syracuse 62 19 Kansas 61 19
IRISH TRADITIONALLY AMONG BEST IN THE COUNTRY AT TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Notre Dame finished third in the NCAA last season in turnovers per game – posting the fifth consecutive season of ranking in the nation’s top-10 for least amount of turnovers in a game. The Irish are also perennially one of the top teams in the country in assist to turnover ratio.
The Irish have not averaged over 10.0 turnovers per game since a 10.3 mark in 2013-14 (which was still good enough for 26th nationally).
NOTRE DAME TURNOVERS PER GAME, LAST FIVE SEASONS
Season Turnovers/Game National Rank Conf. Rank Ast/Turnover National Rank Conf. Rank 2014-15 9.4 5 2 1.61 4 2 2015-16 10 10 3 1.34 43 5 2016-17 9.5 2 1 1.66 2 1 2017-18 9.9 7 2 1.46 14 3 2018-19 9.3 3 2 1.38 18 3 2019-20 9.8 t-2 t-2 1.72 1 1
A DECADE OF ‘NO FOUL’ CONTINUES
One of the mantras of Notre Dame basketball under Mike Brey has been to keep the amount of opponent foul shots down. Defend without fouling is a way of life for Irish basketball and the statistics bear out that trend.
In the last 10 years, Notre Dame has failed to finish among the top 10 in least amount of personal fouls committed just twice. They have also led the country in least amount of personal fouls three times.
NOTRE DAME FOULS PER GAME NATIONAL/CONFERENCE FINAL RANKING
Year Fouls Per Game NCAA Raking Conference Ranking 2009-10 15.1 10 2 2010-11 15.2 11 1 2011-12 13.8 1 1 2012-13 14.1 8 1 2013-14 16.2 15 5 2014-15 15.1 6 1 2015-16 15.1 1 1 2016-17 14.9 4 1 2017-18 13.1 1 1 2018-19 13.8 1 1 2019-20 12.5 1 1
MOONEY SUPERLATIVES
John Mooney’s production over the past two seasons has been remarkable and is chronicled over the next three pages. Here are his major superlatives (with additional informational support for the statistics in the following notes) –
The only Division I player averaging 16-plus points and 12-plus rebounds. Since 1995-96, only Tim Duncan and Blake Griffin have posted similar numbers from a major conference player.
Second in the nation with 12.7 rebounds per game and first among major conference players.
Over the past two years, he leads all major conference players in rebounds per game at 11.9 – and is the only such player averaging double-figure rebounds over the past two seasons.
Over the past 25 seasons, the only ACC players to post consecutive seasons with 20 or more double-doubles are Mooney, Sheldon Williams and Tim Duncan.
21 double-doubles is second in the nation and his 41 double-doubles over the past two seasons is the most in Division I.
12 double-doubles in 15 ACC games this season puts the conference record of 16 from Tim Duncan (1996-97) in reach.
Mooney is the first player since Tim Duncan to post 12 or more double-doubles in consecutive ACC seasons.
26 double-doubles in 55 career ACC games puts Mooney behind Travis Watson from UVA for the most in the ACC since 1995-96.
Mooney posted 12 straight double-doubles earlier this season and joins Walt Sahm (four) and LaPhonso Ellis (three) as the only Notre Dame players with three-or-more streaks of five-or-more consecutive double-doubles (Mooney currently owns a streak of five double-doubles entering the Duke game).
MOONEY SECOND IN THE COUNTRY IN REBOUNDING
Senior forward John Mooney is second in the nation in rebounds per game with a 12.7 average. Mooney is the only Division I player in the country averaging 16-plus points and 12-plus rebounds per game (as of February 16, 2020).
NATIONAL REBOUNDING LEADERS:
Player School Reb/Game Kevin Marfo Quinnipiac 13.3 JOHN MOONEY NOTRE DAME 12.7 Willie Jackson Toledo 11.9 James Butler Drexel 11.8 Cletrell Pope Bethune Cookman 11.7 Elyjah Goss IUPUI 11.5 Daniel Orturu Minnesota 11.4
MOONEY CLIMBING THE BREY-ERA CAREER REBOUND CHART
Passing 800 career rebounds against Pittsburgh, John Mooney became the sixth Mike Brey-era (2000-01- current) player to collect 800 or more rebounds. The see sidebar on page 4 for the all-time rebounding chart (Mooney currently ranks 13th).
BREY ERA REBOUNDING TOTALS
Player Seasons Rebounds Luke Harangody 2006-10 1,222 Torin Francis 2002-06 969 Bonzie Colson 2014-18 900 JOHN MOONEY 2015-20 848 Pat Connaughton 2011-15 823 Zach Auguste 2012-16 822 Jack Cooley 2009-13 792 Rob Kurz 2004-08 650
MOONEY GRABS 200 REBOUNDS IN JUST 15 GAMES
John Mooney reached the 200 rebound plateau in just his 15th game played against Louisville on Jan. 11. That matches Blake Griffin (2008-09) for the fastest to 200 rebounds in a season since Tim Duncan did it in 14 games during the 1996-97 season.
FEWEST GAMES TO 200 REBOUNDS, SINCE 1996-97, MAJOR CONFERENCES
Tim Duncan Wake Forest 1996-97 14 JOHN MOONEY Notre Dame 2019-20 15 Blake Griffin Oklahoma 2008-09 15 Luke Harangody Notre Dame 2008-09 16 Seven Others 16
FEWEST GAMES TO 200 REBOUNDS, SINCE 1996-97, ALL DIVISION I
Tim Duncan Wake Forest 1996-97 14 Adonal Foyle Colgate 1996-97 14 JOHN MOONEY Notre Dame 2019-20 15 Five Others 15
MOONEY SETS CONSECUTIVE DOUBLE-DOUBLES MARK
With 12 consecutive double-doubles this season, a streak that ended on Saturday at No. 5/6 Florida State, senior John Mooney set the school record for consecutive games with a double-double. Luke Harangody previously held the mark with 11 straight in 2008-09. Mooney is the only Notre Dame player to ever record two double-double streaks over eight games in a career.
Currently on a five-game run of double-doubles, Mooney joins Walt Sahm (four) and LaPhonso Ellis (three) as the only Notre Dame players to own three different streaks of five or more consecutive double-doubles.
Player Consecutive Double-Doubles Year JOHN MOONEY 12 2019-20 Luke Harangody 11 2008-09 Armand Reo 10 1961-62 LaPhonso Ellis 9 1991-92 John Mooney 8 2018-19 Walt Sam 8 1964-65
MOONEY POSTING DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN 65 PERCENT OF HIS CAREER STARTS
Up to 41 career double-doubles (seventh all-time at Notre Dame), John Mooney has posted nearly all of his career double-doubles in the past two seasons. He has earned a double-double in 41 of 64 starts – a .646 percentage that has not been seen since game starts became an official stat in the 1978-79 season. Expand to just games played against some of the top double-double performers in school history and the .646 percentage remains on the top of the charts.
Player Double-Doubles Starts Double-Double Percentage Seasons JOHN MOONEY 42 65 .646 2016-current Walt Sahm 43 68* .632 1962-65 Luke Harangody 64 108 .592 2006-10 Bob Whitmore 47 84* .559 1966-69 Ron Reed 33 61* .540 1962-65 Bob Arnzen 44 82* .536 1966-69 Ryan Humphrey 32 60 .533 2000-02
* – career game starts unavailable, total games played statistic used
MOONEY BECOMES 10TH IRISH PLAYER WITH OVER 600 REBOUNDS IN FINAL TWO SEASONS
Currently the 13th leading rebounder in Notre Dame history, John Mooney has posted much of that production over the past two seasons. In fact, Mooney has pulled down 678 rebounds since the start of the 2018-19 season. Only nine other Notre Dame players have posted over 600 rebounds throughout their final two seasons in an Irish uniform:
600 REBOUNDS – FINAL TWO SEASONS AT NOTRE DAME
Player Final Two Seasons Total Rebounds Tom Hawkins 1957-58, 1958-59 834 Collis Jones 1969-70, 1970-71 741 Walt Sahm 1963-64, 1964-65 708 JOHN MOONEY 2018-19, 2019-20 688 Mike Graney 1958-59, 1959-60 687 John Shumate 1972-73, 1973-74 684 Ron Reed 1963-64, 1964-65 675 Bob Whitmore 1967-68, 1968-69 659 Luke Harangody 2008-09, 2009-10 624 Troy Murphy 1999-2000, 2000-01 607
STATISTICAL MILESTONES
Notre Dame’s veteran players are approaching, or have reached, some noteworthy statistical milestones:
Player Milestone Current Stat All-Time ND Rank Brey-Era Rank Milestones Reached John Mooney 1000 points 1085 64 25 Rex Pflueger 130 games 135 8 8 Rex Pflueger 300 assists 331 21 11 T.J. Gibbs 350 assists 363 16 10 Milestones Ahead Juwan Durham 130 blocks 119 6 4 T.J. Gibbs 250 3FGM 228 7 5 John Mooney 900 rebounds 848 9 4 T.J. Gibbs 4000 minutes 3939 9 9 T.J. Gibbs 1500 points 1494 17 7
GIBBS SETS NOTRE DAME CAREER ACC SCORING MARK
Senior T.J. Gibbs set the ACC career scoring mark on February 2, 2020, with a game-high 23 points against Wake Forest, surpassing the mark held by Steve Vasturia (72 games, 739 points).
Player Seasons ACC Games Points PPG T.J. GIBBS 2016-current 68 831 12.2 Steve Vasturia 2016-20 72 739 10.3 Bonzie Colson 2014-18 54 696 12.9 V.J. Beachem 2013-17 71 619 8.7 Zach Auguste 2013-16 53 575 10.8 Demetrius Jackson 2013-16 51 549 10.8 Matt Farrell 2014-18 47 491 10.4 John Mooney 2016-current 46 499 10.8 Pat Connaughton 2013-15 36 455 12.6 Jerian Grant 2014-15 18 295 16.4
In terms of all conference action for the Irish, Gibbs ranks 5th on the scoring list with 831 points. Luke Harangody (1,329) and Chris Thomas (1,099) pace the Irish record books, followed by Troy Murphy (999) and Matt Carroll (920) in terms of all-time point totals in conference play.
GIBBS AMONG THE NATION’S TOP CAREER CONFERENCE SCORERS
Senior T.J. Gibbs has surpassed 800 points in regular season ACC play in his career – the 15th active Division I major conference player to reach that plateau.
Player Seasons School Conference Games Points PPG Markus Howard 2016-current Marquette BIG EAST 66 1421 21.5 Lamar Stevens 2016-current Penn State Big Ten 71 1179 16.6 Myles Powell 2016-current Seton Hall BIG EAST 68 1179 17.3 Tres Tinkle 2015-current Oregon State Pac-12 65 1132 17.4 Kamar Baldwin 2016-current Butler BIG EAST 68 1100 16.2 Anthony Cowan Jr. 2016-current Maryland Big Ten 71 1053 14.8 Cassius Winston 2016-current Michigan State Big Ten 72 1032 14.3 Breein Tyree 2016-current Mississippi SEC 66 1025 15.0 Mustapha Heron 2016-current St. John’s BIG EAST 60 899 15.0 Luka Garza 2017-current Iowa Big Ten 53 891 16.8 Payton Pritchard 2016-current Oregon Pac-12 68 888 13.1 Skylar Mays 2016-current LSU SEC 67 849 12.7 Alpha Diallo 2016-current Providence BIG EAST 68 849 12.5 T.J. GIBBS 2016-current NOTRE DAME ACC 68 831 12.2 Desmond Bane 2016-current TCU Big 12 67 820 12.2
HUBB REACHES 200 CAREER ASSISTS… QUICKLY
Sophomore Prentiss Hubb led the Irish with nine assists in the victory at Syracuse on January 4, 2020, reaching 203 career assists in his 47th game in an Irish uniform. Since 1996-97, that is the fifth-quickest for any player at Notre Dame.
Player Games to 200th Assist Date of 200th Assist Career Assists Chris Thomas 27 2-23-02 at Miami (FL) 833 Martin Ingelsby 38 12-21-98 Stetson 526 Jerian Grant 41 11-26-12 Chicago State 690 Tory Jackson 43 12-29-07 Brown 694 PRENTISS HUBB 47 1-4-20 at Syracuse 203
DURHAM POSTS TWO NOTEWORTHY DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Senior Juwan Durham responded to the loss of John Mooney (illness) on the front line against Presbyterian with 11 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots to record his second career double-double. He followed up with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four more blocks against Fairleigh Dickinson. It was just the seventh and eighth time a Mike Brey era player has recorded 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 4+ blocks – and the first time since John Mooney did it at North Carolina last season.
Others who have accomplished such a double-double include current Irish assistant coach Ryan Humphrey (2001), Torin Francis twice (2003, 2004), Luke Harangody (2008) and Bonzie Colson (2017).
DURHAM ALREADY AMONG TOP SHOT BLOCKERS IN NOTRE DAME HISTORY
Blocked shots are one of the youngest official NCAA official statistics, only becoming a part of the game boxscore for the 1985-86 season. With that in mind, it is still noteworthy that senior Juwan Durham (who still retains a year of eligibility after 2019-20) has already established himself as one of the top shot blockers in Notre Dame history.
In his first full season at Notre Dame in 2018-19, Durham swatted 63 shots which ranks fifth on the Notre Dame single-season blocked shots list.
This season, Durham pushed his career blocked-shot average to 2.2 and is one of just three Notre Dame players to average over 2.0 blocks per game in their career:
Player Seasons Blocks Per Game Ryan Humphrey 2000-02 2.8 JUWAN DURHAM 2018-current 2.2 LaPhonso Ellis 1988-92 2.1
Durham’s 119 total blocks at Notre Dame currently rank him ninth all-time (see sidebar, page 7). Jordan Cornette is the Notre Dame blocked shots record holder with 201 from 2001-05.
PFLUEGER APPROACHING NOTEWORTHY CAREER MILESTONE COMBINATION
Graduate student Rex Pflueger is approaching a combination of career statistical totals that would make him one of just four Irish players to ever reach a unique combination of statistical marks.
Pflueger is approaching 700 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 150 steals in his Notre Dame career – only Chris Thomas (2002-05), David Graves (1999-02) and Tory Jackson (2007-10) have reached those plateaus in combination. | {
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Net-centric and data-centric warfare is transforming how warfighters conduct operations. Data from satellite feeds, remote sensors, ship manifests, etc. depend on secure and quality data to inform intelligence-based decision-making.
But data is only as good as its ability to be leveraged. Defense organizations are constantly bombarded with questionable data says DLT partner, Informatica. Facial recognition technology, unmanned vehicles, RFI, sensors, IoT, all represent great potential sources, but the overwhelming amount of data produced makes identifying and accumulating it a big challenge.
Wading through that data to isolate the parts that are useful and critical takes a rigorous data management strategy. Data must be kept clean, complete, and protected. It needs to be freed from siloed systems for enhanced sharing. That data must also be accessed in a self-service manner to enable the agility the military needs and expects.
“The problem is we have so much data that it’s hard to coalesce it into tangible, actionable information,” said Tim Boyle, Senior Technical Manager at Informatica. “Humans use information to make decisions. Data is what constitutes that information. Having many disjointed data points doesn’t create useful information until you start analyzing for trends. There’s plenty of data in the military intelligence environment—the challenges arise in pulling it together and making the data more meaningful.”
To explore this topic more, check out The Data-Centric Warfighter: How Data Empowers Defense, an eBook from Informatica. The book illustrates how data is being used in various processes in today’s modern military from intelligence to supply chain and logistics, cybersecurity and military healthcare and defines the success factors for better equipping DoD agencies to meet their mission goals, while protecting warfighters and those they serve. It’s free and available for download here. | {
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After dominating the World Junior tournament with five straight gold medal victories from 2005-09, Team Canada has seen their plethora of gold turn into a dry spell. They will be hoping to snap the winless streak at this years tournament in Malmo, Sweden, and will be relying on many fresh faces to do so. Though Canada has many talented young guns, including wunderkind Connor McDavid, having veteran experience is always a plus. That’s why they were more than happy to hear that the Minnesota Wild were allowing defenseman Matt Dumba, who was on the 2012 World Junior team, to play. Team Russia must be feeling the same way now that the Sabres have announced that both Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov will be available for the tournament as well. Though Canada is fortunate enough to have Dumba available to them, many were wondering whether or not two key pieces to a potential gold medal team could possibly be allowed to play: Sean Monahan of the Calgary Flames and Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While playing his junior career in Ottawa, Monahan never had the chance to play in the World Junior tournament, though he does have international experience with Canada on both the 2011 U-17 Hockey challenge team and the U-18 team at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. Monahan was invited to last years World Junior camp, but failed to make the team. What a difference a year can make, as many would have him as a lock on the roster. The only problem of course is that he is currently with the Calgary Flames. The Flames are quickly falling in love with the 6th overall pick in the 2013 draft, as he was second in rookie scoring behind Tomas Hertl, and third in team scoring with 15 PTS before going down with a foot injury.
Unfortunately for Canada, Monahan will not be available to play for them. The Flames organization stated, “We have concluded that in light of the prominent role Sean has played on our team to date, and the role we project he will continue to play once he returns from his injury, that Sean will remain with our hockey club.” Monahan has been arguably the best forward for the Flames all year up until his injury, but even if he was not hurt, do the Flames really need his services that badly? They are nowhere near being a playoff team, so what would it hurt losing Monahan for a few weeks? That is an IF though, as Monahan is indeed hurt, so one cannot blame the organization for not allowing Monahan, a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come, to play in a tournament when he may not be 100% for. The Flames made the right call by keeping Monahan.
Well what about a healthy Morgan Rielly? Rielly played on last year’s World Junior squad but was unable to win a medal. He also played with the Canada’s U18 winning gold at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka tournament and bronze with the Canada Pacific U-17 team in 2011. Plus, in his 22 games played with the Leafs, he has proven to be a reliable NHL-level defenceman, more reliable on some nights than say Carl Gunnarsson, Mark Fraser and Paul Ranger. Surely Team Canada would love to have him on the roster, but that appears to be wishful thinking. It is unlikely the Leafs will let Rielly play, and in doing so, I believe Toronto is making the wrong move.
Though Rielly has been a stalwart on a lackluster Toronto defense many nights, he has found himself in watching from press box more often than not over the past few weeks. With eight defensemen on the roster now that John-Michael Liles has been called up, Rielly may see his press box time grow. While the Leafs are not using him, they seem to think that is a better idea than letting him play for the World Junior team. Head Coach Randy Carlyle stated that letting him do so would not help his development as a player. Right, keeping out of the lineup most nights is going to help his game progress than playing top unit minutes against the best juniors in the world, and possibly gaining a large confidence boost from winning a gold medal? Carlyle’s logic does not make a lot of sense in my book, seeing as how that is the opposite of what Minnesota and Buffalo appear to be doing with Dumba and Grigorenko/Zadorov respectively, but at least Leafs General Manager Dave Nonis has said that a loan to Team Canada is not impossible.
Even though Canada looks like it will be without Monahan and Rielly, they still have a gold medal capable team. I’ll even make the bold prediction that future 2015 #1 overall pick McDavid notches a hat-trick in every game, leading Canada to their first gold since 2009.
Thanks for reading. Please give our Hockey Department a follow on Twitter – @lastwordBKerr, @lastwordrick, @TheHockeyMitch, @LastWordBigMick, @crimsonskorpion, @CMS_74_, @TwoTurtleDuffs, @d_rocchi, @dasimonetta, @LWOSDanRussell, @ddmatthews, @CanuckPuckHead, @NKonarowski2, @LarryScotti, @PurpleRocktober, @jaynichols11, @meaghannn_, @LastWordOnNHL, and @darrinharmy and follow the site @lastwordonsport and like our Facebook Page.
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Papua New Guinea troops to protect huge Exxon-Mobil gas project
By John Braddock
19 December 2016
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) government announced on Friday that it will deploy military personnel to stop “violence” near the country’s biggest resources installation, the Exxon-Mobil Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project.
Troops will be sent to Hela Province in the highlands where the authorities claim dozens of people have died in tribal conflict in recent months. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the military call-out would last six months, beyond national elections due next year. The government is asking Exxon-Mobil and Oil Search—the two main companies involved in the LNG project—for “logistical support” for the operation.
O’Neill said the military would work with police to conduct security operations. He stated: “These problems have the potential to impact on the upcoming election as well as the operation of important projects in the area.... Police will have full powers to ensure law and order and to deal with people who seek to cause trouble.”
According to the PNG Post-Courier, the deployment will address the “continuous and sporadic tribal fights fueled by the use of heavy firearms.” Finance Minister James Marape, whose electorate is affected, had pushed for an official state of emergency to be declared. This would provide extended powers to the police and the military to suppress what Marape called the “gun-toting cowboys of Hela.” The declaration was not made only because of the time required for parliamentary approval.
The security and viability of the ExxonMobil operation is a key concern in Washington. In November 2010, then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited PNG and noted that the US Export-Import Bank was helping finance the ExxonMobil project. Speaking to a Congressional committee in 2011, she declared: “Let’s put aside the moral, humanitarian, do-good side of what we believe in, and let’s just talk, you know, straight realpolitik. We are in a competition with China ... ExxonMobil is producing it [natural gas]. China is in there every day in every way trying to figure out how it’s going to come in behind us, come in under us.”
Exxon-Mobil’s former chairman, Rex Tillerson, has been nominated as US secretary of state by President-elect Donald Trump. If ratified by the Senate, Tillerson would be directing Washington’s foreign policy, including in countries where ExxonMobil has commercial interests. O’Neill has welcomed Tillerson’s nomination, describing him as a “very good and genuine friend” of PNG.
The explosive situation in Hela Province points to deepening social tensions and anti-establishment sentiment as a result of the government’s sweeping austerity measures. In October, five Electoral Commission officials were attacked while on their way to replace an election manager in the Southern Highlands. Last month, two men were shot dead when the Hela provincial governor’s convoy, which included two members of parliament, was stopped by armed men. Police responded by burning houses and gardens in a purported attempt to flush out those responsible.
The National lamented in May that Hela had become a “troublesome province.” Its development and prosperity had “looked secured by the multi-billion kina LNG project.” Despite the money pouring into the district, the paper complained, not a week went by “without police reports of tribal fights, murders, sorcery-related killings and other lawless activities.”
None of the promised benefits from the LNG projects to improve ordinary people’s living standards has been realised. ExxonMobil invested heavily in PNG chiefly to profit from low labour and start-up costs. The company began shipping exports to Asian markets two years ago, delivering a boost to the country’s output. This year, however, the deepening global economic crisis has produced a precipitous drop in LNG prices to $US6.45 per million British thermal units (Btu) from a peak of $19.70 in 2014.
Traditional landowners are now threatening to physically attack the LNG plant over the government’s failure to pay promised royalties and equity in the project. The landowners are owed $1 billion kina ($A400 million) in royalties.
In August landowners blockaded the ExxonMobil plant in protest at the lack of payments, disrupting the flow of gas. The government deployed 60 police as the dispute threatened to erupt into another major crisis. This followed the violent suppression of an eight-week student strike calling for O’Neill’s resignation over corruption charges and a series of unofficial strikes by sections of workers.
The government finally promised to meet its outstanding financial commitments to the landowners, but is now claiming the money has been held up by court proceedings and delays in landowner identification. Australian National University student Michael Main, who is studying in the area, told ABC News that people are getting sick of waiting for the payments. “There’s tremendous resentment and frustration directed almost exclusively towards politicians,” he said.
The landowners are also threatening to create “chaos” if the government does not honour another deal to give them equity. The government-owned company Kumul Petroleum Holdings has withdrawn an offer to finance the landowners’ purchase of 4.27 percent of the LNG project. The landowners need to find more than $US1 billion to buy the equity before their option expires at the end of 2016.
The turmoil in Hela is symptomatic of the country’s worsening economic and social crisis. The government’s 2017 budget, handed down in November, contained a 3.5 percent spending cut and a two-year pay freeze for public servants. Under new housing-benefits tax proposals, workers living in company-provided housing could lose more than half of their fortnightly salary from next year.
The assault on living standards has fuelled a series of struggles by students and sections of the working class, including doctors, nurses, pilots and dock workers. Two thousand health support workers voted overwhelming in November to strike for three weeks over pay and working conditions. Last week, bus drivers in Port Moresby struck over the death of a driver who was allegedly beaten by police officers. The ruling elite is relying on the trade unions to suppress this movement and shut down strikes.
O’Neill has responded to the escalating social disaster and emerging opposition with preparations for further repression. After a National Security Advisory Council meeting in July, a new National Security Joint Task Force, including police and military personnel, was established to “quell increasing internal security threats.” The deployment of troops to protect the ExxonMobil LNG site is another step in this agenda.
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Andrew Hawryluk has eaten Chipotle for 153 days straight and has the receipts to prove it.
The 23-year-old animator from Los Angeles joked to his brother that he was going to eat Chipotle for the 40 days of Lent.
He began documenting his journey on his website, Chipotlife, posting photos of each meal and receipt.
"Once the 40 days ended it was so anticlimactic," Hawryluk told Business Insider. "I decided to see how much longer I could do it."
Hawryluk has now eaten at Chipotle 153 days in a row. To date, he's spent $1,567 on Chipotle.
He buys extra meals in advance of company holidays like Easter and July 4.
Hawryluk orders white rice, chicken, guacamole, and lettuce. He tops the concoction with Tabasco chipotle hot sauce.
The concoction Hawryluk orders every day. Chipotlife
"It’s an undeniably delicious meal," Hawryluk said on his blog. "It tastes kind of like Mexican sushi."
Hawryluk posted a picture of his bodybuilder physique on his blog to show that Chipotle hasn't caused him to gain weight.
Andrew Hawryluk shows off his physique on the blog. Chipotlife
He has no plans to stop eating at Chipotle every day, and he's even planning his vacations based on which cities have the restaurant.
"I'm going to Vancouver, and they have one," he said. "I want to go to Berlin, but I can't because they don't have a Chipotle."
The company is aware of his experiment and sent him gift cards for his birthday.
Hawryluk says he still isn't tired of Chipotle.
Andrew Hawryluk. Andrew Hawryluk/Chipotlife
"It's cheap, it's consistent, it's delicious," Hawryluk told Business Insider. "You know what you're getting every time."
"Chipotle is objectively the best restaurant," he writes on his blog. "I believe the main factors that determine the quality of a restaurant are cost, taste, speed, decor, consistency, ingredients, portion size, and transparency. If you know of a restaurant that dominates any or all of these categories as thoroughly as Chipotle does, please let me know." | {
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Bengaluru: With three contestants from the same family for this Lok Sabha elections surprised the citizens of Karnataka. However, their assets will make the people of the state even more surprised.
The grandsons of the JD(S) chief, HD Deve Gowda have amassed quite a lot of wealth compared to the veteran politician.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Prajwal Revanna are set to make their Lok Sabha election debuts from Mandya and Hassan respectively.
Here are the details of Nikhil, Prajwal and former Prime Minister Gowda's declared assets
Deve Gowda
Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda has reported assets worth Rs 6 crore. While comparing to the last time, Gowda's properties have seen an increase of Rs 5.23 crore. Gowda has movable assets of Rs 1.91 crore, Rs 4.09 crore worth immovable property and gold worth Rs 4.98 lakh. He owns three Ambassador cars and two tractors which are in the name of his wife, Chennamma. Gowda has agriculture and dry land worth Rs 3.28 crore. He has a loan of Rs 97.98 lakh. Chennamma's annual income has been declared as Rs 6,38,410.
Prajwal Revanna
Prajwal is the son of Karnataka PWD minister HD Revanna. He reported assets worth of Rs 10.11 crore. His declaration reflects 18 cows and two bullocks as his property. He does not own a car but owns a tractor. He is also a partner in Chennambika Convention Hall and has declared movable assets worth Rs 1.64 crore, cash of Rs 15.58 lakh, investments of Rs 91.1 lakh and loans of Rs 60.2 lakh paid to family members. His liabilities are worth Rs 3.72 crore including the one paid to his father - Rs 1.26 crore and mother Bhavani - Rs 43.75 lakh. Prajwal does not own a house.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy
Richest among the three is Nikhil who is the son of Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. Nikhil owns property worth Rs 17 core (Rs 17,53,87, 761.77 to be precise). He has a liability of Rs 2,40,04,283. He also holds a Lamborghini worth Rs 3.11 crore. He has Rs 4.55 lakh worth gold, and two more luxury cars worth Rs 23 lakh.
Nikhil is also a film actor who has acted in two movies, Jaguar and Seetharama Kalyana. He is contesting from Mandya against actress Sumalatha, the wife of late Congress leader Ambareesh. | {
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Margaret Constance Williams (born 15 April 1997) is an English actress making her television debut in HBO's Game of Thrones, where she plays the role of Arya Stark. She was part of the initial starring cast and remains a member of the starring cast for the eighth season.
Contents show]
Career
Maisie is right-handed, but plays Arya as left-handed, as in the novels.
Maisie's home village is Clutton, in Somerset. The audition day for Game of Thrones was the same day that her school was having a field trip to a local pig farm - she nearly skipped the audition because she really wanted to see the pig farm (and didn't think she'd get the part anyway), but ultimately decided to go to the audition.[1]
Williams has not read the books, but has read summaries of what happens to Arya in later books. She stated that she chose not to read the books because the TV adaptation abbreviates a large amount of material, and she was worried that she would get confused, basing her reactions on points from the books which don't exist for Arya in the TV version.[2]
On May 11th, 2017, it was announced that Williams will be playing Wolfsbane in the next installment in the X-Men movie franchise, New Mutants. Wolfsbane is a mutant with the power to turn into a werewolf (so she's still playing a "wolf girl" in a sense after Game of Thrones).[3] Williams joins her on-screen sister Sophie Turner (Sansa) in the X-Men universe, after Turner was cast as young Jean Grey (a telepath) in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Credits
Starring
Gallery
Arya Stark's reaction to The Red Wedding (Maisie Williams) *Spoiler*
See also | {
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It would have been so easy to get through this by just reading off the teleprompter. Few segments require editorializing less than the "sports star promotes book about fatherhood" segment. But the teleprompter's not enough for the anchor of WJLA in Washington DC, who calls Dwyane Wade "the overrated NBA star," and then backtracks slightly with, "He's a good guy" and concludes, "He's OK. He aight." After the break on ABC 7: That asshole LeBron James did some charity work, but he's not so bad, I guess, whatever. Stay tuned!
h/t S.A | {
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Star sneaks into Marco's bedroom for peek-a-boo By Deaf-Machbot Watch
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She slowly sneak into his bedroom and cover his eyes. He is surprised for her trick playing in sweetheart.
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Gov. Mike Pence, R-Ind., during a campaign event to announce Pence as the vice presidential running mate on, Saturday, July 16, 2016, in New York. The joint appearance at a midtown Manhattan hotel was choreographed to try to catapult the party toward a successful and unified Republican National Convention, which kicks off in Cleveland on Monday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Evan Vucci/AP)
With precious little attention, the Republican Party’s attitude toward international trade has officially shifted. Gone is the 2012 platform’s strong endorsement of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade in general. Instead, the new platform reflects Donald Trump’s more skeptical attitude toward trade deals (Trump has referred to the TPP as a “rape of our country”). “I expected it to be contentious, and it wasn’t,” said a co-chair of the platform subcommittee on the economy. “People all seemed to be going toward the same goal here, which is to get the candidate elected.”
A minor thing. Unless you are actually an economic conservative who cares anything about jobs and economic growth. A commitment to free trade is not an extraneous add-on to conservative economics; it is the application of conservative economics on a global scale. What Trump has proposed, according to GOP strategist Vin Weber, is “to reverse a Republican stance taken since World War II and embrace the notion of a state-planned economy.” In threatening a 35 percent tariff on many goods imported from Mexico and a 45 percent tariff on imports from China — and by pledging to punish specific U.S. businesses for behavior he doesn’t approve of — Trump is attempting to assume Hugo Chávez-like powers over global commerce.
What would be the result? A massive tariff is the equivalent of a massive, regressive consumption tax. Prices would rise for just about everything — especially the kind of products sold to working- and middle-class people at Home Depot and Walmart. Since about half of American imports are supplies used by firms to make other things, economic activity would slow. American jobs would be lost. (One economic model predicts that Trump’s tariffs could cost up to 4 million jobs .) And the imposition of high tariffs would almost certainly provoke a broader trade war, which is a proven and reliable method to cause a global recession.
In the parlance of economics, this policy approach is “bonkers.” According to many economists, the prime culprit in the decline of manufacturing jobs is technology rather than global trade. And Trump’s promise to reverse globalization through his awesome negotiating skills is magical thinking, distracting attention from actual policies that might help educate and train American workers for a 21st-century economy.
Republican leaders — at least those with ambitions in the age of Trump, such as Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich — have been quick to shed decades of economic conviction. (Pence was a champion of the North American Free Trade Agreement, arguing “the right course is not to turn back the clock, to close our borders,” but to recognize that “trade means jobs.”) And the current attitude of the party itself can best be described as supine. Some of the most basic conservative economic views, it seems, are expendable “to get the candidate elected.”
This is the story of the Cleveland convention so far. Trump has pushed. Republicans have generally caved. Those who haven’t — like a few on the convention rules committee and in a brief floor revolt — have been crushed without even the pretense of magnanimity.
The fate of those who come around to Trump’s way of thinking is not much better. Trump used the announcement of Pence as his running mate as an opportunity to remind America that his pick had caved to “establishment” pressure and endorsed Ted Cruz during the primaries. It was as if Trump were saying that he knows what weak men are like, and enjoys seeing them finally crawl. Chris Christie has had his early loyalty to Trump rewarded with a handful of humiliations (including a joke about Oreos). Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus have been serially embarrassed in spite of their support. All these leaders have been miniaturized by their contact with Trump. Which seems to be part of the purpose. Trump wants his former opponents not only to renounce past skepticism but also to pay for it.
“It’s almost — in some ways, like, I’m running against two parties,” Trump explained last month. In Cleveland, one senior Republican official told me, “Trump is still settling scores.” His goal is not party unity, unless it is the unity of unconditional surrender. On some issues, like global trade, this has involved the surrender of principle, with hardly a yelp of protest.
Meanwhile, Republicans are being asked to pretend that everything is normal, even as their leaders are being belittled and some defining Republican convictions abandoned. The balloons will drop as usual — but on a different and diminished party.
Read more from Michael Gerson’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook . | {
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When building websites, sometimes we need to display custom data in the database, which is not a post, page or a custom post type. In this case, we will create a custom URL for users to access and see the information we want to display. This URL is usually called a virtual page because it is not managed in the WordPress admin area.
The example of virtual pages can be seen on e-commerce sites. After the customer places an order, the website will generate an invoice for customers to view order details. They also can pay or print the invoice to PDF and download to their computer.
At Meta Box, we also use virtual pages to display the changelog of the plugins. For example, to view the Meta Box Builder changelog, visit the following URL:
https://metabox.io/plugins/meta-box-builder/changelog/
Apparently, invoice or changelog has custom content, but they are not a page or a custom post type in WordPress. They are created based on the specific needs of each website.
How to create a virtual page
There are a few ways to create a virtual page in WordPress, depending on how you want to generate the URL for that page. In this article, I will show you three ways to create virtual pages based on the permalink structure:
A virtual page with simple URL domain.com/?invoice_id=123 .
. A virtual page that appends to an existing link, such as the link to the changelog of the Meta Box plugins: https://metabox.io/plugins/meta-box-builder/changelog/ . We will need to use the rewrite endpoint API .
. We will need to use the . A virtual page that has a custom link structure domain.com/download/123/ . We will use custom rewrite rules.
Let’s see how to implement each method below.
Creating a virtual page with simple URL
This is the simplest type of virtual pages since you do not have to work with custom rewrite rules. You just need to get the value of the variable invoice_id on the URL and display the template based on that value.
Note that the variable on the URL must not be the same as the existing WordPress query variables.
To get a template for that URL, we will hook into init as follows:
add_filter( 'init', function( $template ) { if ( isset( $_GET['invoice_id'] ) ) { $invoice_id = $_GET['invoice_id']; include plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'templates/invoice.php'; die; } } );
We use the init hook instead of template_include so that WordPress does not have to query the database to retrieve messages. Therefore, speed will be faster.
The template file is located in the templates directory of the plugin. If you put it in another directory or in the add, change the path to that file.
After including the file, we must run die so that WordPress does not execute queries and other tasks (which possibly output to the screen).
This method is very fast and convenient. However, its downside is that the URL is not pretty.
Creating a virtual page with rewrite endpoint API
The Rewrite endpoint API is a part of the rewrite rules API in WordPress, which helps us add a suffix (endpoint) into a link structure already available.
For example, at Meta Box, we create a custom post type product for plugins and each plugin have the following URL structure:
https://metabox.io/plugins/meta-box-builder/
With the endpoint, we can create a URL for the changelog as follows:
https://metabox.io/plugins/meta-box-builder/changelog/
Here /changelog/ is added at the end of an existing URL and creates a custom URL.
This is very handy because it makes the URL structured and easy to understand. Besides, it is quite simple.
To add an endpoint, we use the add_rewrite_endpoint() function as follows:
add_action( 'init', function() { add_rewrite_endpoint( 'changelog', EP_PERMALINK ); } );
Add load the template as follows:
add_action( 'template_redirect', function() { global $wp_query; if ( ! is_singular( 'product' ) || ! isset( $wp_query->query_vars['changelog'] ) ) { return; } include plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'templates/changelog.php'; die; } );
We use the template_redirect hook instead of init as we did before because we have to check whether the page being loaded is a single product page. Note that when we add an endpoint to a URL, all template tags of WordPress still work. This is very useful when checking the condition of the page.
Similar to the first method, we also include a template file from the templates folder of the plugin and die so that WordPress does not have to perform extra actions.
Using endpoint is quite convenient for content types that relate to the available content. However, it is limited to existing URL structures and cannot create custom URL structures. To do that, let’s see the third one below.
Creating a virtual page using custom rewrite rules
Suppose we need to create a page to download the invoice domain.com/download/123 , where 123 is the ID of the order. We will need to do the following steps:
Create a custom rewrite rules
add_filter( 'generate_rewrite_rules', function ( $wp_rewrite ){ $wp_rewrite->rules = array_merge( ['download/(\d+)/?$' => 'index.php?dl_id=$matches[1]'], $wp_rewrite->rules ); } );
The filter generate_rewrite_rules is used to add a custom rewrite rule to the list of available WordPress rules (stored in $wp_rewrite->rules ). This list is an array, and to add a rule, we simply add an element to that array.
A rule is defined by two components:
Rewrite rule : is declared as regular expression download/(\d+)/?$
: is declared as regular expression The parameters when the WordPress parse rule: index.php?dl_id=$matches[1] . WordPress uses the function preg_match() so the parameters are parse similar to this function. The parameter $matches[1] is the value in the first bracket of the rewrite rule, ie the \d+ part. The value of this parameter is passed to the custom variable dl_id .
Adding a custom query var to WordPress
After parsing the rewrite rule as above, the value of the invoice ID is stored in the dl_id variable. To make WordPress to understand this variable, we need to declare it as follows:
add_filter( 'query_vars', function( $query_vars ){ $query_vars[] = 'dl_id'; return $query_vars; } );
This code will add dl_id to the list of WordPress query vars.
Load template
The final step is loading a template for the download page. This is the code:
add_action( 'template_redirect', function(){ $dl_id = intval( get_query_var( 'dl_id' ) ); if ( $dl_id ) { include plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'templates/download.php'; die; } } );
We get the invoice ID by the function get_query_var() . Since the dl_id variable was declared in the previous step, WordPress understand and derive it. If your URL is download.com/download/123 then the value of dl_id is 123 .
Then we load the corresponding template file and die so that WordPress does not handle the next actions.
Compared to the previous method, this last approach is more complex. However, this is the only way you can create your own URL.
You might ask: How do I create a custom URL like domain.com/my-custom-url ?
Well, it’s not hard to do that, try the code below:
add_filter( 'generate_rewrite_rules', function ( $wp_rewrite ){ $wp_rewrite->rules = array_merge( ['my-custom-url/?$' => 'index.php?custom=1'], $wp_rewrite->rules ); } ); add_filter( 'query_vars', function( $query_vars ){ $query_vars[] = 'custom'; return $query_vars; } ); add_action( 'template_redirect', function(){ $custom = intval( get_query_var( 'custom' ) ); if ( $custom ) { include plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'templates/custom.php'; die; } } );
Conclusion
Creating a virtual page with a custom URL is a very common thing in plugins. With the 3 ways above, hopefully, you can create virtual pages of your choice. If you have other methods, please share with us in the comments section. | {
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A rarely seen live performance from Morecambe and Wise is to air on Channel 5 this month.
The comedy duo's 1973 performance Morecambe & Wise Live! will be screened as part of an evening of programming celebrating Britain's greatest double acts.
PA Archive
The show sees Eric and Ernie perform some of their best-loved comedy sketches in front of a live audience at Fairfield Halls, Croydon.
Accompanied by an orchestra, the pair close the show - which was organised by their longtime agent Billy Marsh and has rarely been seen in its entirety - with a rendition of 'Bring Me Sunshine'.
In 2012, Morecambe and Wise's breakfast routine was voted as the duo's 'most iconic' sketch.
Morecambe & Wise Live! airs on Saturday, April 12 at 10.10pm on Channel 5.
Watch the Morecambe and Wise breakfast scene below:
This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io | {
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Sustainability means is different each person. We all have one goal, however, and that is making the Earth - the place we live in - as GREEN as possible! | {
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But for many couples, the queue the computer list of which films will arrive next in the mail, after those at home are returned is as important as everything else that spouses and other varieties of significant others share, from pet names to closet space to the bathroom. For some, this is fine. For others, the queue is the new toilet seat that somebody left up.
Back to that disc at the Marino residence, dug in like an old grudge.
“I had ‘English Patient’ for more than six months,” Mr. Marino confessed. “It was an insane amount of time.” He recalled starting the same discussion with his wife, night after night, as they flipped among the five DVDs from their Netflix subscription. “Do you want to watch this? Do you want to watch this? Do you want to watch ‘English Patient?’ ”
“No,” was the response he got.
Soon, Mr. Marino could not even get the full title out of his mouth before it was shot out of the sky like the English Patient himself.
“It was like, ‘Eng ’ ”
“No.”
“It just sat. My wife thought it would be too depressing. I’m like, ‘When are you going to be in the mood to watch it?’ She’s like, ‘I don’t know.’ ”
Image Credit... Christopher Serra
Eventually, it was returned unwatched.
Mr. Marino and Ms. Miller are not alone. Far from it. Men and women from perfectly happy partnerships report their own dysfunctional cohabitation within the confines of the queue. Once upon a time, these sorts of disagreements were sorted out in the aisles of a video store, before a movie was selected. Now, when the conversation begins, it’s already too late. | {
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PayScale’s Future Work Force report looks at all the serious issues facing workers in the future. We investigate which skills workers will need to succeed (and which will likely be the domain of robots). We ask which jobs and industries will thrive in the future, and how career paths will evolve. Finally, we talk about how offices are likely to change, to accommodate all this innovation.
But perhaps no question we asked is more important than this: “Who makes more money — fans of Star Trek or Star Wars?”
First things first: being a fan of either of these major science fiction franchises correlates with higher earnings. We surveyed 4,308 PayScale customers between April 14 and April 24, 2017, and found that those who love both Stars Wars and Star Trek had a higher median salary ($52,600) than those who hate both ($44,200) — or can’t tell them apart ($45,700).
But Trekkies won the day. Their median earnings of $53,300 topped Star Wars fans’ median earnings of $50,700.
Do You Know What You're Worth? GET A FREE PAY REPORT
Why do Star Trek fans have the edge? Our survey doesn’t provide concrete answers, but the series’ appeal to STEM enthusiasts — whose careers often pay better than average — might be a key.
“There is evidence in our culture that Star Trek has made huge contributions by influencing changes in our technology and how we treat one another,” wrote Kevin Anderton at Forbes. “Just to name a few of Star Trek’s influences, NASA continues to try and develop faster than light travel, Qualcomm helped to develop a real tricorder, and Nichelle Nichols performance as Uhura broke social boundaries in television.”
Anderton also pointed out that logic has a big role in Star Trek, which “includes heroes, like Captain Picard, that must think their way out of dangerous situations rather than using force.”
Tell Us What You Think
Star Wars or Star Trek? We want to hear from you! Weigh in on Twitter or comment below. | {
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Des Moines police seek help identifying suspects in series of pharmacy robberies
The Des Moines Police Department asked the community Friday to help identify the suspects in a series of pharmacy robberies this month.
The suspects were targeting pharmaceuticals, according to a news release. On Feb. 6, the Walgreens at 2545 E. Euclid Ave. was robbed. Then on Feb. 11, the next robbery took place at the CVS at 215 Euclid Ave. Additionally, the suspects robbed the CVS at 2303 Merle Hay Road on Feb. 12.
"These robberies are being committed by one or more of the same suspects," Des Moines police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek wrote in the release. "The suspects indicate that they are armed, however no weapon has been displayed. "
The news release asks that anyone with any information regarding the identity of the suspects should call Detective Jeff Dawson at 515-237-1422.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through CrimeStoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400, or online at www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com.
A reward is being offered, the news release adds.
Andrea Sahouri covers breaking news for the Des Moines Register. She can be contacted at [email protected], 515-284-8247 or on Twitter at @andreamsahouri.
Your subscription makes work like this possible. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal. | {
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California Governor Jerry Brown this week said the state’s flagship -- the University of California at Berkeley -- has closed its doors to “normal” people.
The remark, one of Brown’s characteristically blunt assertions, taps into years of concern that the state’s most prestigious universities are increasingly out of reach for many Californians.
Brown said that back in his day (he entered Berkeley in 1960) he and his two sisters could get into the University of California at Berkeley without much worry. So could his nieces and grand-nieces. But things have changed at Berkeley, he said.
“It just feels that whatever used to belong to the normal people of California – assuming the Brown extended family is normal – it’s not available anymore,” Brown said during a Board of Regents meeting this week. “And so you got your foreign students and you got your 4.0 folks, but just the kind of ordinary, normal students, you know, that got good grades but weren’t at the top of the heap there – they’re getting frozen out.” (It might not be fair to deem the Brown family “normal.” Jerry Brown's father, Pat, was governor the year Jerry enrolled at Berkeley. And after Jerry Brown graduated, he attended Yale Law School.)
Brown said his offhand remarks were "purely anecdotal," but those anecdotes shape how he feels about the UC system.
“When UC campuses like Berkeley started to be particularly selective and hard to get into, campus officials worried that a Stephen Bechtel or a Earl Warren (both not stellar high school students) never would have gotten in,” said John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow at Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education. Bechtel went on to found the construction and engineering company that bears his name, and Warren was California governor and U.S. Supreme Court justice.
Brown seemed to blame the university, but others blame Brown himself, as well as the politicians who preceded him. They say his fiscal conservatism – tuition freezes for students and tight appropriations for colleges – have given the university little room to grow. The university, in turn, has taken to enrolling profitable out-of-state and international students, who pay about $23,000 more per year than Californians.
Douglass said while it’s not the role of politicians to make admissions decisions, Berkeley could do more to admit students without impeccable grades or test scores. In recent years, most Berkeley freshmen had a high school grade-point average of 4.0 or higher.
When so many highly qualified students are trying to get in – many of whom easily surpass the basic admission requirements for the university – "admissions policies have arbitrary outcomes," Douglass argues. So why not admit students using considerations beyond just grades and test scores? Fewer than 1 percent of recent admits had below a 3.0 GPA.
“They still use special action,” he said, “but it has sort of fallen off the menu cart.”
Berkeley admits a huge number of low-income students -- 43 percent of its in-state undergraduates received the federal Pell Grant, which goes to students with very low family incomes.
Berkeley spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said Berkeley is academically rigorous and looks for prepared students at every school in the state.
"We consider whether the student made the most of available opportunities as well as indications of qualities such as leadership and persistence," she said in an email. "Ultimately, we seek to enroll a strong class of scholars and leaders representing a cross-section of communities, incomes, backgrounds, interests and talents."
David Fajnor, a college counselor at Oakwood High School who was an admissions officer at the University of California at Santa Cruz for 28 years, said Brown’s view of the system is outdated.
In the five decades since Brown entered Berkeley, California K-12 education has improved, there are more Advanced Placement and honors classes, and the sheer number of people in the state and graduating from high school has jumped. Berkeley and others have not prepared, in part because of funding decisions made by the governor.
“We basically got to your economic supply and demand, there were more students better prepared and not an equally increasing number of spaces available,” Fajnor said.
As state funding failed to keep up with growth, he said, Berkeley and others began looking outside the state for students, which meant new spots were created – just not for Californians.
In 2014, about 1,800 students – a third of Berkeley’s first-year undergraduates – were from outside California. The same year, 44,564 Californians applied to Berkeley and 8,391 were admitted. Of those, about half ended up enrolling. The university also admits about 3,600 transfer students a year, 90 percent of whom are from California community colleges.
Jon Reider, the director of college counseling at the prestigious San Francisco University High School, said Berkeley faculty must be thrilled to have such talented students, but it’s harder for strong California students to get into the college.
“It wasn’t always thus; as recently as 10 years ago, it was noticeably harder for a kid from New York to get into Berkeley than a kid from California – it’s because of the budget,” Reider said.
Fajnor also said that competition for the prestige of going to Berkeley or the University of California at Los Angeles has undermined elements of the state’s famed master plan.
Under the plan, UCs had a research mission, other four-year colleges in the California State University system were meant to prepare students for professional life, and two-year community colleges were for technical training. Those distinctions have “grayed,” Fajnor said, because universities want to become more selective to move up in the rankings, while students want the cachet that comes with attending a more highly ranked college.
“More families wrongly are trying to get their students into the University of California, thinking it’s better,” Fajnor said.
Unlike Douglass, Fajnor doesn’t think adding more special admits will get more so-called “normal” people into Berkeley.
“When Berkeley can figure out how to graduate an athlete they should be allowed to expand their special admit pool – or maybe even win a football game,” he said.
Caitlin Quinn, a Berkeley political science major who is also a vice president for the Associated Students of the University of California, said that as Berkeley grows more competitive, students don’t blame each other.
“The university tries to pit us against each other from admissions to introductory weeder classes to research opportunities – more funding from the state would mean more spots for everyone, more housing, more research, more great professors,” she wrote in an email.
Students learn from one other, Quinn said, so if the so-called normal students end up getting frozen out, it's a detriment to the students and the university. The state and the system share responsibility, she said.
Brown is pushing the UC system to become more efficient. This week, he and UC system President Janet Napolitano formed an unusual two-person committee to study the system’s finances. They have clashed over how to find more money for the system. Napolitano favors a major influx of state dollars, or several consecutive years of tuition hikes. Brown favors a tuition freeze, a modest increase in state appropriations and belt-tightening by the system.
During the regents' meeting this week, UC Regent Hadi Makarechian compared Brown’s plan for the system to only partially fueling up an airplane and then packing it full of passengers.
“You’re going to crash,” Makarechian said. “And you say, ‘I’m not going to give you any more fuel and I’m not going to give you any more pilots, and I’m not going to give raises to your pilots – but they have to go in and fly anyway.’ It’s not going to happen. Something has to give.” | {
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The central jail authorities here today sounded an alert after Salim Zarda, one of the accused in Godhra train burning case who was awarded death penalty, jumped the parole. "Salim Yusuf Zarda, who was sentenced to death in Godhra train carnage case, had jumped his 15-day parole which ended on Tuesday. We have sent a written communication to Godhra Deputy Superintendent of Police, asking him to arrest Zarda," a jail official said here.
"Zarda was given parole by the Gujarat High Court on November 3 to attend to some house renovation work. He was supposed to report back yesterday," the official said. Zarda is one of the 31 convicts in the case related to the deaths of 59 people after two coaches of Sabarmati Express were set on fire at Godhra station on February 27, 2002. Zarda along with ten others were given death penalty by the special trial court in March 2011. Their appeals are pending before the High Court. | {
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State Sen. John Keenan introduced a bill into the senate that would ban all flavored nicotine products, including mint and menthol. Photo by Stephanie Purifoy / Beacon Staff
Over 150 cancer patients, volunteers, and lawmakers rallied in the Massachusetts State House on March 28 to lobby for multiple anti-tobacco bills going through the legislative process in the state government.
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, or ACS CAN, organized the rally to support legislation that bans flavored tobacco and vape products in Massachusetts retail stores, and a bill that raises taxes on the same products.
Sen. John Keenan, D-Norfolk and Plymouth, sponsored the proposal banning the sale of flavored tobacco and vape products and said he filed the bill with the public health committee where it still needs reviewal. The ban would prohibit the sale of flavors such as mint, menthol, and mango.
In an interview with the Beacon, the senator said he proposed the measure after hearing alarming stories about children getting addicted to nicotine through vape products.
“Kids are being sold this product with the idea that it tastes like candy or mint and they have no idea how much nicotine [is] in these products,” Keenan said. “They get a false sense that they’re not dangerous. It’s not smoking, so how bad can it be?”
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Keenan said he partnered with ACS CAN to work on the legislation because he wished lawmakers made nicotine addiction a bigger priority for his generation.
“We have an obligation to our kids,” he said in his speech at the rally. “It’s time we say to the big tobacco industry, the nicotine industry, ‘You are not going to take another generation. We are going to fight you every step of the way.’”
The tax legislation would increase the cigarette tax by $1, the cigar tax by 40 percent, and create a 70 percent tax on vape paraphernalia, Marc Hymovitz, director of government relations for ACS CAN in Massachusetts, said in an interview with the Beacon.
“There are decades of evidence to show that one of the most effective ways to get folks to quit using tobacco and prevent kids from starting is to increase the price,” he said.
Raising the price of tobacco products along with other prevention strategies—like media campaigns and school programs—can cut underage smoking in half in six years, according to the Surgeon General’s website.
Vice President and Dean of Campus Life James Hoppe said the college can only estimate how many students smoke and vape from previously conducted surveys. The American College Health Survey in 2015 found that 11 percent of students at Emerson smoked in the past 30 days while the Healthy Minds study in 2019 found that 15 percent of students at the college smoked in the past 30 days.
Hoppe said the college did not have any concrete numbers of students who vape but the Center for Health and Wellness estimates that 20 percent of the students they treat vape regularly. He said he has heard some concern from students about smokers standing outside of college buildings.
“The debate was so very mixed,” Hoppe said in an interview. “Some had a big problem with smokers standing right outside [the Walker Building] and others said it was their right to choose to smoke. So, I don’t think a resolution was ever reached.”
The college does not allow students to smoke in any campus buildings but sidewalks are owned by the City of Boston, which is why students frequently smoke there.
Sophomore Sean Cuddihy, 20, said he thinks students at Emerson smoke and vape more than students at other colleges but the government should not restrict what consumers can or cannot buy.
“I don’t think it’s fair to ban stuff that people want to do,” Cuddihy said in an interview. “I think there should be more regulation on who can buy and sell things like that. I think the problem is that the people who are selling these products don’t really care who they’re selling them to.”
In Massachusetts, 140 cities and towns—including Boston—already regulate or ban flavored tobacco products, according to Tobacco Free Mass. Boston’s regulations ban flavored products other than menthol in every store except dedicated smoking shops.
Keenan said it made more sense to make the flavor ban a state law because it would close the gaps of any townships that refused to take action.
Stewart said the bill banning flavored nicotine products is one of the first of its kind in the nation and might help other states pass similar laws.
“Everyone’s kind of playing chicken here. No one wants to be the first one but once one state does it, then it’s possible to study it, see what the effects are,” she said. “Massachusetts has been a leader in this area, and I would love to see us continue that.”
Bridgewater resident Patti Morris, 50, has 29 family members who have been diagnosed with cancer. Doctors diagnosed her mother, brother, step-mother, and step-sister with cancer from tobacco use. Morris’ brother is the only one still alive.
Morris said in an interview with the Beacon that she joined ACS CAN in 2004 and helps them lobby for anti-tobacco and nicotine bills.
“I tried to explain to my eight-year-old grandson why Juuls were so bad and his response was, ‘It has to be good for me because it smells good,’” she said in her speech at the rally.
Morris said the marketing and branding techniques used by tobacco and vape companies appall her, and said she thought it was important to share her story with lawmakers.
“I love being able to share my story,” she said. “It’s so important because I have lost far too many family members and friends that now don’t have a voice. So I have to use mine to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Chris Van Buskirk contributed reporting to this article. | {
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Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters recently received the following report from a witness who claimed to have seen a weird flying creature at the Goshen Dam in Goshen, Indiana, in the summer of 2000.
I came across your post on my Facebook timeline and it automatically brought back some rather scary, yet crazy memories of a run in with what everyone has been recently seeing in the Chicago area or something very similar.
It was back in the late summer of 2000, around this time of the year. There's a park/dam in a town by the name of Goshen, Indiana that people frequently visit during the day. A friend of mine lived right near the dam and sometimes at night we would head over there and just hang out.
One clear night we decided to take a walk to the dam since there was a full moon out and it was a really bright out...so we figured why not. So we walked to the dam which was about a 5 min walk. Once you get to the damn area there's a long path along the top of the lake that you have to walk to get to the end where the dam starts at. We were walking like normal, just talking and looking at the sky when we approached the end area of the dam. There are some steps that go down to the bottom of the dam that's usually used by people who like to fish.
Anyway...we hear this loud rumbling, like the rocks moving like crazy down below. We were like 'what the heck is that noise, what's going on down there?' All of the sudden we hear this whoosh. It was something similar to the whoosh you would hear from a pterodactyl in a Jurassic Park movie, that's the only way I can describe the sound. It flew right at the edge of the dam but it was too dark to clearly see it. What we did see was the outline before is swooped in the moonlight. I remember feeling the intense rush of air from its flap. I've seen A LOT of birds growing up in the country and traveling to all kinds of nature parks, and this was no ordinary bird. It had a scary similar resemblance to the creeper in mid-flight with it's wings in the movie Jeepers Creepers.
But that wasn't the scary part.
Not more than 3 whooshes from its wings, we hear the brush behind us that leads to the woods move around. Then we hear this loud BANG! Someone was SHOOTING at it! We bolted out of there as fast as we could, sprinting back towards the parking lot at the end of the dam, when we heard this loud CRASH on the opposite side of the lake where we think the creature landed.
We got back to my friend's house and heard police sirens. We didn't go back out, but we went the next day to see what crashed on the opposite side. There were huge broke tree branches but nothing else. A man was outside walking around the area and he said he lives nearby and heard something that sounded like a plane crash in the trees. But there was no sign of anything but broken trees.
My friend and I talk about that thing every time we see each other. His uncle witnessed something like that in 2002 in the South Bend area.
But the real question is...who was shooting at it? That's what bugged me the most all these years! We made jokes it was Van Helsing lol.
But yeah, when I hear stories like it really makes you think of all the OTHER things that are there.
This sighting occurred on the opposite side of Lake Michigan from Chicago, about 50 miles away from the great lake. It predates any of the Chicago area sightings reported so far by a decade, but as this story continues to run, older sightings are beginning to be reported.
The recent flap of flying humanoid reports in Chicago began in early 2017, and since then sightings have spread to the surrounding suburbs. As the sightings continue to be reported, witnesses who have had similar experiences in the past are now coming forward; something that suggests this phenomenon may have a history previously unguessed.
The sightings generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park and around water, and witnesses consistently describe a large, bat or bird-like creature with humanoid features; although in one case the creature was reportedly "insect-like."
To report a sighting, reach out to us directly at The Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.
You can view a timeline of the sightings so far here, and an interactive map here. | {
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404 Not Found
Well, shucks! It looks like we've steered you wrong.
And after all we've been through together.
You can let us know about this mistake so we can fix it,
or just head on back to the home page and forget about this whole ugly incident. | {
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S2A Modular Offers Affordable Net Zero Homes With Renewable Energy Components
March 19th, 2019 by Steve Hanley
S2A Modular in Southern California is building a factory to manufacture modular net-zero-energy private homes, condominiums, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings. In an interview with Renewable Energy Magazine, co-founder and CEO Brian Kudzas says, “Right now there’s a need in the construction industry to be able to move faster than the traditional model does. In the traditional model, you stop at night, stop at the weekend, stop when it’s raining — it’s just start-stop, start-stop.
“In the modular industry, you’ve got first shift, second shift, third shift. It really doesn’t stop. Because of that, speed is so important. If you take a 2000 square foot home, on average, and build it traditionally, it takes you about a year to get that thing from start to finish. In the modular, you can do that within about three months, total. It’s about a week in the factory — that’s about 90 percent of the home — and then it gets transported. It only takes a day or two to actually set and then you’ve got the final 10 percent of the building materials to actually finish the home off, so we tell clients about a three month time frame.”
Speed is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is economics. If you are having a house built, payments on your construction loan begin when the first dollars are lent to the builder and go up each time the bank disperses another dollop of dollars. In the end, the homeowner can be on the hook for a year’s worth of mortgage payments before even moving in.
The S2A Modular concept has attracted a lot of interest from developers in other countries, like China, Mexico, and Pakistan. “Instead of shipping those orders, we’re looking simply to build a factory in those and oversee them, almost like a franchise concept,” Kudzas says. The first homes will be constructed for customers in Southern California but the company already has an order for 62 homes in Montana.
While the company’s target market is US homes of about 2,000 square feet, the modular concept can be adapted to any size home. Kudzas says there is a lot of interest in what he calls ADU or Accessory Dwelling Units — standalone units of about 600 square feet that provide a place where elderly or special needs members of a family can live independently.
The company says renewable energy products are integral parts of building homes that are energy self-sufficient. Excess electricity will be exported to the local grid at times, while at other times the home may draw power from the grid. But over the course of a year, each home will create as much energy as it uses. The modular approach allows for a more energy efficient building envelope with superior insulation properties, better windows and doors, and energy efficient appliances. Heat pumps with the highest efficiency available will also be part of the process.
Kudzas says some of the biggest corporations in the world are interested in being part of the process. “It’s Amazon, Google, Mitsubishi, LG, it’s a combination. There’s so many people coming at us wanting us to use their products, so we’re investigating everything as the factory gets built as to what eventual suppliers we’re going to be using. Those names I mentioned, most of them are very much in front of us and we’ll probably end up using all of them.”
The best news is that with its modular approach, S2A Modular can provide a superior building for about 20% less money than a traditional structure. Much of those savings come from saving time by building in a factory versus building on site. Time is money and the more quickly the process can be completed, the less it costs. A home that would typically cost $700,000 can be completed by S2A Modular for about $560,000, meaning a lower mortgage payment and lower taxes for the owner.
Building modular means creating a more energy efficient package than is possible by trying to retrofit an existing structure. “It’s difficult for the average consumer to go out and retrofit their homes with special windows and insulation and doors and all the special components because the home was built in the 1950s,” Kudzas says. “Think of a Tesla car and taking that Tesla battery out and putting it into a Ford Fusion. It’s never going to work.”
The heart of the concept is the inclusion of a residential storage battery, such as the Tesla Powerwall. “Our concept is that if you’re going to start with the concept of running a home off a residential storage battery, you’re going to need to surround that with specialized home components to capture as much energy as possible. So we’re starting with that concept and that’s the game-changer.”
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article
Officials said a man is dead after he reportedly pulled out a knife and taunted two Denton officers Monday afternoon.
Lt. Lonny Haschel with the Texas Department of Public Safety said the officers were working a crash in the 2000 block of Spencer Street when a man approached them.
Investigators say the two officers followed him, and when they tried to detain him for questioning, he went at them with the knife.
The officers told to man to stop, but he ignored them and disappeared into a wooded area.
When he reappeared from the trees he was reportedly holding the knife again and being "very aggressive" toward the officers, Haschel said.
The suspect went down when officers used a Taser on him, but got back up, investigators said.
When the man advanced on theofficers, one shot the suspect, and he died on scene, Haschel said.
The Texas Rangers have been called to the scene and will be conducting the investigation.
Police did not release the man's name. | {
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In response to jokes people were making online about Barron after the inauguration, the daughter of Hillary Clinton tweeted a powerful message
Chelsea Clinton Says Barron Trump Deserves the Chance to Be a Kid
Chelsea Clinton knows firsthand that growing up in the political spotlight can be tough, and now she’s standing up for President Donald Trump‘s 10-year-old son Barron.
Apparently in response to jokes people were making online about Barron after the inauguration Friday, the 36-year-old daughter of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted a powerful message on Sunday.
Get push notifications with news, features and more.
“Barron Trump deserves the chance every child does-to be a kid,” she wrote.
However, Clinton also implied that some of the 70-year-old president’s policies may harm children.
She said, “Standing up for every kid also means opposing @POTUS policies that hurt kids.”
First Daughter Ivanka Trump, 35, said in an interview with 20/20 that aired Thursday that Clinton is a “very good friend” of hers, although she admitted that the two haven’t talked since their parents became embroiled in a bitter election.
“She’s been a friend of mine long before the campaign, of course will be a friend of mine after,” the mother of three told ABC News’ Doris Roberts. “I haven’t spoken about the specific challenges about this next chapter with her just yet but I intend to.”
Image zoom WIN MCNAMEE/AFP/Getty Images
RELATED VIDEO: Watch: Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack
At the second 2016 presidential debate, the daughters met face-to-face and the two shared an affectionate exchange. Months before, in July, Ivanka told PEOPLE, “We’re both incredibly supportive of our parents, as we should be. But we also continue to have great respect for one another.” | {
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Vi färdas tillbaka till tiden strax innan bronsåldern startade i Norden, cirka 1600 f.kr. till kung Borrs land på Österlen. Han vet inte hur värdefullt bärnsten är, men snart kommer två långväga gäster att visa honom.
Kung Borr gick längs stranden. Han svepte sin mantel tätt omkring sig för att skydda sig från höstkylan. Vågorna hade äntligen lugnat sig efter den våldsamma höststormen som hade rasat i två dagar. I det grå ljuset som silades genom tunga moln var det svårt att hitta det han sökte. Men han visste att det skulle finnas där. Det gjorde det alltid vid den här tiden på året. Särskilt efter stormar som denna.
Det hade blivit en tradition för honom att leta bärnsten. Han hade gjort det varje höst sedan han var barn. Han hade först plockat och gett till sin mor. Sedan hade plockat och gett till sin blivande hustru. Nu plockade han för att ge till sin dotter.
Estre, Borrs viga dotter
Han plockade upp en sten, men det visade sig bara vara en vanlig, men ändå vacker sten som var len efter att ha sköljts i tusentals år här på stranden. Han övervägde först att ta med sig den. Men när han fick se en stor klump ett par fot framför sig så kastade han den oädla stenen bakom sig och tog upp klumpen med bärnsten. Den såg inte mycket ut för världen nu, men om man slipade och polerade den så skulle den bli ett väldigt fint smycke som hans dotter kunde hänga runt halsen. Hon skulle fylla femton till våren, och hon skulle för första gången vara med och plocka blommor på midsommarnatten. Att då bära en av höga fru gryningsgudinnan Estres tårar som halsband. Ja, det passade väldigt väl, särskilt som hans dotter hade uppkallats efter henne. Hans dotter hette också Estre.
På andra sidan av världen gick kung Minos III längs murarna som omgav hans stad. Hans farfar hade byggt templet till Zeus ära, och hans far hade byggt hamnen som var grunden för stadens rikedom. Själv hade han byggt höga och starka murar som skulle skydda staden för evigt.
Murarna behövdes eftersom det fanns många som var ute efter hans rikedom. Dels var det pirater och rövare från grannstäderna. Det var emot dessa han hade byggt murarna, och det hade fungerat utmärkt. Men det fanns också andra, som på ett mer indirekt sätt försökte stjäla hans rikedom. Den värste av dessa var kung Puriamu.
Kung Puriamu var kung över Wilusa, som låg i bergen många dagsmarscher norrut i inlandet. Det hade länge varit goda handelskontakter mellan kung Minos’ rike och Puriamus rike. Puriamu hade bytt till sig koppar och tenn som han behövde för att göra brons, och han hade betalat väl i ädla metaller, salt och inte minst bärnsten.
Minos mindes än idag, vid den höga åldern av fyrtiofem år, hur han första gången fick sen sin fars samling av bärnsten. Hans far hade tagit läderpungen som han förvarade stenarna i och så hade han hällt ut dem på en duk som han hade lagt på ett bord. Sedan hade han tagit en fjäder och strykit den över stenarna. Fjädern hade då fått del av stenarnas magi. Minos hade fått hålla handen framför sig, och hans far hade lagt den i hans hand. Sedan hade han bett Minos vända handen och låta fjädern falla till marken. Minos hade gjort som hans far bad honom, men fjädern hade suttit kvar på handen trots att den borde ha fallit till marken.
Men detta var inte den enda magi som bärnsten kunde bjuda på. Det bästa var när hans far hade fått tjänarna att bära ut alla lampor. Hans far hade lagt tillbaka stenarna i pungen och sedan hade han skakat runt dem. När han sedan hällde ut dem på duken igen så hade de blixtrat i mörkret. Minos hade blivit väldigt rädd, men samtidigt hade det gjort ett djupt intryck på honom. Detta var ett av de säkraste sätten man kunde se gudarnas kraft.
Han hade allt sitt guld och sina finaste bronser i sin skattkammare, men sin samling av bärnsten bar han alltid med sig. Precis som hans far hade gjort.
Varje gång de hade fått besök av en handelsdelegation från Wilusa, så hade han försiktigt hört sig för om de hade bärnsten. Oftast hade de inte det, men de gånger de hade med sig enstaka stenar så hade han varit särskilt noga med att de skulle vara en del av handeln. Men, han hade börjat inse att hans käre bror Puriamu hade börjat höja priset på bärnsten. Varje gång var han tvungen att lämna ifrån sig mer och mer koppar, tenn och guld för att byta till sig bärnsten. Det var uppenbart att Puriamu hade förstått att han kunde ta vad som helst för bärnsten.
Minos hade nästan hur mycket guld som helst, men det irriterade honom när han kände sig utnyttjad. Han hade funderat länge och väl på vad han skulle göra. Han behövde en annan källa än Puriamu för bärnsten. Priset på tenn hade sjunkit drastiskt sedan de hade börjat importera tenn från andra sidan Herkules stoder. Innan dessa hade handelsmännen från bergen i öster haft monopol, men nu så var det de som fick buda på hans guld istället för att han måste buda på deras tenn. Han skulle göra samma sak med bärnsten.
Han hade frågat sina rådgivare vem som var den djärvaste och listigaste av alla sjöfararna i hans rike, och de hade alla svarat med samma namn. Jasana var den djärvaste sjöfararen. Ingen storm hade någonsin hindrat honom från att leverera sina varor. Han hade även rykte om sig att var en god förhandlare, och att kunna tolka avtal till sin egen fördel om så krävdes.
”Jasana, ädle sjöfarare. Jag vill att du ger dig ut i världen och finner bärnstenens källa. Jag vill att du upprättar ett handelsavtal med dem som bor vid källan, och att du tar med dig så mycket som du kan byta till dig tillbaka till mig.”
”Min herre, jag har hört sägas att bärnsten är Apollons tårar. Apollon är som vi alla vet en Hyperboreisk gud. Så havet där han fällde sina tårar måste vara Hyperboreernas hav.”
”På så sätt? Om du vet vilken riktning du ska åka så känns det som att det mesta av arbetet redan är utfört. Kanske ska du då låta ditt pris avspegla detta faktum, och nöja dig med den normala ersättningen för en handelsresa?”
”Om ni ursäktar min herre. Problemet är att ingen vet var Hyperboreernas land ligger, utom att det är i riktning norrut. Ingen jag har hört talas om har rest dit själv, utan alla säger att de har hört någon som har varit där. Det sägs att Hyperboreen är väldigt kallt och mörkt. Det sägs att solen vägrar visa sig under halva året. Därför vill jag ha en extra fin ersättning när jag kommer tillbaka.”
”Nåväl. Nämn ditt pris.”
”Om jag kommer tillbaka, och uppdraget är utfört enligt vad vi har sagt nu, så vill jag gifta mig med din dotter.”
Minos skrattade först till, men när han såg hur allvarlig den unge sjöfararen var, så tänkte han igenom förslaget. Han hade bara en dotter. Döttrar var bra att ha när man skulle knyta diplomatiska förbindelser. Men, bärnsten var viktigare än diplomatiska förbindelser med olika öar i det egeiska havet. Det var för att slippa fjäska som han hade byggt murarna.
”Låt gå. Om du kommer tillbaka och har med dig stora mängder bärnsten och om du har kommit överens om fortsatt handel med hyperboreerna. Då ska du få gifta dig med min dotter.”
De båda männen offrade till Zeus och Neptunus för lycka och välgång på resan. Avtalet hade redan när de talade om det tecknats ner av en sekreterare på en lertavla som sedan skulle skickas till det kungliga arkivet så snart den hade torkat.
Det de inte visste var att samme sekreterare hade två fruar i olika delar av staden, varför han ständigt hade behov av pengar. Detta behov tillfredsställdes dock genom generösa donationer från kung Puriamus spioner, av vilka det fanns flera i staden.
Kung Puriamu var stolt över sin förmåga att läsa. Han såg det som en kungs plikt att både kunna läsa, föra krig och styra landet. Han hade sin kungliga skrivpinne för det första, sitt kungliga svärd för det andra och sin kungliga piska för det tredje.
Han läste vaxtavlan som hade smugglats tillbaka från en av hans spioner i kung Minos stad. Kung Minos skulle försöka öppna en egen handelsförbindelse med Hyperboreerna, i syfte att konkurrera med kung Puriamu.
Det var ett allvarligt hot. Puriamu visste att Minos hade lyckats sänka priset på tenn genom att handla med folket bortom Herkules stoder, men priset som Puriamu fick betala hade inte gått ner. Han hade länge känt sig frustrerad och lurad. Men han skulle inte låta sig luras två gånger.
Han vände sig om och tittade på sin käre, älskade son som hade givit honom vaxtavlan. Hans vackre son, som så många gånger hade hamnat i problem på grund av kvinnor, han skulle få en chans till att visa sin rätta halt. Puriamu skulle skicka iväg honom för att hinna före Hyperboreerna och lura dem att köra bort den här Jasanas om och när han kom fram.
”Alaksandu, min älskade son. Jag vill att du genskjuter den här Jasanas och sluter ett avtal med Hyperboreerna. De ska bara handla med oss, och om de sera någon annan så ska de köra bort dem direkt. Har du förstått?”
”Ja, far.”
”Och förresten. Se till att det inte blir några kvinnoaffärer den här gången?”
”Ja, far.”
För Jasanas del så gick resan över de två östliga haven. Först genom det Egeiska havet, sedan genom Hellesponten och därefter över det Svarta havet tills han nådde de yttersta Grekiska handelsstationerna vid floden som kallades för Borysthenes. Där bytte hans följe till mindre båtar som drogs upp för floden och förbi de sju fallen av oxar. Under tiden lyssnade han till de lokala oxdragarnas berättelser om kvinnliga krigare, män med ansiktet på bröstet, skelett som kom till liv, drakar och andra förskräckliga varelser som sades bo i länderna längs floden. Till slut fick de lasta om till oxkärror som transporterade dem och allt guld och brons över land till nästa flod. Där lastade de till slut om till båtar igen, som tog dem hela vägen till Hyperboréernas hav.
För Alaksandus del så gick resan först längs smala bergsvägar och över slätterna tills de kunde lasta sig och sina varor på båtar som tog dem till Hyperboréernas hav. Som alltid gick det lättare för Alaksandu. Han hade alltid haft det lätt och det var uppenbart för alla att åtminstone någon av gudarna eller gudinnorna hjälpte honom på färden.
De anlände till kung Borrs strand strax efter midsommartiden. Den första som såg något var Borrs dotter Estre. Hon hade stämt möte med en av jarlarnas pojkar i en skogsdunge ovanför stranden. De hade lärt känna varandra under midsommarnatten, och nu träffades de i hemlighet. Hon visste att de skulle hamna i stora problem om någon visste att de träffades utanför midsommartiden och utan att vara gifta. Men hennes hjärta kunde inte få nog av den här pojken, så stilig och ömsint som han var.
De hade precis sagt farväl och pojken hade gått i förväg för att ingen skulle misstänka något. Hon stod och njöt av hans kvardröjande värme och tittade ut över havet när hon såg ett skepp träda fram i solblänket. Det såg ut att vara på väg rakt mot henne, och tvärt emot allt förnuft så stod hon kvar och väntade för att se vilka det var som kom.
Innan skeppet hade kommit ända fram så såg hon ljudet av många fötter som kom springande längs stranden, och hur hennes far röt ut order till sina jarlar. ”Se bestämda ut, men utan att dra vapen. Vi vill bara visa folk att om de har kommit för strid, så kommer vi att besegra dem, men om de kommer för handel så vill vi inte skrämma iväg dem. Förstått! Om ni sköter detta rätt, så blir det ett gille ikväll.”
Den främmande båten stannade en bit utanför stranden och en man reste sig upp och ropade:
”Är detta kung Bores strand?”
”Kanske, kanske inte. Vem är du, och vad vill du kung Bore?”
”Mitt namn är prins Alaksandu från Wilusa. Jag har kommit för att byta brons och guld mot bärnsten för kung Puriamus räkning.”
Redan här hade Alaksandu sagt lite för mycket. Borr hade visserligen bytt till sig lite små bronsföremål mot bärnsten. Men om någon kom från Wilusa långt nere i söder bara för att byta till sig bärnsten så betydde det att det att de värderade det väldigt högt. Borr bestämde sig för att låta handeln dra ut på tiden så att han kunde försöka avgöra hur mycket de var villiga att betala. Främlingens exotiska dialekt visade att han antagligen talade sanning.
”Välkommen till kung mitt land, prins Alaksandu från Wilusa. Mitt namn är kung Borr, och jag vill gärna idka handel med dig. Men först ska vi ha ett riktigt gille!”
När främlingarna klev i land så blänkte solen i Alaksandus långa, vågiga, bruna hår. Estre hade aldrig sett ett så vackert hår, och vilket vackert leende han hade. Genast kände hennes tidigare älskare alldaglig och ointressant. Hon kände att hon bara måste lära känna den här underbart stilige främlingen.
Efter ett par dagar av intensiva gästabud, där all uppmärksamhet hade riktats mot Alaksandu, och där Borr sakta men säkert lyckats få en uppfattning om ett rimligt pris på bärnsten, så kände Borr att det kanske strax var dags att utföra själva handeln.
Estre var frustrerad efter att förgäves ha försökt fånga främlingens uppmärksamhet. Nu hade hon tagit på sig sina finaste kläder. En topp som visade magen, och en kjol av tvinnade rep som nästan, men inte helt och hållet visade allt. På magen hade hon ett bältessmycke i form av en solskiva. Den man som kunde motstå detta måste vara helt okänslig för kvinnlig fägring.
Borr hade låtit sina trälar förbereda en handelsplats på stranden. De hade lagt ut en mantel på vilken de hade lagt ut bärnsten i högar, sorterat efter färg, klarhet och storlek. Alaksandus män lät fortfarande all sin brons ligga kvar i båten, för att inte avslöja hur mycket de hade med sig. Så mycket vett hade han i alla fall.
Just som de skulle börja handeln så ropade någon, ”Ett skepp till!” Genast ställde Borrs män upp sig medan Alaksandus män drog sig tillbaka.
Samma procedur som med Alaksandus båt utspelade sig nu med den nya båten. Den här gången presenterade sig den främmande sjöfararen som ”Jasanas, sändebud från kung Minos i Grekland.” Även han uttryckte en önskan att byta brons och guld mot bärnsten.
Så, istället för en förhandling bara mellan köpare och säljare, så kunde Borr nu anordna en auktion. Han hade gjort det förr, men inte om bärnsten utan om kor och får. Men det skulle fungera på samma sätt.
Den första högen som skulle auktioneras ut var en hög med två dussin små, mörka stenar som var ganska grumliga.
”Ett bronssvärd”, bjöd Alaksandu. ”Två bronssvärd”, kontrade Jasanas. ”En tripod”, bjöd Alaksandu. ”En tripod och ett svärd”, svarade Jasanas.
Så fortskred budgivningen tills Alaksandu vann till priset av en tripod, tre svärd, två yxor och en liten figurin som föreställde Eos. Under tiden ökade Estres frustration. Hon stod bredvid sin far, mitt emot Alaksandu och stirrade honom rakt in i ögonen, men han hade bara ögon för bärnsten. Hon drog handen genom sitt midjelånga blonda hår, men han gav henne inte mer än en förströdd blick innan han sedan åter vände blicken mot högarna med bärnsten.
Nästa parti bärnsten som auktionerades ut var en hög med två dussin små, mörka stenar. Men dessa hade en klar färg och var helt genomskinliga. Den här gången var det Jasanas som vann budgivningen till priset av en tripod, fyra svärd, två yxor och en liten flaska med exotisk parfym från Egypten.
Estre förstod att om hon skulle lyckas fånga Alaksandus uppmärksamhet så var hon tvungen att ta till det tunga artilleriet. Hon gjorde som hon hade gjort under midsommarnatten. Hon vaggade med höfterna i takt till musik som bara hon kunde höra, och sedan när hon såg att Alaksandu tittade åt hennes håll så vände hon sig om, och böjde sig ner och plockade en sten i sanden. Hon höll medveten benen raka så att klänningen av rep gled upp en aning och tydligt avtecknade hennes höfter. Medan hon fortfarande var dubbelvikt på det sättet tittade hon på Alaksandu och såg att han såg. De log åt varandra, och för ett ögonblick trodde hon att hon hade lyckats. Men sedan drogs hans uppmärksamhet tillbaka till den töntiga auktionen.
Så fortgick auktionen. Jasanas från Grekland vann hälften av högarna, och Alaksandu vann den andra halvan. Estre kände sig helt uppgiven och förkastad. Hon hade verkligen gjort allt hon kunde för att förföra den vackraste mannen i världen, men hon hade misslyckats och snart skulle han sitt på sitt skepp på väg därifrån.
Det var då hon fick en idé. När hon hade varit en liten flicka så hade hon varit känd för sin stora vighet. Hon hade spenderat alla sina vakna timmar med att hjula, böja kroppen i omöjliga krumbukter. Men bäst av allt hade hon tyckt om att göra frivolter. Om det fanns något som hon kunde göra, som var både sensationellt och samtidigt hyllade höga fru Estre, så var det en bakåtvolt i den klädsel hon nu bar.
För att fånga Alaksandus uppmärksamhet så vinkade hon förföriskt till honom. När hon sedan såg att han tittade åt hennes håll så kastade hon sig handlöst bakåt i en frivolt. Hon satte händerna i sanden och sedan slog hon en volt till och landade på fötterna två steg bakom raden av sin faders män. Där var det bara Alaksandu som såg henne, och han såg på henne med uppspärrade ögon. Hon insåg att hon hade lyckats. Hans ansikte bestod av två uppspärrade ögon, och en mun på vid gavel.
”Ursäkta, kung Borr. Innan vi avslutar auktionen så har jag ett erbjudande till er.”
”Nå?”
”Er dotter, vad vill ni ha som hemgift ifall jag gifter mig med er dotter?”
Kung Borr såg förvånad ut. Han hade inte haft en tanke på att gifta bort sin dotter just idag. Men detta var ju en mycket vacker man, men goda anor, så tanken var inte helt främmande för honom. Han skulle precis öppna sin mun och ge ett bud, men Alaksandu förekom honom.
”Allt. Jag ger er allt brons jag har kvar, och all bärnsten som jag har köpt. Ni kan sälja den till Jasanas här och få betalt två gånger för samma vara.”
Kung Borr hostade till och harklade sig. Han tittade på sin dotter, den vackra Estre. Hon nickade och såg på honom med bedjande ögon. ”Ja, det verkar… rimligt. Jag ger mitt godkännande.”
På så sätt fick Jasanas med sig en mängd bärnsten som var fyra gånger större än all bärnsten som kung Minos redan hade, medan Alaksandu hade med sig en ung brud.
Jasanas blev rikligt belönad när han kom hem, och kung Minos blev till slut tvungen att låta Jasanas gifta sig med hans dotter. Vid varje gästabud som Minos och senar Jasanas anordnade så var hans berättelse om de vilda männen längs vägen till Hyperboréen och om hur Alaksandu stal solgudinnan Estre med sig hem en stående underhållning.
Alaksandu fick till att börja med utstå flera dagar av skäll och förebråelser från sin far när han kom hem. Hans far hade aldrig hört talas om en så stor hemgift, och ingen bärnsten hade han med sig hem. Men efter ett tag så mjuknade Puriamus hjärta av den unga Estres charm, och när de första handelsdelegationerna kom tillbaka från Hyperboréen (utan att Alaksandu hade varit med på resan), så fick han till sist sitt lystmäte av bärnsten. För kung Borr glömde aldrig sin dotter, och ville alltid att hon skulle ha tillgång till den finaste bärnsten som ett minne av sitt hemland.
Kung Borr var den förste kungen i Norden som utrustade sina jarlar med vapen helt i brons. Han lät gjuta om en del av föremålen, medan han behöll vissa föremål oförändrade. För folket i Hyperboréen så innebar hans lust efter brons, att man slutade använda bärnsten helt och hållet. Istället kunde man byta till sig guld och brons med de stenar man hittade.
Historien om drottning Estre av Wilusa blev känd över hela Norden. Hennes frivolt och skeppet som tog henne till Wilusa avbildades på hällristningar, och i form av bronsföremål. Dessa lever kvar än idag, även om vi nu har glömt vem det föreställer.
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Gilla Gilla Laddar... | {
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After amassing 18,654 runs in 280 first-class matches Jonathan Trott now finds himself honing his craft for the benefit of others.
The former England and Warwickshire star came full circle in April when he was recruited by the Kent side he had faced in his final game before retiring at the end of last season.
Having initially been introduced as a batting coach for the Royal London One-Day Cup following Allan Donald's shoulder injury, Trott has since extended his stay until the beginning of the Vitality Blast on July 20.
Jonathan Trott
“I’m taking it basically month by month at the moment, but I’m scheduled to do all the four-dayers up until the T20s,” Trott revealed.
“It’s been really good, they’re a good bunch of guys and it’s a nice place to coach.
“I’ve certainly enjoyed the break. I’ve not really missed playing at all so I certainly know I made the right decision. This is what I want to be doing so I’m getting myself into it now.”
Trott’s arrival coincided with the start of what would prove a testing period in the 50-over format for the Spitfires, which entailed five defeats and just two victories.
Nonetheless, injuries along with a string of disappointing results failed to diminish the potential in Canterbury in the eyes of the 2011 ICC and ECB Cricketer of the Year.
He added: “The guys have done well so far, they’re very good players.
“Zak Crawley and Ollie Robinson have done nicely and been high scorers but there are other talented players as well that I look forward to working with and can hopefully help achieve whatever they set their minds upon.
“Every single game seemed to be injury-ridden and we never really had our full-strength batting line-up. Even the bowlers had injuries as well so it’s been pretty tough.
“It would have been nice to get back to the final again or even the play-offs but it wasn’t to be. We played some good cricket towards the end when we started to get a settled line up.”
Well-accustomed to the value of preparation, the 38-year-old has been on hand to pass on both technical expertise as well as lessons in how to approach the game from behind-the-scenes.
He explained: “In cricket a lot of the game is played off the field and with the way you think about the game. It’s not just on the field stuff. Obviously results and performances are important, but how you prepare and get ready for the game is just as crucially important. There are always things you can pass on.
“As a coach you want to learn how to go about it as well. Being a youngish coach or one with not as much experience as others, it’s always good to learn from the likes of Matt Walker and Allan Donald who have obviously been coaching for a lot longer.”
Matt Walker
While relaying his own experiences to players aspiring to match his success, Trott has been profiting from the guidance of two familiar faces amid the early stages of a new chapter in his own career.
“He (Walker) has been outstanding and made me feel very welcome along with the rest of the club,” said Trott. “It’s been really good and I’ve enjoyed it immensely.
“He’s very good to work with. I played against him quite a bit and I’ve played under Allan Donald, who coached at Warwickshire a few times while I was there, so I know them really well and know what they’re about.”
Trott also talked up the ability England have at their disposal as strong favourites heading into the upcoming World Cup.
“They’re outstanding,” he said.
“They knocked off 359 in 45 overs (against Pakistan) and you basically expect them to do it, that’s how good the cricket they’re playing is. They’re in a perfect position with regards to form.
“They’ve had various options available to them for different conditions which hasn’t really been around in England ODI cricket. It’s the most talented bunch in as long as I can remember.”
Read more: All the latest Kent sport news | {
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The head of the U.N. migration agency says the United Nations plans to try to empty government-controlled detention centers in Libya that hold about 15,000 people as part of a stepped up effort against the smuggling and slavery of migrants.
William Lacy Swing spoke Tuesday at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by France following video footage last week of African men being sold at a slave market in Libya. He said "all of us feel the pressure that this is an enormous human tragedy and we can stop it."
Swing said emptying the 30 or so detention centers will require agreement from Libya and African and European countries.
If everyone is willing to help, he said, the centers can be emptied "in a very short order." | {
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I've made it through three weeks of Tokka Month! Not much longer to go.One of my first Tokka pieces was "in the style" of Oma and Shu's story. Back when the only thing sumi-e meant to me was a Photoshop filter and traditional painting was way outside the realm of possibility. So I made a really terrible attempt to replicate the style digitally. Then I went to college, got to explore different mediums and ended up falling in love with sumi to the point that I took a special class on it.So, it's not surprising that I took this opportunity to give this style and story a real effort.Sumi ink and brush, Photoshop and tablet10/21/2012Toph and Sokka are from | {
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The Logical Harmony Cruelty-Free Brand list was last updated on September 11, 2020.
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The brand you’re looking for might be on the Brands to Avoid list, the Pending List, or the Grey Area list. (Click each list to view it.) If you have searched all the lists and cannot find the brand you are looking for then you can submit a brand here. Often times, brands aren’t aware that being cruelty-free and being Logical Harmony approved matters to their customers. Let them know that it does by sending them an email, tweet, or leaving and IG comment.
Cruelty-Free Brands
All brands on this list are cruelty-free. This means there is no animal testing done at any point, by anyone. This goes from the ingredients all the way to the finished products out on the market.
How to read the list:
Brands listed in bold offer only vegan products.
It is noted if a brand is cruelty-free but is owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free.
If you see a brand in a font that isn’t black, that’s a link to content here on Logical Harmony where the brand is included or featured. That way you can see it in action, find out where it’s sold, find out what products they make, or read any reviews that have been published here.
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100% Pure
100BON – 100% vegan!
1121 Apothecary – 100% vegan!
21 Drops – 100% vegan!
2B
2nd KIND – 100% vegan!
7 Virtues, The – 100% vegan!
8 Greens
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Gabriel Cosmetics
Gaia Secrets
Garden of Wisdom
Geek Chic Cosmetics – 100% vegan!
Gel Bottle, The -100% vegan!
Georgie Beauty – 100% vegan!
Gerard Cosmetics
Giovanni
GladRags
GLAMCOR
Glamlite – Black-owned brand
Glamour Dolls – 100% vegan!
GLOSS Moderne – 100% vegan!
Gnarly Whale, The
Goby – 100% vegan!
Goddess Garden Organics – 100% vegan!
Goli Nutrition
goodDYEyoung
GOSH Cosmetics
Grace & Stella – 100% vegan!
Green Beaver
Green People
Green Tidings – 100% vegan!
Green Virgin Products
Green & Gorgeous Organics
Gressa
Grove Collaborative
Gwen’s Blends
GYV Mesoamerican Beauty – 100% vegan!
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If You Care
IGK – 100% vegan!
IME Natural Perfume – 100% vegan!
Indie Blends – 100% vegan!
Indie Lee
Indigo Wild
INIKA – 100% vegan!
Inkling Scents
Innate Organic Body – 100% vegan!
Inoar
Intelligent Nutrients
Illuminare Cosmetics – 100% vegan!
IsaDora
Isle of Paradise – 100% vegan!
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Qualerex Beauty
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Ulta Collection
Ultrasun
Uma Oils
Unfiltered By Raw Sugar
Unsun Cosmetics – Black-owned brand
Uoga Uoga
Uoma Beauty – Black-owned brand
URB Apothecary
Urban Decay – It should be noted that they are cruelty-free, but their parent company is not.
Ursa Major
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Vanity Planet
Vapour Organic Beauty
Velvet 59 – 100% vegan!
Verdant Botanicals – 100% vegan!
Vintage Cosmetic Company, The
VIRGINIC – 100% vegan!
Vitacare
VOLANTE Skincare
Volition Beauty
VoilaVe
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W.S. Badger
Wander Beauty
washbeautyco. by MaskerAide – 100% vegan!
We Love Eyes – 100% vegan!
Weleda
Well Scent – 100% vegan!
Wellness Prioritized – 100% vegan!
Wen by Chaz Dean
Whitening Lightning
Whole Foods Brand/365
WildMint Cosmetics – 100% vegan!
Wrenn – 100% vegan!
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Xenca
Xyrena – 100% vegan!
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Yaby Cosmetics
Yarok
YASOU natural skin care
Yes to Carrots
YLLO Scrub – 100% vegan!
Yorba Organics
Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics
Youth to the People – 100% vegan!
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Z Natural Life – 100% vegan!
Zabana Essentials – 100% vegan!
ZAK Body Care/ZAK Detox Deodorant
Zaya Eco Skincare – 100% vegan!
Zoella Beauty
Zoeva
Zoya
Zurvita
ZuZu Luxe
Zyderma HS – 100% vegan!
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Press Ctrl + F on Windows or Command + F on a Mac to open a search box. Type in the brand name you wish to find and hit “Enter”. If the brand is listed, your browser should scroll to it automatically.
Still can’t find a brand on this list?
The brand you’re looking for may be on the Brands to Avoid list, the Pending List, or the Grey Area list. (Click each list to view it.) | {
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By: TBT Staff | @thetournament
It was Summer, 2015, and Errick McCollum had a family vacation planned.
But, McCollum’s agent, Drew Morrison, had other ideas and was begging his client to play in The Basketball Tournament, then in its second year of existence. Morrison’s team, Overseas Elite, needed a fifth player for the opening game, and he needed McCollum. The point guard reluctantly agreed to play.
Twenty-five consecutive wins later, McCollum is glad he bypassed the vacation.
That Saturday afternoon at Clayton State University, a dynasty was born, and it continued on Friday night with Overseas Elite’s fourth consecutive TBT title.
Justin Burrell scored 15 points, including the final one on a free throw that hit the Target Score, sending Overseas Elite past Eberlein Drive, 70-58.
“He finishes inside,” said McCollum of Burrell. “He’s the first guy we had that could post up inside. He just changes the game. He’s a beast.”
Tournament MVP D.J. Kennedy and McCollum scored 14 points apiece for the winners, who outscored Eberlein Drive, 18-8, in the fourth quarter.
“This is group of champions,” said coach Marc Hughes. “Guys who have championship attitudes first, not just championship talent-championship character.”
McCollum was asked to sum up the historic nature of his team’s run.
“People don’t give us the respect that we deserve because it’s not the NBA or even the EuroLeague,” he said. “But, this is open competition-the best players in the world outside the NBA. Everyone knows who we are, and they’re stacking up to beat us….We just come out and do our job...and we’ll leave it for all of you to debate. It’s got to be something that’s historic and something that will never be repeated again.”
Jerome Randle and Donald Sloan tallied 14 points apiece in the losing effort for Eberlein Drive, which was undone by 22% three-point shooting and 53% free-throw shooting. | {
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Nigel Farage has discussed the possibility of setting up a new political party with Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs, BuzzFeed News understands.
The former UKIP leader has spoken to Eurosceptic donors in recent weeks about forming a new movement.
He quit UKIP on Tuesday, accusing its leader, Gerard Batten, of being “obsessed” with Islam and the former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson.
A source familiar with the discussions said Farage believed the Tory party would split if Brexit is reversed or if there is a “Brexit in name only”.
They said he feels that with UKIP occupying the far right, there is space for a more mainstream pro-Brexit party that could secure defections from Tory MPs and win support from Brexiteer Tory members.
A spokesperson for Farage declined to comment on the conversations.
A source close to Farage said talk of a new party was premature and he was waiting to see how events play out in the next few weeks. | {
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Les derniers posts viraux dans ton smartphone avec l'appli EVO 📱🔥
Sur iPhone :
clique sur puis sur et l'appli EVO sera installée.
Sur Android ou Google Chrome : clique ici !
Et sur les réseaux sociaux : | {
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Wealthy African buyers are spending almost £4million on London property every week as they look to snap up exclusive investments in the UK, it has emerged.
Super-rich oligarchs are taking their vast resources and investing them in the safe haven of London property - with more than £600million spent in the capital in the past three years.
A mixture of traditional reasons combined with increased terrorism and the outbreak of Ebola is said to be behind the dramatic influx of African money to the capital.
Scroll down for video
Super-rich African oligarchs are taking their vast resources and investing them in the safe haven of London property - with more than £600million spent in the capital in the past three years and £4million spent in the city every week. They favour the likes of One Hyde Park
Folorunsho Alakija, a billionaire oil tycoon, fashion designer and philanthropist from Lagos, is a big investor in the London market
The wealthy buyers are typically spending between £15million and £25million on each home and are purchasing luxury properties
Beauchamp Estates, which sells some of London's most expensive homes, said properties such as the one above are those favoured
While African buyers only account for 1.5 per of transactions in the 'ultra prime' London market, they make up five per cent of sales by value - up from two per cent. This is by typically spending between £15million and £25million on each home.
The recent Ebola epidemic and continued terrorism from groups such as Boko Haram has resulted in an increase in buyers in recent months.
Beauchamp Estates, which sells some of London's most expensive homes, today released a report on African buyers in the capital.
The upmarket estate agency said the buyers are coming from six countries - Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon and Senegal.
Nigerians are the biggest spenders, with wealthy nationals forking out £250million on London homes in the last three years.
The new wave of super-rich includes Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian business magnate who, with a £16billion fortune, is Africa's wealthiest man.
Folorunsho Alakija, a billionaire oil tycoon, fashion designer and philanthropist from Lagos, is also a big investor in the London property market. She recently bought four apartments in One Hyde Park, the super-exclusive development in Knightsbridge.
Her British-born nephew Rotimi Alakija, who also goes by the stage name of DJ Xclusive, has also invested property in the capital.
It is thought other tycoons have also been eyeing up homes on Kensington Palace Gardens - known as Billionaires' Row.
Nigerians are the biggest spenders in London, with wealthy nationals forking out £250million on homes in the city in the last three years
African buyers make up five per cent of sales by value in the 'ultra prime' London market - up from two per cent in recent years
Beauchamp Estates said the African buyers are coming from six countries - Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon and Senegal
The super-rich look to buy luxury property in the 'platinum triangle' which is made up of Mayfair, Belgravia and Knightsbridge
Gary Hersham, managing director of Beauchamp Estates, revealed he has had three super-rich Nigerians enquiring about homes in the past week alone. This is despite the average person in Nigeria earning just £850 per year.
He said: 'I've had an upturn in African buyers over the last few months.
'The situation in West Africa at present is pushing rich African buyers back into Central London at a significantly higher level than is normally experienced.
'While war, disease and terrorism in West Africa grab media headlines, actually for super-rich Africans its domestic wealth, cultural ties to London, general safety and education for their children that are the key attractions for buying a home in central London.'
Mr Hersham said these super-rich look to buy property in the 'platinum triangle' which is made up of Mayfair, Belgravia and Knightsbridge.
Around 80 per cent spend between £15million to £25million on a residential property, with ten per cent spending more than £30million.
If they are not buying, they are renting luxury homes for up to £15,000-per-week and staying for between six weeks and three months per year.
London's reputation for having a residential property market, which is secure and a stable investment, is one of the main reasons wealthy Africans are buying, according to Beauchamp Estates.
Another reason is historic cultural and community ties.
Nigeria is a Commonwealth country and there is a community of 70,000 in London. There are a similar number of Ghanaians in the capital.
It is thought the property tycoons have been eyeing up homes on Kensington Palace Gardens - known as Billionaires' Row (pictured)
London's reputation for having a residential property market, which is secure and a stable investment, is one of the main reasons wealthy Africans are buying, according to Beauchamp Estates
Around 80 per cent spend between £15million to £25million on a residential property, with ten per cent spending more than £30million
If they are not buying, they are renting luxury homes for up to £15,000-per-week and staying for between six weeks and three months
The third reason is education, with King's School Canterbury, Wycombe Abbey, Cheltenham Ladies College, Eton, Harrow and Bradfield are among the favourite private schools for wealthy families from Africa.
According to the Nigerian embassy, Nigerian nationals spend more than £300million-a-year on tutoring, accommodation, fees and equipment at British schools and universities.
Mr Hersham added: 'It is going to be the African century.
'Continental African buyers or luxury tenants in London are currently where the Russians and Ukrainians were five years ago.
'At present virtually all the transactions are for end use, not rental investment, which indicates that the African buyer market in London has significant room for growth and maturity.
'Nigerians have been long standing property purchasers in the central London market, going back to the early 1980s.
'However, in the 1980s and 1990s they typically purchased houses in North London, in Hampstead, St Johns Wood and Primrose Hill. | {
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The federal Liberal government is on track with its pledge to end long-term boil-water advisories on First Nations reserves, but the overall reliability of the underlying water systems is little improved since the party came to power, according to a Globe and Mail analysis.
When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assumed office, there were 105 such advisories. He promised to end all of them within five years; his government committed $1.8-billion toward upgrading water and wastewater systems.
Data published on Indigenous Services Canada’s website show that 78 advisories have been rescinded since November, 2015. Most were resolved through repairing or replacing failed water-treatment plants, wells, distribution systems or other infrastructure. A handful were eliminated through improved water-quality monitoring and sampling, and a few more by connecting communities to systems in nearby municipalities. Meanwhile, more than 30 new advisories have stretched on for longer than one year; over all, 62 long-term advisories remain outstanding today.
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But other federal data suggest the condition of First Nations water systems hasn’t changed much. Indigenous Services Canada uses a database called the Integrated Capital Management System (ICMS) to assess the risk that water systems present to the people they serve. Annual inspections assess each system’s design, how well it’s being operated and maintained, record keeping, the operators' training and the quality of source water; systems are then scored between 1 (presenting very low risk of producing unsafe water) and 10 (extreme risk).
An analysis of 11 years of ICMS data by The Globe, covering some 14,000 individual inspections, shows the national average risk score among the nearly 800 systems tracked on the ICMS barely budged since 2015.
This apparent lack of progress can be partly explained by the fact that some recently fixed water systems have yet to be re-inspected. That means the ICMS data doesn’t fully reflect recent improvements. But the risk scores also point to something else: Ending advisories means something quite different than providing consistently safe, high-quality drinking water.
Indigenous Services Canada said the remaining long-term advisories will be terminated by March, 2021, as promised. “We’re completely on track,” said Chad Westmacott, senior director of Indigenous Services Canada’s Strategic Water Team.
The department reported that 30 short-term advisories were terminated last year that lasted between two and 12 months. “It’s really a good indication of progress," Mr. Westmacott said, "working with our First Nations partners to address the advisories before they are becoming long term.”
Advisories are issued to warn people not to consume water that is unsafe, or at high risk of becoming so. Boil-water advisories, the most common variety, are issued when water can be made safe by being brought to a rolling boil for one minute. Do Not Consume advisories are issued in situations where boiling won’t remedy the hazard.
In non-Indigenous communities advisories are used as precautionary measures for temporary issues such as water-line breaks and equipment failures. Many reserves, in contrast, have experienced advisories that drag on for years without remedy. (The longest-running advisory still outstanding, at Neskantaga First Nation in Northern Ontario, dates from 1995.)
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The problem with First Nations water systems runs deeper than just advisories, however.
Consider the Sahhaltkum No. 4 reserve adjacent to Chase, B.C. – home to about 300 people. It’s not subject to an advisory, and for years has been ranked as a low-risk system. Yet, Trevor Andrew, the long-serving operator of the community’s water-treatment plant, said he’s received more than 300 complaints about water quality since three new wells entered service in 2014.
Part of the problem is that the community’s water is often brown because it contained elevated levels of manganese. According to the First Nations Health Authority (which tests drinking water, inspects water systems and can recommend advisories on reserves in British Columbia), that’s an aesthetic issue, and doesn’t present a health risk. Sahhaltkum’s treatment system produces water that “has been satisfactory,” it said in a statement.
This winter, Health Canada intends to publish updated federal guidelines for manganese in drinking water. “Manganese has long been considered to only be an aesthetic concern in drinking water, causing discoloured water and/or staining of laundry or fixtures," it said. “However, new scientific studies have shown health effects related to exposure to high levels of manganese in drinking water.” (Implementation of these guidelines is up to provincial, territorial and federal authorities.)
Mr. Andrew predicted that many on-reserve water systems − including Sahhaltkum’s − will be slapped with advisories immediately afterward. The First Nations Health Authority later confirmed that Sahhaltkum’s manganese levels are above the new guidelines.
Mr. Andrew has another concern. The new wells were drilled less than 15 metres from a sewer line, which in his view presents an unacceptable contamination risk. He provided The Globe a 2014 letter from the First Nations Health Authority, which recommended additional treatment measures be taken to mitigate that risk prior to commissioning the wells. Mr. Andrew said that never happened.
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Open this photo in gallery Water produced by the water system in November at the Sahhaltkum reserve in B.C. Treatment operator Trever Andrew says the brown color is due to high levels of manganese.
The health authority said it is “aware of the issue of the sewer-line proximity and has made recommendations to the community leadership, including treatment and other preventative solutions.” An engineering company is now doing an assessment; meanwhile, additional routine sampling is taking place. Indigenous Services Canada said the band selected the locations of the wells. The line would only pose a contamination risk if it ruptured, the department added, and the last inspection showed it was in good condition.
But Mr. Andrew said no additional sampling is taking place. “We have no line of defence to protect the aquifers,” he said. “Our first indicator that the pressurized sewer line broke or was leaking into the aquifers is the people would be getting sick.”
Mr. Andrew’s employer, the Adams Lake Indian Band, is supposed to be part of the government’s success story. One of its smaller systems, the Doug Arnouse Community Water System, which serves nine houses, had been on an advisory since 2001 because the water it provided wasn’t treated. In September, that was resolved through improvements. However, Mr. Andrew said that system’s greater problem is that its wells have been running low.
“All these solutions are just temporary relief,” he said.
Hans Peterson, an advocate on First Nations water issues who died in October, told The Globe last year that advisories were being lifted in Saskatchewan through temporary measures. “We have communities where very high chlorine levels have been used to remove boil-water advisories,” he said. “And we have communities that are told they are getting a new [treatment] process. But the moment, as part of that process, a [reverse osmosis unit] is put in, the boil-water advisory can be lifted and nothing else is done.”
Mr. Westmacott vowed that communities that have ended advisories through interim solutions will not be abandoned. “It’s definitely not our goal to reach the 2021 target, and then sit back and everything falls apart after that,” he said.
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Another common complaint from First Nations was that the nations themselves, and not the federal government, are driving the elimination of advisories. Mr. Andrew said he began lobbying the federal government in 2007 for funding to upgrade the Arnouse system, but the department provided little assistance. “The current [Indigenous Services Canada] process to complete a project costs a lot of money in planning and time,” he said. “There are many projects that never move past the planning phase, with nothing ever being resolved.”
Big Island Lake Cree Nation, in Saskatchewan, is another success story. It had been on a boil-water advisory for nearly five years. Carvey Sandfly, the community’s economic development director and a former operator of its water-treatment plant, said that while the water was technically safe, inconsistent bacteriological monitoring led to an advisory being imposed. As it dragged on, many community members relied on bottled water. So the band council revamped its approach to monitoring, and over the course of a year satisfied Health Canada. That advisory was rescinded in August.
“Now that it’s lifted, you see everyone using the tap water again,” he said. “They trust it more.”
Next up is a major refurbishment of the treatment plant, scheduled to begin in May. “Everything is being taken care of now,” he said. “It’s very good news.”
Mr. Sandfly acknowledged that Indigenous Services Canada worked more speedily to provide assistance than in the past. But he stopped short of attributing the advisory’s elimination to the department. “Whatever they were doing, I’m not sure if I can heavily credit them for this,” he said. “It was the fact that we made the push to get this under way.”
Much remains to be accomplished if the Prime Minister’s promise is to be fulfilled. More than 30 First Nations are still in initial assessments or feasibility studies to determine viable long-term solutions. Mr. Westmacott said that some of those communities are remote and inaccessible, which complicates matters: It can be difficult to transport equipment and personnel into communities accessible only via plane or winter roads.
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Mr. Westmacott said the government’s decision to commit funding for five years contributed to the recent progress in ending advisories. "The maintained focus on addressing drinking-water issues has really brought a progress forward that maybe historically hasn’t been there,” he said. | {
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BERLIN - Police in Germany have confirmed that the driver of the lorry that plowed into a crowd in Berlin Christmas market killing 12 people was not an asylum seeker from Pakistan, it has been learnt.
German newspaper Die Welt quoted a senior police source as saying that officers have the "wrong man".
"We have the wrong man. And thus a new situation. For the real culprit is still armed at large and can cause new damage," the source told the newspaper.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Tuesday that a suspect arrested in connection with the Christmas market truck attack is Pakistani and arrived in Germany on December 31,2015 seeking asylum.
Investigators suspect the driver of the truck that plowed into a crowd at a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 48, did so intentionally in a terrorist attack, police said on Tuesday.
According to reports in German newspapers, the alleged attacker has been identified as 23-year-old Naved B who was born in Pakistan in 1993. Local broadcaster rbb cited security sources as saying the arrested truck driver came to Germany via Passau, a city on the Austrian border, on Dec. 31, 2015.
A Berlin paper, Der Tagesspiegel, reported earlier that he was believed to be either Pakistani or Afghan.
German authorities and police have yet to disclose the identity and origin of the attacker. However, it has been ascertained that the truck was intentionally driven into the market.
They say the real culprit is still on the loose. "Our investigators assume that the truck was deliberately steered into the crowd at the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz," police said on Twitter.
"All police measures related to the suspected terrorist attack at Breitscheidplatz are progressing at full steam and with the necessary diligence," police said.
Political experts believe that in case the attacker is identified as a refugee, it would dent German Chancellor Angela Markel's policy of giving space to refugees. | {
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TOKYO -- Nissan on Wednesday told Renault it wasn't opposed to its partner's potential $35 billion merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as the two met to hash out the future of their alliance amid a deal that could upend the auto industry.
The leaders of Nissan Motor Co., France's Renault SA and junior partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp. gathered at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama for a scheduled alliance meeting -- one overshadowed by FCA's proposal this week for a merger of equals with Renault.
The plan, which would create the world's third-largest automaker, raises difficult questions about how Nissan would fit into a radically changed alliance. Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard arrived in Japan on Tuesday to discuss the proposed tie-up with Nissan, 43.4 percent owned by the French automaker.
"Overall, we don't see any particularly negative aspect" to the planned merger, which was for Renault and FCA to decide, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa told reporters on Wednesday.
In a statement, the alliance members confirmed that they had "an open and transparent discussion" on the proposal. The deal looks designed to tackle the costs of far-reaching technological and regulatory changes, including the drive toward electric vehicles.
Nissan, which has rebuffed overtures by Renault for a merger of their own despite their 20-year alliance, was blindsided by the discussions, sources have told Reuters, stoking concerns that a deal with Fiat Chrysler could weaken Nissan's relations with Renault.
The tie-up also poses an additional challenge for Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa, already grappling with poor financial performance and an uneasy relationship with Renault after Nissan led the ousting last year of long-standing alliance chairman Carlos Ghosn.
There have long been tensions between Nissan and Renault over the imbalance of power in their alliance. Nissan, the bigger company, holds a 15 percent non-voting stake in the French automaker.
Ahead of Wednesday's meeting, Japanese media quoted Saikawa as telling reporters that he would look at the potential opportunities afforded by a Renault-FCA merger.
Credit ratings agency Moody's said it was vital for Nissan to stabilize its partnership with Renault to expand operational synergies and improve margins.
"It is unclear if the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Motors alliance can advance their cooperation without resolving the cross-shareholding issue, which has been source of contention," Moody's said in the report, which followed a cut to Nissan's credit rating last week. | {
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Dramatic scenes have played outside an Adelaide court, with three teenagers charged with manslaughter over a fatal hit-and-run crash released and then immediately re-arrested on the courthouse steps.
Video showed the accused boys aged 13, 14 and 15, being taken away by armed officers in front of shocked family members after their appearance at the Adelaide Youth Court.
Some of family members expressed outrage at the way the boys were treated, with the mother of one calling on police not to hold his arms because he was "not resisting".
A senior police officer at the scene offered no comment on the fate of the boys or whether they were to face the same or different charges.
A few minutes earlier a fourth boy, aged 15, had appeared in the Youth Court and was remanded in custody on a charge of aiding and abetting manslaughter.
Meanwhile, Lyle Leonard Morrison, 18, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court and was remanded in custody on a manslaughter charge.
Mr Morrison will return to court in October.
All five were originally arrested yesterday over Sunday's crash which claimed the life of Lucy Paveley at suburban Parafield.
The stolen car was towed from the scene. (9NEWS via Lauren Barker)
The 40-year-old died when an allegedly stolen 4WD slammed into her car at an intersection on Main North Road.
It was also alleged the teenagers in the 4WD fled the scene of the crash.
Yesterday tributes flowed for Ms Paveley, who lived in Mawson Lakes and had a primary-school aged boy and girl with her husband.
Lucy Paveley, 40, died at the scene of the crash. (Supplied)
“She was very kind, a very good friend of mine, it was a blessing to have her as a friend and as a neighbour,” Leena Ratnaparkhe told 9NEWS.
“She was a dedicated mum, I used to give her example to everyone, she was a great lady, so great.”
Peter Sandeman from Anglicare described the death of Ms Paveley as “senseless”.
Three people arrested were later released without charge. (9NEWS via Lauren Barker)
“She was a great care worker... she would have been a fantastic nurse,” Mr Sandeman said.
“There are no winners out of this. The lives of those who committed this crime are going to be impacted forever, and the family themselves have suffered a great loss.
“Nobody wins, everybody loses from a senseless death.”
A memorial service is being planned by Anglicare so Ms Paveley’s colleagues can say goodbye. Her employer is also helping with funeral arrangements while extended family travel from overseas. | {
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Year: 1982
Duration: 1:15:58
Directed by: Damon Christian
Actors: Eric Edwards, Randy West, Kitten Natividad
Language: English
Country: USA
Also known as:
Description:
Starring Kitten Natividad, Angelique Pettyjohn, Eric Edwards and Gina Gianetti, this is a story of the “search of the prefect 2.” Millionaire Flix Fitswilly used to collect trophies in his hobby as a big-game hunter. Alas, he has grown tired of the hunt, at least the hunt for animal heads and tusks. He turns to a trophy that has, since a much younger age, always been out of his reach–the biggest, the juiciest, and the most perfect boobs in the world.
The boobs must fit the bronze bra he made, but he’s getting old and cannot search as he once did. So, he has his secretary hire two detectives with hopes that they will succeed where he failed. She, having a fine pair herself, is a bit put-off by the request, so the detectives she hires are not exactly rocket scientist. Sure that the two knuckle-heads she hires will have no luck, she apparently is wrong. The two actually begin to work hard at tracking down the perfect set by a series of clues that, mostly, lead to bedrooms and couches.
Of course, Kitten does her standard soft-core stuff, with one time intermixed with a hardcore scene of others so that you can at least dream that it is her.
Anyway, the perfect pair are owned by Candy, who may or may not be really interested in receiving the bra. So, the big question is, will she or won’t she? | {
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Larry Ancona points out the rows of homes where there used to be an American Motors plant. (David Weigel/The Washington Post)
The day after the election, Bob Oldani parked himself at the Common Grounds coffee shop and talked to whoever came by. At 71, he had just cast his first Republican vote for president. “Don’t tell my wife,” he joked, as he told anyone within earshot why he’d backed Donald Trump.
“We need a change in everything, and I hope he can do it,” said Oldani, who’d retired after years as a machinist. “This guy’s a billionaire, so I’m thinking he can say, ‘Hey, let’s just get the job done. I don’t need your money.’ ”
The rebuttals started flying. What about the leaked tax forms that showed Trump’s writing off nearly a billion dollars?
“More power to him. He ain’t in jail, right?”
What about the Access Hollywood tape?
“As far as these rumors with the girls, and all of that — if you do your job, who cares?”
A few miles away, outside a Culver’s near Kenosha’s sprawling and anonymous business park, Joe Schmaling and Oscar Corona were taking a break from their landscaping business. Schmaling, 32, said that work had been steady — “maybe because Obama’s on the way out” — and that Trump, in the words of his campaign, would “drain the swamp” of Washington.
“If we put up with Obama, we can put up with four years of this guy,” said Schmaling. “I’m excited to see him blow the place up. He stands on his own, so he can throw the middle finger up.”
Corona, 30, was born in Mexico but lives in the United States with a green card. They’d just been joking about whether Trump would kick him out of the country, fully confident that he wouldn’t.
“He’s not rash,” Schmaling said.
In interviews on Wednesday, again and again, voters in Kenosha said that they had gotten behind Donald Trump. Often, they had not cast a vote for a Republican presidential nominee before. More often, they said that the past eight years had gone well for them — although, tellingly, the city had been better in the times they dimly remembered.
Trump, the first Republican to win the Rust Belt states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin since the 1980s, did so by narrow margins. Michigan has not been called but with all the results in Trump has 2,279,210 votes to Clinton’s 2,267,373, according to Associated Press figures. Rural voters broke decisively his way. Trump’s last-minute campaign swing through Eau Claire, a western Wisconsin city that shares a largely rural media market with parts of Minnesota, confounded Democrats who saw him losing in polls. It made more sense when massive Trump margins in rural Wisconsin gave him the state.
Kenosha, south of Milwaukee and north of the Chicago suburbs where Hillary Clinton was raised, was telling of the threat that sneaked up on Democrats. The industrial economy had been replaced by tourism, but the county was growing. No one would have picked it for a travelogue of trade-racked America.
And it had voted for Democrats. It voted for Barack Obama, twice. It voted against George W. Bush, twice, and for Bill Clinton, twice. It helped Michael Dukakis carry the state in 1988 and, four years earlier, gave Walter Mondale a five-percentage-point victory over Ronald Reagan. No Democrat had lost since 1972.
Hillary Clinton lost it; in retrospect, the trend was obvious. In her 2008 loss to Barack Obama, Clinton lost Kenosha County by just three points, as she lost by 18 points statewide. In the 2016 Democratic primaries, Clinton lost the county to Sen. Bernie Sanders by 15 points — despite a closer result across the state. She carried heavily black Milwaukee County, and Sanders carried everything else.
“White working-class people are deserting the Democratic Party in droves,” Sanders said in an interview Thursday.
The 2016 election was Wisconsin’s first since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, which undid part of the Voting Rights Act; the first since Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed voter ID legislation; the first since Walker pushed through right-to-work legislation. Each domino, Democrats warned, was falling on their party by design. An estimated 300,000 people lacked voter IDs on Election Day, and private-sector unions had shrunk and consolidated since 2015.
“We had to go to our membership and ask specifically, ‘Are you able to donate ten cents per hour?’ ” said Randy Bryce, a local organizer and one-time Democratic candidate for state Senate, describing how a series of laws had weakened the labor movement. “With the economy now, that’s impossible to do. So any money we had [at] the start of the process was all we’d have for the rest of our existence.”
Yet on Wednesday, sitting around a table in their downtown Kenosha headquarters, local leaders of the Democratic Party said the voter-ID issue had not stuck. Approaching the election, it seemed that they were mobilizing the party’s loyal voters.
“It was just that ‘Make America Great Again’ turned out to be genius,” said Karen Kempinen, 67, a retired teacher. “That resonated. They didn’t need to think any further than those words.”
In 2012, 21 percent of Wisconsin voters told exit pollsters that they or a family member belonged to a union. They broke for Barack Obama by 33 percentage points.
This year, just as many voters said they were in union households — and Clinton won them by just 10 points. The numbers and the swoon were similar in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Early on, Clinton’s campaign had waved off the idea of a backlash. After her victory in Ohio’s primary, campaign pollster Joel Benenson, an Obama veteran, wrote confidently that white working-class voters had paid attention to her real trade record. “Democrats in states hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs are looking for more than anger and accusations, and stopping abuse by foreign countries,” he wrote. “They’re looking for real plans and a broad economic agenda.”
But to the bafflement of Democrats here, the late Clinton push into the state — a series of ads that began in late October — did not mirror the economic messaging of the local labor unions. One played back Trump’s worst remarks about women; another, his mocking of a reporter with a physical disability; the last, a warning from a nuclear technician who worried that a reckless President Trump would start a war.
In 2012, when Democrats fought for Wisconsin all cycle, there had been clear economic messaging. One Obama ad dramatized Mitt Romney’s plan to “give millionaires another tax break” with a photo of him walking past Donald Trump’s plane.
Romney lost Kenosha despite tapping Paul D. Ryan, who represented the district in Congress, as his running mate. But in midterm years, and in the historic 2012 recall that took place before the general election, Kenosha voted for Walker, the governor.
Walker’s popularity had slipped since then, but his style had stuck with people. After work on Wednesday, a retiree named Larry Ancona, 61, bitterly pointed out the rows of homes that stood where there used to be an American Motors plant powering the city’s economy.
“I know people that get $800 a month in food stamps, lied to get that, lied to get the medical benefits. And here we are — we’re paying for it,” he said.
Angelo Tenuta, 51, politely argued with his friend. Ancona, sporting a knockoff Make America Great Again hat with a stitched Trump signature, kept calling the Obama presidency a disaster. That seemed to go too far.
“He got a war in Iraq without a price tag,” Tenuta said. “I voted for Bush twice, but Obama inherited a mess from that guy.”
But Tenuta was more optimistic about Trump. For one, he had broken the old, bad Republican Party — “He was on his own from day one.” For another, he seemed ready to break legislative stalemates where Obama never could.
“It’s pathetic,” he said. “You got to go to Congress to get anything done. It’s hindering sales. It’s hindering business.”
In Wisconsin, with a Republican majority that need not worry about a filibuster, this thinking was self-evident. Washington stumbled and failed and offered nothing; Trump offered brisk if unspecified change. It still made little sense to Democrats.
“I was going to be one of the electors this year for Hillary,” Bryce said. “I thought it was a done deal. I could not imagine anyone voting for the man, based on the things that were coming out of his mouth.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Trump had carried Michigan. That state has not been called for Trump, but with all the results in, he leads Clinton.
John Wagner contributed to this report. | {
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Geneticist Kat Arney tackles the myths and misconceptions around two of the most iconic images in evolutionary biology: the ‘March of Progress’ and Darwin’s finches. Where did these infamous images come from, and do they really show what everyone seems to think they do?
First published in 1965, artist Rudolph Zallinger’s March of Progress depicts a series of ancient human ancestors walking across the page, portraying the inexorable journey from monkey to man. The picture captured popular attention by telling a memorable story about our origins, and it’s still an instantly recognizable short-hand for evolutionary progress.
Since then, the March of Progress has been much-parodied in popular culture, used on everything from T-shirts to TV programs. But, as Arney discovers from Professor Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum in London, the simplicity of the image is a misleading representation of the complex history of human evolution.
Arney also takes a closer look at ‘Darwin’s finches’, collected from the Galápagos Islands by Charles Darwin on his round-the-world voyage on the Beagle in the 1830s. Although these birds are supposedly the inspiration for his theory of natural selection, Darwin wasn’t actually all that interested in them at the time and preferred to focus on mockingbirds. So why did they become so closely tied to the great man’s name?
Full transcript, credits and show notes are available here.
Genetics Unzipped is the podcast from the UK Genetics Society, presented by award-winning science communicator and biologist Kat Arney and produced by First Create the Media. Follow Kat on Twitter @Kat_Arney, Genetics Unzipped @geneticsunzip, and the Genetics Society at @GenSocUK
Listen to Genetics Unzipped on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts | {
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Does it really make a difference anymore when German politicians keep repeating statements such as "Germany is better off than it has ever been before?" When they point to the fact that Germany is blessed with almost full employment? Does it help that Germany's current generation of pensioners is better provided for than hardly any previous one? That young people have the kind of perspectives previous generations could only dream of?
No, it doesn't help much.
Looking for guidance
For Germany is bewildered and looking for guidance — not only at the fringes, but increasingly in the center, too. A study conducted by the left-leaning Friedrich Ebert Foundation showed that negative perception of asylum-seekers has now reached record levels among Germans, reaching some 54 percent. It only seems to be a contradiction that other groups, such as the homeless, are increasingly accepted. After all, it's refugees who bear the brunt of a different, deeply ingrained discomfort. More than half of those polled believe that clandestine organizations chart the course of politics. One third view politicians as mere puppets. If conspiracy theories reach those dimensions, there must be something fundamentally wrong.
Perhaps it could be explained as follows: For a number of years now, German trains run late or are cancelled. The reason, whether openly acknowledged or not, is a lack of funds.
In German cities, a housing shortage has reached gigantic dimensions. In response, politicians only shrug their shoulders — "Let's just build more homes." But the problem here is the same: lack of funds.
And the list goes on. It also includes derelict schools and understaffed administrative bodies. Sure, it's all tolerable. On an international level Germany is still doing well. People, however, have a good memory. They remember that ten years ago, during the financial crisis, all of the sudden billions of euros were supplied practically overnight in order to bail out the banks.
DW's Jens Thurau
If we look across our borders, the situation is similar. The Bertelsmann Foundation asked people in 12 EU countries about their political views ahead of the European Parliament election at the end of May. The result: The largest political grouping that has already decided who it will vote for is that of right-wing populists and right-wing extremists. They make up around ten percent of those polled. The vast majority, however, thus far only knows who they will not vote for under any circumstances. Only a minority still owns up to voting for one of those political parties that are usually labeled "traditional" or established" when there are other options.
In short: The messages of politicians, media, labor unions, churches, trade associations don't come through anymore. They don't reach the fringes, and they don't even reach the center of society.
Read more: Euroskeptic, anti-immigrant parties team up for EU election
Working hard at grassroots level
And now — what's the way forward? There's a glimmer of hope in the fact that, in both surveys, people still speak out in favor of democracy and even of good relations between European nations. But they obviously don't like how things are going right now. For Germany, this means coming down from lofty levels. German politicians must do their homework, listen, refrain from making empty promises, and instead be honest about their own limits.
That's not easily done in an age when standing out as an individual is the be-all and end-all, in an age of extreme acceleration both in the private sphere and in the workplace. But there aren't that many alternatives. Keeping calm is the order of the day when screaming right-wing populists hog the headlines. And working hard at the grassroots level, in municipalities, at public offices, is essential in order to win back people's trust.
At the end of the day — and this is confirmed by the Bertelsmann study — it's all about representation. Those who have been feeling for a long time that they're not a part of society are likely to harbor crude views. However, without the tacit agreement that, if possible, all people must be members of society, no democracy can survive. Dictatorships can, but not liberal societies.
So let's get to work. Europe is not yet lost. | {
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Prenez note que cet article publié en 2017 pourrait contenir des informations qui ne sont plus à jour.
Alors que les négociations se poursuivent entre Québec solidaire et Option nationale, des militants indépendantistes émettent des doutes sur l'idée de fusionner les deux partis politiques.
Un texte d'Hugo Lavallée, correspondant parlementaire à Québec
En vertu de résolutions adoptées le printemps dernier par chacune des formations politiques, Québec solidaire et Option nationale ont entrepris des pourparlers dans l'objectif d'un rapprochement. Après une rencontre des parties à la mi-juin, la négociation a commencé la semaine dernière et se poursuivra jusqu'en septembre.
Des militants d'Option nationale se montrent toutefois sceptiques face au projet. « Je ne pense pas qu'Option nationale a beaucoup à gagner. Je pense que c'est Québec solidaire qui a beaucoup à gagner dans cette opération, déclare d'entrée de jeu le président du comité immigration du parti, Pierre-Alain Hoh. Pour Québec solidaire, ce serait un très bon coup. »
M. Hoh affirme avoir parlé à la plupart des membres de sa circonscription et ne pas avoir eu « un écho super favorable ».
S'il y avait une fusion, je pense qu'ils perdraient beaucoup de gens d'Option nationale tout simplement. Je pense qu'une majorité de gens d'Option nationale ne suivraient pas. Pierre-Alain Hoh, président du comité immigration d'Option nationale
« Beaucoup de gens à Option nationale, et ailleurs aussi, n'ont plus trop confiance en ce que les partis disent », renchérit l'ancien président d'Option nationale Montréal et militant de la circonscription d'Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Renaud Ligneaut-Gagnon.
Il se montre réticent face aux avances de Québec solidaire qui, dit-il, adopte des « tactiques de vieux parti ». « Les messages qu'ils envoient, et qu'ils ont envoyés dans le passé, ne sont pas résolument indépendantistes. Et pour nous, c'est vraiment ça qui est important, c'est de dire : on n'est pas indépendantiste quand c'est la mode [...] mais on est indépendantiste tout le temps jusqu'à tant que ce soit fait. »
À micro fermé, de nombreux militants nous ont confié avoir des craintes semblables envers Québec solidaire, même si d'autres se montrent optimistes face à ce rapprochement.
Juger l'arbre à ses fruits
Le chef d'Option nationale, Sol Zanetti, n'est guère surpris des doutes soulevés par ses militants. Si plusieurs sont enthousiastes face au projet, il reconnaît que d'autres sont sceptiques.
Tout en réaffirmant que les membres de son parti auront le dernier mot, il les invite à attendre la fin des négociations avant de porter un jugement. « Il ne faut pas présumer la mauvaise foi. En politique, il faut présumer de la bonne foi de tout le monde et maintenant les juger sur leurs actions », estime M. Zanetti.
Il dit comprendre que des militants puissent douter de la détermination de Québec solidaire à réaliser l'indépendance. « C'est dans le mouvement indépendantiste depuis longtemps, cette espèce de doute par rapport à Québec solidaire. Par contre, là, ce qu'on va voir, c'est où ils en sont en 2017. Est-ce qu'ils sont prêts à faire le pas auquel tous les indépendantistes s'attendent? »
Québec solidaire optimiste
La co-porte-parole de Québec solidaire, Manon Massé, ne s'émeut pas des critiques essuyées par son parti. Elle estime que Québec solidaire a fait plus que la démonstration de sa détermination indépendantiste. « Je ne sais pas ce qu'on a besoin [de faire] de plus pour être rassuré de cela. »
À l'instar de Sol Zanetti, elle invite aussi les membres d'Option nationale à faire preuve de patience. « Voyons ce qui sortira des négociations et, comme ça, on va pouvoir se prononcer sur quelque chose de concret et non pas sur des impressions », a-t-elle dit en entrevue à Radio-Canada.
Entente avortée avec le PQ
Le fait que Québec solidaire ait rejeté toute alliance électorale avec le Parti québécois a eu l'effet d'une douche froide pour plusieurs militants. « Tout ça, ça m'a beaucoup déçu. C'est sûr que dans notre mouvement il y a beaucoup de gens qui disent : Québec solidaire, on n'est pas trop sûr de leur détermination. Et j'avoue que moi, je me pose la question », soutient Pierre-Alain Hoh.
Renaud Ligneaut-Gagnon renchérit : si Québec solidaire voulait vraiment faire les choses autrement, il chercherait à nouer des alliances électorales plutôt que de vouloir fusionner avec Option nationale. « S'ils disent qu'ils sont vraiment ouverts à faire une politique autrement, qu'ils sont ouverts à avoir plus de proportionnalité dans le système électoral, donc de partager le pouvoir [...] pour nous, c'est un non-sens de chercher à phagocyter un autre parti », dit-il.
Malgré tout, le chef d'Option nationale se montre confiant. « Ça faisait longtemps qu'il n'y avait pas une aussi grande ouverture chez un autre parti pour pouvoir entamer une telle discussion. Alors c'est un peu la continuité de l'oeuvre d'Option nationale, je pense, que d'entamer une démarche quand il y a une porte ouverte dans un autre parti indépendantiste », conclut Sol Zanetti. | {
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Morre aos 91 anos, Jerry Lewis, um dos maiores comediantes da história
O ator americano Jerry Lewis morreu aos 91 anos neste domingo (20). Conhecido como "Rei da Comédia", ele é um dos maiores comediantes de todos os tempos.
O agente do ator confirmou que Lewis morreu nesta manhã em sua casa em Las Vegas, no estado norte-americano de Nevada. Entre junho e agosto deste ano, ele ficou hospitalizado para tratar de uma infecção urinária. Ainda não há informação sobre o que levou à morte do comediante.
A última apresentação de Lewis nos palcos ocorreu no hotel South Point, em Las Vegas, em outubro do ano passado.
Além de influenciar uma geração inteira de comediantes e ser um ícone do riso, Jerry também conduziu causas humanitárias, como seu programa beneficente anual do Dia do Trabalho para a Associação de Distrofia Muscular, que ele começou a apresentar em 1952.
A aposentadoria do evento só veio em 2011. Por seu trabalho nessa área, Lewis chegou a figurar na lista dos candidatos a recebe o Nobel da Paz em 1977.
Atores e comediantes americanos falaram sobre Jerry Lewis nas redes sociais
1 de 3 Jerry Lewis e Goldi Hawn seguram os prêmios 'Câmera de Ouro' que ganharam em Berlim em 2005 pelo conjunto de suas carreiras — Foto: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters Jerry Lewis e Goldi Hawn seguram os prêmios 'Câmera de Ouro' que ganharam em Berlim em 2005 pelo conjunto de suas carreiras — Foto: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
Carreira
Jerry Lewis atingiu o estrelato junto do cantor Dean Martin, com quem atuou a partir de 1946 e formou uma das duplas mais memoráveis do humor americano.
Dean Martin era o elegante da dupla, especialmente quando cantava, enquanto Jerry Lewis exercia o papel do parceiro imprevisível. Os espetáculos eram totalmente abertos à improvisação.
Após dez anos de sucessos demolidores nos teatros e no cinema, graças a filmes como "O marujo foi na onda" (1952) e "O rei do laço" (1956), em 24 de julho de 1956 Dean Martin e Jerry Lewis fizeram o último espetáculo como dupla no clube Copacabana, em Nova York.
Ainda na década de 1950, Lewis se notabilizou pelas apresentações em clubes noturnos, na televisão e no cinema. Ao longo de cinco décadas de carreira, ele estrelou mais de 50 filmes.
2 de 3 Jerry Lewis brinca com a imprensa pouco antes de sua festa de 90º aniversário, em Nova York, em abril de 2016 — Foto: Brad Barket/AP Jerry Lewis brinca com a imprensa pouco antes de sua festa de 90º aniversário, em Nova York, em abril de 2016 — Foto: Brad Barket/AP
O filme mais famoso de sua carreira é a comédia “O Professor Aloprado”, de 1963. Protagonizado e produzido por ele, o longa conta a história do atrapalhado professor universitário Julius Kelp. Depois de ser humilhado por alunos e quase demitido da instituição de ensino pelas constantes trapalhadas em que se envolve, Kelp cria uma fórmula que o faz ser elegante, charmoso e bom de papo. Nasce então Buddy Lee.
O filme ganhou uma nova versão na década de 1990, quando Eddie Murphy viveu o professor aloprado.
Seu último filme, lançado no ano passado, foi "A Sacada", em que faz um papel secundário. O último como protagonista foi "Max Rose", de 2013, o primeiro em que ele fez o papel principal desde "Rir é Viver", de 1995.
No longa, ele interpreta o viúvo Max Rose, que, ao mesmo tempo em que sofre com a perda da esposa Eva (Claire Bloom), investiga uma descoberta que pode acabar com as certezas adquiridas após muitos anos de casado.
Já o antepenúltimo trabalho de Jerry como ator foi o filme brasileiro "Até que a Sorte nos Separe 2", em que trabalhou com Marcius Melhem e Leandro Hassum. Na época das filmagens, o ator estava com 87 anos. (Veja reportagem do Fantástico sobre o filme abaixo).
Outro grande trabalho do ator foi o filme “O Rei da Comédia”, de 1983, dirigido por Martin Scorsese. Lewis é Jerry Langford, um comediante de sucesso que possui um programa de TV no qual dá oportunidade a jovens humoristas de talento. A caminho do trabalho, ele é sequestrado por Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro), que só o libera em troca da participação em seu programa.
3 de 3 Jerry Lewis divulga o filme 'Max Rose' em Cannes em 2013 — Foto: Regis Duvignau/Reuters Jerry Lewis divulga o filme 'Max Rose' em Cannes em 2013 — Foto: Regis Duvignau/Reuters
Prêmios
Ao longo de sua carreira, Lewis ganhou vários prêmios pelas suas atuações, como American Comedy Awards, Golden Camera, Los Angeles Film Critics Association e do Festival de Venice.
Além disso, possui duas estrelas na Calçada da Fama. Em 2005, recebeu o Governors Award da Academia de Artes e Ciências Televisivas.
Jerry Lewis nunca recebeu um Oscar por sua atuação nas telonas. Ele só foi lembrado pela Academia de Cinema em 2009, quando recebeu um Oscar por seu trabalho humanitário.
Repercussão
Lewis foi um modelo a ser seguido para muitos comediantes e humoristas, que manifestaram tristeza ao saber de sua morte. "Eu tive a honra de assistir um show dele em Las Vegas e depois tive a honra de contracenar com ele", afirmou Marcius Melhem à GloboNews.
"Foi um dos dias mais nervosos da minha vida. Nem quando as minhas filhas nasceram fiquei tão nervoso", disse Melhem. "Foi muito emocionamente passar o dia com ele, gravar, filmar. Eu estava eufórico, emocionado, tentando fazer tudo direitinho."
Leandro Hassum, dupla de Melhem e que tem um autógrafo de Lewis tatuado no braço, também lamentou morte do ídolo. "O céu está cada vez mais incrível", postou no Twitter. | {
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Thoroughly entertained by the AMA of a 4 year old. Today was a good day
109 shares | {
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In the first week, we put the children to work. They weren’t forced into dangerous jobs, so we told ourselves, but when you’re living on the brink of extinction, what work is truly safe? One afternoon, a man collecting coal complained of numbness in his arm. Frostbite had taken hold. We could have left him to die but instead we opted for an experimental treatment.
He lost the arm and he’s no longer capable of contributing to our dying society. One more mouth to feed with no body of work beneath it. What should we do?
Frostpunk [official site] is a city-building survival sim from the studio that brought us This War of Mine and it is beautifully bleak.
Though it’s a science fiction story, set in a frozen future barely capable of sustaining human life, it shares some of that previous title’s contemporary concerns. Climate change is the obvious one, this being a world undone by a dramatic temperature shift, but as you dig into the details, there are questions about equality, labour and the scarcity of natural resources that make the crater-town of Frostpunk an unhappy microcosm of just about every society you might choose to name.
It’s also an icy cocktail of cinematic and real world inspirations: the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 (filmed as Alive), Aron Ralston’s Utahmputation (filmed as 127 Hours) and Captain America and the railway children (filmed as Snowpiercer), among many others. There’s also a rich vein of Victoriana, but not simply in the [Blank]Punk sense; here there are shadows of the workhouse and Blake’s ‘weeping chimneysweep.’ The beating hea(r)t of the generator that keeps these people alive is also the new birth of an industrial age, and the factories and mines operate on blood and sweat.
Your job is not just to plan, it’s to inspire, or at least to ensure that hope doesn’t die out. It’s as vital to survival as the flames of the generator and how unusual it is to see Discontent and Hope listed as gauges of success. There are more conventional resources as well, particularly coal in the early stages, but you’re trying to support life rather than mere existence.
That means you’ll have to be careful not to make promises you can’t keep. I’m the kind of person who will always try to do right, as I see it, where a game gives me the choice. Frostpunk certainly gives choices, but sometimes there are no good options, or presenting a manifesto of unattainable optimism will simply lead you down a path where the epitaph reads: “It’s the hope that kills you”. Or, to be more precise: “It’s the false hope that made them kill you.”
I’m not sure if a possible endgame has the survivors turning against their leader (you) and casting them out into the cold, or stringing them from one of the generator’s girders, but breaking promises will see hope crumble and discontent rise. Early on, your people might ask for tents to protect them from the cold, to provide at least a thin layer of protection. That should be an easy promise to fulfill, but when they start asking for changes to the laws of your new society, or for construction that would require sacrifice or postponement of other plans, you should think long and hard about whether to make those promises.
All of this goes back to the game’s own initial promise, that this is a game about finding reasons to survive rather than just the means to go on living. And that’s why you might decide that giving food to people who can no longer work is important, because a society must look after its own, but it’s also why you might have to reverse that policy if injuries pile up or the weather deteriorates. In an RPG where moral choices spring into a dialogue tree, I only ever pick the nasty options if I’m roleplaying a nasty character. By framing these choices in a citybuilder, where management of resources is key, 11bit are aiming to create genuine dilemmas. There’s a very real chance that playing my way, trying to do the right thing, will create a chain reaction that leads to death and ruin down the line.
And that’s why you might end up clicking a button that legalises, and actively encourages, cannibalism. Not because you’re the edgelord of Coldsville and want to call your people The Eaters of the Dead, but to save the lives of those who haven’t already become meat. It’s why you might marvel at the trails your workers cut through the snow as they trudge to work at the fringes of the crater on day one, but will shrug when they fall in the deep white and stop moving by week three.
It’s important to note that even without the complexities of moral choices and policy-making, Frostpunk makes the most of its setting. The crater that contains the generator, right at the centre, allows for construction that treats the layout as spokes on a wheel rather than lines on a grid. Buildings snap to the generator and then to each other, creating circular layers that suit the setting perfectly. The form fits the theme, naturally creating a shantytown sensibility as tents and medical centres cluster and huddle around the warmth of the generator.
Frostpunk is a difficult game. Not in terms of the challenge it presents but in the way it is marrying two distinct genres and forcing bleak decision-making that is tied to its systems rather than its narrative. There is a story to uncover, which will presumably tell us something about how the world came to be as it is, and whether anything like a happy ending is possible. You can learn a little about the world beyond your crater by sending out expeditions, and through balloon-related observation, but the generator is home. And home is where the heart breaks.
Frostpunk is scheduled for release this year. | {
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Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are well on their way to becoming their parties' 2016 nominees for president.
Among young voters, though, Bernie Sanders has more votes than both of them — combined.
The below chart comes from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), which does yeoman's work in tracking the youth vote in American politics. For the purposes of this chart, "youth votes" are defined as those cast by people under 30 years old.
Americans "Will Not Tolerate Oligarchy" - Sanders to Phoenix Supporters
Thus far, Sanders has won the votes of more than 1.5 million of them. Clinton is second and Trump trails just behind, but the two front-runners combine for just 1.2 million votes — 300,000 less than Sanders alone.
There has been plenty of focus on how Clinton's dominance among black voters has paved her path to the nomination. She won their votes as much as 9-to-1 in some Southern states and is currently winning them more than 2-to-1 in the Midwest.
But Sanders's dominance with young voters is almost as significant — at least in the percentages. So far, he's taking 71 percent of the two-candidate vote among young voters.
In pictures: US Elections 2016 Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: US Elections 2016 In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters after rival candidate Hillary Clinton was projected as the winner in the Nevada Democratic caucuses Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photos with workers at her campaign office in Des Moines, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, second from left, prays before lunch with supporters at Drake Diner in Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor. Martin O'Malley, speaks during a campaign stop in Waterloo, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks, as his wife Jane O’Meara Sanders looks on, at a campaign event at Iowa State University Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks at a campaign event at Fireside Pub and Steak House in Manchester, Iowa. Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum visiting supporters at a house party in West Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Ted Cruz campaigns at Greene County Community Centre in Jefferson, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Senator Rand Paul speaks during a Caucus rally at his Des Moines headquarters in Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Jeb Bush speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa AFP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin introducing the arrival of Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 A portrait of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders at his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Campaign badges on sale ahead of a Trump rally at the Ramada Waterloo Hotel and Convention Centre in Waterloo, Iowa Getty
Of course, as we've noted before on this blog, young voters still haven't turned out at high enough rates to make a real difference for Sanders. And indeed, through the first few contests, youth voter turnout wasn't exceptional, compared to 2008.
The good news for Sanders? That's starting to change.
On Tuesday, young voters exceeded their 2008 turnout in 4 of the 5 states — in three of those states by large margins.
The bad news for Sanders? He's no longer racking up the same margins among them as he did in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, where he won their votes 5-to-1 and even 6-to-1. In Florida on Tuesday, it was less than 2-to-1. In the Midwestern states, it was about 4-to-1. And in North Carolina, it was less than 3-to-1.
Had he continued winning young voters by those massive early margins, the increased turnout among them on Tuesday could have made a difference. But it's still pretty remarkable that the 74-year-old senator from Vermont is taking so much of their votes. | {
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I know this because the news media tell me so. Trump’s poll numbers, I’m told, have been plummeting, collapsing, and falling in free fall, even as they have been both shrinking and sinking.
Donald Trump’s continuing decline in the polls is a clear indicator that the GOP is facing disaster—that Trump will lose cataclysmically in November, perhaps becoming the first candidate to win a negative number of electoral votes, and that every other Republican on the ballot, from governors to U.S. Senators to Zika mosquito squashers, will perish in a landslide comparable to the Ruatoria debris avalanche off North Island, New Zealand, circa 170,000 B.C.
[Continuing our series on deception and misdirection in politics and public policy.]
►Right Wing Watch [People for the American Way], 8/10/16 On his radio show today, Glenn Beck became so alarmed over Donald Trump’s cratering poll numbers and forecasts showing him falling further and further behind Hillary Clinton that he called on Mitt Romney to throw his hat into the ring just so that Republicans have someone to vote for in case Trump has a complete meltdown.
►Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas), 8/9/16 The speaker’s obvious political concern about the latest polls is what Trump ‘s slide may augur for Republican support down the ballot in congressional races this fall, putting his speakership in jeopardy.
And Donald Trump , he’s trying to elevate the tone of his campaign. He is trying to get back on track after a couple of really rough weeks and plummeting poll numbers like this. New Monmouth poll showing Hillary Clinton breaking out to a 13-point lead.
►Singapore Star, 8/9/16 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is playing the “China-bashing card” in an attempt to rescue his falling poll numbers but has no real ideas to resolve the two nations’ differences, China’s official news agency said Tuesday.
►Yahoo!, 8/9/16 More Republicans broke ranks Tuesday with their party’s White House nominee Donald Trump, issuing dire warnings that his recklessness and lack of policy chops would put the United States in danger. Facing sinking poll numbers and anger in the party . . .
[Feel free to skip through these examples, down to the charts below.]
Over the past two weeks, the news media reported this crackup over and over again.
►Thai News Service, 8/10/16
Falling poll numbers
Trump, coming off a week of controversial comments and falling poll numbers in his race for the White House, hoped to use the speech to reset his campaign three months ahead of the November 8 . . .
►CNN, 8/12/16
Tonight, Trump’s poll numbers are falling with new surveys showing him trailing Hillary Clinton in the critical battleground states of Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Colorado. Fearing fallout from a Trump loss, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is now saying that the chances of Republicans keeping control of the Senate are “very dicey.”
►Eric Bolling, Fox News, 8/12/16
The Trump campaign, which is falling further behind in the polls is really trying to double down on this character issues and that’s where they bring in discussion about emails.
►MSNBC (NBC News), 8/12/16
I`m Chris Hayes. For a week that was supposed to turn it all around for the Trump campaign, the past few days could not have gone much worse. . . . Coming up with Trump`s poll numbers in free fall, the right-wing conspiracy machine is working in overdrive.
►dpa-AFX International [Germany], 8/13/16
When Trump was asked about other poll numbers showing support for him in decline, he said he would not abandon his confrontational style. He said he still believed he would win the election . . .
►Agence France Presse, 8/13/16
His sinking poll numbers are worrying some Republicans, but party boss Reince Priebus weighed in Friday to show his support. “Don’t believe the garbage you read. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, we are going to put him in the White House and save this country together,” Priebus said.
►CNN, 8/13/16
. . . [S]ome Republicans are worrying that Donald Trump’s plummeting poll numbers could cost them the Senate. We will see how likely that is.
. . . Republicans are trying to defend twice as many [Senate] seats as the Democrats, and on top of that, Donald Trump’s poll numbers have been plummeting, and that makes it even tougher. . . .
►The Washington Post, 8/14/16
Trump also saw his poll numbers drop—a Washington Post-ABC News poll released last Sunday showed that Clinton has widened her lead to eight points over Trump nationally. A Wall Street Journal/NBCNews/Marist poll released Friday shows that Clinton has opened a wide lead over Trump in the battleground states of Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia. Trump also trails Clinton in Florida, according to the poll.
►The Straits Times (Singapore), 8/14/16
Faced with the stinging criticisms, sinking poll numbers and loss of party support, the usually boastful candidate actually admitted he could lose the very election he predicted he would win big at the Republican National Convention . . .
►Herald-Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), 8/15/16
OPINION: Have you noticed that Donald Trump isn’t bragging about his poll numbers much these days? That’s because he’s his poll numbers are sinking fast. . . . It’s no mystery why this is happening.
►The Charlie Rose Show, 8/15/16
Charlie Rose: We begin this evening with the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump is seeking to stabilize his campaign after weeks of stepping on his message and declining poll numbers.
►The White House Bulletin, 8/15/16
Media coverage of the reaction from Donald Trump’s (R) campaign to a critical New York Times report, which described his campaign as being in disarray amid falling poll numbers and a candidate who will not heed the advice of his aides, is largely negative, describing the campaign as lashing out . . .
►CNN, 8/15/16
. . . [C]ampaign officials have failed to tame the gaffe-prone candidate and put him back on track and back on message. Conceding that Trump may be beyond help. Now Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was pressed [on CNN’s Jake Tapper program] about the narrative and Trump’s falling poll numbers in some battleground states . . .
►Roll Call, 8/16/16
[The Wall Street Journal editorialized:] “If [his advisers] can’t get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless. As for Mr. Trump he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decides if he wants to behave.”
All of this amid unfortunately for him some falling poll numbers.
►Canadian Press, 8/16/16
. . . [Chris Christie] spoke at a statehouse news conference Tuesday. His comments come after Trump’s poll numbers in key states have fallen.
Christie also indicated that it’s fair to question whether people who cast ballots are entitled to vote. Trump has suggested that election rigging could be to be blame if he loses.
►ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 8/16/16
Professor Geoffrey Garrett is Dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania . . .
Professor Garrett [Geoffrey Garrett of the Wharton School], today Donald Trump delivered what his campaign is calling a “major national security speech.” What’s the likelihood that this speech will arrest his fall in the opinion polls?
Garrett: Well Eleanor, I actually don’t think that his fall in the polls has much to do with his policy positions . . .
►Al Jazeera, 8/17/16
Reports says Trump’s recent drop in the polls prompted him to shake up his campaign team [Reuters].
►CNN, 8/17/16
Trump is falling further behind in the latest polls. . . .
You know, we have been reporting that Republicans have been biting their nails as they’ve seen headline after headline, negatively, impacting the Trump campaign, those poll numbers dropping.
You know, and there’s been a general worry that those—Trump’s poll numbers, which you mentioned are dropping across the country particularly in those battleground states, would affect the local races as well.
►Bangkok Post, 8/17/16
Donald Trump announced Wednesday he has again shaken up his senior campaign staff, appointing a conservative website executive and a pollster to head his team amid sinking poll numbers.
►CNN, 8/17/16
Twenty-seven days after his coronation in Cleveland and post-convention bounce, Donald Trump’s prospects appear to be dwindling . . .
►The Los Angeles Times, 8/17/16
The moves follow weeks of falling poll numbers and months of infighting in Trump’s campaign, as the nominee has struggled to overcome controversies that have sidetracked him from his core economic, security and immigration enforcement messages.
►The Christian Science Monitor, 8/17/16
Now with Trump rebooting after weeks of sinking poll numbers, the question is, what will Trump 3.0 look like? He has given three well-received policy speeches in the last two weeks . . .
►International Business Times, 8/17/16
Republican nominee Donald Trump may be sliding in the polls but that will not make him shake up his campaign strategy . . .
►CNN, 8/17/16
Sources tells CNN that Trump has grown frustrated with Manafort specially in the face of falling poll numbers.
►Agence France Presse, 8/17/16
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has again shaken up his senior campaign staff, appointing a conservative website executive and a pollster to head his team amid sinking poll numbers.
►South Bend Tribune (Indiana), 8/17/16
OPINION: . . . Trump, who enjoyed expansive press coverage throughout his unprecedented successful primary campaign, is now waging war on what he calls the “disgusting and corrupt media,” blaming them for plummeting poll numbers.
►The Boston Globe, 8/18/16
Chris Lehane, a veteran Democratic political strategist. “Most of these candidates have just one moment during the summer. Donald Trump has one on a daily basis, which is a deep, dark, dank, unspinnable place to be in.” To win in November, Trump, who has fallen perilously behind in polls following a string of self-inflicted wounds, must overcome historically daunting odds.
►NBC News, 8/18/16
Of all the campaign issues that incumbent Republican senators face in 2016, the most vexing may be Donald Trump. As their party’s presidential nominee sinks in the polls, Republican senators in battleground states must decide if they should align with him . . .
►Providence Journal, 8/18/16
“I actually think I’m going good, I have the biggest crowds,” Trump told Fox on Tuesday, in light of the sinking poll numbers. “Nobody’s ever had crowds like this.” But Trump may be buying into the hype. Crowd size is frequently not a good indicator of success on Election Day . . .
►The New York Times, 8/18/16
While Republicans anticipate that their down-ballot candidates will be able to outpace Mr. Trump’s share of the vote, national and local party officials are increasingly concerned that he is in danger of being so soundly defeated that even their best-prepared candidates will not be able to withstand the backlash to the top of the ticket.
[Wall Street Journal abstract of the New York Times article above: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s inflammatory campaign style and falling poll numbers gives Democrats hope that they can pick off Republican candidates further down ballot, who must weigh carefully how close to get to Trump.]
►Politico, 8/19/16
. . . Trump made a series of inflammatory statements after the convention that sent his poll numbers into free fall. Still, there’s some optimism that this time will be different.
►The Mirror [U.K.], 8/19/16
The property mogul has come under increasing pressure in recent months after a series of controversial remarks and falling poll numbers.
►Reuters, 8/19/16
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has apologised for past remarks that “may have caused personal pain” as he sought to refocus his message in the face of falling opinion poll numbers in his first speech since shaking up his campaign team this week.
►MSNBC (NBSC News), 8/19/16
Joy Reid: In the face of withering criticism and sinking poll numbers, Donald Trump kicked off last night`s campaign speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, by expressing regret . . .
►Sina [China], 8/20/16
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has apologized for past remarks that “may have caused personal pain” as he sought to refocus his message in the face of falling opinion poll numbers . . .
►CNN, 8/20/16
Martin Savidge: Donald Trump’s falling polling numbers. They are fueling GOP concerns that the Presidential candidate could hurt Republicans in tight congressional races. . . . John Phillips is a CNN Political Commentator and a Trump supporter.
So John, I’ll start with you. How vulnerable do you see what they’re calling down ballot Republicans if the polling numbers continue to fall for Donald Trump? How bad off are they?
►Dayton Daily News (Ohio), 8/22/16
The aides’ comments were the latest sign that Trump’s newly installed management team may be trying to broaden his appeal to stem his steady fall in the polls with less than three months until election day. . . . After a tumultuous stretch of gaffes and falling poll numbers for Trump, top GOP campaign and party officials insisted Sunday that their presidential nominee is getting back on track . . .
►Reuters, 8/22/16
On Thursday, Trump apologized for his past controversial comments that “may have caused personal pain” as he attempted to refocus his message in the face of falling opinion poll numbers.
►The Associated Press, 8/22/16
After tumultuous stretch of gaffes and falling poll numbers for Donald Trump, top GOP campaign and party officials insisted Sunday that their presidential nominee is getting back on track and will catch up with Democrat Hillary Clinton by around Labor Day.
Here’s the proof that the news media are reporting the polls fairly and accurately, and that they’re telling the truth: that Trump’s support has been practically vanishing over the past two weeks. The website Real Clear Politics averages the major polls to get the “poll of polls” that is most often cited as a definitive measure of candidates’ standing. (Keep in mind that, as I’ve noted previously, the RCP average is a lagging indicator, averaging polls that may be a week old or older. See Capitalresearch.org .)
Trump’s precipitous decline can be seen in the chart below. In just two weeks, Trump has gone from only 7.9 points behind (47.8% Clinton, 39.9% Trump) to a whopping 5.5 points behind (47% to 41.5%).
Wait… WHAT?
...but… but we know from all those news media reports that Trump has been falling, falling, falling in the polls. He can’t be gaining, even slightly. He must be falling farther behind. The alternative—that the media are lying—is something we dare not contemplate. If they’re lying about polls—polls that are published, polls we can check out for ourselves—what else are they lying about?
No, no, no. There must be another explanation for the discrepancy.
I think I have it! The numbers above show a two-way race between Clinton and Trump. But, in fact, the election in November will feature four main candidates, counting the Libertarian and Green nominees. Surely, if they are included in the calculation, we’ll see the continuing decline in Trump’s numbers that the media told us about. | {
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Thanks to all of the fantastic games that have come out recently, I haven’t got around to finishing the first Borderlands game so I could start on Borderlands 2, but maybe with the holidays coming up, I will finally have some time to get that accomplished. In the meantime, I can always enjoy stunning Borderlands 2 cosplay like these Lilith cosplay pictures below!
The beautiful woman sporting this spectacular Borderlands 2 Lilith cosplay is DeviantART user Nebulaluben and the photographer is Jesus Clares.
I am amazed at how well the clothing (and body paint) capture the visual style of the Borderlands games. I find the eyes quite fascinating as well although the last picture scares me as it looks like it was a rather dangerous picture to take.
If you cant get enough Lilith cosplay, check out the great Lilith Borderlands 2 cosplay I posted over on my other site, Fanboy Fashion.
Share this with any Borderlands fans you know! Like us on Facebook too!
[via Fashionably Geek] | {
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From It’s Going Down
In memory of our comrade Toor who has recently fallen.
They are an anarchist fighter and an eco-warrior who’s work inspires us to organize for the liberation of the planet and all its people! Together with the spirits of anarchists past we will hear their call and step up to battle against the brutal capitalist machine.
Honor the dead
Fight for the Living!
– A fellow queer anarchist. | {
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The U.S. economy is heading into a free fall that will be worse than the Great Recession of 2008, according to Euro Pacific Capital CEO Peter Schiff.
Continue Reading Below
The economic forecaster is predicting the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to zero and launch quantitative easing, a monetary policy where the central bank purchases Treasuries from financial institutions to stimulate the economy.
“The dollar is going to go through the floor and it’s going to take the bond market with it and the next crisis, it’s not subprime mortgages, it’s going to be in the Treasury market,” he said on “After the Bell” on Wednesday.
Schiff’s comments come after the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 800 points, marking the worst drop of the year and the fourth-largest daily point drop in history. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond fell below the yield on the 2-year U.S. Treasury for the first time since the Great Recession, worsening global recession fears.
"There’s no way out and it's a political disaster for Trump because the recession is going to start before he finishes this term." - Euro Pacific Capital CEO Peter Schiff
Schiff said the Fed is done inflating asset bubbles, which will cause inflation to hit consumers, especially at gas stations and supermarkets, killing President Trump's reelection hopes.
“This is going to be the inflationary recession, there’s no way out and it's a political disaster for Trump because the recession is going to start before he finishes this term, which means he won’t have a second term,” he said.
Schiff added that the economy is on the verge of going through a period of stagflation or a period of rising inflation.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
“As we move into this recession, consumer prices are going to rise even faster and once the dollar starts to fall that’s going to push consumer prices up even more,” he said. | {
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Forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and backed by Russian airstrikes are fighting Islamic State militants close to the historic city of Palmyra, a campaign that if successful would be a major symbolic victory for government troops.
But opposition activists from the city, which fell to Isis control nearly a year ago, accused Russian forces of indiscriminate bombing of civilians and destruction of homes and infrastructure.
“Russian planes, missiles and artillery have not stopped bombing the city indiscriminately as part of a scorched earth policy, without differentiating between humans and rocks,” activists with the Palmyra Local Coordination Committee said.
Government forces are fighting Isis seven miles from the city’s western gates in some of the most intense battles in the area in months, monitoring groups and activists said.
The Syrian government said it had control over two pathways into the city, tightening the noose on Isis fighters in the area.
Palmyra fell to Isis last May, after a one-week siege after which regime forces abandoned the city to its fate. The invasion of Palmyra sparked an international outcry over fears the militant group would destroy its monuments, some of the best-preserved from antiquity.
Isis proceeded to do just that, destroying the ancient Temple of Bel and the smaller Temple of Baal Shamin last year, as well as beheading Palmyra’s former antiquities director, Khaled al-Asaad. It also used the Roman amphitheatre to stage a brutal execution video featuring child soldiers shooting dead alleged regime collaborators.
A victory in Palmyra would be a significant morale boost for the Assad regime, which is engaged in stalled peace talks in Geneva with representatives of the opposition under UN, US and Russian auspices. It would also be a propaganda victory for Moscow, which launched a campaign to safeguard Assad’s rule last October.
Though ostensibly directed against Isis, the vast majority of the airstrikes were against the mainstream opposition and have killed 2.000 civilians, rights groups and observers have said.
It would also be a significant setback for Isis. The image of the militants stalking the ruins of the ancient oasis, a hub of the Silk Road, has been a propaganda coup highlighting the impotence of the international community. The city’s position in central Syria also provides a corridor linking the group’s territory in the eastern desert with the central provinces of Homs and Damascus, closer to the Assad regime’s power centre.
The extent of the Russian campaign in Palmyra raises questions about the scale of the Kremlin’s surprise announcement last week that it was withdrawing the majority of its forces from Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said Russia had carried out dozens of airstrikes on the city on Wednesday alone, and activists from the city put the figure at 40 airstrikes and a ballistic missile launch.
The activists accused Russia of carrying out hundreds of airstrikes over the past two weeks, including inside the city, where they said there was a limited Isis presence as most of the militants were situated on the outskirts. They also alleged Moscow had deployed cluster munitions in the campaign. The allegations could not be verified.
“We condemn the destruction that Russia and its army are doing to our city and our culture,” the activists said. | {
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Earlier, response from Republicans and Democrats alike was swift and unsparing. Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, the Senate leaders, wasted no time before forwarding the matter to the Senate Ethics Committee — a move supported by Democrats, including Mr. Franken. Lawmakers did stop short of meting out a punishment on a fellow senator, and it appeared that Mr. Franken would be able to weather the disclosure.
“As with all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault, I believe the Ethics Committee should review the matter,” Mr. McConnell said in a statement. “Regardless of party, harassment and assault are completely unacceptable — in the workplace or anywhere else.”
Democrats gave Mr. Franken no quarter.
“This is unacceptable behavior and extremely disappointing. I am glad Al came out and apologized, but that doesn’t reverse what he’s done or end the matter. I support an ethics committee investigation into these accusations and I hope this latest example of the deep problems on this front spurs continued action to address it,” said Patty Murray of Washington, one of the most senior Democratic women in the Senate.
The realm of comedy, which spawned the charges against Louis C.K., has been particularly suspect, and Mr. Franken, who emerged from “Saturday Night Live” as a nationally known celebrity, appeared to acknowledge that.
“Coming from the world of comedy, I’ve told and written a lot of jokes that I once thought were funny but later came to realize were just plain offensive,” he wrote. “But the intentions behind my actions aren’t the point at all. It’s the impact these jokes had on others that matters. And I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come to terms with that.” | {
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The ousting of Libya's prime minister, who fled to Europe this week, has triggered fighting between eastern and western regions that threatens to divide the country.
Ali Zeidan, a popular figure with western diplomats, was sacked by the Islamist-led congress on Tuesday after failing to prevent a North Korean tanker loading oil from a port controlled by rebels in the eastern region of Cyrenaica.
Fearing arrest following his dismissal, Zeidan made a late-night escape from Tripoli aboard a private jet, leaving behind a fractured government and a country in turmoil, fighting over its rich oil resources.
Libya has Africa's largest oil reserves, but production has plummeted since the summer, when a self-declared federalist government was formed in Cyrenaica, which blockaded key oil terminals.
The rebels' argument is that much of Libya's oil is produced in the east but the revenue flows to Tripoli in the west; they have demanded a larger share of the income in return for lifting the blockade.
Oil revenue is almost the only source of income for a country that – three years after Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in the Nato-backed Arab spring revolution – is characterised by militia violence, a moribund economy and pockets of Islamist radicalism.
The day after Zeidan's removal, the powerful Misrata militia, allied to congress, launched an offensive to retake the blockaded oil terminals, storming the base of an army special forces unit – the Zawiya Martyrs brigade – in the central city of Sirte, leaving five people dead.
Within hours, federalist militias, backed by some units from Libya's small regular army, had set up a defence line at the Red Wadi, a natural feature that blocks the way to the oil ports.
The congress leader and de facto president, Nuri Abu Sahmain, quickly denounced the rebels as lawbreakers and set a two-week deadline for them to clear the ports or face attack by Misratan forces.
This produced an equally fiery response from the federalists. "Baqua forces are fighting alongside Zawiya Martyrs," said spokesman Senussi El-Megrabi, using the Arabic name for Cyrenaica. "We are assembling a large force to protect the ports. If they are attacked, it will be civil war."
The federalists are confident of success, because the congress itself is under pressure, having drawn protests from across the country for its decision to stay in office beyond its original mandate, which expired last month. Elections are not planned before the summer.
Many in the eastern capital of Benghazi are braced for clashes. "There's tension everywhere on the streets," said one resident, a businessman who asked not to be named. "Everyone is preparing for war. Troops are gathering at the Red Wadi."
Outside analysts say the removal of Zeidan may have cut away the middle ground for a compromise. "You're getting quite close to the point where eastern Libya says this is UDI [unilateral declaration of independence]," said John Hamilton, a London-based oil analyst.
In the east, rebel forces hope to have the support of the air force, three air bases having effectively mutinied and joined with a former general, Khalifa Hiftar, who last month called for congress to be removed by force.
Having shipped their first consignment of oil, the federalists said more was planned. "Another tanker will be loading from the port of Tobruk in the next few days," said El-Megrabi.
The international response has so far been muted. Britain and the US have issued statements opposing federalist attempts to sell oil independently, but diplomats say their political leverage is limited to offering mediation between the factions.
"With control of the central government and Libya's oil at stake, all these groups, rivalries and alliances of convenience are coming to the fore. What happens next will be violent," said Geoff Porter of British security firm North Africa Risk Consulting. | {
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It’s been a little bit busy because of exams, the US election, JET applications and other such things but I’m back with another addition to our journey through Deco*27’s “Love Calender”. In the first two posts we saw the beginning of Kouki and Shiori’s relationship during 1+1=1 and RT, followed by months 3-6 of the album as they slowly come together as a true couple with all the ups and downs that entails.
This week we’ll take a look at months 7 through 10 as the couple gets some troubling news and has to cope with the new and unwelcome difficulties it will add to their attempts at staying together.
Of course I really encourage you to support Deco*27 by buying his album on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/love-calender-bonus-track/id540360539. You can also find hard copies and many online retailers like YesAsia, CDJapan, and Amazon.
SANDGLASS (砂時計/Sunadokei)
Yes those kanji, 砂時計, mean “hourglass” but no I won’t be overwriting Deco*27-san’s selected title for this track. Many newer fans might not realize it but this song is actually one of Deco*27’s earliest productions. It’s one of the first songs he wrote for Miku and one that he exclusively released on NND. It had only appeared on his earliest doujin album in late 2008 until it was covered by Marina on the Light Lag single album as the bonus second track. Now this beautiful but sad song appears once more in “Love Calender” as Shiori passes on some sad and unfortunate news to Kouki (she is moving away). Once again Marina has lent her strong and powerful voice to this emotional track. You can check out my translation of it here:
You can watch Miku’s very sad and slower version here. For those who enjoy singing this song, I guess I should point out that it is actually on Joysound. I sang this song at karaoke right here in Lexington, KY just about 3 months ago.
Care-Taking Guarding/Care-Talking Guardian (お留守番人/Orusubanhito)
So here is today’s exclusive new release. Sorry about the confusion with the two titles but it’s really an interesting quirk it seems. In the album art/song book, Deco*27 chose to title this song “Care-Talking Guardian” while the copyright/credits text on the same page refers to it a “Care-Taking Guardian”, which is also the same name most fans know it by. So I decided just list both.
In this song we see Kouki’s reaction to this new development as Shiori prepares to move away and he is debating the future of their relationship.
Mp3 Preview/Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Care-Taking-Guardian/dp/B008PFWJ7O
Care-Talking Guardian
お留守番人 feat.marina
Music/Lyrics：DECO*27
Translation and Romanization: Descent87
(Shiori’s Lyrics are bolded)
「離れたって大丈夫!」
“Though we’ll be apart it’s fine!”
Hanaretatte Daijoubu
「毎日メールするよ!」
“I’ll text you every day!”
Mainichi meeru suru yo!
「心は近距離だよ!」
“My heart is only a short distance away”
Kokoro wa kukyori da yo!
綺麗な言葉だけじゃ拭えないよ
This can’t just be wiped away with beautiful words!
Kirei na kotoba dake ja nuguenai yo
すぐ会えないんだよ?
Before long we won’t see each other anymore right?
Sugu aenainda yo
なのにどうしてなの?仕方ないの?
And yet, why is it? It can’t be helped?
Nanoni doushite nano? Shikatanai no?
そりゃ
Well,
Sorya
親の仕事の都合でどうしてこうして言われたら
If you say it’s because of your parent’s job,
Oya no shigoto no tsugou de doushite koushite iwaretara
どうしようもないんだけど
Well then nothing can be done about it, but yet…
Doushiyou mo nain dakedo
妄想付け足してみて 君の手には触れらんないない
Trying to add in delusions, no longer able to hold your hand
Mousou tsukedashitemite kimi no te ni wa fureran nai nai
さよなら 死にそう 助けて
Goodbye, I might die, save me!
Sayonara, shinisou, tasukete
こんなツライ関係なら 壊そうか
If this relationship is going to be so painful, should we just break it off?
Konna tsurai kankei nara, kowasou ka (repeat x2, with a bunch of “yeah”s)
誰か早くワープ装置作って
Quick! Someone create a warp-device
Dareka hayaku waapu souchi tsukutte
君と僕専用のワープ*3
An exclusive Warp*3 for You and I
Kimi to boku senyou no waapu waapu waapu
誰か早くワープ装置作って
Quick! Someone create a warp-device
Dareka hayaku waapu souchi tsukutte
君と僕専用のワープ*3
An exclusive Warp*3 for You and I
Kimi to boku senyou no waapu waapu waapu
誰か早くワープ装置作って
Quick! Someone create a warp-device
Dareka hayaku waapu souchi tsukutte
君と僕専用のワープ*3
An exclusive Warp*3 for You and I
Kimi to boku senyou no waapu waapu waapu
誰か早くワープ装置作って
Quick! Someone create a warp-device
Dareka hayaku waapu souchi tsukutte
君と僕 ギリ届く?
So that we obligations to each other can be reached quickly
Kimi to boku giritodoku
裏ワザなどない 近道だってない
There’s not trick to it, not shortcuts
Urawaza nado nai, chikamichi datte nai
(romaji note: it sounds like “Kurawaza” only because she is finishing Deco’s “ku” from “todoku” above)
分かっているんだよ だからツライ
I know it! But that’s why it’s so painful
Wakatteirundayo daka tsurai
そう
Right,
Sou
この距離が君と僕の♥の距離だなんて笑わせないでよ
That this is the distance of the love between us, don’t make me laugh!
Kono kyori ga kimi to boku no ai no kyori da nante warawasenaide yo
差し出してよ 逃げる道を
Give it to me! A way to run away…
Sashidashite yo, nigeru michi o
妄想付け足してみて 君の手には触れらんないない
Trying to add in delusions, no longer able to hold your hand
Mousou tsukedashitemite kimi no te ni wa fureran nai nai
さよなら 死にそう 助けて
Goodbye, I might die, save me!
Sayonara, shinisou, tasukete
こんなツライ関係なら 壊そうか
If this relationship is going to be so painful, should we just break it off?
Konna tsurai kankei nara, kowasou ka (repeat x2, with a bunch of “yeah”s)
…やっぱやめようか ちょっと頑張ろうか
…As I thought, should we end this? Or should we fight on together a bit more?
…Yappa yameyou ka Chotto ganbarou ka
Love Distance Long Affair (恋距離遠愛/Renkyori enai)
Ah, one of my favorite sad songs of all time. “Love Distance Long Affair” is another classic that Deco*27 composed many years ago which eventually formed one of the foundations of this album. There are many neat facts about this song, like the fact that it appeared on Deco*27’s second doujin album release in early 2009 and when first released on NND it was actually covered by Luka (original by Miku), representing one of only two songs Deco*27 has made Luka sing himself (the other being Kururu o-niku).
In this album it is covered by the beautiful voice of Topi as we the listeners are presented with the sad and painful feelings of the couple as they do their best to keep up their long-distance relationship:
I really think this is a great song for Japanese learners. If you have studied Japanese for a year or two and maybe watched some anime to learn certain phrases, you can pretty much understand every single word of this song if you listen closely. It gave me a big confidence boost when I was able to do that very thing a little over a year ago. It also goes to show how you can sometimes write a beautiful and touching song without using too many difficult or fancy words.
Heart’s Homing Instinct (帰想本能/Kissou Honnou)
This final song for today is another favorite of mine that first appeared on Deco*27’s 2010 Lovegazer album. In this song sung by Aoi Yuki (Madoka’s voice in Madoka Magic) we see a touching song sung from Kouki’s perspective about the couple’s desire to stay together. “Tadaima/Okaeri” is a standard Japanese “I’ve come home/welcome back” saying and response pair and emphasizes how the couple hopes to eventually make a life together. It features perhaps my 2nd favorite line from any Deco song ever: “If you suddenly find something guiding your way, it’ll be the smell of my shampoo that you love” (Any guess on my favorite?) ”
You can check out Miku’s fast-paced, upbeat, and cute version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI1jUG8uW7A
Romaji for the song is here.
Thanks again for dropping by to share in the Deco*27-love! I’ll try to finish this album review this week or next. Romaji for all these other songs I didn’t list here should be searchable online but I’ll also be posting them in the compilation post later. If you need any assistance finding them in the meantime, leave me a message here. | {
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While it's no the kind of thing that everyone needs, there are business owners and... | {
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Ban on Masood Azhar was a huge victory for India. (File)
The listing of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council has been termed as a "significant achievement" by the member nations in holding perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of acts of terrorism accountable.
The 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the powerful Security Council blacklisted Azhar on May 1 after veto-wielding permanent member China lifted its technical hold on the proposal by the US, the UK and France to list him.
It was a huge victory for India after a decade of relentless efforts to ban the mastermind of several terror attacks against India, including the deadly Pulwama attack against Indian security forces. The listing subjects Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo.
"We are pleased that this month, the 1267 Committee designated Masood Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, and ISIL-Khorasan, a dangerous ISIS affiliate operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, for UN sanctions," Ambassador Jonathan Cohen, Acting Permanent Representative of the US to the United Nations said at a Security Council semi-annual briefing here Monday by Chairs of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council.
"Azhar's listing shows that the international community can and will hold terrorists accountable for their actions," he said.
Last week, the 1267 Sanctions Committee sanctioned ISIL-Khorasan, a terror group also known as '''ISIL's South Asia Branch'', formed in 2015 by a former Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan commander, that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"The designation of ISIS-Khorasan demonstrates the Committee's commitment to ensuring that ISIS affiliates do not take up the mantle of a diminished ISIS core. In this vein, it is important that the Committee designate other ISIS affiliates who seek to replicate the destruction wrought in Iraq and Syria in new corners of the world. We commend our Security Council colleagues for supporting these important designations," Cohen said.
Germany and Poland, who had also co-sponsored the proposal to blacklist the JeM chief, termed the listing of Azhar as a significant achievement by all members of the Security Council.
"It was a good signal, good sign for the work of this Committee that we were able earlier to have the listing of Masood Azhar. It was difficult for some but I think it was very important that we were able to overcome the obstacles," German Ambassador to the UN Christoph Heusgen said at the meeting.
Poland's Permanent Representative to the UN Joanna Wronecka, without naming Azhar, said that she would like to "underline a significant achievement made by all Security Council member states which allowed listing of a person responsible for a deadly terrorist attack in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," a reference to the Pulwama terror attacks masterminded by Azhar.
"We welcome progress achieved and encourage all States to work together in order to hold perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of acts of terrorism accountable," she said.
China's representative Yao Shaojun said the 1267 Sanctions Committee represents an important counter-terrorism sanctions mechanism of the UN and the Security Council. "It plays a significant role in assessing terrorist threats and strengthening sanctions measures."
He said that Beijing supports the 1267 Committee in working under Council mandates, closely communicating with the countries concerned and bolstering cooperation with regional and sub-regional counter-terrorism mechanisms with a view to making greater contribution to international counter-terrorism efforts.
"We hope that the Committee's work such as listing, exemption and de-listing will strictly abide by the relevant Council resolutions and the norms guiding the work of the Committee, uphold the principle of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism and base its work on solid evidence and consensus among parties so as to safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the sanctions mechanism," he said.
Following the UNSC designation of Azhar, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had said in Beijing that China lifted the technical hold after it found no objection to the listing proposal following a careful study of the "revised materials."
Cohen added that the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees play a crucial and complementary role in assessing and countering global threats and they are invaluable in the fight against terrorism. "ISIS and Al Qaida are dynamic organisations, evolving with the pressure the international community brings to bear on them. The 1267 Committee must continue to keep up its pace to adapt to the evolving threat," he said.
Azhar's listing came on the first day of Indonesia assuming the Presidency of the Council for this month.
Indonesia's Ambassador to the UN and Chair of the 1267 Committee Dian Triansyah Djani Dian, speaking in his national capacity at the Security Council briefing, said it must be acknowledged that there have been encouraging developments in advancing common goals with regards to the mandates of the three Committee.
"We believe that continued collaboration and unity of the Committee is a prerequisite for further development of our future works. We need the Committee to be united more than ever before," he said adding that Indonesia commends the members of the Committee for their efforts shown during last few months to preserve credibility and sanctity of the Committee. | {
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George Lucas Sorry for "White Slavers" Remark About Disney
The filmmaker says he "misspoke" in an interview with Charlie Rose.
Star Wars creator George Lucas apologized on Thursday for comments he made during a recent interview with Charlie Rose in which he referred to the Walt Disney Company as "white slavers."
Lucas made the comment while talking about the Star Wars franchise, which he created and breathed life into many decades ago, but ultimately sold to Disney in 2012 for $4 billion.
While talking to Rose about how much he loved the films he created and four of which he directed — even calling them his "kids" — Lucas said he "sold them to the white slavers that take these things, and ... ." He did not finish his thought, but rather laughed before Rose moved on to another question.
Lucas has since "clarified" that remark.
"I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy, and for that I apologize," the 71-year-old filmmaker said in a statement. "I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger’s leadership."
During that same interview with Rose, Lucas also somewhat criticized the route Disney went with the latest Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, its first undertaking since purchasing the franchise.
"They wanted to do a retro movie. I don't like that. Every movie, I worked very hard to make them different," Lucas told Rose. "I made them completely different — different planets, different spaceships to make it new."
On Thursday, Lucas seemed to address that statement as well.
"Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise," Lucas said in the statement. "I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings, but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks."
The latest installment has been a massive success and will likely become the highest-grossing film of all time.
Lucas acknowledged what a powerhouse Disney created.
"Most of all I’m blown away with the record-breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of [director] J.J. [Abrams] and [producer] Kathy [Kennedy]," he said in closing.
Lucas' full statement and the original interview with Rose are below.
I want to clarify my interview on the Charlie Rose Show. It was for the Kennedy Center Honors and conducted prior to the premiere of the film. I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize. I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger’s leadership. Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise. I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings, but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks. Most of all I’m blown away with the record-breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of JJ and Kathy. | {
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While anti-Semitism reached a peak in Europe during the Second World War, we sometimes forget that it also spread in Canada through the 1930s.
In Manitoba, nationalist groups were propagating Nazi ideology and Jews were excluded from private clubs and popular vacation spots.
Before digging into old Manitoban newspapers, filmmaker Andrew Wall thought it was a rumour. He could not imagine that, in Victoria Beach, where his family has owned a cottage for decades, Jews were discriminated against in a not-so-distant past.
In August 1943, the Victoria Beach Herald, the community newspaper, published an editorial dissuading cottage owners from renting or selling their properties to these "unwanted people."
Victoria Beach was a popular vacation spot in 1936. (Justin Gulenchyn on Youtube)
Wall did some research and realized that not only were Jews discriminated against in Victoria Beach, but there were Nazi rallies in Winnipeg in the late 1930s.
"I was stunned!" Wall said.
"I grew up understanding the Second World War, but opening the Winnipeg Free Press, and [seeing] on the first page that there was a Nazi rally happening in Winnipeg, with massive banners, just before the Second World War ... that was shocking!"
"And even more shocking — how have we not remembered this?"
'They were going to ruin the place'
Victoria Beach was not the only place where Jews were discriminated against in Manitoba — most of the resorts in the eastern part of Lake Winnipeg excluded them, confirms Daniel Stone, a retired professor of history at the University of Winnipeg.
"The fanciest places in Manitoba were owned by the Anglo establishment," he said. "They were so-called gentlemen's agreements not to sell to Jews because people thought they were going to ruin the place."
Stone adds that the most famous example of this is Victoria Beach because, at the time, the Winnipeg Free Press editor, John Dafoe, denounced it.
"The Nazis of Europe are making it plain to the Jewish people that they would not live with them. Here, in Manitoba, the summer residents of Victoria Beach are engaged in a similar crusade," Dafoe wrote on August 17, 1943.
The prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie himself, bought all the lands surrounding his house because he did not want Jews to become his neighbours. - Belle Jarniewski
In response, Stone said the editor of the Victoria Beach Herald stated that his opinions "were much more moderate" than the ones of other people who lived in Victoria Beach.
The Jews' exclusion was not restricted to vacation spots. In Winnipeg, they could not buy or rent properties in Tuxedo or around Wildwood Park, according to Stone. They were also not welcomed in private clubs like the Puffin Ski Club.
The Victoria Beach Herald did not specifically mention the Jews as unwanted people, but at the time, it was obvious according to Daniel Stone. (Legislative Library of Manitoba)
Aside from that, the University of Manitoba School of Medicine was also screening its applications. An official quota system was adopted in 1932 to reduce the number of Jews that could get into the profession.
The Dean at the time was advocating that "certain nationalities and groups" would never be accepted as doctors, according to an essay on Manitoban anti-Semitism from Jonathan Fine.
This quota system was not abolished before 1945-1946, said Stone.
Winnipeg and the Nationalist
William Whittaker (left) was on the front page of the Canadian Nationalist newspaper in 1933. (The Canadian Nationalist, Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1933)
The rise of nationalist groups in Manitoba in the 1930s exacerbated discrimination against the Jews.
While Hitler was gaining power in Germany in 1933, William Whittaker launched the Canadian Nationalist Party in Winnipeg. His newspaper, The Canadian Nationalist, was promoting and spreading his fascist and anti-communist propaganda.
In the early days of the journal, its editorials underlined the absence of hatred related to race and emphasized equality among citizens. However, around 1935, the newspaper became frankly anti-Semitic, said Stone.
The newspaper was publishing documents like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, "a 19th-century forgery," which suggests that Jews have a specific strategy to control the world, said Stone.
The historian adds that Whittaker and his nationalist group, inspired by the Nazi ideology, took to the streets of Winnipeg several times.
The Canadian Nationalist newspaper was publishing antisemic content in Winnipeg (The Canadian Nationalist, Vol. 1, No. 6, June 1937)
In June 1934, a dozen anti-fascist, Jewish and communist groups confronted them at Old Market Square. It was enough to intimidate the Nationalist Party to avoid holding public demonstrations afterward.
The newspaper, however, continued to disseminate anti-Semitic ideology.
As a duty of remembrance, in 2011 Wall produced a movie titled The Paper Nazis about this growing sentiment in the Manitoban capital.
"Here is our footnote, it's a small footnote in a better picture, but it's our history," said Wall.
"Compared to many places, Manitoba, even in a really nasty period, was really good," said Stone. In Quebec and Ontario, for instance, some of those restrictive clauses were part of the law, adds the historian.
In Quebec and Ontario, some anti-Jews signboards were installed in the 1930s. (Alex Dworkin, Canadian Jewish Archives)
'None is too many,' a federal policy
Discrimination against Jews was indeed far from being restricted to Manitoba.
In the 1940s, Canada as a whole closed its doors to immigrants who were trying to flee the Nazi regime in Europe.
When asked how many Jews should be allowed in Canada, Frederick Blair, the director of immigration between 1936 and 1943, answered: "None is too many."
In 1939, the federal authorities refused more than 900 refugees who arrived on the German liner MS St. Louis, and who were trying to escape persecution in Europe.
These Jews tried to escape the Holocaust on the German liner MS St. Louis. (The Canadian Press)
"The government was really anti-Semitic," confirms Belle Jarniewski, director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada.
"The prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie [King] himself, bought all the lands surrounding his house because he did not want Jews to become his neighbours," she said.
Out of 150,000 immigrants Canada accepted during the Holocaust, between 1933 and 1945, there were 8,000 Jews.
Jarniewski's parents succeeded in settling in Canada in the early 1950s after surviving the horror of death camps.
She says that immigrants who did cross Canadian borders were not disenchanted by anti-Jewish sentiment upon their arrival because anti-Semitism was already part of their daily life.
Learning from history
Anti-Semitism was not new in Canada in the 1930s; it has always existed, according to Stone. Persecutions declined gradually between the 1950s and 1970s with the disappearance of restrictive clauses.
That being said, the historian underlines that anti-Semitism has been on the rise for the last 10 years.
Statistics Canada says hate crimes against Jews reported to authorities in Canada increased by 41 per cent in 2017.
"Manitoba, unfortunately, bears some of the problems that you see throughout North America at the moment," said Stone, giving the example of the 2017 neo-Nazi demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In response, Jarniewski asserts that education is vital. Every time the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada welcomes students, she asks them how many people they think the country accepted during the Holocaust.
"They think about Canada today, and they answer 'a lot!'" she says. "They are always surprised."
She mentions that in 2018, 79 years later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized to the Jews who were on the MS St. Louis.
"I think Canada has learned from history, from all these Jews that the country could have saved and did not save," said Jarniewski. "Maybe it changed the way immigration policies are thought of today."
Nonetheless, for Wall, the rise of hate crimes is a sign that a movie like The Paper Nazis is useful now more than ever. | {
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Du haut de leur 350 mètres, les deux pylônes de l’émetteur d’Allouis font partie du paysage du Cher. Jusqu’au 31 décembre, ils permettent de diffuser France inter en grandes ondes (162 kHz) sur toute la France, et même dans les pays frontaliers.
Mais pour cause d’économies, France Inter ne sera plus diffusée sur grandes ondes à partir du 1er janvier 2017 (lire notre édition du 7 septembre 2015).
La crainte était alors forte de voir disparaître l’émetteur et salariés. D’autant qu’aucune autre radio ne s’était montrée intéressée pour diffuser ses programmes depuis Allouis.
Mais l’émetteur devrait être sauvé. En effet, il abrite une horloge atomique, donnant l’heure légale à plusieurs centaines de milliers de récepteurs en France.
Mais certains sont déjà nostalgiques des grandes ondes d'Allouis, comme Joshua Yvon, du haut de ses dix-huit ans, qui nous écrit depuis Caen.
Ce vendredi 16 décembre, ue émission spéciale de France Inter consacrée à la fin des grandes ondes était diffusée. Indiquant notamment que les grzandes ondes représentaient 10 % des coûts de diffusion, "un coût élevé par rapport à une écoute qui devient marginale".
Réécouter l'émission de France Inter
Son témoignage :
« 18 ans et je suis un fan des Grandes Ondes ! Pourquoi ? Pour plusieurs raisons tout d'abord parce que j'aime bien tout ce qui est vintage et surtout la technologie d'autrefois... Ensuite parce que les Grandes Ondes c'est pas loin d'un siècle d'histoire ! J'aime aussi les Grandes Ondes parce que je suis un jeune collectionneur de radios à lampes anciennes : les TSF comme on les appelle...
« On capte le monde entier sur la radio AM ! »
Sur ces postes des années 1940-50-60, il n'y a pas la FM et c'est vraiment grâce à ça que j'ai commencé à m’intéresser aux Grandes Ondes (et Petites Ondes ainsi que les Ondes Courtes), tout d'abord parce que ces techniques d'émission radio sont assez surprenantes notamment de par leur (énorme) portée ! En effet on capte le monde entier sur la radio AM ! Prenons France Inter, un seul émetteur placé convenablement au centre de la France à Allouis et c'est tout le pays et les pays limitrophes qui peuvent écouter leurs programmes préférés sur la fameuse fréquence de 162kHz !
« Il y a un an j'ai redonné vie à un poste TSF des années 1950. Après l'avoir réparé et allumé, j'ai tourné le bouton de recherche des stations et je suis tombé sur France Inter »
J'ai découvert les programmes de France Inter quand pour la première fois il y a un an j'ai redonné vie à un poste TSF des années 1950. Après l'avoir réparé et allumé, j'ai tourné le bouton de recherche des stations et je suis tombé sur France Inter sur les Grandes Ondes ! C'est elle la première station que j'ai entendu sur mon poste !
Je suis resté quelques minutes devant ce poste encore démonté puis j'ai cherché les autres stations sur les Grandes Ondes, elles fonctionnaient aussi mais la qualité n'était pas aussi bonne et pourtant je ne suis pas trop loin de leurs émetteurs, j'habite en Normandie, ex-Basse Normandie, à Caen pour être précis. J'ai remonté le poste et j'ai appris au fur et à mesure à aimer cette station de radio en l'écoutant régulièrement.
Il a fait circuler une pétition
J'ai été très attristé lorsque j'ai appris il y a moins d'un an que Radio France souhaitait arrêter la diffusion de France Inter sur les Grandes Ondes, j'ai aussitôt signé la pétition qui circule sur internet et je me suis dit « on verra bien »...
Hélas c'est aujourd'hui bien officiel, c'est annoncé sur le site de la station et un message passe en boucle toutes les heures sur France Inter Grandes Ondes à chaque heure passée de 30 minutes : 18h30, 19h30, 20h30, 21h30 et ainsi de suite... Ce message le dit clairement : « Bonjour, France Inter va cesser d’émettre sur les Grandes Ondes à partir du 1er Janvier 2017... Pour continuer à nous écouter, c'est très simple... Basculez votre récepteur radio en FM sur la fréquence de votre ville »
« Je ne suis pas né à la bonne époque »
On dirait que ce triste message parle de la FM comme d'une nouvelle chose (bien qu'elle soit elle aussi âgée de pas mal d'années, plus de 50) (un peu comme le passage à la TNT). Je ne suis pas pressé d'arriver à cette date fatidique. [...]
Pour terminer : Oui je vais regretter la disparition de France Inter sur les Grandes Ondes, gamme qui sera bien vide sans France Inter.
Je dis souvent que je ne suis pas né à la bonne époque et cette phrase prend en ce moment tout son sens.
» | {
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Subscribers discovered that the FX show is no longer available, and they're wondering if it's business — or more fallout from last year.
“Louie” is no longer available on Hulu, and that had audiences wondering: Was it finally yanked in light of sexual harassment allegations against star Louis C.K., or did it disappear for more mundane business reasons?
IndieWire can confirm that it’s the latter: According to Hulu, “Louie” is off the streaming service because its license to air the FX comedy has expired. The episodes had actually been badged over the past several weeks as “expiring soon,” so eagle-eyed subscribers would have been warned.
Hulu had kept “Louie” on its service last fall, even after FX yanked the show from its linear channel and FX Now on-demand service. This followed FX cutting all ties with C.K. in light of a scandal in which the comedian confessed to inappropriate sexual conduct with several women. HBO also removed C.K. from its “Night of Too Many Stars” special, and pulled all C.K. projects (including the comedy “Lucky Louie”) off its HBO On Demand services.
Streaming services have been less likely to remove library content of disgraced stars. For example, although Netflix fired Kevin Spacey from Season 6 of “House of Cards,” older episodes starring the actor remain on the service, along with other library titles featuring the actor.
When IndieWire addressed the issue last fall, it noted that unlike cable networks, streaming services are direct-to-consumer models, and customers are paying a monthly fee for the specific ability to search out programming they want to watch. Cable subscribers, even online, are more likely to stumble across offending programming, which may be why those channels are quicker to scrub any instance of offending parties.
Asked in January whether “Louie” might ever see the light of day again on FX, network CEO John Landgraf said he was still in “wait and see” mode.
“I think the next things that need to happen are bigger and more important than the question of that,” he said. “I think this is a cultural movement. A lot has happened. There’s more things to happen. It’s a larger conversation. Again, I don’t feel like I’m empowered to or anybody needs or wants me, as a middle-aged man, to render a final, you know, Solomonic decision on that. I just can’t do it. Also, I don’t know what Louis is going to do. I don’t know what’s up with him, what further things he has to say. So we are, kind of, in a wait and see mode.
“I still think that’s a great show. It’s a show you might look through a different prism now than you looked at it before, but if you thought it was art, it is still art, maybe art of a different kind. But as to when and if we might restore it to our streaming services, all I can say is we don’t know. I don’t have a decision on that yet,” he added.
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