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City Judge Jailed
In this June 8, 2017 frame from video provided by 13WHAM, Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio, looks in the direction of her attorney during an appearance in a Rochester, N.Y., courtroom.
(13WHAM | AP)
Rochester judge Leticia Astacio was released from the county jail Thursday after being there for over a month, according to reports.
Astacio, 35, had been serving a 60 day jail sentence for violating the conditions of her DWI conviction. She had previously missed a hearing and alcohol test while she was on vacation in Thailand.
Astacio, a city court judge, now faces three years probation for violating the conditions of her 2016 DWI conviction. She'll also need to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet for six months.
She was charged with driving while intoxicated in February 2016. She was convicted of DWI last August. | {
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A hands-off approach at the once intensively farmed estate in West Sussex has paid huge dividends for wildlife and the land alike
Cycle through the Sussex Weald on a breezy spring day, and you’ll be pedalling through a trim and tidy countryside. Neatly clipped hedges bound close-cropped fields, grazed as often by ponies as cows (this is the home counties, after all). It’s a neat, well-manicured land. Then, all of a sudden, somewhere south of Horsham a great scruffiness strikes the eye. Hedges seem wildly overgrown, bursting with May blossom, invading meadows shabby with tussocks. There are great clumps of brambly thorn, with slender young oaks emerging shyly from the top as they spring into leaf. It’s gloriously, bewilderingly untidy. And there’s more, if you venture along a footpath into its midst. There are cows and pigs and ponies here, but not the standard-issue black and white Holsteins and pink porkers you might expect. Instead, Old English Longhorn cattle roam the scrubland, reaching up to pull leaves from a branch – very uncow-ish behaviour to eyes accustomed to heads-down grazing. Russet red Tamworths, looking more like boars than pigs, snuffle and rootle over the grass, churning it into mud. And the ponies are Exmoors, direct ancestors of the wild horses that roamed across Palaeolithic Europe.
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There are deer, too: fallow, roe and even the majestic red deer, rarely seen in southern England. And a great profusion of birdsong: cuckoos, fresh from a winter in the African rainforest, echoing through the trees, and nightingales, duelling noisily. Then there are lapwings, skylarks, woodpeckers and yellowhammers, predatory peregrines, red kites and falcons, and even the critically endangered turtle dove. As dusk falls, you might hear the call of any of the country’s five native species of owl. All this under the Gatwick flightpath, in the very heart of commuter land.
If you’re not focused on a goal, if you’re not concerned about a particular species, but just let nature do its thing, then extraordinary things can happen
It is unrecognisable from two decades back. Then, this was all-too-typical modern English farmland: tightly managed, input-heavy, with precious little space for wildlife – and losing money hand over fist. This is the 3,500-acre Knepp estate, home to the country’s most striking and ambitious experiment in rewilding, and I’m here to meet one of its prime movers, the appropriately named Isabella (‘Issy’) Tree. Her book, Wilding, has captured the public imagination with its tale of Knepp’s extraordinary transformation from agribusiness into wildlife haven. Tree is engagingly frank that, had the business been successful, she and husband Charlie Burrell (whose ancestors had farmed this land for generations) would never have taken this path.
Isabella Tree runs Knepp with her husband, Charlie Burrell. Image: Anthony Cullen
“When you’re just desperately trying to get by, to get through the next week or month or year, you’re just thinking of yields the whole time – you don’t think of the impact you’re having on the soil, or the wildlife.” But farming on heavy Wealden clay is never easy, and by the end of the 1990s, they were more than a million pounds in debt. It was unsustainable, in every sense of the word. So they sold their animals, their machinery and gave up their milk quota, accepting that they would have to do things differently. Being forced to cut their losses also opened their eyes to some radical new possibilities, and the germ of rewilding took hold. A new path Eventually, with support from government advisers Natural England and a host of enthusiastic conservationists and ecologists, they took the most radical step any farmer could imagine. They let the land go. Sure, there were some interventions, like digging out ‘scrapes’ to create areas of standing water. But for the most part it was a case of benign neglect. And the effect was rapid – and dramatic.
A chaffinch takes in the view from a blackthorn tree. Image: Charlie Burrell / Knepp Wildland
“We knew we were on the right track, because we could see signs of improvement [very early],” says Tree. In the first year came the insects – “it was like surround sound. Then the birds followed,” and in greater numbers and variety than they thought possible. Not everyone was happy. Some of Knepp’s farming neighbours were outraged at seeing well-managed land run wild, fearing the impact on their own holdings. “They saw fields of ragwort [which can be toxic to livestock], and they went bananas; MPs were getting letters, it could have derailed the whole thing,” recalls Tree. But Natural England held firm with its support, and gradually the Knepp experiment started attracting interest well beyond its neighbours. People were drawn to its impressively wide range of wildlife. As well as the likes of turtle doves and nightingales, it’s now home to increasingly rare treasures, such as purple emperor butterflies, hedgehogs, and two of the rarest bat species in Europe (Bechstein’s and Barbastelle). And not as a result of some carefully managed reintroduction scheme: they have all made their own way there. So is it a case of ‘Wild it, and they will come’? “Absolutely. If you’re not focused on a goal, if you’re not concerned about a particular species, but just let nature do its thing, then extraordinary things can happen,” says Tree.
Work has been carried out to reconnect Knepp Lake to local waterways, easing the passage of eels. Image: Charlie Burrell / Knepp Wildland
It isn’t only wildlife that benefits. Letting natural processes take over has wider impacts, too. Overworked soil begins to recover; water becomes cleaner; floods become fewer as the ground soaks up moisture; and the whole landscape becomes a much-needed carbon sink. Left entirely to itself, it would eventually turn to forest. But that won’t happen at Knepp because of the one major intervention they have made. Namely, introducing the animals – the Longhorns, Tamworths and the Exmoor ponies. As Tree explains, these mimic the action of ancient wild herbivores such as aurochs, bison and boar, which would once have roamed across much of Europe. Thanks to such creatures nibbling away, the landscape of the continent’s past would almost certainly not have been the unbroken wildwood of popular imagination, but a richly shifting mosaic of trees, scrub and grasses, with patches of marsh and lakes where water naturally gathers. Thriving land, thriving business? Another nature cliché Knepp is turning on its head is the idea that most species are restricted to very specific niches. Here, that’s clearly not the case. “Take nightingales – we’ve already got about 14 singing males, and it’s still early in the season, so it will be a bumper year,” says Tree. “Now, all the books classify them as a bird that’s found in coppice woodland, so in theory, that’s what we’d need to attract them. But we’ve got nightingales here, and they actually seem to prefer the thorny scrub. So it’s pretty clear that what they need is cover, and because they didn’t have thorny scrub in the rest of the landscape, they were ending up in coppice, because it has that dense, low understorey.” Nightingales weren’t the only ones to disobey the field guides. “Every month there’s something new appearing. We’ve got nightjars. People say, ‘Oh no, you must have made a mistake, they’re a heathland bird’. But they’re here. And maybe they were only listed as a heathland bird because that was the only place left for them.” It makes one reconsider many similar classifications, she adds. “Like ‘farmland birds’. Where were they before there were farms, eh?”
Tamworth pigs take on the role of their indigenous forerunner, the wild boar. Image: Charlie Burrell / Knepp Wildland
But to what extent is Knepp a model for a future countryside? Rewilding doesn’t in itself a business model make – not yet, anyway. Knepp receives some agri-environmental payments from public funds, and also earns income from its ‘safari’ tourism, combined with a small eco-camping business. Then there are the standard hectare-based support payments made under the EU Common Agricultural Policy. But the estate is also dependent on rental income from cottages, along with redundant farm buildings which it’s turning into offices. Not all farmers enjoy such monetisable assets, of course. And sceptics would argue that rewilding a chunk of Sussex is all very well, but we still have to produce food – beyond the delicious cuts of ‘wild range’ meat from its culled cows and pigs, which is all that Knepp does now. “Yes”, responds Tree, “but that doesn’t mean using every inch of land for production. We already produce more than enough to feed the world, and then we waste 40 per cent of it.” There is an urgent need for a farming economy that produces other vital ‘ecosystem services’, she argues, such as restoring soils, curbing floods and soaking up carbon – all of which Knepp does.
Little owls are proliferating at Knepp, thanks to organic soils rich in earthworms and other invertebrates. Image: Ned Burrell
“We could even have a system of ‘pop-up Knepps’, where land would be left to its own devices for as much as several decades,” says Tree. “So it would provide [all those services], and then at the end of the period you could use all those huge forestry machines to go straight through it all and turn it back into a workable tilth. “The soil will be naturally fertile, you won’t have the pest burden and crop diseases to contend with, and around you will be other areas coming up for their turn ‘in the wild’, so your nightingales and turtle doves will shift into those, and you’ll have wild corridors linking them up.” That may sound far-fetched, but it’s a lot more logical than working the land to exhaustion and paying farmers subsidies to do so. And that’s a logic that is gaining ground in Whitehall, too. The UK government has already declared its intention, post-Brexit, to shift the subsidy system to support farmers who provide ‘ecosystem services’. Recent visitors to Knepp have included teams from the Treasury and the prime minister’s office. No one is holding their breath, of course, but it might just be that this swathe of gloriously messy, nightingale-haunted Sussex scrub could be a crucible for a very different sort of English countryside. Featured image: A red deer stag on the Knepp estate in mating season, photographed by Charlie Burrell / Knepp Wildland Read more: Five rewilding experiments taking root across the UK | {
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You fell head over heels in love with Mr. Dreamboat, who turned into Mr. Disaster and jumped ship. Now you find yourself playing a solo game of Survivor on Misery Island.
You may have stopped taking his calls, stopped driving by his apartment or stopped sleeping in the T-shirt he left at your place, but you may still be having trouble letting go.
It's time to put the brakes on your broken-hearted feelings. Whether your relationship ended six days ago or six months ago, now's the time to break out of your brooding cycle and break through to the life (and the guy) you desire.
So, get your "out with the old in with the new" attitude on. Here are several ways to get you started:
1. Quit Cyberstalking
Are you peeking at his Pinterest? Fishing around his Facebook page? Searching for that chick he cheated with to find out... well, what?
Whether you just want to see his face again, see what he's up to or you want some insight into why he dumped you, no reason is a good one. You're only hurting yourself. You are better than this. Change your focus.
2. Remember to forget
Forget where he lives. Forget who he's going out with. Forget what it's like to have sex with him. Don't slip after one too many martinis and drunk-dial him, drive by his place or even worse, end up in his bed.
Sex will not make things better. I know it's great in the moment, but what about later? It's like eating a plate of double fudge brownies. If you considered the disgusting, bloated feeling you'd have in the morning, you might think twice before taking that first bite.
3. Think about his annoying habits
After a breakup, we tend to remember all the good things about our exes and forget the bad things. This can keep us emotionally glued to them.
Why not remember all the things that bugged you about him instead, like how he snored like a foghorn, made exotic animal sounds during sex or could burp the "Star-Spangled Banner"? By remembering his annoying habits, it'll be easier to let go.
4. Drop the head games
Ditch those head-pounding shoulda-woulda-coulda's. They'll keep you spinning and keep you stuck. The truth is, there's nothing you could've done or said that would've kept him around. Even if you were the most perfect person in the whole world, he still would've found a reason to break up with you.
So stop beating yourself up. Give yourself a break. Know you did the best you could. Enough said.
5. Use the F-word
The other one...forgiveness. It's tough, I know. But here's the thing: You are not doing it for him, you are doing it for you. By forgiving him, you free yourself.
For him to do what he did to you, he may have been broken in some way. Or he's got a lot to learn about how to be good in a relationship. Or maybe he feels bad right now because of the sh*tty way he treated you. Practicing forgiveness will help you heal faster.
6. Focus on your awesomeness
Instead of obsessing about how much you still love him, how about turning that love within? What do you love about yourself? Is it your humor, your intellect or your creativity? The more you love yourself, the less likely you'll crave that love from your ex.
Additionally, think about where you are in your life and what you want to accomplish. Now's the perfect opportunity, so get going on achieving those dreams!
7. Be grateful for all the ones who got away
Remember the hottie who turned into Mr. Freeze when the word "commitment" came up? The sexy narcissist who was only about nailing you in the sack? Or the guy who blindsided you one day with, "I just want to be friends?"
The moment a relationship ends, put it where it should be...behind you. It has no place in your life anymore. Stop playing, "He loves me, he loves me not." Play, "I love myself" instead. Use this experience to empower yourself to live better, love better, and date better. | {
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Some of the world's biggest record labels have failed in their attempt to sue a file-sharing developer for copyright infringements carried out by users of his software. During a 2009 trial, Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner had demanded 13 million euros in compensation from Pablo Soto, the creator of the Blubster, Piolet and Manolito P2P sharing applications. A court has now ruled that Soto's technology is "completely neutral".
In 2008, Universal, Sony, EMI, Warner and “Spanish RIAA” Promusicae (Productores de Música de España) joined forces to file suit against MP2P Technologies, a company created by Spaniard Pablo Soto.
Born in 1979, Soto had been in the computer business since he was 16 years old and had created several file-sharing applications including Blubster (the so-called “Spanish Napster”) Piolet and Manolito.
But the record companies claimed that Soto designed the software with the express intent of providing a platform for Internet users to download and share music for free, a situation they describe as “unfair competition.” Pablo was also accused of creating file-sharing applications in order to profit from infringements of the plaintiffs’ copyrights.
Following a 2009 trial and several years of litigation, Madrid Commercial Court No. 4 has now delivered its verdict. It rejected the compensation demands of the labels and ruled in favor of the developer, declaring that his technology is “totally neutral.”
“An analogy would be like if we created a private group of friends to share some information, photographs for example,” the judge wrote in his ruling. “But you can not then blame the developer [if people chose to share copyright material], since the only thing he has done is connect the friends.”
The court also rejected the claims of unfair competition, noting that Soto isn’t in the business of making and marketing records, and the plaintiffs aren’t in the file-sharing business.
“We are extremely grateful to the court for finding not only in our favor, but in favor of justice, innovation and in equal access to digital distribution,” said Pablo Soto, founder and CEO of MP2P Technologies. “The copyright conglomerates would like to stifle innovation but today’s significant ruling against this tactic echoes around the globe.”
In an interview with 20minutos.es, Soto extended thanks to his lawyers Javier de la Cueva and David Bravo and noted that although delighted with the outcome (“I feel like i’ve crossed the Gobi desert with no water”), both he and his company have been deeply affected by the litigation.
“I had a company with eight years of work behind it but following the lawsuit I had to reduce staff by more than a half,” said Soto. “The funding was reduced to zero, no-one wanted to invest in a company being sued for 13 million euros.”
Aside from the generalities of the complaint, the case has been controversial since the start. In preparation for filing suit the labels went as far as to hire a private detective who turned up at Pablo’s offices masquerading as a customer. Using a hidden camera the detective took photographic ‘evidence’ which later turned up in court filings.
Promusicae president Antonio Guisasola said the decision will be appealed and expressed hope that in future the new Spanish government would take “resolute action” against people like Soto. | {
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CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet –– “Ninja cops are a thing of the past,” Police Director General Oscar Albayalde said here on Friday (Sept. 27).
Albayalde was here as the guest speaker of the 118th police service anniversary program of Camp Dangwa, the regional police headquarters in the Cordillera.
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He admitted he was baffled that the issue has been recycled following a Senate inquiry on the anomalous release of hardened criminals.
Albayalde’s administration has been criticized owing to revelations by Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong about confiscated narcotics being recycled by policemen, when he testified recently at the Senate.
Albayalde said Magalong, celebrated for leading the fact-finding into the Mamasapano massacre of 44 members of the police special action force, was a former superior officer.
“I do not know. I do not know,” he kept saying when asked why Magalong revived the old ninja cops issue that became controversial before President Duterte assumed office.
Ninja cops were an organized syndicate inside the police system who trafficked drugs seized during legitimate police operations, said Albayalde.
Efforts to cleanse police ranks of rogues were started by his predecessor, now Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who inherited the problem.
Albayalde said he was a Pampanga police director when a “ninja cops” case surfaced in the province for which he was relieved “to pave the way for an impartial investigation.” He added, “I was not one of the accused.”
He told the Cordillera police to continue cleansing their organization of rogue cops, saying they owe it to the public and must not disappoint President Duterte.
“Let us show we are worthy of the support (Mr. Duterte) is giving us,” he said.
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“I am glad about your enthusiasm in pursuing our internal cleansing program. I am saddened we still have rogues in our ranks. In recent months, we have put more teeth in this campaign … I only ask that you give these initiatives the proper attention for our police and the people we serve,” Albayalde said./lzb
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ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have concrete information on the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing for six days, a deputy chairman of Turkey’s ruling AK Party said on Sunday.
Yasin Aktay told broadcaster CNN Turk that Khashoggi had not left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which he had entered on Tuesday to obtain documents for a forthcoming marriage, in “normal ways”. The case would not go unsolved, Aktay said.
Late on Saturday, Turkish sources told Reuters that Turkish authorities believed Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate last week, in what they described as the deliberate targeting of a prominent critic of the Gulf kingdom’s rulers. | {
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After seeing a couple of wishlists for Borderlands 3 from certain big-named publications, I came to one conclusion.
These people do not know what the flying f*** they’re talking about.
I came across another conclusion: the editors set these features live because of the amount of controversy it would generate from more gamer-savvy video makers and YouTubers.
Me? My personal Borderlands 3 wishlist is a bit more honest and won’t generate as much fire. But I do feel I have some ideas worthy of inspiration for Gearbox to cherry-pick. You know you want to, magician Randy Pitchford and co.
I can’t say I’m a crazy Borderlands fan who has all his classes maxed out for the OP8 challenges. But I have dedicated an absurd amount of time in both Borderlands 1 and Borderlands 2 to the point where I won’t get bored playing it over and over, especially when I’m supposed to be working. And I dig the game’s lore and storylines; they kinda grow on me.
Plus, I still have this bad boy from years past.
Make of that what you will. Point is, I played more than enough of this game to point out its pros and cons on the fly. I also bring up some design pointers and ideas from other new loot-and-shoot games so that Borderlands 3 shape up to be the best at what it will do.
Here’s my professionally-tailored wishlist:
Four-Player Split-Screen, Dedicated Servers, Or LAN
This should be the obvious request for console gamers. Borderlands 3 is a co-op game through and through. It needs to deliver the best co-op experience that succeeds its imitators and duplicators. Keep the drop-in and drop-out options and everything else from Borderlands 2. And to slap the face of other loot-and-shoot games, make it offline-playable too.
Daily & Weekly Challenges
For players who want to stay online, Gearbox should have something for you post-game. But it will take a while for them to roll out the expected DLC and expansions, so why not offer rewards and SHIFT codes for players who are super-dedicated to the cult of Borderlands 24/7?
Take a page from successful mobile games like Dragalia Lost and add in daily and weekly challenges and leaderboard activities. Get the most airtime by driving off ramps using your Bandit Technicals. Kill the most Rakks in the quickest time possible. Finish the first-ever raid or OP8 challenge and get the best time. As long as it keeps people playing post-game and in their second or third difficulty playthrough, the wait between DLC will be bearable.
A Method To Level Up Legendary/Pearlescent Weapons You Love & Hoard
If you play a lot of Borderlands, you will get a lot of duplicate guns. And then you end up with a weapon you love like a new shiny Legendary Law revolver or Pearlescent Hellcat? However, it’s at level 30 and the game’s level cap is 72 (or more). That gun’s gonna be obsolete, and who knows if you’ll ever get that same weapon if its drop rate is absurdly low.
Why not give the option for casual and midcore players to level up that gun? Store it first in your personal vault, and when you reach your level cap, take it out, go to a gunsmith of sorts, fuse it with your weaker but high-level guns, and voila: you have a level 72 gun you invested in. It’s basically Destiny’s Infusion, but for Borderlands.
To make things a bit fair for high-level loot hounds, max level drops of that gun would have better stats, but at least you have the option to beef up your hoarded weapon.
DLC & Expansions Focused On Previous Vault Hunters
Simply put, Borderlands and Borderlands 2‘s DLC are the best. They improve upon the core experience post-game and they tell funny to even emotional stories.
Gearbox should up the stakes and have better DLC with even more lore and guns for fans and gamers alike.
I would love to play a DLC where I help out Gaige the Mechromancer rescue her probably-imprisoned dad in her home planet while fighting off police bots and its corrupt police force masters. Or help Salvador out with a bandit or merc problem that becomes one convoluted three-way standoff between gun manufacturers.
There are a lot of interesting stories and DLC Gearbox can make around existing characters and its rich lore.
A Different Take On Battle Royale
Wait, stop. Don’t close this page. Hear me out.
I am well aware that Borderlands is not a PvP game. It’s still PvE through and through. And battle royale games are usually PvP. So why not make it a PvE battle royale game?
Here are the rules:
Groups of vault hunters drop down on a map in any location. Just like battle royale games, the map area will get smaller as time goes by.
However, instead of killing players, your main goal is to kill bandits, skags, thresher worms, robots, and random bosses for points . Whichever team earns the most points or is the last team standing wins the battle royale match.
. Whichever team earns the most points or is the last team standing wins the battle royale match. All enemies will be camping and loitering in mini-strongholds or on the open field. Enemies enveloped by the shroud of the map are lost points.
Players cannot kill each other. However, some weapons have knockback and pushback effects that allow you to screw the other team without killing them.
that allow you to screw the other team without killing them. And yes, there will be situations where you will be cornered in the map with other teams facing off against a Son of Crawmerax Jr. (or some other uber Badass boss). Whoever dies last gets the highest amount of points.
To make this battle royale interesting, all enemies will be spawned randomly. Which means you can land at a spot where an uber Badass can jump out.
Since this is a loot-dependant game, players will need to sort out their gear and skill points for a minute to 30 seconds before the match starts. You can only unlock this mode when you’re at max level/finished the game.
To take a page from that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure battle royale game, each different spot on the map will have power-ups that can further boost your stats for the remainder of the match. Think of them as Quake power-ups; double damage, faster running speed, quick cooldowns for skills…
Sounds more fun than just copypastaing an existing idea, right?
These Guns
Last items on the obligatory Borderlands 3 wishlist. Since this could be Gearbox’s swan song for the series, they should really go all out with guns and weapons. Here are a few humble suggestions:
A sniper rifle that shoots out spectral baby Bloodwings that seek opponents and retrieve other types of ammo for you. The catch is they travel slow and they deal DOT instead of actual instant damage.
that seek opponents and retrieve other types of ammo for you. The catch is they travel slow and they deal DOT instead of actual instant damage. I have a gut feeling Lilith is going to bite it in the third game. Have an SMG crafted in her honour ; one that randomly makes enemies explode and pulse out a Phase Shift wave that has elemental afflictions aplenty.
; one that randomly makes enemies explode and pulse out a Phase Shift wave that has elemental afflictions aplenty. Have a digistruct attachment that shoots out weak eridium bullets, but can expend half its ammo to summon a DeathTr4p .
. The guns with legs in the trailer? Why not amp it further? Guns with spider legs? A centipede gun?
A gun sword. Why not pay tribute to FFVIII’s most nonsensical weapon and make it work in Borderlands 3?
I’ll get back to you on the guns; it’s harder than it sounds. If you have better ideas to make Borderlands 3 even more bazillionder, hit us up on thekkp.com or on our Facebook page.
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(Image: Salt and Straw) (Image: Salt and Straw) (Image: Salt and Straw)
Back in the day before there was such a thing, the lack of Capitol Hill ice cream was a neighborhood meme. In 2017, the situation has changed. While there isn’t yet a scoop shop on every block, Capitol Hill is home to some of the city’s finest — and most interesting — ice creams and frozen treats. And now the you scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream scene is about to get even more interesting.
Portland’s Salt and Straw has been flirting with Seattle since last summer. This year, CHS has learned the culinary-focused ice cream brand known fascinating flavors will continue its expansion beyond PDX and LA with a new shop on Capitol Hill at Pike and Boylston inside the preservation-friendly Pike Motorworks development that stretches a full block in the heart of Pike/Pine.
Plans filed with the city indicate a shop directly on the corner of the huge complex neighboring three other tenants and, eventually, the big investment, 10-barrel Redhook brewery and pub that is slated to open this summer.
Founded in 2011, Salt and Straw owner Kim Malek says she moved to Portland around twenty years ago but didn’t get around to her dream for years. “We’re hoping to create the kind of company that’s fun to support, work for, and partner with. We’re about building strong local community – both in the neighborhoods where we do business and by purchasing as many local products as possible (to keep our money in Oregon and help create stronger local economies),” she writes on the company’s “about” page. “But at the end of the day, we just really hope you enjoy the ice cream.”
UPDATE: Salt and Straw’s Tyler Malek tells CHS the new shop is targeting a late summer opening and is planning a menu emphasizing local Seattle-area partners and ingredients.
“We are rewriting the menu to create new stories based on new partnerships,” Malek said.
One of those partners will likely be Rachel Marshall. The Maleks have already tried about five different flavors featuring her Rachel’s Ginger Beer.
The partners and special ingredients make Salt and Straw unique, Tyler Malek said. So does change. You can expect a new menu every four weeks or so.
Malek said he the company’s some 300 employees are also an important part of the business and Salt and Straw is looking forward to operating under Seattle’s recent labor-friendly changes in business regulations. Though he says he hasn’t yet sorted out how best to handle tipping. “We’re trying to figure that out,” Malek said.
As for choosing Capitol Hill as the beginning of expansion in the Seattle area, Malek said the cousins were surprised by how much Pike/Pine has changed and excited to be part of the new energy in the neighborhood.
“The growth on Pike was something that we had no idea was going on until we came up,” he said. “There’s a new life.”
Born as a pushcart business, Salt and Straw currently operates three shops in Portland, five around Los Angeles, and is planning a San Francisco expansion along with its E Pike plans. In comparison, Molly Moon’s — perhaps Salt and Straw’s most comparable existing player in Capitol Hill ice cream — scoops in eight locations around Seattle… and none in LA.
Salt and Straw will open in late summer at 711 E Pike. Watch for a few more pop-ups in the meantime. You can learn more at saltandstraw.com.
Capitol Hill food+drink notes | {
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Come to LA, meet Danika and myself and get your very own Heretical Fotoshoot! All to be transformed into your very own tarot card, that you can slip right into the deck!
(We'll even source some armor and costumery for you, should you not have a prop house at your disposal)
You'll also get an 11x14 archival metallic print of the image, so get that spot next to the velvet Elvis painting prepped and ready.
You're in control of the direction of the shoot! Danika will also give you a personal tarot reading beforehand, to really get that heretical energy flowing!
Become a centaur Demi-God or avenging Seraphim! (travel to LA and accommodation not included, but hey, if you decide on the seraphim option, you can fly yourself over)
- add a second deck for $30
- add a second book for $25
Includes:
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University officials said they have identified the student in the photo which they believe was taken by a second person who also climbed to the top. | {
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Bark Meets Bite Giveaway
You've tried our melt-in-your-mouth bark, now it's time to try something with a buttery bite.
Brown & Haley, the historic confectioners behind Mountain Thins and the original Almond Roca, want to treat your sweet tooth to a taste of their candy-making legacy with a decadent Roca Prize Pack filled with the best of buttercrunch treats!
Enter for your chance to win and discover the handcrafted, caramelized flavor of Roca, a chocolate-coated, almond-covered delight so delicious we've been making it the same way for 100 years.
All you have to do is submit your name and email, then earn a bonus entry for following the Almond Roca Facebook page.
Contest ends 8/29/19. Good luck! | {
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3.1 Spatial and Temporal Variabilities of Biomass and Daily Rates of PP of PSBs
Chl a concentrations and daily rates of PP during the PSB increased at latitudes greater than 75°N from 2003 to 2013 in the Arctic Ocean (Figures 1a and 1b). Reduction in chl a concentration observed around 72° to 75°N is likely due to a reduction in nutrients either explained by the occurrence of under‐ice blooms or an increase in stratification at these latitudes. We also observed low chl a concentrations and daily rates of PP during the PSB above 81°N in the Arctic basin where daily PAR is low (Figure 3a), and low concentrations of nutrients prevail all year long (Codispoti et al., 2013). Regarding the spatial distribution of PSBs, there was a strong variability in the total number of annual PSBs observed in the Arctic Ocean over the 2003–2013 time period (see the supporting information, Figure S4). A small number of annual PSBs are recorded in northern areas of the Arctic Ocean (>75°N), which were more covered by sea ice early in the time series. Moreover, at pan‐Arctic scale, there was a strong variability in the number of observations (i.e., chl a concentrations) for a given pixel during the PSB (see the supporting information, Figure S5). The frequent occurrence of clouds or low‐lying fog just after ice melt, especially during late summer and early fall, limited the number of available chl a data and made the ocean color observations patchy (Perrette et al., 2011).
We observed a strong regional variability of the PP trends in the PSB within the eight different sectors of the Arctic Ocean. Positive and significant annual trends in PP during the PSB were found in 11 (p value ≤ 0.05) and 3 (0.05 < p value ≤0.1) out of the 28 subsectors with sufficient observations from 2003 to 2013. The highest increase in PP was observed in the Barents (53.54 mg C m−2 day−1 year−1 between 73° and 76°N) and Kara (75.70 mg C m−2 day−1 year−1 between 82° and 85°N) subsectors (Figure 2). The Chukchi, Beaufort, Baffin, and Greenland sectors showed the lowest trends of annual PP of about 15 mg C m−2 day−1 year−1 over the 2003–2013 time period and for different ranges of latitudes between 70° and 82°N (Figure 2). Overall in the Arctic Ocean, we observed a significant increase in PP during the PSB of about 31% between 2003 and 2013 (an annual increasing trend of 21.43 mg C m−2 day−1 year−1, p value <0.01, R2 = 0.65; see the supporting information, Figure S1). Moreover, the spatial distribution of chl a concentration shows that high values occur mostly on the shelves compared to the central basin where the waters are considered as oligotrophic (Ardyna et al., 2011; Coupel et al., 2011, 2015; see the supporting information, Figure S6).
The sea ice breakup was observed later in the season at latitudes above 80°N in the Arctic Ocean (day of the year 195–250 on average, i.e., mid‐July to early September) compared to lower latitudes (day of the year 170–210 on average, i.e., mid‐June to late July). We found positive and significant annual trends in daily PAR beneath the sea surface during the PSB in four out of the 28 defined subsectors of the Arctic Ocean with sufficient observations from 2003 to 2013, such as the Barents, Kara, and Laptev sectors (see the supporting information, Figure S7). This can be explained by the fact that the breakup happened earlier in the season and closer to the summer solstice (Figure 3b; i.e., at the maximum of daily solar radiation, 21 June), resulting in a longer photoperiod and in an increase of PAR at these latitudes.
Our results suggest that for some subsectors located in the Barents, Kara, and Laptev sectors, an increase in daily PAR due to an earlier ice breakup contributes (i) to an increase in the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass due to favorable bloom dynamics (Behrenfeld et al., 2016) and (ii) to an increase in the daily rates of PP during the open‐water PSB observed between 2003 and 2013. This observation is also in accordance with the study of Zhang et al. (2010) who showed concomitant increases in PAR and marine PP in the Arctic Ocean between 1988 and 2007 with a coupled 3‐D pan‐Arctic model. The ongoing shift in the timing of ice breakup has therefore important consequences for PSB PP in the Arctic. However, other factors than PAR that could affect the phytoplankton bloom, such as nutrient availability and its potential replenishment in the water column, could explain the increase in daily rates of PP during the open‐water PSB for other subsectors and should be examined in the future (Popova et al., 2010; Rainville et al., 2011; Tremblay et al., 2015; Tremblay & Gagon, 2009). The observed spatially heterogeneous responses of the annual trends of PP suggest a dependence of PP on multiple confounding factors driving the Arctic ecosystem dynamics that needs to be better understood and characterized.
A mismatch between the spring bloom burst of phytoplankton and the activity of zooplankton grazers resuming winter diapause could also explain this increase in the daily rates of PP during the open‐water PSB, since the life cycles of phytoplankton and zooplankton grazers are tightly linked to the timing of the blooms (Behrenfeld et al., 2016; Ji et al., 2013; Leu et al., 2011; Søreide et al., 2010). The PSB is usually followed by a long‐delayed peak in zooplankton biomass, dominated by large copepods of the genus Calanus that overwinters at depth (Ashjian et al., 2003; Campbell et al., 2009). Because of a low grazer biomass and activity at the onset of the PSB, much of the PP may not be consumed in the water column, as it has been documented, for example, in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas where more than half of the PP may not be consumed by the zooplankton (Campbell et al., 2009; Sherr et al., 2009).
The increasing PP in PSBs might have contributed to a significant fraction of increased open ocean PP that has notably been observed in recent Arctic studies (Arrigo & van Dijken, 2015; Bélanger et al., 2013; Pabi et al., 2008). It is also important to note that these observations do not account for PP that could occur within or beneath sea ice cover or for PP located at the subsurface chlorophyll maximum. Major phytoplankton under‐ice blooms have recently been observed in different regions of the Arctic Ocean (Arrigo et al., 2012; Fortier et al., 2002; Mundy et al., 2009). The occurrence of such under‐ice blooms, invisible to satellite remote sensing, may increase in the future in an Arctic Ocean dominated by thinner first year ice (Lowry et al., 2014; Mundy et al., 2009). | {
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I called this Spoiler Alert just in case anybody has been living under a rock for the past sixteen years and hasn’t seen The Sixth Sense. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, the “twist” has been referenced so much in pop culture that there should be no excuse or outrage.
The meat of this joke comes from a LONG time ago, when I was a small child and couldn’t differentiate between films and reality. Well, I COULD but not entirely. I distinctly remember watching the Swayze classic “Ghost” and there was a scene toward the end (obligatory “spoiler alert” warning) where one of the villains of the film was killed when a broken panel of glass smashed down on him.
Now, I KNEW that I was watching a film and that I wasn’t watching a documentary or anything… but I absolutely had the thought that the character was actually killed, and found it pretty morbid. My thought process was “why would somebody film themselves being killed just for a movie” and that it seemed pointless because he couldn’t spend the money he’d have made or acted in more movies. | {
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Rasmussen, November 18, 2011
Voters oppose more strongly than ever granting automatic U.S. citizenship to a child born to an illegal immigrant in this country.
Now, nearly two-out-of-three Likely U.S. Voters (65%) say if a woman enters the United States as an illegal alien and gives birth to a child here, that child should not automatically become a U.S. citizen. | {
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But in Tibet, activists oppose the cultural body’s nod for the Hoh Xil nature park
The U.N. cultural body UNESCO has invited both bouquets and brickbats over its designation of heritage sites this year.
While the people of Eritrea, who have long said their capital Asmara is like no other city in Africa, welcomed UNESCO’s decision designating it a World Heritage site, independent activists in Tibet challenged the decision declaring the Hoh Xil nature reserve in China’s Qinghai Province a natural heritage site.
Unique architecture
UNESCO’s proclamation ends a long-running quest by Eritrean authorities to have the city’s unique architecture, which includes an art-deco bowling alley with coloured glass windows and a petrol station built to resemble a soaring aeroplane, recognised by the U.N. cultural body, UNESCO.
It’s also a rare example of positive world recognition for the Horn of Africa nation that is a major source of migrants fleeing across the Mediterranean to Europe due to the country’s repressive policies. “The city’s recognition as a heritage site of outstanding universal value fills us with tremendous pride and joy, but also with a profound sense of responsibility and duty,” said Hanna Simon, Eritrea’s permanent delegate to UNESCO.
A former Italian colony, most of the futuristic designs of the Eritrean capital date back to the rule of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini from 1936 to 1941.
Little Rome
Architects whose designs were unwelcome in conservative European cities found a place in Asmara at a time when about half of the city’s population was Italian and the city was known as ‘Piccola Roma’, or “Little Rome”.
While the modernist architecture of other Eritrean cities was destroyed during the decades-long war of liberation from Ethiopia, Asmara’s survived and was declared a national monument by the government in 2001, which refers to it as Africa’s “City of Dream”.
The Hoh Xil nature reserve, located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is home to over 200 animal species. More than 20 of them are state-protected, including the Tibetan antelope.
It is China’s largest world natural heritage site, covering an area of 45,000 square kilometres.
“Just inscribed as @UNESCO #WorldHeritage Site: Qinghai Hoh Xil, #China,” the U.N.’s cultural arm tweeted during its World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow.
A handful of pro-Tibet activists protested earlier this week while the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), an advocacy group, warned that giving Hoh Xil heritage status could have consequences for Tibet.
Extending control
“The Hoh Xil nature reserve on the Tibetan plateau... is in the middle of three major nature reserves that increasingly exclude normal Tibetan land use such as nomadic herding, situate the state as the sole agency of control, and encourage mass tourism,” the ICT said in a statement Thursday.
“The inscription of Hoh Xil without further detailed assessment would effectively signify endorsement from the international cultural heritage body of China’s ambitious policies including the displacement of Tibetan nomads from their land,” the group added.
China has invested billions of dollars into resettling Tibetan herders, who have for centuries led a nomadic life, moving regularly to seek fresh grazing for their animals.
Beijing says the policy is aimed at improving nomads’ living standards, creating markets for their livestock and the traditional herbal medicines they gather as well as curbing rampant environmental degradation on the roof of the world.
While some Tibetans welcome the changes, many worry about the disappearance of a lifestyle that has endured for hundreds of years, and see the resettlements as part of a broader erosion of Tibetan culture in China. | {
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A few months ago I was in Townsville to conduct some focus groups of local men and women for a client interested in, among other things, their attitudes to corporations and corporate power. The last time I’d set foot in Townsville had been three years before when I had wandered around the town from shop to shop, cafe to cafe, fell in love with it a little like I do when I visit pretty much every country town.
In those three years, however, it is clear Townsville has changed. It’s one of those regional towns where the drug ice is causing enormous problems. There are intense community concerns about crime and mental health. Employment insecurity, always pressing issue outside the big cities, had become even worse, not helped by the collapse of Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel.
Guardian Essential poll: 80% of voters believe banks will pass on levy Read more
I posed a question to a small group of Townsville men about corporate tax. Would they like to see governments pursue more vigorously corporations to make them pay their fair share of tax? Absolutely, sure.
Do they think a policy like that is something any government would pursue in earnest? It might be ideal but was it realistic? They were cynical. One man, a former hospital orderly in his 40s now working security, put it his views succinctly:
I can’t see it happening only from the standpoint that it is a vicious circle. The politicians and the people around them look to the corporations for jobs when they get out of politics.
He saw no difference between Labor and Liberal here. Regardless of party ideology, you were likely to want a golden parachute from political circles to corporate life so why would you punish your future employers by pursuing them for more tax?
This week’s Essential report shows that, at a general level, the voters don’t think there’s much daylight between Labor and Liberal on a whole range of issues and behaviours (has a vision for the future, has a good team of leaders, clear about what they stand for).
However, when it comes to perceptions of ties to big business, there is a distinction in the public’s mind, with 35% of voters agreeing that the ALP is too close to the big corporate and financial interests compared with 69% of voters who agree with that statement vis a vis the Liberal party.
My 40-something orderly from Townsville may well have been quietly surprised about the recent budget, where a Liberal government was prepared to impose a significant tax on the banks. We know from previous Essential reports and other polling data that this part of the budget has been met with a round of applause by the electorate. While they may well see it as populist and a little illogical (why single out big banks as opposed to other big corporates raking in the dollars?) they figure that, at a time of low wage growth and high cost of housing, you might as well grab some cash from the people who have profited enormously from our nation’s long stretch of affluence.
It seems voters are prepared to embrace a policy measure aimed at hurting the banks even if it turns around and bites them on the bum as a result. A whopping 78% believe the direct result of the bank levy will mean higher fees, charges and interest rates. This reflects the community’s black view of how banks operate (“any excuse to raise fees on ordinary customers”) but also may be evidence of their willingness to accept a personal impost if it means they can send a loud and clear message to the banks about cleaning up their act and caring for their customer base.
While the results of this week’s Essential report indicate there is plenty of resentment in the community about bad corporate behaviour, it’s not at the top of our list of concerns.
Survey after survey shows that the issues of health, education and job generation remain at the apex of our interests. Among the policy measures Bill Shorten announced in his budget reply, it was investment in Tafe and employment of apprentices that outclassed continuing the deficit levy and opposing the company tax cut.
If Australians want corporates to pay more tax is not because they are intent on big business bashing. It’s because they want those taxes to fund the social and employment infrastructure we need for a better future. | {
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Greetings fellow liberals! Welcome to another installment of the Liberal Primer. Today we will be discussing the economy. Do not zone out just yet. This is really important to the liberal agenda. To the naked eye it would seem that we know nothing about the economy after all we are the party that asks for higher minimum wages while at the same time demanding more slave labor be brought in from Latin America. This is only partly true. We don’t really care about the economy. We just make contradictory demands so that they cannot be met. After all they both sound good until you think about them. While the economy is not our priority there are still some very useful concepts in the economy that we do use and liberals should be aware of.
The Law of Supply and Demand
The law in our case is very simple. We demand more racism but society is unwilling or unable to supply it. Since the demand is more than the supply we have to produce more racism for the demand to be met. We do this in two ways. First we have our own liberal operatives commit the racist acts. Our arm in the media does an excellent job of covering it up but most of the publicized attacks done since President Trump got elected were done by people of the same race or were outright hoaxes. They do get caught afterwards but that hardly matters. We can get them off on something relatively minor and our arm in the media will make sure to bury the reports. Second we expand the meaning the racism to include more things. We already have studies declaring the word “American” as problematic and full of privilege. It is only a matter of time when we can ban the word itself. The goal is to make sure that everyone goes through life doing at least one thing we consider racist or privileged. This makes them feel guilty and malleable to our will.
ABC!
Salesmen have something the ABC’s of selling. Always be Selling. Regular people may not always recognize racism when they see it and they may not label it properly. It is up to we liberals to make sure that racism is properly identified. Of course by properly identified we mean that everything should be labeled as racist. It may seem difficult at first but all it requires is the proper mindset. Remember you can find racism in everything. If someone orders vanilla ice cream that should be takes as white supremacy. If someone has ice cream a la mode then that is code for white people over black people. Let us not forget that milk is racist as well. Remember Always Be Selling Racism.
Buy Low, Sell High!
In a nation of 100’s of millions of people there will always be racism somewhere. Your job as liberals is to take those isolated incidents, or buy low, and make it seem like they are happening everywhere and that slavery days are just around the corner again, or sell high. Every single event of racism whether real or instigated by fellow liberals must be given prominence and reported nationally. This keeps our pet minorities on edge and ready to defend the Democrat Plantation. Just don’t tell them we already keep illegal immigrant slaves or they might riot.
Location, Location, Location!
Do you ever notice how groups like the KKK only appear every four years and only seem to do so in swing states we think we can win? In 2016 they were holding marches in North Carolina. This is not a coincidence. The blacks need to be on edge on election time so they return to the vote plantation. They know we jail them, label them as super predators, and make sure that any jobs they may be able to get go to illegals, but as long as they believe that the other side wants to return them to slavery they will vote for Democrats.
Remember these principles of economics and our stock of racism should rise to all time highs! | {
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Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” former Clinton administration Secretary of Labor Robert Reich said, “the Democratic Party has not been in this bad shape since the 1920’s.”
Reich said, “Right now, there is a disconnect, George, between a rather sclerotic Democratic apparatus which is in complete disarray. I mean the Democratic Party has not been in this bad shape since the 1920’s and a huge uprising at the grassroots, mostly against Trump. How can Tom Perez, can he actually utilize that, turn the Democratic Party from a vast fund-raising machine into a movement?”
“Hasn’t been done before very easily. you remember in the Vietnam war days, we had a huge uprising. but the Democratic Party had nothing to do with that. The thing that worries me most of all, if you look at the problems inside the Democratic Party, they have a lot to do with the same sort of populist uprising we’re seeing across the country, including the Donald Trump campaign.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN | {
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Dark Ambient Fans’ One-stop News Site
This Is Darkness is a site for dark ambient fans. On This Is Darkness you will find a variety of features which should be of interest to fans of dark ambient music. This includes news, reviews, interviews, and mixes.
Submissions
If you are interested in making a submission to This Is Darkness, please feel free to contact us at the following address: [email protected]
The physical shipping address can be found here.
Support Us!
You can find ways to help support This Is Darkness here.
Latest Music Reviews
Find the full list of our reviews here.
Various – Decaying Spheres
New Risen Throne – The Outside
Council of Nine – Davidian
Ruptured World – Archeoplanetary
In Quantum – Memory 417
Old Sorcery – Strange and eternal
Bellkeeper – The First Flame of Lordran
Isegrimm – Ik Gihorta Dat Seggen
KORMORG – Dungeon Myths
Flowers for Bodysnatchers – Alive with Scars
Skeldos – Ilgės – Caretakers of Yearning
øjeRum – Nattesne
Kaya North – That Comes From The Tree And The Mist
ΠANθEON – Discography Overview by Abby Helasdottir (Gydja)
Ugasanie & Dronny Darko – Arctic Gates
Abbildung – At the Gates of Ouln
Aindulmedir – The Lunar Lexicon
VRNA – La Vecchia Madre
Med Gen – Brittleroots
Desiderii Marginis – Vita Arkivet
Otavan Veret – Syvys
Senketsu No Night Club – Shikkoku
VelgeNaturlig – Kundalini कुण्डलिनी
Shinkiro – Archive: Volumes I-III
Manifesto – Hive
Atrium Carceri – Codex
False Mirror – SIGINT
Arktau Eos – Erēmos
Dahlia’s Tear – Through The Nightfall Grandeur
Latest Interviews
Find a list of all our interviews here.
Hiemal
NERATERRÆ
Dark Ambient Journalism: Interview with the Writers
(cross-interviews between Danica Swanson of Endarkenment
and Michael Barnett of This is Darkness)
Trepaneringsritualen
James Quinn, film director of Sodom & Chimera Productions
Arktau Eos
Hector Meinhof, author of best-selling Three Nails, Four Wounds
Ruptured World
Frederic Arbour of Cyclic Law
Mortiis (Era 1 focused Interview)
Teahouse Radio / Hypnagoga Press
Latest Book Reviews
Bladh/Urbaniak – On the New Revelations of Being
David Lynch – Someone Is In My House
Martin Bladh – Marty Page
David Lynch – Nudes
Antonin Artaud – Artaud 1937 Apocalypse
David Lynch – Room to Dream
Mortiis – Secrets of my Kingdom
Terence Hannum – All Internal
Martin Bladh – DARKLEAKS: The Ripper Genome
Latest Mixes
Pandemic Mix – Fall 2020
Guest Sessions: Winter-Light Records Mix
Guest Sessions: Black Mara Records Mix
Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House Mix
Guest Sessions: Pär Boström Legacy Mix
The Recluse of Bayswater Mix
The Willows Mix
Halloween Horror Ambient Mix – 2018
Devil’s Night Mix
Marty Page Mix
Post-Industrial Death Mix
Essential Dark Ambient Mix
Rainy Daze Mix
Latest ‘Frozen in Time’ News Articles
Frozen In Time – September 2020 Playlist
Frozen In Time – March 2020 Playlist
The Inner Sanctum – A Dark Ambient Vlog: Episode 10
Phobos X – Full Sets & Martin’s Thoughts
Mortiis – Era 1 North American Tour – Live Coverage in Baltimore
Frozen In Time – 2018 Year End Edition
Frozen In Time – September 2018
Latest Miscellaneous Articles & Posts
Algernon Blackwood’s
“Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House” Full Text and Mix
“Smith: An Episode in a Lodging-House” is another brilliant short story by Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951). I enjoyed this story the most of Blackwood’s works because of its overt focus on mysticism and the occult. For those knowledgeable in the realms of magick, you will find a wealth of references in this story. Unlike so many horror writers, Blackwood had a thorough understanding of these elements and dynamics. This is because of is involvement with The Golden Dawn. Blackwood, being a practicing member, was able to portray rituals and mysterious otherworldly encounters in a way that would not only entertain the masses, but would also resonate with his fellow members of The Golden Dawn.
Read the full text and listen to the accompanying mix here!
BRUTALISM – Upcoming Album Streaming in Full!
We are very pleased to premiere the debut full length The Charged Voidby BRUTALISM. Terence Hannum, most notably of Locrian and The Holy Circle, released the Symmetry Death limited 7″ lathe on his Anathemata Editions last year. I was immediately entranced by the bleak apocalyptic atmosphere presented on that track. So, it is with great pleasure that This Is Darkness was approached to present an exclusive early stream of their upcoming full length The Charged Void, which is set for release on Annihilvs Power Electronix on 15 March 2019.
Listen to the album here.
This is Darkness Presents Vol.2 Nothingness
This Is Darkness Presents Vol.2 Nothingness is now available!
55 exclusive tracks. 6+ hours of music! “name your price”
Enjoy and spread the word!
Wolves and Horses – “Lascaux” Music Video
We are pleased to share the first music video from our Nothingness compilation!
Suspension in Iceland – A Journey with Gretchen Heinel
For this article I contacted Gretchen Heinel about her interest in hook suspension. I knew about her recent performance work here in The United States, but I was also aware that she had recently taken a “work” trip with her suspension team to Iceland. I didn’t know how she would confront this topic, but I knew it was incredibly interesting to an outsider, and I knew that Gretchen would be the perfect person to convey this lesser known world to our readership. To my utter delight, Gretchen and Joe Carrotta were able to supply me with 80+ images from their 3 days of suspension in Iceland during the summer of 2018, and Gretchen agreed to write her account of the trip and her personal thoughts on hook suspension. I found the combination of these stories and images incredibly moving and inspiring. I hope the same for you all, enjoy! Read the article here.
Dark Ambient 101: Understanding the Technicalities
During my own personal discovery of the genre, I waded through numerous interviews and live performances, trying to discern exactly what the hell is going on, how these musicians were creating such beautifully blackened ambient soundscapes. Years later, I understand a whole lot more than I did in the beginning. But it is still a daunting task, attempting to understand the machinations and sorcery of these musicians.
Dark Ambient 101 was born of this search for understanding. This article can be used as an interesting read for the average follower. It can be a first step towards something bigger and better for the fledgling artist. Finally, it can be a means for dark ambient artists across a spectrum of styles and regions, to find out a bit more about each other, why one artist has this particular sound or another comes up with something totally different.
Read this massive article here!
Lars von Trier – The House That Jack Built – Movie Review
The latest film by controversial film auteur Lars von Trier, The House That Jack Built, takes us into the mind of a serial killer. Find out what I think of the film, its greater context in Trier’s works, and its like reception among the general media.
Read the review here.
Arthur Machen – The Recluse of Bayswater (1895) Full Novella Text
Another full text with an included mix designed to listen and read together. This novella contains the short story “Novel of the White Powder”, which is considered a true classic among horror fiction. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Read the novella and listen to the mix here.
Algernon Blackwood – The Willows (1907) Full Novella Text
Here’s something a bit different. I’ve published the full text of the classic weird fiction novella ‘The Willows’, along with a mix which was inspired by, and meant to be played while reading the novella.
Author: Algernon Blackwood
Title: The Willows (1907)
H.P. Lovecraft said of ‘The Willows’:
“Here art and restraint in narrative reach their very highest development, and an impression of lasting poignancy is produced without a single strained passage or a single false note”. Read the novella and listen to the mix here.
Help Support This Is Darkness!
This Is Darkness started up with the help of a few great friends, but we need to keep things running. This is where you ladies and gentlemen come in! We need every little bit of help we can get to keep this thing moving, keep growing in exposure, size, and breadth of features!
If you would like to help support This Is Darkness, you can do so in two ways:
1. You can provide monthly support through our Patreon page here.
2. A one time donation can be made
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The opening statements were typical enough, at first.
Liberal Larry Bagnell touted his record of helping constituents and building relationships in Ottawa. The NDP's Justin Lemphers talked about making life more affordable for Canadians. Green candidate Lenore Morris spoke of protecting the Earth's finite resources, and Joseph Zelezny of the People's Party called the other parties "four flavours of the same thing."
Then, Conservative candidate Jonas Smith decided it was time to sing.
"I've actually lost count of how many of these forums we've done over the last month, but we have yet to celebrate the country that all Canadians are part of building, and living in," Smith said.
"So I would actually ask all of you to join me, and rise in observing the national anthem."
And everybody stood, and sang through Smith's allotted 90 seconds.
Smith used his allotted time for an opening statement to lead the room in singing the national anthem. (Paul Tukker/CBC)
It was an odd start to what would be the final all-candidates forum in Yukon before election day. CBC Yukon hosted the event in Whitehorse, and questions for the candidates came from the audience on hand, and people watching the discussion online.
They touched on issues ranging from taxes and deficits, to electoral reform, to the drug crisis, to reconciliation and the use of the word "genocide."
'They made a promise'
Each participant was given time to respond to each question, but there was no back-and-forth debate between them. Nevertheless, one candidate was more often on the defensive than the others — the incumbent Bagnell, who is seeking a sixth term as MP.
Although, Bagnell's party and leader were more often criticized than Bagnell himself.
One audience member asked about electoral reform, and asked why he should trust the Liberals "this time" — a reference to the party's broken campaign promise from 2015 to drop the first-past-the-post system.
"We should never have said categorically that ... it's not going be first-past-the-post," Bagnell replied.
"We should have said something like, 'We'd study the systems, and whatever and whatever.' So I've apologized a number of times for that."
Morris shot back, saying the promise wasn't the problem.
"The problem is that they should have delivered something. They made a promise, and they should have kept the promise ... I feel very betrayed as a Canadian," she said.
12 y/o Kyan Morrison and 10 y/o Taryn Morrison are in the front row at tonight’s election forum. Taryn says she’s here because she’s interested in politics and wants to hear Green Party candidate Lenore Morris speak. <a href="https://t.co/ud9z7kmR0l">pic.twitter.com/ud9z7kmR0l</a> —@jsponagle
Lemphers and Zelezny both favoured some sort of reform, while Smith spoke in favour of the status quo.
"I think it is no coincidence that the parties that most actively and vocally advocate for changing the systems are the parties that continuously are unable to attract a plurality of Canadians to support their platform," Smith said.
Drugs and addictions
One audience member singled out Smith for a question about the drug crisis, and his party's record when it comes to safe injection sites and other harm-reduction programs.
"I do not support public money going to buy drugs, or buying alcohol. I do not support wet shelters, I do not support safe injection sites," Smith responded.
"I think we need to help people get better. And so part of the way to do that, is to make sure the police have the tools they need to stop people from selling the poison on our streets."
That comment drew groans from some in the audience.
"You can disagree all you want, but that is my position," Smith said.
Questions from the audience touched on issues such as drugs and addictions and electoral reform. (Steve Silva/CBC)
Lemphers countered that it's a question of addiction, and supporting people who are suffering.
"We need to invest in people being able to get the supports within their communities ... I believe that it's time to take the stigma out of drug addiction," he said, to applause.
Bagnell also drew applause as he spoke in favour of harm reduction.
"Addictions is not a criminal matter, drugs is not a criminal matter, it's a health matter ... that's how we should treat it."
The word 'genocide'
Another question touched on the final report from the national Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and its use of the word "genocide." Candidates were asked whether that was the right word.
Morris and Lemphers said it was. Smith suggested that arguing over words was a distraction, and Bagnell's answer focused on the Liberals' record on Indigenous issues.
"We called the inquiry, after many years of people asking, and supported all the calls to justice," Bagnell said.
Zelezny, meanwhile, said he "didn't know the full story."
"I don't know if that's the right word, I'm not the expert. I know there's been a lot of drama and politicization of things," he said. | {
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• Kompany: ‘We must make sure everything we have we leave on the pitch’ • City captain: ‘It’s better to be chasing than chased in some ways’
Vincent Kompany has warned rivals it is now the “hunting season” as Manchester City challenge for the Premier League and Champions League titles.
City defeated Liverpool in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday to claim the first trophy of the campaign. Manuel Pellegrini’s team face Jürgen Klopp’s side again on Wednesday at Anfield.
Kompany feels the closing phase of the season allows City to play with the shackles released. “What we’ve learned in our recent history is that moment likes this you just have to get your head down and start racing as much as you can,” the captain said.
Raheem Sterling will cope with hostile Anfield return, says Manuel Pellegrini Read more
“It’s what we call the hunting season now so we’re not going to look back or do anything other than focus on the opponents that we have to play. We just have to make sure that everything we have we leave on the pitch. There’s no other way to approach this any more. You can’t come with mathematics or anything like this.
“We just have to race to the end and see how many of the 36 points we still have to play for we can bag and we’ll be close if we have a lot of them. It’s an awkward time of the year – it’s almost as if we have nothing to lose any more. We still have a lot to play for but nothing to lose any more. It’s like all the gates come off. That’s how it felt with the performance in [the 3-1 win over Dynamo] Kyiv and against Liverpool at the weekend and that’s the feeling we have the recreate for Wednesday.
“Just take all the gates off and go for it. It’s a little bit less calculated and probably more entertainment value for people watching but it’s the only way for us to get there now because we’re in a trailing position. It’s a weird feeling but it’s hunting season so it’s better to be chasing than be chased in some ways.
“The whole organisation, everyone at the club, has to have the knife between the teeth and know that everyone needs to be as sharp and focused as ever. It’s not just the players but the way we all behave. We can get to something special.”
Kompany has made three appearances after returning from his latest serious calf injury. He dismissed any notion this was career threatening. “It’s life and I never look at a situation where I’ve had injuries and look at it as something I can’t overcome,” he said.
“I look at it as a challenge and I put in the work. I always think to myself: ‘It’s not the first time someone has said I’m finished because of an injury.’ There’s nothing more exciting than to show people that I’m there again and if anything I’m better. It’s a drive for me.” | {
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Understanding COVID-19 Impacts on Security Staff and Property (GSX+ 2020) The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted buildings in a myriad of ways, from addressing maintenance issues due to long-term vacancies to implementing temporary safety measures like the installation of plexiglass shields and physical distancing signage as businesses reopen. More...
Yankee Stadium Sets Standard for Sports Stadiums by Achieving WELL Heath-Safety Rating Learn how Yankee Stadium recently became the first sports and entertainment venue in the world to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management. More...
4 Ways to Control Daylight Daylighting can save money on energy bills and make occupants more productive. Here’s how to implement tools that will bring in natural light while controlling glare. More...
The Role of Technology in Post-COVID Spaces The world is beginning to deconfine after isolating, quarantining or sheltering, and it’s vital to make sure environments are safe to return to. Here’s how technology can help you do that. More...
Take These Top 4 Steps to Prep Your Building for Winter A top-down, seasonal walkthrough and inspection can identify preventive maintenance issues before they become a bigger problem. More...
Optimize Current Workflow for Updated Consumer Processes Consumer habits have radically changed in a short period of time. To respond to the new demands, shopping habits, and buying patterns, retailers have had to adapt to new processes quickly. More... | {
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on other countries to help stop Russian aggression in his country, saying that combating such "expansionism" is part of the United Nations' mission.
Poroshenko used much of his speech before the UN General Assembly on September 26 to lambaste Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and since then has backed a separatist war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,300 people.
Poroshenko said nothing will stop what he called Russia's "aggressive expansionist policies" unless world nations come together to confront Moscow's leaders.
"It's up to us to make them care. Otherwise, what's the idea of us being here?" he asked.
Russia did not have an immediate response to Poroshenko's speech. The Kremlin has denied any direct involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
In a separate forum at the UN, the Russian news agency Interfax reported that Poroshenko repeated his call for a UN peacekeeping operation in Ukraine, saying that it would help restore Ukraine's "sovereignty and territorial integrity."
"I am confident that a multilateral peacekeeping force with a mandate from the UN with the clear goal of restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine could be the key factor in stopping the suffering of the Ukrainian people. We believe there is no better way than to start such an operation under the UN aegis," Poroshenko was quoted as saying at an Action for Peacekeeping meeting.
Poroshenko at the forum thanked Germany, France, and the United States for "mobilizing international support for this initiative," though the UN has never approved his request for peacekeepers.
Russia, which has veto power on the UN Security Council, has opposed Kyiv's request for a broad peacekeeping mission, though it has called for a narrower UN mission to provide protection for European war monitors in Ukraine.
Based on reporting by AP and Interfax | {
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Don of all doners: Chef creates world's most expensive kebab costing stomach-churning £750
Amazing snack ingredients include gold and saffron
Creator says it's for 'a high class drunk on his way home'
It's been labelled the 'Don of All Doners' - meet the world's most expensive kebab and it'll cost a staggering £750 if you fancy taking a bite.
British chef Andy Bates has sourced the finest ingredients in the world to create the incredible snack.
He hand-picked succulent milk-fed lamb from the Pyrenees, seasoned and primed with the best peppers, olive oil, barrel aged feta cheese, purple violet potatoes and Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes.
The £750 doner kebab: With exotic ingredients a London chef has created the world's finest snack
But no ordinary pitta would do for this mouth-watering meal, so the chef made a saffron infused flatbread to host the fabulous meat dish.
His tangy chilli sauce uses Scotch Bonnet chillies and the cooling mint and cucumber yoghurt is infused with Krug Grande Cuvee champagne.
The expensive flatbread is stuffed with an exquisite micro-cress and bib lettuce salad and a delicate oregano concasse.
THE £750 SHOPPING LIST
Milk-fed lamb..................£84
Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes..£20
Cress and Bibb Salad.£11.95
Chili Peppers....................£35
Barrel Aged Feta........£54.20
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.....£26.95
Purple violet potatoes.....£15
Gold leaf and platinum.....£130
Saffron..........................£138
Krug Champagne............£195
Garlic, lemon, salsa, mint, cucumber, yoghurt.........£40
Total = £750.10
Andy, who created the dish for TV channel Food Network UK, even decorates his culinary masterpiece with an edible gold leaf garnish.
The pricey kebab is presented on a silver platter and was protected with a cloche prior to its first serving in Stockwell, south London.
The international feast includes feta cheese from Greece, potatoes from France and olive oil from Spain. All the salad ingredients are organic.
The bottle of champagne cost £195, the edible gold leaf £130 with the saffron weighing in at a hefty £138 for a few slithers of the exquisite flavouring.
Andy said: 'This is the Michelin star kebab and most likely to appeal to a high-class drunk on his way home.
'I went to a kebab shop, bought a typical kebab, folded it open and analysed the ingredients to see how I could improve it.
'I put a lot of time into sourcing ingredients of the highest quality but this was not just an exercise is selecting things because of their price.
Tasty price tag: London chef Andy Bates with his creation and right the expensive saffron infusing the flatbread element of the dish
'It is important to me as a chef that everything goes together and I think I have achieved that. The flavours really work.
'The slow-cooked shoulder of lamb goes well with the mint, feta cheese and saffron.
'The basic ingredients of any kebab are the meat, salad and sauces. I wanted to improve all of them while ensuring the end product was still recognisable as a kebab.'
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AC Milan youngster Ezekiel Isoken Henty scores incredible George Weah-esque solo Golazo
To be honest we have never heard of Ezekiel Isoken Henty before.
Judging by the usually reliable world wide web, we aren’t the only ones who haven’t heard of AC Milan youngster Ezekiel Isoken Henty.
It is safe to say the rest of the planet will have heard of Ezekiel Isoken Henty once the goal below goes viral.
And comparisons with new Rossoneri signing Mario Balotelli wouldn’t be much of a surprise either.
The goal below has already been likened to George Weah’s famous solo effort for AC Milan against Verona in 1996. (See second video below.)
Praise does not come higher than that.
AC Milan Primavera went on to beat Varese 3-1 on Saturday. | {
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The 2019 regular season is in the books, and several rookie coaches made their first impressions on the college football world. From Ryan Day at Ohio State to Manny Diaz at Miami and everyone in between, coaches laid the groundwork for the future of their respective programs throughout the fall.
Some were successful ... and others were not. Some led their teams to bowl games ... and others fell just short. But the process is still ongoing, potentially with better days on the horizon for some. Others could be a flash in the pan at their programs with the bottom set to fall out by the time Year 2 rolls around next summer.
Let's grade the first-year coaches from 2019 based solely on their performance this season. | {
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A new method uses artificial intelligence to accurately detect brain damage caused by concussions years after the trauma happened.
“With 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions per year in the US alone, the prevalence of this injury is alarming…”
While the short-term effects of head trauma can be devastating, the long-term effects can be equally hard for patients. The symptoms may linger years after the concussion happened. The problem is it is often hard to say whether their symptoms are being caused by a concussion or other factors like another neurological condition or the normal aging process.
The only way to prove the presence of brain damage caused by concussion years after it occurred was through post-mortem examination. A means of diagnosing concussion in living patients, however, remained elusive.
Artificial intelligence in action
The research team recruited former university athletes between the ages of 51 and 75 who played contact sports such as ice hockey and American football. From that group, the researchers formed a cohort of 15 athletes who reported being concussed in their athletic careers, and a control group of 15 athletes who had not been concussed.
The researchers performed a battery of tests on both groups, including neuropsychological testing, genotyping, structural neuroimaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and diffusion weighted imaging. Then, they pooled the data and fed it to computers that use artificial intelligence software to “learn” the differences between the brain of a healthy athlete versus the brain of a previously concussed athlete.
They found that white matter connections between several brain regions of concussed individuals showed abnormal connectivity that might reflect both degeneration and the brain’s method of compensating for damage.
Using the data, the computers were able to detect concussion with up to 90-percent accuracy.
The work, once more thoroughly tested and refined, could have implications for current and future concussion lawsuits.
The National Football League, for example, faced a decade-long lawsuit by former players who claimed it did not do enough to protect them from concussion. The lawsuit was complicated by the fact there was no objective way to determine if the neurological symptoms they experienced were caused by the concussions they received as players.
The National Hockey League is currently facing a similar lawsuit by former players.
Larger sample needed
Sebastien Tremblay, the first author of the paper on the findings, says they need to validate the signature on a larger sample size, using various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, before it becomes an effective means to diagnose concussion.
When perfected, the signature could also aid treatment of concussion by providing doctors with an accurate picture of what is causing their patients’ symptoms.
The need for such tools is greater than ever. According to the federal government, reported concussions have increased 40 percent between 2004 and 2014 among young football, soccer, and hockey players.
“With 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions per year in the US alone, the prevalence of this injury is alarming,” says Tremblay, a postdoctoral researcher at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) at McGill University.
“It is unacceptable that no objective tools or techniques yet exist to diagnose them, not to mention the sheer lack of scientifically valid treatment options. With our work, we hope to provide help to the vast population of former athletes who experience neurological issues after retiring from contact sport,” Tremblay says.
“Future studies, including systematic comparisons with patient groups presenting with other age-related neurological conditions, together with identifying new biomarkers of concussion, would help refine the developed, computer-assisted model of the remote effects of concussion on the ageing brain,” says Louis de Beaumont, a researcher at Université de Montreal and the paper’s senior author. | {
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Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash said in a recent sermon broadcast on Palestinian TV that Jews killed Yasser Arafat, just as they killed the Prophet Muhammad.
“We don’t have the slightest doubt that they (the Jews/Israelis) killed him (Arafat). One way or another, they killed him. Even Allah’s Messenger (Muhammad) – they (Jews) killed him with poison,” Al-Habbash said.
Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) first reported on the video showing Al-Habbash making the comments. PMW noted that Al-Habbash’s comments regarding the Prophet Muhammad kept to the tenets of the Muslim faith.
“According to the Hadith (sayings and practices attributed to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad), a Jewish woman in the Jewish town of Khaibar served Muhammad poisoned meat. On his deathbed three years later, Muhammad told his wife Aisha that the pain he was experiencing was caused by the poisoned meat that he was given by the Jews,” PMW said.
Related coverage Report: Trump Administration Seeking Direct Israel-Lebanon Talks on Maritime Border The Trump administration is once again seeking direct talks between Israel and Lebanon on setting their maritime border -- which...
Since his death in 2004 various theories as to the cause of Arafat’s death have kept the terror patriarch in the headlines. In 2007, it was reported that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas had confirmed to Ahmad Jibril, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, that Arafat died of AIDS, contracted during a homosexual liaison. More recently, Arafat’s widow, aided by Al Jazeera, exhumed Arafat’s body to test his remains for poison, in the form of a radioactive element used to kill a Russian enemy of Premier Vladimir Putin.
Swiss and Russian teams published the results of these tests earlier this month. The Swiss team concluded that the tests were “coherent with a hypothesis of poisoning.” However, a member of the team also stated that “our study did not permit us to demonstrate categorically the hypothesis of poisoning by polonium.” The Russian report concluded that “there was insufficient evidence to support the theory that Yasser Arafat died in 2004 by polonium poisoning.”
Watch a video of the comments below: | {
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Using WebView element has a many of advantages it can be used for embedding or running a web application inside our React Native app that’s good especially if you have a web app and you want to connect that app the with your React Native app or even get access to the other platforms (google maps ex).
for a better understanding of the use cases of WebView , we are going to build a WebView that can load a web page and control the navigation!
Tip: Leverage components to build more modular software. Use tools like Bit (GitHub) to develop, share and reuse components between projects. It will help you build better applications faster alone or as a team, give it a try:
Getting started
Let start first by creating a new React Native project, make sure that you have the environment to run a React Native app. I’m using react-native-cli so all I need to do is to run the following command:
Note: you don’t need to create a new react-native app, you can just see the code and see how the WebView works I will leave to source good on GitHub
react-native init webview-app
This will bootstrap the project and all the necessary files to start working with React native.
Now run react-native run-ios to install the app on ios simulator and react-native run-android for Android.
For me, I have everything set up so I don’t have to run everything.
Implementing the WebView:
Note that WebView is an element of react-native that comes out of the box so no need for any extra configuration or installing any library so simply import it from react-native :
import { WebView } from "react-native";
And use it as any other elements:
If you look at the screen it just now a blank screen!
And that’s because the WebView requires a source URL in order to work! so let’s add the URL, we use source props to set the URL.
I used here twitter as URL, and this will load the Twitter home page in our app 😉
Actually, that’s super awesome just to be able to display a webpage inside your react-native app, and actually, you can use any other website as well, that’s mean also we have many options to control the WebView for example, handle the navigation.
Control the WebView
WebView, as we mentioned before, is just an element of react-native but there are options that let us do some tricks like even build a customized mini web browser Yeah!
Control the Layout
WebView is just a View that we can style and add an element to it, so we are going to add a header Component that can contain some other components, for example, a navbar to control the navigation! so let’s do it!
And voila!!
Super cool, now let’s add a footer! the footer can contain, for example, a TabNavigator and some buttons to take some actions like goingBack and goForward!
The result !!
Until now 👍!
Let’s add actions to the buttons so when a button is clicked, for example, allow to the page to navigate back that gives us some control on the navigation history.
If I click left-arrow it should take me back to the previous page if there is any
If I click the right-arrow it should navigate me to the next page if there is any.
In order to have control and use WebView navigation history, we have to assign it a ref to trigger those two actions:
And yay!!
Control the page loading
Loading a page inside the WebView can be slow, and we want to display an indicator like a spinner to indicate to the user that the page is loading that gives the user a better experience. there are onLoadStart props that take a function that it’s called when the page starts loading and onLoadEnd that it’s called when the load end. so basically we are using those two methods to change states and display an indicator based on that state so we need to use a state.
We will use ActivityIndicator element from react-native to display the spinner!
state={ loading:false
}
Voila 💫
We still have many options and ability to do with WebView, for example, you can be integrated with the navigator of your app and make everything dynamic, I used webView in one of the applications I worked on, so when you click the thumbnail of a restaurant it redirects you to the restaurant gallery inside the WebView and here the WebView take a dynamic URL and that’s really useful because there was a web app do this job so I connected my React Native application with this web app through the WebView so I didn’t have to do the same twice .
Here is a list of props you can use:
Methods
Wrapping up
The WebView element is a powerful API through you can do magic things even like a mini Web Browser embedded inside your React Native app it’s a channel that will connect your apps in different platforms (mobile, Web) | {
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Köln -
Der Geiselnehmer vom Kölner Hauptbahnhof soll bereits in seiner syrischen Heimat wegen krimineller Delikte aufgefallen sein. Das erfuhr der „Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger“ aus Berliner Sicherheitskreisen. Gegenüber seinen Nachbarn in Neuehrenfeld hatte sich der offenbar psychisch angeschlagene 55-jährige Flüchtling Mohammad Abo R. als politisch Verfolgter ausgegeben.
Die Nachforschungen der Strafverfolger legen Zweifel an der Schilderung nahe. Der Mann war seit seiner Einreise nach Deutschland 2015 in 13 Fällen polizeilich aktenkundig geworden, offenbar wegen ähnlich gelagerter Straftaten wie in seinem Herkunftsland. Ein Prozess wegen mehrfachen Betruges lief noch, als Abo R. vor gut einer Woche eine Apotheke am Breslauer Platz stürmte und eine Angestellte in Brand stecken wollte.
Drei Beamte eines Spezialeinsatzkommandos schossen den Geiselnehmer nieder, eine Kugel traf ihn in den Kopf. Noch immer liegt der Täter im künstlichen Koma. Es ist fraglich, ob er zu sich kommt. Wenn überhaupt, so berichtete ein hochrangiger Berliner Staatsschützer, dann sei mit Folgeschäden zu rechnen.
Deshalb ist weiter unklar, ob es sich um die Tat eines labilen Einzeltäters oder um den Terrorakt eines IS-Sympathisanten handelt. Die bisherige Auswertung der beiden beschlagnahmten Handys soll keine Hinweise auf Kontakte in militante islamistische Kreise ergeben haben. Allerdings ist das Auslesen der gesicherten Datenträger noch nicht abgeschlossen. Eine Sprecherin der Bundesanwaltschaft wollte sich zum Stand der Ermittlungen nicht äußern.
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Structs & Dependencies
If you’ve examined the code above, you might have noticed that we are opening the database on each API-call; even though the opened database is safe for concurrent use. We need some dependency management to make sure we only open the database once, for this, we want to use a struct.
We start by creating a new package, called app, to host our struct and it’s methods. Our App struct has two fields; a Router and a Database accessed at ln 17 and ln 24. We also set the returned status code manually at the end of the method at ln 30.
The main package and function also needs a few changes to make use of the new App struct. We remove the postFunction and setupRouter functions from this package, since it’s now in the app package. We are left with:
To make use of our new struct, we open a database and a new Router. Then we insert both of them into the fields of our new App struct.
Congratulations! You now have a connection to your database that will be used concurrently across all of your incoming API-calls 🙌
As a final step, we will add a GET-Method to our router setup and return the data in JSON. We start by adding a struct to fill our data with, and map the fields to JSON.
We follow that up with an expansion of the app.go file, with a new method getFunction that fetches and writes the data to the client response. The final file looks like this. | {
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Atlanta United has acquired midfielder Mo Adams from Chicago Fire in exchange for $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). In a corresponding move, the club placed Gordon Wild on waivers.
“Mo is a talented young player with the ability to play multiple positions for us,” said Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra. “We like his versatility and his competitiveness will serve us well moving into the second half of the season.”
Adams, 22, was the No. 10 overall selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. The midfielder made his professional debut with the Fire April 21, 2018 in a 2-1 win against New York Red Bulls. Adams made 15 appearances and 10 starts in his rookie season. He has made 10 appearances and five starts in 2019 and recorded his first professional assist in a 4-1 win against Colorado Rapids April 20.
A native of Nottingham, England, Adams obtained a U.S. Green Card on June 19 and will not occupy an international spot on Atlanta’s roster.
Adams will reunite with former Syracuse University and now Atlanta United teammate Miles Robinson where the two played the 2016 season together. Adams spent two seasons with the Orange (2016-17) where he played 35 matches, was a two-time All-ACC selection and captained the team in 2017.
Wild was selected with the No. 37 pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Maryland. He joined Charleston Battery on a season-long loan in 2018 where he scored seven goals and added three assists in 33 appearances. In 2019, Wild made eight appearances with ATL UTD 2 and scored one goal.
“We want to thank Gordon for his service to the club and wish him well in his future,” Bocanegra said.
Atlanta United (9-8-3, 30 points) returns to action Wednesday, July 17 against Houston Dynamo at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7:00 p.m., FOX Sports South, Sports Radio 92-9 The Game).
Name: Mo Adams
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Weight: 160
Birthdate: Sept. 23, 1996 (Age: 22)
Birthplace: Nottingham, England
Citizenship: England
Transaction: Atlanta United acquired Mo Adams from Chicago Fire in exchange for $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). In a corresponding move, the club placed Gordon Wild on waivers. | {
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Know Your Bank is the Mantra to Protect Your Hard-Earned Money
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The moratorium on Yes Bank on 5 March 2020 has shaken the confidence of depositors across all banks. The finance minister and the governor of the Reserve Bank of India had to reach out to the media to issue clarifications and allay the fears of the depositors.
But the run on the banks is not a unique phenomenon in India. Since independence the country has had to deal with a whopping 701 bank failures, 37 of them having occurred after nationalization. Like any epidemic, the virus causing the failure of banks appears after every couple of years.
The fear of losing the hard earned savings stems from the fact that bank customers are actually ignorant about the health of their bank. The factors that contribute to the ignorance are:
1. Very low financial literacy.
Financial literacy means the ability to make informed financial decisions in relation to savings, investment and borrowings. Financial literacy in our country is at a dismal 19.2 %.
2. Banks recommended by friends and relatives.
The unverified word of mouth plays a huge role in the decision making process of choosing a bank.
3. Glamour of the bank and its services.
Customers also get carried away by the glamor and smooth talk of the relationship managers (RMs) and sales staff and take decisions without the application of mind.
4. Lack of transparency about banks
There is no foolproof one point method to find out the health of the bank and a little research is required.
5. Trust and belief in the system
Except for small cooperative banks, the regulators and the government have always ensured that the depositors of failed commercial banks are accommodated. This results into a sense of false belief.
6. Mis-selling by bank staff.
There is rampant mis-selling in the banking industry because the sales and service/ operations are managed by different verticals in a bank with incentives and payouts for sales force directly in proportion to acquisitions.
7. Decision of bank accounts taken by someone else.
Salary accounts are a classic case. The decision to open the bank account is taken by the employer without any option given to the employee concerned.
8. Sheer laziness to find the facts for oneself.
Finally another prominent reason is sheer laziness on the part of the bank customer to enquire about the health of his banker.
In the coming days the banking industry is going to be driven by technology. The customers are losing connect with their bank staff. It is of paramount importance that customers take informed decisions and select banks which are in good health.
“hito wo mitara dorobo to omoe” is a famous Japanese proverb which states that “It is best to regard everyone as a thief.” Bank customers in their own interest need to follow some fundamental rules to safe guard their hard earned money.
I. Split bank deposit into sets of three or four and bank with different banks. Family members should bank with different banks.
II. Keep periodically checking on the health of your bank, especially on three or four main parameters namely, capital adequacy, net non-performing assets (NPA) percentage, penalties levied against the bank and unusual reduction in market capital of the bank.
III. Employers availing credit limits are often compelled to open salary accounts of their employees. Ensure that the salary credit to this account is immediately transferred to the bank of your choice.
IV. It is a good idea to keep routine transactions in one account and your fixed deposits with a couple of other banks. Deposits earmarked for long term goals should be with public sector banks only.
V. Banks offer higher rate of interest only when they fail to attract deposits at market rates. The greed for higher interest rates should to be curbed.
VI. Technology gives great convenience and can be used very diligently. Limits and auto transfers must be setup at intervals using the facilities enabled through digital banking.
VII. Never hesitate to ask the branch manager or the relationship manager difficult questions about the health of the bank.
VIII. Be wary of RMs selling third party products and always cross check with financial experts. Give preference to a fee based investment advisor or paid websites that are not associated with any financial institution.
IX. Postal Deposit schemes are totally safe, and offer decent returns at the cost of shoddy customer service. Be sure to allocate a portion of your savings with the post office.
X. It is a good idea to set up Google news alerts for all your bankers and investments. News alerts relating to sharp downfall in stock prices, penalties levied by regulators, resignations of top management /directors and bulk sale of stocks by the senior management personals should be examined in detail.
All the above steps put into practice will enable you to identify weak banks, spread your investments across institutions and limit losses in case of any individual bank failure.
Role of the Regulator:
The Reserve Bank of India should play an active role in assisting the customers in making informed choices while selecting their bank. Banks should be mandated to provide the information relating to their health, namely capital adequacy ratio, net NPA, profitability, liquidity, and penalties levied for noncompliance to all depositors and these should be prominently displayed across the bank branches and websites. Synopsis of the inspection report of RBI along with the rating awarded, should be shared with all the customers.
The balance sheet of RBI as of 30 June 2019 shows a huge sum of Rs257.47 billion in the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF) account. This fund should be effectively used to spread awareness among the bank customers. In addition to the National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE), a separate institution reporting to the RBI should be created and all depositor education and awareness programmes should be conducted through this institution. It would be a good idea to empanel local colleges suitably supported by retired bankers to run the education and awareness programs at local levels. Print and visual media can be extensively used for creating awareness.
Finally it’s important to note that banking industry is going through a transformation. Public sector banks are slowly but surely giving way to private sector banks. Banking is also a business venture and like any business, susceptible to failures. The day is not far away when the government stops bailing out failed banks. It’s better to be prepared for this eventuality and safeguard one’s hard earned savings.
(Dr Sampath Iyer is a retired banker with over 30 years of experience. He retired as a Senior VP from a very large private sector bank. He is also a visiting faculty in a few colleges and business schools taking sessions on a range of topics including banking and personal investments. ) | {
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On Esther Island in Alaska, a mother bear and her two recently born cubs were shot dead by a father and son. The killing was captured thanks to a motion-detecting camera that had been set up in the bear den as part of a joint three-year study between the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Once the sow black bear and her babies were inexplicably shot, the perpetrator realized that the mother bear was collared – and tried to cover up what had been done. Fortunately, the attempts were futile, and the men are now facing felony and misdemeanor charges.
The 41-year-old Andrew Renner and his 18-year-old son Owen Renner of Palmer, Alaska were caught on camera skiing past the bear den on April 14, 2018, CNN reports. It was then that they noticed the mother bear. According to an Alaska State Troopers dispatch, having seen the animal, Owen Renner shot the adult bear twice, after which the frightened cubs began “shrieking.” The man then killed both the babies as well.
The video recorded by the camera was not released to the public. Court documents say that the killer is captured on the video saying the words: “It doesn’t matter. Bear down,” and then: “They’ll never be able to link it to us.” The men were also recorded two days later returning to the site to pick up shell casings and dispose of the cubs’ bodies. Two weeks later, Renner brought the mother bear’s skin and collar to the officials at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and claimed that he realized after shooting her that she was a nursing bear and had not seen any cubs.
Trooper Col. Steve Smith said that numerous crimes, including felonies, were believed to have been committed in the case. The truck and boat used to transport the Renners to and from the bears’ den have been seized. The men have been charged with unlawfully taking a female bear with cubs, unlawfully taking a bear cub, and possessing and transporting illegally taken “game.” Andrew Renner has also been charged with tampering with physical evidence and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Killing a nursing bear and her completely helpless just-born cubs is not only an example of poaching but also of completely needless and inexplicable cruelty towards other living beings, a cruelty that cannot be tolerated. Click here to sign a petition urging the Alaska authorities to make sure the man responsible for shooting the bear family will be brought to justice and to send a clear message about the gravity of the committed crime.
Image source: skeeze/Pixabay
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He'd been a force in politics, books, television and film for years beforehand, so it wouldn't be right to say that, before 2012, Stuart Stevens was an unknown commodity. But after Stevens had been named the chief strategist of Mitt Romney's second presidential campaign, he was introduced to most folks — in profiles like this one and this one — as a different kind of political operative. More literate. More thoughtful. More erudite.
You've always got to be extra careful when assessing someone who's made a nice living off of helping others control how they're perceived, but anyone who's spoken with Stevens — or read any of his books, including "The Last Season: A Father, a Son, and a Lifetime of College Football," his latest — will concede that the man is no James Carville or Karl Rove. He loves politics, no doubt, and is a fierce competitor. But his interests extend far beyond the realms of Fox News and CNN. Far beyond his country's own borders, in fact.
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Recently, Stevens spoke over the phone with Salon about his experiences in 2012, the current presidential campaign, and whether his most recent book was his attempt to take a break from politics — or truly say goodbye. Our conversation, which can be found below, has been edited for clarity and length.
When I was reading the book, there was a part of me that wanted to ask you, why are you so hard on yourself about losing the 2012 election? You recognize that you were going up against objectively tough odds — yet you don't cut yourself even an inch of slack. Why not?
I think that political consultants are hired for one reason — and that’s to win. And when you don’t win, you fail. Nobody makes excuses when you win, why should you make excuses when you lose? The nature of being a consultant — if you really like it, you really do it as a profession and you really do it for big races— is to always believe there was one more thing you could do [to win]. If you didn’t take a loss personally, that is unimaginable to me.
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You write in the book that it's very difficult to talk about what it's like to work on a presidential campaign with someone who hasn't had the experience for themselves. You also say that it's the having been on a campaign that matters — not whether it was a Republican or Democratic one. What is it that people who haven't done it misunderstand about being on a presidential campaign?
The difficulty of a presidential campaign is so exponentially greater than anything in politics. I think we’re seeing this now on the Republican side, with all these candidates running who hadn’t run before. Some of them were critical of Governor Romney; a lot of political operatives were critical of Gov. Romney’s campaign. Now they’re out there and they see just how difficult this is.
The difference between running for president and governor or senator is the difference between playing junior high school football and being in the Super Bowl. That’s just difficult to explain to anybody because they look the same, in a way. You’re a candidate, you’re a campaign operative, there’s a campaign election -- all of the things kind of look the same. But it’s just a million times harder, and more complicated. It’s just different.
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The level of scrutiny the media subjects you to is amped up much more than observers imagine?
That pressure is extraordinary; and that’s just very difficult for people to understand. The attention that campaigns get now is very different than it used to be. Campaigns are covered a lot like sports, which I think is kind of fun in some ways. But everybody has an opinion, and the majority of political commentary is equivalent to those [people] who call Mad Dog and tell Tom Brady what he should’ve done. Nobody ever calls Mad Dog to say that Tom Brady or Bill Belichick called the right play.
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Your mistakes get amplified — and you tend to only get noticed for your mistakes.
In most campaigns, if you’re doing your job in a governor’s race or senate race and you screw up, you can go to the gym. Get away from it; whatever.
The presidential race, you screw up and go to the gym, they’re talking about it on television. Your friends call you and ask you, “What are you, out of your mind? What were you thinking?” Your mom calls and says, “I love you; but are you crazy?” It’s all-consuming. And that’s a very difficult thing to describe unless you’ve been through it.
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It sounds like a pretty awful experience, frankly.
Quiet a lot of people don’t like doing campaigns so much. I like campaigns a lot. I’ve been staging campaigns longer than most people. But you have to really enjoy fighting; you have to enjoy conflict. Campaigns are not a good place for conflict-avoidant people. At a certain point, most people get tired of fighting — which is probably very healthy! [Laughs]
Do you still feel positively about campaigns? Was writing this book a cathartic experience that left you reinvigorated, in that sense? I could imagine just as easily that it felt more like a "goodbye."
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In the middle of writing this book, we did Thad Cochran’s campaign for the Senate, which was probably the toughest primary in the country. It was one of the toughest races I ever did in my life: I came out to Mississippi to help for three days and I stayed for seven weeks.
When you’re in every race, I really love that. But I’ve chosen not to get involved in a presidential race this year. I’ve had offers, frankly, to be involved in a high level in these races. It hasn’t felt right to me. I think that it would feel right in another term, another circumstance.
Well, it's certainly been an entertaining primary thus far, especially on the Republican side.
I think, arguably, it’s been more interesting and crazy on the Democratic side. That’s the one to appreciate.
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Really? Why?
For the first time in history, you have a socialist who’s closing it on a Democratic frontrunner. I mean, we toss around the word "historical"; we’ve had socialists [run for office] plenty of times but we’ve never had one do as well as Bernie Sanders. That strikes me as hugely important. And when you look at what’s happening in England, Greece, it seems to be part of something bigger that I don’t think is being properly appreciated.
Any guess as to why it's going ignored, at least by some?
I think, somehow, the pyrotechnics of Donald Trump have obscured that — plus a false assumption that Hillary Clinton was going to win. Like or hate Bernie Sanders, what he’s doing is extraordinary. My bet is that, in February, the bigger story is going to be the Democratic primary.
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Do you envision Vice President Biden being in the mix by that point?
I have no idea. I just don’t have any feel for it.
I’m very fond of the 1968 analogy for the Democratic primary. I’m writing this piece for HBO, and it’s set in the early ’60s, so I’m reading a lot about this, so I may be under the influence; but I think that Bernie Sanders is very likely to play the role of Eugene McCarthy, knocking off a de facto incumbent.
I doubt he will be the nominee, but I also doubt that Hillary Clinton will be. I think Hillary Clinton has a superb campaign so far. Technically, her campaign staff — it’s as good as it gets. But we’ve really never seen a campaign like this; it just continues to go down. Most campaigns always stop — like, they’ll go down, they’ll go up, they’ll plateau. She’s just going down.
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Some folks within her campaign — and some of her supporters who aren't involved, officially — chalk that up in part to media bias. As someone who's been in the situation of running a campaign and having to grapple with the media and its biases, what's your gut response when you hear those kinds of complaints?
Give me a break. They say the New York Times [is against her]; a paper that’s endorsed every Democrat since Truman, if not before. It’s an absurdity. What they’re really saying, I think, is that they’re not being treated the same way as Barack Obama was in 2008 — which I think is true. But I don’t think we’ll ever see that again, and I think [the complaint] is sort of like showing up at the Super Bowl and saying, “Someone’s trying to tackle me!" I think it’s a joke.
To get back to Trump for a minute. Maybe it's because you seem to be kind of a relaxed guy by nature, but you didn't sound especially anxious about his candidacy. Do you think, therefore, that he's just a media creation?
In April of 2011, Donald Trump was getting 26 percent of the Republican vote. He wasn’t even a candidate. And that wasn’t CNN’s fault. I remember laughing about it with Mitt Romney. He said, “Look, I’m losing to a guy that’s not even in the race!” [Laughs] And that wasn’t CNN’s fault!
There’s a certain percentage of the Republican Party that clearly likes Donald Trump being in the race. Now, he hasn’t been able to get much above that 26 percent; and now it maybe looks like he’s going down. I don’t think Donald Trump is going to be the nominee. I don’t think he’s going to go all the way to the [convention].
Some people have kicked around the idea, mostly fancifully, that Romney could be "drafted" into the race to stop Trump if it looked like the latter was going to win. How much do you roll your eyes — if at all — when you hear that kind of talk?
I talk to Mitt Romney but we never bring this up. Running for president, ultimately, is a deeply personal decision. I think for all the talk about when he was thinking about this in January, it came down to a very personal decision. There’s not a bitter bone in his body; he’s the most forward-looking person I know. They say his father was like that. And he’s a happy person. It’s impossible to know what’s going to happen here in the primaries. But whatever the decision is, it's going to be a personal decision more than a political decision. | {
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You know that handling a rental property can be rewarding financially if you have owned one for a particular period. However, you probably also have learned that property management needs a huge commitment of effort and time.
Though it might make sense to take the DIY method if you do not mind committing a couple of hours every month for the job, live close to your property, and are a handy individual, in a lot of cases, this simply is not practical. This is particularly true if you hope to improve your business.
Aside from cost-effective property manager fees San Mateo, here are a couple of benefits you can get from property managers:
Making Sure You Are in Compliance with Property Laws and Housing Regulations
When maintaining and renting your rental property, there is a range of applicable regulations and laws to abide by. These include fair housing regulations, federal and state regulations, and local regulations. A property manager can help you prevent lawsuits by keeping your property in compliance and updated with these rules.
Handling Vendor Relationships
Property managers have relationships with vendors, suppliers, contractors, tradesmen, and maintenance workers that it is virtually impossible for a landlord to copy. Aside from getting you the ideal work for the best price, a property manager will oversee any required maintenance projects.
Handling Tenants
A property manager will handle every aspect of the landlord-tenant relationship, aside from looking for excellent tenants. The property manager will manage both emergency and regular maintenance, handle any circumstances where conflict resolution is needed, and take care of regular inspections.
Looking for the Right Tenants
Professional property managers are professionals at looking for excellent tenants. They will take care of every single detail. This includes securing every security check and criminal background check, gathering past landlord references, confirming employment, and running credit reports.
Advertising and Marketing Your Property
A property manager will exactly know where to market your property with a long experience. They will also know how to create appealing marketing materials. This is a huge benefit when it comes to preventing long vacancies and quickly filling your properties.
Depositing and Collecting Rent Payments on Time Every Month
You know that securing payment from customers can be hard if you have ever worked in the billing sector. Aside from that, it can also be a bit awkward. Property managers have effective and ideal systems in place to successfully collect rent and keep payments on time. You will find this very crucial if you’ve got a limited number of properties, and collecting payments on time is vital to keeping the flow of income.
Setting the Right Rates of Your Rental
Though looking through the classified ads to know what other property owners are charging for the same properties is an ideal way to know how much you should charge, an excellent property manager will perform a complete market study in order to set the right price for your rental property. This will guarantee that you obtain the ideal balance between keeping a low vacancy rate. | {
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Olympic free skier Gus Kenworthy left the 2014 Sochi Games with a silver medal and a pack of stray dogs he famously rescued. But he was bothered by what he didn't do at the last Olympics. He didn't speak out about Russia's anti-gay policies then, but now he's living as his authentic self and taking on a new role – one that transcends sports.
Gus Kenworthy of the United States smiles while holding his silver medal for men's slopestyle skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Morry Gash / AP
"I definitely carry a little bit of a burden with me, being a gay athlete going to the Olympics. I think that there's pressure on me…. It presents an amazing opportunity and I think that it kind of gives us a chance to shed people's misconceptions and just kind of like break down barriers," Kenworthy told CBS News' Don Dahler.
For Kenworthy, free skiing is like a dance. He masters the delicate balance of precision, technique and control effortlessly. The 26-year-old, British-born, Colorado-bred star learned to ski shortly after learning to walk. Today, the extreme athlete is embracing his role off the mountain, as an advocate for the LGBT community.
"When I was a kid, my life would've been easier if I had someone that was in my position, that was out and gay and proud and successful in their sport…. But not having that, I think I realize the need for that and the importance of it and so I want to be that person," Kenworthy said. "I wanna be able to be a beacon of light for young kids in sports."
His ability on the snow is indisputable. He has rubber bones, as he calls them. But as an elite athlete in the testosterone-filled world of extreme sports, coming out was frightening.
"Competitors, even friends that would say things that were so homophobic and I don't think that they realized necessarily the impact that it was having on me, because I was in the closet," he said. "And I think that that's what made me really scared to come out."
The turning point came after he won a silver medal in Sochi and a reporter asked him to name his celebrity crush. In a panic, he said pop star Miley Cyrus.
"And I was really feeling burdened being in the closet," he said. "I think before that, I was kind of like lying by omission, but then when you're actually lying…. It made me resent myself and made me realize that I didn't want to be ashamed of who I was…. I wanted to just be able to be me."
In 2015, after winning his fifth straight title as the world's best free skier, Kenworthy came out on the cover of ESPN's magazine. He said it was scarier than anything else he'd ever done. Now? He's proud.
Gus Kenworthy on the cover of ESPN magazine Peter Hapak for ESPN
"Hearing people tell me that it's made it easier for them to accept themselves…To tell someone they were gay or whatever their different story is, like, that's what makes me feel like I've done something right. So, I think it's the most important thing I've ever done."
The ski industry embraced him and sponsors poured in.
"You don't want to be defined by one thing. But at the same point…. When you are the first in something, that's gonna kinda be the title that sticks. And after Sochi, I was like the dog guy," he joked. "Now I'm the gay guy, and it's fine by me. But I'm looking forward to the day when it's like 'the Olympic medalist' or whatever and then further into the conversation maybe it's revealed that I'm gay but it's not the defining characteristic."
Still, for Kenworthy, staying silent is no longer an option. After the Winter Games, the Olympic team is generally invited to the White House, an invitation he says he'd decline.
"When we have people elected into office that believe in conversion therapy and are trying to strip trans rights in the military and do these things that are directly attacking the LGBT community, I have no patience," he said. "I am so proud to be from the U.S. and to be from a country where you are able to voice your political opinions and stand up for what you believe in, and I think that when you have a platform, you have to use it, especially if you feel very strongly about something."
Kenworthy criticized the decision to have Vice President Mike Pence lead the U.S. delegation at the opening ceremony. He said it's unfortunate and sends mixed messages, since Pence does not support the LGBT community.
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It's happened. Literally the most misused word in the language has officially changed definition. Now as well as meaning "in a literal manner or sense; exactly: 'the driver took it literally when asked to go straight over the traffic circle'", various dictionaries have added its other more recent usage. As Google puts it, "literally" can be used "to acknowledge that something is not literally true but is used for emphasis or to express strong feeling".
Did we, as genuinely hundreds of people are tweeting, just break the English language? Or did we, as totally tens of bloggers are writing, prove that the English language is a beautiful, organic creature that is forever slipping out of our control? Well, no: to be precise, we have done something mildly annoying.
"Literally", you see, in its development from knock-kneed, single-purpose utterance, to swan-like dual-purpose term, has reached that awkward stage. It is neither one nor the other, and it can't do anything right. So to use it at all is to encounter one of several pitfalls:
1. Mucking about with its meaning isn't clever or inventive any more
"Literally" has been playfully abused since the time of Walter Scott. In Chronicles of the Canongate, for example, he writes: "The house was literally electrified; and it was only from witnessing the effects of her genius that he could guess to what a pitch theatrical excellence could be carried." This was 1827, before the popularisation of the electric light: the house was figuratively electrified.
In 1837, a piece in The Mother's Magazine by Abigail and Samuel Whittelsey contained the phrase, "They both literally slept in Jesus", and in 1894 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, that Sherlock's room "was literally ankle-deep with congratulatory telegrams" (we can probably also take this as figurative).
The point is that even if it was fun and surprising to force a "literally" where another word should go back in the 1800s, it's getting a bit old now. But not quite old enough to change the word's meaning completely and clean it of all the irritatingly playful associations.
Plus, since then the word has picked up way too much baggage to make it usefully nifty. "Literally" has been mainstream shorthand for "talking like a teenage girl" for a decade – you're not going to get rid of that reference without violent verbal acrobatics. Literally, I'm afraid, is, like, totally eighteen-hundred and late.
2. To use it is to teeter on the edge of a conversational wormhole
You might be near a pedant, and they will say something like "Don't you mean 'figuratively?'" (no, no one says "figuratively" – it is pretentious) or go into "Yes, your foot is LITERALLY coming off. I LITERALLY believe you" paroxysms until smothered. These are the same people who use the word as a definitive intelligence measure – see the snobbery over Jamie Redknapp last year – which in my mind is as much of an error as using a specific piece of knowledge as a mark of cleverness ("X% of Americans don't know where Armenia is! So stupid…").
3. There isn't much to be done
Given all of this, even when someone does use the word correctly, ("he's literally the prime minister"), it is often such a surprise to the listener that the conversation halts anyway – prompting something like "er, yes. You're right. He literally is" to emphasise just how much they have acknowledged your traditional use of language.
So there really is not much we can do with the word "literally", other than avoid it completely. At the moment it is irredeemable. It is a moot word. We just have to leave it up in its bedroom for a while until it grows up a bit. | {
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Ever since we’ve had so much time on our hands, I’ve re-arranged my basement to beef up my studio. I’m starting getting into the swing of things with my vintage Masters of the Universe toys. I have tons of pics to share, and some photo tips along the way.
I recently restored a vintage Castle Grayskull (you can read about the process, including some 3D printed pieces) and I thought the best way to get started with my studio was recreating the end of the original Castle Grayskull television ad from 1982. That end frame that laid out all of the accessories and adventures to behold captured my five year old brain and was the first time an ad got me thinking “you really want this thing”. So after I got every last part of the weapons rack (which wasn’t easy) I set up the castle and pieces as the best I could. The video camera lenses in the 80s are built differently than the 24-70mm lens on my DSLR, so it was tough getting the perspective exactly right. The lighting wasn’t so complicated, I noticed there’s a lack of hard shadows, so I had two remote flashes aimed right up at the ceiling to bounce the light on either side of the castle. You can see where they were situated in the pic below.
The toughest part was the background. I can’t really pop out to Staples and get a blue backdrop. It would be easy enough to put in whatever background I wanted to in Photoshop, however I knew the light grey weapons and the shadow around the castle would be a pain to cut out digitally, so I used several sheets of blue construction paper at the base. Once I had the right angle, I took to isolating the white and filling in the blue. One of the crutches I had was I intended to age the image to look more like a video freeze frame and less like a 2020 studio shot. I used this tutorial to age the text and the image to look appropriate, and that would hide the seams from where I cut out the white.
Now that I got that out of my system, I wanted to take some fun photos. I’ll take this opportunity to point out that my He-Man is the recently sold Super7 Filmation style He-Man. I’ve always been a Skeletor guy, so I never had a lot of He-Men, but I knew I needed one for these photos. A complete vintage He-Man from the 80s goes for around $60 or more on eBay, so I went for a close second. I’ve still got my eye out for an original, but this will do for pics.
There’s nothing quite like Skeletor sitting in the Grayskull throne. When I popped him in there I instantly regressed 35 years. I had a lot of fun putting Moss-Man and Roboto, and Trap-Jaw (and then I got Stinkor) all over the castle to take pics, you can see a bunch below. These were all taken with two flashes bouncing off the ceiling. But I wanted to try some new things.
I wanted to do a stylized portrait that could be used over and over for each character. I pointed one of the flashes directly at the white wall so it would come through the open door, and then had the second flash bouncing off the ceiling in front of the castle. In Photoshop I added the colored background, red for heroes and purple for the villains. I also removed the other half of the castle digitally. You can see all of these doortraits in the gallery at the bottom.
I have to admit, after I completed Castle Grayskull I decided to do my part to stimulate the economy and keep buying on eBay. Now I needed to track down Vykron on eBay.
In the early 80s when the Mattel brand masters were trying to come up with something to compete with Kenner’s Star Wars line, they knew they wanted a hulking barbarian style figure. They knew space and military themes were also popular with young boys. I recommend watching the Toys that Made Us on Netflix. I love all their episodes, but the Masters of the Universe line gave me the inspiration for this pic. The original pitch to the Mattel brass included a couple of Big Jim figures customized to try and see what could be their next big line. This photo of the three prototypes inspired the MOTU Classics Con-Exclusive Vykron. You get one figure, and the armor to make the other two. If someone from Mattel is reading, I’d love if one could buy two more base bodies so I could display all three at one time. I had to take these photos separately and composite them together. I used a tripod to make sure the perspective would match. I tried to replicate the shadows as best I could and actually found it was best to put the flash on the camera and a second for fill to get that low, centralized shadow.
Now I wanted to play more. I scored this custom Bone Dude off eBay. From what I understand he’s a resin custom by artist Billy Boy. I loved his transparent body and giant skull head. I didn’t have the Slime Pit at the time (and I don’t think he’d fit anyway) so I just used some slime, some playmobil terrain, and played with lighting. I used a green gel on a flash coming from the rear, a fill light from the front, and I had my son hold a flashlight with a focused beam aimed right at the back of his head so he’d be lit up. It was one of the those tactical flashlights where you can make the beam wide or focused. I didn’t like the white background I shot with, so I replaced it with black in Photoshop. The greenlight not only gave the silvery slime some green sheen, but it added accents to the mountain in the background. If I were to do this set-up again I would have just used my black background. The slime was Liquid Metal by Amazing Slime. It’s runny, but thick enough I could take several photos before I had to re-drape him.
Still with me? There’s a bit more to go! (You can always skip down to the large gallery of pics… For Halloween I grabbed this misting ionizer. It’s much cheaper than a fog machine and runs on just water. It takes some experimentation to get it right, but add some colored light and patience and you can add some real drama and excitement to your toy photos.
About this time I received the Evil Horde Slime Pit off eBay. I always wanted this set when I was little, but my parents forbid it. I thought I was being real smart and saved up my allowance and birthday money and attempted to buy it on my own, but my request was declined. This also happened with the Mad Scientist Dissect An Alien. (You can read my vindication review here)
For most of the Slime Pit photos I had the remote flashes aimed from either side, one with a green and the other with a purple gel. I had the ionizer creating “fog” in a bowl just off camera and my son would gently blow a cloud into the frame and I’d click when it looked good.
I wish I could tell you more about the slime. If I need slime I usually pop over to Five Below, but with quarantine that wasn’t an option. I have a friend who’s daughter is big into slime, so I asked them if they had any green slime they could spare and do a porch drop-off. This slime was absolutely perfect. It looks great on camera, but it oozed so slowly that I could get plenty of shots before needing to adjust it. I love how it contoured over He-Man’s face, and the best part was it cleaned up super easy and went right back into it’s tub. I asked her for her secret recipe but for now know that her secret was using hot water and a little bit more of the slime activator.
I feel that Skeletor is the perfect villain and this is the best action figure in history. Seriously. I’ll have a blog post about that shortly.
I admit I cheated for this photo. This is not the classic 80s Skeletor, this is the two-up jumbo sized Skeletor. I saw this at Toy Fair many years ago and always wanted to get my hands on it. THEN, once I had it, all I could think about was busting it open out of its packaging and playing with it. That would instantly decrease the value! How could I be so impulsive?! But, actually, I took an Exacto blade to the bubble and carefully removed him from the packaging in a manner that I can replace him on the card for display. So now that he is liberated I was able to play with lighting and get all the details. Actually the main reason I busted him out was for this video:
I put the camera on a tripod, the giant sized figures on a lazy susan and had two opposing lights aimed on them. One shop light and that high-powered flash light from before. The hardest part was spinning it in a manner that looked smooth.
This lava pit scene was fun to shoot, but I didn’t quite get what I had in mind. I didn’t get enough of the fog rolling enough so I beefed it up digitally in Photoshop. I set Skeletor at the edge of the table and put a flash on the floor with a red gel. I sat on the floor, shooting upwards.
One of the main philosophies behind my shooting style (including concerts, models, sports) is that I want to highlight and elevate something that’s been overlooked. I want the view to see my photo of a monster truck leaping in the air and regret their decision to stay home last weekend. I could see that coming through here. I know I don’t have to convince a lot of you reading this article, but I want someone that thinks action figures are for kids, or that they’ve outgrown Skeletor to see one of my photos and think about hitting eBay and tracking down a bit of their childhood.
Thanks for getting this far, I hope there were some helpful tips. And I enjoyed showing off some of my collection. Tag me on Instagram @MillionairePb so I can check out some of your toy photography. And stay tuned for more from the studio. Now here is a huge gallery of pics. (Click here to see the gallery on Flickr if the gallery below is taking too long to load)
MOTU Photo Shoot | {
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A pair of Kobomani tapirs caught on camera trap. The individual on the left is a female and on the right a male. Females of the new species are characterized by a light patch on lower head and neck. Photo courtesy of Fabrício R. Santos.
New marsupial discovered in Ecuador (Hance)
The newly discovered marsupial: Caenolestes sangay with its signature small ears and long snout. Photo courtesy of Ojala-Barbour et al.
Researchers working in Ecuador identified a previously unknown species of shrew-opossum, according to a study published in the Journal of Mammalogy. Contrary to its mousey appearance, Caenolestes sangay, named after the national park where it was discovered, is actually a marsupial.
The team from Pacific Lutheran University set up more than 100 live traps over 15 nights on the eastern slopes of Andes. In the course of their research they recovered five specimens of the new species, each measuring approximately 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) long. Previously, researchers had considered it to be a subspecies due to its similarities with other populations inhabiting the western slopes of the Andes. Upon further scrutiny, however, the field workers noticed a difference in the shape of the animal’s head.
New mountain porcupine discovered in Brazil (Hance)
In Brazil’s Baturite Mountains, scientists uncovered a new species of prehensile-tailed porcupine, according to a paper in Revista Nordestina de Biologia. Dubbed, the Baturite porcupine (Coendou baturitensis), the new species was discovered when scientists noticed significant differences between it and its closest relative, the Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis). The name prehensile-tailed refers to these porcupine’s long, mobile tail which they use as a fifth limb to adroitly climb trees.
Close view of the new porcupine species, the Baturite porcupine: Coendou baturitensis. Photo by: Hugo Fernandes-Ferreira.
New cat species in Brazil (Hance)
In November, scientists announced the stunning discovery of a new species of cat, long-confused with another. Looking at the molecular data of small cats in Brazil, researchers found that the tigrina—also known as the oncilla in Central America—is actually two separate species. The new species is called Leopardus guttulus and lives in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil, while the other Leopardus tigrinus is found in the cerrado and Caatinga ecosystems in northeastern Brazil.
DNA tests have revealed a new small wild cat species: Leopardus guttulus. Pictured here, the new species is primarily found in the Atlantic Forest. Photo by: Projeto Gatos do Mato – Brasil/Project Wild Cats of Brazil.
New bat species discovered in Brazil leaves another at risk (Millar)
Peracchi’s nectar bat (Lonchophylla peracchii). Photo credit: Marcelo Nogueira
While new species discoveries are generally viewed as good news for conservationists, the November announcement of a new bat species in Brazil meant that another species is actually more vulnerable than previously thought. Long thought to comprise one species, the populations of Bokermann’s nectar bat (Lonchophylla bokermanni) in the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado are in fact distinct from one another, according to a study in Zootaxa. Scientists say the Atlantic Forest’s population represents a newly described species, which they have dubbed Peracchi’s nectar bat (Lonchophylla peracchii). However, this new classification leaves the entire Bokermann’s nectar bat species restricted to a 150 square kilometers in the Cerrado and at grave risk from habitat destruction.
5 new, cryptic bats in Senegal (Edwards)
An international research team led by Professor Petr Koube and Darina Koubínová discovered five new species of vesper bats during a series of expeditions to Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park, according to a paper published in Frontiers in Zoology. The new species are considered cryptic, because their genetic makeup is different despite physical similarities. The new bats have yet to be named.
Nycticeinops schlieffenii. Photo courtesy of Prof. Jaroslav Červený.
New dolphin species in northern Australia (Hance)
With the help of DNA tests, scientists in October declared a new dolphin species that dwells off the coast of northern Australia. The discovery was made after a team of researchers looked at the world’s humpback dolphins (in the genus Sousa), which sport telltale humps just behind their dorsal fins. While long-known to science, the new, as-yet-unnamed species was previously lumped with other humpback dolphins in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to the study published in Molecular Ecology—which looked at the dolphins’ physical features (including over 180 skulls) as well as their mitochondrial and nuclear DNA—the world’s humpback dolphins should be split into four total species: the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) found off the coast of West Africa; Sousa plumbea found in the western and central Indian Ocean; Sousa chinensis found in the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans; and the new species off the coast of Australia.
Two individuals of the newly identified humpback dolphin species. Photo credit: Guido Parra.
3 new herps in Australia (Butler)
Researchers from James Cook University and National Geographic discovered three new herp species — a cryptic leaf-tail gecko, a colorful skink, and a frog — during an expedition to northeastern Australia. The species are described in three papers published in October in the journal Zootaxa.
In March, a team led by Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University and photographer Tim Laman of National Geographic and Harvard University explored a remote mountain range on Cape Melville. It was the first time scientists had surveyed the forest that grows among boulders on the summit of the range. Within days the team had identified the two lizards and frog along with several other species that may prove new to science.
Camouflage artist, The Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko. Photo copyright Tim Laman / National Geographic
Three new giant fish from the Amazon (Hance)
It’s hard to mistake an arapaima for anything else: these massive, heavily-armored, air-breathing fish (they have to surface every few minutes) are the megafauna of the Amazon’s rivers. But despite their unmistakability, and the fact that they have been hunted by indigenous people for millennia, scientists still know relatively little about arapaima, including just how many species there are. Since the mid-Nineteenth Century, scientists have lumped all arapaima into one species: Arapaima gigas. However, two studies in Copeia split the arapaimas into at least five total species—and more may be coming.
In the most recent study, researcher Donald Stewart with SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), describes an entirely new species of arapaima based on a specimen held in the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia in Brazil. Dubbed Arapaima leptosoma, the new species is more slender than Arapaima gigas and possesses other important physical differences.
A new species of arapaima: Arapaima leptosoma. This species is housed at Sevastopol Sea Aquarium in the Ukraine, but long conflated with Arampaima gigas. Photo by: George Chernilevsky.
4 new species of legless lizards in California (Butler)
Four previously unknown species of legless lizard were described in California by researchers from the University of California at Berkeley and Cal State-Fullerton.
The species, all members of the Anniella genus, were hiding in plain site, living in marginal habitats that included “a vacant lot in downtown Bakersfield, among oil derricks in the lower San Joaquin Valley, on the margins of the Mojave desert, and at the end of one of the runways at LAX,” according to a statement from UC Berkeley.
The Bakersfield Legless Lizard (Anniella grinnelli). Photo Credit: Alex Krohn
Ground-warbler from the Philippines (Butler)
A ground-warbler from the Philippines was the twenty-third species of bird described in 2013. The species, dubbed Robsonius thompsoni, was described in the August issue of the journal The Condor. It was discovered after researchers from the University of Kansas, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and the Philippine National Museum distinguished it from two closely-related ground-warblers.
The olinguito (Hance)
In August, Zookeys announced a major discovery: the first new mammalian carnivore described in the Western Hemisphere since the 1970’s. Dubbed the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina), the new mammal is a member of a little-known, elusive group of mammals—olingos—that are related to raccoons, coatis, and kinkajous. It lives in Andean cloud forests.
The world’s newest species in the mammal order Carnivora: the olinguito. The one was photographed in the wild at Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Ecuador. Photo by: Mark Gurney.
Peter Pan fairy in Central America (Millar)
A new genus of fairyfly has been discovered in Costa Rica. The new species is aptly named Tinkerbella nana after the fairy in J.M. Barrie’s play Peter Pan is one of the smallest winged insects in the neotropics.
Found in both temperate and tropical climates, the fairyfly is not actually a fly as its name suggests, but instead is more closely related to wasps – being classed within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, or the “chalcid wasps.” There are over 1,400 species of fairyfly, mostly found in the tropical environments of the southern hemisphere.
New flying mammal in Lao bushmeat market (Kimbrough)
In September 2012, a team from the National University of Laos surveyed markets in central Lao PDR for squirrels. In one of the many small markets, Daosavanh Sanamxay found something remarkable, a single specimen of a flying squirrel previously unknown to science. The researchers described this newly discovered species in a 2013 Zootaxa paper, giving it the English name: the Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis).
Underside view of the newly discovered Laotian giant flying squirrel. Photo courtesy of Sanamxay, Daosavanh; et al. Zootaxa 3686 (4): 471–481.
Poison dart frog discovered in ‘Lost World’ (Butler)
In July scientists described a new species of poison dart frog after discovering it during a study to determine the impact of tourism on biodiversity in a tract of rainforest known as “The Lost World” in Guyana. The scientists named the frog Allobates amissibilis — in Latin, “that may be lost” — in recognition of its home, which was the set for British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 book, The Lost World. The frog was discovered near Turu Falls, a waterfall at the foot of the Iwokrama Mountains in Central Guyana.
Allobates amissibilis sp. nov., newly discovered micro-endemic frog species. Photo courtesy of M. Hoelting and R. Ernst/Senckenberg
New bird species discovered in Cambodia’s largest city (Butler)
A previously unknown species of bird was found hiding in plain sight after scientists photographed what was thought to be more abundant species at a construction site on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capitol and largest city. Subsequent analysis revealed the species to be distinct.
Known as the Cambodian tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk), the new bird is one of only two species endemic to Cambodia, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the group whose researcher Ashish John snapped the first pictures of the bird.
Male Cambodian tailorbird. Photos by Ashish John/WCS.
15 new species of birds in the Amazon (Hance)
From 2000-2009, scientists described on average seven new bird species worldwide every year. Discovering a new bird is one of the least common of any species group, given that birds are highly visible, mobile, and have been scrutinized for centuries by passionate ornithologists and birders. But scientists working in the southern Amazon have recorded an incredible 15 new species of birds according to the Portuguese publication Capa Aves. In fact, this is the largest group of new birds uncovered in the Brazilian in the Amazon in 140 years.
101 new beetles from New Guinea (Hance)
In a single paper, a team of researchers described 101 new species of weevils from New Guinea, more than doubling the known species in the beetle genus, Trigonopterus . Since describing new species is hugely laborious and time-intensive, the researchers turned to a new method of species description known as “turbo-taxonomy,” which employs a mix of DNA-sequencing and taxonomic expertise to describe species more rapidly.
New species: Trigonopterus echinus. Photo by: Alexander Riedel.
Walking shark species in Indonesia’s Maluku islands (Goldenberg)
Scientists from Conservation International announced the discovery of a new species of walking shark near the island of Halmahera. The shark, Hemiscyllium halmahera, uses its fins to “walk” along the sea floor.
Hemiscyllium halmahera. Photo by: © Conservation International/Mark Erdmann.
Carolina hammerhead
A Zootaxa paper published in August described a new species of shark, the Carolina hammerhead (Sphyrna gilbert), from coastal areas off the Carolinas in the United States. The species is smaller than the closely-related scalloped hammerhead.
The closely-related scalloped hammerhead shark. © Save Our Seas Foundation / Peter Verhoog.
3 species of carnivorous snails in Thailand (Smith)
Scientists from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and the Natural History Museum, London discovered three new species of carnivorous snails in northern Thailand. The new snail species — named Perrottetia aquilonaria, P. dermapyrrhosa and P. phuphamanesis — were collected during surveys throughout Thailand between 2008 and 2012 and are described in the open access journal Zookeys. Identified by their genital organs and shell characteristics, these are the first snails in their genus Perrottetia to be described in over a century.
The snails belong to the family Streptaxidae which is a terrestrial carnivorous group of snails known to feed on insect larvae, earthworms, and even other snails. These tiny snails less than 1 centimeter in size are found living within rock crevices, endemic to a single or few limestone mountain ranges in north and north-eastern Thailand, adopting a “one hill one species” endemism.
The beautiful bright orange-colored Perrottetia dermapyrrhosa, one of the newly described species from Thailand. Photo by: Somsak Panha.
Prehistoric animal named after Johnny Depp due to its ‘scissorhands’ (Hance)
Half a billion years after an arthropod with long triple claws roamed the shallow Cambrian seas, scientists have named it after Hollywood movie actor, Johnny Depp: Kooteninchela deppi. Depp, known for his versatility as an actor, played Edward Scissorhands—an artificial man with long scissors for hands—in a popular 1990 film.
Artists depiction of Kooteninchela deppi. Image courtesy of Imperial College London.
A giant African mole rat (Hance)
In 2002, researchers noticed a distinct-looking mole rat in Zambia. It took several years to confirm their hypothesis that they had uncovered a new species, but an April study published in Zootaxa by Paul Van Daele and colleagues described the world’s newest mole rat: Caroline’s mole rat (Fukomys vandewoestijneae).
The new mole rat was found in the Ikelenge pedicle, a geographic area that covers portions of Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola. Although little research has been conducted in the Ikelenge pedicle, scientists believe it is a hotspot for animals found nowhere else. Already scientists have discovered 28 endemic species: one amphibian, five mammals, three butterflies, and 19 dragonflies. This unique region is made up of gallery forests along rivers and wetlands (known locally as mushitus) and woodlands dominated by miombo trees, where the new mole rat was discovered. But, like most forests in the world, these are imperiled.
A new mole rat from Zambia: Caroline’s mole rat (Fukomys vandewoestijneae). Photo courtesy of: Daele, P.A.A.G. van et al.
2 new frog genera in India’s Western Ghats (Perinchery)
The new genus: Mercurana. Photos by: Ansil B. R.
Researchers discovered two new frog genera in the rare and threatened freshwater swamps of the southern Western Ghats of India. The discoveries, described in the open-access journal Zootaxa, prove once again the importance of the mountain range as a biodiversity hotspot.
The Western Ghats is home to a stunning variety of flora and fauna ranging from large mammals like the Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus) to fascinating amphibians such as the Malabar gliding frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus). Tree frogs like these gliding frogs belong to quite a diverse family of amphibians: Rhacophoridae. The mostly-arboreal rhacophorids are found in habitats including ground litter, on bushes and tree tops. Their reproductive modes also vary greatly: some lay eggs in foam nests that develop into tadpoles and metamorphize into frogs while others develop directly from eggs into young frogs. Around 60 rhacophorids are found in the Western Ghats. But knowledge about amphibian diversity in the mountain range has surged, with over 70 new species across all known genera discovered over the past decade.
Tree-dwelling porcupine in Brazil (Butler)
In an April issue of Zootaxa, scientists in Brazil described a new species of tree-dwelling porcupine in the country’s most endangered ecosystems. A team of researchers led by Antonio Rossano Mendes Pontes, a biologist at the Federal University of Pernambuco, found the porcupine in a small forest fragment in the state of Pernambuco. They christened the creature Coendou speratus, a combination of its local name “coandu-mirim” and the Latin word “speratus” for “hope.”
The name choice is appropriate given the porcupine’s high risk of extinction. About 98 percent of its forest habitat has been destroyed, while its population is as fragmented as the forests it inhabits, making the species vulnerable in inbreeding, according to the researchers. The species is also actively hunted by locals.
Coendou speratus. Image courtesy of Antonio Rossano Mendes / Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Beautiful striped ban in South Sudan (Hance)
Scientists have discovered a brilliantly-striped bat in South Sudan. Working in Bangangai Game Reserve during July of last year, biologist DeeAnn Redeer and conservationist Adrian Garsdie with Fauna & Flora International (FFI) came across an unmissable bat, which has been dubbed by various media outlets as the “badger bat” and the “panda bat.”
After collecting a specimen, Reeder took the bat back to the U.S. and confirmed that it belongs to a species that was discovered over seventy years ago in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1939. However, that wasn’t the end of the story.
“After careful analysis, it is clear that it doesn’t belong in the genus that it’s in right now,” Reeder explains. “Its cranial characters, its wing characters, its size, the ears—literally everything you look at doesn’t fit. It’s so unique that we need to create a new genus.”
Niumbaha superba. Photo by: DeeAnn Reeder.
A giant tarantula in Sri Lanka (Hance)
Described by a number of media outlets as “the size of your face” a new tree-dwelling tarantula discovered in Sri Lanka has awed arachnophiliacs and terrified arachnophobes alike. But the new species, named Raja’s tiger spider (Poecilotheria rajaei), is likely Critically Endangered according to the scientist that discovered it in northern Sri Lanka.
New species of tarantula from Sri Lanka: Poecilotheria rajaei. Photo by: Ranil Nanayakkara.
Another ‘penis snake’ (Butler)
A new species of caecilian – a worm-like amphibian – has been discovered in the rainforests of French Guiana.
The new species is called Microcaecilia dermatophaga or “little skin-eating caecilian” in reference to the feeding habits of young caecilians, which peel and eat their mother’s skin. The mother isn’t injured by this process — she grows an extra layer of fat-rich skin during this phase of development. Adult caecilians feed on termites and earthworms and spend most of their time living underground or in leaf litter in tropical regions.
Little else is known about the new species, which is related to Atretochoana eiselti, the so-called “penis snake” — also a type of caecilian — that turned up in an Amazon river tributary last year when engineers were draining a tributary of the Amazon for the construction of a hydroelectric dam.
Holotype of Microcaecilia dermatophaga sp. nov (head only). Courtesy of Wilkinson et al. (2013)
2 mouse lemurs in Madagascar (Butler)
Scientists have discovered two new species of mouse lemurs in Madagascar, bringing the total number of diminutive primates known to science to 20, according to a paper published in the International Journal of Primatology.
The lemurs were collected in 2003 and 2007 during field surveys to the eastern part of the island nation. Genetic analysis revealed them to be new species: the Marohita mouse lemur (Microcebus marohita) and the Anosy mouse lemur (Microcebus tanosi).
Both species are unusually large for mouse lemurs. Microcebus marohita tips the scales at 78 grams (2.8 ounces), making it the largest of known mouse lemurs. It reaches a length of 28 cm. Microcebus tanosi is now the second largest known mouse lemur, reaching 27 cm from snout to tail and weighing about 50 grams. It is named after the Anosy region in southeast Madagascar.
Microcebus marohita mouse lemur. Photo by Bellarmin Ramahefasoa.
Scientists discover new genus of crustacean (Hance)
In recent journeys to Madagascar, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Philippines, and French Polynesia, scientists from the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes and the University of Barcelona have discovered not only five new crustaceous species, but also the existence of a new genus in the family.
2 woodlizards in the Peruvian Amazon (Hance)
Scientists have discovered two new species of woodlizards from the Peruvian Amazon. Woodlizards, in the genus Enyalioides, are little-known reptiles with only 10 described species found in South and Central America. Described in ZooKeys, both new woodlizards were found in Cordillera Azul National Park, the nation’s third-largest reserve.
Scientists named one of the new species Enyalioides azulae, or the blue woodlizard, after the Cordillera Azul (Blue Mountains). The other was named Enyalioides binzayedi, or Bin Zayed’s woodlizard after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who helped fund the expedition through his Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZSCF).
New species of woodlizard: Enyalioides binzayedi. Photo by: P.J. Venegas.
Male and female (duller colored) of Enyalioides azulae. Photo by: P.J. Venegas.
8 new frogs in one Sri Lankan sanctuary (Hance)
Two surveys in the mountainous forests of Sri Lanka’s Peak Wilderness Sanctuary have uncovered eight new species of frogs, according to a paper in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. While every year over a hundred new amphibians are discovered, eight new discoveries in a single park is especially notable. Sri Lanka is an amphibian-lovers paradise with well over 100 described species, most of which are endemic.
A new species discovered in the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary: Pseudophilautus sirilwijesundarai. Photo by: L.J. Mendis Wickramasinghe.
The beautiful amphibian from Hell (Hance)
Researchers have discovered a new species of Vietnamese salamander that looks like it was birthed from an abyssal volcano. Found tucked away in Tokyo’s National Museum of Nature and Science, the scientists described the species in Current Herpetology. Coal-black with orange-tinted toes, the new crocodile newt (in the genus Tylototriton) was determined to be a new species when it showed morphological and genetic differences from near relatives. Despite its remarkable appearance, the researchers say these are typical colors for crocodile newts.
The scientists named the new species Ziegler’s crocodile newt (Tylototriton ziegleri) after Thomas Ziegler of Cologne Zoo who works with reptiles and amphibians in Vietnam. The new species is small, with males measuring 5.4 to 6.8 (2 to 2.6 inches) centimeters and females measuring 7.1 centimeters (2.7 inches). While genetic testing proved that it was a new species, the morphological differences were key.
New species: Ziegler’s crocodile newt (Tylototriton ziegleri). Photo courtesy of Tao Thien Nguyen.
2 mini salamanders discovered in Colombia (Hance)
Biologists have discovered two new species of salamander in Tamá National Natural Park in Colombia. While the discovery should be cause for celebration, the news was dampened by the fact that both species are already infected with the deadly fungal disease, known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has wiped out amphibian populations worldwide. Both of the new salamanders belong to the genus Bolitoglossa, which are web-footed salamanders found in the tropical Americas.
Discovered on the eastern flank of the Andean mountains, the researchers named one of the new species the Tama salamander (Bolitoglossa tamaense) after Tama National Natural Park, and the other Leandra’s salamander (Bolitoglossa leandrae) after a local girl, Leandra Mojica.
Bolitoglossa tamaense salamander. Photo courtesy of the authors
Owl species in Indonesia (Hance)
A unique whistling call has led scientists to discover a new owl on the Indonesian island of Lombok, according to a new study in PLoS ONE. Two scientific expeditions, occurring separately but within a few days of each other, both noticed something different about the calls coming from owls on Lombok.
The owl on Lombok was long-thought to be a population of the Moluccan scops owl (Otus magicus) due to similarities in plumage, but the unusual call pushed scientists to investigate further. Because they are nocturnal, owls depend on their calls to identify their own kind, allowing eavesdropping scientists to do the same.
A new species of owl: Rinjani scops owl. Photo by: Philippe Verbelen.
Giant flying frog in Vietnam (Hance)
Jodi Rowley is no stranger to discovering new amphibians—she’s helped describe over 10 in her short career thus far—but she was shocked to discover a new species of flying frog less than 100 kilometers from a major, bustling Southeast Asian metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. Unfortunately, the new frog, dubbed Helen’s tree frog (Rhacophorus helenae), may be on the verge of extinction, according to the description published in the Journal of Herpetology.
Measuring 10 centimeters long, the new species is described as a giant flying frog. Flying frogs don’t actually fly, but instead use webs between their hands and feet to glide from one tree to another. Researchers believe Helen’s tree frog went unnoticed for so long, because it stuck to the high canopy.
Helen’s tree frog. Photo courtesy of Jodi Rowley.
Neon blue dragon in Vietnam (Butler)
German and Russian biologists have discovered a stunning new species of lizard in Vietnam. The species, dubbed Calotes bachae, is described in Zootaxa.
Calotes bachae is a type of agama, a group of lizards commonly known as “forest dragons.” It was described after DNA research led by Timo Hartmann revealed it was genetically distinct from another blue lizard species found in Myanmar and Thailand. In other words, it is what scientists call a cryptic species — one that has been hiding in plain sight.
Male Calotes bachae. Photo by Peter Geissler. | {
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One of my favorite characters in RWBY is the absolute madlad himself, Sun Wukong. Be it his constant charisma, Michael’s consistently great vocal performance, his fantastic weapons and two of the better fights in their respective volumes, Sun has constantly been near or even in the top ten list of my favorite characters of the show. Perhaps the largest reason for that though is how Sun is a very consistent character in his own right.
One of the more controversial choices Sun has made however was his following of Blake to Menagerie in Volume 4. Following this Sun got accusations of being a stalker, of only going so he could have sex with Blake, of being someone who didn’t care for Blake as a person beyond wanting what he couldn’t have. To which I say, “It’s OK for you to have bad opinions.”
Regardless. I think this take on Sun is quite unfair, and as such, today I’d like to explain why Sun went to Menagerie and why he wasn’t doing it just to kiss Blake. Also be warned that the end of this post has spoilers for Volume 6 Chapter 1. Thanks to @fakebrandon for supplying many of the images in this post.
(how can anyone hate this pure lad istg)
1) Miscommunication and Sun’s bullheadedness
You know how I said Sun’s a consistent character throughout the whole show? I wasn’t kidding, even as far back as Volume 2.
Sun may not be as good a leader as Ruby, but he does get the core idea of what Ozpin taught Ruby (and she subsequently taught Jaune) in Volume 1- strength in unity. Ruby phrases it as how the leader must put their team before themselves, Sun instead sees it as working together as a group to overcome what one person cannot. His ideals are consistent about this- Sun always tries to help and when he can, he gets people involved. It’s quite fitting then that Sun is one of the students who takes charge during the Fall of Beacon, trying to get everyone out along with Port and Oobleck.
Butting his head in is one of Sun’s most enduring traits, one fitting for the Monkey King. Unfortunately it’s also one that causes him no end of strife in Volume 4 when he goes after Blake.
Sun, I love you, but what possessed you to think this was a good idea beyond the cool factor?
It’s largely due to miscommunication that Sun follows Blake- in his own words he thinks she’s going on a “one-woman rampage against the White Fang!” Sun’s moral compass refuses to let him sit by while he thinks Blake is risking life and limb on what’s effectively a suicide mission. Notice how Sun’s crush on Blake never comes up in the conversation, in fact barring Sun making a few cases of verbal innuendo, it’s never addressed directly in Volume 4. Sun is a bit flirty during the Sea Dragon fight with his quips-
Keep in mind how Blake looks in these GIFs… we’ll be coming back to this later
But he doesn’t take it past that. He doesn’t even go for anything intimate like a hug once the Grimm has been destroyed. Sun goes for, of all things, a high-five.
While yes, Sun could have approached Blake in a less foolish manner and gotten himself a few less slaps in the process, it fits his character to be so brazen. Sun’s always been someone who wants to help his friends, and that brazen, cocksure attitude was what Blake needed when she was recovering; someone who wanted to help her, but didn’t want anything from it. Keep in mind that Sun never tries to take advantage of Blake while she recovers, no hugs, kisses or even finger guns. Remember, he thought she was going on a vengeance mission, his crush never factors into it on a conscious level- no doubt it influenced his decision to stick the rest of SSN on a bus to offscreen land on a subconscious level, but Sun as a character has always remained true to his roots of getting involved for better or for worse. And in this case, for the better. And his following Blake is just nailing that trait of his to the wall.
2) Blake needed someone to help her learn to stop running
Blake had a bad habit of running from her problems in the early days of RWBY- she ran from her parents when they left the White Fang, she ran from Adam when he became a kill-happy psycho, and she ran from Beacon when said psycho decided to help Yang on a radical weight-loss program involving her limb. The one time she refuses to run at the Fall of Beacon, Adam punishes her for it with a gut-stab and a fresh amputation. So once she could, Blake ran. She ran before Yang had even regained consciousness from the wound sustained for Blake, apparently only staying on Patch long enough to make sure everyone on-board got out alive before running for the hills.
While Sun followed Blake because he assumed she was going to war, Sun serves a vital purpose in Blake’s character arc of getting her to stop running from her problems and, at least partly, get her to stop blaming herself for the actions others take.
Blake only really proves Sun’s point during their confrontations across the last third of Volume 4- Blake is aggressive, outright slapping him twice, hard enough that he felt pain from it, something Arryn herself has felt was out of character for her. Even in spite of that he puts himself at risk to secure the scroll, taking a nasty shot to the shoulder in the first confrontation with Ilia. When Sun wakes up, Blake immediately begins making his injury about her and why she left, even ordering him to shut up at one point.
But Sun doesn’t give in to anger or snap at her like Adam would. Instead Sun waits for her to finish before calmly and gently calling Blake on her bullshit. Sun bluntly tells Blake that while she can make her choices…
This is Sun at his most solemn and quiet as he speaks to Blake, Michael kills it with his performance here. Sun only puts the pressure on Blake to finally make her realize the flaws in her self-loathing, to pull her out of the darkness that she believes her past with the White Fang has drenched her in and into the light of acceptance and redemption. Or as Like Morning Follows Night put it:
The kicker is, this works. Thanks to Sun helping to pull her out of her funk, the Blake we see in Volume 5 is much more balanced as an individual. She still looks on the past with regret, but now is more set on striding forward and changing the future, emboldened by the mistakes of the past. While Ghira and Kali would have pulled Blake back from the brink with the time, acceptance and love that only a parent can provide, and please do not assume I am undermining the valuable part they played in Blake’s recovery, Sun not just placidly taking Blake’s crap gives her the reality call that neither Ghira or Kali could have provided. Kali and Ghira gave Blake a home to recover in physically, and Sun gave her the confrontation she needed to confront her past emotionally. Sun was the only person Blake met at Beacon who really could provide that reality check- Weiss would be shot on sight, Ruby would be too pure, Yang too caught up in her own deep-rooted issues. Sun was the only person able to break her walls down and let the light shine on her dark psyche. The mindset that Sun helps her develop is a mindset that Blake carries into her next song, This Time, a duet with Ghira.
That lesson that Sun teaches Blake goes on to play a vital role in Volume 5- Blake uses those teachings to reach out to Ilia, to be there for her even though Ilia won’t want her to be there (Blake also spells out in this scene what I spent the past few paragraphs saying- she tried to push Sun out but his refusal forced her to better herself).
And when Blake finishes, Sun just has this quiet, almost proud smile on his face. The student has become the mentor, and Sun’s proud to see Blake stepping up and resolving to help someone like he helped her. After all, you should always get your friends involved.
This guy is a literal ray of sunshine and even if you don’t ship them I hope you can appreciate how well their dynamic works.
3) “It was never about that!”
I hope by this point I’ve made it clear that Sun’s intentions were far from romantic when he followed Blake, and that they were the last thing on his mind when he was on the island with her. Sun’s his usual charming self at a few points but barring an awkwardly hilarious scene with Ghira, Sun never tries to put the moves on Blake during Volumes 4 or 5, unless you want to classify “the moves” as helping beat up on Blake’s abuser.
“All women are queens Adam!”
“If she breathes, she’s a THOT!”
Sun and Blake have a lot of adorably cute moments in the Volume 5 finale as the Battle of Haven winds down. In those above GIFs of Sun saying “My hero!” Look how exasperated Blake is. Now look at her.
Her smile is genuine, it reaches her eyes and her ears perk up. That’s a smile of genuine gratitude. Remember when I told you to keep her stiffness in the V4 GIFs in mind? Still do that, but remember it in this case.
It’s only now after nearly two entire volumes that Sun actually offers a flirtatious line towards Blane- “No promises,” he quips as he rushes off into battle, giving Blake the chance to be the hero and help save her team from Hazel, Emerald and Mercury. He even tugs Blake towards her team after all the fighting has ceased, letting Blake have her chance to finally reconnect with her team- Sun, again, getting friends involved when he can.
This is the most intimate thing Sun instigates all show and he only does it after expressly earning Blake’s trust and admiration. Also dayum Sun you smooth boi
Sun sadly leaves the party in the next episode, since now that he’s helped Blake he has to go help the team he ditched in Mistral. Sun, as Michael put it in a panel pre-Volume 6, pulls his head out of his ass and decides to help his own team. They were fine while he helped Blake, but now that she’s back in the team’s safe hands, Sun needs to sort his own business out. Also he might just hate the cold, not ruling anything out.
You can tell how close Sun and Blake have gotten just by the proximity of which they stand beside each other. When they spoke on the boat in V4 there was a large gap between them, but now they’re almost bumping shoulders.
Blake and Sun’s conversation serves as the capstone of Blake and Sun’s development across Volumes 4 and 5. Sun gently tells Blake that she doesn’t need him now that she’s back with her own team, and Blake is almost… resistant to him going. She’s grown used to Sun’s presence, a far cry from how she was in Volume 4, and part of her isn’t really ready to let go of her friend just yet. Sun obviously is holding a candle, but their conversation ends on a bittersweet note, with both acknowledging that Blake has some baggage to deal with, but Sun is confident that Blake can handle herself with the aid of RWBY. That said, he doesn’t rule out a reunion and another chance to rekindle that spark, confident that they’ll reunite. And Blake…
“Platonic” my ass, Blake’s even doing the Princess Diaries heel-lift!
While leaving Blake at the train to Argus, Neptune weighs in and feels like Sun is letting Blake go. Sun bluntly shoots that down, saying the line “It was never about that.” Because for Sun, it was never about pursuing Blake romantically when he went after her. Sun saw a friend, an ally who he cared for deeply, diving into a well of self-loathing and running off on what he thought was a suicide mission, so he dived in right after her to pry her free from the darkness. Does Sun care for Blake romantically? Without a shadow of a doubt. But Sun did not see a girl wrought with depression and anxiety and saw a romantic conquest, he’s not some shallow blunderhead like some people like to portray him as. Was he insensitive in his not coming forward immediately? Perhaps, but the two have moved on from that incident.
To conclude, Sun is a fundamentally good person, a literal ray of sunshine who saw a friend of his in peril and put his own life on hold to help her. While Sun was likely influenced subconsciously by his crush for Blake, his overriding desire to help a friend in need was the primary motivation- in fact, Sun barely even touches Blake outside of friendly banter scenes. He never has an obvious romantic intent with Blake and only has her best interests at heart. Along with Blake’s parents, he provides a stable foundation for Blake to recover, and she in turn helps him get over the grudge he had with Ilia without him ever realizing it. Sun never seeks to take advantage of Blake in her fraught state of mind and his bond with her is a lifelong commitment to have each other’s backs. Come rain or shine, I know they’ll meet again and it’ll be like these two companions never parted ways to begin with.
Because that’s Sun, at his core; you should always get friends involved, come rain or shine. And when he’s around, you bet he shines.
Thank you for reading. | {
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“Existing funds” for Trump’s border wall are nominal. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
In late January, when President Trump signed an executive order to build his “big, beautiful wall” on the border between U.S. and Mexico, he said the Department of Homeland Security “will begin immediate construction.” But where would the money to do that come from? White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer clarified that the beginning of the project would be paid for with “existing funds and resources.”
Turns out, there’s not much “existing.” DHS has found only $20 million that it can redirect toward the border wall, which is only enough to begin building prototypes, according to a memo leaked to Reuters. That $20 million comes from money already appropriated for a fence on the border in Naco, Arizona, which was the rare government project to come in under budget. The rest is being reallocated from a project meant to put cameras on top of trucks patrolling the border.
Because both of these projects were already a part of the the DHS budget for border security, the department did not have to ask Congress to approve the maneuvering, Reuters reports.
But with only $20 million available and the wall projected to cast as much as $25 billion, Trump will soon have to go to Congress to ask for more funding. And that may present a problem. As many Republicans told CNN in February, Congress won’t allocate billions to the border wall without offsetting the cost. Even if, as Trump promises, any taxpayer money spent on the wall “will be paid back by Mexico later!” | {
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If you are arriving in Israel you must go into home isolation following approval from the Ministry of Health, if you can prove you have a proper place in which to carry out the isolation according to the restrictions set by the Ministry of Health, such as your own apartment or a separate unit. If you do not have a sufficient space to home isolate, you will be transferred to a Corona hotel for the duration of your isolation period.
The Government has started a gradual process of relieving the restrictions placed over the last couple of weeks.
New regulations state, if you arrive in Israel from a Green country (without physically being in a Red country within 14 days of arrival in Israel) you are exempt from the Isolation period.
For more info, click here.
For a list of Green countries, click here.
The following are the most recent instructions published by the Government, as of August 16th, 2020.
The Government has just released a new list of regulations. These regulations and instructions are set in order to regulate the releasing of restrictions that have been placed in a gradual way, and with a strict list of parameters for monitoring public safety. The reason for this is to minimize the risk of exposure to the corona virus. Below are a few examples of guidelines you should stick to in order to keep the virus from spreading further now that things are easing up a bit. | {
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The Selydove police station received information from a local hospital that it had two wounded residents of Kyiv region undergoing treatment, the police told UNIAN.
The two persons had gunshot wounds, which they reportedly received during an attack on Pisky, the hospital said.
Read alsoOne Ukrainian soldier killed, three wounded in Donbas in last dayInvestigators arrived at the hospital to establish circumstances of the incident. They found out that the two civil volunteers, males aged 36 and 37, were heading for the village of Vodiane when their minibus came under mortar fire near Pisky. One man obtained a shoulder wound, while the other had his chest wounded.
Both are in hospital now, their condition is satisfactory.
A criminal case under Part 2 of Article 258 (an act of terror) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine was opened in relation to this incident. | {
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The exact same step-by-step process in charming, seducing and devouring us.
[Jamie Glazov will be speaking at Beverly Hills Hotel on Feb. 6 about his new book: Jihadist Psychopath: How He Is Charming, Seducing, and Devouring Us. Register HERE. Order the book HERE.]
Reprinted from OneNewsNow.com.
The study of psychopathy has revealed to an author that the formula employed by Islamic supremacists to ensnare and conquer non-Muslims is the same as that employed by psychopaths to subjugate their victims.
Dr. Jamie Glazov studied the behavior of psychopaths for many years, discovering they have a certain step-by-step process in which they operate. The editor of Frontpage Magazine tells OneNewsNow that "psychopaths have a formula they use to subjugate and to devour their victims."
The process is composed of multiple stages, he argues – including a romancing stage, a seduction stage, a trapping stage, and a devouring stage, for example. In his new book, Jihadist Psychopath, Glazov explains how a psychopath and a jihadist share the same psychopathic process.
For example, he says, "after the victim is captured by the psychopath, within about 30 seconds the psychopath is sulking and pouting." Shortly after, "the victim is apologizing to him."
Likewise, when an attack is publicized in the West, Glazov notes "all of a sudden the emphasis is on the poor Muslims and how they're fearing a backlash against the Muslim community." Thus, he says, Americans will begin apologizing to the Muslim community – which is one of the shared steps of a psychopath and jihadist. Such content has actually prompted Twitter to issue a warning to Glazov that his book violates Pakistan law.
Glazov clearly understands oppressive law. His family escaped the socialist state of the Soviet Union when he was a child. Now living in the U.S., his motivation to expose jihadists is rooted in defending American civilization, he explains.
"I see that our civilization is committing suicide," he shares, "and I want to expose why it's committing suicide and how it's committing suicide."
The author believes the media, the Left, and their followers are in a state of "jihad denial." To illustrate this point, he points to the occurrence of a jihadist attack in the West and the reaction that follows. He contends the American public never gets an accurate threat assessment, nor do they ever get complete coverage of the attacker's motivation.
In one example, he describes the typical terrorist attack: During the attack, the terrorist shoots, stabs, or blows something up and "[he] screams 'Allahu Akbar!' And this is how our media reports on it: 'A man screamed God is great in Arabic' – right?
"The thing is, he didn't scream 'God is great,' but he screamed 'Allahu Akbar,' which means 'Allah is greatest.' It means he is greater than your God."
Apart from a theological debate about God, the media needs to discuss the Islamic sources that inspire and sanction jihad – something Glazov says "is never done." He believes that's what the mainstream media would have to do to be honest ... and accurate.
"Could you imagine Anderson Cooper or Don Lemon [both with CNN] inviting experts like Robert Spencer or Bill Warner to discuss what's motivating terrorists in the world today?" he asks – arguing that both experts would make it very clear "you cannot be for Sharia and be a moderate Muslim, because Sharia is an oppressive, misogynist, totalitarian system."
Instead, Glazov is certain groundless accusations would be made. After all, he points out, "the key weapon that the Left and the Islamic supremacists use today is pointing the finger and saying You hate all Muslims."
And experts like Spencer and Warner are often called Islamaphobes, racists, or white supremacists, he adds. "[The media] tries to say that we – those of us who are trying to stop jihad – somehow hate all Muslim people," he laments.
Neither the name-calling nor the accusations are based on facts, according to Glazov. "[It's] all a lie. This is not about Muslims – this is about Islam and the devout Muslims who follow it [in accordance with Sharia law]."
In contrast, says Glazov, many alleged "Islamaphobes" fight on behalf of Muslim girls, for instance, trying to protect them from female genital mutilation. "How can we possibly be haters of Muslim people for trying to protect Muslim people?" the author asks. "I just want to emphasize that there's a love from our side for Muslim people."
In a concluding remark, Glazov warns it is the psychopath jihadist that America must learn to recognize – or they will continue on their path of destruction to subjugate and to devour America.
*
Editor's note: To learn more about Jamie Glazov's unveiling of the Jihadist Psychopath's plantation -- and how we can escape from it, CLICK HERE. | {
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[WikiEN-l] Amazonified Wikipedia
Seems to me that "Shopping-enabled Wikipedia Page" may be perilously close to a trademark infringement, or what in the UK would be known as "passing off". Contrary to the description, this is not a Wikipedia page at all. The page has no relationship to Wikipedia. This is an *Amazon* page validly using CC free material that has come from Wikipedia. It is reasonable to presume that the casual reader might assume a commercial link between the WMF and Amazon which does not exist - and that the description tends to imply that. I'd like to know if the WMF was consulted over this, and what the lawyers think. Scott -----Original Message----- From: wikien-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikien-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Andrew Gray Sent: 03 December 2010 13:31 To: English Wikipedia Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Amazonified Wikipedia On 3 December 2010 13:09, Magnus Manske <magnusmanske at googlemail.com> wrote: > This stuff will apparently show up in Amazon search results soon-ish: > > http://www.amazon.com/wiki/James_Joyce > > Interesting idea, though I find it slightly disturbing for some reason... The idea seems to be that you'll search for James Joyce, get the page, follow it to buy a paperback of Finnegan's Wake. I do wonder how the traffic is going to find these pages in the first place, I admit... | {
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Please answer a few quick questions to help us better understand what our fans are seeking. As a token of our appreciation, sixteen respondents --- one for every year since System Shock 2 was released --- will be chosen at random to win a limited edition SHODAN print by series concept artist Robb Waters. | {
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President Trump’s post-midterms press conference on Wednesday afternoon went from sleepy to unhinged in a matter of seconds, with the president shouting down several reporters.
Trump spent the duration of his prepared remarks boasting about the midterm-election results, which saw the Republican Party retain its Senate control while losing the House to the Democrats, and calling out by name the GOP candidates who lost after refusing to “embrace” him during their campaigns.
But when the floor opened for questions, Trump blew up at CNN and NBC reporters who asked questions about his scaremongering over the migrant caravan, his views on the ongoing Mueller investigation, and allegations of voter suppression in several states.
When CNN reporter Jim Acosta, a frequent sparring partner of the president’s, took the mic, he asked Trump why he “demonized” the migrant caravan as an “invasion.” The president muttered “Here we go,” before eventually blowing up at the reporter.
“CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them,” he raged, pointing at Acosta. “You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN. You’re a very rude person.”
A presidential staffer came over to rip the microphone from Acosta’s hand while the reporter attempted to challenge Trump on the possible investigations that could come from a Democratic-controlled House—causing Trump to get even more personal.
“The way you treat other people are horrible. You shouldn’t treat people that way,” the president said before yelling “That’s enough” and demanding Acosta “put down the mic” and just “let me run the country.”
The commotion didn’t stop there.
When the president then turned to NBC’s Peter Alexander for a question, the White House correspondent spoke up in defense of Acosta.
“In Jim’s defense, I traveled with him and watched him. He is a hard-working, diligent reporter,” Alexander said, prompting the president to also insult the NBC reporter: “I’m not a big fan of yours either. You are not the best.”
Acosta stood up again to object, so Trump pointed directly at him and added: “When you report fake news, you are an enemy of the people.”
Moments later, Trump told CNN contributor and Urban Radio Networks correspondent April Ryan to “sit down,” scolding her for “rudely interrupting” another reporter to ask about voter suppression.
“Very hostile. Such a hostile media. It’s so sad,” he said while interrupting the same reporter he accused Ryan of speaking over. “You ask me—no, you rudely interrupted him. You rudely interrupted him. Go ahead.”
Trump continued to spar with reporters throughout the press conference, telling several others to sit down or stop asking questions. At another point, he accused CNN of “voter suppression,” citing the network’s election polling ahead of Tuesday’s elections.
In a later incident, Trump dismissed a black reporter who asked if his embrace of the “nationalist” label could be viewed as an embracing of white nationalism.
“That’s such a racist question,” the president fumed at PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor. “I love our country, we have nationalists and globalists. I’m very offended by that question.”
The heated event came hours after Trump delivered a series of early morning tweets boasting of his party’s midterm success, despite more than a dozen races across multiple states having yet to be called.
His tweets ranged from effusive praise for Republicans to a backhanded concession that Nancy Pelosi should become Speaker of the House, an unusual change from his usual fiery criticism of the California congresswoman.
“Nancy Pelosi, I give her a lot of credit. She works very and and she’s worked long and hard and I give her credit for what she’s accomplished, Trump said, reiterating his early morning tweet where he endorsed Pelosi for Speaker of the House.
Even before the presser, during his tweetstorm, the president couldn’t help but bash “fake news” pundits and “a nasty and hostile media” for “not giving us proper credit for this great Midterm Election.”
The president’s attacks on the media were applauded by Republican leaders, however. “We all value a free press, but it’s unfortunate that some reporters seem more interested in getting their own cable show than doing their jobs,” said RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in a statement obtained by The Daily Beast, who sat in the front row of Wednesday’s press conference. “The media grandstanding has gone overboard.”
CNN issued its own statement after the presser, decrying that “This president’s ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far. They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American. While President Trump has made it clear he does not respect a free press, he has a sworn obligation to protect it. A free press is vital to democracy, and we stand behind Jim Acosta and his fellow journalists everywhere.” | {
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"We are following all the guidelines set forth by law and by state civil service law. We've placed them on administrative leave at this point. They have no policing power at this point. We set forth the civil service procedure for termination," said Dabadie. | {
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Important gains in the advancement of more open and free societies have often been achieved through successful social movements. The “English Revolution,” the separation of church and state, and the founding of the United States (the first society with individual liberty as its supreme value) are all examples of this type of achievement.
Unfortunately, such admirable examples are not always the end result. Consider the ongoing social movement in Colombia. A national strike, which began on August 19, has managed to unite a range of interest groups: farmers, students, the transportation sector, and other smaller groups have joined together in this nationwide protest.
Regrettably, this movement holds no pretenses of defending civil liberties. On the contrary, their aim has been to rollback what little economic liberalization Colombia has managed in the past decade.
Among the demands being made by the protesters are greater government intervention within the various industry sectors represented by the striking parties, along with a general attack on free-trade agreements. In other words, they are calling for cronyism and protectionism in their favor but at the expense of the Colombian economy and the general population.
Even though the strike is still ongoing, it’s possible to visualize the implications of these demands for the future of Colombia.
First, the continuation of the political trend towards commercial liberalization is now precarious, as are the existing achievements in freeing the country’s economy. It’s not enough that the critics have managed — almost without public debate — to create a near national consensus opposing existing free trade agreements; they are also targeting realistic future agreements with Korea, for example, and even China.
Additionally, the animosity fermenting within Colombia has started to affect the prospects for foreign investment in the country. Loathing toward “multinationals” has become somewhat of a tradition at this point, but this groundswell of animosity has begun seeping into other sectors as well. One of the more recent examples came after the announcement that Starbucks was hoping to expand operations into the coffee-rich nation. The company’s aspirations managed to inspire the kind of ire and indignation one would expect if it had just declared war, as opposed to simply hoping to inject growth and healthy competition into the café market.
Second, the anti-trade movement has begun to reveal the framework for a more interventionist government at home. The government of Juan Manuel Santos, the current President, has negotiated subsidies, for example, with the coffee industry. Now he is talking about an extension of those subsidies for other sectors that feel threatened by Colombia’s international trade agreements. One specific example of this is a government program which is currently protecting mandated quantities of milk from domestic dairy farmers.
Colombia is also exploring the economically illiterate idea of controlling gas prices. Obviously, the possibility exists that these programs may eventually be extended to other beneficiaries, in other market sectors.
Ironically, at the beginning of this national strike, which has now been ongoing for weeks, the protesters in the agriculture markets were demanding the liberalization of the importation of chemicals, because, due to regulatory controls in place, chemical companies had been allowed to set high prices and effectively establish an oligopoly. In other words, the protesters in Colombia ask for free-trade when it benefits their interests, and more government intervention if they feel grieved in the slightest.
These developments are largely the result of a population that has failed to recognize their own government’s limited strengths and effectiveness. The strikes have created a contradictory situation for the government. On the one hand, as demonstrated above, they have resulted in a propensity for the government to intervene in the economy more easily, and more often. On the other hand, they have weakened those essential functions that the state must fulfill.
In this sense, the third potential result of the strike has to do with the weakening of a government that now finds itself at the negotiation table with the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), which it considers a terrorist organization, in addition to the beginning of negotiations with another guerrilla force, the ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional).
From the start of the negotiations with the first guerrilla group, the government insisted on the impossibility of changes to the country’s economic model. Yet, the demands currently being made through the national strike are more closely aligned with those of the guerrilla groups, who, in turn, are strengthened in their obsession with implementing a Marxist economic model in Colombia, similar to what is already being done in Venezuela.
The fourth result of the national strike is that the state appears debilitated internationally. These movements have distracted the country from the possibility of a greater international leadership. Additionally, it has opened the door to increased outsider meddling in internal affairs from countries like Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Cuba — happy to expand their failed models into Colombia.
Also, Colombia’s government runs the risk of appearing feeble to the United States. Established growth in recent years, economic transformation, and strengthened security and justice, which began during the government of Álvaro Uribe Vélez (2002 – 2010) , had made possible a new relationship — from a Colombia as the beneficiary of assistance provided by the United States to one in which both nations mutually benefit from trade and investments.
A setback in Colombia’s economic progress would slow that breakthrough.
Finally, political polarization in recent weeks has worsened as a result of these strikes and demonstrations. Each political group has sought electoral gains through the protests. The danger of this, regardless of your political ideology, is that the critics of the government of Juan Manuel Santos have taken advantage of the situation, to promise a more interventionist government with a smaller economic pie for all.
The consequences are: less economic liberty, more restricted markets, a growing dependence on the welfare state, a weaker government facing guerrilla groups, a weaker government internationally, and an increase in bureaucratic solutions. These, unfortunately, seem destined to be Colombian characteristics for the coming days, months, or even years.
This is a bleak outlook. Bad ideas can spread like wildfire, and this national strike is acting like gunpowder, destroying what little progress has been made in the country. This is the problem with underdevelopment: their societies are often perpetuated by the misconceptions and bad ideas in which they believe. This seems to be the case in Colombia. We’ll see. | {
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L’actrice qui incarne le clown, Véronique Gagné, est toujours stupéfaite des événements terrifiants des deux dernières années.
La première rencontre entre l’actrice et la femme remonte à 2017, lors d’un spectacle présenté à Mont-Tremblant. La chimie passe bien entre les deux femmes, au point où Maude Gaumont demande à Véronique Gagné si elle était disponible pour se déplacer à Gatineau, afin de tenir un spectacle-bénéfice pour financer des traitements dans des chambres hyperbares pour des enfants.
La femme avait alors dit à Atchoum qu’elle avait une belle influence sur une enfant de son entourage. Un contrat de spectacle a été signé.
Un mois après cette rencontre, c’était le début d’un long calvaire pour le clown, bien connu des enfants et de leurs parents.
Véronique Gagné dit avoir reçu de faux messages provenant de 40 personnages différents. « Ces 40 personnes, dit la victime, c’était elle. »
Ce « cirque » durait déjà depuis six mois, lors de la présentation du spectacle-bénéfice, à Gatineau. L’artiste ne savait toujours pas, à ce moment, qui se cachait derrière les nombreux messages tordus.
« Nous avons même partagé la scène, pendant ce spectacle », se souvient Mme Gagné.
Selon la plaignante, Maude Gaumont s’est entre autres fait passer pour une journaliste, un pédophile, et une infirmière.
« La "journaliste" me demandait si je m’étais engagée pour d’autres événements. Dès le début, je recevais des messages comme : "Fais pas le spectacle, sinon, si demain (tel enfant) est à son spectacle, ça va mal aller", etc. »
Puis, Maude Gaumont s’est mise à suivre l’artiste dans tous les coins du Québec, jusqu’en Ontario. « De Jonquière à Granby », dit-elle.
Elle se souvient d’un jour où elle faisait la lecture à des enfants, à Alma, au Lac-Saint-Jean. « Je l’ai vue arriver... Elle me suivait partout. Je sais que des parents se déplacent pour venir me voir à plus d’une reprise. Mais on ne parle plus de la même affaire, du tout... »
L’interprète d’Atchoum dit que cette femme « lui a joué dans la tête pendant huit mois ». Elle la voyait régulièrement dans la foule.
« Elle a même envoyé des messages à d’autres, en mon nom, en disant que je détestais les handicapés. Elle s’est fait passer pour moi ! »
L’affaire judiciaire s’est réglée à Saint-Hyacinthe, près de son lieu de résidence, là où elle a appelé la police pour la première fois.
La police a découvert les adresses I.P d’où étaient envoyés les messages par Internet. Ces adresses étaient liées à la même personne. Mme Gagné croit que plusieurs téléphones ont été utilisés.
Confidences
Ce qui répugne Mme Gagné est que l’accusée ait joué sur autant de tableaux.
« Et, pendant ce temps, je me confiais à elle. Je lui parlais des messages que je recevais. Et elle (l’accusée) me disait qu’elle vivait la même chose. Mais tout partait d’elle. » Certains soirs de spectacles, le clown pleurait derrière la porte de sa loge, car elle entendait pleurer une spectatrice qu’elle commençait à trop bien connaître.
Cette spectatrice, Maude Gaumont, pleurait devant la police, qui lui demandait de ne pas assister au spectacle. | {
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The possession discussion has assumed a frantically confused tenor in recent months. It’s as though the hive mind of the global soccer fan has tired of the intricate Barcelona-esque passing networks to such a fantastical degree that it’s decided to snap the other way entirely. Instead of deifying possession, there’s an increasingly vocal subset that’s begun to evangelize for a more balanced approach. Play out of the back, yes, but don’t demonize a varied approach. Suddenly a bit of Route One doesn’t seem as out-of-style as it did even a few years ago.
With a few notable exceptions, the movement has largely been positive in the sense that it’s brought context to our ongoing debate as to how we quantify possession stats and how they continue to mold and fit into our understanding of how their utility fits into the construct of an average game. The extremists exist, as they always do, but we’re lucky that those advocating for 70+ percent possession or pure over-the-top long ball rarely get much attention anyway.
In MLS, that reality is unique. Here are some numbers, and then we’ll talk about what they mean in a minute.
Elementarily put, pure possession is a decent enough predictor of a winning team in MLS, and the causal effect is not coincidence. Teams that’ve won the possession battle are a combined 30-20-29 in 2014. Not bad, and a decent predictor, but hardly ironclad. What is of note, especially at the top, is how these MLS teams arrive at these figures. There’s hardly any split at all.
In MLS, there’s startlingly little separating the possessor and the out-possessed. There have already been 10 occasions this season where two opponents have been within less than a single percentage point of splitting the possession perfectly evenly at 50-50. That’s eight percent of every game in MLS this season. In 79 games this season, the winning team is averaging 53.1 percent possession. Thin margins.
At their barest, these numbers clearly enunciate the league’s parity-driven atmosphere, which is as alive as it’s ever been. That won’t come as a shock, but this is an interesting way of framing the discussion. MLS is essentially taking a paring knife to the ubiquitous and frankly somewhat tiring discussion of pure possession, and the league has generally done so organically.
The most interesting game within the sample was Toronto’s 2-1 win over Seattle on the second weekend of the regular season. Since the 2014 season got underway on March 8, that game contained the greatest possession disparity at 68.2-31.8. Unpredictably, it was TFC, which once led 2-0 in the first half, that made off as the clear losers in the possession metric. Typically, this is the sign of a trend. When this extreme, statistics provide a rough map into the ravines and switchbacks that dovetail off into the future.
MLS, though, is almost literally unpredictable, even for stat-heads. Not only have the Sounders not replicated that figure in the seven games they’ve played since, but they haven’t even been remotely close. Their possession percentage numbers since that game: 44.9, 37.1, 50.6, 49.9, 51.8, 57.4 and 54. Their record in those games: 5-1-1. Four games as the possessor. Three as the out-possessed. Confusion in pure possession is the league’s rhumb line.
The Sounders have been involved in a game in which they’ve held nearly 70 percent possession against a fellow (healthy) big spender, a game in which they’ve held 37.1 percent possession at home in the rain against Columbus and were involved in a 50.1-49.9 split against FC Dallas that was the closest the league’s gotten to an even 50-50 possession game all season. Vegas must absolutely detest MLS.
This is illustrative beyond the Sounders themselves. It proves that there is little room for much territorial dominance where sheer possession is concerned. MLS has somehow managed to become one of the only statistically concerned leagues in the world (of which I’m personally aware) that has managed to subtly begin to excise talk of pure possession numbers. It’s not something we discuss much because in all honestly, it’s largely irrelevant in most MLS matches. When you routinely see a team snap up between 45-50 percent possession in a game – a losing metric, no? no – and win anyway, it begins to become a bit rote. You watch for other things.
This is different elsewhere. Fans slobber over the newest Iniesta chart, go weak in the knees over a Bayern Munich team tally (1,000 passes? 1,000 passes), dig deep into how badly Manchester City tied the possession noose around the opponent. And that’s fair to an extent, so long as it’s accompanied by a healthy helping of perspective – which it often is not. For a number of reasons, this simply doesn’t happen in MLS with any regularity. For better or worse (and I’d argue that there are both sides of the good and evil split at play here), the league’s lens simply turns elsewhere. Namely, we are beginning to look more and more toward the specifics underneath the sheer passing umbrella than the umbrella itself. Where did those passes go? Where were they made? What did they lead to? We need context. Through a number of factors – and yes, fewer technically able players is among them – MLS is providing that context. Possession matters, but it’s hardly the guiding metric. It’s simply one of them.
The shifting of the discussion is a positive, and MLS is proving itself again to be a league on the move. Still, this isn’t entirely rosy, considering the league parity is in one sense keeping a handful of teams from fully utilizing a play-from-the-back method Hugo Perez is popularizing here among YNT watchers with the U15 BNT. There’s simply only so much one can do.
Look at it this way. You’d look relatively silly spouting off the supreme value of pure possession when the stats bear out that it’s a good but hardly gospel way to win in MLS. You have a 37 percent chance of winning a game in MLS this season if you win the possession battle. Does that deserve deification? Let’s move the discussion.
Thankfully for us, MLS is helping. | {
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Although most bitcoin users rely on freely-available web and mobile wallets, recent security scares clearly illustrate the need for safer alternatives. Here, we take a closer look at one device designed to address the problem.
The Trezor hardware wallet is targeted at bitcoiners who wish to maintain a substantial stash of coins, but do not want to rely on third-party bitcoin storage services or impractical forms of cold storage.
Developed by Czech startup SatoshiLabs, the $99 device is essentially a USB dongle designed to add an extra authentication layer to all outbound bitcoin transactions.
By virtue of its design, Trezor can be used to sign transactions on ‘unsafe’ computers and is impervious to keyloggers and many other vectors of attack, so even if your host PC is compromised, the attacker has no way of getting your private key.
That’s also where the device gets its name, as ‘trezor’ translates into ‘vault’ in most Slavic languages, including Czech. A kind of ‘vault’ for your private bitcoin key, Trezor claims to use a number of clever tricks to maintain security even on compromised and unsafe machines.
Here, we take a closer look at these failsafes one at a time, from setup to transaction.
Unboxing and specs
The device is roughly the size of an average USB stick, albeit somewhat wider, and ships in a very small package.
The box features a holographic sticker on top and a warning urging users to get in touch with support in case they suspect the package was opened.
The sticker feels redundant however, as there is so much glue holding the box together that it is practically impossible to open without causing an obvious amount of damage in the process.
The box includes the Trezor device, a USB to micro-USB cable, an installation manual and a (very) small lanyard.
As for the device itself, we got a white, plastic sample. It also comes in grey and black.
Although the company developed and marketed metal units, they are no longer on offer and the first batches went out to early Trezor backers earlier this year.
The CE and RoHS-certified device measures 60 x 30 x 6mm (2.4 x 1.2 x 0.2 inches) and weighs in at 12g (0.42oz).
While not certified as fully waterproof, the company says the device is at least water resistant.
In terms of hardware, Trezor is based on an ARM Cortex M3 processor clocked at 120MHz. It has a 128 x 64 pixel OLED screen that is both legible and crisp.
The second component of the user interface comes in the form of two hardware buttons, used to perform a number of actions necessary to set up the device and sign transactions.
A standard micro-USB port is located at the bottom. The micro-USB port is the device’s only communication with the outside world and only source of power, as there is no battery on board.
As far as build quality goes, things could have been better.
The top of the device and the edges feel very robust, but the same cannot be said of the centre, between the buttons and micro USB port. This part of the device exhibits a bit of flex and it squeaks when pressure is applied.
However, the white plastic has a matte anti-scratch finish and it should be able to stand up to a fair bit of abuse.
The plastic lanyard pin is surrounded by sharp edges and the opening is poorly shaped, so inserting a lanyard can be frustrating.
This may sound like a case of nitpicking, so let’s be clear: for a USB dongle, the build quality and design are excellent, but consumers spoiled by bulletproof high-end smartphones may find these minor issues annoying.
Trezor installation
Installing the device is straightforward, but it involves a bit of work.
There is no way of getting around this, as you must jump through a number of hoops since you are dealing with a secure device.
After connecting the device, the first step is to head over to myTREZOR and download a browser plugin. The process is automated, although the user needs to allow the plugin to install.
Once the plugin is activated, myTREZOR will prompt you to enter a PIN.
This is where the keylogger protection kicks in. You don’t actually type the PIN, you have to click on an obscured numerical pad displayed in the browser.
The position of each number changes randomly, so every time you enter the PIN you will have to check your Trezor device for the layout.
An attacker using a simple keylogger, or even an attacker with complete remote access to the desktop, would not be able to determine the numbers, as they are displayed only on the Trezor device.
The next order of business is to write down a randomly generated 24-word seed. This seed will allow you to reconstruct your Trezor wallet in case you lose the device.
This is the only backup that can be used to recover your wallet in case of loss or theft. Trezor uses BIP39 and BIP44 standards for creating new wallets, so the generated seed can be recovered and used by other compatible wallets.
SatoshiLabs confirmed that users can use Mycelium 2.0, Wallet32 or Multibit HD to load Trezor’s recovery seed to their computer.
Technically, the device does not use standard random algorithms, as they would make it prone to random generator attacks.
Instead, it uses deterministic signatures and external random entropy sources, which means it uses multiple different sources to generate the ‘random’ seed.
The whole setup should take no more than 10-15 minutes.
Convenience and everyday use
The Trezor wallet tries to reconcile two opposite extremes.
On one hand it adds a new layer of security, but at the same time tries to make the user experience as simple as possible.
The device tackles the problem admirably, since there is not a lot of work left after the initial setup.
Using Trezor is not time consuming and a transaction can be approved in a matter of clicks, with minimal interaction with the device.
You have to punch in the PIN to access the wallet and each transaction must be approved on the device.
While the default myTrezor wallet offers a sleek design and works quite well, it still relies on a single service.
For this reason, users wanting to avoid any form of centralisation can opt for either third-party wallet. The device currently supports Multibit HD (beta) and Electrum 2.0 wallets.
You don’t need the device to receive bitcoins, only to send them. Even then, the process is rather straightforward, but Trezor isn’t intended for every bitcoin transaction you make.
Ideally it should be used to secure a substantial cache of bitcoins, transferring them to more convenient mobile wallet platforms for smaller transactions.
One potential issue for the device is its lack of mobile support.
For the time being, the Trezor device can only work with desktop operating systems such as Windows, OS X and Linux. This means you cannot pair it with your mobile phone or tablet, unless you happen to use a Windows 8.1 tablet.
However, Satoshi Labs is working on enabling USB On-The-Go (OTG) functionality, which would enable its use on Android devices.
This is planned for future releases and an open-source library for Android OTG support is already available on GitHub. Another update will enable support for BIP70, the latest bitcoin payment protocol designed to offer additional security-oriented features.
Conclusions
The Trezor hardware wallet works as advertised. It offers a number of advantages over traditional wallets and renders your private key impervious to many forms of attack.
The downside is that it is simply not an on-the-go device that can be used to make everyday transactions.
Rather, it is a niche product for people looking to secure their bitcoins and top up mobile wallets from time to time.
In other words, if you do not have a bitcoin stash at all times, Trezor (and other hardware wallets) are simply not designed for you.
Crypto enthusiasts, BTC hoarders and small businesses are the target audience. It lives up to its name, as it is more of a crypto vault than a wallet.
Since Trezor has no battery and relies on external power, it could work as a mobile solution, provided Android support is implemented.
It is compact enough to carry around on a keychain and connect to a phone when necessary, so we expect Satoshi Labs to tackle OTG support soon.
The Trezor can be purchased direct from Satoshilabs for $99.
Disclaimer: This article should not be viewed as an endorsement of any of the companies mentioned. Please do your own extensive research before considering investing any funds in these products. | {
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More Golden Ponies Coming really soon ^^Twilight: [link] Applejack: [link] Rarity: [link] Fluttershy: Working...Rainbow dash: Working...Want to use it? SURE JUST GIVE CREDIT ;DHope you like it folks | {
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Cuando Ada Colau dejó la portavocía de la PAH y se empezaba a especular con la posibilidad de que se presentase a las elecciones municipales, algunos miembros de ICV-EU reconocían en privado que si Ada se presentaba, ICV-EU daría un paso atrás. Eran momentos muy tensos, pues había personas deseando que se creara una candidatura de candidaturas pero, al mismo tiempo, estas mismas personas eran muy críticos con el apoyo de ciertas políticas que ICV-EU había llevado a cabo desde el Ayuntamiento. Finalmente, las negociaciones fructificaron (con un proceso que daría para una novela), y Guanyem anunció el pacto de la confluencia.
Es muy probable que en ese proceso haya habido algún clásico votante de ICV-EU que se haya frustrado por la extraña posición de su partido. Aunque, probablemente, ese votante no desconfíe ni de lo que representa Ada Colau, ni de lo que se le presupone a una plataforma que aúna iniciativas de izquierdas, lo cierto es que la confluencia implica una cuestión fundamental: disolución de la identidad histórica y construcción de una identidad nueva. También es más fácil cuando dicha identidad está mediada por una persona que apenas ha dejado rastros en los escenarios del mainstream político mediático, como es el caso de Manuela Carmena.
Cuando Carmena encaraba los micrófonos la noche electoral, la gente abarrotaba la Cuesta del Moyano y, palpablemente emocionada, dijo: “La verdad es que esta campaña no la han hecho solo los miembros que forman parte de la candidatura (…) Lo singular y lo que recordaremos como especial y extraordinario es que por encima de las campañas que tiran de talonario, esta campaña ha tenido como moneda la imaginación, la alegría y la creatividad”.
Manuela Carmena ha sido aupada como candidata y se ha construido su perfil político en prácticamente un mes. Un hito si consideramos los recursos de los que han dispuesto y los resultados obtenidos. Además, había una dificultad añadida: ¿Iba a entender el electorado que Ahora Madrid no era una marca blanca de Podemos sino algo más complejo? ¿Por qué se afanaba en prácticamente cada entrevista Manuela Carmena en dejar claro que era una candidatura de personas y no de partidos? Ha llegado incluso a decir que “los partidos se están quedando anticuados”. Al final, tanto Esperanza Aguirre como los grandes medios de comunicación, han decidido simplificar el relato diciendo que Carmena lideraba a Podemos en Madrid. Pero cualquiera que haya seguido el proceso de cerca y se haya documentado sabe perfectamente que es mucho más complejo. De nuevo, ha habido un arduo proceso de confluencia que da para otra novela.
Las experiencias de Ahora Madrid y Barcelona en Comú, obviamente, tienen muchas diferencias. El contexto marca escenarios distintos. Pero ambas comparten ser, de algún modo, descendientes del 15M. La disolución identitaria y la elaboración de un programa común son cuestiones que ya estaban en las plazas. Participar de estas candidaturas ha requerido, por parte de los actores ya establecidos, una cierta dosis de generosidad, pero también inteligencia para leer que el momento político ha cambiado, que hay una desconfianza muy grande hacia los partidos políticos en general y que la regeneración no puede ser simplemente un “portal de la transparencia”, tiene que ser estructuras y estrategias acordes con los tiempos que vivimos. Y en este punto, nos hacemos dos preguntas: ¿sigue teniendo sentido hablar de “unidad popular”? Y por otra parte, ¿van a desaparecer los partidos como principal estructura para canalizar la participación política?
Si analizamos otra de las cuestiones comunes entre Ahora Madrid y Barcelona en Común, nos encontramos una similar estrategia comunicativa. Conscientes de las limitaciones económicas, la opción más inteligente ha sido apostar por una campaña abierta a la ciudadanía, para que fueran personas comunes y corrientes las que hicieran la labor de esos equipos profesionales de creativos y asesores que suelen contratar los partidos. Es evidente que resulta más sencillo seducir con una marca nueva que con una ya creada. Pero está claro que la estrategia de abrir el código de la comunicación al común no significa sólo ahorrar dinero, también dejarse afectar por la creatividad y la imaginación ajena, perdiendo en muchos momentos el control absoluto de dicha comunicación. Esa pérdida de control es algo impensable en una estructura tradicional de partido. El partido se caracteriza por la permanente dirección del relato. La cuestión es que, por más artículos que se escriban sobre lo guay y lo cool que ha sido la campaña en torno a Manuela Carmena, lo más sexy está en encontrarnos con toda una estructura que aspira a gobernar una gran ciudad y que, al mismo tiempo, se deja desbordar. Dejarse invadir y confiar en una construcción colectiva y descontrolada -incluso moviéndonos en la lógica de la representación-. Podríamos hablar del diseño colectivo del perfil de una candidata como metáfora de las ansias de diseñar conjuntamente una ciudad. “La Manuela que queremos, el Madrid que queremos”.
Si bien es cierto que la política electoral es, en gran medida, comunicación, no hay que olvidar la dimensión organizativa y estructural. En ese sentido, ambas candidaturas también han ensayado recetas organizativas distintas de las tradicionales. En Barcelona, por ejemplo, se han llegado a generar un gran número de comisiones especializadas, desde contenidos a comunicación en red, pasando por los grupos de traducción castellano-catalán. El método de trabajo en una red de grupos abiertos y federados ha supuesto un reto en términos de intercomunicación y de confianza, yendo ambos factores de la mano. Pero también en cuanto a autogestión y autonomía. Algo que, de nuevo, los partidos tradicionales no son capaces de abordar apropiadamente por su obsesión por fiscalizar y controlar la toma de decisiones. Y lo interesante es que no estamos describiendo una estructura que se encuadre en los tradicionales esquemas de lo “horizontal”. Estas experiencias están construyendo, sobre la marcha, prototipos abiertos para generar nuevas formas de organización política, caracterizada por la distribución de competencias más allá de los tradicionales gabinetes y secretarías de los partidos, por la producción de narrativas de forma abierta y colaborativa, por la creación de identidades mutantes y con vocación inclusiva, no excluyente. Son organizaciones que asumen e integran la des-organización, buscan -y se dejan- desbordar, más que compartirmentar la política en bloques (identitarios, lingüísticos, organizativos, demográficos, etc.).
Esta crisis del modelo-partido no es única y exclusivamente algo que naciera con el 15M. Tiene que ver con la crisis de la noción de experto (y aquí podemos situar la figura “político profesional” frente a “sociedad civil amateur”). La cultura digital devino en una crisis sobre los compartimentos estancos (crisis de la noción de departamento, de la noción de sector, incluso de los perfiles profesionales, ya no es tan sencillo demostrar ni representar una especialidad). Lo que demuestra esta lógica del desbordamiento es que no sitúa en el centro a los protagonistas que mandan, a los especialistas, sino que sitúa en el centro la colectivización en la gestión del conocimiento. No es casual que la palabra “común” sea tan importante, es un proceso de colectivización de la política (o de politización colectiva) donde la suma de saberes es la potencia y no las personas en sí mismas. Por tanto, una de las claves de esta “nueva política” es que lo que sirve de crítica para una parte de la política tradicional (“esta gente no tiene experiencia”) es en realidad un valor. El amateurismo es un fenómeno que trasciende la cuestión política y es una revolución que tiene que ver con personas que se autoforman y que aman lo que hacen. Es ese amor y esa pasión lo que mueve que sean capaces de innovar a niveles que no son planteables para los “profesionales”, aunque éstos vean con recelo que haya cada vez más gente que puede dedicarse a lo que les gusta. Hay una cuestión vocacional.
Por último, hay que mencionar algo esencial de todo este prototipado colectivo. Los feminismos y la forma en que se han infiltrado en la política. A pesar de que aún queda mucho por avanzar, dado que "estar presente" y la noción de vanguardia siguen estando muy presentes en la política profesional, lo cierto es que cabría reflexionar sobre qué ha implicado que la figura que tanto gusta al mainstream político mediático (el líder, la líder, el jefe, la jefa) y que tanto funciona narrativamente para simplificar el relato, haya estado ocupada por mujeres cuya forma de abordar la política es a través del diálogo, de la escucha activa y de la palabra. No son sólo ellas, el cambio de paradigma político (donde, como decíamos, es curioso que aún se hable de “unidad” cuando es precisamente eso lo que ha hecho fracasar a Izquierda UNIDA) tiene que ver también con la feminización de la política. Y quizás en el hecho de que la noción de unidad no es tan importante como la noción de confluencia hayan tenido que ver las mujeres en situaciones de vanguardia pero, sobre todo, las mujeres desde la retaguardia.
Estos prototipos no son infalibles pero, aún así, necesitan ser documentados y explicados para poder entender mejor su éxito (para descubrir si es algo puntual y si es realmente factible su replicabilidad de cara a las Elecciones Generales). Y a todas luces parece claro que “el consenso funcionó mejor que el asalto”, que “sí se puede, pero solos no solo Podemos”, y que, sin glorificarlo, hay que seguir bebiendo del espírítu que generó el 15M. Aquel espíritu que generó un consenso tan grande y que estaba basado en salir de nuestra cueva, encontrarnos y reconocernos. Pero reconocerse y encontrarse es más fácil cuando no nos encerramos en nuestras identidades históricas, cuando nos mantenemos siempre abiertos, siempre alerta, siempre dispuestos a mezclarnos y a dejarnos desbordar. | {
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It's easy to think the world is ending when natural disasters are pummelling vulnerable islands and politicians are threatening nuclear destruction.
But take a step back and you'll find a more encouraging picture of where the human race is headed - at least from a public health and quality of life perspective.
Across the board, in matters of mortality, hunger, disease, and more, life is getting better for billions of people.
Here is a sampling of that global progress.
Extreme poverty is slowly going extinct.
Gates Letter
Extreme poverty is defined as living on less than US$1.90 a day. For about 150 years (between 1820 and 1970) the number of people dealing with it continued to rise. By the end of the 1970s, more than 2 billion people were classified as extremely poor.
People still seem to think the world is getting poorer, but the data show the number of people in extreme poverty has shrunk to 705 million from that 2-billion high, Melinda Gates explained in a recent Gates Letter.
"The larger historical trends are toward greater inclusion and caring," she said. "We definitely see it in global health. Governments are prioritising it. Citizens are supporting it. And scientists are migrating to it."
The polio vaccine has nearly wiped out the disease worldwide.
Gates Letter
New polio cases haven't gone down much in the last 17 years - mostly because they're already so close to zero.
In the 64 years since Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine, many countries have made concerted efforts to get people vaccinated. China saw its last cases in the mid-1990s and India about 20 years later.
In 2016, there were fewer than 40 new cases logged worldwide. Currently, just four countries have yet to eradicate polio.
Contraceptive use is higher than it's ever been.
Gates Letter
One of the most effective methods for ensuring economic and social success in a nation is female empowerment. In its 2015 Gates Letter, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation noted that investments in women's health result in stronger workforces and economies in general.
Contraceptives help break the cycle of high fertility and child mortality, letting women focus more on themselves and their families. Roughly 300 million women in the 69 poorest countries used some form of birth control in 2016 - a jump of 30 million from 2012.
HIV deaths are falling precipitously.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The world has made enormous leaps in the fight against HIV/AIDS, to the extent that with the right treatment, someone HIV-positive can expect to live as long as their healthy neighbor.
As of 2015, there were 36.7 million people worldwide living with the virus, roughly 1.8 million of whom were children under 15 years old. Today, the death rate from HIV is about 0.14 people per 1,000 in the population, down from a high of 0.30 in the early 2000s.
Fewer kids are dying before their 5th birthday.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Since 1990, the number of kids dying before their 5th birthday has been cut in half, from 12.1 million down to 5.8 million, in 2015.
This is largely due to advances and investments in simple, inexpensive measures in developing countries, including bed nets to prevent malaria and drilling wells for access to clean water.
The World Health Organisation finds preterm birth complications and malnutrition play deciding roles in how children fare in their first years of life.
Sanitation is steadily getting better.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Greater numbers of sewer connections and water treatment plants are helping to clean up the world.
Over the last 25 years, the percentage of people relying on unsafe sanitation has fallen from 57 percent to 33 percent.
The Gates Foundation has contributed to the trend, in part by funding research to build waterless toilets and investing in purifying waste water to make it drinkable.
Billions of people are gaining access to fresh produce.
Our World in Data
Given the difficulties related to shipping and storing fresh produce, gains in worldwide consumption can act as a proxy for access to healthy sources of food.
The world has gone from eating 83 pounds of fruit a year in 1961 to 172 pounds in 2013, more than a 100 percent increase.
That total is still below countries like China, the US, and Colombia, which means there are a host of countries without regular access. But advances in refrigeration and global aid have enabled healthier eating across the globe.
Food scarcities are disappearing.
Our World in Data
One of the great achievements in public health over the last century has been the ability to give food to people who need it.
Across the world, on every continent, people are eating more (and more equitably) compared to generations past, according to data analysed by Max Roser at Our World in Data.
In 1961, the average person consumed 2,200 calories a day. By 2013, the number had risen to 2,900 a day.
Countries are abandoning child labor practices.
Our World in Data
In both developed and developing countries, labor laws mandating a minimum age for work have enabled the child labor rate to plummet for more than a century.
In Italy, for example, roughly 64 percent of kids held steady jobs in 1881. By 1961, the rate had fallen to less than 4 percent. The same story has played out in the US, where child labor has all but been eradicated, save for trace illicit cases. As recently as 1890, however, roughly one in 10 kids worked.
Due to higher rates in developing nations, the global average hovers around 17 percent.
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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77 F---- Fiery Words You Can’t Say in Baseball Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price used the F-word 77 times in a recent tirade against the media. We f------ frankly break it down.
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The Seahawks are blowing up their defense before it gets old, but they’re continuing to bring in veterans who may have something left in the tank.
According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Seahawks are hosting running back Jonathan Stewart today.
Stewart was cut by the Panthers after a successful 10-year run, which he finished as their all-time leading rusher.
Still an effective between-the-tackles runner, he’d lend some experience to a backfield that’s been looking for stability since Marshawn Lynch left.
Stewart’s also from the area, which makes him visiting convenient for the Seahawks. | {
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Adele performs during the BRIT Awards 2012 held at the O2 Arena on February 21, 2012 in London, England.
Hello, Brit Awards, it's Adele.
The British songstress along with James Bay and Years & Years all tied for most Brit Awards nominations with four. Calvin Harris and Jess Glynne each earned three nods.
The Brit Awards 2016 take place on Feb. 24 at London's O2 Arena.
See the full list of nominees below.
British Male Solo Artist
Aphex Twin
Calvin Harris
James Bay
Jamie XX?
Mark Ronson
British Female Solo Artist
Adele
Amy Winehouse
Florence & the Machine
Jess Glynne
Laura Marling
British Group
Blur
Coldplay
Foals
One Direction
Years & Years
British Breakthrough Act
Catfish & the Bottlemen
James Bay
Jess Glynne
Wolf Alice
Years & Years
Critics' Choice
Jack Garratt
Izzy Bizu
Frances
British Single
Adele, "Hello"
Calvin Harris & Disciples, "How Deep Is Your Love"
Ed Sheeran & Rudimental, "Bloodstream"
Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do"
James Bay, "Hold Back the River"
Jess Glynne, "Hold My Hand"
Little Mix, "Black Magic
Olly Murs ft. Demi Lovato, "Up"
Philip George, "Wish You Were Mine"
Years & Years, "King"
MasterCard British Album of the Year
Adele, 25
Coldplay, A Head Full of Dreams
Florence & the Machine, How Big How Blue How Beautiful
James Bay, Chaos & the Calm
Jamie XX, In Colour
British Producer of the Year
Charlie Andrew
Mark Ronson
Mike Crossey
Tom Dalgety
British Artist Video of the Year
Adele, "Hello"
Calvin Harris & Disciples, "How Deep Is Your Love"
Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do"
Jessie J, "Flashlight"
Little Mix, "Black Magic"
Naughty Boy Ft. Beyonce, Arrow Benjamin, "Runnin (Lose It All)"
One Direction, "Drag Me Down"
Sam Smith, "Writing's on the Wall"
Years & Years, "King"
International Male Solo Artist
Drake
Father John Misty
Justin Bieber
Kendrick Lamar
The Weeknd
International Female Solo Artist
Ariana Grande
Bjork
Courtney Barnett
Lana Del Rey
Meghan Trainor
International Group
Alabama Shakes
Eagles of Death Metal
Major Lazer
Tame Impala
U2 | {
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The winter has come and gone, and Markham’s infamous cow statue is still standing tall.
Last fall, Markham city council voted to move the 25-foot-high statue from its current home in a small parkette on Charity Cres., to greener pastures, after complaints from local residents that the stainless steel bovine on stilts had been installed with little consultation and was “terrifyingly close” to their homes.
The larger than life tribute to one of the country’s most famous show cows was donated and installed by developer Helen Roman-Barber, in honour of her father, who once owned the farm that was replaced by the subdivision of Cathedraltown that now sits near Elgin Mills and Woodbine Ave.
Read more:
Is story behind Markham’s controversial cow sculpture a tall tale?
Udder confusion surrounds fate of cow-on-stilts
Markham residents have beef with huge cow sculpture
Stephen Roman had purchased a 50-per-cent share in Brookview Tony Charity in 1985 for a then-record $1.45 million. His daughter said Charity Cres. had been planned as the final home for the statue named Charity: Perpetuation of Perfection.
But residents protested that they had no say in the placement of the public art piece, and that Charity could be seen peering inside their homes, including their children’s bedrooms, at all times of the day.
In October, council voted that the move would take place once Markham had ownership of the donated art piece and could figure out where to put it.
Six months later, the wheels of municipal bureaucracy have turned ever so slightly.
In an email update to councillors, staff said they had given Roman-Barber until March 9 to take the sculpture back, according to the terms set out in an agreement between the two parties.
But “no response was provided by the donor,” by that deadline, implying the city would then take ownership of it.
Ed Shiller, a representative for Roman-Barber, did not respond to questions about whether they will take the statue back.
In the meantime, staff said they are evaluating the “timing, readiness and cost” for each of the three alternative locations for the sculpture which include a future urban park at Victoria Square Blvd./Betty Roman Blvd., Frisby Park, Arboretum and Heritage Orchard. They will also assess the “method and cost to remove, transport and reassemble the sculpture in a new location” and expect to bring the report to council sometime in April.
But local councillor Alan Ho says the city is still finalizing the ownership details. He admits the process has taken longer than it should. And despite the willingness of council to see the sculpture moved, he says he can’t guarantee it will happen before the municipal election this fall.
“I am quite sure it will be done before the election, but I can’t be sure 100 per cent.”
Local resident Danny Da Silva, who has been leading the charge against Charity, said the entire process has been “frustratingly slow.”
“There’s still no definitive plan after all these months,” said Da Silva, who says the statue continued to draw tourists in the winter.
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“Considering how fast they put it up. It’s unbelievable how long it is taking to bring it down,” he said. “We just want this thing out of here.”
Da Silva says despite seeing the cow every day for nearly a year, he still hasn’t warmed up to Charity’s presence.
“Most people will get used to any kind of torture over time,” he said. “It’s just driving me crazy.”
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FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2019, file photo U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, center, arrives for a interview with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington. House investigators released more transcripts Nov. 5 in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, including hundreds of pages of testimony from Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, and Sondland. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2019, file photo U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, center, arrives for a interview with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington. House investigators released more transcripts Nov. 5 in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, including hundreds of pages of testimony from Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, and Sondland. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — “I now do recall.”
With that stunning reversal, diplomat Gordon Sondland handed House impeachment investigators another key piece of corroborating testimony Tuesday. He acknowledged what Democrats contend was a clear quid pro quo, pushed by President Donald Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, with Ukraine.
Sondland, in an addendum to his sworn earlier testimony, said that military assistance to the East European ally was being withheld until Ukraine’s new president agreed to release a statement about fighting corruption as Trump wanted. Sondland knows that proposed arrangement to be a fact, he said, because he was the one who carried the message to a Ukrainian official on the sidelines of a conference in Warsaw with Vice President Mike Pence.
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“I said that resumption of U.S. aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks,” Sondland recalled.
His three-page update, tucked beneath hundreds of pages of sworn testimony from Sondland and former Ukraine Special Envoy Kurt Volker, was released by House investigators as Democrats prepared to push the closed-door sessions to public hearings as soon as next week.
Trump has denied any quid pro quo, but Democrats say there is a singular narrative developing since the president’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy when he first asked for “a favor.” That request, which sparked the impeachment inquiry, included a public investigation into Ukrainian activities by Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and his son and Trump’s allegations of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said the House panels conducting the inquiry are releasing the word-by-word transcripts of the past weeks’ closed-door hearings so the American public can decide for themselves.
“This is about more than just one call,” Schiff wrote Tuesday in an op-ed in USA Today. “We now know that the call was just one piece of a larger operation to redirect our foreign policy to benefit Donald Trump’s personal and political interests, not the national interest.”
Pushing back, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement saying the transcripts “show there is even less evidence for this illegitimate impeachment sham than previously thought.”
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In the transcripts and accompanying cache of text messages, U.S. diplomats are shown trying to navigate the demands of Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who they soon learn is running a back-channel U.S. foreign policy on Ukraine.
“It kept getting more insidious,” Sondland told investigators, as the “timeline went on.”
Sondland testified that he spoke with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about Giuliani, “and Pompeo rolled his eyes and said: ‘Yes, it’s something we have to deal with.’”
In his revised testimony, Sondland, a wealthy businessman who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, says his memory was refreshed by the opening statements of two other inquiry witnesses, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, William Taylor, and Tim Morrison, a European expert at the National Security Council.
The ambassador initially testified on Oct. 17 that he did not “recall taking part in any effort to encourage an investigation into the Bidens.” He told investigators he didn’t know that the Ukraine firm Burisma, that Trump wanted Ukraine to investigate, was linked to Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
But in the weeks since a May visit to Kyiv for Zelenskiy’s inauguration, Sondland and the other diplomats had been heavily involved in Ukraine policy and in text messages about what Trump wanted as they came to realize the military assistance was being withheld.
Volker and Sondland both testified they were disappointed after briefing Trump at the White House about the new leader of the young democracy who was vowing to fight corruption.
At a pivotal May 23 meeting, Trump “went on and on and on about how Ukraine is a disaster and they’re bad people,” Sondland testified.
Trump holds an alternative view, pushed by Giuliani, that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 elections in the U.S., a theory counter to U.S. intelligence findings.
″‘They tried to take me down.’ He kept saying that over and over,” Sondland recalled Trump saying.
Trump told the diplomats to work with Giuliani on Ukraine issues.
Over the time that followed, Volker and Sondland proposed to Zelenskiy’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, that they a draft statement to be issued by Ukraine on potential interference with the U.S. political process. At Giuliani’s urging, that statement needed to have an “insert at end with 2 key items:” Burisma and the 2016 U.S. elections.
“It was Mr. Giuliani who said: If it doesn’t say Burisma and 2016, it’s not credible, because what are they hiding?” Volker testified.
Pressed by investigators, Sondland testified that it would be improper for the U.S. to prompt Ukraine to investigate the Biden family. “It doesn’t sound good.”
The statement was never issued, as Ukraine refused it. Volker said he told Yermak it was “not a good idea.”
Questions swirled after a government whistleblower’s August complaint about Trump’s phone call with Zelenskiy.
By September, Sondland also told investigators, Trump was in a “bad mood” and nearly hung up on him when the ambassador asked what it was he wanted from Ukraine.
“I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo,” Trump said, according to Sondland. “I want Zelenskiy to do the right thing.”
As House investigators released more transcripts Tuesday, they also announced they want to hear from Trump’s acting chief of staff and a top aide to Pence, reaching to the highest levels of the White House.
Pence spokeswoman Katie Waldman said the vice president was unaware of the “brief pull-aside conversation” that Sondland reported having with Yermak. She also said Pence was unaware of the ongoing back-and-forth over the statement, and that it never came up during his meeting with Zelenskiy.
At a closed-door lunch Tuesday, Pence told Senate Republicans the funds were being withheld over concerns that the Europeans weren’t contributing enough aid and issues of corruption in Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the meeting but unauthorized to discuss it and granted anonymity.
Trump says the probe is illegitimate and the administration has resumed its efforts to block the inquiry as two more White House officials, an energy adviser and a budget official, declined to appear Tuesday before investigators, even after one received a subpoena.
Meanwhile, investigators said they wanted to hear on Friday from Trump’s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. They contend his news conference last month amounted to “nothing less than a televised confession” of Trump’s efforts to have Ukraine investigate Democrats and Biden as the White House was blocking military funding.
Trump says he did nothing wrong, and Mulvaney later walked back his remarks.
The White House has instructed its officials not to comply with the impeachment inquiry being led by House Democrats. Mulvaney is not expected to appear.
Republicans have been unable to deliver a unified argument against the impeachment probe, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he’s “pretty sure” how it all will end.
McConnell said he believes Trump will stay in the White House. “I don’t think there’s any question it would not lead to a removal,” he said.
A top Trump ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters he doesn’t plan to read the transcripts, calling the whole inquiry “bunch of B.S.”
Sondland closed his addendum to the House investigators saying he may have had a second call with Trump, but has been unable to obtain phone records and “cannot specifically recall” if that was the case.
___
Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Matthew Lee, Matthew Daly, Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Jill Colvin and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report. | {
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According to TSN Senior Correspondent Gary Lawless, the Calgary Stampeders have re-signed national fullback Rob Cote.
"Rob is one of the true leaders of our team," Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson said in a release. "He had another strong season in 2016 and we're counting on him to continue being an important contributor to our success."
The 10-year CFL veteran has spent his entire career with the Stampeders after originally signing as an undrafted free agent in 2007. For his career, the fullback has caught 106 passes for 1108 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards on 27 carries.
Cote has also won two Grey Cups with the Stamps in 2008 and 2014. | {
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Introduction
There have been five changes in the Church in the last fifty years that seem to have altered the shape of the modern church and its direction. They are:
A move from the Church as a single tribe “the blood of Israel” or a large family to a collection of super families or affiliated tribal groups. A move from blue collar ethos to white collar professional standards (with a change in image and expenditures that make sense to white collar professionals and that alienate blue collar members). A loss of Church centered social organizations and programs — so that if your family organization or tribe does not provide them, the Church offers no social connection for you (which also works to drive members who are not part of a tribe away from the Church). A move from being mostly Democrats to mostly Republican. Correlation. The term means many things, but it expressly means the Hellenic Greek Philosophy of Idealism as applied to religious thought (in the form of presentism).
This essay discusses these changes and what they have come to mean.
The Blood of Israel
In the 1960s and 1970s, a now noted Methodist graduate student encountered the Mormons in Utah. Her name was Jan Shipps. She was shocked to realize that the Utah Mormons acted like an ethnic group or a tribe — with the amazing feature that you could join it rather than be born into it. Usually an ethnic group needs much more in the way of blood relationship and it takes a few hundred more years to set up than the Mormons had obtained.
But for a Mormon, every where you went you had people who treated you and acted like extended family. They shared culture and background and, honestly, often generational roots and classic ethnic heritage. But the Church in general acted like one large tribe or one large family and it had the mythos or central culture story of being of one blood, the “Blood of Israel.”
That has changed. Now it is much more important to be part of a large family in the Church. People are often told that as converts they are not really suitable as marriage candidates. General authorities as a class tend to come from a group of elite family groups. People tend to rely on their family groups to meet important social needs rather than the “extended” family of the Church or society as a whole. There is actually less engagement in the common social sphere rather than more.
In addition, many Church employees and Church related businesses (e.g. the manufacturers of temple clothing, etc.) are tied into the kinship groups. In many places (though not all) the Church is not so much one extended family as a collection of tribes or clans with outliers no longer able to join the extended family or tribe, to become part of “the Blood of Israel” just by joining the Church. In fact, the Church rarely uses the phrase or meme “Blood of Israel.”
Slowly, but surely, the Church is moving from being “of one blood” to being a collection of tribes or super families with everyone who is not a part of those excluded.
The Blue Collar Divide
From the 1900s to the 1960s, the Church had a working class, blue collar ethos and was proud of it. It was a collection of people who showered after they had put in a work day rather than before (to use someone else’s phrasing). In many, many ways, the Church was very egalitarian blue collar. If there was a building project, everyone was expected to put in time. If a building needed cleaned — everyone participated.
If we had had the current system of cleaning chapels that we now have, general authorities would be telling stories of how they and their families had cleaned the chapel last week — much like we heard stories of general authorities whose first callings in the Church were things such as picking up song books or other humble tasks.
This was reinforced by the Church’s financial condition. Since this discussion is focused on the changes from the 1960s to the present, let us look at the Church then. Under David O. McKay, with the financial issues, general authorities often served a great financial sacrifice.
The Church very much presented as being run by a lay clergy and volunteers and the lack of compensation and frugality was part of the ethos and public presentation of the Church.
People could drive by President Kimball’s small plaster house. It looked like a 1200 square foot three bedroom, one car garage home. Some general authorities served on boards of Church owned businesses and they were compensated for that like other board members, but many were very much blue collar in their clothing, life style and expenses.
That fit the blue collar image of the Church. Since the 1960s there has been a divide.
Now, the image of the Church is tied to that of white collar professionals — and successful white collar professionals. We look at Romney and Cannon for our role models.
Mission Presidents are expected to present as successful professionals. Mission homes are residences suitable for professionals to live in (and, honestly, testing has shown that presenting to the public this way has a positive impact on missionary work and success). They have allowances for decoration to both improve the presentation and to give comfort to the families living in them.
When we look at those who serve in callings, at stipends and compensation and reimbursements (all of which are different things with different legal meanings) we benchmark against successful white collar professionals instead of against typical blue collar “average joes.” Those who are a part of the white collar professional class see that as natural (and reinforcing the “improved” image of the Church). Those who are blue collar often see it as excess.
Outsiders, who are mostly professional class, for the most part see the change as a positive improvement. Those who have blue collar roots do not. While historically it created improvements in the Church’s outreach, the recent actions by Pope John Paul have shown that once a Church establishes that it is “successful” — once that happens — voluntary retrenchment is seen as a very positive thing. Forced frugality is seen as failure. Voluntary frugality is seen as a positive.
Loss of Community
It used to be that a “Mormon Church” was a community center. A common by-word was that you could tell the LDS chapel because it was in constant use every night of the week. Members expected the road shows and dance festivals and athletic leagues and steady dinners and other activities to provide a community core that embraced them. Many of these were tied to fund raising or other activities and they consumed a good deal of time and effort.
That has ceased. Social needs are no longer expected to be met by the Church (with the goal that members by going out into the community will bring the community back to the Church).
Thus rather than the Church being a community — one that met social and emotional needs — it has gone to a Church that serves a basic, simplified ration of religious training, and encourages the members to find service opportunities on their own. The change is that members now need to find social opportunities on their own and to study and learn the gospel (beyond the simplified curriculum) on their own.
This ties into the change from one family or tribe to many families and tribes and the growing alienation of those outside of the super families that dominate the core of the Church.
Political Change
David O. McKay and his sons were all Democrats. Utah governors were always Democrats. That has really changed. The Church has gone from a more liberal Church in many ways to one that is more conservative politically. That makes for a real disconnect at times between older Church publications and newer ones and between the expectations of some members
Correlation
The term means many things, from streamlining the number of publications to uniform building design.
In this discussion it relates to the Hellenic Greek Philosophy of Idealism as applied to religious thought (in the form of presentism).
This is the idea that there are about fifty core religious concepts and that when you look at any scripture or talk or historic writing any person can, armed with those concepts, find the eternal truth in them.
In the worst form this is proof texting on a grand scale. To quote from Wikipedia:
Prooftexting (sometimes “proof-texting” or “proof texting”) is the practice of using isolated, out-of-context quotations from a document to establish a proposition in eisegesis. Such quotes may not accurately reflect the original intent of the author,[1] and a document quoted in such a manner, when read as a whole, may not support the proposition for which it was cited.[2][3][4][5] The term has currency primarily in theological and exegetical circles. This is to be distinguished from quotations from a source deemed a hostile witness, which inadvertently substantiate a point beneficial to the quoter in the course of its own narrative. Even when lifted out of context, those facts still stand. Many Christian ministers and Christian teachers have used some version of the following humorous anecdote to demonstrate the dangers of prooftexting: “A man dissatisfied with his life decided to consult the Bible for guidance. Closing his eyes, he flipped the book open and pointed to a spot on the page. Opening his eyes, he read the verse under his finger. It read, ‘Then Judas went away and hanged himself’ (Matthew 27:5b). Finding these words unhelpful, the man randomly selected another verse. This one read, ‘Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”‘ (Luke 10:37b). In desperation, he tried one more time. The text he found was: ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.'” (John 13:27)[6]
It tends to do the following things:
It inhibits any change as it solidifies current thought as the eternal thought from which there is no growth or change. It destroys any reading of texts in context or for deeper meaning. The deeper meaning is the bullet point understanding imposed on the text from the list of core concepts. It turns the entire gospel into a very simple story, and religion into a simplified approach to everything.
Basically, every class and every story becomes Gospel Essentials (the introductory classes for new members of the Church). The message of any president of the Church becomes the same as any other and the manuals based on their sermons and teachings tend to become interchangeable. It is as if they did not have distinct ministries, messages and missions.
For a longer discussion of what Hellenic Idealism means in this context see this essay:
http://ethesis.blogspot.com/2015/03/philosophy-mingled-with-scripture-rough.html
For an example: Idealism: beauty is a property constructed in the mind, so exists only in descriptions of things.
Hellenic (or Platonic) Idealism: beauty is a property that exists in an ideal form independently of any mind or description.
Aristotlean realism: beauty is a property that only exists when beautiful things exist.
Anyone who is famous has beauty (neo-calvinism/popular culture). What is interesting is just how these frameworks can be applied to almost anything. Sociology, popular Marxism, and, of course, religion. Platonic thought is found every time someone reads scripture and assumes that any particular concept refers only to a specific ideal form, that can be discovered without regard to the context of the person doing the discovery. Thus the modern discussions about faith (which is used in several different ways) where instead of acknowledging the different uses, every use of it is treated as fungible and the same as any other. Or John Taylor and quotes from him about Priesthood — which he used in three very distinct ways (brotherhood, authority, and the power of God delegated to man) as if every time he talked he was saying the same thing. Those are examples of Hellenic Idealism applied to simplify and redact the past to what we have in the present. It leads to Presentism (link is to the wiki explanation — this essay is already too long).
That is a huge change from the 1960s when they were seen as very different, very human, each with a unique mission and service to perform.
Taken Together
You can see the impact of the changes in many places. For example, rather than general authorities flying coach (as they did in an era when there were no frequent flyer miles at all), they now fly enough that they generally get free upgrades for all their flights (like just about any professional who flies a lot).
As a result, no one is surprised to see them in first class. Professionals and those who fly a good deal, see that as natural. Blue collar members are often offended at the thought, complaining of the “waste” (even though, of course, almost all of it comes from free frequent flyer upgrades).
Rather than staying in member’s homes and eating with them (which was the standard), the policy is now that general authorities stay at hotels and buy meals (and, I would note, that while they are older on the average than they used to be, they are much healthier in spite of being older. This has been a major health improvement for general authorities).
Not only do they stay at hotels, they stay at hotels that have the marker “white collar successful” and they dress not as “blue collar, Sunday go to meeting clothes” but as “successful white collar professional dress.”
White collar members take pride in this. Many blue collar members are alienated by this change. Often outsiders are more willing to meet with Church leaders and treat the Church better as a result.
Church families are broken down into groups of extended kinship groups (which often works to exclude those who do not have large families). That is also reflected in who is called as a general authority and who serves on the general boards of the Church. It impacts who interacts with general authorities (as they no longer stay in homes and have a social circle created by family and friends, not their local ward) and as a result, who is known and treated as a known commodity.
Inclusive social events like road shows, relief society dinners, dance festival and the like are all distant memories (and now the domain of Mega Churches) — making the extended tribes even more important. More and more people who leave the Church do so without any social ties to bring them back.
Interestingly enough, many who leave the Church do come together to form social groups that have activities to replace what the Church once had and no longer provides.
Counter Forces
There are counter forces. The new service to refugees under the direction of the Relief Society may well grow into something serious. The Church Essays are more nuanced and more detailed. The Maxwell Institute has gone from apologetic efforts back to the scholarship that marked it at its origins.
Like the Pope, the LDS Church is now seen as successful enough that voluntary financial restraint by leaders may well become a marker for service and sacrifice that will not alienate the target group the Church is aligned with. In fact, a move towards austerity may well be the sort of thing that creates a positive image.
Instead of staying at Motel 6 being seen as proof of failure, it edges on becoming a marker of humility and proof of the humanity of leaders.
While there does not seem to be an inclusiveness in leadership (to the extent that there has been too much in the way of judgmental scorn heaped on some people over their appearance), that may change as well. I cringe at some of the things that have been said judging women purely on their appearance.
But
All of these shifts mark changes that are slowly spreading out from the center. In parts of the world where the church is inclusive and brings everyone in, with charity and kindness it is still an extended family much like an ethnic group and not devolved into tribalism. In places where it is becoming a playground for quasi-elites (people who want a better quality of member and who socially exclude those who are too poor or otherwise socially lacking), there is a lot of exclusion — and the church is shedding half of its members or more because that many are rejected. (Pro tip. 50% of any group will be in the bottom half).
It is fascinating to see parts of the Church that are acting like that.
In similar fashion, because historically when the Church has mission presidents who share the local poverty, missionary success falls and when the mission presidents present as white collar professionals, missionary success increases there are changes which are reflected in the stipends and the allowances for things such as clothing and decorating and cars that create a gap with many who do not share a white collar professional ethos. The Church’s image has improved enough that it may well be able to endure a more fiscally conservative approach (or it may not — I don’t know).
Let us be clear. I can see the social patterns that others have described and collate them into a single place (this blog post) but I do not know what the Church is doing to adjust, counter and lead out from where things are.
Bottom Line
The elements in this essay all reflect the changes that have come over the Church in the last 40-50 years. These changes are:
A move from one large family to affiliated super family, clan or tribal groups with the natural exclusionary effects that can have while benefiting the members of the super families. A move from blue collar ethos to white collar professional standards (with a change in expenditures that make sense to white collar professionals and that alienate blue collar members). Even the protest groups in the Church tend to take on white collar values and approaches. A loss of social organizations and programs — so that if your family organization or tribe does not provide them, the Church offers no social connection for you (which also works to drive members who are not part of a tribe away from the Church). A change in the political flavor of the prevalent members of the Church from Democratic to Republican (though not without limits and counter-forces). Simplification of Church teachings and doctrine in the style of Hellenic Idealism so that everything means the same and proof texting is not a defect but a virtue (and not without push-back. Consider Elder Packard’s talk on that subject).
Those are the shifts that have affected the Church from where it was in the 1960s to where it is now. Who knows which changes it will face in the future.
The big questions
What do you think?
What have I missed? — Seriously, I could well be wrong on 95% or more of my observations. What have I missed, where have I gone wrong, what should I have seen or included?
Where do you think the Church will go in the next 30-40 or even 50 years? | {
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President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE marked Cinco de Mayo on Saturday by hailing "the significant contributions of Mexican Americans to the United States."
"Today, we honor the heritage of our neighbors to the south, and we celebrate the significant contributions of Mexican Americans to the United States," Trump said in a statement.
The statement also recounted the Battle of Puebla, the 1862 confrontation between the Mexican Army and the French Empire that Cinco De Mayo memorializes.
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"Though they were outnumbered and facing one of the strongest militaries in the world, the determined Mexican soldiers overcame the French force and proved their place in history as valiant defenders of Mexico’s liberty and right to self-government," Trump said.
"Melania joins me in sending our best wishes for an enjoyable day. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!"
The statement echoed Trump's comments last year, when he said that the U.S. honored "the Mexican-Americans whose fighting spirit and patriotism have been influential in shaping the character of our great Nation."
A year before that, as a presidential candidate, Trump marked the annual celebration by proclaiming his love for Hispanics and taking a photo of himself eating a taco bowl in his office at Trump Tower.
"Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!" he tweeted at the time.
Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! https://t.co/ufoTeQd8yA pic.twitter.com/k01Mc6CuDI — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2016
Trump has a controversial record on Mexico and people of Mexican heritage. He launched his presidential campaign in 2016 by accusing Mexico of "sending people that have lots of problems" to the U.S., and has repeatedly vowed to build a border wall between the two countries. | {
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With President-elect Donald Trump expected to ease financial regulations when he takes office, GOP lawmakers are hoping to run out the clock on the Securities and Exchange Commission as it tries to finalize regulatory rules before the end of Obama’s term next month.
SEC Chair Mary Jo White sent a letter Monday to the Senate Banking Committee's leading Republicans, Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama and Mike Crapo of Idaho, pledging to issue new regulations on some of the controversial Wall Street practices that led to the 2007-08 financial collapse. The letter, which was first reported by Reuters, argued the SEC must “exhibit a spirit of firm independence" and continue working through the end of the Obama administration "without fear or favor."
White’s letter defied an earlier request by GOP lawmakers to stop issuing new rules called for by Dodd-Frank, the landmark financial reform bill passed with bipartisan support in the wake of the 2007-08 financial crisis.
After Trump’s victory, Shelby and Crapo sent a pointed letter to White, obtained by Bloomberg, arguing any new financial regulation must wait until Trump takes office.
“We ask that you delay further action until after the new president is sworn in," Shelby and Crapo said. “The new administration and Congress must have an opportunity to examine each agency’s regulatory agenda and its effect on the economy before additional rules are promulgated or finalized."
Although Dodd-Frank was passed more than eight years ago, the SEC has yet to adopt rules for a number of key provisions, including regulations designed to curb some of the riskier behavior that led to the 2007-08 financial crisis. The SEC has yet to finalize rules related to high-risk swaps trades, executive compensation or conflicts of interests in the securities market.
The SEC has struggled to make significant headway implementing these rules, in part because the five-member commission that oversees the agency has had two empty seats since Spring 2015. The White House, Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans have been unable to find consensus picks to fill the vacancies.
That dynamic could shift significantly when Trump takes office. White is expected to resign, and Michael Piwowar, the only sitting GOP commissioner, is expected to take the reins of the agency. Trump will then be able to appoint his own commissioners.
Trump was a vocal critic of Dodd-Frank throughout his campaign. And the day after his electoral triumph, his team released a statement promising “to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act and replace it with new policies to encourage economic growth and job creation.”
“Among the flurry of action you’ll see in Trump’s first 100 days, I think we’ll see a significant cutting through of financial regulation,” predicted Bart Naylor, the financial policy advocate at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. “I think Trump will provide a steady diet of regulatory repeals.”
And with little more than a month before Trump takes office, there’s little White can do to preserve the law over the long term. In recent weeks, GOP lawmakers have suggested they would employ the obscure Congressional Review Act — a law that gives Congress a 60-day window to annul rules issued by federal agencies — to strip away any new Dodd-Frank regulations adopted by the SEC in the waning days of the Obama administration.
White’s promise to keep making rules, Naylor said, probably will not translate into any concrete regulatory shifts.
“She had to say to her troops there’s a reason to come to work every day,” he said. “But I doubt it’ll matter.” | {
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Major Hollywood studios as well as Netflix and Amazon are escalating their crackdown on streaming device sellers that they say facilitate piracy on a massive scale.
The studios and streaming services Wednesday sued Carlsbad, Calif.-based company Dragon Media, which sells and distributes set-top boxes that allow people to stream video from the web to their television sets. Dragon Media, the studios say, induces mass copyright infringement of their movies and television shows including “Stranger Things,” “Deadpool” and “Wonder Woman.”
According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Dragon Media urges their customers to use the streaming device, known as a Dragon Box, for watching copyrighted movies and TV shows. Its marketing materials tell users to “watch your favorites anytime for free” and “get rid of your premium channels … [and] stop paying for Netflix and Hulu,” the complaint says.
“Dragon Box uses software to link its customers to infringing content on the Internet,” the studios said in their 23-page complaint. “When used as defendants intend and instruct, Dragon Box gives defendants’ customers access to multiple sources that stream plaintiffs’ copyrighted works without authorization.”
The suit also names Dragon Media Inc. owner and President Paul Christoforo and Dragon Box device distributor Jeff Williams as defendants. The studios are seeking an injunction against Dragon Media, Christoforo and Williams, and up to $150,000 per infringed work.
Dragon Box representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The suit is the latest legal action by Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, a coalition of international studios, television networks and online video giants that have joined forces to combat piracy globally. Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox Film, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. are plaintiffs in the case, along with Netlfix and Amazon.
In October, the group filed a similar suit against TickBox TV, a Georgia-based company that also sells streaming devices. The company has denied that it is engaging in piracy, arguing that it merely sells hardware for streaming and is not responsible for how people use the product.
Both Dragon Media and TickBox use a popular software called Kodi, an open-source program that developers can modify with apps known as add-ons that allow users to stream video from the Web. While Kodi itself is legal and has legitimate uses, many add-ons stream unauthorized content, which has become a growing source of anxiety for Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Christoforo’s LinkedIn page includes a disclaimer about the technology.
“It is legal to stream content on the internet,” his page says. “We can’t be held liable for the movies and TV channels online that people are watching, because all the software is doing is accessing content that is readily available online.”
Christoforo was previously president of video game marketing and sales firm Ocean Marketing. He became infamous in 2011 for an email spat in which he berated a customer of a company that hired Ocean to market a video gaming device. The incident went viral when the conversation was posted online.
[email protected]
@rfaughnder | {
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The process opens the way for the production of large wafers around 1.5 nanometres in depth (a sheet of paper, by comparison, is 100,000nm thick).
Other techniques have proven unreliable in terms of quality, difficult to scale up and function only at very high temperatures – 550 degrees or more.
Distinguished Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, from RMIT’s School of Engineering, led the project, which also included colleagues from RMIT and researchers from CSIRO, Monash University, North Carolina State University and the University of California.
He said the electronics industry had hit a barrier.
“The fundamental technology of car engines has not progressed since 1920 and now the same is happening to electronics. Mobile phones and computers are no more powerful than five years ago.
“That is why this new 2D printing technique is so important – creating many layers of incredibly thin electronic chips on the same surface dramatically increases processing power and reduces costs.
“It will allow for the next revolution in electronics.”
Benjamin Carey, a researcher with RMIT and the CSIRO, said creating electronic wafers just atoms thick could overcome the limitations of current chip production.
It could also produce materials that were extremely bendable, paving the way for flexible electronics.
“However, none of the current technologies are able to create homogenous surfaces of atomically thin semiconductors on large surface areas that are useful for the industrial scale fabrication of chips.
“Our solution is to use the metals gallium and indium, which have a low melting point.
“These metals produce an atomically thin layer of oxide on their surface that naturally protects them. It is this thin oxide which we use in our fabrication method.
“By rolling the liquid metal, the oxide layer can be transferred on to an electronic wafer, which is then sulphurised. The surface of the wafer can be pre-treated to form individual transistors.
“We have used this novel method to create transistors and photo-detectors of very high gain and very high fabrication reliability in large scale.”
The paper outlining the new technique, Wafer Scale Two Dimensional Semiconductors from Printed Oxide Skin of Liquid Metals, has been published in the journal Nature Communications (DOI 10.1038/NCOMMS14482).
Story: David Glanz | {
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Про це пише американський портал Business Insider.
Нова партія змогла пройти в парламенті після того, як Манафорт особисто схвалив перелік кандидатів.
Манафорт підтримував контакт з політичним діячем в Україні, який допомагав йому у просуванні нової партії навіть під час кампанії Трампа.
Звинувачення, висунуті Манафорту спеціальним прокурором Робертом Мюллером, виокремили роль Манафорта як лобіста колишнього президента України Януковича, якого підтримувала Росія.
Навіть після втечі Януковича, Манафорт активно працював в Україні і зіграв важливу роль в створенні найбільшої проросійської партії, яка на сьогодні існує в країні, зазначає видання.
Звинувачення, висунуті Мюллером, вказують, що Манафорт працював з «Опозиційним блоком» – партією, що створилась після втечі Януковича і замінила Партію регіонів в ролі найбільшої проросійської партії в країні. Манафорт отримував гроші за роботу для партії протягом 2016 року, зрозуміло зі звинувачень.
Манафорт сам вигадав назву «Опозиційний блок», вказує Business Insider з посиланням на The New York Times.
«На його думку, щоб зібрати найбільшу кількість людей, які протистоять теперішньому урядові, потрібно уникати конкретики і стати символом опозиції», – повідомив політолог Погребинський виданню NYT.
Насправді, як заявляє Джон Гербст, колишній посол США в Україні і директор Євразійського центру аналітичної установи Atlantic Council, партія не дуже відрізнялась від Партії регіонів.
«Це було продовження того, що існувало, – заявив Гербст Business Insider, – Манафорт, який раніше був «консільєрі» Партії регіонів, продовжив свою роль в якості «консільєрі» Опозиційного блоку».
«Він давав вказівки їх політичній кампанії, поки тривали вибори і допоміг їм залишитись при владі», – заявив Гербст про роль Манафорта в Партії регіонів.
Колишній дипломат також сказав, що українці показували йому документи, де вказується, що Манафорт відвідував Україну між 2014 та 2016 роками.
Партійний посадовець говорив Bloomberg, що Манафорт особисто схвалив перелік кандидатів партії і один з лідерів Блоку Нестор Шуфрич відсвяткував відносний успіх у виборах, відкоркувавши пляшку коньяку в офісі Манафорта і сплативши йому 1 мільйон доларів за роботу, повідомляє Business Insider з посиланням на Bloomberg.
Однією з довірених осіб Манафорта є російсько-український політичний діяч Костянтин Килимник, з яким Манафорт просував Опозиційний блок, як «голос росіян» на сході України. Килимник, за повідомленнями, продовжував спілкуватись з Манафортом під час кампанії 2016 року.
Саме Килимник, за повідомленнями, дізнавався про можливість вилучити антиросійські заяви з платформи Республіканської партії в США в 2016 році, що партія зрештою і зробила, повідомляє видання.
Манафорт припинив отримувати виплати від Опозиційного блоку лише в квітні 2016 року, через місяць після того, як він приєднався до кампанії Трампа, повідомляє The Washington Post. З того часу, він покладався на Килимника, щоб збирати борги Опозиційного блоку, які, на думку Манафорта, йому все ще винні. | {
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Major league baseball is trending toward pitchers -- especially relievers -- with big velocity, and while the Twins may appear far behind the curve based on the above finding, they're certainly not ignorant to this reality. The club's draft strategy in recent years has reflected an increased emphasis on power arms -- even those that are clearly slated for future roles in the bullpen -- and no one personifies this altered approach better than Nick Burdi.
The Twins selected the hard-throwing righty in the second round of last year's draft, and already he has become one of the most noteworthy relief prospects in all of the minor leagues. You've probably heard this crazy statistic : In 2014, the Twins had one pitcher (late-season call-up Lester Oliveros) throw a pitch that was clocked at 97 MPH or above. By comparison, the American League Champion Kansas City Royals registered 2,287 such pitches.Major league baseball is trending toward pitchers -- especially relievers -- with big velocity, and while the Twins may appear far behind the curve based on the above finding, they're certainly not ignorant to this reality. The club's draft strategy in recent years has reflected an increased emphasis on power arms -- even those that are clearly slated for future roles in the bullpen -- and no one personifies this altered approach better than Nick Burdi.The Twins selected the hard-throwing righty in the second round of last year's draft, and already he has become one of the most noteworthy relief prospects in all of the minor leagues.
22 (DOB: 1/19/93)20.1 IP, 2.66 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 38/16 K/BB2015NRBurdi's fastball has always set him apart. In high school, when he was already touching the mid-90s with the heater, his coach called him a "once-in-a-lifetime pitcher," adding "I don't expect I will get another guy who can throw 95 plus in high school."The Twins took notice of Burdi's stunning velocity early on, and selected him in the 24th round of the 2011 draft following his senior year, but he opted instead to attend college at the University of Louisville. That turned out to be a good decision.Burdi quickly developed into one of the most dominant collegiate closers in the country, proving almost unhittable while averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning. By his sophomore year, he was hitting triple-digits on the radar gun with some frequency . In his junior year, he posted a 0.49 ERA while piling up 65 strikeouts in 37 innings and holding opponents to a .135 batting average. The Twins once again drafted him, with the No. 46 overall pick last June, and this time Burdi signed for a $1.2 million bonus.As a polished college closer, Burdi skipped rookie ball and reported straight to Class-A Cedar Rapids after signing. He struggled badly in his pro debut, walking all four batters he faced, but from that point forward he looked very much like the overpowering force that he'd been at Louisville, putting up a 0.89 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .186/.260/.214 line between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. Oh, that was with opponents batting .406 on balls in play.Of the 82 hitters that Burdi faced between Low-A and High-A in his first taste of professional baseball, he struck out 38. That's 46 percent.With any tall, lanky pitcher who routinely works in the upper-90s, there are going to be two pre-eminent concerns: control and health. The latter has yet to become an issue for Burdi, and since he's being groomed strictly as a late-inning reliever, he may be able to avoid injuries stemming from overuse. Nevertheless, it will be worth keeping an eye on.As far as control, Burdi obviously had the major hiccup in his first pro appearance last summer, but otherwise had no issues, walking six hitters over his remaining 19 outings. Of course, when you're a 21-year-old coming out of a major college conference and firing 100-MPH fastballs at Single-A hitters, sometimes command issues can stay hidden. It'll be interesting to see how his walk rates shake out at the higher levels.There's nothing left for Burdi to prove in Single-A, so he will most likely open the season as the closer on a Class-AA Chattanooga roster that figures to be loaded with high-end prospect talent. From there, the righty will have a chance to rise very quickly if he continues to dominate with his devastating fastball/slider combo. It would be no surprise to see him in the majors setting up Glen Perkins by season's end. | {
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Cosy Lila Villa in Arabian Ranches 2
We are delighted to present a three-bedroom villa in Lila, Arabian Ranches 2, currently tenanted at 155,000 AED with a yield of 5.5%. With its Spanish-styled exteriors, the villa has the… | {
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In a more curious example of how iPhone is involved with the coronavirus outbreak, the Japanese Ministry of Health is set to hand out over 2000 iPhones to passengers stuck onboard a Princess cruise ship near Japan.
Reported by Macotakara, Japan is giving out the iPhones so that “there will be one unit of phone per cabin in every passengers cabins and crew rooms.”
The reason for handing out the iPhones with Softbank service is to give passengers access to the Japanese Ministry of Health app that will allow passengers on the cruise ship to chat with a doctor.
So far, over 100 people on the ship that has been quarantined since last week have been confirmed to have coronavirus.
The reason that passengers would need an iPhone given to them to access the health app is that there are many that wouldn’t be able to download it from an iOS App Store or Google Play Store registered in a different country than Japan.
It seems likely the passengers will have to return the iPhones at some point but considering the contagious scenario involved here, who knows…
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has confirmed the case of coronavirus at the Diamond Princess cruise ship, now isolated onboard the sea. We will provide approximately 2000 unit of iPhone operated by Softbank, and there will be one unit of phone per cabin in every passengers cabins and crew rooms. Access the special app by The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to ask by chat about medication or any other things that may concern you. The app will book a consultation session with a medical doctor.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: | {
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – New Space Force recruits are coming into the service less disciplined and physically weaker this month than the Space Force recruits from last month, sources confirmed today.
“Back when I joined Space Force on June 18th, the recruiting was selective and the training was tough as nails. When we made it to our first unit, we were ready to serve. Now that it’s July, it seems like any whiney college dropout walks into My Space Corps and we have to train them once they get to the Force. I don’t understand this generation,” a senior space force non-commissioned astronaut said on condition of anonymity.
Navy Capt. Bill Ryker, spokesman for the Department of Defense, indicated that a panel was convening to investigate if Space Cadets were getting the right kind of training at Space Camp and indicated that zero-G physical fitness training and rocket-pack road marches would be a renewed priority.
“In recruiting for Space Force, we are recruiting a representation of the American public,” said Ryker. “As American society has changed over the past week, so have the new space cadets we can recruit. Space Force must evolve.”
“I talked to a new recruit who got to my unit, and he said that they got Dippin’ Dots at Space Camp,” the astronaut said. “Are you fucking kidding me? Dippin’ Dots? I don’t care if it’s the ice cream of the future.”
He added: “Back when I joined Space Force, we got Tang and MREs, and if our tummies rumbled, there was real fear that an alien would explode from our abdomen and start attacking the whole chow hall. I never saw an alien explode out of someone’s stomach, but it definitely happened to my buddy from Space Camp when he got to his first outpost. He told me about it at the cantina.”
Grissom Shepherd, a new recruit, told all his buddies from high school that Space Camp was the hardest experience of his life, and the complaints about it are blown out of proportion.
“I never saw a stress card, and I heard that this Drill Physicist from 2nd Platoon punched this Space Cadet in the stomach for making Star Wars references. Space Camp was hard as shit,” Shepherd said.
“Except,” he added, “I heard that 3rd Platoon — the guys in the new shuttle bay that came in just before we graduated — had it way easier. They got weekend passes and only had to get 18/30 on their laser qualifications. Seriously, fuck those guys.”
Taco McGibblets contributed to this story. | {
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THERESA May has doubled down on DWP claims that the government is being supportive when it forces victims of rape to choose between reliving their violent sexual attack or losing their benefits.
The Prime Minister was pushed yesterday to condemn comments made by Work and Pension Secretary Esther McVey at a Scottish Parliament committee hearing, when she defended the so-called rape clause, saying the process could offer “double support” for survivors.
May declined to do so.
She said she fully recognised “the sensitivities involved for the mothers” but that the government had put in place a system where the mothers applying for the “non-consensual conception” exemption to the two child benefit cap would speak to a health worker rather than a bureaucrat in a jobcentre plus.
“We have taken great care, considerable time and care, to set up procedures following extensive consultations, that mean that no government staff will question these mothers about what they’ve experienced,” May insisted.
She said the point McVey had made was “that a mother would be granted the exemptions through engaging specialist professional like health and social workers who may be able to provide them with support in those circumstances, over and beyond the issue of their entitlement.”
On Monday McVey was asked by Green party MSP Alison Johnstone if she was “comfortable with the idea that a woman has to prove non-consensual conception in order to access an entitlement?”
McVey replied: “There will be no invasive or delving questions asked. What we’re doing is providing extra help where people have got more children that they couldn’t have planned.
“This could give them an opportunity to talk about, maybe, something that has happened that they never had before so it is potentially double support … them getting the money they need and maybe an outlet which they might possibly need.”
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, held up the eight page form women who have been raped are forced to fill in for the exemption.
“Hanging benefits on proving trauma isn’t a choice. It is a disgrace and one which may well re-traumatise the woman involved,” he said.
“The chair of the BMA in Scotland has said it is fundamentally damaging for women, forcing them to disclose rape and abuse at a time and in a manner not of their choose at pain of financial penalty,”
“What kind of society do we live in?” he asked.
May replied: “We live in the kind of society where we have taken every care to ensure that this is dealt with in as sensitive a manner as possible.”
“No mother in these circumstances will be granted the exemption by dealing with job centre staff,” she promised.
The clash in Parliament came ahead of a major protest mark the one year anniversary of the implementation of the rape clause. Hundreds are expected to gather at the Mound in Edinburgh tonight.
“We have a situation in 21st century Britain where a woman are forced to choose between disclosing rape, potentially for the first time, and poverty is a disgrace,” organisers said. | {
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Since the version 0.3.0 Keechma introduces some breaking changes to it's core API. Previously we've used protocols and records to implement controllers, but this stopped working in the newer ClojureScript versions. The previous implementation worked "accidentally", so we had to find an alternative.
The change
Controllers in Keechma have default behavior implemented, and previously we've used the extend-type to implement this behavior. We also used partially implemented protocols to override the default behavior:
(defrecord Controller [] controller/IController (params [this route-params] (get-in route-params [:data :page])))
It turns out that partially implemented protocols are not supported by ClojureScript - you have to implement all listed functions. From the version 0.3.0 controller behavior is implemented with multimethods:
(defrecord Controller []) (defmethod controller/params Controller [controller route-params] (get-in route-params [:data :page]))
Function signatures and the behavior is the same, and the code update requires just the mechanical code change. Currently some of our demo apps still use the old API, but these will be fixed in the coming days. | {
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Special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's report poses a test for vulnerable Senate Republicans running for reelection, forcing them to decide how far to distance themselves from President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE heading into 2020.
Mueller declined to pursue charges of conspiracy, illegal coordination or obstruction of justice, but much of his report reflects poorly on the president and reveals there are several more federal investigations that have yet to wrap up.
While House Democrats will need to decide how hard to go to attack Trump in the wake of the report and whether to pursue a politically charged impeachment process, Senate Republicans have to figure out how far to go to defend the president.
“I think Republicans should avoid doing a victory lap. The main thing here was, were the Russians involved in the Trump campaign? Beyond that, the president’s got to defend his own conduct,” said Vin Weber, a GOP strategist. “Republicans should be talking about other things like the economy.”
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Asked what Republicans should do if they're asked directly about Trump’s conduct, Weber said, “That’s a tough one.”
“I would probably deflect a little bit by saying this: We’ve all gotten used to this being a different kind of president from a different kind of background who conducts himself differently than previous presidents, and beyond that it’s his problem, not mine,” he added.
Some expect Republicans to wait to see how the highly anticipated report plays with their constituents back home over the two-week holiday recess.
“Are Republicans privately unhappy with some of Trump’s actions in the report? Yes, of course. But the majority of Republicans are not going to go after the president on this because he has not been charged with a crime,” said another Republican strategist who requested anonymity.
The strategist said it would make sense for Senate Republicans in more competitive races to be critical of Trump.
“It wouldn’t be wise for them to be backing the president when there are a lot of moderate voters out there, but that doesn’t mean they have to condemn him either,” the strategist added.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFEC flags McConnell campaign over suspected accounting errors Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ky.) has remained tight-lipped about Mueller’s findings since issuing a statement Thursday that simply said he was looking forward "to carefully reviewing the report.”
He also said Trump “has every right to feel good about what we’ve heard today” on the day the report came out.
The strongest criticism so far has come from Sen. Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power The Memo: Trump's strengths complicate election picture MORE (R-Utah), who is not up for reelection but has been trying to position himself as a Republican counterweight in the Senate since taking office in January.
Romney said in a statement Friday he was "sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection" detailed in Mueller's report "by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the president." He also said he was "appalled" about evidence that Trump’s campaign advisers "welcomed help from Russia — including information that had been illegally obtained."
Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsClub for Growth to spend million in ads for Trump Supreme Court nominee Maryland's GOP governor says Republicans shouldn't rush SCOTUS vote before election The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November MORE (R-Maine), who is up for reelection in a state Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonDemocratic groups using Bloomberg money to launch M in Spanish language ads in Florida The Hill's Campaign Report: Presidential polls tighten weeks out from Election Day More than 50 Latino faith leaders endorse Biden MORE won in 2016, told Maine Public Radio on Friday that she was disturbed by Trump’s several attempts to fire Mueller as described in the report, calling it “an unflattering portrayal of the president.”
Sen. Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerCook Political Report shifts Colorado Senate race toward Democrat Overnight Health Care: US coronavirus deaths hit 200,000 | Ginsburg's death puts future of ObamaCare at risk | Federal panel delays vote on initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting MORE (R-Colo.), who is also on the ballot in a state that went for Clinton, has sought to put the focus on Russia instead of Trump.
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“Now that the report is public, it’s time for Congress to move forward and get to work on behalf of the American people. The report also confirms what we already know, Russia interfered in our election. I will keep up the pressure on the Putin regime and pursue additional sanctions — they cannot go unpunished,” Gardner said in a statement.
Sen. Martha McSally Martha Elizabeth McSallyThe Hill's Campaign Report: Presidential polls tighten weeks out from Election Day Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' New ABC/WaPost poll finds Trump edging Biden in Arizona, Florida MORE (R-Ariz.), another top Democratic target next year, hasn’t said anything to criticize the president since the report’s release Thursday.
Instead, she has praised Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Hillicon Valley: DOJ proposes tech liability shield reform to Congress | Treasury sanctions individuals, groups tied to Russian malign influence activities | House Republican introduces bill to set standards for self-driving cars McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE for releasing “as much of the report as transparently possible.”
She also urged colleagues to “come together to focus on issues that matter to Arizonans,” such as creating well-paying jobs and affordable health care.
Sen. Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Romney undecided on authorizing subpoenas for GOP Obama-era probes Congress needs to prioritize government digital service delivery MORE (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that "a number of actions taken by the president or his associates" were "inappropriate."
But he emphasized there was “no conspiracy or collusion to violate U.S. law between Russia and the Trump campaign” and urged Congress to work on legislation to prevent Russia from interfering in future elections.
Ross K. Baker, a professor of science at Rutgers University who has held multiple Senate fellowships, predicted that Republican lawmakers will stick to mild criticisms of Trump to avoid angering his many fans in the GOP base.
“They make a pragmatic decision that people have already made up their minds about Donald Trump and anything they could add by way of censure isn’t going to make any difference and probably will damage their political fortunes,” he said.
Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Democrats step up hardball tactics as Supreme Court fight heats up Press: Notorious RBG vs Notorious GOP MORE (R-Fla.), who sparred with Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary and has publicly disagreed with some of Trump's policies as president, issued a statement Friday that looked beyond the president’s conduct and instead focused on Russia.
Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he would focus on legislation to deter Russia from future interference. He also criticized Democrats for viewing the special counsel’s investigation as a partisan opportunity.
GOP strategists say Democrats are in a tougher position because the factions of the liberal base will be pressing hard for impeachment proceedings, a tactic that backfired on House Republicans in 1998 after they impeached former President Clinton.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiHoyer: House should vote on COVID-19 aid — with or without a bipartisan deal Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at Supreme Court McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE (D-Calif.) advised last month against trying to impeach Trump, arguing it would divide the country and that “he’s just not worth it.”
But Democratic leaders are already seeing growing calls from progressives to take a more aggressive approach.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenDimon: Wealth tax 'almost impossible to do' CNN's Don Lemon: 'Blow up the entire system' remark taken out of context Democrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court MORE (D-Mass.) on Friday became the first Democratic presidential candidate to call for the House to initiate impeachment proceedings against Trump, citing “the severity” of the president’s “misconduct” as outlined in Mueller’s report.
That could force Republicans into a tougher position of having to vocally defend Trump.
“The Democrats are going to pursue this relentlessly,” said Ron Bonjean, a Senate Republican strategist, who predicted there could be a backlash.
“They do it at their own peril because every day that goes by that they pursue this is a day they’re not working on their own agenda,” he said. “Most Republicans have circled the wagons based on the initial Mueller four-page [summary] and want to move on now that everything has been released.”
“The challenge is that the Democrats will continue to harp and go after this, but it could boomerang against them,” he added.
Updated 8:16 a.m. | {
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With Brazil’s spot in the knock-out stages of the World Cup assured, Nike have equipped Neymar out with a unique pair of Hypervenom Phantom football boots that only the FC Barcelona man will wear.
The tricky Selecao starhas shone at this Summer’s tournament, scoring three goals in Brazil’s opening three games and helping the team finish top of their group.
Now, as Neymar and his team-mates head towards the final, Nike are giving him a look that says he is ‘going for gold’ in his home country this summer with these Gold/Volt Nike Hypervenom Phantoms.
Not just the ultimate football boot fashion statement to make at a World Cup, Neymar’s new soccer cleats are a nostalgia trip for the young Samba Star.
As a youngster, Neymar used to spraypaint his footwear gold to stand out in football and futsal games; and now, with the world watching his every step-over, he’s standing out again on the biggest stage of all.
“When we met with Neymar he told us that when he was 12 he used to spray paint his boots gold. He said that he always wanted a pair of gold boots but that he couldn’t find them anywhere. So we took that insight and decided this summer would be the perfect moment to create this boot for him,” “The biggest challenge was getting the gold tone perfect so it had the right spray-painted look .We worked closely with Neymar to get it as close to how he remembered the color when he would apply it as a kid. We’re all delighted with the results and can’t wait to see it on pitch.” – Denis Dekovic, Nike Football Design Director.
Additionally, the boots unofficially mark one year since Neymar himself launched the Hypervenom Phantom in Rio, giving a nice sense of things coming full circle since then, and how quickly the Hypervenom has become part of the landscape in the world of football boots.
Thoughts on this potentially-iconic colourway?
Drop us a comment and let us know!
Nike Kit out Neymar in Gold Hypervenom for World Cup Knock-Outs , 8.2 out of 10 based on 35 ratings https://www.footy-boots.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/neymar-gold-hypervenom-world-cup.jpg
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NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV reboot coming to CES 2017
NVIDIA will reveal a new piece of Android TV hardware in their NVIDIA SHIELD line of devices at CES 2017. For the past couple of years NVIDIA’s yearly CES-based event has housed primarily automotive-related news – this year that won’t (entirely) be the case. This information comes from an anonymous source with information on the subject matter.
While the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV’s original form was revealed at GDC 2015 – the next year at this same event, NVIDIA was comparatively quiet. The time is ripe for the next generation in NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV releases. This version of the device will keep the name of the previous device – no need to change something that’s not broken.
SEE TOO: New NVIDIA SHIELD remote may make Android TV more magical
As the NVIDIA SHIELD has been the dominant Android TV device since it was first revealed, not a whole lot about the device will change. This version of the device will support 802.11ac WiFi and rolls with MIMO antennas to take full advantage of the fastest wireless connectivity speeds.
The SHIELD Controller will begin to rely on Bluetooth Low Energy instead of Wi-Fi Direct. The SHIELD Remote might also make this change, but we’re more solid on the idea of the Controller switching to Bluetooth with a new model than the Remote. The SHIELD Controller will be thinned out a bit, and both devices will have slightly better battery optimization than their predecessors.
When the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV is announced, NVIDIA will include notes on integration with 4K content galore. One point is especially telling – a notice in Google’s release for Google Play’s move toward 4K content today. This notice made a list of devices that work with Google Play 4K movies and TV shows. While the Mi TV (Android TV) device was on the list, the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV was noticeably absent.
It’s a tossup whether NVIDIA will offer this next-gen NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV for the same prices as its previous duo (regular and PRO) or if it’ll opt for the same Tablet treatment. The NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet’s 2nd edition lost a couple of features and became less expensive – perhaps they’ll go the same route here. We shall see – come CES 2017’s first major keynote of the series, taking place Wednesday, January 4th, 2017 at 6:30 PM Pacific Time.
We’ll be at the event to bring you up close and personal with everything NVIDIA has to offer. As the company suggests, this keynote will include four categories: “artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, VR, and gaming.” | {
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Seit 2005 ist Angela Merkel Bundeskanzlerin. Jetzt endet ihre dritte Legislaturperiode. In diesen zwölf Jahren hat sich Deutschland in manchen Bereichen stark verändert - in anderen nur wenig. Obwohl Merkel und ihre Regierungen natürlich nicht für alle diese Entwicklungen direkt oder auch nur irgendwie verantwortlich sind: Ein Blick auf diese Themen lohnt sich trotzdem. Was meinen Sie: Wie sind die Kurven seit 2013 verlaufen? Einfach die Kurve mit der Maus für 2014, 2015, 2016 und eventuell 2017 verlängern - und dann bei "Wie war's tatsächlich?" nachsehen. Viel Spaß!
Arbeitslosigkeit Zuletzt ist die offizielle Arbeitslosenquote fast jedes Jahr gesunken. Was meinen Sie: Wie sahen die Jahreswerte seit 2013 aus? Barrierefreie Tabelle
Mobile Datennutzung Mobiles Surfen hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren quasi zum Standard entwickelt. Wie groß war zuletzt das Datenvolumen im deutschen Mobilfunk? (Angaben in Millionen Gigabytes und gerundet; für 2016/17 Schätzungen) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Löhne Lohnerhöhungen werden zum Teil oder manchmal ganz durch die Inflation wieder aufgefressen. Beim Reallohnindex wird die Verdienst- der Preisentwicklung gegenübergestellt - er gibt also Hinweise auf die Kaufkraftveränderung (positiv oder negativ). Wie sieht die Kurve in der aktuellen Wahlperiode aus? (Angaben: Veränderung gegenüber Vorjahr in Prozent) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Renten Die Bundesregierung und auch die meisten Parteien stimmen die Bürger seit Jahren darauf ein, dass sie sich nicht mehr allein auf die gesetzliche Rente verlassen können. Jahrelang sank das Rentenniveau. Wie hat es sich in der aktuellen Wahlperiode entwickelt? (Rentenniveau netto vor Steuern, Zahl für 2017 Schätzung der Deutschen Rentenversicherung) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Internet Der Zugang zu schnellen Internet-Anschlüssen ist unbestritten ein zentrales Infrastruktur-Vorhaben. Wie hat sich der Zugang zu Breitbandanschlüssen entwickelt? (Anteil der Haushalte) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf Die Forderung nach einer besseren Vereinbarkeit von Familien und Beruf steht in quasi jedem Wahlprogramm. Ein Schlüssel sind mehr Kita-Plätze. Bis 2013 stieg die Zahl der Unter-Drei-Jährigen in Kindertageseinrichtungen kontinuierlich. Hat sich dieser Trend seither fortgesetzt? (Die Angaben sind in Tausend und gerundet. Von 2006 bis 2008 war der 15. März Stichtag, sonst der 1. März.) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Konjunktur Thema Wirtschaftswachtum: Zwischen 2005 und 2013 schwankte die Konjunktur ungewöhnlich stark. Hauptgründe waren die weltweite Finanzkrise und die Staatschuldenkrise in Europa. Wie sah das jährliche Wachstum des Bruttoinlandsprodukts in der aktuellen Wahlperiode aus? (Wert für 2017 Schätzung des Sachverständigenrats) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Handelsbilanz Der gewaltige deutsche Exportüberschuss ist in den vergangenen Jahren immer wieder heftig kritisiert worden - vom IWF, aber auch von Donald Trump. Schon von 2005 bis 2013 gab es hier ein sattes Plus, die Entwicklung war aber eher uneiheitlich. Wie ging es seitdem weiter? (Werte in Milliarden Euro) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Bundeshaushalt Die Schwarze Null - dieses Prestigeprojekt hat unter Wolfgang Schäuble die Finanzpolitik des Bundes dominiert. Seit 2016 gilt für die Neuverschuldung eine Obergrenze von 0,35 Prozent des BIP. Und wie hat sich die Sache entwickelt? (Angaben in Prozent des Bruttoinlandsprodukts, negative Werte bedeuten einen Überschuss) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Bio Gesunde Ernährung, nachhaltige Erzeugung: Zumindest in den Großstädten scheint es seit einigen Jahren immer mehr Bio-Supermärkte zu geben. Und tatsächlich: Der Anteil von Bio-Produkten am Gesamt-Lebensmittelmarkt ist zwar klein, stieg aber zumindest bis 2013 stetig. Danach auch? (Für 2016 Schätzung) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Asyl Ganz klar: Das Thema Flüchtlinge war in den vergangenen Jahren eines der wichtigsten. Wie hat sich die Kurve für Asylanträge entwickelt? (Erst- und Folgeanträge in Tausend und gerundet; für 2017 sind nur die Anträge von Januar bis August erfasst - eine Schätzung der Jahreszahlen auf Basis dieser acht Monate wäre laut BAMF nicht seriös.) Barrierefreie Tabelle Wie war's tatsächlich? Zeichnen Sie Ihre Einschätzung. Der Klick verrät, ob sie stimmt. Quelle: BAMF
Erneuerbare Energie Die Energiewende ist eines der entscheidenden Wirtschaftsthemen der vergangenen Jahren. Wie groß war in den vergangenen Jahren der Anteil der erneuerbaren Energieträger am Bruttostromverbrauch? Barrierefreie Tabelle
Stromausfall Im Zuge der Energiewende wird auch immer wieder die Frage der Versorgungssicherheit diskutiert. Nach dem Amtsantritt von Kanzlerin Merkel im Jahr 2005 gingen die Stromausfälle zunächst kontinuierlich zurück, stieg dann aber wieder deutlich an. Ging das in der aktuellen Wahlperiode so weiter? (SAIDI - durchschnittliche Unterbrechungsdauer der Stromversorgung bei den Verbrauchern pro Jahr in Minuten) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Benzinpreis Ölpreis- und Konjunktur ließen auch die Spritpreise seit 2005 stark schwanken. Mit einer kurzen Untebrechung im Krisenjahr 2009 ging es zunächst unaufhaltsam bergauf. Doch wie ging die Entwicklung nach 2013 weiter? (Preis je Liter Super-Benzin im Jahresdurchschnitt in Euro, für 2017 Durchschnittswert für Januar bis August) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Fußballmeister Seit Beginn der Ära Merkel hieß der deutsche Fußballmeister acht Mal FC Bayern München, zwei Mal triumphierte Borussia Dortmund und je einmal holten der VfB Stuttgart und der VfL Wolfsburg die Meisterschale. Aber wie viele Tore schossen die jeweiligen Meister in der Saison? Barrierefreie Tabelle
Klimaschutz Im Jahr 2007 verpflichtete sich die damalige Bundesregierung dazu, dass die deutschen Treibhausgasemissionen im Jahr 2020 um 40 Prozent unter denen von 1990 liegen. Zwischenstand: Im Jahr 2015 lagen sie schon/erst rund 28 Prozent darunter. Wie sah die Entwicklung wohl aus? (Angabe in Tausend Tonnen CO2-Äquivalenten; Zahlen für 2016 sind eine Schätzung des Umweltbundesamtes) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Eiscreme Im vergangenen Jahrzehnt wurden weltweit und auch in Deutschland immer wieder besonders warme Jahre und auch Rekordjahre bei der Durchschnittstemperatur registriert. Doch haben die Bürger zur persönlichen Abkühlung auch mehr Eis gegessen? (Konsum von Eiscreme in Deutschland in Millionen Litern) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Wohnungsbau Seit Jahren fehlt vor allem in den Ballungszentren bezahlbarer Wohnraum. Als eine Lösung gelten Neubauten. Was meinen Sie: Wie hat sich die Zahl der Baugenehmigungen für Wohnungen in den vergangenen Jahren entwickelt? (Die Zahlen werden in Tausend und gerundet dargestellt.) Barrierefreie Tabelle
Teleshopping-Kanäle Dank guter Konjunktur und steigender Löhne kaufen die Menschen in Deutschland auch viel ein. Davon profitiert nicht nur der Online-Handel. In der ersten Wahlperiode von Kanzlerin Merkel verdoppelte sich die Zahl der Teleshopping-Kanäle in Deutschland. Ging diese Entwicklung in den vergangenen Jahren so weiter? (Zahl der zugelassenen Teleshopping-Kanäle) Barrierefreie Tabelle | {
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The move isn’t altruistic. Musk, who’s building a “gigafactory” to make batteries, may want to sell them to other manufacturers. And if the Tesla is ever to succeed, electric cars will have to become ubiquitous–and the field needs to be open to other companies.
“Even if other competitors copy Tesla’s design, Tesla still gets to sell them batteries, and that’s pretty awesome,” Jacob Sherkow, patent law expert at the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford Law School, told the Los Angeles Times. “Tesla’s decision isn’t entirely altruistic.”
It’s hard to imagine Henry Ford, the preeminent automaker of the past century, embracing such openness. This is a man who wanted to control everything about his cars — how they were made and who could buy them. He built schools for workers to learn English and a town in Brazil to source rubber. And though Ford’s been dead for almost 70 years, the 2015 Ford F150 has more patents than any previous model.
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In trying to disrupt the auto industry, Musk isn’t borrowing much from the man who invented it. Consider:
Musk’s supply chain is limited.
Ford perfected 20th century vertical integration, going to great lengths to bring in-house every element of his cars’ manufacture. By foregoing patent lawsuits, Musk asks the marketplace to solve his supply chain problem for him. If more people drive electrical cars, they will be easier to make — and, right now, the wait for some models is three months.
“It doesn’t make sense for us to do things to amplify demand if we can’t meet that demand of production,” Musk said in 2013. “What we spent our time doing here as a management team is try to figure out how do we ramp up production faster and us to maintain the quality and keep improving the product.”
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Musk’s cars aren’t for the common man.
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Ford doubled workers’ salaries to $5 per day in 1914 ostensibly so they could afford the cars they were making — though that oft-told tale has been questioned. Teslas cost about $70,000, according to the Kelley Blue Book. Musk said in January that an affordable car is still three years away — and priced below $40,000. But $40,000 is still pretty expensive.
Ford never wanted his company to go public.
Ford stock wasn’t offered to the public until 1956 — nine years after its founder’s death. Musk had no such reservations.
“A lot of people were puzzled about why we were going public without profits,” he said when Tesla went public in 2010. “The reason we are not profitable today is because we are in the midst of expanding.”
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Musk won’t tolerate unions.
Ford struggled against unions, but ultimately signed a contract with the United Auto Workers in 1941. Musk has met with the UAW, but in a 2009 Wired interview, didn’t seem to grasp the idea of organized labor. | {
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A appealing and immersive feature from our biggest selection of VR MILF . It's time for some female POV fun when Eliza Jane lays his sexy girlfriend back and buries her face between her legs. You get to look down and make some hot eye contact as Eliza eats that trimmed pussy. She gets you so worked up you need to fuck her so she straddles you, spreads her legs, and you slide two fingers into the sexy teen blonde's tight pussy and finger fuck her. | {
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Market mechanisms have lifted many out of poverty. They have also left millions behind as a result of unrestrained greed, excessive materialism and massive inequality. The Tribune editorial has nothing to say about that. The Catholic Church does. It is unswerving in its conviction that we must make sure our markets build an economy for all and do not accelerate injustice and grave inequity. In this time of globalization and dominant and often unaccountable financial institutions, we need to bring together technical knowledge and human wisdom. In Catholic thought, moral principles must guide the market. Protecting human life and dignity comes before the unlimited pursuit of profit. This is a vital and timely message for a divided world — and Chicago. | {
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Authorities said Monday that a pair of sex offenders suspected of raping and murdering at least four women probably wore their court-ordered GPS devices during the crimes.
Franc Cano, 27, and Steven Dean Gordon, 45, had been required to wear the devices after serving time in prison for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 14.
Police on Monday also said that they are now “confident” that there is a fifth victim -- and perhaps more -- in a string of slayings that has been tied to a pair of registered sex offenders.
The men were formally Monday charged with raping and murdering four women, all with ties to prostitution and all who vanished off the streets of Santa Ana and Anaheim.
The two men, who both served prison terms for sexually assaulting children under the age of 14, were arrested late Friday near a trash-sorting facility where the body of one of the women, Jarrae Nykkole Estepp, was found on a conveyor belt last month.
The two are also accused in the death of Kianna Rae Jackson, 20; Martha Anaya, 28; and Josephine Monique Vargas, 34. All three went missing last fall.
At an afternoon news conference, police said the break in the case came as a result of Estepp’s slaying.
The string of disappearances in Santa Ana began in early October soon after Jackson, 20, arrived in the city for a court hearing on four misdemeanor charges of prostitution and loitering to commit prostitution, according to court records. Jackson had grown up in a small, rural Northern California town and moved to Las Vegas after one semester of college.
Her mother, Kathy Menzies, said Jackson stopped responding to her text messages shortly after she arrived in Santa Ana.
Nearly three weeks after Jackson disappeared, Vargas, who grew up in Santa Ana, left a family birthday party and said she was going to the store. She was not seen again.
Vargas, 34, had a rough past that at times involved drug use and prostitution, according to court records. But she was also very close to her family, especially her mother, and had been trying to improve her life. After she disappeared, her mother, Priscilla Vargas, would walk East 1st Street in Santa Ana, among the city’s roughest blocks, asking the drug dealers, street workers and anyone else who might be around if they knew anything about her eldest child, whom everyone called “Giggles.”
When Anaya, 28, disappeared Nov. 12, she had been planning her daughter’s birthday party at a Chuck E. Cheese. She asked her boyfriend to pick up their daughter so she could work, but stopped responding to his messages later that night.
Like the other women, Anaya had a history of prostitution, according to court records. Her family worried that her past may have reduced the urgency of the official search after her disappearance.
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As a photographer, there is nothing more intriguing to me than the unknown. What’s out there and where will it lead me on my next adventure under the stars?
Upon taking my first photo of the stars, I came to realize it wasn’t even close to replicating what was in the skies above me. Nothing man-made will ever be perfect. There are always improvements to be made in the never-ending journey to replicate what nature has been producing for billions of years.
With practice, however, I was able to break down the physics behind capturing high quality star shots and start to produce some nice results. Over time, I’ve been able to perfect this recipe with actions and inputs in my camera; and, with words and knowledge, teaching others to capture this beauty on their own. With that in mind, here is my tutorial that will teach you how to take some awesome shots of the Milky Way and night sky.
Before the Shoot
Any time I’m planning an adventure to take some star photos, there are a few tasks that must be done beforehand in order to increase my chances of success:
1) The first thing I always do is check the weather and the moon phase. If the skies aren’t clear or the moon is in the sky there isn’t a chance of getting nice Milky Way shots.
Keep in mind that you can still get some great star shots when the moon is out. I often shoot under the moon, but the ambient light it produces doesn’t allow the Milky Way to show up brightly in your pictures. There are some great smartphone apps and computer programs such as Photographers Ephemeris and Photopills that will easily allow you to check moon phase for a given date, time and location.
2) The second thing I do is check Blue Marble Light Pollution Map and find some dark locations to explore the night sky. After which I switch over to a program called Stellarium that allows the user to visualize how the stars, planets, Milky Way or any other object will move through our sky.
The main reason I use this program is to pre-visualize where the Milky Way will be in the sky and at what time. This also allows me to line up stars in the sky with locations I’ve scouted on previous trips. You can download Stellarium for free on your desktop or pay a few dollars for it on iPhone & Android phones.
3) Another thing that is very important is having the proper photography equipment. There are three major pieces of gear that I highly recommend as “must haves” if you want to take nice looking star photos:
A sturdy tripod: I currently use a Really Right Stuff TVC-34L Versa Series 3 Tripod with BH-55 Ballhead and Nikon D800 L-Bracket, which does the trick really well. There are also some other setups out there with different price points and name brands that will work just as well.
A camera with manual mode functionality that shoots in RAW format: To provide ultimate control over exposure time, aperture and ISO, this is the only way to go.
A wide angle lens that is able to shoot between 12-30mm full frame equivalent.
There are also some other items that are not 100% necessary but highly recommended, such as a full frame camera, a timer/remote and a lens with a very wide aperture. With regard to wide aperture, I’d suggest shooting with a lens that has an aperture between f/2.8 and f/4 for best results. I haven’t found shooting with lenses that are wider works much better because it’s very hard to focus an f/1.2 or f/1.4 lens at night.
I, personally, shoot with a Nikon D800 camera and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G lens for all my star shots. I also provide a list of different great star photography cameras and lenses of different makes and price points at the bottom of my Free Star Photography Tutorial on my website.
During the Shoot
As discussed earlier, you need a clear night and a dark sky to get some great Milky Way shots. If you end up at a location to shoot and can’t see the Milky Way when looking up at the stars, you might as well move along and find a dark place; because your camera won’t capture it much better than you can see it.
Taking high quality Milky Way photos is all about letting the most amount of light hit your camera’s sensor in the least amount of time. Your goal should be to keep your ISO as low as possible and your pictures noise-free while still taking a well exposed shot.
Selecting an Aperture Value
I prefer to use an aperture of f/2.8 for my star shots. Anything at or below f/4 will work well, but remember that you want the most amount of light to hit your lens in the least amount of time, so wider is better.
Focusing Your Lens
I focus at infinity for my star photos, but sometimes use focus stacking to achieve full depth of field. Stars are so far away that even shooting at f/2.8, focusing at infinity will allow you to capture sharp star pictures.
I prefer to focus my lens at infinity during the day time and mark an area on my lens with a pen so I know exactly where to turn it. This lets me easily focus at infinity at night as well. You can also focus on infinity at night by trial and error, but it takes much more effort. There are some other tips & tricks on night focusing and focus stacking in the tutorial on my website.
Selecting Exposure Time
The first thing we need to do is select our exposure time. Reference my 500 Rule Chart below while reading the following paragraph. You can also click on the chart, which will allow you to download it from my website and keep it in your camera bag for reference. The 500 Rule is calculated using full-frame sensor sizes, but can be adjusted for crop sensors as well using my chart.
CAUTION — READ ME: For those of you that are not shooting with full-frame cameras, make sure to take this into account. I have provided a chart that gives a few common sensor sizes and their maximum exposure times. This will also help you understand how the rule works.
I now introduce the 500 Rule, some may call this the 600 Rule, but I find 500 is more conservative allowing you to take a sharper image of the night sky. Keep in mind the 500 Rule is only a baseline/rule of thumb and you may have to increase or decrease your exposure time per the following rules as you shoot:
Keep in mind a longer exposure picks up more light, which in turn means you will see stars that are further away from our planet. On the other hand, light sources closer to our planet will appear brighter at longer exposure times.
To obtain the maximum exposure time your camera can shoot without getting visible “trails” behind your stars, take the number 500 and divide it by the focal length you will be shooting at. This is only a rule of thumb, so adjust as needed to make sure you’re capturing the best shot.
I always like to remember that if I take a picture and see star trails in it, I can decrease my exposure time a few seconds until they go away. That being said, if I take a picture and it’s not bright enough, I can increase the exposure until I start to see very small star trails. In doing this simple exercise you can nail down the maximum exposure time your camera can take a picture at a given focal length without exhibiting star trails.
Once you have these concepts in your head, it becomes very easy to select exposure time for Milky Way photography or star trail photography. Experimentation is key to getting a good shot.
Selecting ISO Settings
Next, we need to review ISO settings. In the digital age, increasing your ISO allows your digital film/camera sensor to become more sensitive to light — picking up more light on the camera’s sensor in less time. The more you increase your ISO, the more noise your picture will exhibit. It’s always best to increase your camera’s exposure time first and select ISO second since exposure time won’t degrade picture quality. ISO will!
After selecting exposure time per the steps above, start with an ISO of 800-1500 and take a practice shot to see if your photo is bright enough. If it’s not bright enough, increase your ISO values until it is. This is the one place where having a full frame camera will help because it will allow much higher ISO values with less noise. Also, note that your photo doesn’t have to be overly bright. You are shooting at night, and to keep things natural the photo should be dark, but the Milky Way should be visible.
Experiment with ISO values until you find something that’s bright enough, but doesn’t provide too much noise. I usually shoot between ISO 2500 and ISO 5000 on my Nikon D800 for Milky Way photos. I leave my high ISO noise reduction on normal and my long exposure noise reduction off.
Post Processing
I choose to use Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS6 to edit my RAW files; however, Adobe Camera RAW will work just fine as well.
Lightroom 4 and 5 are great for basic RAW file conversion. This includes color correction, basic luminosity control, contrast, sharpening and noise reduction. Experimentation is always key if you want to find the best settings that work for you. To make life easier on you, I’ve also made some Under the Stars Lightroom 4 & 5 Presets that I use to process some of my star shots. These 40+ presets will bring out the stars and make the color pop at the click of a button.
After finishing in Lightroom, I move into Photoshop CS6 where I use luminosity masks to achieve ultimate control. In doing so, I increase the brightness of the stars while leaving the dark areas of the photo untouched. These masks can also be used in reverse to select dark parts of your photo for noise reduction while leaving the bright parts alone.
After using luminosity masks, I also perform some more color correction, sharpening and texture methods, along with a few more tricks to really make the photos come to life. I’ve put together post-processing tutorial videos showing these steps and my entire Milky Way photography workflow from star to finish, which you can find at www.LearnStarPhotography.com.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed my star photography tutorial. You can find even more tips and details in my Free Star Photography Tutorial over on my website, or by following me on Facebook, Google+ and 500px.
About the author: Dave Morrow is a Travel Photographer, Workshop Instructor & Word Slinger with a passion for travel, the truth, and all things strange. | {
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Schoolchildren play on a beach in front of an oil platform in Brazil. Getty Images
The U.S. energy industry's core argument against an anti-corruption rule struck down by Congressional Republicans does not hold water, supporters of the regulation say. The rule, which was originally introduced by former Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican, and Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, requires oil, gas and mining companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges to disclose how much they pay to foreign governments. The goal is to prevent foreign leaders from skimming off the payments that drillers and miners make to their countries. Such corruption, which enriches the politically connected but deprives regular people of their country's mineral wealth, is known as the "resource curse."
The idea that American firms would be at a competitive disadvantage has certainly been undercut if 80 percent of the largest firms in the world are making a report. Richard Lugar president and chairman, the Lugar Center
"I believe that the effect would have been to rein in a good bit of the corruption, simply because there would have been public information and therefore debate within the various countries," said Lugar, who is now president of think tank the Lugar Center. Last week, Republican lawmakers invoked the rarely used Congressional Review Act to kill the disclosure rule, which was created by an amendment to the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulations. The American Petroleum Institute, the chief U.S. energy lobbying organization, and its Republican allies say the rule puts U.S. companies at a disadvantage, because their foreign competitors are not subject to the requirements.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month, House Leader Kevin McCarthy said the rule "adds an unreasonable compliance burden on American energy companies that isn't applied to their foreign competitors." But that's largely false. Major European drillers like BP, Total and Royal Dutch Shell, as well as Canadian firms and Russian oil and gas giants Rosneft and Gazprom, must report what they pay to foreign governments, Cardin and Lugar said in an op-ed. The U.S. rules would force some Chinese and Brazilian firms to do so, as well, they said. In praising Republicans for killing the rule, the American Petroleum Institute said it "is inconsistent with other major international reporting regimes, like the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the European Union's disclosure rules." That is not the view of the SEC. In making the rule, the SEC said European and Canadian regulations are "substantially similar." In fact, the commission said a company that satisfies the conditions of the EU, Canadian, or EITI rules will satisfy the requirements of the U.S. regulation. The EITI is a voluntary reporting system that the industry generally supports. The SEC's rule would have put some additional requirements on companies that report through EITI.
Asked for comment, McCarthy's office insisted that the disclosure rule causes "immense reporting efforts that foreign competitors do not have to adhere to" and that it forces companies to share proprietary information. To be sure, drillers and miners that are not listed on U.S., European or Canadian exchanges are not subject to disclosure rules. But 84 of the world's biggest 100 oil and gas companies were listed or cross-listed on U.S., European or Canadian exchanges, according to research submitted to the SEC by Publish What You Pay, a group that advocates for greater transparency in the energy industry. "The idea that American firms would be at a competitive disadvantage has certainly been undercut if 80 percent of the largest firms in the world are making a report," Lugar said. Fifty-eight of the top 100 miners were listed on an exchange with transparency rules. Companies are already required to track payments — but not report them — under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. For that reason, it would not be burdensome for them to make that information public, transparency advocates say.
More trouble for drillers and miners? | {
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I’m thrilled to announce that Colm is joining our little project as Security Engineer, starting today.
Colm is a longstanding (and outstanding!) member of our community who has been involved with the the DAO 1.0 Framework since January. He uncovered some very clever security issues including the so called “Colm Attack” *.
In a past life, Colm worked in application security for a payment processing company, but “got bored of this quickly” as he puts it. He has also worked for Intel and as a co-founder of a startup which taught computer programming.
Colm holds a BENG from Maynooth University and a MSc from UCD. He is also currently working on his PhD in Theoretical Physics in UCD, where he studies the conformational dynamics of biological systems using atomistic molecular dynamic simulations. I actually didn’t make that last sentence up, believe it or not.
Colm will be working part time at Slock.it as a Security Engineer to continuously studying and improve the security of the Framework smart contracts.
He will also perform security audits of the upcoming Slock.it smart contracts at the heart of the Ethereum Computer. We’re excited to have Colm as part of team, and we can’t wait to build amazing products together!
Welcome, Colm!
* In the Colm Attack, an attacker could create a proposal with an extremely large deposit, then immediately create a split DAO proposal to get his share of initial ETH plus his share of the deposit he put in. Because the deposit artificially inflates the DAO ETH holdings, the attacker could obtain slighlty more than he should have received post split. | {
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Dans un camp de djihadistes sunnites au nord de Bagdad en Irak, un instructeur a commis une énorme bourde qui lui a coûté la vie ainsi qu’à 21 de ses élèves.
Lors d’une leçon sur les attentats suicide, l’homme a fait détonner une ceinture d’explosifs.
Le groupe serait issu de l’Etat islamique en Irak et au Levant (EIIL).
Heureusement pour nous, ce formateur n’est pas le seul à échouer, voyez-plutôt :
Réagissez
Source: Le Monde
Commentaires | {
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Exit polls from Tuesday’s Alabama Senate election show that an overwhelming number of African-American men and women supported Democrat Doug Jones, helping push him to an historic win in the deep-red state.
The Washington Post’s exit poll showed that 98 percent of black women supported Jones. Black women made up 17 percent of overall voters.
White women, a 31 percent share of voters, supported GOP candidate Roy Moore. Exit polls showed 63 percent of white women supporting Moore and 34 percent backing Jones.
The exit poll found that 93 percent of black men voted for Jones, while the biggest group to support Moore was white men, who made up 35 percent of the vote. More than seven in 10 white men, 72 percent, said they voted for the GOP candidate.
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African-American voters in general supported the Democratic candidate, with 96 percent saying they voted for Jones. That number is slightly higher than the 95 percent who supported former President Obama in his reelection campaign in the state in 2012.
Meanwhile, Jones had twice as much support — 30 percent — from white voters as Obama did in 2012.
Moore, who faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct — including that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl decades ago — was a controversial candidate before the accusations were reported, based on his history as a state Supreme Court judge, including his past statements condemning homosexuality and saying that Muslims should not be allowed to serve in the Senate. | {
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Question posée sur Twitter le 21/10/2019
Bonjour,
Nous avons étendu votre question, qui était à l’origine : «Le masque du Joker est-il très répandu dans les manifestations au Liban ?»
En effet, plusieurs photos de manifestants grimés en Joker sont apparues ces derniers jours sur les réseaux sociaux, que ce soit au Liban, à Hongkong ou au Chili. Ces pays sont actuellement le théâtre d’importantes manifestations, tandis qu’un film mettant en scène le personnage du Joker, dont l’acteur américain Joaquin Phoenix est la dernière incarnation, est projeté en salles dans le monde entier.
Sur sa page Facebook, le compte «Désobéissance Ecolo Paris» a ainsi compilé plusieurs photos, sans les sourcer, avec le commentaire suivant : «Dans les révoltes en cours au Liban, au Chili et à Hongkong, on voit apparaître de plus en plus de Jokers, comme on voit aussi de plus en plus de parapluies en référence à Hongkong. Comme si les manifestant·e·s prenaient conscience de ce qu’il y a de commun dans leur révolte et se répondaient par clin d’œil.»
Au Liban, donc, où plusieurs centaines de milliers de personnes défilent depuis plusieurs jours pour réclamer un changement radical de système politique, plusieurs Jokers se sont mêlés à la foule.
A Beyrouth, le 18 octobre, ce sont par exemple deux manifestants torse nu, maquillés comme Joaquin Phoenix dans Joker, qui ont posé devant l’objectif de l’un de nos photographes, Stéphane Lagoutte.
Photo Stéphane Lagoutte. Myop pour Libération
Les Jokers étaient-ils présents en nombre lors des manifestations au Liban ? Non, selon notre photographe, qui en a aperçu «quelques-uns». Selon lui, et comme en témoignent plusieurs de ses photos envoyées à Libération (dont celle visible ci-dessous), il y avait davantage de manifestants portant le masque du protagoniste de V pour Vendetta. Cette bande dessinée, popularisée au cinéma en 2006, raconte l’histoire d’un anarchiste masqué aux prises avec un parti fasciste dans un Londres dystopique. Ce masque est devenu depuis le visage du mouvement Anonymous et a aussi été utilisé par le collectif Occupy.
Photo Stéphane Lagoutte. Myop pour Libération
Les Jokers, beaucoup moins nombreux que les V ? C’est ce que confirme à CheckNews Patricia Khoder, qui a suivi les manifs au Liban pour l’Orient-le Jour : «Les manifestants les plus pauvres qui viennent pour la plupart de la banlieue sud de Beyrouth portaient beaucoup le masque de V. Le Joker, beaucoup moins. J’ai vu trois ou quatre filles de 19 ou 20 ans maquillées en Joker, mais c’est tout.»
La situation est semblable à Hongkong, où depuis vingt semaines, des dizaines de milliers de personnes bravent l’interdiction de manifester contre le gouvernement local. Et où depuis plusieurs jours, quelques manifestants, masqués avec le visage du Joker, sont apparus, comme visible sur la photo ci-dessous, prise par l’agence AP.
Photo Mark Schiefelbein. AP
Le masque, en effet, est devenu à Hongkong un enjeu politique depuis que les autorités ont invoqué une loi d’urgence pour interdire aux manifestants de se couvrir le visage lors de rassemblements ou de manifestations publiques. Une mesure censée «dissuader» les manifestants, mais qui a eu l’effet inverse, entraînant dans la foulée l’embrasement de la ville.
C’est dans ce cadre-là que quelques masques du Joker sont apparus, au milieu d’autres, comme ceux de Winnie l’Ourson ou du symbole de l’alt-right américaine, Pepe The Frog. Mais à nouveau, ce sont les masques de V pour Vendetta qui ont été les plus vus sur les visages des manifestants, comme le rapporte cet article de l'AFP.
Contactée par CheckNews, la correspondante de Libé sur place, Rosa Brostra, affirme par texto : «La majorité a des masques noirs, de style chirurgical, et certains désormais ont des masques de Joker. Mais c’est une minorité».
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Les Jokers sont également en petit nombre, pour l’heure, au Chili, où de très violentes manifestations ont actuellement lieu suite à la hausse du prix du métro. Quelques manifestants ont ainsi été aperçus sur les photos ou vidéos, suffisamment pour qu’un média mexicain, El Imparcial, en fasse un article titré : «Plusieurs clins d’œil au Joker dans les manifestations au Chili». Les signes, pourtant, sont trop peu nombreux pour parler de véritable phénomène.
Sur Twitter, on peut voir ci-dessous la photo d’un tag, prise sur une statue à Los Angeles, ville du centre sud du Chili, au croisement des rues Providencia et Los Leones. Sur ce tag, on peut lire «We are all clowns», «Nous sommes tous des clowns», référence au film actuellement en salles (comme on peut le voir dans la bande-annonce).
You bet. The movie got release and two weeks later there’s riots and a lot of fire in Chile, not free of Joker references. pic.twitter.com/eNbUGQMveG — Otro Camilo (@AnotherCamilo) October 20, 2019
Contacté par CheckNews, l’auteur de la photo assure l’avoir prise le 14 octobre, en allant au travail. Il ignore qui a fait ce tag. CheckNews a également pu contacter un Joker chilien, pris en photo à plusieurs reprises lors d’une manifestation le 20 octobre dans cette même ville.
No olvidar que es contra los de arriba, lamentable actuar de carabineros, pero la lucha es NUESTRA y AHORA! NO ES POR UN PASAJE! ES POR LOS MUERTOS MIENTRAS CELEBRAN SUS CUMPLEAÑOS! POR CULPARNOS Y ENVIAR PERROS A MATAR CHILENOS!🔥#ChileSeCanso #RenunciaPiñera #Joker pic.twitter.com/mQNGa7DGLb — Mati Rosas🌹 (@theveredix) October 21, 2019
Pourquoi s’est-il déguisé ainsi ? «C’est ma mère qui m’a fait le costume. Je me déguise souvent, et je poste des photos sur les réseaux. J’aime faire l’acteur, changer, jouer de la musique. J’ai ce costume depuis l’année dernière, et je suis juste sorti marcher avec mes proches et amis pour protester calmement», explique le jeune homme en message privé sur Twitter.
Enfin à Barcelone, où depuis plusieurs jours de violences affrontements ont lieu entre militants indépendantistes radicaux et forces de l’ordre, des Jokers se sont-ils également fondus dans la foule ? Pas de photo, à notre connaissance, ne va dans ce sens, et François Musseau, correspondant de Libé à Barcelone, n’en a pas vu non plus (au contraire des masques V pour Vendetta, très présents selon lui lors de ces mêmes affrontements). Mais sur Twitter, nombre d’internautes n’ont pas manqué de faire le parallèle entre les images de Barcelone en feu suite aux manifestations et certains plans du film Joker.
Vengeance masquée
Pour Mathilde Larrère, historienne des révolutions, contactée par CheckNews, il n’y a rien de surprenant à voir surgir, dans des soulèvements populaires, une telle référence. «Comme les révolutions sont faites par les classes populaires, elles utilisent des éléments de leur culture. Ce sont des mouvements plus ou moins nouveaux, qui ne sont pas encadrés par un mouvement politique ancien, et qui développent donc leur propre culture interne. Sous la Révolution française, c’était la même chose avec les chansons populaires qu’on chantait le soir.»
William Blanc, historien, auteur de Super-héros, une histoire politique, publié en octobre 2018 aux éditions Libertalia, ne s’étonne pas non plus de la présence du Joker au Liban, à Hongkong ou au Chili. «C’est un film qui parle de problèmes sociaux très actuels ; quand il n’y a plus de débouchés politiques aux revendications, ça explose. Le Joker, c’est un peu ça.» Et le chercheur de relever : «En 1992, c’est le scénariste américain Alan Moore qui a donné cette dimension sociale au Joker dans la bande dessinée The Killing Joke. C’est le même Alan Moore qui a écrit V pour Vendetta. On est donc dans cette espèce de continuum : le corps agressé, déformé, de gens opprimés et qui prennent un masque avec un sourire pour se venger.» | {
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UPDATE:
President Donald J. Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, responded to the news that former South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford is considering a 2020 GOP presidential primary challenge.
Parscale bluntly told the Wall Street Journal, "Whatever," upon hearing the news.
ORIGINAL:
Former South Carolina congressman Mark Sanford is mulling a run for the presidency and entering the GOP 2020 primary. Sanford told a local paper Tuesday morning that he will use the next month to decide whether or not he should get in the race.
“Sometimes in life you’ve got to say what you’ve got to say, whether there’s an audience or not for that message,” Sanford told The Post and Courier. “I feel convicted.”
Indeed, political experts are not sure that Sanford's "audience" exists at all. University of Virginia's Larry Sabato told the paper, "Is he a serious challenger to Trump? If you mean by serious challenger that he could beat Trump, the answer is no, but there are other ways to measure challenges."
“If he can make the argument against Trump, if he can really whatever remaining ‘Never Trumpers’ there are out there, then he could have an impact," Sabato continued.
There is at least one person in America would support the run -- Rep. Justin Amash from Michigan. Amash, who is also losing his primary polling, recently announced that he was leaving the Republican Party because of his disagreements with President Trump.
Sanford lost his 2018 primary after the president lambasted him by saying, "He is nothing but trouble" and "Mark Sanford has been very unhelpful to me in my campaign to MAGA. He is MIA and nothing but trouble. He is better off in Argentina. I fully endorse Katie Arrington for Congress in SC, a state I love. She is tough on crime and will continue our fight to lower taxes. VOTE Katie!" | {
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Hi, My name is Sandy!
If you are looking for a LOVE dog, look no further! I am a very sweet and pretty Cockapoo with a gorgeous sandy coat and great big brown eyes. I am a bit long in the tooth at 16, but very healthy, spayed and up to date on my shots. I am house trained and very well behaved. I weigh 25 pounds.
I live in White Plains NY, but would happy to live where you do. Being a bit older, my current family situation is just not that good for me. It is a very busy household with all kinds of people coming and going. I would really prefer to be the center of attention in a quiet home with one or two adults. Ideally, I would love to be a lap dog for a senior or someone who stays home most of the time.
My current owners are heartbroken to have to face the difficult decision to find me a new home, but they realize that my current environment is too stressful for me. I am left on my own a lot, and it makes me very sad because I love people and snuggling so much. Finding a quiet home with someone to adore me would be a dream come true.
I will be rehomed with my veterinary records and all of my supplies. If you would like to offer me a good home, please fill out our online information form. Once received, my owners will contact you to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet me.
If you have any questions about me, please call Debbie Moore toll free at (888) 720-3322.
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All About Sandy
[one_half]
Name of Pet: Sandy
Location: , New York, White Plains
Type of Pet: Dog
Breed of Pet: Cockapoo
Weight: 25 pounds
Sex of Pet: Female[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
Age of Pet: 16
Spayed/Neutered?: Yes
Health Problems: No
Up To Date on Vaccinations: Yes
Gets along with cats: Unknown
Gets along with dogs: Yes
Good with Children?: Yes
House Broken or Litter Trained?: Yes
Crate Trained?: Unknown
Accessories Included: A cage leash and harness
[/one_half_last]
Sandy’s Personality
Friendly
Loyal
Sandy’s Current Home Environment
Busy and active household
Sandy’s Favorite Toys, Foods, Activities?
Sandy loves duck treats
Sandy’s Perfect Adoptive Home Will Be:
A more relaxed environment where sandy would be the center of attention.
Request to Meet Sandy Here | {
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Lucasfilm released the second trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Monday evening. It shows that—like every Star Wars movie—the next edition will be filled with space battles, lightsaber duels, and campy dialog.
The trailer makes it clear that Rey will be the central character of the upcoming movie, set to release December 15 with tickets widely available now . Rey's training by Luke Skywalker and maturation as a Jedi appear to be major themes.
For anyone entering the Star Wars universe for the first time with this latest trilogy (wait, why?), the new trailer hints at obvious parallels to The Empire Strikes Back. In Empire, Luke ignores Yoda's warnings that his training isn't complete and rushes off to save his friends, leading to his hand being chopped off by Darth Vader.
"I've seen this raw strength only once before," Luke Skywalker says in the new footage. "It didn't scare me enough then. It does now... This is not going to go the way you think."
The trailer also hints that Kylo Ren—who embraced the dark side of the Force and killed his father [spoilers] in Episode VII—tries to recruit Rey to the dark side.
"I need someone to show me my place in all this," Rey says near the end of the trailer. The new teaser then cuts to a shot of Ren holding out his black-gloved hand.
While the trailer provides a lot of hints about the plot and major themes of Last Jedi, much of the initial Twitter chatter has been about this new Chewbacca sidekick:
The new creature is apparently a Porg, which according to a fan wiki is "a sea bird species native to the planet Ahch-To, where Jedi Master Luke Skywalker made his exile in the years following the Battle of Endor." It remains to be seen if the Porg will be beloved by fans or—possibly more likely—if the creature will be the new Jar Jar Binks.
Listing image by Lucasfilm | {
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LovenPresents, Seven Sisters
One thing that is a simple reality for an amateur food blogger like myself – the restaurants visited will tend to be skewed towards the area I live and work in, which in my case is around the more central parts of East London. But when arranging a get-together of some old friends, we decided to strike out to Seven Sisters as one of the party had to get a train from Tottenham Hale. I donned my explorer’s outfit, and set off into the unknown.
A quick google for pizza places threw up LovenPresents, and some very favourable reviews.
We grabbed a drink nearby at a bar called Five Miles. A particularly sketchy man stomped into the beer garden, downed the dregs of the unattended drinks near us, sat around on his own for few minutes rubbing his head in some anguish, stomped inside, and then moments after I told the others about him, he chose to come and join us, asking us to buy him a pint before sitting down and asking all our names. We decided against inviting him into our circle, and made our way to the pizzeria. I mention this detail because it is something that some will want to consider – this is not (yet) a gentrified area, although it looks inevitable that it’s heading that way from what I saw. It’s definitely still pretty rough round the edges, it has the feel of Hackney Wick a few years ago. Essentially an industrial estate surrounded by a load of housing. Upper Street it is not. That doesn’t especially bother me, but some will find it very unsettling if they aren’t used to it. Obviously, we may have just been very unlucky. And plenty of sketchy people stomp around the more salubrious parts of Nottingham. But it feels like a relevant piece of the jigsaw, so there it is.
Lovenpresents itself is squirelled away upstairs in some sort of industrial unit, and it’s not at all obvious that there is a restaurant there unless you are looking for it. The place itself is a decent size, with the giant pizza oven and kitchen open to the left. A Tribe Called Quest – We’ve Got The Jazz was playing on arrival, which pleased me greatly, and they played ATCQ albums for the whole time we were there. Definite bonus points for this.
I was with 3 friends, so we decided the sensible thing to do was order 4 different pizzas and have a quarter of each. After much back and forth we settled on Buffalina (cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil), Zola (Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, raddicchio, pistachios), Piccante (tomato, mozzarella, spicy salami, nduja, chillies, jalapenos), and Margot (smoked provola, sausage, mushrooms, truffle oil, parmesan). Drinks were very reasonably priced – the pizzas I felt were priced at quite a premium level given the location, so was curious to see how they were.
When they came out, they weren’t the prettiest pizzas I’ve ever been served, certainly in the case of the Zola and the Buffalina anyway, which had pretty large spaces toward the crust with no toppings. I’m not militant about pizzas being visually perfect, but that was notable. But visuals aren’t really what matters – how did they taste?
The Zola (£10) was decent, I’m a sucker for blue cheese on a pizza, although I felt that maybe there was a bit too much raddicchio and not enough pistachio. But the combo of flavours worked well. The Buffalina had it’s merits too – but 4 cherry tomato halves? Really? So the slice with a tomato was one thing, the other slice I had a very different experience. Surely a £9.50 pizza can stretch to an extra couple of cherry tomatoes so that each slice has a bit of the sweetness the set it off? And both the Zola and Buffalina had crusts that extended way too far towards the middle of the pizza for me. Nitpicking maybe? Maybe. But that’s my take, especially at the price point these were at.
I really liked both the Piccante (£11) and the Margot (£12), and no major complaints on the way these were topped either. The Piccante really had a serious kick to it, not for anyone who isn’t into genuinely spicy food. A whole one of those would get the brow sweating! The Margot was a lovely combo of flavours, with the sausage a decent quality, and the truffle oil present but not overpowering, bringing an aromatic indulgence to that one. Looking back at the pic, again it seems like the toppings were all a bit towards the centre, but I didn’t really notice that at the time, and enjoyed the pizza on it’s own terms.
The crusts on the pizzas were decent but not exceptional – a little bit doughy for my personal preference, but some prefer them that way. Not especially tasty crusts, but nothing wrong with them either.
All in all, a perfectly decent meal, but not something I’d go out of my way to repeat, and for most people in London, to go here is pretty far out of their way. Given the location (both area, and where it is in that area) I’m a little surprised that the prices are what they are, given what the prices are at competitors who I feel make pizza as good or better, but of course, I don’t know what the costs etc are in any given place, and tbf, the drinks were very well priced too.
7/10
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Millennials falling behind their boomer parents
Baby Boomers: your Millennial children are worse-off than you. Millennials earn 20 percent less than Boomers did at the same stage of life, despite being better educated, according to a new analysis by the advocacy group Young Invincibles. (Jan. 13) | {
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The man accused of stabbing five people during a Hanukkah celebration at a rabbi's home in Monsey, New York, was charged with additional federal hate crimes Thursday.
The man, Grafton Thomas, 37, was charged with targeting with the intent to kill the victims because of their religion, according to an indictment handed up in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
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Thomas was charged in federal court in December with five counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, in addition to charges of attempted murder and burglary filed by the state. He has pleaded not guilty to the state charges.
An attorney for Thomas was not immediately available for comment.
Prosecutors allege that Thomas barged into the rabbi's home as a group was observing the seventh night of Hanukkah, his face covered with what appeared to be a scarf, according to a criminal complaint.
He told the dozens gathered in the home that "no one is leaving" and attacked them with a machete, authorities said. Victims' injuries included a severed finger, slash wounds and deep lacerations, they said.
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Investigators found handwritten journals in Thomas' home that contained anti-Semitic writings, including writings about "Nazi culture" and "Adolf Hitler" and a drawing of a swastika, a federal criminal complaint said.
Michael H. Sussman, Thomas' attorney, has said that his client could be described as mentally ill, that he was hospitalized multiple times in 2019 and that he was on a variety of medications. Thomas' family said in a statement that he had "a long history of mental illness and hospitalizations." | {
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Die guten SPD-Umfragewerte machen die Union nervös. Bayerns Finanzminister Söder ermahnt Angela Merkel, sie müsse den Sozialdemokraten mehr entgegensetzen, als nur Erreichtes zu verteidigen.
Von Nico Fried, Christoph Hickmann und Wolfgang Wittl
Angesichts des anhaltenden Umfragehochs der SPD wächst in der Union die Nervosität und damit der Druck auf Kanzlerin Angela Merkel, dem sozialdemokratischen Kanzlerkandidaten Martin Schulz etwas entgegenzusetzen. "Alle, die gesagt haben, es sei ein Strohfeuer, sind ein Stück widerlegt", sagte Bayerns Finanzminister Markus Söder (CSU) am Samstag am Rande eines Parteitreffens. "Ich glaube, es wird nicht reichen zu sagen, was man in der Vergangenheit gut gemacht hat." Stattdessen sei es wichtig, dass Merkel zusätzliche "Motivationsarbeit für die Basis" leiste, sagte Söder.
Zuletzt lag die SPD in Umfragen knapp vor oder gleichauf mit der Union. Die bisherigen Attacken auf den designierten SPD-Vorsitzenden Schulz zeigten demnach wenig bis gar keine Wirkung. Bislang hatten CDU und CSU ihm vorgeworfen, er zeichne ein verfälschendes Bild von der wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Lage des Landes und sei inhaltlich zu unkonkret. Seit Schulz vor einer Woche Korrekturen an der Agenda 2010 angekündigt hat, attackiert ihn die Union nun gezielt auf diesem Feld.
Söder: SPD-Hoch ist kein "Zufallsstolperer"
Auch Kanzlerin Merkel zielte am Wochenende in diese Richtung. Vor der Landesvertreterversammlung der CDU Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Stralsund würdigte sie die vom damaligen sozialdemokratischen Kanzler Gerhard Schröder auf den Weg gebrachte Agenda 2010 als Erfolgsgeschichte. Die Reform habe dazu geführt, "dass mehr Menschen Arbeit bekommen haben", sagte Merkel. "Aber die Sozialdemokraten möchten sich bis heute zu dieser Erfolgsgeschichte nicht bekennen." Stattdessen habe man den Eindruck, sie schämten sich sogar dafür. "Auf jeden Fall verleugnen sie sie. Und das seit 14 Jahren."
Schulz lässt derzeit ein Konzept für weitere Korrekturen an der Agenda erarbeiten. Das Arbeitslosengeld I soll länger als bisher gezahlt werden, zudem sollen Arbeitsverträge nur noch mit sachlicher Begründung befristet werden dürfen. Am Sonntag ging Schulz bei einem Auftritt in Leipzig zwar nicht noch einmal konkret auf das Thema ein, betonte aber, die SPD müsse "Vertrauen zurückgewinnen". Ihre Kernkompetenz sei es, "die Gesellschaft zusammenzuführen". Es gehe um Respekt vor der "Lebensleistung" von Menschen. Kritik an Schulz' Agenda-Plänen kam auch von Grünen-Chef Cem Özdemir: "Martin Schulz kommt mit seiner Kritik sehr altbacken daher", sagte er der Bild am Sonntag.
Bayerns Finanzminister Söder forderte, die Union müsse nun eigene Akzente setzen. "Wenn zum ersten Mal seit zehn Jahren die SPD die Union überholt, kannst du ja nicht sagen, das ist ein Zufallsstolperer."
Statt der SPD hinterherzulaufen, müsse man "eigene bürgerliche Konzepte präsentieren". Daher werde er Steuersenkungen und eine Abschaffung des Solidaritätszuschlags "schneller als geplant doch noch einmal diskutieren" - also vor der Bundestagswahl. Dies birgt unionsintern Zündstoff: Erst im Januar war Söder mit einem Vorstoß für Steuerentlastungen vor der Wahl gescheitert - unter anderem am Widerstand von CSU-Chef und Ministerpräsident Horst Seehofer, dessen Nachfolger Söder gern würde. | {
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The former police officer demanding the NFL discipline five St. Louis Rams players over their display of “hand up, don’t shoot” before a game on Sunday has a history of controversy, including being disciplined for lying in police reports as well as sponsoring legislation that would shield the names of police officers from public scrutiny unless charged with a crime.
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Sunday night, St. Louis Police Officers Association Business Manager Jeff Roorda was quoted in a statement from the association calling for the five players, Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Jared Cook, Chris Givens, and Kenny Britt, to be disciplined and for the Rams and the NFL to make a public apology.
The SLPOA described the gesture as “tasteless, offensive and inflammatory.”
In the statement, Roorda claimed, “Our officers have been working 12 hour shifts for over a week, they had days off including Thanksgiving cancelled so that they could defend this community from those on the streets that perpetuate this myth that Michael Brown was executed by a brother police officer and then, as the players and their fans sit safely in their dome under the watchful protection of hundreds of St. Louis’s finest, they take to the turf to call a now-exonerated officer a murderer, that is way out-of-bounds, to put it in football parlance.”
Roorda, a Democrat who most recently served in the Missouri House of Representatives before running for a seat in the state Senate and losing, was fired from the Arnold, Missouri police department in 2001 for misconduct after having been previously warned in another case where he was found to have lied in a police report.
According to court documents, in 1997 Roorda was reprimanded for attempting “…to try to ‘cover’ for another police officer by filing a report that contained false statements as to what happened during a suspect’s apprehension and arrest. As a result of this false report, all charges against the defendant involved were dropped.” The court notes that Roorda was informed, “If it is ever determined again that you have lied in a police report, you will receive a more severe punishment, up to and including termination.”
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Roorda was later terminated for lying about interactions with other police officers after accusing them of threatening and abusing him. Roorda’s charges were disproved by audio tapes of the conversations provided to investigators by Roorda himself.
Following a stint as a police chief of Kimmswick, Roorda was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives where he attempted to amend the state’s Sunshine laws with regard to police activities.
According to MissouriWatchdog.org, Roorda introduced an amendment that would ” prevent the public from obtaining ‘any records and documents pertaining to police shootings … if they contain the name of any officer who did the shooting’.” Under Roorda’s proposal, a police officer’s name would only be entered into the public record if they were charged with a crime. The proposal also extended to the names of police officers who were in involved in a shooting, regardless of whether the officer was on duty.
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While simultaneously serving in the Missouri House while employed as the business manager for the SLPOA, Roorda pushed back against equipping police officers and cruisers with dash and body cameras, saying, “Instead of the cameras being there to protect the officers, they get disciplined for petty stuff constantly — for violating the uniform code, or rolling through a stop sign for an urgent call, or for not turning the camera on. That’s one of the hottest issues for my guys. They’re tired of the nitpicking, and that’s what the cameras have been used to do.”
Roorda was also revealed to be behind a major fundraiser for Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the police officer who resigned over the weekend | {
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