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The Pistons didn’t grab national headlines with their off-season acquisitions, but they did grab the attention of their point guard.
“I’m impressed,” Reggie Jackson said after a pre-training camp scrimmage with Stan Van Gundy’s newly assembled roster that includes free-agent acquisitions Ish Smith, Jon Leuer and Boban Marjanovic and draft picks Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije. “I feel like we’ve gotten overlooked because people don’t necessarily think we’ve made some great” – and here Jackson makes air quotes with his hands – “with the emphasis on the quotes, off-season moves. But I think, for our team, we had some great pickups.”
And so Jackson expects the leads his unit hands to Stan Van Gundy’s bench to be preserved – extended, even – with greater consistency than they were a year ago. Pistons starters logged more minutes as a unit last season than any other team’s and had favorable plus/minus numbers.
The bench was something of a wild card. Its most critical position, point guard, was handicapped by circumstance more so than by personnel. It started the season with Steve Blake, who missed nearly all of training camp due to a concussion, then transitioned in late December to the rusty Brandon Jennings, coming off an Achilles tendon injury, and then having to go back to Blake after Jennings went to Orlando in February as part of the Tobias Harris package.
Jackson is a big Smith fan, familiar with him since their days in the ACC – Jackson at Boston College, Smith at Wake Forest – and believes his influence will solidify the bench.
“He can create havoc in the second unit and push the attack. He created havoc with the first unit in Philly last year. It’s probably going to be child’s play for him against second units. With that speed and that unselfishness, that competitiveness he has … this is something we’ve talked about, how we really know each other, how we complement each other. We’re a different pace of guys. We really think we can hit it off well and make these units run well.”
Jackson spent the bulk of his off-season training in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and was one of the ringleaders in organizing this summer’s team activity. After spending a week in Las Vegas training with MMA fighters last year, the Pistons amassed this summer for a week in Malibu, working out together during the days and playing pickup games on Pepperdine’s campus in the evenings.
That put them in proximity to Pistons owner Tom Gores and Jackson was pleased that the newcomers were able to get a glimpse of what makes their owner tick.
“He wanted to be around us and see us, so we got to be around him and I think it was good for guys to get to see him and see how enthusiastic he is and how invested he is in our success,” Jackson said. “Everybody got to get a little more extensive time with Tom. Everybody got to see how fiery he is, the passion he has – a big reason why we had success last year and hopefully why we continue to have success.”
Jackson enters his second full season with the Pistons more comfortable with the leadership role that naturally falls to starting point guards. He’s also aware his leadership will be more critical this time around after the departures of the most senior – and among the most respected – voices in the locker room: Blake, Joel Anthony and Anthony Tolliver.
“It’s time for us to step up,” he said. “You don’t find too many guys like that who are very team oriented and who have had success in the league and who are still about the success of the team and the success of the individuals around them, especially willing to give back so much knowledge of the game and sharing with the guys. Me and a few of the other guys, it’s kind of like they forced (leadership) upon us. I feel it’s forced upon me to lead now and now’s the time to really step up. This is the year to do it.
“I’m ready for the challenge. I’m ready to be a voice of reason, a voice of serenity and calmness for this team, and try to keep motivating us to push forward. But it’s going to be a collective effort that we all get on this train and keep moving it.”
Jackson ticked off virtually every name on the roster by way of talking about the lineup possibilities at Van Gundy’s fingertips this season. Between the internal improvement he sees coming from the young starters and the depth added via free agency and the draft, he sees a team equipped to handle every variety of lineup it faces over the 82-game season.
“I think people are looking for huge names and that’s not necessarily what Detroit’s ever done,” he said. “We do it collectively. We don’t need anyone to believe in us. We’ll still find a way. But I think we shored up our second unit and added some more versatility and some more depth. I think we’ll be scary this year. But you know what? I don’t want to talk about it too much. We’ll let the season speak for itself.” | {
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Președintele Klaus Iohannis a declarat marți seară, în Germania, că nu trebuie să se negocieze autonomie pe criterii etnice, pentru că nu sunt chestiuni dorite în România.
„Atrag atenția PSD să nu introducă în pachetul de negociere chestiuni care nu trebuie negociate. Mă gândesc că nu trebuie să se negocieze vreun fel de autonomie pe criterii etnice. Sunt chestiuni care în România nu sunt dorite, nu trebuie negociate sub presiunea unei situații deosebite”, a declarat Iohannis.
Un subiect, se pare, despre care președintele avea cunoștință că era pe agenda negocierilor dintre cele două partide, PSD și UDMR.
În plus, Klaus Iohannis a precizat că astfel de lucruri nu se negociază în acest fel.
Întrebat dacă vrea să pice Guvernul sau moțiunea, președintele a răspuns că vrea ca situația să se rezolve cât mai repede. „Suntem văzuți ca parteneri serioși, de încredere și toate aceste lucruri nu trebuie să le punem sub semnul întrebării sau să dăm impresia că din cauza unor dispute din partidul majoritar România intră în instabilitate”, a precizat Klaus Iohannis.
Totodată, întrebat dacă PSD e un partid care poate asigura o guvernare stabilă, șeful statului a răspuns că „e o întrebare la care fiecare român va trebui să dea un răspuns și să-l țină minte”.
El a precizat că nu a discutat cu Liviu Dragnea sau cu Sorin Grindeanu despre actuala criză. „Eu am spus din capul locului, şi am spus-o atâta de clar încât au înţeles toţi, că nu mă amestec în această chestiune, în această dispută internă din PSD. Nu am făcut-o, nu o voi face”, a afirmat el.
Iohannis a dat asigurări că lucrurile în România se vor desfăşura „ordonat”, indiferent dacă moţiunea va trece sau nu.
„Eu am un draft de agendă şi nu trebuie să îşi facă nimeni probleme, lucrurile vor merge, în orice variantă, ordonat şi în aşa fel încât România să funcţioneze”, a spus şeful statului.
El a mai afirmat că va lua o decizie cu privire la demisiile miniştrilor trimise la Palatul Cotroceni când va reveni în ţară, la finalul săptămânii.
„Nu există premisele unui blocaj politic îndelungat”, a mai spus șeful statului.
Preşedintele Klaus Iohannis a comentat, marţi, la Berlin, eventualitatea numirii unui nou premier, afirmând că nu va face "rabat" de la criteriile anunţate înainte de alegerile parlamentare din 2016, şi consideră că orice şef al Executivului trebuie să fie o persoană "integră".
„Eu nu mi-am schimbat opiniile politice şi sunt în continuare de părere că, în România, desemnat de mine poate să fie numai o persoană integră. Nu am absolut deloc de gând să fac rabat de la criteriile pe care, încă vă amintiţi, din toamna anului trecut le tot enunţ. România are nevoie de un Guvern stabil, are nevoie de un premier integru”, a spus preşedintele.
Liviu Dragnea a declarat marţi, când a plecat de la Parlament, întrebat dacă social-democraţilor le ies calculele privind votul la moţiunea de cenzură după ce a picat înţelegerea cu UDMR, că nu a avut niciodată calculul făcut cu parlamentarii Uniunii Democrate a Maghiarilor din România. | {
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) founding member Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh quit the party on Saturday, 22 September, at a Swabhiman rally in Rajasthan’s Barmer. His departure could dent the BJP’s fortunes in Rajasthan, which will be going to polls later this year.
Manvendra Singh is possibly looking to join the Congress.
Regarding his decision to quit the party, Manvendra Singh was quoted by NDTV as saying, "Kamal ki phool humaari bhool thi (the lotus flower was my mistake)."
Jaswant Singh’s family was upset with the saffron party after he was denied a ticket by the BJP in 2014 to contest from his hometown of Barmer, Jaisalmer. | {
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The zipper is one of those inventions—along with the bicycle—that seems as though it should have occurred much earlier in history. How complicated could it be to assemble two wheels, two pedals, and a chain? Or to align two jagged strips of metal teeth and shuffle them together? There is no complicated chemistry here, no harnessing of invisible wavelengths. And yet the modern bicycle didn’t appear until the late 1800s, and the zipper didn’t really become the zipper until 1917 (when it was patented by a Swedish immigrant in Hoboken). The precision necessary to craft a working bicycle chain or a smoothly meshing zipper was simply beyond us for all those prior millennia.
More confounding still: Now that the zipper has been around for nearly a century, you’d think that something so simple might have been perfected—becoming a 100 percent reliable commodity. But that hasn’t happened. There are still tons of faulty zippers out there. Teeth that break. Pulls that pop. Herky-jerky sliding and irreparable lockups.
One zipper gone wrong can render an entire garment unwearable. Thus consistent quality is a must for reputable fashion brands. For decades now, apparel makers who can’t afford to gamble on cut-rate fasteners have overwhelmingly turned to a single manufacturer. YKK, the Japanese zipper behemoth, makes roughly half of all the zippers on earth. More than 7 billion zippers each year. Those three capital letters are ubiquitous—no doubt you’ve seen them while zipping up your windbreaker or unzipping someone else’s jeans. How did YKK come to dominate this quirky corner of industry?
Founded by Tadao Yoshida in Tokyo in 1934, YKK stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha (which roughly translates as Yoshida Company Limited). The young Yoshida was a tinkerer who designed his own customized zipper machines when he wasn’t satisfied with existing production methods. One by one, Yoshida brought basically every stage of the zipper making process in house: A 1998 Los Angeles Times story reported that YKK “smelts its own brass, concocts its own polyester, spins and twists its own thread, weaves and color-dyes cloth for its zipper tapes, forges and molds its scooped zipper teeth …” and on and on. YKK even makes the boxes it ships its zippers in. And of course it still manufactures its own zipper-manufacturing machines—which it carefully hides from the eyes of competitors. With every tiny detail handled under YKK’s roof, outside variables get eliminated and the company can assure consistent quality and speed of production. (When the Japanese earthquake hit last year many supply chains were shredded, but YKK kept rolling along.)
Yoshida also preached a management principle he termed “The Cycle of Goodness.” It holds that “no one prospers unless he renders benefit to others.” In practice, this boiled down to Yoshida striving to produce ever-higher quality with ever-lower costs. It seems intuitive, but it’s far from easy to do. And in the end, the secret to YKK’s success is equally uncomplicated but equally impressive: YKK makes incredibly dependable zippers, ships them on time without fail, offers a wide range of colors, materials, and styles, and never gets badly undercut on price. The feeling in the apparel industry is that you can’t go wrong with YKK.
“There have been quality problems in the past when we’ve used cheaper zippers,” says Trina Turk, who designs her own line of women’s contemporary sportswear. “Now we just stick with YKK. When the customer is buying $200 pants, they better have a good zipper. Because the customer will blame the maker of the whole garment even if the zipper was the part that failed.”
A typical 14-inch “invisible” YKK nylon zipper (the kind that disappears behind fabric when you zip up the back of a dress) costs about 32 cents. For an apparel maker designing a garment that will cost $40-$65 to manufacture, and will retail for three times that much or more, it’s simply not worth it to skimp. “The last thing we want to do is go with a competitor to save eight or nine cents per zipper and then have those zippers pop,” says Steve Clima, Turk’s senior production manager. “The cost difference just isn’t enough given the overall margins.”
There are hundreds of rival zipper manufacturers in China. They might be a tiny bit cheaper, or might be willing to produce custom novelty orders in a rush. But at least one apparel wholesaler told me that some European companies won’t even accept delivery of garments using Chinese zippers, for fear that the zippers might contain lead (a big no-no). More generally, competitors’ zippers are often just not up to snuff. Multiple apparel designers I talked to recalled incidents in which batches of non-YKK zippers failed to meet their standards.
YKK isn’t the kind of brand that markets to consumers. (Or seeks any kind of publicity: They declined to speak to me for this story.) You don’t buy your jeans and jackets by looking for their letters on that pull. Likewise, you almost certainly wouldn’t nix a garment purchase because the zipper isn’t YKK.
But YKK is still a brand of sorts. It still has an image and a reputation. Its target demographic is trim buyers and production managers in the apparel industry. They’re the folks for whom “YKK” has real meaning.
There used to be a saying among corporate technology workers—or, as you might call them, I.T. guys—which held that “you’ll never get fired for using Microsoft.” Sure, you could take a risk on some upstart competitor and maybe save a little dough, or even get slightly better performance. But if anything goes wrong your boss will wonder why you didn’t opt for old reliable.
YKK, for decades now, has established itself as old reliable. “A zipper will never make a garment,” says Turk. “But it can break a garment.” | {
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Remember the IPCC report which gave us 12 years to sort our shit out? Well, now, we’ve got 11 and a half. That’s why Greta Thunberg and 46 other young activists have called for a general strike against climate change this September:
“We have learned that if we don’t start acting for our future, nobody else will make the first move. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” they wrote in the Guardian. “But to change everything, we need everyone. It is time for all of us to unleash mass resistance...”
School strikes are one thing. They’ve been responsible for putting immediate action to prevent climate change onto the agenda and further radicalising a generation. But a general strike is a big escalation. It involves all workers in all industries stopping work at the same time. At the start of the 20th century, when workers were just figuring out how to use a general strike, socialist leader Rosa Luxemburg argued that it was “the living pulse of the revolution, and at the same time its most powerful driving wheel”.
The last time British workers launched a general strike was 1926. A day before the strike, the Daily Mail wanted to led with an editorial arguing against it: “A general strike is not an industrial dispute. It is a revolutionary move which can only succeed by destroying the government and subverting the rights and liberties of the people.” The only problem was the printers were in a union and they refused to print it.
The strike, initially called in solidarity with the miners who were fighting a pay cut, involved millions of workers and lasted nine days. On the ninth day, there were more people on strike than the first – but Trade Union Congress (TUC, the organisation that collectively represents most of the trade unions in the UK) panicked, realising that the workers were getting more militant by the day and they were losing control. They reached a deal with the government that allowed them to call the whole thing off.
Things might have got really interesting if the strike had come sooner after the end of the First World War, when the grassroots trade union movement in the factories hadn’t yet been smashed by a period of high unemployment. As it stands, however, 1926 just looks one more missed opportunity to escape a failed system.
A general strike against climate change might seem even more unlikely today. After all, levels of strike action are at historic lows. But over the last couple of months, bit by bit, things have started to move.
First, the University and Colleges Union (UCU) passed a motion at their congress in May to back the youth climate strikes – and amended it to go even further to “support and promote calls for a general strike for action on climate change, and call on the TUC to organise this.”
This motion was then followed up by the UCU’s national executive committee. Given the fact that the union is led by a radical, newly-elected general secretary, you might imagine that they did what their members told them to. In fact, however, the call for a general strike was watered down into a call for a 30-minute work stoppage. If UCU is going to commit to an actual strike, it will only be as a result of pressure from a militant rank-and-file.
But the call for action hasn’t just been limited to one union. Now the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), who organised last year’s strikes at McDonalds and Wetherspoons, has unanimously passed a similar motion to endorse a general strike. Niamh Galwey, the 22-year-old shop steward for Greggs in Northern Ireland who proposed the climate strike motion, is going all in. “The union is dedicated to standing by this historic decision and is ready for the reality of a general strike,” she tells VICE. “For those in recognised workplaces it’s highly possible that strikes will take place.
“A successful strike would be a mass demonstration by all unions across every industry, forcing the nation to fully grasp the drastic nature of this crisis. Our goal is to shake the government into action, to ensure that they’re promises of change are not just an empty gesture."
Technically, a general strike is against the law. Under UK trade union legislation, workers can only go on strike “in furtherance of a trade dispute” – basically, when they have a specific issue with their employer. Admittedly, lots of employers are fucking up the environment in lots of ways, but striking over climate collapse would be defined as political in most cases and therefore unlawful –even if the political cause at stake is the survival of our species.
Anyone fired while taking part in unofficial strike action loses their right to claim unfair dismissal, and the unions involved would be under pressure to repudiate the action as unofficial and thereby save themselves from being sued for damages or slapped with an injunction by a judge. If they get did get served an injunction and carried on anyway, they’d be in contempt of court and face a massive fine or their funds getting taken away (known in legal terms as being “sequestered”).
The law is more flexible when you’ve got power on your side. For billionaires and bankers, this is just common sense – their money and their connections are like a ‘get out of jail free’ card. But workers, too, have their own form of power, and it can have a similar impact. The Communication Workers Union has spent the last year showing just that. Instead of repudiating local walkouts at delivery offices, General Secretary Dave Ward has taken to Twitter to congratulate workers on their action. At the time of writing, it hasn’t led to any legal action. Royal Mail doesn’t want any trouble.
And climate collapse is exactly the kind of issue that could give organised workers some power. After all, 54 percent of people in the UK think climate change could lead to human extinction, so they’re probably willing to find a solution by just about any means necessary. If a crisis-stricken Tory government was challenged by a trade union on an issue with massive public support, they too might decide that they don’t want any trouble.
If workers are a bit smart about things, and say that they’re refusing to work because of the serious and imminent threat that climate change poses to their health and safety, that might give them some legal cover and further reduce the likelihood of reprisal. But there’s a big difference between a hypothetical general strike and an actual general strike. At the moment, no one seems to have agreed on a definite plan of how to get from A to B. We could end up thinking that 2019 was just a missed opportunity, just like 1926.
There are, though, not many strategic options left on the table. If the reports of impending climate collapse are true, we don’t have much time left to work with. At a certain point, climate change is going to force us to start thinking differently – not just about what is possible, but about what is necessary. | {
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Watch as the Cambridge boat almost sinks in the Women's Boat Race as rivals Oxford pull away to record an emphatic win.
WATCH AGAIN ON iPLAYER: The 2016 Boat Races | {
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Attack On Titan' Teases Big Upcoming Season 3 Scenes
Attack On Titan' Teases Big Upcoming Season 3 Scenes
PC-INSTAGRAM
Attack On Titans is the midst break which the show will not stay there for the long next year which anime will resume its running season with brand new interview one of the shows writer is showing the big scene that screenwriter asked a several question about the anime that hinted major scene in third season.
The scenario of happening with mixing up action sequence the battles is in Eren's home named called Shiganshina region that is start to move that will be result even we can't see the imagination he own self believe that there is great sense we will hope the viewers of the anime Attack On Titans will also feel the same despair.
Big Upcoming Season 3 Scenes Teases On Attack On Titan'
Only the fan know about the anime keeping its high praise with little note to make them go wild.the show din't pick with easy plan to start its major season but people are anxious that what is the perfect for the show with short teaser hack half of the season each shown that writer a certain scenes will come out with in next season.
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Melania and Barron Trump move to the White House The first lady tweeted a photo from inside.
-- Melania Trump and son Barron have officially moved to the White House, according to the Trump administration.
The first lady just tweeted a photo from inside the White House with the hashtag "#Movingday."
They were accompanied by President Trump's in-laws, Viktor and Amalija Knav, on Marine One from Joint Base Andrews. | {
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This pride of lions were spotted having picked an unusual spot for a group nap as they were seen sprawled over the branches of a large tree.
However, while the adult lionesses took the opportunity to have a rest, their cubs were keener on playtime, and could be seen scampering over the lower limbs of the tree.
While lions aren't natural tree dwellers, the 15-strong pride is well known in the area of central Serengeti, Tanzania, for climbing up into the foliage.
Family tree: A pride of lions were spotted sprawled out on the branches of a large tree in central Serengeti, Tanzania
Nap time: While some of the lions appeared to take the opportunity to catch up on their sleep, some of the younger ones seemed more keen on playing on the branches
The amazing sight was captured n Lake Manyara National Park by photographer Gina Owen, 33, who is from Britain but now lives in Zanzibar.
Ms Owen revealed that several lion prides in the national park have a fondness for heights, as the area is renowned for its climbing lions.
'This pride in particular are known to spend a lot of time in the trees, which is very rare as lions are not natural tree dwellers - but the area around the natural park is known for this behaviour,' Ms Owen said.
'I was lucky enough to see the same pride three times in a couple of days. Seeing them in the wild on the Serengeti is especially good.'
Amazing spot: The lions were photographer by Gina Owen, 33, during a visit to the Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania
It's a fur tree: According to Ms Owen, this particular pride is known for spending time in the tree tops in the park
Time for a nap: Several of the members of the pride joined in the collective nap on the branches
'The younger members of the pride were very funny. While on the ground, they kept trying to climb on their mother's back.
'But when they eventually got up into the tree, the cubs already in the tree would do their best to thwart their siblings climbing efforts in an attempt to play.
'It was very similar to how domestic cats will play with each other. The mums all lazed around in the higher branches - they were clearly worn out from all the activity.'
I'm coming up: One of the younger lions lent a helping paw as one of its siblings climber up the tree trunk
Popular sight: While lions are not natural tree dwellers the Lake Manyara National Park is renowned for its climbing lions
| {
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Reviews
"offers a challenge to most strategy die-hards"
— Dreamstation
"Paradox has done a tremendous job of making this complex design relatively easy to get into."
— Gamespot
"With incredible flexibility, freedom, and depth, this is a history buffs dream and should not be passed up if you are a fan of the genre."
— PCgameworld
"Serious wargamers are in for a real treat as the hardcore franchise returns for another go at the world's most terrible war."
— Gamespy
"Featuring a fully integrated combat model, a wide range of strategic and diplomatic options for your country, and an intuitive AI system, Hearts of Iron III is shaping up to be the best game in the series yet."
— Strategy Informer | {
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François de Rugy says he wants to defend himself against claims he hosted elaborate dinners at taxpayers’ expense
The French environment minister has resigned after an investigative website alleged he hosted lavish social dinners of lobster and fine wines paid for by the taxpayer when he was parliament speaker.
In a posting on his Facebook page, François de Rugy said he had been the target of a “media lynching”. He said he had handed his resignation to the prime minister, Édouard Philippe, because the effort required to fight the accusations meant that he could no longer carry out his ministerial duties peacefully.
“I would like to thank the president of the republic and the prime minister for the trust they have shown in me,” De Rugy wrote, adding he had filed a defamation complaint against the investigate website Mediapart, which broke the story.
Mediapart’s reports last week of De Rugy’s expensive, candlelit dinner parties paid for by the taxpayer were deeply damaging. They came just as President Emmanuel Macron and his centrist government sought to recover from more than eight months of gilets jaunes (yellow vests) anti-government protests sparked by economic inequality and claims that French politicians are out of touch with ordinary people.
Protesters demanding more political action to deal with the climate emergency had already begun protesting with giant plastic lobsters outside De Rugy’s political engagements.
Mediapart broke the story last week, saying that De Rugy had hosted a dozen luxury dinners between 2017 and 2018 at his parliament speaker’s official apartment in a historic building in Paris.
The website, which published a photo of a platter of giant lobsters from one dinner, said the meals were social events for De Rugy’s circle essentially organised by his wife, a journalist at the celebrity magazine Gala. On the menu were expensive shellfish, champagne and vintage wines from the French parliament wine cellar costing up to €500 (£452) a bottle.
Mediapart said the dinners for between 10 and 30 guests were social events for which the taxpayer footed the bill.
De Rugy had swiftly denied the allegations against him, saying he had hosted dinners for work and not for pleasure. De Rugy initially intended to stay in government. Macron made his first comment on the case on Monday, saying simply that he had asked the prime minister for full clarity and preferred to take decisions based on facts not “revelations”.
But pressure was mounting for De Rugy to quit as politicians from inside Macron’s party had anonymously briefed their horror and disgust at the alleged luxury dinners, saying voters felt revulsion.
De Rugy did not deny the dinners took place but said they were linked to his work in representing the lower house of parliament as speaker and were aimed at making contact with figures from civil society.
“These were not dinners between friends. These were informal working dinners with people who have relations with a political authority,” De Rugy said, saying the Mediapart investigation was misleading and tendentious.
Mediapart published a second investigation alleging that De Rugy and his wife had carried out €63,000 of refurbishment work paid for by the taxpayer on his official residence at the environment ministry for “comfort”. The website said the costly refurbishment, which included paintwork, carpet-fitting and the construction of fitted cupboards for clothes was not essential.
De Rugy said in a written statement that the renovation work had been necessary for the apartments in a historic building, because some rooms were in poor repair. He said that overall, he had lowered costs at the ministry.
The row is particularly damaging because De Rugy had been leading Macron’s environmental policy at a time when the government is under pressure to cut costs and waste after being accused of doing too little to combat the climate emergency. He was one of the most important ministers in government.
De Rugy is a former environmental activist who left the Green party after accusing it of drifting to the left. He joined Macron’s party during the presidential campaign in 2017.
He was appointed environment minister last year after the previous minister, Nicolas Hulot, a celebrity environmentalist and former TV presenter, announced on a radio breakfast show that he was leaving the government over its lack of action on the climate emergency.
Macron, who is keen to promote his green credentials, has struggled to find a long-term occupant for the environment ministry.
Last month, an independent report found France was falling behind on tackling the climate emergency and failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, despite ambitious promises. | {
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Honda Racing are gearing up to begin pre-season testing ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, autosport.com can reveal.
Despite no confirmation that a buyer has been found to secure the future of the Brackley-based outfit, autosport.com has learned that with the 2009 car now ready, team personnel have been instructed to get ready to go testing.
It is not clear whether the preparations are advanced enough for the outfit to be in a position to run at next week's group test at Jerez, but at the latest the team should be able to join the final major get-together at Barcelona later next month.
There is also the possibility that the team could conduct a shakedown in the United Kingdom prior to any testing on the continent.
There has been no official confirmation from Honda on plans to test, nor has there been any further official news on the future of the outfit since Honda CEO Takeo Fukui said earlier this week that he could see no 'serious buyer' for the outfit.
As autosport.com reported earlier this week, it still appears that the most likely outcome is a management buy-out led by team principal Ross Brawn.
Sources suggest that the only other potential bidder for the team was informed in the last 24 hours that they had been unsuccessful.
A Brawn buyout would be funded by finance from the Honda Motor Company, television rights money from Bernie Ecclestone, plus sponsorship income that could come from signing Bruno Senna.
The involvement of Honda's CEO Nick Fry in the buyout remains unclear - with widespread conjecture suggesting that he will not be involved in the takeover. However, sources have told autosport.com that talk of his departure from the team is 'speculation'. | {
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Prenez note que cet article publié en 2018 pourrait contenir des informations qui ne sont plus à jour.
Soupçonné d'avoir transmis des informations sensibles à l'opposition il y a deux ans, le député sortant de Chomedey, Guy Ouellette, continue d'être une source d'embarras pour son chef, Philippe Couillard. Les deux hommes se sont parlé jeudi, assure ce dernier, sans dévoiler de détails sur le contenu de la conversation.
Un texte de Jérôme Labbé (Nouvelle fenêtre)
« Ce qui est important, c'est la conclusion de notre conversation : M. Ouellette est complètement tourné vers le succès électoral dans Chomedey, à Laval et partout le Québec. Pour moi, c'est ce qui compte. »
C'est ce que s'est contenté de dire Philippe Couillard, jeudi après-midi, à son arrivée à Victoriaville, avant de visiter le local électoral du PLQ dans Arthabaska. La déclaration était à peu de chose près la même que celle livrée quelques heures plutôt, à East Angus, en Estrie.
Il faut dire que M. Couillard a mis du temps à joindre Guy Ouellette après la publication de l'article à la source de la controverse, mercredi matin, dans le Journal de Montréal. Vingt-quatre heures plus tard, les deux hommes ne s'étaient toujours pas parlé. La discussion a finalement eu lieu jeudi, en fin d'avant-midi, mais aucun détail n'a filtré depuis.
Plus tôt en matinée, M. Couillard avait réitéré sa confiance envers son candidat, rappelant que celui-ci avait participé au grand rassemblement libéral de lundi soir, à Laval.
Il s'était même engagé à ce que l'ex-policier, spécialiste de la lutte contre le crime organisé, demeure au sein du caucus libéral pour toute la durée de la prochaine législature « sur la base des informations que je détiens aujourd'hui », avait-il cependant précisé, ajoutant qu'il pourrait y avoir « d'autres informations un jour ».
Le principal intéressé, lui, est demeuré muet, jeudi, se contentant de remercier sur les réseaux sociaux les bénévoles qui travaillent actuellement à sa réélection.
Agrandir l’image (Nouvelle fenêtre) M. Ouellette était dans son local électoral, jeudi, à Laval. Photo : Facebook (Guy Ouellette)
M. Ouellette aurait fourni à l'opposition de l'information sur une nomination controversée au sein du gouvernement, en 2016 – ce qu'a confirmé mercredi le chef de la Coalition avenir Québec, François Legault.
« Ça fait longtemps qu’on a cette information-là, on l’a gardée », a ajouté M. Legault, jeudi après-midi.
Selon lui, Guy Ouellette doit maintenant venir s'expliquer « rapidement » devant les médias.
« Je pense que les prochaines réponses doivent venir de M. Ouellette et de M. Couillard. Il ne peut pas se sauver, là. Est-ce qu’il admet les faits qui sont révélés dans plusieurs médias, et qu’est-ce qu’en pense M. Couillard? », a demandé le chef caquiste.
Inexcusable, dit Lisée
« S’il est vrai que c’est lui qui a donné des informations à des membres d’un autre parti, c’est une brèche de loyauté qui n’est pas excusable, et je ne comprends pas que M. Couillard le garde comme député », a indiqué pour sa part le chef du Parti québécois, Jean-François Lisée.
« M. Couillard semble nous indiquer qu’il croit la version de M. Ouellette, selon lequel il aurait été victime d’un coup monté [...], que quelqu’un aurait utilisé ses courriels », a-t-il ajouté, suggérant que M. Ouellette « convoque la presse pour qu’on puisse juger de la crédibilité de sa version ».
M. Lisée a également accusé son homologue caquiste d'avoir « brûlé une source », ce dont se défend le principal intéressé.
« Il y a pour moi, qui suis un ancien journaliste, [....] un prolongement du travail de journaliste lorsqu’on est député, a-t-il expliqué aux représentants des médias, jeudi après-midi. Lorsqu’on est député, on reçoit de l’information confidentielle de toutes sortes de sources. Et comme vous, on se pose la question : pourquoi est-ce que la source nous donne cette information? Est-ce que l’information est véridique? Est-ce qu’elle est d’intérêt public? Si oui, on l’utilise. »
« Maintenant, il ne faut jamais brûler sa source, qu’on soit journaliste ou homme politique; ne jamais brûler sa source, a-t-il répété. Pourquoi? Parce que si on trouve que sa source est utile, c’est qu’elle apporte des éléments au débat public qui sont d’intérêt public. Alors M. Legault n’a pas montré qu’il avait une bonne compréhension de la confidentialité des sources lorsqu’il dit : "Puisque c’est dans le journal, je vais la brûler". Non. Ce n'est pas ça, le critère de la protection des sources. »
Je dis à tout le monde qui veut donner de l’information à la CAQ : méfiez-vous. Méfiez-vous parce qu’ils brûlent leurs sources à des fins politiques. Jean-François Lisée, chef du PQ
Khadir a parlé « informellement » à Ouellette
De son côté, la coporte-parole de Québec solidaire, Manon Massé, a fait savoir que sa formation n'avait jamais reçu de courriel de la part de M. Ouellette.
Elle a toutefois indiqué que le député de Mercier Amir Khadir – qui ne se représente pas – parlait parfois de manière informelle avec son homologue de Chomedey.
« Vous savez, quand on est député, on se côtoie, on se parle, on se jase... Moi, j'ai déjà vu mon collègue Amir discuter avec M. Ouellette informellement, sur le coin d'une porte. Amir, c'est notre député qui, depuis 10 ans, a été sans arrêt au front concernant la corruption et la collusion, [mais] je n'ai pas idée de ce qui s'est rapporté là », a indiqué Mme Massé.
Un peu de contexte
La nomination controversée à l'origine de ce feuilleton, c'est celle de Pietro Perrino, un militant libéral qui a obtenu il y a quatre ans un poste de haut fonctionnaire au ministère du Conseil exécutif, qui est en quelque sorte le ministère du premier ministre. Selon le Journal de Montréal, les messages reçus par la CAQ contenaient des informations sur les liens entre M. Perrino et l’homme d’affaires controversé Luigi Coretti.
Du « salissage », selon Philippe Couillard, qui a répliqué mercredi à François Legault en l'associant à son tour à l'homme d'affaires Charles Sirois, qui a fondé l'entreprise Pangea, suggérant que cette proximité serait la cause du fait que la CAQ ne propose rien de concret pour limiter l'accaparement des terres agricoles. « J'ai fini de me faire manger la laine sur le dos », a déclaré le chef libéral.
Ce n'est pas la première fois que la loyauté de M. Ouellette envers le PLQ est remise en question.
Député de la circonscription lavalloise de Chomedey depuis 2007, M. Ouellette a été arrêté le 25 octobre 2017, à Québec, l'UPAC le soupçonnant d'être mêlé aux fuites d'informations relatives à l'enquête Mâchurer qui porte sur le financement du PLQ, sur l'ex-premier ministre Jean Charest et sur son grand argentier de l'époque, l'entrepreneur Marc Bibeau.
Cette enquête est maintenant terminée, mais paralysée, a appris Radio-Canada, il y a deux semaines. | {
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At a news conference a couple of hours after she finished second at the New York City Marathon, Shalane Flanagan hinted that she might compete in the United States marathon trials for the 2012 London Olympics.
“We’ll see how the whole next track season plays out,” she said. “My passion for the marathon is very strong after today.”
During an interview in September, Flanagan expressed interest in competing in the marathon and on the track at the London Games. On Monday, after an adrenaline-filled day spent absorbing her performance in New York, Flanagan reiterated her dreams of an unprecedented Olympic track and road double. No American woman has competed in the marathon and on the track at the same Olympics. The women’s marathon world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe of England, attempted a track-marathon double at the 2004 Athens Games but did not finish either race.
“Yeah, I’m open to all possibilities,” said Flanagan, who won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 Beijing Games. “The plan is to run the marathon trials and the track trials. The answer will come from my coach. My hope is my coach feels the same way.” | {
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Unidentified attackers hacked a 62-year-old Hindu monastery worker to death in Bangladesh on Friday, police said, the latest in a series of such attacks on religious minorities in the mainly Muslim country.
Dhaka: Unidentified attackers hacked a 62-year-old Hindu monastery worker to death in Bangladesh on Friday, police said, the latest in a series of such attacks on religious minorities in the mainly Muslim country.
Police said Nityaranjan Pande was taking his regular early morning walk when the attackers set upon him, killing him on the spot.
"As a diabetic, everyday he walks early in the morning. Today as he was walking, several attackers hacked him in the neck... He died on the spot," local police station chief Abdullah Al-Hasan told AFP.
"He had been working at the monastery for around 40 years. In recent years he was the head of its office staff," he said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
But the head of police in the northwestern district of Pabna where the Shri Shri Thakur Anukulchandra Ashram is located said the killing bore the hallmarks of recent attacks by Islamist extremists on minorities and secular activists.
"There was no eye-witness to the attack as it happened very early in the morning," Alamgir Kabir told AFP.
Bangladesh is reeling from a wave of murders of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities that have left nearly 50 people dead in the last three years.
Most of the latest attacks have been claimed either by the Islamic State group or by a South Asian branch of Al-Qaeda.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has however blamed homegrown Islamists for the attacks, rejecting claims of responsibility from IS and Al-Qaeda.
Experts say a government crackdown on opponents, including a ban on Bangladesh's largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami following a protracted political crisis, has pushed many towards extremism.
Victims of the attacks by suspected Islamists have included secular bloggers, gay rights activists and followers of minority religions.
Although it is officially secular, around 90 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million-strong population is Muslim. Some eight percent of the population is Hindu. | {
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Story highlights The Russian vessel made repeated passes behind the Gravely within its wake
U.S. officials say they have served noticed on Moscow protesting the incident as unsafe
(CNN) A Russian warship approached within 315 yards of a U.S. Navy warship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea earlier this month in what U.S. officials say was a series of unsafe maneuvers.
The USS Gravely was in the Mediterranean on a routine patrol June 17 to provide protection for the aircraft carrier Harry S Truman as part of Operation Inherent Resolve to counter ISIS. It was approached by the Russian Neustrashimyy-class frigate, according to U.S. officials.
The Russian vessel made repeated passes behind the Gravely within its wake. At one point, the Russian ship pointed toward the Truman, the officials said. The Gravely eventually accelerated speed and moved ahead, with the Russian ship still following it before breaking off.
JUST WATCHED Russian jet barrel-rolls over U.S. plane Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Russian jet barrel-rolls over U.S. plane 01:14
"As Gravely changed course and speed, the Neustrashimyy also changed course and speed. The maneuvering demonstrates that the Neustrashimyy was not in fact restricted in her ability to maneuver, and was thus intentionally displaying a false international signal," a U.S. defense official said.
The official said the Neustrashimyy had raised an international signal a ship displays when restricted in its ability to maneuver when she took position two nautical miles off Gravely's starboard quarter. Then the Neustrashimyy repeatedly asked Gravely over radio to maintain a safe distance while the Neustrashimyy continued to maneuver to get closer to Gravely.
Read More | {
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Women in Tech: 20 Trailblazers Share Their Journeys
Successful women in the tech trenches share their insights and tackle subjects ranging from how to search out a strong mentor to how to be one -- from how to advance in a large company to how to start your own firm. Get the Kindle or Paperback.
I was one of the launch analysts for Windows 95, and the launch of that product is widely held -- including by Bill Gates -- as the company's pinnacle. No launch before or since ever came close to that launch, and I remain amazed that no one, including Apple or Microsoft, has ever really attempted to duplicate that effort.
Windows 10 has the potential to be even greater than Windows 95 -- but potential alone won't a legendary product make. It'll come down to execution, not just on the product, but on the launch itself.
I'll close with my product of the week: the Microsoft HoloLens, which has the potential to take us one big step closer to something we call the Singularity.
Remembering Windows 95
The Windows 95 launch cuts very close to the heart for me, because Bill Gates and Windows 95 made me as an analyst. Windows 95 is how I got to know Don Clark over at The Wall Street Journal, and that wasn't a good thing, initially -- it almost cost my job.
That was when IBM told me I would be unemployable, and Sun, SGI and Novell all lined up with only one thing on their plate -- to get me fired. That was the year Bill Gates personally stepped in twice -- once to save my job, and the second time my reputation. The Windows 95 launch year is one I'll never forget.
The ramp to the launch was amazing. At one point, I was doing near-daily TV interviews on the product, and the excitement approaching the launch day was bigger than I'd ever seen. I was in one really stupid video where they asked if the product would change my sex life, and I'm exceptionally grateful that Bill Gates himself killed it.
The launch itself was magical -- the clouds in the sky even matched those on the box. With tents spread out across the Microsoft campus, it felt more like a revival meeting than a product launch. (I should point out that Steve Jobs regularly created the same feel but never at this massive scale).
On my return flight, a woman in front of me on the plane stairs forced me to step sideways, causing me to sprain my ankle so badly I couldn't walk. That became a harbinger for the support disaster that likely kept Microsoft from making the same mistake again. You see, after the launch, virtually everyone who could make a decision went on vacation, and to keep the support lines short, the woman who headed support gave those holding the busy signal. Millions went from ecstatic to pissed off overnight, but that wasn't the fault of the product or launch team (except maybe the vacation part).
However, Windows 95 was the last time I saw Microsoft bring out a product as a company, not a division, with marketing dialed in from the beginning. The company was customer-focused back then, and the user's needs were a primary driver. And Brad Chase and Brad Silverberg were running the show under the legendary Bill Gates. It was an amazing time. Who knew it would go downhill from there?
Windows 10
During my visit with Microsoft last week, I was reminded of Windows 95 in that there was a huge focus on explaining several crucial things: that marketing was again being built into the front of the process rather than being an afterthought; that the user was again front and center for the requirements; and that people were again asking the question "why," as in "why are we doing this?" -- as opposed to just focusing on creative ways to explain "what we are doing."
You see, in companies filled with engineers, products tend to become science projects more than things for real people. Folks do things because they can -- because they want to see what will happen or simply because they want to showcase they have the authority, regardless of how foolish they are. So increasingly, you get products that suck. During the 2000s, that was the case at Microsoft. (We can the same about most of the products Google built rather than bought during that decade.)
Satya Nadella's Microsoft is a very different company, though. People are working together again, engineers aren't playing the "who can be the biggest wrong assh*le" game anymore, and the product looks amazing as a result.
The user interface is an improvement over Windows 7, not just different. It moves between tablet and PC mode when the user moves, not based on whether Office is in use or not, and it understands that users do stupid things and has their back. For instance, if you get a new PC with McAfee and let the subscription expire, rather than allowing you to be unprotected, Windows Defender will automatically step in and cover your butt.
Xbox (which I've long believed was one of the stupidest things Microsoft ever did, because it took gaming off its premier Windows offering and put it on a product initially sold at a massive loss) now is part of Windows. Instead of competing, it enhances the experience.
Windows 10 gets rid of the competing mail clients. It gives you a browser choice that makes sense -- legacy for old stuff, and advanced for folks who like stuff cool and new -- rather than the choice in Windows 8 that never made sense. It comes with good core productivity capability, so it works out of the box and Office looks like it belongs on the product.
It is vastly easier than any prior Windows product to upgrade too, and it will be even easier to upgrade going forward. Oh, and finally, for those on Windows 7 or newer platforms, it's free.
Even the OEMs are excited about this offering -- and too often at this point, they are just hoping the new version of Windows won't hurt sales so much that it costs them their job.
Wrapping Up: Windows 10 Is Windows 95's Brother by Another Mother
In short, in terms of potential, Windows 10 goes well beyond Windows 95's capabilities. Granted, everything is relative and we have higher expectations now -- but even taking that into account, Windows 10 feels well above Windows 95 in terms of capability. The excitement hasn't hit yet, though. At this time during the Windows 95 rollout, there was much more.
Things move faster now than they did two decades ago -- exactly two decades ago -- so there is still time, but Microsoft has to step up. Windows 10 is good enough for people to line up for. Within six months, we'll see if Microsoft can step up with a launch program that is worthy of this product's potential.
Product of the Week: Microsoft HoloLens
With the Microsoft HoloLens, I really don't think Microsoft knows what it has created. This is potentially even more disruptive than the Apple II was in its day -- but as with the Apple II, folks are looking at the small picture, not the big one.
Not that the small picture isn't interesting. The ability to place and eventually 3D-print things by blending the real and he virtual into an advanced augmented reality experience is pretty amazing. However, it pales against the potential this has to completely change how we use a computer.
Today, whether we are using a smartphone, tablet or PC, we have little human/machine integration. We use a keyboard or mouse, and we have to look at a display, which gets in the way of doing anything else we otherwise might be doing. The use of the computer disrupts life -- it doesn't integrate with it. The Hololens is the next major step in human/machine integration.
Microsoft HoloLens
You interface with it largely with speech and gestures -- no keyboard. The display moves where you look, and your eyes move the cursor. Because it is on your head and always in view, you can use it seamlessly to augment what you are doing by getting directions, having it tell you information you need when you need it, and showing you things all without having to change whatever else you may be doing.
It eventually will be able to enhance your vision and your memory, allow you to instantly see what others see from their perspective and them from yours, and it will be able to provide real-time advice on anything -- from how to cook or fix something to what to say to a new date (including recalling her name, something I once forgot out of nervousness).
It'll show you worlds that are limited only by imagination and help you build those worlds, and it will protect you and those around you by calling help or allowing others with the device to help you with the power of the Web or a remote specialist, always available to assist.
In short, the Microsoft HoloLens has the power to change computing as we know it, and to change us in unique, powerful and amazingly beneficial new ways. It could be the product of the century, but for now, the Microsoft Hololens is my product of the week.
Rob Enderle is a TechNewsWorld columnist and the principal analyst for the Enderle Group, a consultancy that focuses on personal technology products and trends. You can connect with him on Google+.
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John Hughes and others are slammed in bankruptcy court for having allegedly made questionable investment and real estate transactions, plus not guarding their interest in dealings with Universal, Fox and Warner Bros.
When Rhythm & Hues declared bankruptcy in February 2013, laying off hundreds of employees and taking $17 million in loans just so it could complete VFX work for Universal and Fox, the court filings led to weeks of discussion about how a company that had worked on such films as The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Rings and won an Oscar for Life of Pi had gotten into such dire straits. Low margins, the use of digital moviemaking and cheap labor in foreign countries were all factored in to the downfall of Rhythm & Hues, which sold itself for $17.8 million at auction as creditors continued to circle the bankrupt estate.
On Friday, two years after Rhythm & Hues filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Trustee in the case brought a new complaint against the company's former officers and directors, including John Patrick Hughes, Pauline Ts’o and Keith Goldfarb. The suit presents a different take on what led R&H to go bust.
"While claiming to promote a caring and artistic corporate culture that enhanced R&H’s value, Hughes, Ts’o and Goldfarb breached their duties of loyalty, due care, and good faith by directing R&H to engage in risky transactions with entities they or their family members owned or controlled," states the complaint.
Hughes, who once controlled 64 percent of the company's shares with Ts'o and Goldfarb each controlling 18 percent, is hit the hardest in the complaint.
Read more Why This Year's VFX Winner Could Be Exported
The suit alleges Hughes transferred millions of dollars to CCCD Diagnostics, a biotech startup company founded by his father-in-law, in return for unsecured notes that were eventually sold to him for one dollar. This biotech company is said to have had no revenues and a business "wholly unrelated to R&H's business," and that despite conflicts of interest, Hughes funneled cash into CCCD without board approval, performance milestones or any adequate protections.
Hughes, Ts'o and Golfarb are also accused of transferring software rights critical to R&H as well as making a real estate transaction that was risky for the company but had millions of dollars of upside to them personally.
The downfall of Rhythm & Hues, and 20 other VFX houses, was covered in a documentary titled Life After Pi released last year.
In that film, which talked about the troubled business model of today's VFX firm, Hughes says, "We run this company for the people. To have hurt them so badly, it's really the antithesis what we wanted to do."
The newest lawsuit filed in bankruptcy court doesn't mention Life After Pi, but does seem to be aware of the way that Hughes has framed his story. "Ironically, while proselytizing about R&H’s special corporate culture and their concern for its labor force, Hughes, Ts’o and Goldfarb pillaged R&H with little concern about the consequences," says the complaint.
Besides questioning transactions that were made in alleged breach of the officers' fiduciary duties, the lawsuit also objects to how R&H, which once had 700 employees at its El Segundo headquarters and nearly $100 million in annual production revenue, was "grossly mismanaged."
About 97 percent of R&H's business came from just three studios — Universal, Fox and Warner Bros — and the directors and officers of R&H are said to have eschewed pursuing a more diversified customer base and accepted "harmful contract terms dictated to them by this handful of Studios." What's more, R&H focused on VFX and CG animation for feature films, "which are notoriously low-margin projects," 3 to 5 percent according the complaint.
"Because of this, if the project was substantially changed, delayed, or cancelled, the razor-thin profit margins would be eliminated, and the project would result in a loss to R&H," continues the complaint. "Even after R&H was hurt by numerous project changes, delays, or cancellations, the D&Os continued to carelessly pursue this business strategy, rather than delving into more commercially profitable business sectors, such as video games, television programs, commercials, and cinematics for special venues and theme parks."
The complaint — which also names other R&H board members as co-defendants including Lee Berger, Prashant Buyyala, Raymond Feeney and David Weinberg — suggests that R&H might have had better success if it focused more on negotiating for equity in films or co-producing films, like it did with Yogi Bear, which earned $200 million at the box office.
Instead, R&H bid aggressively for studio films, sometimes submitting bids below calculated out-of-pocket expenses, or other times not obtaining enough information for an informed bid. "These reckless and/or ignorant bidding practices ultimately led to R&H entering into numerous toxic contracts," says the complaint. "Whether done purposely or carelessly, according to Buyyala, the bidding process was 'flawed' because the bids did not accurately account for the work to be completed by R&H. By underbidding projects with the Studios, the D&Os severely damaged R&H as it caused the company to forgo potential profits and lose leverage with the Studios."
The suit goes on to fault R&H's officers with failing to negotiate for provisions protecting against additional work or delays from the studios and failing to monitor and obtain payments from studios overt these events. Anonymous managers at the company are quoted with suggestions that R&H let millions of dollars slide, and when things got tough in its liquidity crisis, R&H allegedly failed to take stock.
"In fact, R&H had hundreds of idle staff members who continued to collect salaries and benefits during R&H’s financial crisis," says the complaint. "In an interview regarding R&H, Hughes acknowledged that the D&Os were aware that they desperately needed to 'cut people’s salaries or to lay off a significant number of people or to work people overtime without paying them for overtime by restructuring their contracts' but explicitly chose not to make such changes in order to maintain the R&H 'culture.' "
The full complaint, which alleges that the actions by defendants caused a company worth well in excess of $100 million to have its assets sold for about $30 million, can be read below. Represented by Levene Neale attorney Gary Klausner, the Trustee seeks monetary damages for corporate waste and other causes of action plus the recovery of various rights transfers said to be fraudulent.
The defendants in the case knew this was coming because they've previously outlined the claims and sought defense costs advanced to them through their D&O insurance. An attorney representing Hughes and Ts'o wasn't available to comment, but The Hollywood Reporter will update with any response given.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @eriqgardner | {
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From the Field
Something was wrong with the snow leopard. The scientists watched as the tranquilizers kicked in and the cat sank down to the bottom of the cage. Moving closer, they realized that the young male was injured: his front-right leg was severed below the shoulder.
Here in western Mongolia’s Sutai Mountains, Nature Conservancy scientists are collaring snow leopards to better understand when and how they interact with local herders’ goats and sheep. These data will help design grazing plans that keep both leopards and livestock safe.
Tracking the Storm
Known as “the ghosts of the mountains,” snow leopards are found throughout Asia’s high mountain ranges. One of the most elusive big cats on earth, they are threatened by habitat degradation, poaching, and a decline in prey species due to competition with livestock.
Mongolia has about 1,000 of the world’s remaining leopards, clustered in the country’s south and west. In the Bumbat and Sutai Mountains, The Nature Conservancy is working with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and Moscow State University to protect leopards and herders’ livestock. But to do so, they must first catch and collar leopards.
The scientists recognized this particular cat; in October 2016, they captured him in Khavtsgait Valley, about 30 kilometers to the southeast, and fitted him with a satellite collar. Caught amid a thunderstorm, they named him Shuurga, which means storm in Mongolian. But after just six months the signal from his collar went dark.
“Somehow he smashed his collar, and after March 2017 we didn’t get any signal,” says Bayarjargal Yunden , director of science for the Conservancy’s Mongolia program . And somewhere between then and now, he also lost a leg.
The team worked quickly. Laying Shuurga down gently on a mat, they fitted a new collar around his neck and gathered blood and genetic samples. The short stump that remained of his leg was still bloody and ragged, the wound was likely less than 2 months old, and bullet wounds grazed his back.
Shuurga is one of two collared leopards in the study; the second is a female leopard also collared in October 2016. The collars around their necks transmit a GPS location every hour, creating a detailed map of the leopards’ movements. “The data from these collars will help us understand where there are key points of interaction with livestock,” says Eddie Game , the Conservancy’s lead scientist for the Asia-Pacific region.
The Nature Conservancy is working with Mongolian herders to implement sustainable grazing practices. Yunden says that Mongolian herders traditionally moved their livestock each season, based on observation of pasture condition. They also reserved certain areas for winter pasture, keeping them ungrazed during the rest of the year to ensure an adequate winter food supply.
But the system broke down in the 1990s as Mongolia transitioned away from socialism. Yunden says the government dismantled the state herding collectives and privatized livestock ownership. Herders seeking more income increased their flocks, and the country’s livestock population jumped from 22 million in 1990 to 66.2 million by 2017.
“That resulted in overgrazing, land degradation and desertification, struggles between herders for grazing areas, and conflicts between livestock and wild animals,” explains Yunden.
Today, as part of a government conservation incentive program, communities can obtain exclusive grazing rights to an area of land if they create and enforce a grazing management plan.
“We’d like to incorporate snow leopards into these plans at a landscape scale,” says Game. “Ideally, we could identify the risky times for interaction, and work with the communities to design the grazing plan to minimize leopard-livestock interactions.”
Game says that conservationists don’t have a good understanding of how local leopards’ territories overlap with grazing areas, hence the need to gather data on the cats’ movements. The research team is also collaring two ibex, a common prey species for snow leopards, which will allow them to compare grazing areas for both livestock and the leopard’s wild prey.
And in 2015, Game and Yunden deployed more than 40 camera traps throughout the two mountain ranges to get a more accurate population assessment for the area. “It’s important to know that there’s a healthy population here,” says Game, “because it adds to the overall population assessment in Mongolia and confirms this as an important site.”
This type of integrated, community-based conservation is critical for snow leopard survival, because the species has large home ranges that are difficult to protect. Research shows that of the 170 protected areas in the snow leopard’s global range, 40 percent are smaller than the home range of a single adult male.
Finding Solutions for Human-leopard Conflict
As Shuurga’s injuries attest, human conflict is still a major challenge for snow leopard conservation. Game suspects that the cat caught his leg in an illegal marmot trap, and then either severed his limb in the struggle to get free, or suffered such a severe injury that the lower leg fell off.
The bullet marks are another mystery.
Since October, Shuurga’s second collar is working well, sending back detailed data on the cat’s movements. “There’s a mining site in the area, and Shuurga usually stays very close to the town where the workers live,” says Yunden. (The second cat, a 5-year old female, occupies a territory farther up the mountain.)
“We think that Shuurga’s injury makes it really hard for him to capture wild animals,” says Yunden, “so maybe it’s easier for him to catch livestock.” The bullet wounds could be the result of a herder defending their flock.
Retribution killing for livestock loss is another significant threat for snow leopards, but Game says that previous research indicates that levels of human-leopard conflict are comparatively low in Mongolia, where people tend to have larger herds. And research shows that leopards prefer natural prey species , even in areas where that prey is outnumbered by livestock.
“But at the same time, the snow leopard populations just isn’t that big,” says Game. The global population numbers between 7,500 and 8,000 individuals, about 1,000 of which are spread out across Mongolia. “With such a small population, you don’t have to lose that many leopards before it starts to make an impact,” he says, “especially if they’re isolated.”
Lack of awareness about leopard behavior is another problem. In addition to incorporating leopards into grazing plans, the Conservancy is working with the Snow Leopard Trust to help educate herders about leopards, in the hopes of reducing these killings.
“We need to work with herders to identify solutions,” says Yunden. “Without them it’s just not possible to protect these animals.” | {
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The pace at which Americans are losing their jobs is absolutely breathtaking.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the largest number of new claims for unemployment benefits ever recorded in a single week prior to this year was 695,000 during the week that ended October 2nd, 1982.
So that means that what we are now witnessing is completely unprecedented.
About half the country is currently under some sort of a “shelter-in-place” order, and there has never been a nationwide shutdown of businesses anything like what we are currently experiencing.
Many are hoping that America will be able to “get back to normal” soon, but that all depends on the progression of this pandemic.
Joel Skousen joins The Alex Jones Show to break down the statistic evidence that the coronavirus is a hoax targeting the American economy.
The number of newly confirmed cases in the U.S. spiked by more than 11,000 on Wednesday, and the number of new deaths continues to escalate at a very alarming rate.
Until those numbers start to improve, life is definitely not going to “get back to normal”.
In recent days, so many newly unemployed Americans have been trying to file for unemployment benefits that it has been crashing websites all over the country. For example, a newly unemployed worker in Michigan named Aaron Garza never was able to file for benefits through Michigan’s unemployment website although he kept on trying throughout Monday and Tuesday…
When Aaron Garza was dismissed this week from his job as a parts specialist at a Toyota dealership in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he joined a tidal wave of unemployed people swamping systems to help them and straining state finances to the breaking point. On Monday, Garza went to Michigan’s unemployment website and tried logging on to apply for benefits electronically. After 30 minutes, he was able to sign on, but by the time a verification code was sent to his phone 25 minutes later, he had already given up. As of Tuesday afternoon, he still hadn’t been able to get through.
Last week, 108,000 workers filed for unemployment benefits in the state of Michigan.
That is 20 times more than normal.
Ouch.
In Louisiana, things are even worse. If you can believe it, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits is more than 40 times higher than usual…
In Louisiana alone, 71,000 people filed new unemployment applications last week, compared to the usual 1,400 or 1,500 people per week, said state labor secretary Ava Dejoie. Louisiana has one of the highest per capita counts of coronavirus cases in the U.S. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has ordered nonessential businesses to close, limited restaurants to takeout and delivery, banned gatherings over 10 people and directed residents to remain at home.
And in California, Governor Gavin Newsom says that a million residents of his state have filed for benefits “just since March 13”…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state has seen 1 million unemployment claims in less than two weeks as the coronavirus pandemic has led to businesses being shut down across the state. “We just passed the 1 million mark, in terms of the number of claims, just since March 13,” Newsom said.
On Thursday, we will get the latest weekly total for the nation as a whole.
At this point nobody is quite sure what to expect, but most forecasts are ranging between one million and four million…
Economists have issued widely varying estimates of Thursday’s jobless claims total based on anecdotal reports by about 40 states to news outlets for the first few days of last week. Goldman Sachs estimated the national count will be about 2.25 million but said it could be as low as slightly more than 1 million. Morgan Stanley reckons about 3.4 million. Oxford Economics says about 4 million.
If we even hit the lowest edge of that range, it will absolutely shatter the old record that was set back in 1982.
Of course similar things are happening all over the world. Approximately one-third of the entire population of the globe is currently under some sort of a lockdown order, and that means that hundreds of millions of workers are sitting at home not working.
Here in the United States, so many people are already absolutely sick and tired of being idle at home, but the truth is that it looks like this pandemic is just getting started.
In fact, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio believes that more than half of the residents of his city will eventually get the virus…
More than half of New York City’s population can expect to be infected by the coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Most will suffer only a “mild experience,” but many will become very sick, and “we are going to lose some people,” he said. April will be tough and May tougher before the virus crisis eases, he said. The city has seen 192 deaths so far, and there are more than 17,000 confirmed cases of the virus. “The world we knew is gone,” de Blasio said in a social media post. “And it’s not coming back, not for the next few months. That’s the blunt truth.”
If his projection is even close to accurate, that means that we are in for a very, very long battle with COVID-19.
A lot of people out there are still trying to downplay this pandemic, and that is a huge mistake. The dead bodies are starting to pile up just like we saw in China, Iran and Italy, and already “New York City’s morgues are nearing capacity”…
The Department of Homeland Security has been briefed that New York City’s morgues are nearing capacity, according to a department official and a second person familiar with the situation. Officials were told that morgues in the city are expected to reach capacity next week, per the briefing. A third person familiar with the situation in New York said some of the city’s hospital morgues hit capacity in the past seven days. And a FEMA spokesperson told POLITICO that New York has asked for emergency mortuary assistance. Hawaii and North Carolina have asked for mortuary help as well, and the disaster response agency is currently reviewing the requests, according to the spokesperson.
You may have noticed that I have not said too much about what Congress is doing, and that is because any “stimulus package” is really not going to make that much of a difference.
Congress is not going to be able to make this pandemic go away, and they aren’t going to be able to convince people that are deathly afraid to leave their own homes to go out and spend money normally.
But thanks to Congress there will be a lot more money chasing a rapidly dwindling pool of goods and services in the days ahead, and that will eventually cause very painful inflation.
And if they are going to start handing out giant checks to everyone, they better keep on doing it all throughout this crisis. Because as Gerald Celente has warned, what we are heading for is “the Greatest Depression”…
“People are going to go bankrupt. You are going to see suicide rates increase. You are going to see crime escalate and people OD’ing on drugs because of depression… Our leaders are totally closing down the economy. Again, this has never been done before. It’s not only Wall Street going down, Main Street went down simultaneously. That is unprecedented. Usually, the markets go down and then the ripple effects start hitting Main Street. This time–boom, they are both down… It’s going to be worse than the Great Depression. It’s going to be the Greatest Depression.”
Sadly, one element of Celente’s warning is already coming to pass. It is being reported that calls to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline have risen 300 percent…
Isolation and anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic are taking a toll, with calls to a National Suicide Prevention Hotline call center rising 300 percent, KVLY reports. Other suicide prevention services across the United States also have seen spikes in calls since the COVID-19 virus threw everyday life askew for millions.
In this hour, people are going to need hope.
But trying to convince them that this virus does not exist is not giving them hope.
And those that are boldly proclaiming that this virus will magically go away very quickly are only giving people false hope. When they later realize that they were lied to, that false hope will give way to even deeper depression and despair.
This virus is very real, and we are going to be battling this pandemic for an extended period of time. But God knew all about this in advance, He is in control, and He will accomplish His purposes.
And God specifically has a plan for you and your family, but you have got to be willing to embrace it. Your future is likely to look far different than you originally imagined, but with God’s help it can also be far greater than you originally imagined as well.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today! | {
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They Killed My Lawyer
Sergei Magnitsky was our attorney, and friend, who died under excruciating circumstances in a Moscow pre-trial detention center on Nov. 16, 2009. His story is one of extraordinary bravery and heroism, and ultimately tragedy. It is also a story about how Stalinism and the gulags are alive and well in Russia today.
Ultimately Sergei died for a principle — he died because believed in the rule of law in Russia. When he stumbled upon an enormous fraud against his clients and the Russian government, he thought he was simply doing the right thing by reporting it. He never imagined that he would die for his efforts.
The precise circumstances of his death are still unclear. We do know Sergei died suddenly at the age of 37, after an 11-month detention. At first, the detention center where he died said the cause of his death was a rupture to his abdominal membrane, but on the same day the prison officials changed their story, saying he had died of a heart attack. They refused his family’s request to conduct an independent autopsy. His diaries are reported to be missing.
Because Sergei is no longer alive to tell his story, I feel it is my duty to tell it for him. I am not a writer or a journalist, but a fund manager at Hermitage Capital Management. I ran what was the largest investment fund in Russia. Sergei was our Moscow-based outside counsel who worked for the American law firm Firestone Duncan.
Sergei wasn’t involved in politics, he wasn’t an oligarch, and he wasn’t a human rights activist. He was just a highly competent professional — the kind of person one could call up as the workday was finishing at 7 p.m. with a legal question and he would cancel his dinner plans and stay in the office until midnight to figure out the answer. He was a smart and honest man working hard to better himself and to make a good life for his wife and two kids.
The tragic events that led to his death began on June 4, 2007. That day, 50 police officers from the Moscow Interior Ministry raided Hermitage’s and Firestone Duncan’s offices, under the pretense of a tax investigation into a Hermitage client company. There was no reason for the raid, as the company they were investigating was regularly audited by the tax authorities, and they never found any violations.
In the course of the raid, the police officers took away all the corporate seals, charters, and articles of association of all of the fund’s investment companies — none of which had anything to do with their search warrant. The significance of these seizures would only become apparent later.
In mid-October 2007, we got a telephone call from a bailiff at the St. Petersburg Arbitration Court inquiring about a judgment against one of the fund’s Russian companies. It was a strange call because the company had never been to court and we knew nothing about any lawsuits or judgments in St. Petersburg.
We called Sergei right away and asked him to look into this call. After researching the situation, he came back to us with shocking news. He discovered that our investment companies had been sued by shell companies that we had never done any business with based on forged and backdated contracts. He also discovered that the fund’s companies had been represented by lawyers that the fund had never hired, and who proceeded to plead guilty to all the liabilities in the forged contracts. As a result, the fund’s companies were hit with court judgments for hundreds of millions of dollars. On top of that, the fund’s companies had been fraudulently re-registered in the name of a company owned by a man convicted of manslaughter.
Most shockingly, when Sergei analyzed the forgeries and fraudulent re-registrations, he was able to prove that they could have only been executed with the documents seized from our offices by the Moscow Interior Ministry.
On the back of Sergei’s discoveries, in early December 2007, we filed six 255-page complaints outlining all the details of the frauds and the names of the police officers involved. The complaints were filed with the heads of the three main law enforcement agencies in Russia. However, instead of investigating, they passed the complaints straight back to the specific police officers named as conspirators. Those officers then personally initiated retaliatory criminal cases against Hermitage employees.
At this point, Sergei was becoming visibly angry. Sergei wasn’t a dispassionate lawyer like many we have encountered in the past. He was our advocate in the truest sense of the word.
By the summer of 2008 it still wasn’t clear why the police would be involved in such a complicated scam against us. If the intention was to steal the fund’s assets in Russia, they had failed because, by the time our companies were stolen, the assets had been safely moved outside the country.
To help us find the answer, Sergei sent out more than 50 letters to different tax authorities and registration offices requesting information on our stolen companies. Almost no one replied, but on June 5, 2008, Sergei received a letter that broke the case wide open.
According to the letter, which was from tax authorities in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow, our stolen companies had been re-registered in Khimki, and had opened bank accounts at two obscure Russian banks. Once we learned about the banks, everything started to make sense. At those banks, Sergei found a spike in deposits exactly equal to the taxes that the Hermitage Fund companies had paid in 2006. Apparently, the people who stole our companies did so to fraudulently obtain $230 million that the Hermitage Fund companies had paid in taxes in 2006 by claiming that the sham court judgments had wiped out their profits.
The refund of "overpaid taxes" — the largest in Russian history — had been granted by the Moscow tax authorities in two days on Dec. 24 2007. The date of the wire transfer showed that it was carried out in total disregard of the complaints the fund filed to the Russian authorities three weeks earlier.
Sergei didn’t start out as an anticorruption crusader, but when corruption stared him in the face, he felt compelled to do something about it. In July 2008, Sergei helped us prepare a detailed criminal complaint about the stolen tax money, which was filed with seven different Russian government agencies.
After our complaints were filed, the Interior Ministry officers who were involved in the fraud retaliated by opening criminal cases targeting all the lawyers who represented the fund. The pressure became so intense that six of our lawyers from four different law firms were forced to either leave the country or to go into hiding.
The one lawyer who didn’t leave Russia was Sergei. In spite of the clearly malicious activity by the police, he was sure that he was safe because he had never done anything wrong or illegal. He believed that the law of Russia would protect him.
His belief in justice was so strong that he went on to do something many people would be petrified to even consider. On Oct. 7, 2008, he went to the offices of the Russian State Investigative Committee (the Russian equivalent of the FBI) and testified against two officers of the Interior Ministry, Lt. Col. Artem Kuznetsov and Maj. Pavel Karpov, for their involvement in the theft of $230 million. It was an enormously brave move, and we feared for him that day. Amazingly, Sergei was the only person who wasn’t worried.
Just over a month later, three officers who directly reported to Kuznetsov went to Sergei’s apartment at 8 a.m. and arrested him. He was charged with being the director of two Hermitage Fund companies that allegedly underpaid taxes in 2001. He was arrested even though the companies had clean audits and Sergei had had no involvement with either of the companies in 2001. However, the law didn’t matter. The investigators had other plans for Sergei.
Sergei was brought to Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 5 in Moscow, but within months he was transferred to a temporary detention facility with much harsher conditions, and then he was moved seven times between four more detention centers until he was moved to Matrosskaya Tishina prison.
Each move was progressively worse, and we started to get word that he was being kept in very harsh conditions. We heard about him being kept with eight other inmates in prison cells that only had four beds so they had to sleep in shifts. We heard about how the prison authorities never turned the lights off at night so even if he got a bed, it was almost impossible to sleep. Most disturbing of all, we got news that he was starting to lose weight precipitously. Since his arrest, he had lost 40 pounds.
On July 1, 2009, at Matrosskaya Tishina, Sergei was diagnosed with pancreatitis and gallstones. He was told that he should be monitored closely, and that he would need a repeat examination and surgery within a month. As he was preparing for a follow-up visit to the medical center, on July 25, 2009, he was abruptly transferred to Butyrka prison, a maximum security facility known to be one of the toughest in Russia.
At Butyrka, Sergei’s condition deteriorated sharply, and he developed excruciating stomach pains. He repeatedly asked the prison authorities, prosecutors, investigators, and the courts for medical attention, and he was repeatedly denied it by all of them. At one point the pain became so intense that he couldn’t even lie down. His cellmate banged on the door for hours screaming for a doctor. When one finally arrived, he refused to do anything for Sergei, telling him he should have obtained medical treatment before his arrest.
We did what we could do to help him. We testified in front of the U.S. Congress about Sergei; we asked the U.S. State Department and the British Foreign Office to bring his case up with the Russian Foreign Ministry; we reached out to the professional associations; and we constantly provided information to journalists to write about his situation. But none of it mattered within Russia. While we were lobbying from the outside, they were putting more and more pressure on Sergei from the inside.
His tormentors wanted to pressure him to withdraw his testimony against the police officers and make false statements against himself and his client, the Hermitage Fund. Most cynically, they specifically wanted him to take responsibility for the theft of $230 million that they had been stolen from the state. As a lawyer and someone who believed in justice, there was no way he would be pressured into perjuring himself no matter how much pain he had to endure. Instead, he wrote even more complaints documenting the horrific torture he was being subjected to.
The more Sergei complained, the more the pressure increased. He was moved to cells where sewage would spew up from the hole in the floor that served as the toilet. He was put in cells with no glass in the windows to protect the inmates from the frigid Russian weather. The prison authorities denied him any opportunity to shower, or simply access hot water. Worst of all they denied him any visits from his wife or mother, or even the possibility to speak to his two young children on the telephone for the 11 months he was in detention, which must have been truly heartbreaking for a man so committed to his family.
Despite all this and more, he was never broken. During his 358 days in detention, Sergei and his lawyers filed more than 450 complaints documenting all of the breaches of Russian law, and the violations of his human rights. He wrote on behalf of himself and on behalf of other detainees. Few people could have managed such a prodigious effort while being subjected to such physical torment. Sergei didn’t have access to an office, library, or a computer. He managed to do all this without even a table to write on. Each time Sergei filed a complaint, it was rejected or simply ignored, but each defeat just served to make him more indignant and determined. He was always the consummate professional. There was never any emotion in his complaints, even after all the torture he endured. They were crisp and exact.
Throughout this ordeal, Sergei stood true to his principles — refusing to perjure himself and make false statements against himself and his client — no matter what new suffering was devised for him.
In the end, Sergei died suddenly in prison on Nov. 16, 2009. He entered prison a healthy 36-year-old man, and 11 months later he was dead. Many questions remain, but what is clear is that the abuses he suffered during his year in detention ultimately caused his death.
One can never judge the true character of a person until they are faced with extreme adversity. Most people, if faced with a far lesser challenge than Sergei, would have given in. But for Sergei, his integrity and honor were more important than any physical pain he was suffering. Sergei was an ordinary man who became an extraordinary hero. If we all could only show a fraction of the bravery and fortitude Sergei did, the world would be a much better place. Sergei, his heroic fight, and the ideals he stood for must never be forgotten.
God bless Sergei and his family. | {
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The gang tries to reconnect with the main force on Ertagas. With the anti-blockade food supply in jeopardy, is this really the best time to run into old friends from Bavva? | {
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Greetings, Star Wars™: Armada fleet commanders!
The final results of the Star Wars: Armada Fleet Commander Contest are now in. After sorting through hundreds upon hundreds of creative fleet designs, our developers selected four to play against each other in an in-house tournament.
Last week, we presented the semifinal results. In Game One, developer Max Brooke commanded Alexandra Smith's top-seeded Imperial fleet to victory against the Rebel fleet designed by Adam Pye and flow by producer Michael Gernes. In Game Two, developers Sam Stewart and Alex Davy fought a nervy, tactical battle in which Sam ultimately eked out a victory with Craig Lincoln's Rebel fleet.
This meant that Max and Sam were destined to meet in the Fleet Commander Contest finals, representing Alexandra, Craig, and their fleets. Alexandra and Craig, along with the other two finalists, had already achieved glory and secured themselves some exciting Wave III and Wave IV expansion packs. However, only one would claim ultimate victory…
The Final Match
Both Alexandra and Craig had built their fleets at 398 points, so Max and Sam rolled to determine who would be first player. Sam won the roll, but decided that because Alexandra's fleet had so many activations, he would go second. This meant the game would use one of Craig's objectives, but more importantly, Sam hoped it would force some of Max's forces to come at him early. If they did, he might be able to catch them in his big guns, score some points, and then fly to safety, making good use of the fantastic maneuverability granted by General Madine.
This was the strategy that Sam had employed in his match against Alex in the semifinals, but Max came to the battle with a fleet full of tools to hinder the Rebels. With Admiral Konstantine, a G-8 Experimental Projector, and a pair of Phylon Q7 Tractor Beams, Max was well-situated to cut down on Sam's maneuverability.
Setup
After determining that the match would use the Intel Sweep objective, both players set up their forces. The obstacles were set up in an arc across the middle of the board. Sam deployed three objective tokens in a line paralleling his board edge at distance five, while Max weighted the left side of the board with the other two objective tokens. Sam then chose the Bright Hope as his objective ship, while Max chose a flotilla of Gozantis. He then used his Gozantis and TIE Fighter Squadrons to tease out deployment, forcing Sam to commit the bulk of his forces early.
In response, Sam deployed the Yavaris in the center of the board with the full complement of fighters, placing Mon Karren on the right flank and the MC30c Torpedo Frigate on the left. The Bright Hope was set up to run parallel to Sam’s board edge from left to right, with Sam making an obvious bid to snap up a majority of the tokens.
In response, Max placed his two Victory I-class Star Destroyers and the Interdictor opposite of the Yavaris in tight formation. His objective Gozantis started somewhat apart from the main fleet, preparing to make a run on Sam’s token line and prevent Sam from scoring them.
Sam says, "My plan was to pincer Max’s gun-line between the MC30c and the Mon Karren, with the Yavaris in the center. I knew I wouldn’t be able to outrun his TIE fighters, so my hope was to outfight them with Yavaris’s help. That’s what ended up happening, but by the time the TIEs were dead, I didn’t have much of a chance to deal major damage to his ships."
Early Game
Sam began putting his plan into action in the first round, claiming an objective token with the Bright Hope and swinging his MC30c around the left side of the board at speed "4." The Mon Karren pulled a hard turn to the left, hoping to get into a flanking position. And the Yavaris advanced up the middle at speed "2," moving its fighter complement forward with the help of Fighter Coordination Team.
Of course, Max had fought against a fighter-heavy fleet in the semifinals and was aware of the threat they posed his ships. "Having learned from some of my mistakes against Mike, such as allowing him to use the Yavaris and its cohort of Rebel all-stars to sink a Victory almost immediately, I made sure that I was able to get my TIE fighters into position to block off Sam’s Yavaris alpha strike."
Meanwhile, Max advanced steadily with his Interdictor and Star Destroyers, sending them forward at speed "2," while running his objective Gozantis wide to the left in the hopes of slipping past the Mon Karren. He kept his other Gozantis closer to main force for fighter control.
The battle began in earnest in the second round, as Max sent his TIE fighters to engage Sam's B-wings. After all the shots had been fired, Max had lost one TIE Fighter Squadron, and Sam had lost one B-wing squadron. Meanwhile, Sam misjudged the Bright Hope's movement and realized it would not be able to score the second objective token on its next pass. Still, it was not all bad news for Sam. The Mon Karren landed a critical hit on on Max's secondary Gozantis, while Max's objective Gozantis ended their movement stuck within the Mon Karren's front arc.
Perhaps, the most important development from the early engagement, however, was that at the end of round two, Max realized that the Mon Karren was at distance "5" of both his Victory I-class Star Destroyers, and that meant Admiral Konstantine could reduce its speed to "1." So he did.
Mid Game
Now the Mon Karren and Max's Star Destroyers were locked in close range of each other, and the big guns started firing on both sides. Over the next couple rounds, Max's TIE fighters took out the other B-wing squadron, "Dutch" Vander and Dash Rendar eliminated the TIE fighters, and Max's Gozantis snatched away the second objective token from right under the nose of the Bright Hope.
Of course, the damage that the big ships piled onto each other added up quickly over these rounds, and at the end of the third round, Max once again used his tricks to slow the Mon Karren, limiting it to a forward crawl at speed "1" that left it squarely in the forward arcs of both his Star Destroyers.
With the three biggest battery armaments in the sector aimed all right at each other, the fourth round was one of total devastation. While Sam's Yavaris and Mon Karren ripped through the Star Destroyers' shields and piled up damage on their hulls, the Star Destroyers retaliated against the MC80 Star Cruiser and destroyed it.
This was also the round that, after having its speed reduced at multiple stages, Sam's MC30c managed to maneuver into range of both Victory I-class Star Destroyers, catching one of the heavily damaged ships in each of its side arcs. Accordingly, Max opened the game's fifth round by activating the more heavily damaged of his Star Destroyers, using it to finish off the Yavaris, and maneuvering it out of the MC30c's punishing side arc.
The MC30c Torpedo Frigate then finished off the other Star Destroyer and tried to catch up with the other Victory, only to be held back by the Interdictor and its G-8 Experimental Projector. Still, "Dutch" and Dash were able to deal some damage to the remaining Victory, and the Bright Hope raced forward to claim its second objective token.
End Game
At the top of the sixth round, everything was still wide open. Having destroyed the Mon Karren, Max was well ahead on points, but his remaining Victory was barely holding together. As a result, Max chose to activate the Victory first, but due to the position of the Interdictor, he was unable to get it out of range of Sam's MC30c.
The resulting MC30c fire generated a crit, activating its Assault Concussion Missiles, and the shot overloaded the Star Destroyer's remaining shields and ripped through its hull, removing it from the game. This left just the MC30c, the Interdictor, a couple of squadrons, and a pair of flotillas. And even though the MC30c was unable to avoid a collision with the Interdictor, it still managed to survive the final volley, making the jump back into hyperspace at the end of the game with just two hull remaining.
At the end of the game, then, Max had destroyed the Mon Karren, the Yavaris, and a couple of squadrons. Sam had destroyed both of Max's Star Destroyers, along with one flotilla and all of Max's TIE fighters. This meant the two players were separated by only nineteen points of ships destroyed. Ultimately, it was the Bright Hope and its pursuit of the objective tokens that ended up sealing the win for Sam and Craig Lincoln.
To the Victor Go the Spoils!
Congratulations to Craig Lincoln!
For his submission the winning Rebel fleet, he wins a copy of the Core Set, plus each expansion needed to build his fleet:
CR90 Corellian Corvette Expansion Pack
Nebulon-B Frigate Expansion Pack
Assault Frigate Mark II Expansion Pack
Rebel Fighter Squadrons Expansion Pack
MC30c Frigate Expansion Pack
Rogues and Villains Expansion Pack
Interdictor Expansion Pack
Liberty Expansion Pack
Rebel Transports Expansion Pack
Sam says, "This ended up being another really close game, and had it gone on one more round, I guarantee the Interdictor would have destroyed my MC30c. As it was, going second gave me the objective setup I needed to claim two tokens, which ended up being my key to victory."
He also credits Craig Lincoln for the inspired decision to crew General Madine aboard the Bright Hope instead of the more heavily shielded (and obvious) Mon Karren. It was not a move Sam would have made on his own, but he says, "Madine managed to survive both of these games, so kudos to you, Craig!"
As for the rest of our Fleet Commander finalists? Alexandra and James Lockwood each win a copy of the Interdictor Expansion Pack and Imperial Assault Carriers Expansion Pack, and Rebel fleet admiral Adam Pye wins one copy each of the Liberty Expansion Pack and Rebel Transports Expansion Pack.
We also selected four random prize winners from the rest of the Fleet Commander participants. Ian Sanderson, Jack Wade, and James Wilks each win a copy of the Rebel Transports Expansion Pack. Nigel Gray wins a copy of the Imperial Assault Carriers Expansion Pack.
Congratulations to all our winners!
The Grand Debut
The winners may have won the biggest prizes, but we want to thank everyone who participated in the Star Wars: Armada Fleet Commander Contest. You have made this an exciting and entertaining way to see the Wave III and Wave IV Armada expansions in action, and we look forward to seeing more of them on your tables shortly.
To that end, if you are headed to Gen Con Indy, be sure to stop by our booth. We will have early copies of all the Wave III and Wave IV expansions. But even if you cannot make it to Gen Con, you want to make sure to pre-order your copies today. Both Wave III and Wave IV are scheduled to arrive at retailers later in August! | {
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Current version is 4.3g , released February 2020
modification of the object system (language design and implementation),
new APIs (alsa, flac, mpg123, avahi, csv parsing),
new library functions (UDP support),
new regular expressions support,
new garbage collector (Boehm's collection 7.3alpha1).
Bigloo is a Scheme implementation devoted to one goal: enabling Scheme based programming style where C(++) is usually required. Bigloo attempts to make Scheme practical by offering features usually presented by traditional programming languages but not offered by Scheme and functional programming. Bigloo compiles Scheme modules. It delivers small and fast stand alone binary executables. Bigloo enables full connections between Scheme and C programs, between Scheme and Java programs, and between Scheme and C# programs.The highlights of this release are (see the ChangeLog for a detailed list of novelties of this release):You may also find simple examples illustrating original Bigloo features here
The Bigloo C code generator delivers fast binaries executables for the Unix operating system. The Bigloo JVM code generator delivers highly portable JVM class files (or jar files) that can be run on any JVM runtime environment (Sun's JDK, Netscape Applets, etc.). We have measured that in general, Scheme modules when compiled to JVM are in between 2 and 4 times slower than their C counterpart. | {
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It is almost seven years since the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange skipped bail and sought refuge in Ecuador’s London embassy. Now there are signs that the Assange case may be nearing a turning point. The immediate cause is a change in Ecuador’s attitude. Over the years, Ecuador’s ardour in support of Mr Assange has cooled for a variety of reasons, including shifting politics. Two months ago relations went into the deep freeze after private pictures of President Lenín Moreno and his family began appearing online, followed by the publication of papers that appear to implicate Mr Moreno in corruption, perjury and money laundering, which he has denied. A week ago, the president said Mr Assange was violating his asylum conditions. This was followed by repeated rumours that he would soon be leaving the embassy.
These events have not occurred in a global vacuum. Things have become more threatening for Mr Assange since Donald Trump succeeded Barack Obama in the White House two years ago. Ecuador’s economy is facing recession and mounting debt. It has just been bailed out by the IMF, to which the US is the largest contributor. Mr Trump has recently received the still-to-be-published Mueller report, which examined allegations that WikiLeaks was involved in publishing emails obtained by Russian hackers during the 2016 election. Mr Trump is also currently cutting a swath through the management of the US homeland security department, demanding tougher regimes against Latin American migrants and cybercriminals. All of this adds up to a more confrontational US stance towards countries like Ecuador and dissidents like Mr Assange.
The relative leniency of the late Obama years has given way to a more punitive approach to civil rights. In one of his last presidential acts, Mr Obama commuted the prison sentence imposed on the WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Under Mr Trump, Ms Manning is again back in jail, serving an indeterminate sentence for refusing to give further evidence to a secret grand jury in a WikiLeaks investigation. She should be released immediately. Last November it became clear that Mr Assange has himself been charged in the US – though no details have yet appeared. The possibility that the US will try to have Mr Assange extradited is very real.
From first to last, the Assange case is a morally tangled web. He believes in publishing things that should not always be published – this has long been a difficult divide between the Guardian and him. But he has also shone a light on things that should never have been hidden. When he first entered the Ecuadorian embassy he was trying to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape and molestation. That was wrong. But those cases have now been closed. He still faces the English courts for skipping bail. If he leaves the embassy, and is arrested, he should answer for that, perhaps in ways that might result in deportation to his own country, Australia. Nothing about this is easy, least of all Mr Assange himself. But when the call comes from Washington, it requires a firm and principled no. It would neither be safe nor right for the UK to extradite Mr Assange to Mr Trump’s America. | {
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BOSTON -- Firefighters in Brighton went to door to door Sunday testing carbon monoxide levels in homes after several manhole explosions, CBS Boston reports.
No one was hurt when multiple manholes caught fire and exploded, according to authorities.
City fire officials said crews responded to the Brighton neighborhood on Sunday morning for a report of a manhole explosion. Five Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) manholes were on fire, three of which exploded.
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According to officials, the manholes belong to the MBTA and they will assess further when the power is shut off.
No injuries have been reported. | {
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Most people have enough to do around the house without having to worry about the extra task of regularly flushing out their water heater manually. Today, we have technology on our side to help. Many modern appliances on the market are self cleaning water heaters which save you the time-consuming job of having to do it yourself.
Of course, no two are the same, so it helps to know what you should be on the lookout for.
What Are Self Cleaning Water Heaters?
Quite simply, these appliances filter out sediment build up in the tank by circulating water throughout it. Reduced build up means that you do not have to flush the system as often yourself. While sediment build up is not completely eliminated in your self cleaning tank, rest assured that the bulk of it is removed.
There are both gas and electric models available, and we will take a closer look at a gas model further down in this post. First, let’s take a closer look at how these self cleaning appliances work.
How Do They Work?
There are numerous features to be found in this appliance, and we’ll work through it slowly to ease your concerns.
Upon opening the water tap, there is a cold water inlet which channels water into the dip tube. The dip tube flows down to the bottom of the tank where it can begin the warm-up process. The water does contain sediment which settles on the tank floor.
Over time, the sediment build up lessens the capability of the heater to heat as usual. This could be extremely infuriating if it is what stands between you and a hot bath. By contrast, self cleaning water heaters are intended to ease the workload for you, making for a steadier stream of warmth at the turn of a tap.
Here’s an overview of what all the components in a self cleaning heater appliance do.
Image courtesy of Rheem Water Heaters
These are a few key components on a self cleaning model which work to keep your appliance running smoothly, and we take a look at these below.
Dip Tube
The curved dip tube is the differentiating feature of self cleaning water heaters as opposed to the usual water heater. The interesting thing about this dip tube is the component attached to keep water spinning so the sediment can’t settle. This leaves you with less draining effort when you have to empty the tank.
Self Cleaning System
You will see that the Rheem appliance depicted in the image above sports a patented EverKleen self cleaning system. This is the spinning component that we mentioned earlier. Through generating movement inside the tank, the sediment is reduced and efficiency improved.
Drain Valve
Both the drain valve and anode rod serve as protective devices to rid the product of sediment. The drain valve allows the tank to be drained and when it comes time to service the appliance, this should be cleared so as to prevent further layering of harmful particles.
Anode Rod
The anode rod has a protective function. The non-corrosive properties of this rode such as the R-tech rode found in the Rheem model above function by drawing damaging particles to it. They stick to the rod which stops them from corroding the appliance’s lining.
Heat Trap Nipples
Just to provide you with some extra assurance, these heat traps serve a delay in curbing corrosion. The check valves inside also serve the purpose of maintaining the heat between the cold water pipes and hot water in the tank. No need to jump out of the spray line of fire in fear of an unexpected cold blast.
Is It Worth Having One?
There are several questions that should be asked before considering whether to buy self cleaning water heaters or not. Before making a decision you should consider the cost, the water holding capacity, model type, warranties, and additional features.
How Much Does One Cost
Now we come to the question always at the forefront of our minds. What sort of budget should we be looking at? Although the initial cost may feel a bit steep on your wallet, their long lifespan of between 8-12 years will make it all worth your while.
The State Industries GPX50YXRT-200 50 is a residential natural gas make. Valued at $1,522, you can trust that the cost is absolutely worth it when you consider how long it will last. Crafted by State Industries, you will be provided with a residential water heater of commercial heater quality.
With a capacity of 50 gallons, you can rest assured that you won’t run out of hot water any time soon either. Natural gas heaters are also more affordable than electric self cleaning water heaters. If you think about it, the time you spend on cleaning could also be counted as a saving of sorts. You can spend your time doing other constructive things around the house to make it run efficiently.
How Effective Is The Self Cleaning?
Education time! For the next dinner party conversation, we would like to supply you with a did-you-know fact. Calcium carbonate is one of the minerals contained in the water that enters the machine and can build up as sediment over time. High levels of it in water makes it hard water, and this is what causes limescale deposits in your appliance. All the more reason that cleaning is a good idea.
Overall, although not entirely preventable, this appliance reduces sediment build up considerably. Thus, self cleaning water heaters are quite effective in reducing the frequency with which you need to drain and flush.
Cleaning and Maintenance Around the Unit
Maintaining your unit effectively doesn’t just involve the occasional flushing. There are other things you can do to extend its lifespan considerably.
Dust
Like most things left for some time, self cleaning water heaters are susceptible to creeping dust particles in the air, particularly when left in a basement or garage.
To ease your concerns my fellow non-cleaners, I can warn you that the job is not highly intensive and only comes about once a year. All that is required is a vacuum to reach the unseen underside of the appliance and the surfaces. The heating elements should also be vacuumed once the heater has been switched off.
Water Heater Elements and Anodes
It’s a good idea to vacuum around the water heater elements too once the heater has been switched off. Keeping the area clear of dirt and dust will help the mechanical parts of your heater appliance to run more efficiently.
Similarly, the anode rod should be frequently checked every few months as it may require replacing. Fortunately, these are not expensive to replace, and you can even opt to get a powered anode which doesn’t need replacing at all.
Regardless of which you buy, be sure to check the rod for corrosion every six months just to be safe.
Flush Heater on Occasion to Prolong Water Heater Life
Self cleaning water heaters require you to flush out the system every three years. Pretty impressive if you consider the relative frequency of a non-cleaning model which needs a flush twice a year.
As one of the most helpful activities you could do to extend the life of your heater, giving it the occasional flush will do. Not only does it last longer, but you’ll also find that it works more smoothly afterward. This is because you can clean out the remaining sediment that the appliance has not been able to remove.
With rust and sediment-free anodes and elements, the appliance can effectively heat to temperature again. Of course, when your appliance is running optimally you save energy and money in the home. It’s a no brainer situation really.
When dealing with hot water, safety is always a concern and we wouldn’t want you to get burned. As such, one recommendation we suggest before flushing is to switch the heater off and wait for the water temperature to drop. Thereafter, you can tentatively open the valve and begin draining the tank. Once it has emptied you can begin working on it.
You can find out more on how to go about this in our post on flushing a hot water heater here.
By flushing the system consistently when you should, you will be able to make your appliance last that much longer. Admittedly, it may feel like a major chore at the time, however, you’ll thank yourself later when you’ve saved the effort of calling a plumber out for repairs or even replacement.
If it does get to the point of replacement though, we do have plenty of buying advice to pass on, you’re in good hands.
Final Words
If you’re the type of person who is more hands-off or not as DIY orientated as others, self cleaning water heaters can be a great solution for you. They require a lot less maintenance than their standard counterparts, and even though they are priced on the higher side, you will see savings. Because they run more efficiently due to less sediment build up, you can expect to see energy and maintenance savings over the heater’s life span. | {
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A pre-trial court hearing has been derailed by concerns about a far-right anti-Islam extremist's fitness to stand trial over allegations he planned to bomb left-wing groups in Melbourne.
Phillip Galea, 32, is charged with making preparations for terrorist attacks against properties occupied by Melbourne anarchist groups between November 2015 and August 2016.
Victorian Supreme Court justice Lex Lasry on Wednesday ordered a psychologist's report on Galea's fitness to be tried, before a committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court can proceed.
It's understood the report will take six weeks to complete.
The pre-trial hearing was originally set down for May, but was delayed until August after the defence asked for more time to go through the evidence.
In August Galea's two-day committal hearing was again delayed while Victoria Legal Aid secured legal counsel to act for him.
The 32-year-old is charged with collecting or making documents to prepare for terrorist acts between November 2015 and August 2016.
The anti-Islamist is also charged with acts in preparation for a terrorist act between September 2015 and August last year.
Police have accused Galea of preparing to target various locations inhabited by the Melbourne Anarchist Club and Melbourne Resistance Centre.
He allegedly ordered potassium nitrate for smoke bombs, aligned himself with right-wing and neo-Nazi groups, and researched how to make improvised explosive devices.
Arson and explosive experts raided Galea's home in November 2015 and seized five cattle prods and 362.1 grams of mercury.
Computer equipment was also seized, and it's alleged Galea researched homemade bombs, ballistic armour and guns.
The defence and prosecution will return to the Victorian Supreme Court on November 29 for a further directions hearing about Galea's fitness to be tried.
Galea will remain in custody. | {
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PULLMAN, Wash. – The Board of Regents of Washington State University will hold a special meeting on Monday, July 1, beginning at 1:30 p.m. for the purpose of rescinding a previously approved two percent tuition increase authorized for the coming academic year. With the state Legislature’s passage of a two-year biennial budget this week, WSU will seek no further increase in tuition funding at this time.
The meeting will be held via teleconference from French Administration, Room 422 on the WSU Pullman campus.
—————————— | {
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A lady staff mustered courage to complaint fearing that they were stripped in a room which was under CCTV surveillance. (Source: Reuters photo/file) A lady staff mustered courage to complaint fearing that they were stripped in a room which was under CCTV surveillance. (Source: Reuters photo/file)
Women employees at a private firm in the Special Economic Zone in Kochi were allegedly stripped after their lady supervisors wanted to know who had left a used sanitary napkin in toilet. Police have registered a case against two lady supervisors on charges of outraging the modesty of women. The state women’s commission has intervened in the incident.
The incident was reported at Asma Rubber Private Limited, which is functioning at the Kochi SEZ. As per the complaint, the incident took place on December 10 when the lady supervisors found used sanitary napkin in the bathroom. As their grilling did not help find the woman who used the napkin, the supervisors decided to go for a strip search of women employees aged below 50. Thus, 45 women were subjected to the humiliating examination to find who was menstruating.
The complaint was moved four days back, but the police registered the case only on Saturday. Thrikkakara station house inspector T K Josy said the complaint was handed over to the women police cell. “We have got the case transferred from the local police on Sunday. We would begin the probe only on Monday after recording the statements of the workers and their supervisors,’’ women police cell said.
Kerala women’s commission member Lissy Jose said the commission has sought stern action against the supervisors in the humiliating incident. She said the panel would seek an explanation from the company management, although police said there was no complaint against the management.
Representative of Asma Rubber Private Limited was not available for comment.
Various women and social organisations have planned a march towards the Kochi SEZ on Monday demanding action against the culprits.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App. | {
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Goofs
When Caroline is giving Ben his bath, she drops both the soap and sponge into the bathtub water. When she comes back to the bathtub, the soap is still floating in the water, but the sponge has appeared on the rack over the tub. See more | {
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Transcript: Interview With Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn
(The following transcript is from an interview with Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, as aired on Morning Edition.)
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn: I think for easily seven to ten days leading up to the Russian troops as we see them now in Crimea, we were providing very solid reporting on what I would describe as just strategic warning, where we move from one level of sort of a condition of warning, which I would just describe for the audience as sort of moderate, to one where we believe things are imminent. And we did that about a week prior to the events that unfolded really last Friday.
NPR's David Greene: So well before Putin even went to get military authorization and those headlines happened. You knew that he was up to something.
Flynn: Right.
Greene: You were warning the administration.
Flynn: That's right. We along with our other intelligence community partners. Absolutely.
Greene: So how do you respond then to lawmakers and others who are saying that the intelligence community was caught off-guard if you knew Vladimir Putin, sort of, had something — something going in his head and was going to try something in Ukraine?
Flynn: I think that when the — the evidence, if you will, is looked at, the results will show that there was good strategic warning provided to our decision makers in order to make the right kinds of decisions about what sort of policy actions may be taken.
Greene: What are you picking up right now within the Russian military?
Flynn: Well, I mean obviously the things that we' re watching in the Crimea, some of the naval activities, you know, up around the key bases — we saw, you know, we see some of what has been referred to as an exercise inside of Russia and we are paying very close attention to any additional activities of some of their key military forces that they do have, particularly in the southern military district that is in that region that we are all concerned about right now. So — there is a lot of activity. What we are trying to pay attention to is: are they being true to their word about it's an exercise versus something else.
Greene: Let me ask you about, ah, Edward Snowden who of course has gotten refuge from Russia. He' s the former NSA contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents to the world. You have said most of what Snowden had access to was defense-related. What exactly are we talking about here?
Flynn: We have a — certainly a debate within the I-C right now about --
Greene: That's the intelligence community.
Flynn: Yeah, the intelligence community. About what kinds of information did he touch, what did he take, what do we know. I think if I'm concerned about anything, I'm concerned about defense capabilities that he may have stolen from where he worked, and does that knowledge then get into the hands of our adversaries — in this case, of course, Russia.
Greene: Now defense capabilities; are we talking about U.S. war plans, are we talking about intelligence gathering methods? What exactly is it?
Flynn: I think it's sort of an all of the above. I mean, it's intelligence capabilities, it's operational capabilities, it's technology, it's weapons systems.
Greene: You say all of the above. If you think there is a chance that he has access to war plans. If he has access to the way we gather intelligence — how do you respond to that? Are there changes that have to be made? Are there new war plans that have to be drawn up?
Flynn: The answer to it is we really don't know. From what we do know, we have to assume the worst case and then begin to make some recommendations to our leadership about how do we mitigate some of the risks that may come from — from what may have been compromised. This is going to be one of these instances where we're going to be dealing with this for many, many years. You know, it's everything from changing some of the procedures or the techniques or the tactics that we use. We've already discussed how we defeat some of these improvised explosive devices, and we know that there's some evidence that he may have gotten some information about that. And so we have to protect, you know, how we defeat these kind of devices. So we may need to change some of the way we operate.
Greene: Do you think Russia has access to the kind of materials that we're talking about here?
Flynn: To the information that he got?
Greene: Yeah.
Flynn: I mean, you have to assume that they — if they don't have access, you have to assume that they are going to try to get access to it. So — and that would be very serious. That would be, you know, very serious. So we have to — if we assume that that' s the case, and again we really don't know, then we have to make some judgements, recommendations about, you know, how to respond to that.
Greene: I just want to ask you about Syria, a place that you obviously are looking very closely at right now. I'm curious, if I may, about the foreign fighters. I've seen you speak publicly before — suggesting that some people are going to Syria from the outside, and there are actual training camps being set up in that country. What exactly are you talking about?
Flynn: Yeah. So the types of training camps that are there are similar to what we saw when we were in Iraq and I think even, to a degree, not — not as sophisticated as some of the ones we used to see in Afghanistan, but certainly the ones we saw in Iraq. The foreign element is there fighting. The real problem is — is when they decide to depart, and we see some of that happening in back into Europe. Certainly we are concerned about those that may return to the United States. But we, you know, we assess that the foreign element that's in Syria right now represents about 50 countries around the world. It's more than we saw in Iraq. Definitely.
Greene: It strikes me, if you have jihadists who are coming from elsewhere to a place, in this case Syria, training, and you're seeing them begin to — to leave. To go to places like Europe, maybe the United States. It really reminds me of what we heard about Afghanistan before the September 11th attacks. So if that is the situation right now, are we safer today than we were on September 11th 2001?
Flynn: I think these al Qaeda franchise groups have clearly evolved into a much more dangerous strain. The foreign presence in Syria, where they are fighting, they are learning and they are growing stronger. You know, in my travels in Europe, in some of the capitals in some of the partnerships that the DIA has with our military intelligence partners there, they — that is their number one concern.
Greene: General Flynn, thanks so much the time and for coming in today. We really appreciate it.
Flynn: Okay, great, David. And it's great — I really appreciate what NPR does for informing America.
Greene: Thank you. We appreciate that. | {
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel, flanked by other G7 leaders, talks to Donald Trump in La Malbaie on Saturday
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday slammed US President Donald Trump for withdrawing his name from a final joint statement in a fit of pique at comments by Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
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Just minutes after a joint statement that had been approved by G7 negotiators was published, Trump, who had left the meeting early to head for a nuclear summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, launched a Twitter broadside from aboard Air Force One.
Trump pulled his signature from the statement after hearing that Trudeau had told a news conference that the US president invoking security to justify tariffs against Canada was "kind of insulting".
"Canadians are polite and reasonable but we will also not be pushed around," he said.
Trump hit back with two furious tweets.
PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.” Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 9 juin 2018
Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 9 juin 2018
Trudeau's office issued a brief response, saying that the prime minister had "said nothing he hasn't said before, both in public, and in private conversations with the president".
A statement from the French presidency on Sunday declared that "international cooperation cannot depend on fits of anger and a few words".
"We spent two days producing a statement and commitments," it said. "We stand by it and whover leaves it and turns their back on it is showing insconsistency and lack of character."
Putin dismisses "babbling"
France will host next year's summit in the Atlantic resort of Biarritz and, following Trump's call for Russia to be brought back into the group, Macron said he would welcome its presence but on condition that it "makes a gesture" on Ukraine, where pro-Russian forces are in conflict with Kiev.
The G7 statement called on Russia to "cease its destabilising behaviour, to undermine democratic systems and its support of the Syrian regime” and said sanctions against Moscow could be stepped up if they were judged necessary.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is attending a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Qingdao, dismissed the G7 statement as "creative babbling" and challenged accusations that Moscow was behind the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
In contrast the G7, the SCO presented a united front against US sanctions.
Girls' education
Pledges worth nearly three billion dollars (2.5 billion euros) for women's and girls' education were announced at the G7 summit.
Trudeau, called it "the single largest investment in education for women and girls in crisis and conflict situations."
The cash, to be spent over three to five years, will be used to train teachers and improve curriculums, track educational data, support innovative education methods, and boost women's and girls' graduation rates in developing countries.
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe | {
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Should be purple
November 27, 2009
Leon!
Desperately need help!
I been racking my brains about this all morning!
Why isn't my HELLO WORLD purple?
< FONT COLOR ='BLUE'> < FONT COLOR ='RED'> HELLO WORLD! (should be purple) </ FONT > </ FONT > S.R.
?
My book "Choose Your First Product" is available now.
It gives you 4 easy steps to find and validate a humble product idea.
Learn more. | {
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PLEASE WHITELIST US. If it weren’t for the ads, LaptopMedia wouldn’t be running. Our articles are free to read but the equipment in our Labs isn’t. We want to be as objective and unbiased as possible, and you can help us keep our jobs by whitelisting our media in your adblocker.
When searching for a decent notebook with good multimedia capabilities, it’s almost impossible not to stumble upon one of ASUS’ N series PCs. This review is all about one of the latest laptops from the Taiwanese company – ASUS N751J. This a sleek, powerful machine with big 17.3-inch Full HD screen and some other goods in the retail package. However, some of you may find this device big and heavy, but this is the price you pay for a bigger, more comfortable workstation.
TN751J features a powerful quad-core Intel processor with high voltage for a better performance and a GTX 850M GPU from NVIDIA. Nothing you can’t find in any other laptop, but let’s see what this machine offers for the price. We were able to test screen’s capabilities, battery life, performance and of course – temperatures.
Contents
Video review
Before we begin, we highly recommend watching a short video review by Georgi Dobrikov.
Retail package
For a huge notebook, we have a big box with the N751J inside, user manual, CD full of drivers needed, although we recommend downloading them directly from ASUS’ website for the latests versions. Also, there’s a useful DVI to HDMI adapter, so you can use your old monitor for an external one since the device has only one HDMI port. Last but not least, ASUS puts an extra SonicMaster external subwoofer for any N series laptop for richer and fuller sound.
Design and construction
Firstly, the notebook feels really sturdy in hand and despite the fact that it’s a bit bulky, the overall design is sleek and feels premium. The back of the lid is brushed aluminum with a small ASUS logo in the center, which has a LED backlight and it actually looks great. On the other side of the lid, we find just the built-in microphone, the webcam and of course, another ASUS logo just below the 17.3-inch screen.
The bottom of the N751JK is fully covered in plastic with a few silicone “legs” here and there to keep it firmly in place when working on a desk. Strangely, there is only one grill for dispensing the heat and it is placed right under the front end of the machine. We are happy to see that ASUS didn’t abandon the idea of using a small removable cover for upgrading or replacing hard drives and RAM. With this particular model, you can also upgrade with an additional m.2 SATA which is located right next to the main SATA III slot. It is easy and this way you are avoiding any problems with voiding the warranty. Also, the battery is easily removable and any user can take it off when needed.
Moving on to the edges which are again sleek and feature the right amount of ports. On the left, you will find the AC port for charging, LAN, mini DisplayPort, HDMI and two USB 3.0. On the other side are placed only two USB 3.0 ports and a 3.5 jack for headsets or headphones. Right in front of you, you will notice a few LED lights indicating battery level, airplane mode and etc.
Now to the most exciting part – the interior. ASUS used the same metal finish we find in most N series laptops, which is clean, minimalistic and always cool. Top corners are occupied by two neat grills for the speakers and right under them is the famous keyboard with LED backlight. Keys appear to be comfortable, a bit rugged to touch maybe, but still offer a good tactile feedback. The first time we tried the keyboard it felt like you should make a little effort to press the keys, but for the time being we got used to it fast and it is really easy to use. It has a wide range of “Fn” keys and it seems that the designers put some thinking when designing them, because those you might use the most are easier to reach, even with one hand.
Since it’s a multimedia notebook, keys such as stop, play/pause, back and forward aren’t left out too. The only things that can be improved is the size of the keys – they could have been just a bit larger, there is plenty of space and the “Power on” button. It really blends into the whole keyboard, despite the little LED light indicating its presence, and it can be easily pressed by accident, though this is more of a personal opionion.
Our conclusion is that N751JK is smartly built, with a sleek aluminium design and overall great keyboard. The touchpad isn’t wobbling, like some notebooks even in the higher-end segment, and it’s easy to use due to it’s good feedback when pressing left or right button. The bottom lid is easily removable for upgrading storage and RAM and so is the battery, so that’s a thing you should keep in mind when investing in an expensive machine.
Display and sound
The display of the ASUS N751JK is with WLED backlit LCD TN panel and Full HD (1920×1080) resolution. It is manufactured by AU OPTRONICS with model number B173HW02 V.1. The size is exactly 17.3″ (43.94 cm.) with matte finish and 16:9 screen ratio, which means that the pixel density is aproximately 127 PPI with space between pixels of 0.199 x 0.199 mm. According to the manufacturer this panel can get up to 300 cd/m2 brightness and 400:1 contrast. As for the color reproduction, the panel uses 6-bit channel and viewing angles of 70/70/60/60 (left/right/up/down).
Here is the panel under microscope on white background.
Under 45 degrees viewing angle, we see the typical poor color reproduction due to the TN panel used in ASUS N751JK.
We measured the maximum brightness of the screen – 323 cd/m2 and only 11% deviation at different points of the panel. This means that you can use this notebook even in really bright areas. Color temperature before calibration is 6860K – a bit cold, but still close to optimal. Although, we found a significant deviation on the top left corner.
Color gamut
N751JK’s display has 95% color reproduction from the sRGB gamut, 68% from NTSC and 73% from Adobe RGB. On the image below you can see that you might miss some red colors from the Web based gamut.
The gama we measured has acceptable deviation. Details appear a bit brighter with brightness set to 50% and 100%.
Color reproduction
We calibrated the display in order to reach 6500K (D65) color temperature. With these settings we managed to reach 640:1 contrast, which is a bit higher than a standart TN panel.
Average deviation (deltaE-1976) after calibration is 8.62 or in other words – we couldn’t reach accurate color reproduction.
With the second calibration color reproduction appears to be normal.
Results with color samples can be seen below.
Screen flickering
ASUS N751JK is using WLED backlight, but we didn’t record any PWM (Pulse-width modulation) throughout all brightness levels, so we believe that it will have no negative effect on human vision.
Conclusions
ASUS N751JK features one of the best budget Full HD displays – it has high contrast for a TN panel and it doesn’t have negative effect on your eyes. It is suitable for gaming (due to low response time) and work which is not related to video or photo editing. If you like watching movies now and then, it is important to keep in mind that the panel doesn’t offer good viewing angles and you might struggle to take a comfortable position or adjusting the lid. However, you can buy the same laptop with a IPS panel if you don’t like making sacrifices in the display department. You can also use this laptop for a desktop PC, which will save you space and money from the electric bill, since the power consumption is noticably better than a normal desktop one. But to do that, we recommend using an external display.
Sound
The sound quality is pretty decent for a laptop. When we connect the external subwoofer (the purple line), lowest point of -6 dB reaches almost 100Hz. However, if we ignore the upswing of 3 kHz – 7 kHz we registered at high pitch, the range of 120 Hz to 20 kHz frequency when listening to +/- 6 dB will offer ideal conditions for listening to music, without missing any sound at lower frequencies.
Technical specifications
Processor Intel Core i7-4710HQ (4-core, 2.50 – 3.50 GHz, 6MB cache) RAM 8GB (1x 8192MB) – DDR3, 1600MHz Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (4GB DDR3) HDD/SSD 1TB HDD (7200 rpm) Display 17.3-inch (43.94 см.) – 1920×1080, TN LCD panel, matte Optical drive Double layer DVD Connectivity LAN 10/100/1000 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2×2), Bluetooth 4.0 Other features 4x USB 3.0
webcam
integrated microphone
integrated loud speakers (Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, Sonic Master)
RJ-45
HDMI
mini DisplayPort
card reader (SD, MMC)
backlit keyboard Battery 5200 mAh (6-cell) Thickness 35.6 mm Weight 3.6 kg (with battery)
ASUS N751 configurations
Software
For testing purposes we used the latest version of Windows 8.1 with all updates installed. As for drivers, you can find them on the official ASUS support page here:
http://www.service.asus.com/#!downloads/c1wax
Latest NVIDIA drivers for GTX 850M:
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
Battery
For a 17-inch notebook we can expect relatively larger battery, which in this case is 6-cell 56 Wh and that coresponds to 5200 mAh capacity. Let’s keep in mind that we have 5200 mAh battery, that should give enough juice for a 17-inch Full HD display, high voltage processor and quite powerful GPU, so we can expect a so-so battery life. To give you straight facts on this subject we tested the battery for web browsing, watching a movie and gaming. All three tests are conducted on same conditions – Wi-Fi turned on, Bluetooth turned off, power saver switched on and screen brightness set to 120 cd/m2.
Web browsing
In order to simulate real-life conditions, we used our own script for automatic web browsing through over 70 websites.
ASUS N751JK managed to make it through 301 minutes of non-stop browsing.
Watching a movie
For every test like this we use the same video in HD.
This result wasn’t as satisfying – just 225 minutes.
Gaming
For accurate simulation we used the Metro Last Light benchmark running on loop with graphic settings set to minimum.
The most demanding test seems to be oddly high, but that’s a good thing – 125 minutes.
CPU
Intel Core i7-4710HQ is an integrated (soldered onto the motherboard) high-end processor released in April of 2014. It is part of the “Haswell” generation and operates at a base frequency of 2.8GHz. If a higher frequency is needed, its four cores can automatically overclock, and if they all operate in tandem, they can reach 3.3GHz. The frequency can go up to 3.4GHz for two cores or 3.5GHz for only one core.
The chip is equipped with 256KB of first level cache, 1MB of second level cache, and 6MB of third level cache. The Core i7-4710HQ has been developed using a 22nm process, allowing for the integration of the Intel HD Graphics 4600 controller. It operates at a base frequency of 400MHz, while Turbo Boost can increase that to 1200MHz. Power consumption of the whole SoC (System on a Chip) amounts to 47 watts with a maximum operating temperature of 100C.
Intel Core i7-4710HQ supports TurboBoost (increasing the clock frequency when necessary), HyperThreading (additional virtual core for every physical one), PCI Express 3.0, DDR3L 1333/1600 memory, AVX, AVX2.0, FMA, Quick Sync and the SSE4 instruction set.
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M, codenamed “N15P-GT”, is a high-end graphics chip, announced in late Q1 of 2014. It is part of the Maxwell generation and relies on a GM107 core, constructed through a 28nm process. It consists of five shader blocks, known as SMM, and each of those has 128 smaller shader cores, also known as CUDA, for a total of 650 CUDA cores. The package also includes 40 texture cores and 16 raster cores.
All of them operate at 876MHz in the GDDR5 model or 936MHz in the DDR3 model, but NVIDIA’s GPU Boost 2.0 can increase that frequency based on the laptop’s cooling capacity.Both models have a 128bit bus.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M supports irectX 11.2, Pixel Shader 5.0, Optimus, SLI, PhysX, OpenCL 1.1, OpenGL 4.4, DirectCompute, CUDA, Blu-Ray 3D and 3D Vision. Memory bandwidth can go up to 64GB/sec. Max resolutions (WxH) are 3840×2160 digital and 2048×1536 analog.
Gaming tests
Low settings 313 Frames/second Average settings 227 Frames/second High settings 218 Frames/second
Low settings 62 Frames/second Average settings 55 Frames/second High settings 23 Frames/second
Low settings 169 Frames/second Average settings 62 Frames/second High settings 30 Frames/second
Temperatures
In order to check how N751JK handles great stress and high temperatures we used series of software to load the CPU’s four cores at 100% and at the same time measure the temperatures of the cores and see if there is any throttling. So, we’ve put on the stress test at 100% CPU load for around 45 minutes. The normal operating temperature seems to be around 44-47 degrees Celsius and reaching as much as 84-86 degrees which is far from the maximum operating temperatures listed by the manufacturer (100 degrees). However, we’ve noticed that the CPU reached 3.5GHz maximum frequency but after a while it dropped down to around 2.3GHz. You can see the graphics below indicating 100% load (the green line) and around 85 degrees (red line).
After 45 minutes, we’ve put on the graphics stress test. Normal temperatures were around 60 degrees and reaching a maximum of 74 degrees which is fine by our opinion. Temperatures of the CPU didn’t rise, due to the long distance between CPU and GPU, which aren’t sharing heat. Also, the long heat pipes seem to be doing the job just fine. One thing though, CPU’s frequency continued to decline reaching just 1.8-2.0GHz, which is what we consider throttling.
Below you can see two pictures showing the internal components of the ASUS N751JK. It has long heat pipes, well-placed CPU and GPU, but there seems to be missing a lower grill for dispersing the heat with an additional cooling pad. This is a major downside, but as you can see the machine manages the heat very well without any external cooling. You can also see how the heat affects the customer when working. There are a few hot points, but the area where the palms rest remained cool throughout the whole test.
Upgrade
The N751JK offers great possibilities for upgrading storage and RAM. Under the small cover can be found two SATA III slots for storage devices and they are placed on each side of the chassis. Right between them is one 8GB RAM chip and another empty slot. Under the RAM slot is the m.2 SATA PCI-E x4 one. You can upgrade with an 80 mm or 60 mm NGFF, but there is one issue, though. ASUS has soldered only one carving suitable for 80 mm chip, so if you need to upgrade with a 60 mm one, your local technician can do that for you. You can find that same carving in older or newer motherboards for desktop and notebook PCs.
Verdict
ASUS N751JK is a well-built multimedia laptop without any major flaws. The design is not only sleek, but it is functional and the good cooling system actually justifies the above average weight. You can easily remove the battery and upgrade with a m.2 SATA SSD without any risks of voiding the warranty. There are even several extra screws in the box.
The keyboard is also great, especially the LED backlight, which goes off when not using the touchpad or the keyboard for a while. The keys offer a good tactile feedback and the touchpad is easy to use. The sound is also one of the good selling points of this machine, especially with the external subwoofer. However, for a multimedia laptop we expected better screen quality. The panel used in this model is TN LCD, which lacks any good viewing angles, but it does offer above average contrast ratio (640:1) in this class. Also, there was no PWM of the WLED backlight, which won’t be harmful to your vision. | {
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The omnibus spending bill before United States Congress will continue to give the nation's largest abortion chain license to terminate unborn babies.
Although President Donald Trump's proposed budget would have stripped Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers of federal money, the compromise $1.3 trillion spending measure before Congress will continue the flow of tax dollars.
Republicans might currently control the House, Senate and White House but there has been no smooth sailing for the GOP on Capitol Hill when it comes to pushing its conservative agenda through.
“Senate passage shortly after midnight averted a third federal shutdown this year – an outcome both parties wanted to avoid – but in crafting a sweeping deal that busts budget caps, they've stirred conservative opposition and set the contours for the next funding fight ahead of the midterm elections,” The Associated Press (AP) reported Friday. “The House easily approved the measure Thursday, 256-167 – a bipartisan tally that underscored the popularity of the compromise, which funds the government through September. It beefs up military and domestic programs, delivering federal funds to every corner of the country.”
Unfortunately for many pro-life advocates, one of the domestic programs entails killing innocent preborn children at taxpayers’ expense.
Jim Sedlak of the American Life League shared the reaction of his pro-life group and others opposed to Planned Parenthood’s continued federal funding as one of total disappointment and disgust.
“It means that the government – which was elected in 2016 on the pretense that it would stop the funding of Planned Parenthood – simply has not taken money away from them,” the pro-life activist stressed. “They are going to give them another half a billion dollars in 2018.”
While the abortion conglomerate contends that the money is not used for abortion, what it does do is prop up the organization financially and free other money to underwrite abortions.
“We need to stop killing babies, and we need to stop making the American taxpayers pay for the killing of babies and pay money to organizations that are the leading killers of babies in this country,” Sedlak insisted.
When the bill is signed by the president, Planned Parenthood will be well-funded to terminate the lives of more than 300,000 babies per year in the U.S. | {
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The Labour party should oppose Brexit and support remain in a people’s vote because of its impact on the communities we represent. But we should also oppose Brexit because, by doing so, we maximise our chances of forming the next government.
Amid the noise of Theresa May’s final attempts to get her Brexit agreement through parliament, we are in danger of losing sight of the damage any Brexit – deal or no deal – would mean for working-class communities and Labour’s heartlands.
When we analyse the real-world impacts, this emerges as simply the most destructive set of policies ever presented to the electorate. In a general election, no party would put forward a platform of inevitable job losses, cuts to the tax take and public services, economic decline and a diminished role on the world stage. No party would present the lost opportunity of living and working in 27 other countries as a net benefit, or the loss of sovereignty and control, given our inevitable status as EU rule-takers, as a win for Britain. No party would present the added restrictions to trade, and the consequent loss of businesses, industries and jobs as a net gain. To do so would be electoral suicide.
Opposing Brexit is increasingly in the electoral interests of the Labour party. Ninety per cent of party members oppose Brexit, as do the vast majority of Labour voters. Labour leave voters are the group most likely to have moved from leave to remain as they have seen that Brexit is not in their interests.
The will of the people is now to keep the deal we have as members of the EU
Labour would gain more than a million voters and dozens of seats if it fully backed a new vote. More important than the numbers is the direction of travel. Polls consistently show a growth in the number of people saying that the Tories are doing a bad job of the negotiations, that Brexit is going to work out badly for them and their communities, and that a second vote should be held. The will of the people is now to keep the deal we have as members of the EU.
Despite May’s overtures, Labour voters are unwilling to abandon the party over concerns about its economic programme. In fact, the exact opposite is true. There is growing support for a radical programme to fix our evident problems in housing, inequality and the economy. A people’s vote campaign would give Labour the opportunity to set out our vision of a fairer Britain, and to contrast this with a Tory party divided over Europe and committed to inevitable continuing austerity as Brexit impacts took hold.
Brexit is the only issue that, if we get it wrong, has the power to cost Labour votes and the chance to gain power. Forty-seven per cent of Labour remain voters, about a third of our total voters, say that they would abandon us to stop Brexit. These voters are the only possible hope for a new centrist party; if the Labour leadership wants to kill off talk of a new party, fully opposing Brexit is essential.
Backing a people’s vote does not mean letting down leave voters. Their concerns are Labour concerns. Cuts to public services, austerity, the strain on the NHS and the rising insecurity of employment and housing are not the fault of the EU, but are choices made by this government for its own agenda. Opposing Brexit is the perfect platform from which to show that the real enemy is a failed Tory programme, and the solution not Brexit but a radical Labour government.
Given the time left, there is no real alternative. There is no time to renegotiate, even if the EU could be persuaded back to the negotiation table. A people’s vote is likely to be the only way out of a bad Brexit deal or an even worse no deal.
As a new vote becomes more likely, Labour can choose to lead the charge and reap the electoral benefit, or it can let May or a new Tory PM steal its thunder. One route leads to power; the other to irrelevance. Britain needs a way out of Brexit, and it needs a Labour government. Leading the charge for a people’s vote is the most viable – and, in all likelihood, the only – route to both. | {
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This article is more than 1 year old
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An out of control bushfire burning in the Tasmanian world heritage area has threatened six towns and sent thick smoke across Hobart and Port Arthur, as Victoria experienced a day of wild temperature changes that brought a dangerous bushfire close to east Gippsland towns.
The sky over Hobart turned a dramatic red on Friday morning as the smoke plume stretched for hundreds of kilometres across the state.
Brent Costelloe (@brentcostelloe) Current mood in Hobart town... pic.twitter.com/upnS4MIXEi
The fire in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers national park, in the state’s south-west, had burned more than 15,000 hectares by Friday evening.
The Tasmania Fire Service issued a watch and act alert on Friday morning for the small towns of Maydena and Tyenna, which are sandwiched between the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers national park and Mount Field national park. Later in the day emergency services also issued warnings for the towns of Bushy Park, Ellendale, Westerway and Fentonbury.
Sharifah Zaliah (@SharifahZaliah) #Hobart, what the heck?¿ pic.twitter.com/1VRhyOEBug
The ABC reported that 600 people had been evacuated from the Mount Field national park and a further 60 from a campsite.
The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service said a number of world heritage values were in the area of the fire, including the alpine plateau above Lake Rhona and areas of mixed forest and temperate rainforest.
Specific World Heritage values at risk from the fire include pencil pines, king billy pines, peat soils and cushion plants.
Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) Satellite pic clearly showing the smoke plume over Hobart and surrounds from the fire in the southwest.
See for yourself at: https://t.co/sE8cPnCNXP pic.twitter.com/rIpts56r29
“PWS is working hard to contain the fire and minimise the damage to these fire-sensitive communities and the potential for damage to critical civil infrastructure,” the service said.
A total fire ban was also in place in the eastern half of Tasmania as temperatures hit the mid-30s early in the day. Hobart had reached 33C by noon and Bushy Park in the upper Derwent Valley reached 35C.
In Victoria, where temperatures soared into the 40s before dropping rapidly in the afternoon, 12 aircraft and 15 trucks worked on an out of control bushfire south of the Gippsland town of Rosedale.
On Friday evening warnings were upgraded for Stradbroke West, Willung and Willung South, where residents were told it was too late too leave their homes.
Warning for extreme heatwave for southern Australia after new year reprieve Read more
Earlier, Emergency Management Victoria also issued a watch and act warning for areas including Fulham, Longford, Kilmany, Kilmany South, Darriman, Giffard West, Gormandale, and Stradbroke.
Victoria’s emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, said the area wasn’t heavily populated, but there were a number of small farms where people were at risk.
Residents of Ancona and Merton, north-east of Melbourne, were also warned to leave their properties because of an out-of-control grassfire at Strathbogie.
Temperatures in the state’s north-west reached the mid 40s, with Walpeup the hottest place in the state at 46C and Mildura at 44.9C. Avalon airport near Geelong recorded 44.3C, Sale in Gippsland had reached 43C and Melbourne 42.6C.
But temperatures plunged as much as 20C within an hour as a very rapid southerly change swept through later in the afternoon.
Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) Updated #VicCoolChange forecast. It arrived in #Melbourne right on cue at 4:02pm & the temp has now dropped to just 21.2°C! Thunderstorms are starting to develop in the spotty convective cloud near and east of the change. https://t.co/R7A74b1hnV #VicWeather #MelbWeather pic.twitter.com/dXXt6sgORV
Earlier the emergency services minister, Lisa Neville, said it was “really, really disappointing” people had broken a statewide fire ban after firefighters responded to three campfires in rural Victoria by 8am on Friday.
“There are two strong messages: one a total fire ban, no campfires at all, but secondly, if you are leaving your camp area, absolutely make sure that campfire has been put out appropriately,” she said. | {
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【9月2日 AFP】ドイツ東部ケムニッツ（Chemnitz）で1日、アンゲラ・メルケル（Angela Merkel）首相の移民政策をめぐり反対派と賛成派が大規模なデモを行った。警察によると、双方のデモには計約8000人が参加。夕方には時折緊迫した状況になったものの平穏に幕を閉じた。
ケムニッツでは先月26日のドイツ人男性（35）の刺殺事件の容疑者としてシリア人とイラク人の計2人が逮捕されたことをきっかけに26、27両日の夜、路上で暴力行為が相次ぎ、暴徒化した集団がアフガニスタン人、シリア人、ブルガリア人を含む外国人と見なした人々に対し無差別に暴力を振るう事態になっていた。
先週はネオナチ活動家、フーリガン、その他の過激派がケムニッツに流入して警官の数を超えたため、国内各地から警官を動員して警備を強化していた。
警察の推定によると、1日のデモには反移民・反イスラムを掲げる極右政党「ドイツのための選択肢（AfD）」や、イスラム嫌悪の反移民団体「西洋のイスラム化に反対する愛国的欧州人（PEGIDA）」などの支持者らおよそ4500人が集結した。一方メルケル首相の移民政策を支持するデモの参加者は約3500人に上った。(c)AFP | {
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(ANSA) - ROMA, 29 DIC - Il tunisino residente a Edolo, nel Bresciano, espulso ieri e partito questa mattina con un volo per Tunisi, "a metà novembre 2016 aveva ricevuto indicazioni, da persona a lui nota, di compiere attentati in Italia simili a quelli compiuti in Francia e in Belgio, per ritorsione contro le operazioni dell'Italia in Libia". Lo precisa il Viminale in una nota citando i risultati di "attività investigative, operate anche con la collaborazione internazionale e dei servizi di intelligence". Indagini di polizia hanno documentato che lo straniero era collegato a un foreign fighter marocchino, già domiciliato nel milanese, con il quale era in contatto tramite social network. Rientrato in Italia il 15 agosto scorso, dopo un prolungato periodo in Tunisia, "aveva manifestato chiari indicatori di radicalizzazione".
Inoltre il giovane, che ha 23 anni, "aveva manifestato l'intenzione di lasciare l'Italia quanto prima per unirsi allo Stato Islamico".
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A Kansas Republican official is under fire for a social media post in which he called a Democratic congressional candidate a "radical socialist kick boxing lesbian Indian" and predicted she would "be sent back packing to the reservation," The Kansas City Star reported.
Michael Kalny, a Republican who holds the elected position of precinct committeeman in Kansas, was referring to Sharice Davids, an openly gay Native American lawyer running to unseat Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder. Davids is an amateur mixed martial arts fighter.
Kalny sent the language in a direct Facebook message to Anne Pritchett, president of the Johnson County Democratic Women’s north chapter.
"Little Ms. Pritchett – you and your comrades stealth attack on Yoder is going to blow up in your leftist face," Kalny wrote in the Facebook message, according to a screenshot shared by Pritchett. "The REAL REPUBLICANS will remember what the scum DEMONRATS tried to do to Kavanaugh in November. Your radical socialist kick boxing lesbian Indian will be sent back packing to the reservation."
Pritchett told the Star she was "stunned" by the message. She said she thought Kalny sent it in response to comments she left on Yoder's Facebook page, which she characterized as "hostile." But the Star was unable to find any comments from Pritchett on Yoder's page from the last two weeks.
"What is this lady trying to accomplish?" Kalny asked when contacted about the message by the Star in a phone call. He then told the paper that he had to speak to an attorney and hung up.
Davids' office confirmed that the candidate had seen Kalny's Facebook message.
"This message doesn’t represent Kansas values, and it doesn’t represent the values of the Republicans we know, many who support this campaign," Davids said in a statement.
Kalny and Pritchett did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
C.J. Grover, a spokesman for Yoder said, "Kevin doesn't believe this type of rhetoric is appropriate at all. It's unacceptable."
"These kind of nasty personal attacks are all too prevalent in politics these days, and it needs to stop," Grover told the Star.
The Cook Political Report currently lists the race between Davids as Yoder as "lean Democrat." A Davids victory would make her the first openly gay representative out of Kansas and the first female Native American member of Congress, the Star reported. | {
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Christopher Sawyers jailed for minimum of 33 years for murder and co-accused Kirsty Edmondson is cleared of same charge
A man has been jailed for life after he was found guilty of murdering a former teacher, but a woman who took selfies next to the corpse has been cleared.
Christopher Sawyers, 36, gave former teacher and soldier Kenneth Chapman, 48, a "very large dose of heroin" so he could steal from him. A jury at Manchester crown court found him guilty of Chapman's murder and cleared 23-year-old Kirsty Edmondson of the same charge.
Sawyers was also found guilty of manslaughter in relation to the death of a former accountant who was killed by a cocktail of drink and drugs last July. He had already admitted theft and fraud offences in relation to Chapman's death.
Christopher Sawyers. Photograph: PA
Sawyers and Edmondson, both drug addicts, blamed each other for the death of Chapman after they spent days "sporadically" living with the corpse while they stole from him.
The pair posed for pictures taken as his body decomposed in the same room and went on to film themselves having sex in his bed at his home in Eccles, Greater Manchester.
Sawyers was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 33 years, while Edmondson was sentenced to three years after admitting theft and fraud charges.
Tony Cross QC, prosecuting, said Chapman's body was found at his rented flat 15 days after he died on 28 December last year.
He said: "In those days between death and discovery these two defendants began to steal what they could from him – his TV, computer, his car – and from his bank account to purchase goods using a variety of different fraudulent methods, even texting his sister pretending to be him to borrow money.
"These were callous and despicable actions and they began within hours of Kenneth Chapman's death and continued for days as the two defendants lived in the flat carrying on their lives whilst Kenneth Chapman lay dead. So twisted were they that they even took selfies of them enjoying themselves in the same room as the cadaver. These photos are trophy photos."
The court heard that Chapman's death was "inextricably linked" to that of former accountant Peter Clark last year. The 50-year-old died at his home in Ancoats, Greater Manchester, from a cocktail of alcohol, diazapam and an overdose of heroin injected by Sawyers.
Sawyers, who was not said to have intended to kill Clark, used his phone and debit card following his death. The crown said Sawyers realised that an opportunity existed to profit from his death, and it was that experience that led him to kill Chapman.
DCI Sarah Jones said Sawyers injected Chapman with heroin while motivated by greed.
"He has never accepted responsibility for what he did, meaning Ken's family have had to undergo the trauma of a trial," she said. "It is our belief that he killed him in order to financially benefit from his death so that together with Kirsty Edmondson they could continue to buy heroin.
"There is little doubt in my mind that the grip heroin had on them caused them to continue to periodically live with the dead body of Kenneth Chapman for in excess of a week in order to steal from him without ever giving a thought to the appalling nature of their crimes. We hope the sentences passed today will give some small comfort to Ken and Peter's family." | {
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Over the last month, Twitter seemed to finally wake up to the need to fight the rampant hate speech and abuse that happens on its platform. That made yesterday's decision to verify Jason Kessler, the leader of the white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, VA this summer, incredibly odd (or incredibly foolish). Regardless, the blue checkmark is firmly in place on Kessler's account, and users pretty quickly told Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey they weren't happy about this move.
This morning, Twitter responded -- not by revoking Kessler's verified status, but by saying it was pausing all general verifications to resolve confusion around what being verified really means. "Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice," reads a tweet on the company's support account, "but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance." | {
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Song played from tape The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone song) Play Video
Song played from tape Hardwired Intro Play Video
Now That We're Dead ( with extended middle drum solo with all members of the band ) Play Video
Halo on Fire ( followed by Kirk and Rob's solos incl. 'I Disappear' and 'Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)' ) Play Video
Fade to Black ( preceded by 'Through the Never movie' clip incl. 'Eye of the Beholder' intro played from a tape ) Play Video
Encore: | {
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Does Oregon have an audible at the line of scrimmage to change the defender being zone read on the play? Sometimes the choice looks predetermined, but we might have some proof from the Civil War game that audibles are taking place as I suspected. If so, this adds an enormous burden to opposing defensive coordinators, and offers us a hint of the savvy play of our young quarterback beyond the physical gifts he brings to football field. This seemed to be a classic “ah-hah!” moment for me, yet I wonder if the “next-level” fan reading this would agree. Let’s take a look at an amazing sequence of plays!
While Oregon lines up on offense, we see the Oregon State defensive end (above) yell and point at Colt Lyerla, who lines up as an H-Back across from him. He yells to the end on the other side of the Beaver defensive line, to let him know that Colt is going to be running across the formation, or doing the “cross-buck” action referred to in our earlier reports. Our strategy here is to blast the OSU DE with a crushing block, and to me this has become a hallmark of our offense.
We see Lyerla apply the big block to the Oregon State defensive end (orange arrow, above), and with the forewarning from his teammate, the DE tries to fight off Colt’s block, but to no avail. Clearly, the plan was to block the DE and have Marcus zone read the outside LB (light blue circle).
This is the NEXT PLAY! Now we see OSU’s defensive end (above) left alone, as our QB zone reads him! Since we are running no-huddle, this MUST be an audible at the LOS to switch from zone reading the Beaver OLB to the DE (light blue arrow). Lyerla draws a bead on the outside LB, and the Beaver recites his final prayers. Mariota notes the Beaver DE has drifted too far down the LOS, so he knows that if he turns on the jets, he can outrun the DE through the gap created. Good gosh…look at the yellow circle, as Jake Fisher is out there earthmoving OSU’s inside LB! It is so perfect that it brings a tear to the eye of an old offensive lineman like me. Do you know how good an athlete you have to be to engage a fast Oregon State linebacker? (Answer: much better than I ever was!) Wow.
The Beavers were caught off-guard (above) by the same play … but with a different defender being zone read. The result was a 30-yard run by our QB. One moment of hesitation, one step too far inside and BOOM, an explosion play against you! All this was from ONE little audible at the LOS. This was a great call and superb, split-second recognition of the DE’s mistake by Mariota.
To adjust to the strength of our formation, the Beavers line up with six defenders to the right of our center (above). Oregon State has “been there, and done that,” and they KNOW the H-Back (Lyerla) is going to cross and block either their DE or OLB. They shift their defenders to the other side to stop Mariota from gashing them down the backside as he did in the last example.
Geez, they shifted so many players over to the their right side that it only leaves three on the left side (orange circle, above), with a fourth being the free safety, who is so far back that he’s not in the picture!
The play begins (above) and the Beavers try to stunt inside with their defensive linemen (orange arrows). The Duck offensive linemen have them easily handled, with #60 (Clanton) going after the OLB and Jake Fisher (#75) letting the DE go outside. This is bad news for OSU, as we have our desired hat-on-hat blocking forming.
The OSU defensive line stunt (above) results in their getting jammed into each other by our offensive line. Note the yellow lines as Dewayne Stanford (#18 at the top) has his man tied up - as does Fisher, and Clanton (#60) is headed for the OLB. Oregon State has three defenders (orange circles) positioned to stop the block by Lyerla coming across, and to prevent Mariota from breaking loose again. Mariota’s speed makes that threat so much more essential for OSU to try to stop it.
It is hard to see DeAnthony Thomas as he explodes through the huge hole (yellow dotted arrow, above) and turns on the jets to break into the clear. An unexpected, but huge block came from redshirt freshman, James Euscher, (green circle) as he came from the backside of the play to tie up the LB, who would usually make the play in the gap that DAT is running through. All of the would-be defenders are blocked, and the free safety is so far out of the picture that when he does show up, he has a bad angle and cannot stop the big play emerging.
Take another look at the Oregon players in that screen shot above and consider the age/class the players are in. Of the nine in view, only Clanton (#60, a senior) is an upperclassman. Euscher and Mariota are redshirt freshmen, while Stanford is a true freshman. Meanwhile, DAT, Hamani Stevens, (#54) Hroniss Grasu, (#55) Jake Fisher, (on ground behind the play) and Colt Lyerla (stepping on the 30 yard line) are all sophomores. EIGHT are underclassmen? This is why we call it a young team!
It is yet another touchdown run by DeAnthony Thomas brought about not only by great blocking, but also by the entire sequence of plays. (As I see it.) First we zone read the OLB, and OSU stopped the play for a short gain. The next play we audibled into zone reading the DE, and Mariota toasted him for a big gain. Later, to stop the audible, MM, and the cross-buck blocking action, we saw OSU overcompensate to one side, and this opened up the blocking on the other side. It also helps to have a QB who can make the correct zone read in milliseconds, and a RB that can take it to the house when the hole opens up!
Remember my friends … FishDuck.com is not a Chip Kelly website; we are an OREGON website, and no matter who the coach is or what the offensive scheme is, we will study and learn from it. The variations and techniques of other coaches can add so much to our football education. On the other hand, if Coach Kelly stays at Oregon, we will relish learning his constantly updating refinements. At FishDuck.com … if he stays, then it is good. If he leaves, then it is good. It is GOOD-OR-GOOD, and those that know me hear that expression all the time. It is a fun way to approach life and the changes that inevitably occur. Next week we cover probably the strangest play I’ve seen in the Chip Kelly era, and I hope you enjoy the nuances of it as much as I do.
“Oh how we love to learn about our beloved Ducks!”
Charles Fischer (FishDuck)
Oregon Football Analyst for FishDuck.com
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo from Video | {
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"What’s funny about it is I actually thought it would flop," Eilish says of her first career Hot 100 chart-topper.
For the first time since early April -- back before the final season of Game of Thrones premiered, and when Woodstock 50 still looked like a possibility -- there's a new No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ending Lil Nas X's record-setting 19-week run atop the chart is Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy," which for a time appeared destined to linger at No. 2 for just as long following its March release. Back in mid-July, even a remix featuring Justin Bieber couldn't pull the song past the mighty "Old Town Road." But "Bad Guy" endured, giving Eilish the first Hot 100 No. 1 of her career.
While chatting yesterday with Eilish and her brother Finneas (her sole co-writer and producer) for a forthcoming interview, Billboard was excited to learn how they reacted to Monday's news, and why they think such a experimental pop song became so commercially successful.
What was your initial reaction when you heard "Bad Guy" finally reached No. 1?
Billie Eilish: My first reaction was I didn’t even care at all because, because -- listen here -- I was told [previously] we were trying hard to make it No. 1, and then I was told that it didn’t get to No. 1. So then I thought that it was done for, over with, [Lil Nas X] won. And then they were like, "It’s No. 1!" And I was like, “You’re lying.” Because I literally thought they were lying. [I figured] let [Lil Nas X] have his moment, but I was really happy to hear it actually was true. It’s been really great.
Finneas: I was deep in the final rounds of production on [a new project] when we found out "Bad Guy" was No. 1. I was super stressed out I was making the right choices on this new project... I think that’s the way to live your life -- to keep going. Keep making stuff. Obviously I'm very grateful "Bad Guy" is doing so well -- it's shocking and surprising and gratifying -- but I do think it’s important to try to make the next song that people are gonna be excited about.
"Bad Guy" was No. 2 for a combined nine weeks behind "Old Town Road." What was it like having such a big personal moment at the same time as something as massive as "Old Town Road"?
Eilish: It’s crazy to think about "Bad Guy" as a well-known song [Laughs].... Nobody doesn’t know ["Old Town Road"], you know? Having my song be above that song right now [on the Hot 100] is shocking to me. I think Lil Nas is so sweet; I met him a couple weeks ago. It’s so not a competition, it’s just funny … I don’t really care [about numbers]. It’s just a fun thing that happens in careers. It doesn’t really matter, but it’s kind of interesting, you know?
Since you never expected this particular song to be a hit, this all must be crazy for you now.
Eilish: What’s funny about it is I actually thought it would flop… because the chorus doesn’t have a hook -- at least what we wrote as the chorus. Because the chorus is [hums synth riff of "Bad Guy"]. My brother and I actually sat in his room trying to write something else over that but we couldn’t do it because nothing else worked. [We didn't] want it to be empty there, but we were just like, "I don’t know if anyone’s going to like this, because there’s no lyrics here." For some reason people do like it and it’s huge now. It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made. It’s my favorite to perform, it’s so fun. I’m so proud of that song.
From your perspective -- being online, interacting with fans, performing it -- why do you think "Bad Guy" has resonated with so many people?
Eilish: I think because it’s fun. It’s a weird thing to hear come out of a girl’s mouth. I think Nicki Minaj said in one of her songs ["Chun-Li"] that she’s the bad guy, and I didn’t realize that until recently. It’s such a cool juxtaposition of that sentence. Why do people resonate with it? I know why I resonate with it, but they’re all my own reasons. I think it’s just fun. It’s catchy. It’s a weird-ass song! But it’s catchy. | {
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A high-ranking official at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the country's nuclear activities have been entirely indigenized and the Islamic Republic has become self-sufficient in designing and manufacturing different types of centrifuge machines.
"One-hundred percent of Iran's nuclear industry activities have been indigenized and today, we are self-sufficient in designing and manufacturing various kinds of centrifuges," Ali Asghar Zare'an, special assistant to the AEOI head, Ali Akbar Salehi, made the remarks in an address to the opening ceremony of an exhibition of Iran’s nuclear industry achievements in the city of Kerman on Sunday.
Saying that the secondary circuit of the Arak heavy water reactor, which is being redesigned, will come on-stream within the next two weeks and its cold tests will be completed by March 2021, the official added that the Arak reactor will become fully operational within the next two years.
"Once other courtiers were not willing to give us a single centrifuge or see a centrifuge spinning, but now, thousands of centrifuges are running at Natanz and Fordow facilities," Zare'an said.
He noted that an issue that is even more important than centrifuges is Iran's ability to produce yellowcake, the strategic raw material, which all countries can buy, but no one would sell it to the Islamic Republic.
"We are now producing the raw material of yellowcake domestically and this move has greatly increased our bargaining power at the international level," the AEOI official said.
During Iran's nuclear talks with the P5+1 group of countries, they sought to change the way that the Arak reactor was used, he said, adding, "Along with the Arak reactor, heavy water production [activities] are also going on and we are producing 20 tonnes of heavy water per annum and exporting it to a number of countries."
"Those who claimed that Iran was bluffing are now purchasing our heavy water and we are able to produce up to 25 tonnes of heavy water based on our needs," Zare'an pointed out.
Earlier this month, the AEOI head said the secondary part of the Arak heavy water reactor will become operational within the next three weeks.
“We will make the secondary part of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility operational as early as the next three weeks; the reactor consists of primary and secondary sections whereby an overwhelming part of [nuclear] processes is done in the latter,” Salehi told reporters.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said in July that the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor — which was agreed to be redesigned under a 2015 nuclear deal — will resume its previous activities after July 7 if the other signatories to the deal fail to uphold their end of the bargain.
“As of July 7, the Arak reactor would be restored to its former condition, which they (other parties) used to claim was ‘dangerous’ and could produce plutonium” if the other deal partners fail to fully act on their commitments under the accord, Rouhani said.
The agreement was initially reached between the P5+1 group of countries -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia, and China plus Germany -- and Iran in Vienna in July 2015. It is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to redesign the 40-megawatt research reactor, which is located in the central Iranian Markazi Province, to cut its potential output of plutonium.
However, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal in May 2018 and unleashed the "toughest ever" sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism in a bid to strangle the Iranian oil trade.
In response to the White House, Tehran has so far rowed back on its nuclear commitments three times in compliance with Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA but stressed that its retaliatory measures will be reversible as soon as Europe finds practical ways to shield the mutual trade from the US sanctions.
Read more: | {
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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Binder? I hardly know her. | {
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CHESTER, Pa. — After scoring his first MLS goal last week and capping it with an epic knee slide celebration, Chris Mueller got a few playful ribs from his Orlando City SC teammates with some calling him “Cash Mueller.”
On Friday night at Talen Energy Stadium, the Lions' red-hot rookie embraced the nickname, scoring his second goal in as many games before first mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration followed by a “Pay me” gesture to the crowd.
“It’s an emotional celebration,” Mueller told MLSsoccer.com after his goal helped lift Orlando to a 2-0 road win over the Philadelphia Union. “Last week, I did the knee slide. It’s kinda what I just feel in the moment. Maybe I’ll find something to do every game. I don’t know, we’ll see.”
Celebrations or not, the Lions will probably just want him to keep finding the back of the net and gaining confidence. The 21-year-old forward certainly showed impressive poise Friday, making a marauding run up the middle of the field and slicing through an equally young Union backline before firing a shot past goalkeeper Andre Blake.
Afterwards, Orlando head coach Jason Kreis called the rookie’s hot streak “fantastic” and a great “reward” for someone who worked very hard after getting picked sixth in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.
“He scored that goal through sheer will and a never-say-die attitude,” Kreis said. “He kept fighting for it and ended up in the right spot.”
Dom Dwyer scored the team’s first goal in the 38th minute by using his back to play down a Sacha Kljestan chip, saying that he “figured if I let it go it was going to run free too much, so I just tried to get a little touch on it.” Seven minutes later, he was equally impressed by his new teammate’s goal.
“You saw it in the preseason — the kid’s a goalscorer,” Dwyer said of Mueller. “He’s hungry, he’s working hard, and he’s getting his rewards. I think he did fantastic tonight and I’m very proud of him and excited for his potential. I’ll be keeping good tabs on him and pushing him in training.”
Some may not have expected Mueller to be a key part of Orlando’s attack this season after the Lions brought in Kljestan, Justin Meram, Josue Colman and others in the offseason.
But instead of worrying about playing time, Mueller made it a point to learn as much as he could from Dwyer and Kljestan, two players he admired growing up. What kind of advice has he gotten from Dwyer, who now has four goals in the last three games since returning from injury to spur a three-game winning streak?
“Just get in the box and shoot the ball,” Mueller said. “You can get caught up in dribbling and maybe passing in the wrong moments. He’s telling me in moments just to be selfish, get in the box, and get the goal yourself.”
And now, with Mueller adding another element to their revamped attack, the Lions are coming home with another three points after what Kreis called the team’s most “complete game of the year.”
“This is a big step for the club,” Mueller said. “Getting three points on the road was huge and getting on a three-game win streak helps a lot going into the next few games. It proves a lot and shows what we’re really capable of.” | {
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Toen Frankels mening gevraagd werd over het feit dat minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Didier Reynders (MR) het disproportionele geweld van de Israëlische troepen veroordeelt, antwoordde ze: "Ik begrijp het woord "disproportioneel" niet. Moeten er eerste doden vallen aan de Israëlische kant om te kunnen spreken over proportioneel geweld ?"
Het volledige interview is te beluisteren op rtbf.be. | {
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Would easily be a 5 star if Amazon.ca hadn't dropped all the pre-orders then made us get them again... ANYWAYS... The only thing missing compared to other versions is the Bienfu keychain, very minor for me since I don't really care for the 8 bit keychains. The novel included is a prequel of sorts and a good read before playing the game. The novel is stories being told by Magilou to some monsters in a prison she's being held in that are essentially backstories/motives for the other party characters. The music cd has a full 18 tracks including game and character themes. The figures are absolutely adorable and in my opinion a bit more detailed than any other CE figures released. The cards are just some nice art cards, but the art box is so detailed it will absolutely be put on display once I find a spot for it! 3 of the 4 sides are covered with the main party cast so you don't have to worry about trying to show all 4 sides. The steelbook case has a slot for the game and the music cd and is quite nice. The fun thing about the PS4 case is that it actually says "Collector's Edition" on the regular case so if you find them at a used game store you know where they came from! I haven't looked too far into the strat guide in case it has spoilers but it's like an extended instruction manual. All in all perfect for any Tales collection and for anyone that loves Berseria! | {
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For whatever reason, I can imagine her in the final battle, sticking her swords in every Grimm in sight and swinging between them a la Spider-Man. | {
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Unai Emery has been reassured by the Arsenal board that he will have money to spend on new players next summer, after enduring a frustrating January transfer window in which the club have so far failed to sign any new players.
As usual, Arsenal have been linked with a number of players this window. The club have been negotiating with Barcelona over Denis Suárez since the beginning of January, while Ivan Perisic has handed in a transfer request at Inter Milan after Arsenal had a loan offer rejected.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Christopher Nkunku — who has previously worked with Emery — is also highly admired at Arsenal and could yet join the club on loan.
However, the club’s attempts to recruit new players this month has been severely hampered by their lack of funds. Arsenal’s finances continue to be squeezed by their huge wage bill, as well as the significant amount of money invested over the past two seasons. That has led to a tightening of the pursestrings this winter — something Emery has insisted is only a temporary measure.
“When we have the possibility to buy different players with big quality to help us with their performance, we can do that. At the moment though the club is telling me this is not a good moment to buy new players,” Emery said ahead of today’s match against Cardiff.
Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings PETR CECH: 6 out of 10 One of his quietest games in an Arsenal shirt, but when called upon he was up to the challenge. Never was this more the case than when he blocked a Martial strike from close range with his feet. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings HECTOR BELLERIN: 7 out of 10 Relished the opportunity to pit himself against an out of position Young, powering forward at every opportunity to add another body to the attacking thrust. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings PER MERTESACKER: 6 out of 10 Bar more than one brain freeze this was a very impressive display from the captain, who calmly moved the ball forward. He dealt well with crosses into the area but at times was guilty of overconfident dawdling in his own half. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings GABRIEL: 7 out of 10 Gabriel provided further evidence that Wenger has three very capable defenders in his squad, and three who compliment each other well. This was a tough-tackling display from the Brazilian, never giving Martial or Rooney a moment to settle. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings NACHO MONREAL: 7 out of 10 As reliable a performance as any on the Arsenal pitch, he won’t get the plaudits but not once did Monreal put a foot wrong. Or indeed a head as he dealt well with United’s aerial barrages. That allowed Alexis to unleash his gung-ho best with utter confidence. Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings SANTI CAZORLA: 7 out of 10 A brilliant opening 45 minutes saw him at the heart of Arsenal’s powerful running, finding his teammates with space ahead of them and tackling excellently. His two-footedness was vital in crafting Arsenal’s opportunities; United’s defenders had no idea where the ball was heading next. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings FRANCIS COQUELIN: 8 out of 10 Blew away any doubts of lingering injuries with an imposing display that saw him grab the midfield warzone and turn it into a rout. He slid in often, but he was always in control and invariably knew what he was doing. After his performances against City and United last season this is further proof he is a big game player. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings AARON RAMSEY: 7 out of 10 That this was his best performance this season says more for his slow start, but as he came further infield in deep positions he seemed far more capable. He still needs to rediscover his composure in front of goal, but he was a valuable component in an excellent performance. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings MESUT OZIL: 8 out of 10 A wonderful evisceration of United’s one-pace defence in the opening 10 minutes left his supporters in dreamland. And he kept it up. His ability to find space left the static United midfield dumbfounded, and he then provided excellent passes to his colleagues. 2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings ALEXIS SANCHEZ: 9 out of 10 A special player indeed who thoroughly deserved each of his goals. The confidence with which he ran at Darmian and Smalling was a sight to behold, and it never seemed to stop. On this sort of form, six goals in eight games, is there a better player in the league? 2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings THEO WALCOTT: 7 out of 10 May not have got the goal his play thoroughly deserved but his pace and direct running caused Blind and Smalling no little headache. Increasingly impressive is his ability with his back to goal, a part of his game that is clearly improving. A well-crafted assist for Ozil’s goal capped a good game indeed. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings DAVID DE GEA: 5 out of 10 Could do little about Arsenal’s first-half treble, having to sit back and watch his defence collapse before his very eyes. However he could have been more convincing on crosses considering the undersized Arsenal attack. 2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings ASHLEY YOUNG: 5 out of 10 Was left looking the naïve one by the direct running of Bellerin, though he would have doubtless appreciated some support from Memphis, and he struggled as much on the ball as off it. Bar one occasion when he shot from 25 yards out he offered nothing going forward. Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings CHRIS SMALLING: 5 out of 10 As his colleagues collapsed around him he gave it his best shot to hold it all together, but it was just too much for a defender who gave the ball away much too often. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings DALEY BLIND: 5 out of 10 Walcott exposed his limitations as a centre-back. Stepping forward to intercept he looks composed but when players try to get behind him he does not know what to do. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings MATTEO DARMIAN: 4 out of 10 Was eviscerated by Sanchez, who took the ball past his opponent at will. When a defender considers his best option to be dragging his opponent to the floor, as Darmian did more than once, it’s clear something has gone badly wrong. It was little surprise that Van Gaal withdrew him at half time. 2015 Manchester United FC Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings MICHAEL CARRICK: 4 out of 10 Whether it was Carrick or Schweinsteiger that shiuld have missed out the decision not to play Schneiderlin was bizarre. He was simply overrun by players much quicker than him, though he was too nervy in possession as well. 2015 Manchester United FC Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER: 4 out of 10 His eagerness to press Coquelin and Cazorla left his defence with no shield, and the midfielder could scarcely lay a glove on either. Offered no protection whatsoever from the fast running Arsenal, too often arriving just in time to watch Arsenal go close or score. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings JUAN MATA: 5 out of 10 An anonymous display from a player capable of far, far better. Monreal could take the ball from the attacker at will, who on no occasion threatened to burst into life. More than once he gave the ball away under no pressure. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings WAYNE ROONEY: 5 out of 10 He usually relishes the opportunity to take on Arsenal, and he rarely shied away from the limelight. But this was one of those Rooney games where he runs around a lot, desperately trying to influence the game and ending up helping no-one. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings MEMPHIS DEPAY: 5 out of 10 Full of willingness in attack, he dropped deep and infield to try something, anything to drag United back into the contest. But then it was little wonder that Young found himself with no protection as Arsenal streamed forward, meaning he was a likely candidate for an early bath. 2015 Getty Images Arsenal vs Manchester United player ratings ANTHONY MARTIAL: 7 out of 10 When something good happened for United you could be certain that the 19-year-old was involved. His raw pace gave Mertesacker in particular problems, and he showed outstanding technical skills to turn and volley and draw a great save out of Cech. 2015 Manchester United FC
“But the club say to me in the summer it is going to be different. And we are going to have chances to take and spend money to buy players.
“I know because I’ve spoken with the club, now the transfer market is difficult but we can take different chances in the summer.”
Arsenal’s squad certainly needs investment. Emery has struggled to find a starting role for the club’s highest earner, Mesut Ozil, while Aaron Ramsey will depart for Juventus on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Their defence is also in need of an overhaul. Club captain Laurent Koscielny is 33 and has endured an injury-plagued campaign, while there are serious question marks over Shkodran Mustafi, who has never looked particularly impressive in the Premier League despite his £35m price tag.
Petr Cech is set to retire at the end of the current campaign which means a new goalkeeper will need to be signed, and there have been no assurances over the future of Danny Welbeck — ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken ankle — who will be allowed to leave for nothing in the summer.
The club is also in the midst of an injury crisis, with six first-team players ruled out of tonight’s match against Cardiff, although Emery is confident his side can achieve their ambition of finishing in the top four given the difficulty of the window for their direct rivals.
Arsenal will need a new goalkeeper when Cech retires in the summer (Getty)
“If we look at the other teams in this transfer market, it is very difficult for them,” he added. “Only Chelsea have signed somebody, with [Gonzalo] Higuaín changing with [Álvaro] Morata. The other teams? Not Liverpool, not Manchester City, not Manchester United. And we are also in the same situation in that it is difficult to find one different and better player in this transfer window.
“I am happy with my players. The easiest thing for me is to ask for more players but I love to work with my players. My challenge is to improve them individually, collectively, offensively, defensively.
“But also we are doing good things, improving. And in the Premier League we are pushing to be in the top four. I know that at the moment Manchester United are improving a lot in the last matches, but we are with them. There are three points between Chelsea and us and my idea is to take opportunities to close the gap with the possibility of being in the top four.” | {
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Intel has recently published the specs for some of their initial 9000-series Coffee Lake SKUs. Like the prior 8000-series models, those parts appear to also be branded as “8th Generation Core”, thereby breaking the long-standing tradition of matching the Generation number with the SKU numbering scheme.
Specifications
Though we have known about Intel’s Coffee Lake Refresh plans for a while now, we finally have some initial specs.
9000-Series Specs Model TDP S-Spec C Base Turbo Graphics Tier Base Turbo i3-9000 65 W SR3XN 4 3.7 GHz 3.7 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.10 GHz i3-9000T 35 W SR3ZC 4 3.2 GHz 3.2 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.10 GHz i3-9100 65 W SR3XQ 4 3.7 GHz 3.7 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.10 GHz i5-9400 65 W SR3X5 6 2.9 GHz 4.1 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.05 GHz i5-9400T 35 W SR3X8 6 1.8 GHz 3.4 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.05 GHz i5-9500 65 W SR3XG 6 3.0 GHz 4.3 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.10 GHz i5-9600 65 W SR3X2 6 3.1 GHz 4.5 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.15 GHz i5-9600K 95 W SR3WZ 6 3.7 GHz 4.5 GHz GT2 350 MHz 1.15 GHz
As with the prior 8000-series, all models are socket LGA-1151. Core i3s support up to dual-channel DDR4 memory with rates up to 2400 MT/s with the Core i5s supporting rates of up to 2666 MT/s. It’s currently not confirmed if any of those parts have hyper-threading enabled. However, since the L3 cache sizes are identical to their 8000-series counterparts, it’s strong evidence that SMT will not be enabled across the lineup.
9000-Series vs 8000-Series 9000-Series 8000-Series Model Cores Base Turbo Model Cores Base Turbo i3-9000 4 3.7 GHz 3.7 GHz i3-8000 4 3.6 GHz 3.6 GHz i3-9000T 4 3.2 GHz 3.2 GHz i3-8000T 4 3.1 GHz 3.1 GHz i3-9100 4 3.7 GHz 3.7 GHz i3-8100 4 3.6 GHz 3.6 GHz i5-9400 6 2.9 GHz 4.1 GHz i5-8400 6 2.8 GHz 4.0 GHz i5-9400T 6 1.8 GHz 3.4 GHz i5-8400T 6 1.7 GHz 3.3 GHz i5-9500 6 3.0 GHz 4.3 GHz i5-8500 6 3.0 GHz 4.1 GHz i5-9600 6 3.1 GHz 4.5 GHz i5-8600 6 3.1 GHz 4.3 GHz i5-9600K 6 3.7 GHz 4.5 GHz i5-8600K 6 3.6 GHz 4.3 GHz
What’s clearly missing from the table are the rumored 8-core coffee lake parts but we do expect them to be announced at Gamescom at the end of August. | {
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Monarch Airlines has clinched its biggest ever investment from owners Greybull Capital in a bid to secure the survival of the no-frills airline.
The £165m lifeline has convinced the regulator to renew its Air Travel Operators’ Licence (Atol) until next September after granting a last-minute extension to Monarch’s existing licence just four hours before it was due to expire at the end of last month.
Central to Monarch’s rescue bid is a restructuring of a $3.2bn (£2.6bn) deal with Boeing for up to 45 aircraft, which is expected to release significant cash back into the business and delay an increase in costs for two years.
Monarch boss Andrew Swaffield confirmed that the rejigged deal would include a “sale-and-leaseback agreement” that could see Boeing buy Monarch's order on the condition that the airline agrees to lease the aircraft from 2018 when the first planes are set to be delivered.
The company said that the Boeing agreement had “facilitated” the £165m cash injection from Greybull, which holds a 90pc stake in the company after agreeing to pump £125m of capital into Monarch in 2014.
Greybull’s latest bailout is the fourth for the airline in the space of five years. | {
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Type: Follower (Commander) Rarity: Legendary Set: Wonderland Dreams (Unlimited) Cost: 3 Base: Stats: 4/4 Effect: When another allied Swordcraft follower comes into play, return this follower to your hand. Evolved: Stats: 6/6 Effect: When another allied Swordcraft follower comes into play, return this follower to your hand.
Base Flair
A lovely dress, beautiful jewels, and clear glass slippers. Yes, I'm a princess—at least until the clock strikes midnight.
Evolved Flair
The spell will fade sooner or later. It’s all right; I understood that. But please just do this one thing for me. When you see this glass slipper, remember me and how I was for that single night. | {
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Študentska organizacija Univerze v Ljubljani (ŠOU v Ljubljani) je včeraj prodala ustanoviteljske pravice za svoj Zavod ŠOUhostel, konkretneje, hostel Celica. Celico je za dobrih 290.000 evrov kupil njen dolgoletni direktor Tomaž Juvan oziroma njegovo podjetje TJs, ki ga zastopa skupaj z direktorjem Mitjo Jusom. Njuna ponudba za nakup naj bi edina (od dveh prispelih) ustrezala razpisnim merilom, pravijo v študentski organizaciji, zaradi »varovanja interesov« pa niso povedali, kdo je neizbrani ponudnik.
Študentska organizacija je za hostel oziroma njegove ustanoviteljske pravice – gre za zavod z zaposlenimi in opremo, ne pa tudi stavbo – zahtevala 288.000 evrov in Juvanu je uspelo, čeprav je ponudil zgolj 2000 evrov več od izhodiščne cene in čeprav so v študentski organizaciji zatrjevali, da je prav cena eno izmed ključnih meril, po katerih bodo izbirali kupca. Koliko je znašala ponujena cena neizbranega ponudnika, v ŠOU niso odgovorili. Druga dva pogoja, na podlagi katerih so izbrali kupca, sta bila ohranitev delovnih mest – trenutno je v hostlu zaposlenih devet oseb, še enkrat toliko jih dela prek študentske napotnice – in vizija razvoja hostla.
»Preugodno« in »zelo nizko« »Preugodno,« je izhodiščno ceno pokomentiral Matej Ambrožič, lastnik hostlov H2O in Most na Petkovškovem nabrežju ter hostla Simbol na Gerbičevi ulici. Kot »zelo nizko« pa je ocenil dva tisočaka višjo ceno, za katero je Juvan Celico kupil. Roman Kvaternik, direktor hostlov Aladin v Ljubljani, se strinja. »Pod milijonom ali dvema cena za tak hostel sploh ne bi smela biti nastavljena. Hostel Celica to ceno že z letnim prometom z lahkoto preseže,« je dejal. »Meni se to sploh ne zdi veliko in za tako ceno – če bi mi seveda uspelo – bi ga z veseljem kupil tudi sam,« je dejal Kvaternik. Tomaž Juvan, novi lastnik Celice, prodajno ceno opisuje kot »pošteno«. »Določil jo je cenilec, na podlagi pregleda poslovanja in stroškov,« je povedal. Direktor ljubljanske študentske organizacije Andrej Klasinc je sicer v preteklosti tako prodajo kot postavljeno ceno opravičil s slabimi poslovnimi rezultati. »Poslovanje zavoda je bilo prva leta zelo dobro. Med letoma 2006 in 2012 je ŠOUhostel ustvaril skoraj 350 tisoč evrov presežka prihodkov nad odhodki. A poslovanje zavoda v zadnjih štirih letih je na meji rentabilnosti,« je rekel Klasinc. To j presenetljivo, kajti po javno dostopnih podatkih Celica ustvari dobrih 850.000 evrov prometa na leto. Ker je hostel registriran kot zavod, dobička oziroma presežka ne sme ustvarjati (oziroma prikazovati). Po neuradnih podatkih pa je imel hostel še pred poldrugim letom več kot 400.000 evrov nerazporejenega dobička iz preteklih let. »Večino tega presežka je zavod pridelal v letih, ko mu ni bilo treba plačevati najemnine, do leta 2011,« pravi Juvan.
Slabe napovedi v hotelirstvu in milijon turistov v Ljubljani Stavba na Metelkovi, kjer domuje Celica, bo kmalu v stoodstotni lasti Mestne občine Ljubljana, saj se je študentska organizacija v zameno za stavbo na Kersnikovi odrekla svojemu deležu v stavbi na Metelkovi. Najemna pogodba za prostore Celice znaša 79.000 evrov na leto. »Od leta 2012, odkar plačujemo najemnino, se je poslovanje zelo poslabšalo in na leto imamo po nekaj tisočakov dobička,« pravi Juvan. Najemna pogodba se je sicer iztekla avgusta, a jo bodo na ljubljanski občini zagotovo podaljšali do konca leta, saj drugih načrtov s stavbo trenutno nimajo. Klasinc je v predlogu za prodajo hostla izpostavil tudi slabe napovedi v hotelirski dejavnosti, kar je glede na konstantno povečevanje števila turistov v Ljubljani presenetljivo. Po Juvanovih besedah je Celica v teh dneh polno zasedena. Tako je pravzaprav ves julij in avgust, skoraj polno zasedenost pa imajo vse od maja do septembra. Nazadnje je Klasinc v razlogih za prodajo izpostavil še potrebo po dodatnih naložbah v objekt, ki jih je ocenil na okvirno 200 tisočakov. V študentski skupini Iskra so prepričani, da je Klasinc poskušal poslovne podatke predstaviti kot slabše, kot dejansko so. Kajti, zakaj bi ob takih obetih in rezultatih Juvan sploh imel interes kupiti Celico? | {
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Pjaca prefers Juve to Milan?
By Football Italia staff
Mediaset Premium claim Marko Pjaca has changed his mind and is now leaning towards Juventus rather than Milan.
Both clubs have made the same basic €25m offer to Dinamo Zagreb, who are prepared to let the player choose for himself.
According to Mediaset Premium this evening, Juve have succeeded in convincing the Croatia international to lean in their direction.
Sky Sport Italia also note that the fact Pjaca hasn't made a decision yet suggests he is moving towards Juventus.
Until now it had been widely reported that Pjaca preferred Milan, as his agent has a strong rapport with Adriano Galliani and the CEO flew out to Zagreb for a personal meeting last week.
Pjaca wants regular first team football, something he’d be guaranteed at San Siro.
However, Juventus seem to have won him over.
Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow | {
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Pulled muscles and painful spasms, a bad run-in with the pavement, or a nasty cough all call for a little extra loving care—a gentle touch. The somewhat lost art of topical herbal applications can offer that loving care in the soothingly useful form of herbal compresses and fomentations.
These applications are simply made by soaking a cloth in a strong herbal solution and laying it over the area needing attention. They are often applied warm. Herbal compresses and fomentations can be used to help soothe injuries and inflammation and allow the body to focus on healing. They work by helping to bring blood to the area or directing it away depending on the temperature used, while the addition of herbs can help to enhance these actions (Tilgner, 1999).
How to Make Herbal Compresses and Fomentations
Herbal compresses and fomentations are simple to make. Both preparations start with a strong herbal infusion or decoction. Herbal infused oils or vinegars can also be used. If you wish, you can even add tinctures to the blend. This can be especially helpful for using what is readily on hand, as many times we are guided by what we have available in the moment.
Basic directions for making herbal compresses and fomentations:
Use 3 to 4 tablespoons of herbs per cup of water.
If you are using roots, barks, or berries, begin by making a decoction of this hard plant material ( find instructions here ). Next, add lighter plant material (such as leaves and flowers) to the finished decoction and cover with a lid to keep any volatile oils from escaping into the air. Let steep for up to 30 minutes.
If you are just using lighter herbs such as leaves or flowers, place the herbs directly in a heat-proof container, cover with boiling hot water, and cover. Let steep for up to 30 minutes.
Strain the herbs out of the liquid. Use cheesecloth to strain out any particles if making a compress for skin issues.
Add up to 30 drops of tincture per cup of infusion.
Dip a piece of clean cloth in the warm infusion and then squeeze out excess liquid.
Apply the compress or fomentation and feel the soothing relief!
When the compress cools, dip it into the warm infusion again, squeeze out excess, and reapply.
Follow the directions above as a guideline, using the herbs that best suit your situation. You can make a large batch if you wish. This is a good idea if you have a larger area to cover or want to do repeated applications. Extra liquid will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. It can be re-warmed as needed, making repeated applications easier.
Applying a Compress
Cold Compresses
Cooling compresses are wonderful when pain presents with inflammation and heat such as headaches, burns, bruises, bites, sore throat, and road rash (Mars, 1999). This type of compress constricts the blood vessels and eases inflammation to soothe the area (Tilgner, 1999).
To apply a cold compress, simply wait for the tea or decoction you have made to cool. Then soak a clean cloth in the solution, wring out the cloth, and apply to the area. As the cloth warms to body temperature, it should be changed out with a new clean, freshly soaked cool cloth.
Hot Compresses
A hot compress helps to bring blood to the area while easing muscle tension (Tilgner, 1999). This makes hot compresses helpful for soothing strained or pulled muscles, muscle spasms, menstrual pain, headaches, breast pain such as mastitis, sore throats, and even congested lungs (Romm, 2003).
To apply a hot compress, let the herbal brew you have made cool to a temperature so that you can safely work with it. Soak a cloth in the liquid until saturated and carefully wring out the cloth. Gently apply to the affected area. Be sure that the compress is not so hot that it will burn the skin or make the person uncomfortable. Leave the compress on until cool and repeat as needed.
Let the situation and person guide you toward the best choice of temperature to use when applying a compress. As herbalist Brigitte Mars explains, “the best indicator [of which temperature to use] is to ask the person needing treatment if they think cold or hot will give best relief” (Mars, 1999, pg. 130).
Leave the compress in place for at least 10 minutes. Longer application can be even more helpful. The cloth can be changed out as it cools (for hot compresses) or warms (for cold compresses). Repeated application 2 to 3 times per day may be especially helpful for bringing soothing relief in persistent situations.
Applying a Fomentation
Fomentations are generally very relaxing for muscle spasms, pain, and can help to ease strained muscles. The definition of a fomentation is varied among herbalists. For example herbalist James Green says that “A fomentation (a.k.a. compress) is a form of poultice that is composed of liquids or lotions, absorbed in woolen or cotton cloths and usually applied hot” (Green, 2000, pg. 471). Rosemary Gladstar explains that a fomentation is made by rotating hot and cold compresses (Gladstar, 2012). I was taught that a fomentation is a compress that is kept hot. This definition of a fomentation will be explored below!
Fomentations are applied in the same way a hot compress is applied, with the herbal infusion-soaked cloth placed first on the affected area and then covered with a towel or even a piece of plastic wrap. Follow with a hot water bottle (not too hot please!), a hot rice pack, or heating pad. Cover this with a towel as well to seal in the heat and keep everything in place. As with the hot compress, be sure that the fomentation is not so hot that it is burning the skin or uncomfortable.
Strive to leave this whole set-up on for 20 to 30 minutes. Longer is fine, especially if it feels good!
Herbs to Choose
Recently a family member took a hard fall during while going over a ski jump. He came home banged up with badly bruised ribs and a pulled muscle in his shoulder. Wanting to help soothe him as soon as possible, I made a quick visit to the herb cabinet to see what herbal allies I had on hand. A quick search yielded powdered ginger (Zingiber officinale), St. john’s wort flowers (Hypericum perforatum), and lavender blossoms (Lavandula spp.) which I made into a strong infusion. A few squirts of both Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) and cramp bark(Viburnum opulus) tinctures also found their way into the brew. We applied this as a hot fomentation to help bring blood to the area and ease the painful muscle spasms he was experiencing.
Herbs with antimicrobial and vulnerary actions can be employed for soothing rashes, abrasions, and other skin afflictions.
To help soothe the skin and encourage healing, you might employ marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), rose (Rosa spp.), Calendula (Calendula officinalis), and lavender (Lavandula spp.) (Rose, 2007). To ease pain and encourage relaxation, consider anti-inflammatories and antispasmodics like meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), mullein (Verbascum thaspus), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and linden (Tilia spp.). Circulatory stimulants such as arnica (Arnica montana) – do not use on broken skin, ginger (Zingiber officinale), and yarrow (Achillea millefolium) are used by herbalists to help bring blood to the area and clear stagnation such as with bruising (mcdonald, n.d.).
Please keep in mind that some herbs can cause contact dermatitis and may also have contraindications for use in certain situations such as with medications or pregnancy. It is important to research the herbs you choose before use!
Herbal compresses and fomentations may be easy to overlook as an herbal preparation in our rushed modern schedules, however they have great potential for helping to ease discomfort. Keep these age-old preparations in mind for the next time you find yourself in need of that little extra touch, as a bit of herbal loving care goes a long way!
Did you know that our courses teach how to make a wide array of herbal preparations? If you want to discover more, check out our online courses and enjoy learning how to get practical hands-on use with herbs!
REFERENCES
Gladstar, R. (2012). Rosemary Gladstar’s medicinal herbs, a beginner’s guide. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing.
Green, J. (2000). The herbal medicine maker’s handbook. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press.
Mars, B. (1999). Natural first aid. Pownal, VT: Storey Books.
mcdonald, j. (n.d.). Herbs for back and joint pain. Retrieved from http://www.herbcraft.org/backpain.html
Romm, A. (2003). Naturally healthy babies and children. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.
Rose, K. (2007). Choice Injury Herbs. Retrieved from http://kivasenchantments.com/choice-injury-herbs.html
Tilgner, S. (1999). Herbal medicine from the heart of the earth. Creswell, OR: Wise Acres Press, Inc. | {
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New England Carnivorous Plant Society "The mission of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society shall be to share, to gain knowledge of, and to achieve expertise in all phases of growing, education, appreciation, and conservation of carnivorous plants in both culture and in native habitats." - The NECPS 17th Annual Fall Carnivorous Plant Show - Announcements What's New There is no meeting this month as it is now time for our Annual Show! - The NECPS 17th Annual Fall Carnivorous Plant Show - Saturday, October 3, 2020, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Sunday, October 4 , 2020 , 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM At the Lake Street Garden Center, 37, Lake Street, Salem, New Hampshire - Directions - Face Masks and Social distancing REQUIRED - Don't forget to preregister your plants! NECPS Plant Preregistration Form If you plan on bringing plants to this year's show you will need to first download and fill out the plant preregistration form and return it to Shaun Montminy no later then October 1st, with a special gift for those first 5 people that pre-register! Without the preregistration forms your plants will not have the custom printed plant tags which we require for voting. NECPS_show_preregistration_form_2020_blank.xlsx New book from Alvin Liu and Daniel DiPietro Alvin Liu and Daniel DiPietro have released a new book on some classic New England Carnivorous Plant species. It's titled: Drosera of the New Jersey Pinelands, U.S.A.. andhave released a new book on some classic New England Carnivorous Plant species. It's titled: Drosera of the New Jersey Pinelands, U.S.A. is a full color natural history monograph that offers an in-depth, consolidated analysis of the carnivorous plant genus Drosera that inhabits nutrient-poor bogs and wetlands of the New Jersey Pinelands. The Pinelands host some of the densest concentrations of carnivorous plants in the United States and, as such, are enormously important to the study of native carnivorous plants. This work is the first to discuss unique morphs and habits of Drosera that are common to, and in some cases only known, from the NJ Pinelands It can be pre-ordered from https://shop.brit.org/Pre-Order-Drosera-of-the-New-Jersey-Pinelands. All Dues Renewals Postponed to January 2021 Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic it has been one crazy year! We have only been able to hold just 2 meetings so far this year! And we may not be able to hold our popular Annual Fall Show this year and may have to come up with some kind of "Virtual Show". It is because of this that NECPS President Dave Sackett has announced that there will be No Membership Dues required for 2020. All currently active NECPS Members will have their memberships extended into 2021. Thanks Dave for making this important decision and for keeping the NECPS strong throughout these difficult times! How Venus flytraps snap Venus flytraps catch spiders and insects by snapping their trap leaves. This mechanism is activated when unsuspecting prey touch highly sensitive trigger hairs twice within 30 seconds. A study led by researchers at the University of Zurich has now shown that a single slow touch also triggers trap closure-probably to catch slow-moving larvae and snails. The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is perhaps the most well-known carnivorous plant. It catches its prey, mostly spiders and insects, using a sophisticated trapping mechanism. Its distinct leaves have three highly sensitive trigger hairs on each lobe. These hairs react to even the slightest touches-e.g. when a fly crawls along the leaf-by sending out an electrical signal, which quickly spreads across the entire leaf. If two signals are triggered in a short time, the trap snaps within milliseconds. The physiological reactions on which this trapping mechanism is based have been studied for over 200 years. The consensus has been that every sufficiently strong touch of a trigger hair causes an electrical signal, and that two signals within 30 seconds result in the closing of the trap. A new study from the University of Zurich (UZH) and ETH Zurich has now found another triggering mechanism. "Contrary to popular belief, slowly touching a trigger hair only once can also cause two signals and thus lead to the snapping of the trap," says co-last author Ueli Grossniklaus, director of the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at UZH. Read the Full Article Here Biomechanical analyses and computer simulations reveal the Venus flytrap snapping mechanisms The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) takes only 100 milliseconds to trap its prey. Once their leaves, which have been transformed into snap traps, have closed, insects can no longer escape. Using biomechanical experiments and virtual Venus flytraps a team from Freiburg Botanical Garden and the University of Stuttgart has analyzed in detail how the lobes of the trap move. Freiburg biologists Dr. Anna Westermeier, Max Mylo, Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck and Dr. Simon Poppinga and Stuttgart structural engineer Renate Sachse and Prof. Dr. Manfred Bischoff show that the trap of the carnivorous plant is under mechanical prestress. In addition, its three tissue layers of each lobe have to deform according to a special pattern. The team has published its results in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The diet of the Venus flytrap consists mainly of crawling insects. When the animals touch the sensory hairs inside the trap twice within about 20 seconds it snaps shut. Aspects such as how the trap perceives its prey and how it differentiates potential prey from a raindrop falling into the trap were already well known to scientists. However the precise morphing process of the halves of the trap remained largely unknown. The diet of the Venus flytrap consists mainly of crawling insects. When the animals touch the sensory hairs inside the trap twice within about 20 seconds it snaps shut. Aspects such as how the trap perceives its prey and how it differentiates potential prey from a raindrop falling into the trap were already well known to scientists. However the precise morphing process of the halves of the trap remained largely unknown. In order to gain a better understanding of these processes, the researchers have analyzed the interior and exterior surfaces of the trap using digital 3-D image correlation methods. Scientists typically use these methods for the examination of technical materials. Using the results the team then constructed several virtual traps in a finite element simulation that differ in their tissue layer setups and in the mechanical behavior of the layers. Read the Full Article Here Got News? Have an idea for a presentation or demonstration? If there is a meeting or other event that the NECPS will be participating in, or some other carnivorous plant related news item that you would like to share? Please forward the information to the Webmaster so that it can be included here. Missing our newsletter? Has your email address changed? You can update your email address or other contact information by visiting the Contact page. Membership Dues are payable at or before the January meeting. > New Species of Pitcher Plant Discovered in Philippines The newly-discovered species belongs to Nepenthes, a genus of tropical pitcher plants in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae. The genus comprises over 170 species, mostly native to Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The greatest diversity occurs on Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines, with many endemic species. Also known as monkey cups (because monkeys have been observed drinking rainwater from these plants), all Nepenthes species are carnivorous plants that capture their prey by means of modified pitcher-shaped leaves that function as passive pitfall traps. Attracted by nectar secreted from the underside of the trap's lid, insects and other prey slip from the mouth of the pitcher into a pool of liquid and are unable to escape, because of the pitcher's downward-pointing hairs and slick sides. The animals drown and are eventually digested by enzymes. Named Nepenthes cabanae, the newfound species occurs only in Mt. Malimumu, Pantaron range, Bukidnon Province of Mindanao Island, Philippines. "This discovery brings the number of Nepenthes species in this mountain range to eight," said Central Mindanao University researchers Noel Lagunday and Victor Amoroso. "Mt. Pantaron is currently not a protected area, but the diversity of Nepenthes suggests concerted efforts should be made to develop a conservation strategy to preserve and protect the area." Read the Full Article Here 13th ICPS Conference Postponed Until 2021 Currently infection to the new coronavirus is spreading on a global scale. WHO assessed this situation as a pandemic. The US declared a state of emergency yesterday. Japan is now ready to declare the same, as the pertinent law was approved by the Diet. We cannot expect change for the better. Therefore, the organizer team would like to postpone 13th ICPS Conference - Japan by 1 year. We will aim at holding the conference in May 2021. However, we may reconsider it depending on the situation. As for refund of the paid registration fees, please refer to the conference home page. -- Koji Kondo for the organizer team. ICPS World Conferences Previous Site ICPS Carnivorous Plant Web Ring Next Site Copyright © 2020 The New England Carnivorous Plant Society All Rights Reserved | {
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Asking for and Giving Help
As you can probably imagine, I'm very used to giving help. Believe it or not, I ask for help quite a bit too. My years of development experience and asking for help have taught me quite a few lessons, lessons I'm dying to share with all of you. Here are my general thoughts on asking, giving help, as ways you can improve both sides of the process.
Asking for Help: Give Details!
There's absolutely nothing more infuriating than someone not providing enough detail about a given issue. Before you approach anyone for help, provide any or all of the following pieces of information:
What are you expecting to happen?
What are you seeing happening?
What are you seeing within the console? Any error messages firing?
What browser, browser version, and OS are you using?
What version of Moo / jQuery / or any external library are you using?
What's different between a working example and your test page?
What have you tried to adjust to fix the issue?
Is there a URL available so others can see the issue and debug it?
Where else have you searched for an answer? Google? IRC? Forms? Documentation? MDN?
These pieces of information are absolutely invaluable to anyone you'd like to help you.
Asking for Help: Research First!
How often have you had someone ask you a question which the first search result of Google could tell you? Consistently asking others a question that Google can answer in the first result will brand you as an annoyance. The urgency with which you ask a question is relative to the urgency of the situation, but if you can take the time to do research yourself, do it and a lot of it.
Echo: Don't Ask The Same Questions Twice
Asking the same questions repeatedly will make you invisible; i.e., no one will pay attention to your questions. One of the reasons I started this blog was to keep it as a reference for running into the same issues in the future. I'm not saying you need to start a blog, but I am saying that you need to find a method for archiving questions you've asked and answers to receive.
Giving Help: Be Patient
If every time you ask a question you act as though it's a "code red" situation, you'll again find yourself to be an annoyance. Also realize that doing so is unfair to your colleagues. If you can ask for help with plenty of time to spare, you're more likely to be greeted with a positive attitude from those you're asking to help you. Also realize that your colleagues have their own problems and they may not get back to you right away.
Give Back: You Get What You Give
Help should be very much like BitTorrent peers: the desired 1:1 ratio. Simply sponging off of others isn't acceptable; in order to receive help, you should also be actively helping others, be it you colleagues, IRC users, forum posters, etc. Building relationships in the community is the best way to build a consistent help pipeline.
THE GOLDEN F'IN RULE OF HELP!
Before you send the message asking for help, re-read your message and ask your self this: can the person I'm asking for help from respond with more questions? If they can, answer them before you send the message. Why? Because of this: the secret to effectively asking for help is giving the other person so much information about the problem and how you've tried to resolve it that they cannot possibly ask a question you could have answered before you sent the help request! Why? Because that's a wasted interaction, and wasted interactions increase the time in problem resolution for both parties.
Those are my rules and advice for asking for help. As you can probably imagine, I'm asked for help on IRC and email almost hourly. I've also led projects where many parties were involved, and knowing the golden f'in rule above has lead to quicker answers and less stress for everyone. If you have rules to add, please share them, as better help requesting and providing will make us all better developers! | {
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In the world where cryptocurrencies have become a global phenomenon, it is important to know the basics of trading. We have decided to take a role of teachers and explain the difference between centralized and decentralized exchange platforms, as well as list their pros and cons. Hopefully, this brief overview will be helpful enough to make a choice for a hesitant customer or to simply broaden one’s horizons.
Centralized exchanges
Centralized crypto exchanges are most similar to traditional stock markets. Imagine a situation — if you want to purchase Bitcoin (at a set price), your order will be automatically connected to the matching sell order by the platform itself. The mechanism of how centralized exchanges work is as simple as that. This convenience, however, comes with a price as the intermediaries (meaning the platform) collect their fees. Centralized crypto exchange platforms are owned and operated by a company that has a total and complete control over all the transactions made through their system. The clients of centralized exchanges also do not have access to their private keys. This means that the user of a taken exchange puts all the trust in the hands of the operators of the platform. It may sound questionable, but centralized exchanges actually have a higher trade volume than their decentralized competitors. CCE (standing for centralized crypto exchanges) can be called convenient for several factors. First pro point is that centralized exchanges usually have more advanced features and tools, but are still easy to use. Second good thing about centralized exchanges is their liquidity, which is rather high. There is always a risk of a hacker attack on big centralized exchange platforms (decentralized platforms are in less of a risk zone at this point), but clients of CCE are provided with account insurances. This means if something goes wrong with the platform, the users will still be able to get their funds back.
However, there are some cons of using CCE as well. The process of trading on centralized exchange platforms is not anonymous and requires documents for some of the features. Beside that, the exchange is controlled by a central authority and not by users themselves.
Examples of centralized exchanges:
Poloniex Bittrex Simplefx CEX BTC-E
Decentralized exchanges
As it might have already been obvious, decentralized crypto exchanges, unlike their centralized counterparts, do not require any third party involved to perform their operations. The system of a decentralized exchange is quite simple, too. Let’s take the same example from the paragraph above. You want to buy one Bitcoin. A decentralized exchange will match you with a person behind a selling order (putting it simply, with a person who wants to sell one Bitcoin). From there, you and another user will negotiate and finalise the trade. There are quite significant advantages of using decentralised exchanges. First of all, DCE are more private. As it was told above, centralized exchanges often require personal information and proof of one’s identity. When using decentralized exchange platforms, the only person you have to disclose your identity to is the person you are making a trade with. Also, customers do not have to worry about their cryptocurrency being secure when using such kind of a platform, as coins are not held by the exchange.
Sure, there are many advantages of using decentralized exchanges, but there is always place for some drawbacks, too. First of all, there is an issue of lower trading volumes. Decentralized platforms have smaller audiences, so finding an acceptable deal can become challenging. The same issue impacts liquidity — if it is harder to sell cryptocurrency, it is harder to liquidate it into cash. Accounts on DCE platforms are uninsured. Most importantly, the usage of decentralized crypto exchange platforms is not for a complete beginner (DCE are not as easy to use as CCE).
Examples of decentralized exchanges:
Bitsquare NVO (Still in development) BlackHalo Coinffeine Blocknet
Decentralized exchanges are still a work in progress. Probably, now they are not as developed and massive as the centralized exchanges, It can be even said that now they are slightly overlooked, but, possible, in the nearest future there will be a tendency to switch to more decentralized models. After all, the whole world of cryptocurrency kind of carries the idea of decentralizing as such.
To conclude this article it is necessary to say that the choice of CCE or DCE almost completely relies on the goals the user wants to achieve. As it was listed in pros and cons section, liquidity can be achieved more successfully when using centralized crypto exchanges. In contrary, if the goal of the taken user is anonymity, putting decentralized exchanges in favour is obvious. The advice is — understand your goals, evaluate your knowledge and choose wisely between the two options!
Meanwhile, if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of trading on exchanges, you can always use the help of instant exchange services. ChangeNOW is one of them and we are glad to be the place where you can swap more than 150 cryptos — easy as cake! | {
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Ted Cruz used news of a request from federal prosecutors that notorious drug lord "El Chapo" be forced to forfeit more than $12 billion to re-up his call for that money to be used to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico.
The reparations to the U.S. taxpayer are justified, prosecutors said, because Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman acquired his billions as part of his drug empire that directly led to the death of thousands of drug-addicted Americans and victims of violent drug-related crime.
Prosecutors stated Guzman can pay the sum because "criminal forfeiture is viewed as part of the sentencing process," according to Newsweek.
Guzman’s attorney’s say the former Mexican cartel leader has money problems and cannot pay that sum because it does not exist.
After a lengthy trial, Guzman was found guilty on multiple drug-related felonies and will likely face life in prison.
Earlier this year, legislation from Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks was introduced and sponsored by nearly a dozen Republicans that would reserve up to $14 billion seized from "El Chapo" for the construction project.
Cruz, who represents the border state Texas, has been one of the loudest proponents of the idea, which he said would help alleviate the growing crisis at the southern border.
“People across the United States are desperate for a sign that Washington is ready and willing to protect them from dangerous criminals and porous borders,” Cruz wrote a month later in an op-ed for the Washington Post. “Congress has two clear mandates from the American people: secure the border and save money. So let’s build a wall, and make El Chapo pay for it.” | {
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Total Web usage of Apple's OS X operating system has exceeded Microsoft's Windows Vista, while for the first time, Windows 7 has topped Windows XP to become the world's largest operating system.
The latest monthly data of desktop operating shares from Net Applications shows that Microsoft's Windows Vista fell in August to 6.15 percent of tracked Web usage. Meanwhile, Apple's latest operating system, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, grew to 1.34 percent of all tracked Web usage.
Apple's most popular Mac operating system remains OS X 10.7 Lion, which represents 2.29 percent of computers tracked on the Web. Combined with Snow Leopard, which accounted for 2.23 percent of usage, Leopard, which took 0.65 percent, the total collective share of OS X was 6.51 percent, besting the 6.15 percent held by Windows Vista.
Also on the list is Apple's OS X 10.4 Tiger, which first launched in April of 2005. It represented 0.15 percent of operating systems seen online.
Apple's share of devices is of course much greater when the iPad and iPhone are included. Net Applications found that the iPad accounted for 3.37 percent of Web traffic, while the iPhone was 2.42 percent.
Among other mobile platforms, Google Android 2.3 took 1.02 percent, Android 4.0 had 0.48 percent, Android 2.2 accounted for 0.21 percent, BlackBerry was 0.18 percent, and Apple's iPod took 0.16 percent. The smallest share listed by Net Applications was Amazon's Kindle Fire, which accounted for 0.04 percent of devices. | {
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Persecution is escalating in this eastern province: local officials were preparing for higher-ups’ visits by cracking down on churches and investigating believers.
Li Mingxuan
In September last year, the United Front Work Department (UFWD) launched its first-ever nationwide program to check on the implementation of religious policies in provinces and municipalities across the country. Central government inspection teams visit localities throughout China to make sure that religious persecution is implemented as ordered.
At the beginning of May, an inspection team from the State Administration of Religious Affairs came to the eastern province of Shandong, where in the past year, believers have been dealt severe blows from the government. Based on the so-called “Henan-style” religion persecution model, crosses have been forcibly dismantled from churches, Buddhist statues “sinicized” or destroyed, and Islamic signs removed .
Local governments prepare for inspections
Prior to the arrival of the central government officials, a province-level team had reportedly carried out an investigation in advance, and many places of worship, including government-approved Three-Self churches, received notices of “rectification.”
On February 15, the Religious Affairs Bureau of Zibo city’s Linzi district convened the persons in charge of various Three-Self Church meeting venues, to inform them that the provincial inspection team had commenced their investigations. Aiming to shut down all house churches, local governments were instructed to mobilize the masses to report any functioning private meeting venues. Officials from the Bureau also stated that even the landlords who provide spaces for religious groups would be punished.
An official from one of the townships shared a message on a WeChat group that the provincial inspection team had discovered problems in the area, and he blamed responsibility on lower-level bureaucrats. The message reads: “During inspections, the provincial Party committee’s inspection team discovered that some villages are providing venues free of charge to religious movements and that some villages lease collective places to them. Those that are discovered now will be characterized as having a problematic political stance. The first step in handling this is to relieve the Party branch secretaries from all their posts within the Party. The next step will be to reprimand those responsible in the Party committee and demand accountability from the most responsible comrades. Today, the Propaganda Office is working overtime to further investigate the ownership status of religious venues. Each secretary of the Party general branch is asked to have a responsible attitude toward the Party committee and notify the Party branch secretary of each village. If there is a situation of common places being used [by religious groups], truthfully report it to your superiors and demand the religious groups to move out as soon as possible within a limited time. Now, the attitude toward religion should be harmonious guidance, categorized governance, and long-term restrictions.”
Officials ordered to dismantle all crosses
On April 3, the government of a town in Linzi district under the jurisdiction of Zibo city forcibly dismantled a Three-Self church’s cross on the grounds that “having a cross hanging in the building area is unsightly.”
The same day, the cross was removed from a Three-Self church in Donggaoyao village under the jurisdiction of Linyi city’s Zhuangwu town. The church had spent 130,000 RMB (about 18,000 USD) to install it.
On March 25, the cross of a Three-Self church in Linyi city’s Lanshan district was dismantled overnight because the church was “too close to the village committee and constituted infiltration into Party and government organs.” Some believers said that they already received a verbal notification to stop holding gatherings there. According to government personnel, they were implementing a “notice from superiors.” If they didn’t obey, the village Party secretary would be dismissed from office.
On March 8, the cross and four Chinese characters for “Guotang Church,” as well other religious symbols were removed from a Three-Self church in Zhongxing town under the jurisdiction of Heze city. The reason for the removal – a new village committee office was going to be built beside the church.
According to a Three-Self preacher, the current comprehensive religious crackdown in Shandong requires the removal of all crosses. He also revealed that it is treated as a political task, meaning that any resistance would not be tolerated, and churches refusing to remove their crosses will be shut down.
Believers’ information registered
In April, the governments of some towns under the jurisdiction of Liaocheng city convened meetings, demanding that information on religious believers be collected and systematized. Christians, Buddhists, and Taoists are all under the scope of the investigation. Meanwhile, Falun Gong practitioners and believers from The Church of Almighty God (CAG) are the main targets of investigation and crackdowns, the authorities demanding that not “a single one of them be omitted.”
On April 16-18, the police in Shandong launched an organized operation and arrested over 50 members from The Church of Almighty God in the cities of Dezhou, Tai’an, and Liaocheng, according to the data provided by the CAG.
Buddhist and Taoist venues have also been vigorously suppressed. According to a government official from Guanyi town under the jurisdiction of Jining city, on April 12 alone, 18 small temples in the town were demolished.
From the end of March to mid-April, in areas under the jurisdiction of Heze city, at least 17 temples were forcibly demolished, with most of the demolitions occurring in the middle of the night. | {
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Tart cherry reduces the musculoskeletal effects of aromatase inhibitors in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer, according to new findings from a clinical trial by researchers at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are a standard treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. These agents can help prevent recurrence of the disease by inhibiting the action of aromatase, an enzyme responsible for conversion of androgens to estrogens. About half of patients who take AIs also suffer from joint and muscle pain known as aromatase inhibitor induced arthralgia, which, at times, can be debilitating and cause patients to not complete their treatments.
This randomized, double-blind trial compared the consumption of 1 ounce of tart cherry concentrate in 8 ounces of water daily for six weeks with a placebo group in women with stage 1, 2 or 3 non-metastatic breast cancer. A total of 60 patients were enrolled throughout the course of the clinical trial, conducted May 2016 to August 2018.
Patients documented their pain intensity at the start of the trial, weekly and at study completion. Patients who completed the trial recorded a 34.7% mean decrease in pain compared to 1.4% in the placebo group.
"The flavonoids and anthocyanins in tart cherry have anti-inflammatory properties and may be playing a role in reducing the side effects of joint pain and muscles aches, although etiology of aromatase-induced arthralgias remain unclear at this time," said principal investigator Maria Tria Tirona, M.D., professor of hematology-oncology at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and director of medical oncology at Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center. "There was a statistically significant difference in the pain levels experienced by patients in the group that received the tart cherry concentrate compared to the placebo group." | {
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Hello and welcome to the sticky. Aubrey here to share the ditty on the dirty. Today I am introducing myself, sharing a fun story, giving advice on cunnilingus, and reviewing a new toy. You can find me at: reddit.com/user/aubreyyourboobisout twitter.com/aubreyofoz twitter.com/thesticky_pod snapchat: aubreyofoz onlyfans.com/aubreyyourboobisout | {
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Sarah Tew/CNET
Corning has developed a new form of its Gorilla Glass that's both super tough and super scratch resistant.
But this new display glass, called Gorilla Glass SR+, won't be coming to Gorilla's stronghold in phones: It's coming to smartwatches.
The first product announced that uses Gorilla Glass SR+ is the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, which was unveiled Wednesday, just after the new glass was revealed.
Corning is also in discussions with traditional watchmakers about the material, Scott Forester, director of innovation products for Gorilla Glass, said Tuesday.
Corning has been working to bring Gorilla Glass, which is used for just about every major smartphone, into new markets, such as automotive and homes. Gorilla Glass SR+, short for "scratch resistant," represents an opportunity by trying to capture a bigger slice of the smartwatch, wearable and classic wristwatch markets.
Corning already has its Gorilla Glass in Samsung Gear smartwatches and a cheaper version of the Apple Watch. But, its interest in expanding into luxury watches may be limited, since those products typically use displays made of sapphire, known for its legendary durability. Corning hopes the new material's potentially lower price, toughness and scratch resistance -- which the company said approaches that of sapphire -- could entice watchmakers.
The new form of Gorilla Glass is the first commercial product that's come out of Corning's years-long development project, dubbed Project Phire. The project endeavors to combine Gorilla Glass' ability to survive repeated drops with the scratch resistance of rival display materials, most notably sapphire. Apple drew significant attention to sapphire as a display product when it teamed up with a sapphire maker in 2013 to grow the material at a massive scale, supposedly to create iPhone display covers.
That effort failed, but pushed Corning, which has made the iPhone display cover since the phone was introduced in 2007, to add more scratch resistance into Gorilla.
Now playing: Watch this: Gorilla Glass 6 will protect the next batch of phones
As far as the future of Project Phire, Forester said, "We're going to continue to evolve this technology over time." He added that Corning is talking to smartphone makers on their needs for such a material. For smartphones, the ability to sustain drops is the most important, he said, while smartwatches need superior scratch resistance. That's a big reason why Corning started offering SR+ as a glass for watches.
The unveiling of Gorilla Glass SR+ comes just over a month after Corning revealed Gorilla Glass 5, its latest glass for smartphone and laptop displays. The updated glass can survive drops from even higher, up to 1.6 meters (5 feet, 2 inches), than its predecessor.
First published August 30, 2:30 p.m. PT.
Update, August 31 at 11:43 a.m. PT: Adds information on the Samsung Gear S3, the first device to use the new glass. | {
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Our preliminary results (2019) are in! You can check them out here:
MDI preliminary results
The Magnum Development Index (MDI) is intended to be an informal way of measuring a country’s economic development and provides an indication of the scale and level of development between different countries.
The index takes its name from Magnum® ice cream, a frozen ice cream desert from Unilever which is sold in various flavors throughout multiple countries.
What sounds more interesting? An economic development index based on abstract industrial output *yawn* or tasty Magnum ice cream! MDI Chief Economist
What does the MDI depict?
The MDI takes cues from the Economist’s Big Mac Index (BMI) in that it indicates a relative economic value of a country and allows comparison of each country on the index. But that is pretty much where the similarities end.
Unlike the BMI, the MDI does not have a quantitative fixing point (the BMI calculates a price in the respective country’s currency), but rather takes a number of criterion into account to give a final estimation. In addition, the MDI does not show the under/overvaluation of a currency, but gives an indication of a country’s economic development on a scale.
And now a few nerdy explanations:
To measure economic development, analysts have typically used the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (including its growth and per capita counterparts), Consumer Price Index (CPI), poverty ratios and combined statistics such as the Human Development Index (HDI) (combination of life expectancy, education and income).
These indicators have been very successful at gauging the development of a country, but there are so many that it may not always be easy to make conclusions. In addition, some very detailed indicators show development on the social side while economic indices tend to be a simple number. Thus there are not many ways of measuring the development based off of a country number like GDP since not every person produces goods (but almost every person has eaten ice cream). The Magnum index makes accurate conclusions on a country’s economic development.
How is the MDI calculated?
There are a number of factors that are taken into account when calculating the development of a country. This allows for the broadest range and the best placement of a country on the developing-developed scale.
The main indicators are:
Learn more about the MDI: | {
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The road to Newark for Kenneth Gibson and Sharpe James was as interesting and similar as the men who became the city's first and second African-American mayors.
They were young boys, four years apart in age, when their families left the south, like many blacks migrating north, looking for an opportunity.
Gibson grew up in Enterprise, Ala, but the family house had an amenity that upset his father's white employer in the 1930s.
"The people that he worked for got jealous because we had an indoor bathroom and they didn't,'' Gibson said.
MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns
Because of that, his father's pay was cut, forcing him to leave and find work elsewhere. When he settled in Newark, Gibson said, the family joined him in 1940.
Four years later, James' mother, Beulah James, fled segregation and an abusive boyfriend in Jacksonville, Fla. She packed up James and his brother, Joe, in the middle of the night with a plan to board a freight train headed this way.
"Mother built a fire on the track and the train stopped,'' James said.
It was an evening of intimate story-telling and conversation one night last week when two of Newark's most engaging political figures traded tales at the Newark Public Library.
The event was one in a series of notable Newarkers reflecting on the city as it celebrates its 350th anniversary. The discussions, organized by former Star-Ledger reporter Guy Sterling, will continue through the end of the year as the schedule is finalized.
On this evening James and Gibson were entertaining and inspiring. They opened windows into their lives, shared the highs and lows of their mayoral tenure, and praised Newark's school system for providing them with a top-notch education.
"Teachers cared,'' James said. "They'd yell at you, they'd scream at you, they kept you after school. You had homework and they would hit you and throw things at you.''
The audience cracked up, but understood where he was going.
"They treated you like you were their own family,'' James said.
The Centennial Room in library was filled with men and women of the former mayors' era, so they could relate to Gibson when he talked about how he was determined to pursue college instead of learning a trade, something many blacks were encouraged to do.
"I decided that anybody who told me that I couldn't do something, that was the reason I was going to do it,'' he said.
James graduated from South Side High School, Montclair State University and earned his master's degree in physical education from Springfield College. He initially became a teacher once he realized a career in professional sports was not in the cards.
Gibson, analytical and scientific, started out as an engineer after graduating from Central High School and the Newark College of Engineering.
Both men, however, said they felt compelled to seek office following a governor's commission investigating the 1967 civil disturbances. This was a time when the city was in bad financial shape and its government was perceived as corrupt. Gibson, who was elected in 1970, said there were deep racial and economic divisions.
"What people don't understand is that segregation didn't just exist in the south,'' Gibson said.
He said blacks couldn't sit downstairs in Newark movie theaters and they were not allowed into the private "Downtowner Club'' restaurant at Bamberger's department store.
James said black political leadership was necessary, because it was practically nonexistent in Newark. But one way blacks could change their plight was to get involved with United Community Corporation(UCC), a Newark organization in charge of federal antipoverty funds. With the money, James said UCC was required by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to fund neighborhood programs and elect local community boards with officers to address local concerns.
Years later, at the Black and Puerto Rican Convention, more progress was made when local leaders put together a candidate slate with James running for the South Ward council seat and Gibson vying for mayor.
In four mayoral terms, Gibson said, he was most proud of creating health centers to lower Newark's high rates of tuberculosis and venereal disease, but disappointed that the quality of education in the school system began to decline.
MORE: 3-day festival celebrates Newark's 350 years of history
After 16 years as a councilman, James defeated Gibson in 1986 and took over a city beset with crime and poor public housing. But he reduced crime, ushered in the Prudential Arena, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and built 30,000 new units of housing.
Gibson and James' had contrasting styles but both were effective in office. Now that they are not, the two still have much to offer. The audience remained riveted for two hours listening to Gibson, his cadence measured, his thoughts methodical and humorous at times.
James' delivery gained speed with each idea, his voice growing loud to make a point. Fiercely defensive of Newark, James often wrote letters to The Star-Ledger objecting to stories he thought were negative. As a councilman, James demanded and received an apology from Talk Show Host Phil Donahue for criticizing Newark.
Both men talked about their difficulties as mayor trying to meet the public's expectations , how they struggled with their vision to move Newark forward. Gibson didn't have a supportive council. James was more fortunate, but, he said, the council he worked with was politically astute and it challenged him often.
After their time leading the city, each man had their troubles with the law. Gibson pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 2002 after bribery and fraud charges were dismissed. James, who was Newark's mayor for 20 years, served an 18 month jail sentence after a federal jury convicted him on fraud charges.
In 50 years, Gibson hopes Newark's educational future has improved. James is worried about the city, given the state of today's national politics and divisive rhetoric.
They had much insight to offer. Gibson said his path almost ended before it began. He accidentally swallowed a whistle at 5-years-old that lodged in his chest. Doctors told his father he was going to die. But a Philadelphia physician managed to remove it.
Gibson turned 84 on Sunday.
James, 80, credits the perseverance of his 101-year-old mother for how he turned out. And he honors, Gibson, his "hero,'' for leading the way and showing him the ropes.
''How many years are left for Ken Gibson and Sharpe James to sit on a stage together?'' James asked.
Who knows, but their historical treat last week was recorded for others to enjoy in years to come.
Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or [email protected] or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL | {
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She urged Modi to serve only vegan food at all government meetings and functions
Pamela Anderson Image Credit: AP
New Delhi: Baywatch icon and former Bigg Boss guest star Pamela Anderson on Friday wrote a letter on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to serve only vegan food at all government meetings and functions.
In this letter, she urges Modi to lead India's fight against climate change by serving only delicious vegan (wholly plant-derived) food at all government meetings and functions. The animal rights group and the actor explained that raising animals for meat, eggs, and dairy causes nearly one-fifth of all human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions.
"With your country's innovation and agricultural history, I'm sure that India-produced soy and other versatile foods can easily replace these damaging foods," she writes. PETA Director urged Modi to adopt pro-vegan steps taken by other countries such as New Zealand, China and Germany.
"I appeal to you to show that India can equal or best them," the 52-year-old actor added.
Expressing concern over climate change she wrote, "My heart goes out to everyone affected by the severe air pollution plaguing Delhi. I worry about the residents as well as the animals who can't wear face masks or stay indoors."
She said that according to latest reports, 36 million Indians could face the threat of annual coastal flooding by 2050. The World Bank has predicted that at least 21 cities in India are approaching zero groundwater levels for next year and that 40 per cent of Indians may not have water to drink by 2030.
Anderson in her letter praised India's cuisine that made it the 'easiest place on earth' to be vegan. "India is the easiest place to be vegan... I still remember the beautiful colour of saffron rice and the alluring aroma of veggie biryani. India's foods are so fantastic and varied that it's the easiest place on earth to be vegan", she added. | {
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Adil Rashid was the ninth England wicket to fall, run out at the beginning of the 49th over
One-day international, Edinburgh: Scotland 371-5 (50 overs): MacLeod 140* (94), Coetzer 58 (49) England 365 (48.5 overs): Bairstow 105 (59), Watt 3-55 Scotland won by six runs Scorecard
Scotland secured the biggest win in their cricketing history with a thrilling six-run defeat of England.
Callum MacLeod's brilliant 140 not out took the home side to 371-5 in glorious batting conditions in Edinburgh.
Jonny Bairstow's 54-ball century looked to have England on course until they slipped from 220-2 to 276-7.
Liam Plunkett (47 not out) and Moeen Ali (46) kept them in it, but last man Mark Wood was lbw to Safyaan Sharif from the fifth ball of the 49th over.
It is a wonderful result for Scotland, who have been improving steadily since the 2015 World Cup and were only denied a place in the 2019 tournament when rain stopped their match against West Indies in the qualifying tournament in March.
Here, against the number one ranked side in the world, the Scots gave the sort of performance that further questions the International Cricket Council's decision to cut the World Cup to only 10 teams.
For England, so impressive in limited-overs cricket in recent years, this first defeat by Scotland can be mentioned in the same breath as the Twenty20 humblings by the Netherlands, and World Cup losses to Ireland and Bangladesh.
They must regroup for the five-match series against Australia, which begins at The Oval on Wednesday, while Scotland move on to T20s against Pakistan on Tuesday and Wednesday.
England humbled by superb Scotland
This was a magnificent occasion at the picturesque Grange ground, with a flat pitch surrounded by small boundaries and a lightning outfield.
England's attack, without the injured Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, looked toothless, but that is to take nothing from the impressive batting of the Scots.
Any suggestion England were incapable of pulling off their highest ODI chase was dispelled by a Bairstow innings that silenced the partisan crowd.
But England engineered their own downfall, first after Bairstow skewed to long-off, then by gifting wickets away in a middle-order collapse of five for 56.
Still, Moeen and Plunkett remained calm in a tense atmosphere in which every dot ball was cheered.
Then came the final twist. Moeen holed out to long-on, Adil Rashid was run out coming back for a second and Wood pinned by a Sharif yorker to spark joyous scenes and a celebratory pitch invasion.
MacLeod magic propels Scotland
Calum MacLeod hit the fastest century by a Scotland batsman in ODIs
Right-hander MacLeod was released by Durham at end of the 2016 season and now plays for Bexley; last Saturday he made 78 against Lordswood in the Kent Premier League.
He arrived at number three after openers Kyle Coetzer and Matthew Cross shared 103 in 13 overs, taking advantage of some indifferent new-ball bowling.
MacLeod had only 11 from the first 14 balls he faced, but built by sweeping the spin of Moeen and Rashid - he went to 50 from 36 balls with a swept six off Moeen.
The 29-year-old added 93 for the third wicket with Richie Berrington and 107 for the fourth with George Munsey. When he nudged Rashid into the leg side, he become the first Scotland batsman to make a century against England, his 70-ball ton the fastest by a Scot in ODIs.
He helped the home side take 105 from the final 10 overs, sharing 53 for the fifth wicket with debutant Dylan Budge, who contributed only 11.
By the time MacLeod was done, his 94-ball stay had yielded 16 fours and three sixes but, more importantly, had set Scotland on their way to a historic victory.
Bairstow brilliance not enough for England
Bairstow's 54-ball century is the third-fastest by an England player in ODIs
For as long as the powerful Bairstow was the crease, it seemed England would overhaul their huge target with plenty of time to spare.
Crashing the ball through the covers or heaving over the leg side, he became the first England batsman to hit three successive one-day centuries.
After he departed to the medium-pace of Berrington, the chase was being marshalled by Alex Hales and Joe Root.
But, Hales' call left Root unable to make his ground at the non-striker's end and, after that, Hales, Eoin Morgan, Sam Billings and David Willey fell to loose strokes.
England needed 96 from 81 deliveries with only three wickets in hand when Plunkett arrived to support Moeen, an equation that came down to 26 from 30 when Berrington was taken for 18 in the 45th over.
Scotland, though, held their nerve. Moeen needlessly found long-on, Michael Leask's deadly throw from the deep beat Rashid's dive and Sharif's inswinging yorker was too much for number 11 Wood.
'We've created an electric atmosphere' - what they said
Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer told BBC Sport: "It means a lot to the guys. We've created an electric atmosphere and it's something we need to do more. It was an outstanding game and the guys did unbelievably well to knock over the number one side in the world.
"It was nice to see what this Scottish team can really provide. It would be nice to play a few more games like this. It's nice for us to take this opportunity."
England captain Eoin Morgan told BBC Sport: "It was a fantastic game of cricket. Scotland played extremely well. They brought their best game and we didn't, we were far from it. Full credit to Scotland. Today was a really good run out. Usually, leading into a series we have a few days of training, then straight into it. Today was outstanding, to make mistakes, hopefully we can learn from them going into Wednesday."
Former England batsman James Taylor on TMS: "A lot of credit has to go to how Scotland performed. They were dominant, they made partnerships, ran well and scoring 371 was a brilliant effort. Every time England got on top they let Scotland back into the game, whether it was poor run outs, poor choices."
Former Scotland pace bowler Dougie Brown on TMS: "That was a magnificent game of cricket - 6,000 very happy people probably didn't expect to go home having seen something like this. If you're England, you might rather lose this game than the first game of a series against Australia." | {
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Manufacturer: Tasty Minstrel Games
Top 5 Eurogames
During the medieval goings-on around Orleans, you must assemble a following of farmers, merchants, knights, monks, etc.
You need followers and their abilities to expand your dominance putting them to work as traders, builders, and scientists. Knights expand your scope of action and secure your mercantile expeditions. Craftsmen build trading stations and tools to facilitate work. Scholars make progress in science, and last but not least it cannot hurt to get active in monasteries, since with monks on your side you are much less likely to fall prey to fate.
You will always want to take more actions than possible, and there are many paths to victory. The challenge is to combine all elements as best as possible with regard to your strategy.
Contents:
1 Large Game Board
1 Small Game Board
4 Player Boards
4 Cloth Bags
4 Merchant Tokens
40 Trading Stations
104 Character Tiles
90 Goods
16 Technology Tiles
14 Citizen Tiles
55 Coins
20 Building Cards
18 Event Cards
28 Wooden Cubes
2 Overview Cards
1 Start Player Tile
1 Rulebook
Ages: 13+
Players: 2-4
Game Length: 90-120 minutes
STAY ORGANIZED! | {
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For three generations, the American Dream was largely defined by continual suburban expansion. The dream was based on exclusivity, “keeping up with the Joneses,” and driving everywhere.
A older American Dream, that of town, neighborhood, and city living, was submerged by the suburban American Dream—which controlled the regulations, finance, and investment after World War II. Zoning codes were enacted that made mixed-use neighborhoods illegal. Finance rules favored single-use buildings and bypassed older neighborhoods. Most transportation dollars went into drive-only thoroughfares.
Yet the older cities and towns remained, battered but not obliterated, and they are the foundation for a new American Dream of the 21st Century based on based on social and cultural diversity and the idea of community. This dream, adopted by growing numbers of Americans, is more about great streets than highways. It's about freedom of choice in getting around. In this dream, what you are connected to is more important than who you are separated from.
Here are 10 reasons why the new dream is here to stay:
10) Driving per capita has declined substantially in the last decade. “Our national flower is the concrete cloverleaf,” wrote Lewis Mumford in 1961. Driving per person rose steadily throughout the 20th Century, and then it didn't. Despite a recent uptick, probably due to very low gas prices, Americans of driving age are traveling the same miles as we were in the Clinton presidency. Many young adults are opting not to drive at all. Also, those concrete cloverleafs have become expensive maintenance problems.
9) Millennials tend to prefer cities and walkable places. Today’s young adults – the Millennials — were the first generation to be born and raised mostly in communities where the indoor mall was the main street and the parking lot was the town square. As adults, this generation has mostly rejected the isolation and generic character of drive-only suburbs. Many Millennials are likely to move to the suburbs when they have children—but those suburbs may be walkable suburbs. A dramatic shift in youth preference points to a long-term trend toward urbanism.
8) Walkable places help you climb the ladder of success. The story of ambitious young people going to the city to make something of their lives appears again and again in our literature, movies, and theater. This story is not just a literary device, according to a 2013 study. Social mobility is higher in compact urban places, Arizona State University researchers found. The more walkable the census block — as measured by Walk Score — the more likely someone from the bottom fifth of income will reach the top fifth in their lives. It is no wonder then that New York City — America’s most walkable city — is a magnet for immigrants and other folks pursuing the American Dream.
7) Productivity and innovation thrive as density rises. Studies in recent years have shown that in compact places with good transit, economic activity rises due to more face-to-face contact with knowledgeable people (link, link).
6) You are more likely to be famous if you are born in an urban place. Tiger moms take note! If you want your children to be successful enough to be profiled in Wikipedia, the odds rise substantially if you raise them in a big city — or small city anchored by a university. The New York Times came to that conclusion in a geographical analysis of Wikipedia biographies. Ironically, for several generations, parents have moved to distant suburbs to give children a better chance of success. Notes the Times, “growing up near ideas is better than growing up near backyards.”
5) You are less likely to die violently if you are raised in an urban place. Parents have long moved to quiet suburbs for safety. Yet a University of Pennsylvania/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) study challenges the entire notion that suburbs are safer. The study examines all kinds of accidental and violent deaths in America. Contrary to conventional wisdom, urban streets are significantly safer than leafy suburbs and rural areas. While counterintuitive at first glance, the number one US cause of death from ages 5 to 34 is automobile crashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Deadly automobile crashes are far less likely on lower-speed urban streets.
4) Bicycles: The new status symbol. A generation ago, bicycles were considered to be a child’s toy. Now they are a status symbol for communities. As Jeff Speck writes in Walkable City, “A bold green stripe down the side of a street — or many streets — tells residents and potential residents that a city supports alternative transportation, healthy lifestyles and cycling culture, and that it welcomes the sort of people who get around on bikes. For the most part, those people are the millennials and creatives who will help a city thrive.”
3) McMansions have lost their luster. In the 1990s, a McMansion was the ultimate symbol that the homeowner had “made it.” Inside, the house was luxurious. But the chief selling point was the message it sent from the curb: The owners, and all of their neighbors, have enough money that they can afford to be wasteful on lawn and landscaping, excessive architectural details, pointless variety in rooflines and materials, and general bloat. Today, we have endured a Great Recession and climate change is an ongoing concern. The McMansion's underlying message of wasteful spending, poor taste, and big carbon footprint projects a less flattering image on homeowners. As Billy Joel once said, "Is that all you get for your money?"
Photo by Lee Sobel
2) Downtown and in-town neighborhoods are home to the “creative class.” Coming up with this term has made the career of author, academic, and researcher Richard Florida. Whether urban or suburban, big city or small, communities want the educated people that provide the economic spark — known as the “creative class.” Seeking the creative class, businesses have begun moving back into town from suburban campuses.
And the number one reason why we have a new American Dream:
Would you rather have this?
Van Buren Street, Phoenix, today. Image courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk.
Or this?
Van Buren transformed, by Steve Price of Urban Advantage, for Reinvent Phoenix. Concepts for the street retrofit were via Duany Plater-Zyberk and Crabtree Group.
The first image, a commercial strip arterial, has one big advantage: It is legal in most suburbs. The second image has science, safety, and the market on its side. Laws are changing as more municipalities adopt form-based codes and DOTs embrace complete streets. The new American Dream will prevail, but that will require ongoing reform of investment and regulations, backed by political will at the local, state, and federal level. | {
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Sep 19, 2017 at 10:52 // News
Guest Author Author
Israeli blockchain startup Spheris is starting its anticipated crowdsale today, a few days after releasing their first pre-alpha public software version of Catalog & Browser. The company is offering attractive bonuses throughout the crowdsale, with first two days having a 20% bonus for early bird investors.
Spheris is an open source decentralized application marketplace, aimed at replacing centralized leadership by large corporations. When compared with traditional app stores, Spheris seems to have an edge over the competition; they are giving developers a secure platform with no registration or transaction fees, instant payments, no restrictions or unfair censorship and customizable subscription system which will allow for many app leasing use cases. Spheris app store users will be able to have a complete decentralized experience, without the need for banks or credit card companies in order to buy and sell apps.
Pre-Alpha Public Software – A Milestone for Spheris
Spheris team has just released a pre-alpha build of two of their platform components, the Spheris Browser and Catalog. The release is good news to both for the company and contributors, a reassuring sign for the future success of the project. Those who are interested can download the software from Spheris website . It’s already available on Windows and Linux.
Spheris Crowdsale
The Spheris Token will be open for sale for a limited period of 30 days, starting on September 19th, 2017. Spheris Tokens (SPRS) are utility tokens created to be used as the platform’s official currency to buy and sell apps.
In total, 2 trillion SPRS will be created once the project deploys the smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain. 62% (1.24 trillion) of those will be available as part of the upcoming crowdsale. In order to support the project, backers pledge either Bitcoin or Ether in exchange for SPRS. The base exchange rate is 1 ETH = 300,000 SPRS, but there are bonuses for being an early backer. Those who support the project during the first two days of the crowdsale will receive 360,000 SPRS for 1 ETH.
It’s interesting to note that they do not intend to burn any unsold SPRS tokens. Instead, unsold SPRS will be proportionally distributed among those who contributed, which in practice provide an additional amount of SPRS to contributor on top of his initial contribution.
Here’s a rundown of the bonuses offered:
● 1st-2nd Days: 1 ETH = 360,000 SPRS
● 3rd-7th Days: 1 ETH = 345,000 SPRS
● 2nd Week: 1 ETH = 330,000 SPRS
● 3rd-4th Weeks: 315,000 SPRS
Advantages of Supply
“After understanding what the problems were and what is important for our platform, we have decided to make a large supply of SPRS tokens to favor convenience and scalability” says David Shabun, one of the Co-Founders of Spheris. He continued:
“2 trillion token supply can assure comfortable app prices for Western and Asian markets. Scalability is ready for up to a market cap of $2T”.
Support Developers By Supporting Spheris
A contribution to Spheris supports the development of the project and it also supports the LaunchPad, a fund specifically targeted at encouraging developers to develop or migrate apps to the Spheris platform. By incentivizing the best app developers to list their titles on Spheris, the company hopes to gain a critical mass of users needed for a successful platform.
Spheris has released a whitepaper which you can read, detailing the technology and architecture behind their system. Visit https://spheris.io/crowdsale to learn more and contribute, and support the project beginning in September 19. The team is also available for a chat on Telegram .
Disclaimer. This article is paid and provided by a third-party source and should not be viewed as an endorsement by CoinIdol. Readers should do their own research before investing funds in any company. CoinIdol shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services mentioned in this article. | {
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Not sure if my professor is a genius or just bat shit crazy
152 shares | {
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In Bitcoin Classic the block size is no longer limited by rules set by software developers. It is set by you, the person running the software.
This article explains how this works.
Picking the perfect Blocksize
In Bitcoin transactions are gathered in blocks which are structured in a chain. The reason we use a chain is because of the main innovation of Bitcoin which combines it with Proof of Work to have a global consensus about the transactions that are accepted.
The size of this block has never been relevant to this process and we can see that over the lifetime of Bitcoin the size of blocks has grown based solely on the requirements of the network.
Miners have always been the ones to decide on the block size, and they have always done this in a coordinated fashion. This is a natural consequence of the rather elegant (economic) design of Bitcoin.
Miners earn more fee-based income when they produce bigger blocks.
Miners take more risk of their blocks being orphaned with bigger blocks.
Miners want to avoid emptying the memory pool every block as that removes a total need for users to pay fees.
Miners want to make sure the mempool does not become backlogged because users that do not see their transactions confirmed will get disappointed and find other means to do payments. Which hurts the price and in effect hurts the miners income.
The genius of this balance has the natural consequence that blocks will not be made too big or too small, their size will be based on the amount of paying users and the state of technology. To get the most profit out of the system the miners will have to find a market-equilibrium for the block size. This market equilibrium also happens to be the best for owners and merchants of Bitcoin.
What does Classic do?
Bitcoin Classic has removed the 1 MB centrally planned maximum block size limits from its software and gives tools to the miners and users to protect themselves from malicious actors at the same time. We call that the accept limit .
Classic will accept blocks produced by all other current implementations of node software, including Core, Unlimited, etc. Blocks produced by Classic will be accepted by all other softwares, including Core, if less than 1 MB and by Unlimited and others but not by Core if blocks created are 1 MB or larger.
Classic will put the user-selected (or default) block size limit in the coinbase message in the form "EB3.7" where the number is the amount of megabytes per block this node accepts.
How do I configure this on my Classic node?
The main change is that a Bitcoin Classic node can now be configured manually to have any block size limit.
First there is the new blocksizeacceptlimit config setting that allows a user to limit blocks by size they will accept from the network. For instance if the user would set blocksizeacceptlimit=4.2 this states that any block over 4.2MB is rejected as too large.
The existing config option blockmaxsize is unchanged and this is the option that miners set to determine the maximum block size they would create.
Way forward
Classic has been in conversation with miners and other Bitcoin companies for some time and the way forward to breaking the 1 MB limit is clearly one where we move the control over the blocksize out of the hands of the software developers and make it a market-set property. That is the most healthy solution going forward.
How this is going to be done is an on-going conversation. It is very optimistic to know that people are in fact talking about how to solve this and in general agreement that it needs solving. Classic is there to make suggestions only, not to dictate policy or make decisions on which solution to pick.
Some things are for certain, a block size increase will happen and the planning and details will be made very public when they have been decided.
Either way, Classic will be part of the movement. | {
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SANDY, Utah (Friday, December 15, 2017) – Real Salt Lake General Manager Craig Waibel announced on Friday that the club has signed RSL Academy product DF Aaron Herrera after three seasons with the University of New Mexico, making him the 14 th Homegrown Player signed to RSL’s roster.
“Aaron is another example of a player who developed under Martin Vasquez and Freddy Juarez at our Academy and put in the work to become a professional. There are so many different paths those players have taken, but it just goes further to emphasize that there are so many different ways to successfully develop talents in this country,” Waibel said. “We are extremely proud of Aaron for his accomplishments thus far and are excited to have him continue his career at the pro level with Real Salt Lake.”
Herrera, 20, was a standout with the RSL Academy for three years, twice reaching the USSDA National Championship. He followed up that success with three seasons at New Mexico, where he totaled seven goals and eight assists in 54 matches, 53 of them as a starter. The right back led the Lobos in scoring during his junior season in 2017 with five goals and five assists. That highlighted a banner year for Herrera after he started in five matches to help the U.S. U-20 National Team win the CONCACAF U-20 Championship for the first time and advance to the quarterfinal round of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea. He was one of five RSL Academy products to appear for the U.S. in the World Cup, joining DF Danilo Acosta , DF Justen Glad , FW Brooks Lennon and MF Sebastian Saucedo .
He will bring RSL’s list of Academy products on the current roster to seven, along with Acosta, Glad, Lennon, Saucedo, FW Jordan Allen and MF Jose Hernandez . Other former Homegrown signings include Nico Muniz, Donny Toia, Lalo Fernandez, Benji Lopez, Phanuel Kavita, Fito Ovalle and Ricardo Velazco. | {
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Lawmakers will likely have at least until the end of October to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew Jacob (Jack) Joseph LewApple just saved billion in tax — but can the tax system be saved? Lobbying World Russian sanctions will boomerang MORE said in a letter to Congress on Wednesday.
Lew told lawmakers that while he cannot pinpoint when the nation would be in danger of missing debt payments without a borrowing boost, he was confident he would be able to avoid default until at least late October.
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“We believe that the measures will not be exhausted before late October, and it is likely that they will last for at least a brief additional period of time,” he wrote.
After the government reached its borrowing cap in March, Lew deployed his usual set of “extraordinary measures” to free up room under the cap to ensure the government kept paying its bills.
Noting the inherent difficult in precisely predicting the flow of funds in and out of the federal government, Lew reiterated that there is “considerable uncertainty” in terms of how long the U.S. can go before risking a calamitous default.
The letter suggested lawmakers could seek to settle a government shutdown fight before moving on to a debt limit debate — though it is also possible the two issues could simply be merged.
Congress needs to pass funding legislation to avoid a government shutdown by the end of September. Many expect lawmakers to pass a short-term funding measure, which could eventually couple a longer government-funding bill with legislation to raise the debt ceiling.
Lawmakers also face a raft of other issues in the fall, including extending authority for highway spending, dealing with expiring tax provisions and deciding whether to renew the charter for the Export-Import Bank.
Lew reiterated his call for lawmakers to raise the borrowing cap as soon as possible and without “controversy or brinksmanship.”
But lawmakers will not be acting on the limit anytime soon, as members will be heading home for the traditional August recess in a matter of days.
Lew’s timeline hews closely to other estimates of when the government could be in danger of running out of cash without a debt limit hike.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the debt limit will need to be increased in October or November, and the Bipartisan Policy Center has pegged the deadline as sometime in November or December.
Lew added in his letter that he would be prolonging a hold on new debt tied to investments in some government employee retirement funds. Temporarily suspending that debt is a frequent tool used by the Treasury Department to free up room under the borrowing cap. Lew previously suspended all new debt until July 30, and told lawmakers Wednesday he was extending that to October 30.
This story was updated at 5:26 p.m. | {
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Acid3
JS/?
To pass the test, a browser must use its default settings, the animation has to be smooth, the score has to end on 100/100, and the final page has to look exactly, pixel for pixel, like this reference rendering.
Scripting must be enabled to use this test. | {
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to jointly host a global conference focused on the Middle East, particularly Iran, next month in Poland, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is greeted by Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa after arriving at Manama International Airport in Manama, Bahrain, Jan. 11, 2019. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
The meeting will take place in Warsaw on Feb. 13-14, it said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed the planned event as a “desperate anti-Iran circus.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News in an interview to air on Friday that the meeting would “focus on Middle East stability and peace and freedom and security here in this region, and that includes an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence.”
Pompeo, who is on an eight-day visit to the Middle East, said the meeting would “bring together dozens of countries from all around the world, from Asia, from Africa, from Western Hemisphere countries, Europe too, the Middle East of course.”
Pompeo has said during the tour that the United States is “redoubling” its efforts to put pressure on Iran and sought to convince allies that it is committed to fighting Islamic State despite President Donald Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria.
Trump last year withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord and moved to reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Other partners in the deal - including Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - have sought to keep the agreement from unraveling, although in a shift earlier this week, the European Union moved to impose some sanctions on Iran.
Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said in a statement that while his country supported the EU’s efforts to maintain the nuclear deal, the agreement “does not stop Iran from activities destabilizing the region” and he hoped the conference would bring closer the EU and U.S. positions.
He said more than 70 countries were invited to the conference, including all EU members.
Writing on Twitter, Iran’s Zarif said, “Reminder to host/participants of anti-Iran conference: those who attended last U.S. anti-Iran show are either dead, disgraced, or marginalized. And Iran is stronger than ever.”
He went on to write that “while Iran saved Poles in WWII, it now hosts desperate anti-Iran circus.”
The U.S. State Department said there were strong shared interests in Middle East stability.
“The ministerial will address a range of critical issues including terrorism and extremism, missile development and proliferation, maritime trade and security, and threats posed by proxy groups across the region,” its statement said.
On his Middle East tour, Pompeo is trying to shore up support in the region on a number of fronts, from the U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria to the rift between Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the killing of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. | {
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CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — A teacher at a failing Rhode Island school where he and all his colleagues were fired hung an effigy of President Barack Obama in his classroom, apparently in reaction to Obama’s support of extreme measures to ensure accountability in schools.
The teachers union on Thursday condemned the effigy, discovered Monday in the teacher’s third-floor classroom at Central Falls High School, saying it was wrong and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.
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The effigy was found in the unidentified teacher’s classroom by Superintendent Frances Gallo, Nicole Shaffer of the Rhode Island Department of Education told The Associated Press. Shaffer said the department would not have any further comment.
Gallo did not immediately respond to calls from the AP seeking comment, but she told CNN that the foot-tall Obama doll that she saw Monday was found hung from its feet from a white board and was holding a sign that said “Fire Central Falls teachers.”
FULL STORY FOLLOWS BELOW | {
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VANCOUVER, Sept. 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Village Farms International, Inc. ("Village Farms" or the "Company") (TSX: VFF) (NASDAQ: VFF) today announced its 50%-owned joint venture for large-scale, low-cost, high-quality cannabis production, Pure Sunfarms, has begun shipping branded dried cannabis products to the Ontario Cannabis Store ("OCS"), for retail sale in Ontario. Pure Sunfarms expects its first products to be available at licensed retailers in Ontario and through the OCS website this month.
Village Farms also announced that Pure Sunfarms has formally launched its brand and introduced eight strains of dried cannabis flower for the Canadian recreational market. More information about Pure Sunfarms' brand and products is available on Pure Sunfarms' new web site at www.puresunfarms.com.
"Introducing the Pure Sunfarms brand today to Canadians is a culmination of our team's efforts, and we hope consumers see the passion and care our people have worked hard to bring to life," said Mandesh Dosanjh, President and CEO, Pure Sunfarms. "British Columbia has a reputation for growing some of the best cannabis in the world, and we are proud to introduce a suite of products which will continue to celebrate this legacy. Our scale, along with the team's deep agricultural roots and steadfast dedication to craftmanship, has allowed us to cultivate great-quality products at an approachable price-point. In this evolving industry, we hope Canadians will come to know the quality and consistency of Pure Sunfarms' products and love it as much as we do."
"Today's announcement marks another significant milestone as Pure Sunfarms establishes itself as a premier vertically integrated supplier of branded cannabis products to the Canadian recreational market," said Michael DeGiglio, CEO, Village Farms International. "Already one of the most profitable Canadian cannabis producers, Pure Sunfarms will now benefit from higher margin sales as it launches its products in Canada's largest province, home to nearly 40% of the country's population."
Mr. DeGiglio added, "Pure Sunfarms was born out of Village Farms' rich history and decades of experience in large-scale, low-cost vertically integrated precision agricultural. We are proud to see our heritage reflected in the Pure Sunfarms brand, which we are confident will resonate with the Canadian consumer. Leveraging both its high-quality product and low-cost production, Pure Sunfarms will be uniquely and advantageously positioned in the Canadian market."
The Pure Sunfarms brand was built around the philosophy of 'plants and people first,' expressing a long-standing relationship and deep appreciation for cannabis across Canada's west coast. It was designed to reflect the team's unique and diverse agricultural experience with not just cannabis, but other crops like tomatoes and peppers, sharing the story of cannabis from a different perspective.
Pure Sunfarms' wide collection of strains offers high-quality product in potency, flavour, and consistency to meet the tastes and needs of consumers and retailers alike. Cultivars such as Afghan Kush, selected for its history and potency, and White Rhino, chosen for its upfront aromatics, will be two of the first strains coming to market. The current collection also includes Critical Kali Mist, Hash Plant, Headband, Island Honey, Purple Sun God and Pure Sun CBD.
In addition to Ontario, Pure Sunfarms expects its first products to be available at licensed retailers and online in British Columbia in the coming weeks. As previously announced, on September 6, 2019 Pure Sunfarms received from Health Canada the amendment to its license permitting it to sell and distribute packaged, Pure Sunfarms-branded dried cannabis products directly to provincial/territorial wholesalers and authorized private retailers in accordance with provincial/territorial frameworks in Canada (sometimes referred to as a "packaging license"), effective immediately. Pure Sunfarms has supply agreements in place with the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation (the "OCRC", operating as the Ontario Cannabis Store) and the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (the "BCLDB"). Combined, Ontario and British Columbia comprise more than half of Canada's population. Pure Sunfarms continues to advance discussions with other provincial distributors for potential supply agreements to further expand its presence in the Canadian cannabis market.
About Village Farms International, Inc.
Village Farms is one of the largest and longest-operating vertically integrated greenhouse growers in North America and the only publicly traded greenhouse produce company in Canada. Village Farms produces and distributes fresh, premium-quality produce with consistency 365 days a year to national grocers in the U.S. and Canada from more than nine million square feet of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) greenhouses in British Columbia and Texas, as well as from its partner greenhouses in British Columbia, Ontario and Mexico. The Company is now leveraging its 30 years of experience as a vertically integrated grower for the rapidly emerging global cannabis opportunity through its 50% ownership of British Columbia-based Pure Sunfarms Corp., one of the single largest cannabis growing operations in the world. The Company also intends to pursue opportunities to become a vertically integrated leader in the U.S. hemp-derived CBD market, subject to compliance with all applicable U.S. federal and state laws, Village Farms has established two joint ventures, Village Fields Hemp and Arkansas Valley Green and Gold Hemp, for outdoor hemp cultivation and CBD extraction and is pursuing controlled environment hemp production at a portion of its Texas greenhouse operations, which total 5.7 million square feet of production area.
Cautionary Language
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements may relate to the Company's future outlook or financial position and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the financial position, business strategy, budgets, litigation, projected production, projected costs, capital expenditures, financial results, taxes, plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Particularly, statements regarding future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities for the Company, Pure Sunfarms, the greenhouse vegetable industry or the cannabis and hemp industries are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by such terms as "outlook", "may", "might", "will", "could", "should", "would", "occur", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "likely", "schedule", "objectives", or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on information currently available to management, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, that may cause the Company's or the industry's actual results, performance, achievements, prospects and opportunities in future periods to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the factors contained in the Company's filings with U.S. and Canadian securities regulators, including as detailed in the Company's annual information form and management's discussion and analysis for the year-ended December 31, 2018.
When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, the Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as guarantees of future results, performance, achievements, prospects and opportunities. The forward-looking statements made in this press release only relate to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Village Farms International, Inc.
For further information: Lawrence Chamberlain, Investor Relations, (416) 519-4196, [email protected]
Related Links
www.villagefarms.com
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As the credit storm has raged in recent months, insurance companies like A.I.G. have been better positioned than the nation’s banks and brokerage firms to weather it because accounting rules do not require insurers to mark the investments held in their long-term portfolios to market. Insurance companies like A.I.G. can hold their investments until they mature, riding out the ups and downs in the market for those assets.
But the moment it began trying to raise capital, A.I.G. had to open its books to potential investors who were likely to take a sharp pencil to the company’s portfolio values, analysts said. And with Lehman Brothers last week providing investors with a valuation for the same types of assets held by A.I.G., subprime and Alt-A mortgage securities, the investment bank’s marks can now be applied to the big insurer’s books.
As of the most recent quarter, for example, A.I.G. had $20 billion of subprime mortgages marked at 69 cents on the dollar and $24 billion in Alt-A securities valued at 67 cents on the dollar.
But Lehman officials on a conference call with investors last week said it was valuing similar subprime mortgage securities to those held by A.I.G. at 34 cents on the dollar; its mark on the Alt-A holdings was 39 cents. Those valuations suggest almost a $14 billion decline in A.I.G.’s holdings, after taxes, an amount representing 18 percent of the company’s book value.
Additional write-downs may also be required in A.I.G.’s collateralized debt obligations, which the company does mark to market because they are held in a short-term account known as available for sale. The company valued $42 billion in high-grade holdings at 75 cents on the dollar, while it marked another $16 billion in lower-rated obligations at 70 cents.
A spokesman for A.I.G., Nicholas J. Ashooh, said it was inappropriate to compare the markdowns of Lehman Brothers’ securities with those at A.I.G.
“We don’t think that’s valid, to look at somebody else’s portfolio markdowns and then infer what A.I.G.’s might be, because there’s so many variables,” Mr. Ashooh said, “what kind of risk is in the portfolio, what kind of collateral there is, and how the marks were calculated. We think we use a very thorough and conservative approach that includes third-party input and input from the rating services.” | {
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Na wysokości ponad 4800 metrów nad poziomem morza w peruwiańskich Andach stoi pomnik z inskrypcją po polsku i hiszpańsku: "Ernest Malinowski 1818-1899. Inżynier polski, patriota peruwiański, bohater obrony Callao 1866, budowniczy Centralnej Kolei Transandyjskiej".
Malinowski urodził się w Polsce w 1818 roku. Do Ameryki Południowej przybył w czasie, kiedy Hiszpania starała się za wszelką cenę utrzymać swoje ostatnie kolonie. Uznany za bohatera dzięki udziałowi w bitwie pod Callao w trakcie wojny o wyspy Chincha, Malinowski pomógł Peruwiańczykom w tym trudnym czasie obronić suwerenność ich kraju. Zaangażował się także w dalszy rozwój Peru, budując "linię kolejową w chmurach”, czyli Centralną Kolej Transandyjską.
W 1812 roku ojciec Malinowskiego, Jakub, jak wielu Polaków walczył po stronie napoleońskiej w trakcie kampanii rosyjskiej. Ernest, jedno z czworga dzieci Jakuba i Anny, urodził się w sześć lat później na Wołyniu na terenie zaboru rosyjskiego. W 1830 roku Jakub Malinowski po raz kolejny zdecydował się walczyć przeciwko carowi – przyłączył się do powstania listopadowego. Po jego upadku musiał opuścić tereny swojej ojczyzny. Wyjechał do Drezna z synem Rudolfem; Ernest niedługo dołączył do brata i ojca. W końcu cała rodzina dotarła do Francji, gdzie osiedli na stałe. Ernest już nigdy nie powrócił do ojczyzny. Powstanie listopadowe odegrało ogromną rolę w życiu Malinowskiego. Prawdopodobnie gdyby nie decyzja jego ojca o przyłączeniu się do walk, Ernest nigdy nie wyjechałby do Peru.
We Francji Ernest Malinowski studiował na prestiżowej École nationale des ponts et chaussées (wyższej uczelni technicznej specjalizująca się w kształceniu inżynierów-budowniczych mostów i dróg). Po ukończeniu studiów w 1838 roku rozpoczął pracę we francuskim Korpusie Inżynierów Dróg i Mostów, zajmował się budową kolei w okolicach Paryża. Później wyjechał służbowo do Algierii, gdzie pracował przy budowie dróg i portów. Po powrocie do Francji uczestniczył w wielu projektach inżynieryjnych aż do 1852 roku. W tym samym roku podpisał sześcioletni kontrakt na pracę w Peru na stanowisku inżyniera rządowego i przeprowadził się. Do jego obowiązków miało należeć opracowywanie projektów i nadzór nad wykonywaniem prac budowlano-melioracyjnych, wytyczanie dróg, konstruowanie mostów oraz kształcenie peruwiańskiej kadry technicznej.
Bohater narodowy
Jak się okazało, Malinowski zrobił zdecydowanie więcej i został dużo dłużej, niż planował. W Peru, poza otwarciem szkoły technicznej i budowaniem kolei, pomógł także przeprowadzić reformę monetarną, pracował nad odbudową zniszczonego przez wojnę miasta Arequipa i, co najważniejsze, brał udział w walkach z hiszpańskimi najeźdźcami, uczestnicząc w wygranej przez Peru bitwie o port Callao.
2 maja 1866 roku Ernest Malinowski stanął na wałach fortu Santa Rosa w porcie Callao, dowodząc jednostkami artylerii, które broniły fortu przed hiszpańską flotą, wysłaną do Ameryki Południowej w celu odbicia dawnych kolonii na tym kontynencie. Malinowski doskonale wiedział, co robi, bo wraz z Felipe Arancibą i José Cornelio Bordą przygotował projekt ufortyfikowania portu i jego obrony. Przed rozpoczęciem bitwy zarządził zamontowanie wielu zakamuflowanych armat na poruszających się platformach. Kiedy hiszpańskie statki dopłynęły w pobliże portu, niespodziewanie znalazły się pod ogniem artyleryjskim. Wszystkie hiszpańskie jednostki zostały uszkodzone, a Peru i jego południowoamerykańscy sprzymierzeńcy zwyciężyli w wielkim stylu.
Ernest Malinowski był ojcem tego triumfu. W uznaniu zasług otrzymał honorowe obywatelstwo Peru oraz tytuł bohatera narodowego. Po tym zwycięstwie Malinowski stał się sławny w Peru, ale nie było to ostatnie, co zrobił dla tego kraju. | {
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Providing the best customer service has never been more important, especially now that most of the consumers are posting their experiences with brands online. Online reviews from customers can make or break your brand’s reputation which is why providing customer support across all digital channels is crucial for your business.
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A partnership with Callnovo is the first step to revolutionizing your customer service delivery. With Callnovo you can have | {
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Two of the biggest banks in the nation, Citigroup and Bank of America, will not be allowed to participate in a new highway project in the state of Louisiana because of their anti-gun policies.
Louisiana’s bond commission decided to block the banks from taking part in the project because after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., both corporations created a policy that they would only work with retailers who agreed to new restrictions on gun purchases — rules that were stricter than what federal law requires.
Washington Times:
Louisiana’s bond commission said it wouldn’t tolerate that kind of bullying over a constitutional right and voted 7-6 to block the companies from gaining a piece of the financing for a $600 million highway plan. The vote was a win for pro-gun advocates looking to make inroads in a debate that is increasingly spilling into the corporate arena, and comes as major service companies and social media giants move to adopt anti-firearms policies. “If you have zero respect for the U.S. Constitution, then you don’t need to do business with the state of Louisiana,” said Sen. John N. Kennedy, a Republican who cheered his state’s move from Washington. Opponents said Louisiana is opening itself to a lawsuit, though state Attorney General Jeff Landry said he believes state officials have “discretion to determine whether or not we want [an] agent to represent the state that restricts the Second Amendment rights that our citizens have.” “It is not us who brought the social police into this commission — it is these institutions who did so, and in a very, very public way,” he said. The banks said they aren’t infringing on constitutional rights. Citibank in March announced it would work with retail clients only if they required background checks for gun purchases and curb sales, with some exceptions, to people under 21. Bank of America also announced after February’s Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that it would stop lending to clients that manufacture some styles of semiautomatic firearms.
This is some welcome pushback against corporations that are adopting ever more restrictive policies about doing business with companies in the gun business. The thing is, pressure from consumers is not that intense. Activists are loud and are getting a lot of press, but perhaps if more states and local governments followed the lead of the Louisiana bond commission, corporations would have to weigh how more restrictive gun policies actually hurt their bottom line more than respecting the Second Amendment.
Right now, the pressure is all in one direction. Applying a little counter pressure would at least give gun companies some cover in what promises to be a long struggle to maintain the right to bear arms. | {
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Ambassador Franz Jessen answers questions from the media during the launching of the EU coffee table book "Ties that Bind" in Makati, Monday. Gigie Cruz, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - The European Union is reviewing whether the Philippines can still qualify for trade incentives that are pre-conditioned on compliance with international agreements, including those on human rights, its envoy said Monday.
A monitoring team from the EU will arrive in the country later this month for an assessment, said Ambassador Franz Jessen. The Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) allows the Philippines to export to the EU without duties or with reduced tariffs.
"We have an ongoing monitoring on the conventions, that work is on going and I will not predict how it will come out in the end, we'll see, we'll see" Jessen said.
Last month, the US-led Millennium Challenge Corp. deferred its decision on fresh funding for the Philippines, citing "significant concerns around rule of law and civil liberties."
The GSP+ is based on ratification and compliance with international conventions on human rights, labor rights, environment and good governance.
The Philippines was given preferential status under the European Union-GSP+ in December 2014, allowing the duty-free export of some 6,000 eligible products to the EU market.
In the first six months of 2015, Philippine exports to the EU under GSP+ increased by 27 percent, from 584 million euros to 743 million euros.
President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected criticism from the EU, the US, and other international organizations of his bloody war on drugs.
Jessen said the EU was "very clear" on its opposition to the death penalty, which is at the forefront of Duterte's legislative agenda.
He offered the bloc's help in reforming drug addicts in the Philippines.
Aside from being a trading partner, the EU is also the second largest source of remittances and the fifth largest market for tourist arrivals. The bloc also has 35 million euros (P1.8 billion) in investments in the Philippines. | {
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Civilian vehicles in 40k
By Kid Kyoto [email protected]
Hey Sarge, notice something funny here?
Nothing special. This is just your standard issue ruined Imperial City. I mean over there's a ruined Basilica Administratus, next to it is a ruined Sanctum Imperialis and on top of that hill I can see a ruined Manufactorum. The walls have Imperial propaganda posters; I even see some broken dollhouse furniture. Nice touch that, you usually don't see that attention to detail in these ruined cities. Makes it look like people lived here.
Well that's just it Sarge, I mean I see lots of buildings, bunkers, some burnt out Chimeras and Rhinos, even a crashed Falcon even though we're fighting Tyranids and not Eldar…
You got a point private?
Well sir, where are the cars? The buses? The trucks? I mean this is a huge city with millions of people, how did they get around?
Um… That’s a good question trooper. I recon they walked maybe?
But Sarge, even if you figure the commoners had to walk, what about food, products, raw materials? I mean according to that burnt sign this Manufactorum was the Emperor’s Glorious Refrigerator Factory #4. How did they get the steel there? How did they move the finished refrigerators away?
Well you’ve stumped me trooper. Now let’s hunt up some cover, almost time for turn 1 you know.
Come to think of it Sarge, I see about 200 guardsmen here on our side and no more than 4 Chimeras. How did we get here anyway?
Introduction
So, in the grim darkness™ of the far future there is only war.
Fair enough, who wants to play a game where you take the role of students and office workers commuting each day? But where there's war there's logistics. Soldiers have to eat. Vehicles need fuel. Weapons need ammo. Tanks need factories to build them, and factories need trucks and trains filled with raw materials and workers. Officers need a swanky ride to the Apotheosis Day reception. Man (and Battle Sisters) cannot live on Armored Fighting Vehicles alone.
But despite 25 years of terrain, resin kits and a huge range of plastic vehicles 40k has never had any civilian vehicles. They're often referenced in novels but rarely, if ever, seen in artwork and never in models. I'm seen many modelers produce detailed cities, factories and farms but leave out any sign of how people get around. Even GW produces some excellent roads but nothing other than tanks to drive on them.
So let's give this matter some thought.
A (very) Brief History
Rogue Trader had rules for ground cars but they've never appeared in later editions.
In the road-wheeler category Rogue Trader gave us the mighty City Car.
The City Car is "Inconspicuous enough for a bank raid – fast enough for a dash to the spaceport – common enough to re-sell with no questions asked". But design-wise it looks more like a generic futuristic car and really does not fit the retro-tech look of 40k.
But it does have a 10% chance of flight!
It also makes it clear that while technology can vary tremendously from world to world there are some common, popular designs that can be found across the galaxy.
One little known Rogue Trader book Citi-Block (a supplement for both the Judge Dredd RPG and Rogue Trader) offered some cardboard tiles with futuristic cars and trucks.
But the book was clearly using designs from Judge Dredd with the Warhammer 40k part tacked on.
Still there are some interesting blocky designs in there a scratch builder might look at.
Later the original Genestealer Cult rules by Paul Murphy, Bryan Ansell, and Nigel Stillman had armored limos for the magus and patriarch to ride around in style. But they didn't appear again and were never made into models.
In 3rd edition Tim Huckleberry's Genestealer Cult in the Citadel Journal list had armored limos with some nice conversions made from toys, Ork Trukks and the Vampire Counts Black Coach.
Later the Vehicle Design Rules specifically listed AV9 as the proper armor for civilian vehicles.
In the early 2000s Specialist Games' Necromunda Magazine had rules for adventures in the Ash Wastes. These rules came with some brilliant conversions for dune buggies using the Ork buggy and plastic tubing.
And for mining vehicles made from Sentinels.
Several BL books mentioned staff cars, delivery trucks and other civilian vehicles but never with much detail. Dan Abnett's novels have referred to the Cargo 6 and Cargo 8 (6 and 8 wheeled trucks) but that's the only name I've found.
Forgeworld has the Sentinel Power loader and some engineering/recovery vehicles but no trucks or cars for the less glamorous side of war. The Tauros and Ventator are converted civilian vehicles but they are more of all-terrain vehicles than common cars.
It's been suggested that Ork trucks and battlewagons are actually looted Imperial civilian vehicles but I've never seen an official picture of what the unlooted ones might look like (though I've seen some good conversions).
And that's about it.
(All this being said, I am not all-knowing, if you know of stuff I missed please let me know.)
Transportation in the Imperium
So here's my take.
On most worlds cars do exist but the situation is much more like the old Soviet Union than developed countries. Imperial Subjects need permission to own a vehicle and those with enough money or influence to get that permission are well off enough to have (and need) drivers and guards, they don't drive themselves. Average subjects having access to private cars is almost unheard of.
The Imperium does not like cars because limiting mobility helps keep people in line. In one of the Dune books the God Emperor outlawed wheeled vehicles because "it's much easier to control a society where everyone walks". Historically in Edo-era Japan the Tokugawa Shoguns made it illegal to build or maintain roads without permission since without roads no one could mobilize an army to overthrow them.
Cars would also be rare due to limited resources; the Imperium is constantly at war and is now being strained to the breaking point. Fuel and parts for civilian vehicles will always be a lower priority than military.
So the vast majority of the Imperium walks or takes some form of mass transit, probably big crowded dirty buses and trains.
But still you need to move people and goods.
While private cars might be rare you'd still have limos, trucks, trains and buses. Outside the city you'd have trucks, tractors and other agricultural vehicles. In more wild areas people would want some sort of armored vehicle, maybe even a rhino, for transport.
Some of these designs will be STC (Standard Template Construct) models that are found throughout the Imperium and have the advantage of functioning on just about any habitable world. Others will be local designs, that might be more primitive than the STC or more advanced but rely on locally-produced parts or fuel that are not easy to get off-world.
A gamer could go crazy with all sorts of scratch builds and conversions. BL books have mentioned worlds with skimmer cars and cargo walkers. But let's assume for the moment that most of the Imperium uses a standard design similar to other 40k vehicles.
And for Imperial subjects standard designs just make sense. Sure that Zephyr-Pattern air car might be great, until you find out that its anti-grav plates are made from a rare mineral only found on one planet in the sector. And that planet is besieged by Orks. And there's only one forge world that can refine the mineral. And it's besieged by Chaos. And in any case your anti-grav plates are being forcibly requisitioned by the Ultramarines who need them to maintain their land speeder fleet.
We also need to keep in mind that even a peaceful Imperial world is a lot closer to Baghdad than to Boston. There are regular riots, bombings and assassinations. Outside the cities we would expect to find bandits, cults and even xenos raiders. An Imperial VIP will want bulletproofing and armor at the very least. Even on a civilian vehicle a few discrete weapons would not be out of place.
Naturally the easiest answer is to just use modern vehicles, there's tons of 1/48 scale toy cars and models out there already. And that's a fine answer.
The problem would be that many modern vehicles don't fit the look of 40k. It would be a shame to create a dark gothic battlefield and then put a shiny red sports car in the middle of it. Most 40k military vehicles are patterned after WWI and WWII vehicles so that's the era I look to for inspiration on civilian vehicles. But common vehicles like the Willys Jeep may be too familiar to players and break the illusion of the game, so it’s to look for more exotic and unusual choices.
General Modeling Notes
With a subject as broad as 'civilian vehicles' there's a host of options available, 28mm gaming models, 1/48 (or even 1/35 if you push it) model kits, model railroad kits, paper craft models and toys.
I would recommend that you pick one option and stick with it. A board full of toys can look fine if it's consistent. But when you put toys next to military models, next to resin kits… it looks like a mess.
If you're using model kits you should stop and check out this article on scale: http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Scale_Model_Kits_for_40K
Remember though you're looking to make sure your vehicles look good, not right. 1/48 scale is 'correct' but still looks undersized due to GW's heroic proportions and the simple fact that action-posed models on bases take up more space than a normal human being would. Also keep in mind that the details on military kits tend to be thinner than on gaming models, a proper scaled machine gun is usually smaller and thinner than a lasgun.
For 28mm gaming models there's 2 places to check out first, Ramshackle Games and Old Crow. Ramshackle makes a fine line of post-apocalyptic vehicles that look dirty, well-used and y'know ramshackle. They'd be fine for a more primitive world or one that's been at war for a while. Old Crow's stuff tends to be more high-tech and clean but has tons of options and would fit into a more peaceful or advanced world.
Other companies make useful vehicles; I particularly like Scotia Grendel's Void/Urban War/Metropolis line. Sloppy Jalopy's line of historic civilian vehicles is second to none. Westwind has both historical WWII vehicles and Weird War II stuff in their Secrets of the 3rd Reich line.
Links
Before making this article I posted a thread on Dakka. I'd like to thank everyone who contributed, if you want to see it and see more crazy ideas go here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/391316.page
If you want to see more images go here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-518-19183_Civilian%20Vehicle%20ideas.html
Here are some of the places I recommend throughout this article, there are more manufacturers out there of course but these are the ones I found useful.
3000 Toys
http://www.3000toys.com
Ainsty Castings
http://ainstycastings.co.uk
Armorcast
http://armorcast.com/
Black Army Productions
http://www.blackarmyproductions.com/
Chapter House Studios
http://chapterhousestudios.com
Company B
http://homepage.mac.com/brentdietrich/companyB.htm
Copplestone Castings
http://copplestonecastings.co.uk/
Diecast Direct
http://www.diecastdirect.com
Fenris Games
http://www.fenrisgames.com/
Ironclad Miniatures
http://www.ironcladminiatures.co.uk/
Old Crow
http://www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk/
Ramshackle Games
http://www.ramshacklegames.co.uk/index.html
Scotia Grendel
http://www.scotiagrendel.com/
Sloppy Jalopy
http://www.sloppyjalopy.com/
Tamiya 1/48 Models
http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/category.php?sub-id=10500
Toy Soldier Depot
http://www.toysoldiersdepot.com
Westwind Productions
http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk
Vehicle Types
Scooters and carts
Even in the grim darkness of the far future people still have to move and bicycles, scooters and motorbikes and are among the cheapest and easiest ways to do it.
Many companies make civilian motorcycles including Ramshackle, Reaper, EM4, Urban Mammoth and Westwind. I'm particularly fond of Westwind's Roadkill line for bikers.
Scotia Grendel's Void Junkers line has 4 wheeled ATVs.
And Wargames Foundry even has bicycles.
In the real world motor rickshaws are common in India, China and other developing countries as a way to move both goods and people. In many Imperial cities I would expect these to be the most common motor vehicles.
Westwind has a neat personnel carrier based on the German Kettenkard. It's not hard to see it ferrying workers, farm hands or even guardsmen.
Ramshackle games makes a crude motorcycle cart, the Armored Toad.
And it should be easy to convert one from a Ork wartrack or a Marine bike.
Of course animal and human pulled carts would be common even on the most developed worlds where motor vehicles are available. The Imperium is an empire with a vast underclass and their betters would rather see them doing backbreaking labor than sitting idle and getting into trouble.
Cars, vans, SUVs and Pickup Trucks
While these vehicles make up most of what we see every day, in the grim darkness of the far future they'd be a very small category. Most Imperial subjects would never be able to afford one, and even if they were they wouldn't be allowed to have one. Once someone has mobility who knows what mischief they will get into.
The novel Faith and Fire mentioned a world where private cars were locked into a track system and only official vehicles have full freedom of movement.
Some of their practical roles, like deliveries, would be handled by carts. A lot of ordinary transportation would be done in trains, buses or trucks while the elite would want something with a bit more pizzazz than a normal car.
Which does not mean cars don't exist in the year 40,000 AD, just that they would be rarer than in the year 2012. There would be chauffeured town cars for petty officials, delivery vans and trucks for more prosperous merchants and unarmored pickups and SUVs for the more peaceful settlements.
So what would they look like?
As I mentioned earlier Citi-Block has some car designs but they're more along the lines of generic futurisitic cars and don't match the aesthetic 40k developed over time.
Even from Rogue Trader days 40k has looked to World War I and the period between the wars for inspiration on its Imperial vehicles (with some WWII and Cold War stuff showing up as well) so that seems a good place to start.
The late, lamented Mutant Chronicles game had a very similar look to 40k, complete with vast gothic cities, but unlike 40k the artists were always careful to populate the cities with busy roads and some interesting vehicles.
The game has been out of print for ages but this site has some good inspirational pictures:
http://www.mutantpedia.com/eng/index.htm
There are many 28mm or 1/48 scale cars available as toys and models. Generally we're looking for boxier and somewhat retro ones over sleek modern sports cars. In fact cars should be restrained and drab, they're for petty officials and merchants not for the true upper class of the Imperium.
Outside cities some might be up-armored and armed for protection or for bandits to use.
Dakkite Eilif used a 1/32 die cast pickup truck to make this.
And Xenobond used a die cast toy to make this great wreck.
Other toys to look for are the distinctively retro London Taxi and New York’s Checker Cab, both of which are readily available as toys in souvenir shops.
3000 Toys and Diecast Direct have a rich selection of historical cars, but they're selling high end collectors items so they are pricey.
3000 Toys
Diecast Direct
Tamiya makes some 1/48 WWII staff cars that work very well.
I’ve seen one turn up in a Genestealer Cult army.
Armorcast offers some pre-wrecked modern cars to dress up a city.
As does Ainsty Castings.
If you just want wrecks might look at the Plasticville line of cars. They're O scale railroad terrain and they have a nice 50s vibe. They're inexpensive on ebay but pretty basic, just a hollow body and wheels.
Combat Zone Chronicles has a nice tutorial on turning one into a wreck.
http://www.combatzonechronicles.net/cozo8/pcar.htm
Jeeps, Hummers and Scout Vehicles
Off road vehicles are a common sight in any developing country where roads range from poor to non-existent. In the Imperium they would be vital for anyone who has to move around outside a city, or even into rough neighborhoods. Law enforcement, farmers, merchants and the military would all have a need for something that can go anywhere but is smaller and lighter than a tank or an APC.
The two iconic choices in this category, vehicles so famous they actually named it, are of course the Willeys Jeep and the GM HMMWV (Humvee or Hummer). Tamiya makes both in 1/48 plastic. Lots of folks make the Jeep in 28mm scale and Fenris Games makes a 28mm Hummer.
These might be too familiar though and make your table look more like a WWII or modern game than a 40k one.
Forgeworld makes the Tauros Assault Vehicle which they describe as "a common sight on many frontier worlds within the Imperium, where it is used as a utility vehicle."
There is also a very common conversion, the Land Speeder jeep (Land Runner?).
Even if the iconic Willeys Jeep is too familiar for us, WWII still gives us with a host of options like this one:
And several gaming companies make wheeled jeeps that look great for 40k.
Scotia Grendel
Void
Old Crow
Ramshackle
Trucks
Trucks are the lifeblood of any city or settlement. They move raw materials to factories, food from farms and haul the trash away when everything is over. Put some benches in them and they can move troops, prisoners or workers. It's hard to imagine how a city could function without them (maybe lots of pneumatic tubes? Conveyer belts? Servitors? But I digress).
Imperial trucks would follow the basic rules of all Imperial technology – big, ugly and dirty.
A full sized 18 wheeler would be about 18" long in scale but since Imperial cities tend to be cramped with narrow streets, shorter trucks would probably be more practical. And since everything in the Imperium is strained to its limits they'd be piled high and overloaded.
40k vehicles are also old and well-used. I imagine Imperial truckers like truckers in India and Japan might extensively customize their vehicles with religious images, skulls (of course!) and other personalization. Alternately they might belong to a company or trading house and kept deliberately drab to save money and so as not to attract bandits.
I use some die-cast toy trucks I found in China. They're old Soviet designs so they already have the big, ugly and dirty look we want.
There is a wealth of WWII and modern truck kits out there so we really are spoiled for choice. Most seem to be in 1/35 but with some work that scale can look OK in 40k.
West Wind also has some trucks in 28mm scale.
Company B has a good selection from WWI and between the wars.
If you're just looking to populate your terrain with wrecks Toy Soldiers Depot has toy trucks for as little as $2. They're cheap toys but for terrain they'd work fine.
For something a bit different Copplestone has a 50s era Snow Cat.
If you'd really like an unconventional design there's this bit of concept art from the video game Rise of Legends.
It would a difficult scratch build but certainly captures the Imperial aesthetic better than a WWII truck with a skull on it.
Old Crow also does a nice science fiction truck that's not too expensive.
Turning to conversions, Dakka's Captain Jack gave us this Necromunda skip truck (garbage truck to us Yanks).
I like how on Necromunda even the trash collectors mount a heavy machine gun just in case.
Eilif used a squished up Fisher Price dump truck to make this post-apocalyptic vehicle.
Larchiespaña created this Rhino-based truck.
Finally there are Ork vehicles which most players assume are looted from Imperial trucks. Dave Taylor, one of finest modelers around, converted Ork Trukks into spectacular Imperial troop trucks (a rare case of reverse looting). I really like how he made sure these could count as Chimeras in a game.
http://davetaylorminiatures.blogspot.com/
His templates for this conversion are here:
http://davetaylorminiatures.blogspot.com/search/label/Truck%20Template
Engine of War has an 'unlooted' Battlewagon that serves as a tank transport in his army.
Buses
Buses are harder to find ideas for and it's tempting to just use trucks with some benches and call it a day. Like trucks I would imagine they are big, dirty, old and overloaded.
Sloppy Jalopy does an old London bus.
Yellow school buses might also work and there are plenty of toys around. They tend to be boxy and retro and once painted another color may not look out of place. Especially if you can cover the roof with luggage or passengers. The challenge is finding one in the right scale.
Ainsty Castings even has a wrecked one.
Trains
Most of what I said for trucks and buses would apply to trains as well.
In fact the Imperium probably likes trains better than buses or trucks since they're easier to control, you usually know who is on them, and they can only go where the tracks go. No wandering off.
Warzone artwork always included plenty of trains in their fictional cities.
And yeah, Imperial trains probably look a little like this.
I feel like I'm picking on India at this point, I'm really not trying to, it's just that's what keeps coming up when I Google overloaded vehicle.
So OK, they can also look like this Tokyo subway train:
Except the subway pushers would have shock mauls.
But for gaming, trains are problematic. There's plenty of models out there, 'O' scale is the closest to 28mm, that's not the problem. The problem is size. A 28mm train would absolutely dominate a board cutting it in two, and blocking line of sight. It could be an interesting set up but not for a normal game.
Still you could just have engine and a car or two to add some atmosphere to the game. Dakka's Rob_Jedi created this for Warmachine.
And if you've got some spare bitz, you could always make yourself one of these from the Apocalypse rule book:
But if you're looking for something off the shelf you can use Ramshackle Games makes this little number which can work on a track or as a road vehicle.
Ironclad has a more steampunk version with a car to pull.
But if you want to do it right, Company B has a full armored train for you for just $215.
Armored Cars
Wheeled armored cars sit on the line between military and civilian vehicles. Imperial worlds are dangerous places beset by wars, riots, invasions and bandits. In a climate like that having a few armored cars around is just good sense.
They're used to deliver valuable cargo like cash or gold, they carry guards in convoys and motorcades, they travel through the dangerous wastelands between cities and they're used to suppress riots and insurrections.
Although these vehicles are usually armed and armored we should try to make them look a bit less military by taking off the turret and avoiding tracked or half track vehicles. Otherwise a player may as well use Chimeras and Rhinos and save a lot of trouble.
Dragon makes some Russian armored cars from between the wars that look perfectly Grimdark.
Sloppy Jalopy also does pre-WWI armored cars in 28mm resin
And Black Army Productions has several.
As does Company B
Mark Copplestone who created many of the classic Rogue Trader models, has his own line of historical figures including several armored cars.
Wheeled armored cars and APCs are a staple of science fiction as well so you'll find quite a bit out there as well.
Ironclad has a great line of steampunk armored cars and tanks.
Old Crow has an extensive line of wheeled APCs.
Scotia Grendel has a familiar-looking APC in their Grendel line.
And very nice one in their Void VASA line.
And Ramshackle has quite a few armored cars.
Finally you could just use Chimeras and Rhinos, just paint them with some sort of civilian livery ("Honest Ragnar's Wasteland Tours"), load them down with barrels and boxes and call it a day. If you want to do more, Chapter House has a conversion kit to put Chimeras on wheels. Leave off the heavy artillery and you'll have a practical-looking vehicle for traversing the wastes or the underhive.
Armored Limousines
While cars have comfort and armored cars offer protection, the elite of the Imperium want both. They cruise down through the streets in armored limos the size of a Chimera and with firepower that almost matches it.
The Imperium is not about subtlety or good taste, armored limos are covered in angels, skulls, family crests, banners, pipes and other excesses.
The original Genestealer limos are a good place to start and they'll only get more outrageous from there.
Yeah, something like that.
Or this one from Ramshackle.
For my Inquisition force (RIP… damn you Mat Ward!) I converted an Italeri 1/35 scale German armored car kit
Rolling Palaces
And for the very highest ranks, the cardinals, the planetary governors, the rogue traders, things would get even more absurd. After all if the Bishop is showing up in a 20' long rolling shrine that shoots fire, surely the Cardinal will want a 100' long rolling cathedral that shoots plasma. That's just the way things are.
Kind of like this art from Rise of Legends.
A lot of the most striking 40k vehicles came about when Jes Goodwin or John Blanche saw a fortress, castle or cathedral and said "not bad, but wouldn't it be better on top of tank treads, a giant robot or a mile-long starship?"
The armies of the Imperium think it's a great idea to go into battle driving an ornate missile-shooting pipe organ on tank treads. So just imagine what they come up with when they're actually looking to impress people!
These ultimate luxury vehicles are literal palaces on wheels, two lanes wide, three stories tall, covered in statues, skulls, angels and eagles and towering over anything else on the road.
Construction vehicles
Since most construction vehicles are already big, blocky and practical it's easy to just use real world ones like this Tamiya model.
Which looks suitably oversized and crude to fit into the 41st Millennium.
However there is potential for all sorts of interesting science fiction concepts. Necromunda Magazine had some excellent ideas for the Ash Wastes including a walking work platform and Sentinels turned into construction vehicles.
And Forgeworld has the Sentinel Power Loader
Ramshackle has their own entry in the big, ugly and dirty sweepstakes.
Old Crow gives us this comparatively clean engineering tank.
Novels and other fluff regularly speak of huge vehicles like mining machines that can tear apart mountains but obviously can't exist in the real world.
Oh wait…
Well surely that's much too big to model on the table-
Dang it. (model by Dakkite Saw)
Other
The 40k universe is huge and while rooted in history it's still a science fiction universe with all the wonderful and irrational ideas that can produce. So don't feel restrained by real world vehicles and feel free to weave in some of the crazier models out there.
Forge World has the Arvus Lighter which makes for a great civilian cargo shuttle.
Dan Abnett's novels introduced the insectoid stalk-tanks and so far only Dave Taylor has been crazy enough to try and model them.
Veteran Dakkite Xanthos gives us this massive Ash Wastes crawler.
While Dakkite Klaus, Not Santa gives us this airship.
Scotia Grendel has some cool science fiction vehicles in their Void range. They're clearly military but could easily be stripped of the heavy artillery to become some kind of explorer or industrial vehicles.
Old Crow makes hover versions of most of their vehicles.
And Ramshackle, Ramshackle is just crazy.
Oddly enough it's a close match for this concept art from Rise of Legends.
Hereticus and Xenos
Since I'm sure someone will ask, here are some very quick thoughts about civilian (or at least non-combat) vehicles for the various Xenos races. Obiviously since the Imperium is a grimdark version of the real world it's easiest to come up with ideas for them but I can toss out a few ideas for the rest of the factions.
Chaos – Chaos Space Marines and the Lost and the Damned, like any other human force needs ammo, food and other supplies. This would be provided by a mix of slaves and dedicated cultists and the vehicles would be little different than their Imperial counterparts. Daemons – As extra-dimensional energy beings who only adopt material forms for convienience, Daemons would of course would have no need for any supplies or transportation. They would have slaves, cultists and sacrificial victims of course and would transport them with mystic portholes, flying disks and other magical methods.
Eldar – The Eldar, both light and dark, are tricky to do. Like the Imperium they need all the supplies any other army does. And while they can use the webway to get to a planet, they may end up operating far from any porthole. In their Craft Worlds the Eldar probably have all sorts of pleasure vehicles to get around. In fact this old bit of Jes Goodwin art is the only official depiction of a civilian vehicle I could find! It depicts Rosepedal McSpaceElfson cruising for chicks on the Craftworld boulevard.
But Eldar vehicles should combine beautiful graceful aesthetics and technology so advanced it may as well be magic. In fact I would argue that the Falcon and Wave Serpent models don't really live up to that expectation, surely the Eldar don't need air intakes and antennas on their advanced vehicles? I would expect Eldar supply and transport vehicles to look like graceful flying ships, more magical than practical. Dark Eldar vehicles would look about the same. But with spikes and skulls.
Some of the designs from the old Dungeons and Dragons Spelljammer setting give an idea of what I think would work.
Some of the Covenant vehicles from Halo also work.
The Rogue Trader era wave serpent also captures the grace and magic look I expect. Unfortunately the old Armorcast model is long, long out of print and almost impossible to find.
Necrons – As with Daemons this is one of the more alien armies out there. They have no need of supplies and can teleport whole armies interstellar distances. Perhaps they might have some giant floating pyramids or other structures to open up the extra-large deluxe gateways they need for larger military operations.
Orks – Although all Orks are warriors they are supported by a huge infrastructure of grots, human slaves, squigs and others. Plus Orks need fuel, ammo and food just like any human army. Usually slaves would be marched or herded while Orks ride in style but sometimes even Orks have to bow to necessity. Slaves and supplies can be moved in huge overloaded trucks similar to the Indian trucks I showed earlier. These vehicles are even more ramshackle than the usual Ork vehicles and some slaves are always lost as they fall off or into the engine works.
Tau – Tau are in many ways closer to our 21st Century than the Imperium. They enjoy some level of freedom and have a consumer-based society. So the Tau is where you would actually find family cars and other common vehicles. Like other Tau tech these would be curvier and more 'futuristic' looking. The Tau would even have hover cars and other flying vehicles. This air car from Scotia Grendel captures what I think they would look like.
Tyranids – Obviously there's no 'vehicles' here but they still need a way to move bio mass to breeding pits and mother ships. Various large insect kits or models from Mongoose's old Starship Troopers line might give you a good starting point for some Tyranid grazing bugs.
Rules for Civilian Vehicles in 40k
The quickest and easiest use is to have them count as something already in the game. Both my armored limo and Dave Taylor's trucks are designed to count as Chimeras. Many people have used jeeps as Sentinels.
Another easy idea is to make them terrain. Either model them as damaged or destroyed or just assume they are inoperable/out of fuel. Cars can provide some low cover for infantry models or even tanks. Trucks can block line of sight and become major obstacles. It might seem like a lot of work to make something a rock or wall could do but you'll find they add a lot to the typical battlefield, making it look more realistic and lived in.
They can also be characterful objectives. A supply truck is an obvious prize. An armored limo might have a valuable prisoner on board.
As a house rule or a special scenario you can have neutral vehicles either side can use. Give them stats and place them in neutral territory for either side to take advantage of. This might require stretching the fluff a bit; sure we can all see Guardsmen, Tau or Orks driving a car. Marines might have to rip out the seats or even the roof but I can see it working. Maybe the Eldar have a squad member who's been reading up on primitive vehicular technology. But daemons? Necrons? Tyranids? Who knows, maybe there's a civilian driver aboard they can intimidate.
Finally you can write them into a narrative scenario where a VIP or a convoy must make it to friendly lines.
If you play Fantasy Flight Games' 40k RPGs like Dark Heresy you'll probably find a need to include some civilian vehicles for the characters and their foes. This fan article has some ideas for rules: http://www.scribd.com/doc/31440376/Dark-Heresy-Apocrypha-Vehicles
Stats for Common Civilian Vehicles
Below are some thoughts on common civilian vehicles. These rules are not at all exhaustive but offer a starting point on how to use them. I've provided point values as a guideline for the two scenarios below or for your own house rules.
Although the 40k vehicle rules are pretty robust, accommodating everything from Ork buggies to Imperiator Titans but there are some small adjustments to make for civilian vehicles.
As the old Vehicle Design Rules notes they should have armor 9. Most will have armor 9 all around, but 'bulletproof' vehicles will have AV10 or 11.
Most 40k vehicles are tracked or designed for all terrain, they move relatively slowly (just twice as fast a jogging man) but cross broken ground and most obstacles with ease. Civilian vehicles are faster but generally need roads to perform at their best and get bogged down easily when going off road. Even an SUV or 4x4 is no match for a tracked vehicle when it comes to rough terrain.
And of course most civilian vehicles are not designed to accommodate armored warriors, soldiers in carapace or power armor won't fit in most vehicles.
So I used the following rules to simulate the flimsier nature of civilian vehicles.
Road Speed – This vehicle is designed to run on smooth roads where it can achieve considerable speed. On a road it may move an additional 2d6" (normally vehicles get a 1d6" bonus). Obviously it is capable of moving far faster but under combat conditions that represents the top speed anyone would dare to drive at.
On Road vehicle – This vehicle lacks the off-road and rough terrain abilities of other more robust vehicles. It is immobilized on a 1, 2 or 3 in difficult terrain.
Off Road vehicle – This vehicle has some off-road ability but is not as rugged as tracked military vehicles. It is immobilized on a 1 or 2 in difficult terrain.
Cramped – This vehicle is not designed to accommodate armored warriors and does not have large hatches. It may not transport any model with an armor save greater than 5+ or which uses a base larger than 25mm.
The Hermes Motors Towncar – 15 Points
Personal cars are an almost unimaginable luxury in the Imperium. The ability to travel anywhere (well anywhere you have a permit for) without being crammed among thousands of other Imperial subjects is a privilege reserved for only the powerful and their favored servants. The Hermes Motors Towncar is a common passenger vehicle used by mid-ranked officials from one end of the galaxy to the other. It whisks them from work to home in style and comfort. The oversized engine gives them a feeling of power while the narrow windows provide some protection against snipers, petrol bombs and other hazards of daily life.
Armor: 9/9/9
12" move Transports 5 models 2 access points, 2 fire points
Cramped
Road Speed
On-Road Vehicle
Bullet Proofing (10 points) – A Towncar may mount additional armor for protecting the occupants. This improves the armor to 10/10/9 but the vehicle loses the Road Speed special rule and has no fire points.
The Iron Ox Armored Car – 30 points
Another popular vehicle in all parts of the Imperium is the venerable Iron Ox. This armored car is tough enough to withstand most small arms and has the space to transport both cargo and passengers through rough wilderness and rougher underhives. Properly maintained, an Iron Ox can run for centuries. It's not uncommon to meet a driver whose Iron Ox is not just older than him, but older even than his grandparents and great-grandparents.
It can be found on almost any world used to move passengers of every type. Fleets of Iron Oxen line up at spaceports and land train stations waiting to carry visitors to their lodgings. They serve as ambulances for the sick and injured or meat wagons for dead. Details vary from world to world but the basic cassis is as familiar to an Imperial subject as the Aquila itself.
Armor: 10/10/9
12" move Transports 10 models 2 access points, 1 fire point BS3
Cramped
Off Road vehicle
Turret (15 points) – An Iron Ox is often retrofitted with a defensive turret. For 15 points you may mount a turret with a twin linked heavy stubber, heavy bolter or heavy flamer. This reduces the transport capacity to 5 however.
The Royce Benz Salon Royale – 50 points
Across the Imperium there is one name synonymous with luxury and that name is Royce Benz. And their premier vehicle, the first choice for wealthy merchants, high-ranking officials and visiting off-worlders, is the Salon Royale. No other vehicle delivers the comfort, style and security of this armored limousine. The interior of rich Catachani leather brings joy to the senses, the fine Mordian engineering ensures a smooth and quite ride for the body, while the discrete pop-up turret brings relief to the mind.
Armor: 11/11/10
12" move Transports 12 models 2 access points BS3
Road Speed
Off-road Vehicle
Turret – The Salon Royale is designed to offer the finest in luxury and security. All models are equipped with a discreet pop-up turret to deter bandits, assassins and rioters. The turret may be equipped with a heavy bolter, heavy flamer or multi-laser.
Hull weapon – As an additional deterrent the Salon Royale may have a front-mounted heavy bolter or heavy flamer for 10 points.
The Long March Truck – 25 points
One of thousands of 3-ton trucks found throughout the Imperium, the Long March is a rugged, versatile model used by PDF and Imperial Guard forces as well as civilian companies to move men, fuel, equipment and goods.
Armor: 9/9/9
12" move Transports 20 models
Open topped
Off Road vehicle
The Fjord Motors Land Runner – 35 points
Fjord Motors is an ancient and revered manufacturing house whose storied history goes back before the founding of the Imperium, some say all the way back to Holy Terra itself. The Land Runner is a classic design capable of going almost anywhere and easily armed to defend itself. Land Runners are common vehicles in wastelands and wilderness areas and often seen in the service of PDF and Imperial Guard units.
The main limitations is the lack of space, the vehicle can carry two crew plus a third in the turret. Passengers are limited to two man on the running boards and three more on the rear platform but this is a very uncomfortable way to travel. The Land Runner is more suited for patrols or quick strikes than transportation.
There's a tutorial here: http://forums.tauonline.org/conversion/8479-gun-jeep-walkthrough.html
Armor: 10/10/10
Fast Open topped BS3
Running Boards – The Land Runner may transport up to five passengers on the side and rear running boards but this is very hazardous in a combat situation. The Land Runner may not move more than 12" when carrying passengers.
Turret Weapon – The Land Runner has a turret in the center. It is usually equipped with a heavy stubber or grenade launcher but other weapons can be used. For 5 points it can be upgraded to a heavy bolter or heavy flamer. For 15 points it can be upgraded to a missile launcher or autocannon.
Pintle Weapon – Land Runners also commonly mount a weapon on the passenger seat. For 10 points you may add a heavy stubber, flamer or grenade launcher as a pintle-mounted weapon.
Passengers and Guards
Obliviously these vehicles need passengers to ride in them and guards to protect them. Here are some ideas for what they might look like. You may buy one unit of civilians per vehicle.
1-10 Road Guards at 5 pts/model
WS3, BS3, S3, T3, W1, I3, A1, Ld7, Sv 5+
Hard men who've led harder lives, road guards are the mercenaries who protect caravans and VIPs from the many, many hazards of travel in the 41st millennium. Often veterans of the local PDF or even the Imperial Guard they have the experience and skills to take on most bandits, cultists and mutants.
Wargear: Lasgun or shotgun 1 model in 5 may exchange his lasgun for a heavy stubber or grenade launcher for 5 points.
Transport: Road Guards may ride any civilian vehicle.
Bikes: One unit of 5-10 Road Guards may be mounted on bikes for 10 points a model.
1-20 Civilians at 3 pts/model
WS2, BS2, S3, T3, W1, I3, A1, Ld5, Sv -
Whether they are low-class slaves and hab workers or high caste guildsmen and scribes, civilians make up the vast bulk of the Imperium's population.
Wargear: CC Weapon Any Civilian may exchange his CC weapon for a las pistol/auto pistol for 1 point.
Panicked: Civilians are not used to combat and will naturally flee from it. They may not move towards the enemy or charge into assault. If they run during the shooting phase they may roll 3 dice and choose the highest.
Transport: Civilians may ride any civilian vehicle except the land runner.
0-1 VIP at 10 pts/model
WS3, BS3, S3, T3, W1, I3, A2, Ld8, Sv 5+
In the Imperium high-ranking officials, clergy and functionaries naturally have some combat training, they would never have lived to reach that level without it.
Wargear: CC Weapon and laspistol. VIPs may exchange their CC weapon for a power weapon for 5 points. They may exchange their laspistol for a bolt pistol for 2 points.
Independent character: VIPs may join and lead units of Civilians and Road Guards.
Transport: VIPs may ride a Hermes Towncar or Salon Royale. They would not be seen in anything less.
Scenario 1 – Save the Caravan!
A caravan of civilians and their vehicles are caught between two opposing armies. One force must protect it, the other must destroy it. Who will succeed?
The fluff for this mission is quite flexible. Obviously the most logical scenario is when the defending player is an Imperial force trying to protect the God-Emperor's loyal subjects but there are other ways to read it. The caravan might be cultists looking to join their Chaos or Xenos masters. They might be traitors or rebels fleeing to enemy lines. Or they might be deranged fools who think the enemy force will save them. Whatever the case, the rules remain the same.
Army selection: Before the game both players should decide on a point limit and who will be the defender and who will be the attacker. In addition to his normal force the defending player should have 200 points of civilian vehicles and passengers who make up the Caravan. Since Land Runners are escort vehicles that do not carry much in the way of passengers or cargo you may spend on ¼ of your points on Land Runners.
The Caravan: The Caravan is a 200 point force of civilian vehicles and passengers. All models must be in a vehicle or on a bike. Each vehicle and its passengers constitute one civilian unit. During the game these civilian units are part of the defender's force and move normally. The defender must rescue as much of the caravan as he can.
Deployment: The defender deploys the Caravan anywhere on the table at least 36" from the defender's table edge. No other models are deployed initially. Infiltrate is not used, though outflank is.
Turn one: The attacker goes first. Roll for each unit, they may enter from the board edge on 4+. The remaining units enter as reserves. The defender's force enters the same way.
Escape: Any Caravan unit that reaches the defender's board edge may move off the board, they have safely escaped.
Victory: The attacker must destroy a majority of the civilian units in the caravan, the defender must save them. A civilian unit is only considered destroyed once the vehicle AND all passenger are destroyed. Once a majority of the Caravan has been destroyed or escaped the game ends. Alternately at the end of turn 6 add up the destroyed and escaped units to determine the winner.
Comments: I've not tested this scenario at all and would like feedback on it. I like the idea of a mission where the two sides are not trying to kill each other but trying to kill some poor weak civilians. The hard part for me was where the caravan should start. 24" seemed too close, 36" though seems too far from their goal. Maybe if they had more than 200 points? Maybe the defender should have to buy them out of his allotment?
Scenario 2 – Protect the Caravan!
Your army is shepherding a caravan of civilians to their destination when the enemy suddenly attacks!
Army selection: Before the game both players should decide on a point limit and who will be the defender and who will be the attacker. In addition to his normal force the defending player should have 200 points of civilian vehicles and passengers who make up the Caravan. Since Land Runners are escort vehicles that do not carry much in the way of passengers or cargo you may spend on ¼ of your points on Land Runners.
The Caravan: The Caravan is a 200 point force of civilian vehicles and passengers. All models must be in a vehicle or on a bike. Each vehicle and its passengers constitute one civilian unit. During the game these civilian units are part of the defender's force and move normally. The defender must rescue as much of the caravan as he can by getting them to the opposite short edge of the board.
Deployment: The defender deploys his force in the center of the board, no less than 18” from each long edge and 36” from one of the short edges. Basically in a box 36” long, 12” wide stretching from one short edge to the center of the board. The attacker may choose one long edge to move on from. The other long edge becomes the defender’s fall back destination. Infilatrators may be deployed normally.
Turn one: The attacker goes first and moves on from his long edge.
Escape: Any Caravan unit that reaches the opposite short edge may move off the board, they have safely escaped.
Victory: The attacker must destroy a majority of the civilian units in the caravan, the defender must save it. A civilian unit is only considered destroyed once the vehicle AND all passengers are destroyed. Once a majority of the Caravan has been destroyed or escaped the game ends. Alternately at the end of turn 6 add up the destroyed and escaped units to determine the winner. Comments: I've not tested this scenario at all and would like feedback on it.
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Liigniiskuse all kanntab enamik Nõukogude Liidu ajal ehitatud majadest. See pole aga alati nii olnud.
Paljudel sellistel majadel oli omal ajal niinimetatud loomulik ventilatsioon, mida võimaldasid majade kehv soojusisolatsioon ja hõredad aknad, mis lasid välisõhu tuppa ja siseõhu toast õue. Köeti palju, kuna soojus oli odav ja maja ise töötas nagu suur tuulekoda – tuul käis läbi hoone enda ja ka korterite.
Tänapäeval võideldakse soojuskaoga majade välisfassaade korrastades, soojendades ja aknaid plastakende vastu vahetades. Need on kõik väga head moodused soojuskaoga võitlemiseks. Kahjuks ei lahenda need tihti õhuniiskuse probleemi, vaid muudavad selle hullemaks.
Mitte ainult nõukogudeaegsed korterid
Liigniiskus ei küsi hoone ehitusaastat – seetõttu ei ole kaitstud ei vanade talude omanikud ega ka pärast nõukogude aega ehitatud korterid või eramajad. Eesti asukoht maailmakaardil tingib, et sademete hulk ületab aurumise. Meil sajab keskmiselt 550–800 millimeetrit ja keskmine suhteline õhuniiskus on 80–83 protsenti. Praegusel aastajal on vastav näitaja 95 protsendi kandis. Arstid peavad sobilikuks õhuniiskuse tasemeks kodus 40–60%. Niikaua kui keegi ei leiuta viisi, kuidas kogu Eesti niiskustaset alandada, peame otsima liigniiskusega võitlemiseks abi õhukuivatitest.
Normaalsetes tingimustes tekitab neljaliikmeline perekond päevas õhku ligi 12 liitrit vett, millele lisaks tuleb arvestada korteri või maja ehituskvaliteediga, mis halva õhuringluse tõttu samuti õhuniiskust tekitab. Enamik probleeme õhuniiskusega tekib külmadel perioodidel (kevad, sügis, talv), kui inimesed ei saa aknaid avada ja kogu niiskus jääb korterisse, ilma et saaks kusagile edasi liikuda. Kui sellel 12 liitril veel ei ole kuhugi minna, hakkabki tekkima tunne, nagu elaks akvaariumis. Liigniiskus ei ole seotud ainult halva ehituskvaliteediga, vaid tekitame ka ise igapäevaelu elades niiskust. Niiskust tekib näiteks duši all käies, pesu pestes, riideid kuivatades, sööki valmistades, hingates, vihmase ilmaga koju tulles jne.
Neljaliikmeline perekond tekitab õhku ligi 12 liitrit vett päevas.
Sinna, kus on külmemad pinnad, näiteks aknad ja seinad, hakkab tekkima kondensaat. Sellised pinnad on hea algus hallituse arenguks ja levikuks ning tavaliselt alles siis pannakse tähele, et on tekkinud tõsine probleem. Hallitus hakkab arenema ja kasvama õhuniiskuse tasemel alates 68 protsenti.
Kui õhuniiskuse tase tõuseb, tekib raskusi tubade kütmisega. See toob kaasa küttekulude tõusu ja isegi siis, kui toatemperatuur on 30 soojakraadi juures, on inimestel ikkagi külm. Veepiisad õhus on külmemad kui kuiv õhk. Piiskade kokkupuutel inimese nahaga tekib külmatunne.
Haarake õhuniiskuse üle kontroll
Üha rohkem inimesi on hakanud õhukuivateid soetama, et õhuniiskuse tase kontrolli alla saada. Praegu on kõige populaarsemaks muutunud õhukuivati BTI2 Supra, mis on valmistatud Prantsusmaal. Seade sobib koduseks kasutamiseks ideaalselt, kuna selle müratase on turul pakutavatest vaikseim ja kuivati saab ilusti hakkama kuni 70-ruutmeetriste ruumidega. Õhukuivati kogub igal temperatuuril umbes 8 liitrit päevas. Puudub kompressor, mis tähendab, et seadmete töötemperatuuri vahemik on +1 kuni +40 kraadi. Kompressorüksused kaotavad tõhususe õhutemperatuuri langedes ning koguvad õhust niiskust vähem, kui tootja on maksimaalselt kirja pannud. BTI2 Supra selle all ei kannata, kuna kasutab desikandi tehnoloogiat.
Sellist seadet kasutatakse korterites, majades, saunades, garaažides ja suvilates. Samuti on olemas tööstuslikud õhukuivatid, mida kasutatakse enamasti tolmustes kohtades või ettevõtete poolt.
Praegu on BTI2 Supra saadaval väga hea hinnaga. Tavapärase 239 euro asemel 169 euroga. Pakkumine kehtib kaks nädalat või kuni soodushinnaga tooteid jagub. Ostu sooritamiseks külastage Oro Eesti OÜ kodulehekülge www.ohukuivatid.ee.
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Mary E. Buser worked in the Mental Health Department on Rikers Island from 1995 to 2000. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Nothing I learned as a master’s student in social work could have prepared me for what I saw in my five years at New York’s 10-jail, 14,000-inmate Rikers Island, where I started out as an intern in the Mental Health Department and quit as an assistant chief of mental health in the 500-cell solitary confinement unit. I worked at Rikers, a jail now notorious for inmate neglect and abuse, thanks to a storm of scathing media reports and lawsuits, at the height of the Giuliani administration’s celebrated crackdown on crime—when the inmate population ballooned to a record 24,000 inmates. I saw a woman chewing on a strand of Christmas lights, the colored shards of glass mixing with blood as she registered her sentence of 25 to life on a drug-related charge; I saw a dazed and moaning male inmate, who had obviously just been beaten, being propped up by guards, his legs bouncing off the steps as they carted him to the clinic. And I also saw things that were less sensationalist, but just as devastating; things that reminded me that I was only seeing up-close a defunct justice system that operates every day on an enormous scale.
One of the hardest lessons during my five years at Rikers came in the case of 23-year-old inmate Chris Barnett, who was driven by the brutality of the jail to confess to a crime he didn’t commit. Chris hobbled into the clinic on crutches, and his referral read, “Just came from hospital—evaluate for depression.” A slight young man, the 23-year-old carefully eased himself into the seat across from me and tearfully told me that two weeks earlier, he’d been out for a carefree motorcycle ride when a teenager darted out from behind a bus. “It was like he fell out of the sky and was on top of my bike. Before I knew what happened, it was over.” An accident, it seemed to me—but, I would learn, that was a distinction that didn’t really matter to the over-worked, over-crowded 10-jail complex that now exemplifies so much of America's criminal justice dysfunction.
Despite the Sixth Amendment’s heralded guarantee of a speedy trial, I learned at Rikers, trial is often years away. This would be a long wait for anyone, but for the detainee who can’t afford a couple thousand offhand in bail—which is a lot of detainees—the pretrial years must be spent behind bars. The only alternative would be the expedient plea bargain, frequently offered by the district attorney: If the accused foregoes trial and accepts some measure of guilt, he will typically receive a lighter sentence than what would have been handed down had he gone to trial and lost. But what it also means is that detainees will agree to it, not necessarily because they’re guilty, but because the pathway to trial is just too daunting.
And, Chris would teach me, it’s especially daunting at Rikers. (It still is—according to figures from late March, over 400 people had been held there for more than two years without being convicted.)
Chris sustained a broken hip, broken collarbone and internal injuries, but the teenager was dead. Chris denied he’d been drinking, and a Breathalyzer confirmed it. He also said he hadn’t been speeding, which was borne out by eyewitnesses as well as a police test on the tire marks. Though Chris had been neither drinking nor speeding, he still was arrested for vehicular homicide, which perplexed me, as this seemed like a clear-cut accident. But I assumed there had to be more to this. After all, I only heard the inmates' version of things.
In the sessions that followed, I learned that Chris, like most at Rikers, had been raised in a poor neighborhood, had dropped out of high school and was involved in minor skirmishes with the law. But after a couple of misdemeanor charges, he went back to school, earned a GED and was thrilled to have landed an entry-level position on Wall Street. The pay was low, but the future was promising, and Chris was smart enough to see the possibilities.
“They’re still holding my job for me,” he said, proudly.
Chris’s father was out of the picture, and his mother was not well. His family lacked the resources to pay his bail, but he did have a steady girlfriend who promised to see him through the ordeal.
Considering his life circumstances, Chris had done remarkably well. And on a personal level I liked him and felt for him and the predicament he was in. An accident like this could have happened to anyone. And based on his continued impressive behavior, I was convinced that this was, indeed, an accident. But what especially intrigued me about Chris was that he didn’t have a prior felony. A lifelong black mark, the felony forever casts suspicion and serves as a permanent barrier to job opportunities, regardless of positive changes made as an individual matures. Virtually all the inmates had at least one felony, mostly for nonviolent offenses. Many had ruefully told me it had been their dream to become a fireman, or even a policeman, only to realize—too late—that because of the felony, this could never be. This one difference set Chris Barnett apart from thousands of others I saw.
The district attorney was offering Chris a plea bargain of two to four years. If he accepted it, he would serve two years in prison upstate and remain on probation for the remaining two. But as part of the offer, he would also have to accept the felony. If he insisted on a trial and lost, his sentence could be in the range of eight to 10 years. There was a lot at stake here. More than anything, Chris wanted to hold on to his job and the life he was creating. But if he accepted the felony, he could say good-bye to Wall Street, and frankly most other job opportunities, forever.
As Chris hashed it over with me, he became angry. “I’m sorry this kid is dead—but I didn’t do anything wrong. He ran out from behind a bus. I wasn’t drinking and I wasn’t speeding. It was an accident! I’m not accepting this offer! Doesn’t he have any responsibility for what happened? I got hurt too! I’ll take my chances at trial.”
I was delighted by his decision. Although I knew that difficult days lay ahead for Chris, I vowed to provide the moral support he would need to see his day in court. “You’re not alone in this,” I told him. “I’ll help you in any way I can. If an issue comes up between our sessions, have your housing officer call me. I’m only a phone call away.”
We stood up and shook hands, and a determined Chris Barnett positioned himself on his crutches and was on his way.
***
“Miss Buser,” Chris Barnett told me one day, “my girlfriend came to see me the other day and she got hassled by the officers in the visit house. Now she’s not coming out here again.”
“I’m sorry, Chris,” I said. “A few people bring drugs in, so they make it hard on everyone. But you can’t let that get you down. This will all be over after your trial.”
“Yes, I know, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to make it to trial.”
A week later, Chris was visibly upset when he arrived for his session. “On court days, it’s four in the morning when they wake you, and you wanna know how they do it? The CO kicks the cot and yells, ‘Get up, asshole!’ All I did was drive a motorcycle down the street!”
But things took a decisive turn when his lawyer, who had long supported Chris’s plan to go to trial, suggested the plea bargain instead. “I don’t understand it!” Chris told me. “After I got arrested, he was all gung ho about trial. But the other day in court, he did a complete turnaround. Now he’s telling me to take the cop-out. I don’t know what to think. He told me to call him and we’d talk, but when I do, I just get his answering machine. Here I am, going to the law library every day, trying to get smart about my case, and now this! I think I need a different attorney. But the guys in the law library tell me that only the judge can assign a different lawyer because the lawyer is court-appointed. And they say judges won’t do it ’cause everybody’d want different lawyers.”
This was true. The inmates were constantly rejoicing or bemoaning their luck when it came to their court-appointed counsel. With so much riding on the competence of the lawyer, an inmate unhappy with his attorney will go to great lengths to persuade a judge to reassign the case. Most are unsuccessful and need to factor in the quality of the lawyer in any trial decision.
With Chris’s resolve eroding, I had the sinking feeling that he’d never see his day in court and would instead accept the plea bargain and the accompanying felony. If this was the case, there would be no return to Wall Street. Far from it, he would be scrambling for employment, forever faced with trying to explain away the felony. Here was a bright young man with a promising future who was involved in what appeared to be an accident. I couldn’t help thinking: This wasn’t justice.
***
When I left the jail each evening to go home, my goal was to turn off my workday. But more often than not, it was impossible. If my mind wasn’t churning with images of another bruised face, beaten up at the hands of either inmates or guards, then I was angry at a criminal justice system that would never allow detainees like Chris Barnett a fair shake.
But if I was angry, I was also starting to feel lonely and cut off from friends who had little real understanding of my workday world. One summer afternoon I was at a barbeque with friends, and we were chatting about the usual topics of politics and the economy. But when the conversation turned toward crime, I saw my opportunity. Without going into too much gory detail, I told them about the brutality and tried to explain just how the criminal justice system treats people who don’t have money for bail. Everyone was listening. Emboldened, I pointed out that Rikers Island was a microcosm of jails and prisons across the country, a nation that led the civilized world in incarcerating its citizens, with a record of more than 2 million behind bars. My little speech was going well until I noticed the husband of one of my friends mouthing the words, “Bleeding heart.” “No,” I protested, “these aren’t liberal or conservative issues. These are human rights issues!” Although everyone nodded politely, the afternoon ended awkwardly and I left the party feeling a little foolish. Talking about just how screwed up the system was far more difficult than I realized at the beginning.
But there was one person in my life who well understood. Although he’d been unenthused about my Rikers mission from the beginning, I was now speaking regularly to my father, who provided not only comfort, but insights as a lawyer. He patiently listened as I described my efforts to help inmates like Chris resist the plea bargain and see their day in court. “Good luck,” was his dry response. “The system’s unfair, Mary. If you don’t have bucks, you’re out of luck. Simple as that. None of this plea bargaining is law. When I first started out on Wall Street, we were all thrown pro bono cases now and then, and we did a damn good job with them! It was a nice change-up from the usual contracts we did. But now, with everything so over-criminalized, the volume of cases makes it impossible to try them all. Everything gets plea-bargained. It has to. And these prosecutors and defense attorneys that do these deals, they shouldn’t call themselves lawyers. This isn’t law! And furthermore, I’d like you to get the hell out of there!”
Ignoring those last wishes, I zeroed in on my father’s observation about the volume of cases and read a book by a prominent New York judge that shed an interesting light on the plea bargain process. In Guilty: The Collapse of Criminal Justice, Judge Harold Rothwax states that in the mid-1990s, in the borough of Manhattan alone, the annual volume of criminal cases averaged 125,000, but the physical capacity for courtrooms, lawyers, and judges allowed for only 1,350 trials! “Of necessity,” Rothwax says in the book, “the overwhelming majority of cases must be plea-bargained.”
The simple matter of clogged courtrooms explains much of the crushing pressure on the detainee to take the cop-out. I’d sat with many an inmate hysterically telling me of some witness or piece of information that could establish an alibi or affirm his innocence. But the lawyers brushed it aside. Court-appointed lawyers, with neither time nor resources to track leads, pay for expert witnesses, or search for evidence, push the plea bargain. Alex Lugo, a former patient who shocked me with his story of being forced to fight against other inmates for the viewing pleasure of prison guards in California, once told me the mantra of the lawyer is “Take the cop-out!”
Yet the public understands none of this, believing, as I once had, that acceptance of a plea bargain can mean only one thing—guilt. But what the public never sees is an impoverished detainee who doesn’t have the luxury of sitting behind bars for a couple of years awaiting trial while a family depends on him. They never see that the court-appointed lawyer is inept, or doesn’t want to try the case, and they would never understand that a detainee, terrified in his housing unit, will take the plea as a means of getting on a bus and getting out—to stay alive. The only thing visible is the choice not to go to trial.
***
When I next met with Chris Barnett, he was getting closer to the decision I dreaded. “You know, Miss B, I could get through all this Rikers bullshit if I knew I had a good shot at trial. Even if I had to sit here two years, I’d do it, but now with this lawyer, I don’t know. I just don’t know.”
But I did know, and sure enough, less than a week later, his housing officer called and said Chris needed to speak with me. As soon as he arrived, he made his announcement: “I can’t take it. I’m taking the cop-out. I have to get out of here. They had a search last night and they beat somebody up bad. I have to get out of this place.”
“But Chris,” I argued in a last-ditch effort to change his mind, “I’m sure they have searches in prison, and unfortunately, people get beaten up in prison too. Leaving Rikers isn’t going to get you away from any of this.”
“Yeah, but everyone says upstate is different. You work, they have programs … but bottom line, I’ll know exactly when I’m getting out. Here, I just sit around all day not knowing what’s happening. I can never reach my lawyer. I can’t take it anymore. I’m going crazy.”
“Yes, I know it’s very hard,” I said softly. “And I do understand your decision.”
“I must have been nuts to think I was going to trial. In the time it takes to sit here and wait for trial, I could serve the same amount of time upstate and go home. It just doesn’t make sense. If I had the money for bail, it would be a different story—I could wait it out. But I don’t.” Hesitating for a moment, he added, “I know I’ll have to take the felony, Miss B. But there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll lose my job, but I’ll get something else. I’ll find something.”
“I understand, Chris.” He was in the terrible position of having to forego his future for the sake of surviving the moment, and I told him so.
“That’s right, Miss Buser, that’s exactly right,” he said. “I can’t take it anymore—I just can’t. I have to get on with my life.”
He accepted the plea bargain and two weeks later, during the predawn hours, Chris Barnett was whisked away to an upstate prison.
***
I don’t know what happened to Chris after that—once an inmate is bused to an upstate prison, all my contact with him would cease—but I know what happens to countless others like him. Over 97 percent of all criminal convictions today are the result of plea bargains (those jury trials that people think are so central to our justice system hardly ever happen anymore). Of the 2.2 million people in prison right now, about 2 million of them are there as a result of plea deals. And calculus of plea deals—for an inmate facing murder chargers, life in prison under the terms of a plea deal might be bad, but the death penalty after a lost trial is worse—has apparently caused many people to plead guilty. Another layer to this is added by long wait times for poor defendants without cash bail, an issue that gained considerable attention at Rikers earlier this summer when 22-year-old Kalief Browder, who was held for three years on the island without being convicted of a crime, killed himself.
Long before the world knew Kalief Browder’s name, though, I knew Chris Barnett. Chris fell victim to the same injustices—but, like millions of others, in a case that didn’t attract much public attention. Because when you only have the trial space for a fraction of the criminal cases in a given district, you’re essentially setting up a system for millions of Chris Barnetts to confess to crimes they didn’t commit. And then, who’s to tell when the system is working and when it’s not?
This article is an adapted excerpt from Lockdown on Rikers: Shocking Stories of Abuse and Injustice at New York’s Notorious Jail.
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An ad campaign to discourage Tennessee drivers from drinking and driving that claimed booze makes “the girls look hotter” has been cancelled after many called it sexist.
The Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office apologized for the “100 Days of Summer Heat Booze It and Lose It Campaign” in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, according to The Tennessean, after the daily newspaper reached out to inquire about the campaign on Monday. “The marketing is often edgy and designed to grab the attention of the young male demographic,” said Director Kendall Poole of the campaign. “It was never the intent of the GHSO to be insensitive or insulting to women.”
The campaign, which the GHSO rolled out in Tennessee bars over the weekend, featured over $77,000 worth of coasters, table tents, and posters bearing slogans such as, “After a few drinks the girls look hotter and the music sounds better. Just remember: If your judgement is impaired, so is your driving,” and, “Buy a drink for a marginally good-lucking girl, only to find out she’s chatty, clingy and your boss’s daughter.”
The campaign received quick criticism from state politicians and Tennesseans across Twitter, including that of Democratic State Representative John Ray Clemmons, who said he was “furious” and called the slip-up “inexcusable and a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
The online material was reportedly no longer available as of 9:15 p.m. Monday night; the GHSO confirmed in Tuesday’s statement that all physical materials were being removed from bars and that the campaign had been funded by federal—and not state—dollars.
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Sporting a silver jacket and shoes as futuristic as the subject matter of his discussion, Hartmut Neven came to UC Berkeley on Tuesday evening to present the quantum computing research he has pioneered as founder and manager of Google’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab.
The event, hosted in Banatao Auditorium by the Berkeley Forum, drew an audience of about 100. Neven began his talk by explaining the advancements in quantum processing that would make it possible for computers to process, simulate and optimize problems exponentially faster in the future.
“It’s made to be more mysterious than it actually is,” Neven said of quantum computing as he began his presentation. “Anyone with a GPA able to get into Berkeley should be able to understand this.”
To facilitate his audience’s understanding, Neven drew comparisons between theory-heavy topics of quantum computing and more relatable activities. At one point, Neven compared the slowness of traditional search algorithms to the act of trying to find one ball hidden among a million different drawers, noting the potential for quantum search algorithms to speed up the search process significantly.
One of the main challenges that scientists face today, according to Neven, is creating efficient quantum algorithms. One could liken it to spinning a toy Beyblade for 30 seconds before it falls over, Neven said. Because you are limited to computing within that time span, if you need to compute something that takes longer, the Beyblade will simply fall over and the program will error before it is finished.
“I thought he did a really good job of simplifying it,” said Umesh Thillaivasan, a campus graduate student who attended the event. “Not being too reductionist, but trying to simplify it so people who have no exposure to it can get the general overview of what the applications of it are, what the implications of it are and how it works.”
Neven projected a timeline for quantum processing advancements, spanning from now until 2027 and involving a “candy store of algorithms” that could outperform current classical computing algorithms.
Initially, work on quantum computing would be limited to solving specific benchmark problems, Neven said. Eventually, however, quantum processing could be more widely applied, in the pharmaceutical industry, aircraft industry and other areas. Quantum processing would make it possible for engineers, such as those working on solar cells and electric car batteries at Tesla, to run simulations and test ideas that are impossible to compute with classical computers.
Luca Cosentino, a campus MBA candidate who attended the event, had read about Google’s investment in quantum computing while working at the company, but he had found it difficult to research the topic through publicly available information. Cosentino said before the event that he was excited to hear Neven’s perspective, adding that he hoped Neven would share something more “confidential.”
While Neven only briefly touched on the specifics of Google’s undertakings in quantum processing, he mentioned that Microsoft and IBM, Google’s competitors, had invested even larger budgets and teams than Google. Neven also predicted many more quantum computing careers to come with the influx of investments in the industry.
“Just to listen to someone like this right here in the Berkeley campus for free, it’s one of the biggest advantages, to me, of studying here,” said Nathalia Magnocavallo, a campus junior who attended the event.
Contact Alicia Kim at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @aliciackim. | {
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Introduction
Since the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 in 2007, the Persona franchise has become a well-received Japanese Roleplaying Game in North America. And as a result of the success of Persona 4 and its sequels, the American, Canadian, and Mexican fanbase continues to grow and thrive.
The Persona 3 Movies
In November 2013, Persona 3 the Movie ー#1 Birth of Springー was premiered throughout Japan and was released as a bluray and DVD on May 2013, exclusively for Japan [1]. Imports were made by Aniplex USA but are currently sold out [2]. People in North America have no access to Birth of Spring unless they are in contact with a third party who will buy the copy from Japan and ship it to North America.
The following year, Persona 3 the Movie ー#2 Midsummer's Knight Dreamー experienced a similar treatment with its prequel and went through a roadshow event in Japan, which lasted from June to October 2014 [3]. It has been announced early November 2014 that Japanese bluray and DVDs will be on sale by March 11, 2014 [4]. Any actions made by Aniplex USA to bring the second movie to North America has not yet been made.
In 2015, Persona 3 the Movie 「#3 Falling Down」will also have a roadshow event in Japan and is currently undergoing development [5].
The Petition
Considering Persona's growing fanbase overseas, we implore that Spring of Birth and Midsummer's Knight Dream be localized in North America. We would like to have the movies dubbed into English with the original English cast from the game, Persona 3, and have the option to switch back to Japanese audio with subtitles.
Additionally, we would like to have the third upcoming movie, Falling Down, premiere in selected theaters at selected dates throughout North America in the ways Aniplex have done with previous anime movies, such as "Madoka: the Rebellion" and "Rebuild of Evangelion".
If you agree with the statement above, please sign this petition and bring the Persona 3 movies to North America! I highly recommend that you write a personalized message because I believe people really do read them, and it shows how passionate we are about bringing more of this series to North America.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Please share this petition on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, or on your blogs! Let's show Atlus that they have successfully gained a global audience and make this request of ours a reality!
If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas on the petition or how Aniplex can show the third Persona movie in selected theaters, please feel free contact me! I would love to hear your ideas and would like to make this a community effort.
Ways to Contact Me
- message me at the Yu Narukami Facebook Fan Page. I am admin Nanaker Brojima.
- email me at [email protected]
- twitter: twitter.com/P3MoviePetition
- tumblr: persona3moviepetition.tumblr.com
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Citations
[1] http://www.p3m.jp/pkg/pkg01.html
[2] http://www.aniplexusa.com/p3m/
[3] http://www.p3m.jp/theater/
[4] http://www.p3m.jp/pkg/
[5] http://www.p3m.jp/news/
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Scotland Yard holds an astonishing 260 crates of documents on police corruption in one corner of London alone – and very few of the rogue detectives have ever been successfully prosecuted.
A review led by one of Britain's most senior police officers has unearthed a mammoth amount of intelligence spawned by Operation Tiberius, a secret police report written in 2002 that concluded there was "endemic corruption" inside the Metropolitan Police.
The file found organised crime networks in north-east London were able to infiltrate the Met "at will" to frustrate the criminal justice system.
Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
The huge number of crates, revealed in a letter by Craig Mackey, the Met's deputy commissioner, indicates the scale of criminality inside Scotland Yard's north-east London units, which appears to have gone almost unchallenged since Tiberius was compiled 12 years ago.
Research suggests that only a tiny number of the scores of then-serving and former police officers named as corrupt by Tiberius have been convicted.
In a letter to Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, Mr Mackey warned that the mountain of evidence against his officers is likely to continue growing. He said: "This number [of crates] is likely to expand as linked operations are identified."
Following a series of scandals surrounding the Stephen Lawrence and Daniel Morgan murders, the news will renew fears that the Met remains unwilling to confront corruption in its ranks.
In correspondence published quietly on the parliamentary website, it emerged that Scotland Yard had handed only six heavily redacted pages of Operation Tiberius to the committee, following a request from MPs for the controversial report. Its full length extends to about 170 pages.
None of the sheets released to the committee mentioned the "endemic corruption" inside Scotland Yard – or any of the shocking details of how organised crime syndicates bribed scores of former and then-serving detectives in order to access confidential databases; obtain live intelligence on criminal investigations; provide specialist knowledge of surveillance, technical deployment and undercover techniques to help to evade prosecution; and take part in criminal acts such as mass drug importation and money laundering.
In his letter, Mr Mackey said: "In my view, the release of the documents held for … Operation Tiberius at this time would not be in the public interest."
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Mr Vaz said: "I am deeply concerned by the sheer amount of evidence relating to corruption in the Met. While I understand the need for sensitivity regarding current investigations, I find the amount of redaction in the reports sent to the committee baffling.
"London's police force are seen as the gold standard for the rest of the UK. It is vital that we understand the full facts in order to root out corruption in the police. I look forward to receiving the information on the numbers of officers who have been convicted in relation to these operations, as promised by Mr Mackey."
The police chief also revealed that the Met's discredited 2012 review of the Stephen Lawrence murder had "input" from the Scotland Yard press office prior to publication, but was "ultimately endorsed as suitable for public release" by the former head of the anti-corruption command, deputy assistant commissioner Patricia Gallan.
In March, a major review of the Lawrence case concluded that Scotland Yard had provided "misleading reassurance" over police malpractice in the Lawrence inquiry and found the 2012 Met report to be "ill judged".
The memo detailed that intelligence was inexplicably shredded by the Met in 2001, including evidence that officers stole and trafficked illegal drugs, shared rewards with informants, faked applications for more payouts, sold confidential information to criminals and accepted bribes to destroy and fabricate evidence.
However, the Met was criticised earlier this year when it emerged that the review, written by Detective Superintendent David Hurley, had not made it clear that it could not find the intelligence as it had been destroyed – triggering amazement from a senior police officer who had presided over the original £8m investigation, codenamed Operation Othona.
In a statement released following Mr Mackey's appearance in front of MPs, Scotland Yard said: "In hindsight, the MPS accepts Mark Ellison's view that this report was produced in too tight a timescale, which was unrealistic and ill judged, leading to the view that the MPS was attempting to provide false reassurance to the Lawrence family." | {
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It’s going down today!
President Trump has agreed to declassify the Carter Page FISA docs and other documents requested by the House Oversight and House Committee.
FOX News’ John Roberts reported Monday afternoon that the President will issue the declassification order TODAY!
JOHN ROBERTS: Source tells @FoxNews that @realDonaldTrump will today order the declassification of certain FISA documents @DevinNunes @TGowdySC Committees have been asking for
https://twitter.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1041799995400187904
TRENDING: OUTRAGEOUS! Ohio State University President Sends Ignorant Text Message to Students Following Breonna Taylor Decision -- And a Crazy-Ass Video!
PERGRAM: WH: At the request of..Congress..the President has directed..for the immediate declassification of the..FISA court in the matter of Carter W. Page; (2) all FBI reports of i-views w/Bruce..Ohr..all FBI rpts of interviews prepared in connection w/all Carter Page FISA applications
https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1041801646936940544
Statement from White House:
https://twitter.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1041801934724902915
There’s more…
https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1041802417397030914
The DOJ and FBI are working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with President Trump’s order.
https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1041830556877709312
According to House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes there is exculpatory evidence in the 20 redacted pages of the Carter Page FISA docs.
It is also important to note that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein signed the June 2017 FISA renewal –one month after he appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Trump-Russia collusion.
This is a breaking story…please refresh page for updates. | {
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× Expand Judith Davidoff Cusack: "I was threatened with arrest Tuesday."
Police on Thursday did not appear to be warning observers of the Solidarity Sing Along at the Wisconsin Capitol that they were subject to arrest for watching the noontime gathering.
Isthmus reported Tuesday that Rep. Sondy Pope (D-Middleton), state official Tia Nelson and other observers, including tourists, were told by Capitol Police that day they could be arrested for watching the sing-along. On Wednesday, however, Stephanie Marquis, spokeswoman for the Department of Administration, emailed the Associated Press to say that "Observers will not receive citations." According to the AP, Marquis did not explain why police this week were warning observers they were subject to arrest. Marquis did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday but on Thursday reiterated in an email to Isthmus that only those who "actively participate will be cited for not complying with the law."
On Thursday, police officers continued to arrest people singing on the ground floor of the Rotunda, but unlike earlier in the week, were not circling the floor above the gathering warning observers they were also subject to arrest. (Watch a video of Capitol police delivering such warnings.)
Nora Cusack was watching the sing-along from above on Thursday, as on Tuesday. On Thursday she held a sign that read, "Observers will not receive citations. DOA, August 7, 2013." The other side of the sign read, "I am observing only."
Cusack said she is frequently at the Capitol during the sing-along, but has never participated. "And yet I was threatened with arrest Tuesday." She says she was not approached by any police officers Thursday.
Also on Thursday, Eileen VanderVelden sat in her wheelchair off to the side of the ground floor of the Rotunda. She wore a sign that said, "I am an observer. Please do not arrest me." She also covered her mouth with her hand.
VanderVelden said she had open-heart surgery six weeks ago and fears for her health if she were to get arrested. She says some of the arrests have been "rough." "If they do that to me I might be dead."
The noontime sing-along has protested Gov. Scott Walker's policies daily at the Capitol since March 11, 2011. Since a new round of arrests began at the Capitol two weeks ago, more than 100 citations have been issued to protesters by Capitol Police. That is in addition to the more than 200 citations that had already been issued since July 2012 when the Department of Administration began enforcing new permitting requirements for gatherings in state facilities. | {
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Author(s):Several
Immigration Law of The UAE
There are several laws and regulations put in place to control the flow of foreigners entering and exiting the country’s territory. Federal Law Number 6 of 1973 as amended by Federal Law Number 13 of 1996 [the Immigration Law] contains the laws governing immigration regarding the entry, and residency of expatriates in the UAE. Additionally, UAE government passes several regulations about immigration under various ministerial decrees and orders, the most relevant of which, regarding the procedure, is Ministerial Decree Number 360 of 1997 [The Decree] to Issue the Executive Bylaw of the Immigration Law.
To legally enter the country, an individual would require a valid visa as defined in the Decree as "...Permission to be posted on the passport or on the travel permit of a foreigner which will allow him to enter the country. It should accompany by all persons included in passport unless the visa specifies the names of beneficiaries of the visa."
A visa allows entry into the UAE for short or temporary periods although some of these periods are renewable. Below are the types of visas one can attain before entering the country and depending on their purpose of entry as established in Article 8 of the Immigration Law which states that “Any entry permit or visa shall state the purpose of entry into the country.”
Types of Visas:
Tourist Visa. Transit Visa. 3. Visit Visa Multiple Entry Visa. Residence Visa. 6. 96-hour Transit Visa. 7. 14-transit Visa. 8. 60-day renewable Visa.
The rule regarding foreign visitors to enter the UAE is that all visitors require visas except citizens of GCC countries (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE) and the government exempt the following citizens:
Andorra Australia Brunei Canada Hong Kong Ireland Japan Malaysia Monaco New Zealand People’s Republic of China Russia San Marino South Korea United Kingdom United States of America Vatican City
Citizens of the countries mentioned above do not need to acquire a visa to enter the UAE. Such visitors can obtain permits at the airport, for a fee of AED 100. It allows the visitor to stay in the country for up to 60 days and have the option to extend the trip for another 30 days. Extensions may be applicable for at the Naturalization & Residency department. The fee for extension is AED 500, and the party should submit it within 60 days of the trip.
Importantly, for applying for any visa or permit, it is necessary to attain the sponsorship of either a UAE resident or other legal entities such as corporations (employers) or hotels. If a hotel or a resident of UAE is sponsoring the visa or permit, they would usually deposit the visa at the airport for collecting the permission upon arrival.
The UAE bodies, which are responsible for issuing visas and permits to foreigners wishing to enter the UAE, are the Naturalization and Immigration Administration, the International Airport Authority of any member emirate and any other institute selected for this purpose by the Ministry of Interior.
Entry permits are different from visas, and one can obtain it only within the UAE from the Headquarters of Immigration and Residence. Below are the types of grants available to foreigners to stay legally in the UAE.
Employment Permit. Residence Permit. Residence for Employees Permit Residence with Work Permit
96-hour Transit Visa
Article (7) of the Immigration Law describes that the “the Immigration authorities in the international airports of any member emirate in the UAE may act by rules set by the Ministry of Interior grant aliens entry the country visas for ninety-six (96) hours as per the following conditions:
The foreigner should have a passport or a travel permit, valid for entry in the Country and the country of destination. He should have a ticket to continue his trip. He should leave the country within ninety-six (96) hours from the time of obtaining the visa.
Visit Visa
Article (12) of the Immigration Law defines that “Any outsider entering the Country with visit visa or authorization should need to leave the Country on the expiry date of such visa or consent either through cancelation expiry period thereof - unless he has gotten a habitation permit.” An outsider can get a visit visa for various purposes. In spite of the fact that systems are pretty much similar for everyone, conditions differ contingent upon who the guest is and who the guest's support is. The lawfully allowed purposes for which one may enter the UAE on a visit visa are the following:
To visit family or friends that are residents of the UAE
To attend a juridical person
For tourism purposes
If the tourist remains in the country beyond the legalized period, he is fined AED 100 a day with an additional AED 100 for airport documentation processing fees. Once an individual attains a visit visa, he must travel within 60 days of its date of issue. Otherwise, there should be a renewal of the permission, and a fee of AED 150 is applicable.
Article (11) of the Immigration Law prohibits visitors to work when on visit visa as stated “The outsider who gets a visit visa may not work anyplace in the nation with or without pay or for his own. If the visa is for work purposes for an individual or a foundation, the holder may not work for another individual or foundation without the composed permission of that individual or foundation and the endorsement of the Directorate of Nationality and Immigration”.
Multiple Entry Visa
Residents of the accompanying nations can get a 90-days various section visit visa substantial for a half year from the date of issue for a stay of 90 days.
Austria 2. Belgium 3. Bulgaria 4. Croatia 5. Cyprus 6. Czech Republic 7. Denmark 8. Estonia 9. Finland 10. France 11. Germany 12. Greece 13. Hungary 14. Iceland 15. Italy 16. Latvia 17. Liechtenstein 18. Lithuania 19. Luxembourg 20. Malta 21. Netherlands 22. Norway 23. Poland 24. Portugal 25. Romania 26. Seychelles 27. Slovakia 28. Slovenia 29. Spain 30. Sweden 31. Switzerland
Penalty and Punishments
Article 30 of the Immigration Law expresses that If a guest goes to the UAE by any methods for transportation by rupturing the arrangements of Article (2) where no guest ought to enter the nation in any capacity without a legitimate international ID or a movement archive. Also, the provisions of Article (7) as mentioned above of the Immigration Law, the Directorate of Nationality and Immigration may order deportation and order the owner of the transportation to take the illegal visitor out of the country, and the owner shall bear transportation expenses. Any captain of any transportation means who refuses to carry out an order issued to him by the preceding article may be punished by a fine not exceeding AED 2000. If a visitor enters the country and refuses to obey the deportation order, he shall face imprisonment for a period not more than four months and a fine not exceeding AED 2000 as mentioned in Article (31). Article (32) explicitly indicates that if the owner of any means of transport or the responsible person attempts to bring any person inside the country by violating the provision of Immigration Law shall be imprisoned for a period not more than one year and fine not exceeding AED 5000. Article (33) mentions that any person, who gives misleading statements to avoid the provisions of this law, will face imprisonment for a period not more than four months and a fine not exceeding AED 2,000, and the court may order his deportation from the country. Article (34) Any person who falsifies a visa or entry permit for entering the country or residing therein, or any document to avoid the provisions of this law, or uses knowingly any forged document. The defaulter will face punishment by way of imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years and a fine not exceeding AED 10,000, and the court may order his deportation from the country. Article (36) states that “any person attempts to commit a crime punishable under this law or participates in that crime or assists or induces or urges others to commit such crime, shall face punishment with the prescribed punishment for that who commits the crime itself.”
The Court of Cassation (Case number 268 of 2010) decided on 30 November 2010 and referring to Article 22 and 28 of Federal Law Number 6 of 1973 read with Article 184 of Law of Civil Procedures as held as under:
“the Ministry of the Interior is not obliged to accept the amendments made by a resident foreigner to the particulars of his residence permit under which permission to reside has been granted, including the full name, unless there is a legislative provision requiring the Ministry to do so, because a residence permit is not an absolute right that a foreigner has, and the grant of a residence permit is an act of national sovereignty. Likewise, the Department is not obliged to state the reasons for not accepting any amendments, and the grant of a residence permit to a foreign male who is married to a UAE woman is a permissive matter for it pursuant to article 28 of the Implementing Regulations to Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 relating to immigration and residence of foreigners, and the amendments thereto. The Department may cancel the residence permit of a foreigner at any time for reasons connected with the public interest, pursuant to article 22 of the aforesaid law.”
In case 323 (Judicial Year 26) decided on 25 April 2005, the Court of Cassation discussing the effects of illegal employment held that: | {
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