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Will new California schools chief follow through on reform rhetoric? | Eighteen months ago, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, saw her attempts to improve the states badly flawed teacher tenure law thwarted by maneuvering led by Democrats allied with the California Teachers Association, in particular Assemblyman Tony Thurmond of Richmond, who later apologized. On Monday, Weber spoke at Thurmonds swearing-in as state superintendent of public instruction. This may have been a courtesy. But it may also suggest Weber is privately lobbying Thurmond in the hope hell pursue basic education reforms his predecessor, Tom Torlakson, opposed. Every Californian should hope Thurmond is a change agent. Its absurd that teachers can get tenure in the spring of their second year on the job; that the state doesnt use smart metrics to track student progress and how much teachers help their students learn, and that many districts dont try aggressively to coach up struggling young teachers. Instead, those resistant to reform continue to insist that school quality is a function of school spending despite all the evidence from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida and Texas that this just isnt true that multilevel accountability is whats essential. Thurmonds inaugural speech, alas, had as a main focus the need to increase funding. But in his August interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, he said he should not be defined by his teachers union support. He added then that he supported tenure changes and better tracking of student performance, and that he opposed Torlaksons 2015 decision that additional funds going to schools specifically to help English-language learners, foster children and children from poor families could be used for teacher raises. Well be watching to see if he keeps pushing for what he promised against a schools reformer in a tough campaign. Well be tracking his performance. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion | https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/editorials/sd-tony-thurmond-california-superintendent-20190108-story.html |
Did a Tesla self-driving car hit and kill a robot at CES 2019? | A Tesla car operating in its autonomous driving mode has allegedly ploughed into a humanoid robot and killed it. The Russian company Promobot has released video showing one of its Model v4 robots being knocked over on Paradise Road, Las Vegas. However, before you start getting too upset: its feared the incident was some sort of PR stunt. Promobot said the ill-fated droid was part of a group making its way to a booth at the Consumer Electronics Show at about 7pm when it suddenly stepped into the road and was hit by a Tesla Model S operating in autonomous mode. Its alleged that a human was at the wheel. The crash knocked the robot onto its side and causing such serious damage to its body, head, arms and movement systems that it cannot be put on display, Promobot said. Its believed the damage is irreparable. Of course we are vexed, said Oleg Kivokurtsev, Promobots Development Director. Promobot shown in happier times shaking Vladimir Putins hand (Picture: Promobot) We brought this robot here from Philadelphia to participate at CES. Now it neither cannot participate in the event or be recovered. Advertisement Advertisement We will conduct an internal investigation and find out why the robot went to the roadway. But people are questioning whether Promobot really met such a grim fate. On YouTube, some commenters suggested it fell over in a way which looks as if was pulled by a rope rather than hit by a car. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/08/tesla-self-driving-car-hits-kills-robot-ahead-ces-2019-8324305/ |
Does the government shutdown affect food stamps in Oregon? | More than 600,000 Oregonians who rely on federal food stamp benefits are safe for now despite a partial government shutdown, a state official said Tuesday. The state has secured funding to cover food stamps through February. Separately, state officials say they have money to continue a different food program for women, children and infants through March. The food stamp program, formally called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, serves more than 350,000 households statewide. It provides about $75 million monthly to needy Oregonians, with an average household benefit of just over $200. The federal government covers all food stamp benefits for Oregonians, and the state has already received its funding through February, said Dawn Myers, the program manager. I would not say that I am super concerned yet, said Myers, who has experienced other brief federal shutdowns in her 13 years with the Department of Human Services. I think that we have a good amount of time that we can go with benefits for individuals not being affected. Oregon issues food stamp credits to recipients each month, between the first and ninth, depending on a persons Social Security number. That means the earliest the federal shutdown could impact Oregonians would be March 1. The state does not maintain a reserve to fund the food-stamp program, Myers said. If the shutdown were to continue, Myers said the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Service would likely provide information to state programs. But when such directions would come is unknown. Meanwhile, the state has secured federal funding for a different food program serving about 89,000 people through March, said Robb Cowie, a spokesman for the Oregon Health Authority. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children provides recipients about $4 million a month, or $50 on average. -- Brad Schmidt [email protected] 503-294-7628 @_brad_schmidt Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. | https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2019/01/does-the-government-shutdown-affect-food-stamps-in-oregon.html |
What Are Bone Conduction Headphones? | Photo: Whitson Gordon Nothing gets me through a workout like cranking up some bangers. And while in-ear headphones can create head-thumping bass by sealing your ears off from the world, they also isolate you from the sound of cars, bikes, and other people, which can be dangerous. Bone conduction may not be the most popular headphone technology, but its been around for years, and aims to solve this problem. While most headphones transmit music through the air, entering your ear canal and vibrating your eardrum, bone conduction headphones are different. They sit outside your ear, vibrating the bones of your head until the sound reaches the cochleathe same place the eardrum sends sounds to be converted for your brain. That means your ear canal is free to listen to the sounds around you. Advertisement There are a number of bone conduction manufacturers out there, but Aftershokz is pretty widely considered the best. I gave their $150 Trekz Air a try, and while the sensation is a little unsettling at first, they make fantastic headphones for running, biking, or just walking through a bustling neighborhood. First of all, the comfort is pretty much unparalleled. Like most exercise headphones, they wrap around the back of your ears, but grip your head just above your jaw. This is huge for those of us that hate having things buried in their ear canals, and theyre so lightweight that you can barely tell theyre there when they arent playing music. (The cheaper Trekz Titanium are a bit heavier, but still very comfortable.) Photo: Whitson Gordon Bluetooth pairing is fairly easy, once you actually read the directions (you have to hold the power button an extra few seconds when turning them on to put them in pairing mode), and multipoint pairing is a nice added extra if you want to pair them to more than one device at a time. In my usage, battery life even exceeded Aftershokzs 6-hour estimate, though your mileage may vary. Advertisement Heres the downside: these wont sound nearly as good as regular in-ear headphones. Bone conduction is just not as efficient as transferring sound through your eardrum, and while its still incredibly effective, the bass response is severely decreased (though you will feel the bass vibrations against your skull, which is a rather novel sensation). Mids and highs are still well represented, and while you wont get that same thump-thump-thump in your head, it should provide enough auditory juice to jazz you up for your run. And in the end, its well worth the tradeoff, because you can hear an awful lot with these on. Im not just talking about oncoming cars and bikes, eitherat a light jog, I could even hear my footsteps on the pavement, giving me more awareness than any other earbuds have ever been able to provide. (I can see these being especially useful for hearing the cries of more goldfish from a stroller-bound toddler, too). Of course, this assumes youre still listening to your music at a reasonable volumethe more you crank it up, the more youll drown out other soundsbut being able to hear everything is almost as novel a sensation as the bone conduction itself, and if youre out and about in a particularly busy area, youll appreciate the ability to hear both your music and the surrounding noises. I particularly liked the Trekz Air for podcasts, which I often listen to when walking or running, since they dont really require high-fidelity audio anyway. Advertisement The Trekz Air also come with a pair of earplugs for times when you want to block outside noise, but it makes them sound absolutely terribleeven with the earplug-friendly equalizer settingso for those situations youre better off just getting a cheap pair of traditional earbuds. Theyll sound better. Probably not. But if you want a pair of exercise-focused headphones to go alongside them, something like the Trekz Air are a perfect alternative, and are well worth the tradeoffs. The Trekz Air cost $150 and the Trekz Titanium are around $100, though theyre also available from other Amazon sellers for cheaper. You can buy wired bone conduction headphones for $50 too, though theyll still require charging, since bone conduction requires a bit more power than traditional headphones. Advertisement If youre willing to wait, Aftershokz just announced a new product at CES known as the Xtrainerz, which are IP68 water resistant and include 4GB of MP3 storage so you dont even need to bring your phone on your workout. They should be out in Q2 of this year. | https://theinventory.com/what-are-bone-conduction-headphones-1831366160 |
Will Food Assistance Program be Impacted by Government Shutdown? | Please enable Javascript to watch this video DES MOINES, Iowa -- Those who use the SNAP food assistance program are watching the government shutdown closely. The federal program, more commonly known as food stamps, is run by the USDA. Recently, the amount of funding the program has in their reserves is coming under question. The USDA is funded through January, but should the shutdown last until February, things become less clear. According to the Washington Post, the program's emergency reserves will only fund about 1/3 of the month of February. For people like Crystal Foote, the prospect of living without the SNAP program is bleak. Probably would be homeless or not have any food, said Foote. The 31-year-old mother of two uses food stamps every month. If I find out I don't have food stamps, that's going to be hard on my family, because my mom doesn't make a whole lot either, so I don't know where we're going to get food, she said. The Food Bank of Iowa says they are hopeful the shutdown gets resolved in the next few weeks. If the shutdown goes into February, Food Bank CEO Michelle Book says 350,000 Iowans will be impacted. 70 percent of those families have children in their household. Of those families that receive SNAP in Iowa, 31% have handicapped or disabled people in their household. Iowan's who receive SNAP benefits are the most vulnerable, said Book. Book says if the worst happens, Iowans can turn to local food pantries. The Food Bank of Iowa works with over 500 partner agencies across our service area, food pantries, school pantries, churches, feeding programs, senior feeding sites, all of those will see an uptick in volume, said Book. In Iowa, the Department of Human Services handles the SNAP program. DHS issued a statement on Tuesday reading: The Food Assistance Program is fully funded through January. At this time, we believe that February food assistance benefits will be available. Contingency plans are being drafted should they be necessary. The Food Bank of Iowa says Iowans looking to help shore up the banks food supply can donate to them financially. Book also encourages federal employees who are furloughed to take advantage of their local food resources. | https://whotv.com/2019/01/08/will-food-assistance-program-be-impacted-by-government-shutdown/ |
Is Venezuela's Downward Spiral OPEC's Achilles Heel Or Saving Grace? | Authored by Julianne Geiger via Oilprice.com, OPEC and US Shale have been duking it out in the oil markets for a few years now - ever since the days of $100 oil. OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, took up a campaign to flood the market with oil to drown out the rising stars of the US Shale world. But that $100 oil came at a price, and the glut sunk prices to uber lows that hurt every oil producer in the world - some more than others. Venezuela was no exception to feeling hurt. Its state oil company, PDVSAor shall we say the Hugo Chavez administrations personal piggy bankwas already reeling from corruption, and was busy fighting with foreign oil firms who were operating in country and subsequently booted out. The country had no money to invest in its cash cow to keep it running. President Nicolas Maduro--who took office when oil producers were for the most part fat, dumb, and happyinherited along with PDVSA a country that was in crisis, with some even saying back then that it was on the verge of an economic breakdown, with Moodys tallying a public sector deficit of 15 percent of its GDP. And when oil prices started to tank, Venezuelas dire economic situation became direr. Years ago, Venezuela was an instrumental member of OPEC, with Chavez reestablishing Venezuelas seat at the OPEC table. Today, Venezuela is still an active member, with Maduro serving as one of the loudest cheerleaders of the original OPEC production cut deal solidified in late 2016 after his desperate-but-successful whirlwind tour designed to save its country from ruin with the increased oil revenues that would likely come from such a deal. Maduro visited all the whos who in the OPEC oil world, including Iran, Qatar, and OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia. At that time, Maduro claimed to have a formula that would stabilize oil prices for ten years. That concept, now squarely in the rearview mirror, is clearly viewed as both tragic and laughable, given the recent price swings. Despite Maduros ten-year plan being clearly dead in the water, OPEC was still able to pull off a production cut deal that managed to lift prices for a time. In fact, the plan was so successful, that combined with a few geopolitical events between Iran and the United States and China and the United States, and Libya, Nigeria, and Venezuelas unintentional production outages, OPEC conspired to lift production mid-2018. Some would say this is in part attributed to Maduros salesmanship. Coming full circle, the market is once again facing falling oil prices along with another planned production cut from the cartel. Venezuela, who did manage to benefit somewhat from the original production cut deal in 2017, is producing fewer and fewer barrels of oil on a monthly basis, ending 2018 with a daily production level that is near 30-year lows for the Latin American country. And no one is holding onto hope that Venezuelas oil production will reboundthat is, no one but Venezuela. With Venezuelas production sure to continue its downward spiral, OPEC is bound to catch a break on the production cuts. OPEC agreed to cut 800,000 bpd this time around, and Venezuela will likely eat away at some of that 800,000 bpd, without even trying. This takes some of the heat off other OPEC members who may find it difficult to curb production yet again. On the surface, this indicates that Venezuelas OPEC membership is paying off for OPEC. It has been instrumental in getting OPEC members on board to reduce production, and it is cutting its own barrels produced in great numbers, even if not on purpose, allowing other members, such as Iraq, to overproduce without hurting OPECs overall compliance. However, OPEC is a cartel, and that cartels purpose is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic, and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers, and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry. Unfortunately for OPEC, Venezuelas economic and political situation is so bleak that it has almost no control over its own oil production. It cannot ramp up production. It cannot export more. It has failed to secure this regular supply of petroleum to [its] consumers as OPECs mission statement calls for. In fact, Venezuela has begged, borrowed, and stolenliterallyto keep PDVSA afloat, and still it sinks. Part of OPECs claim to fame is that it has the clout to move oil prices up or down, by moving production up or downand Venezuela can no longer participate in that activity. OPECs clout has waned thanks to the rise of US shale, but also due to what some are seeing as OPECs almost-maxed production capacity. Surely Venezuelas production capacity is maxed, and surely that max will continue to decrease. As Venezuelas production capacity dwindles, so does OPECs, which is likely why Russia and a few extras have been brought into the OPEC fold. In the short term, Venezuela helps OPEC to meet some immediate production cut goals. In the long term, however, Venezuela will likely remain a drain on OPECs overall capacity, as it is unable to contribute in any meaningful way to the cartel that relies on production manipulation to swing prices. | https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-08/venezuelas-downward-spiral-opecs-achilles-heel-or-saving-grace?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29 |
Was braucht der Hund? | Grundlagen der Hundeernhrung Teil 1/9 Ganz allgemein muss der individuelle Bedarf eines Hundes an Energie und allen Nhrstoffen wie beispielsweise Eiweissen, Mineralien und Vitaminen gedeckt sein. Um diesen zu ermitteln, muss das einzelne Tier, aber auch das Umfeld betrachtet werden. Es kann gut sein, dass das eine Tier mit einem Futter gesund, munter und leistungsfhig ist, whrend ein anderes vom gleichen Futter dnneren Kot bekommt, weil es irgendeine Komponente darin nicht vertrgt. Auch mssen das Alter sowie die Leistung des Hundes bekannt sein, um sich fr eine Art der Ftterung zu entscheiden und deren Zusammensetzung zu beurteilen. Ebenso mssen die Bedrfnisse und Mglichkeiten des Besitzers bercksichtigt werden, da dieser ebenfalls zufrieden sein sollen. Leider bertragen viele Menschen Theorien aus der Humanernhrung auf ihre Hunde. Alle diese Punkte zeigen deutlich, dass ein Futter oder eine Art der Ftterung, welche fr Hugo perfekt ist, fr Luna vielleicht nicht unbedingt empfehlenswert ist, da sie dieses nicht vertrgt oder das Futter beziehungsweise dessen Zubereitung dem Besitzer nicht zusagt. Hunde individuell betrachten Leben bedeutet einen stndigen Umsatz von Energie und Nhrstoffen, die ber die Nahrung zugefhrt werden mssen. Der Energie- und Nhrstoffbedarf ist von verschiedenen Faktoren abhngig wie Gewicht, Rasse, Alter, Haltung sowie Wachstum, Trchtigkeit, Laktation, als auch der Leistung (oder Arbeit). Auch die Verdaulichkeit von verschiedenen Futtermitteln spielt eine grosse Rolle, um den Bedarf eines Hundes decken zu knnen, denn nur das, was so verdaut wird, das es dem Krper zur Verfgung steht, kann vom Hund genutzt werden. Das bedeutet, dass der aufgrund des Krpergewichts und Alters berechnete Energiebedarf lediglich eine Richtgrsse ist, die individuell angepasst werden muss. () Den vollstndigen Beitrag knnen Sie in der Ausgabe 1/19 lesen. | http://hundemagazin.ch/was-braucht-der-hund/ |
Why does food taste different on planes? | If you've ever brought a favorite treat along to enjoy on a flight -- a special chocolate bar, stacked-high sandwich, or flaky pastry, say -- you might have noticed it didn't taste as great at 30,000 feet. It's not just you. Air transportation Aircraft Airlines Aviation and aerospace industry Business and industry sectors Business, economy and trade Consumer products Food and drink Food products Fruits and vegetables Kinds of foods and beverages Transportation and warehousing Vegetables Diet and nutrition Diet, nutrition and fitness Health and medical Nutrition Flying has a very real effect on the smell and taste of food and drinks for a number of reasons. Herbert Stone, who has a PhD in nutrition, worked on food for the Apollo Moon Mission. He says that says chilly airplane temps are partly to blame. We don't taste flavors as well when it's cold. Remember too, that taste and smell are inextricably combined, so what affects your sense of smell impacts tastes big-time. Pressurized cabins lower blood oxygen levels, and that reduces the ability of olfactory receptors. And the constantly circulating, super-dry air of the airplane cabinan average 12 percent humidity, lower than that of the Sahara Desertdirectly affects the nose. "Low moisture and air movement will dry the nasal passages and this reduces odor and taste sensitivity," says Stone, who adds that when the exact same food is tested at sea level, "it will be rated as stronger and more intense." Then there's the noisethe drone of the airplane's engines, the baby screeching in the back rowalso affects how food tastes. Additional research has shown that no matter the environment, flavor perception is dampened by loud background sounds. Some tastes are affected by these factors more than others. "Salt is perceived to be between 20 and 30 percent less intense and sugar 15 to 20 percent less intense, at high altitude, according to research by the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics that was conducted for Lufthansa. The perception of fruity aromas and acids is by contrast more stable," according to research by the Fraunhofer team. And this might be a conservative estimate: "In the air you lose almost 70 percent of your sense of taste," says Antonio Fernandez, AeroMexico's senior vice president for on-board product. Considering all of these factors, it's not a big surprise that the salted caramel macaron that explodes your taste buds with flavor on the ground tastes like a ghost of itself in the air. But savvy airline chefs know that some flavors do better than others in the sky: Spicy and intense flavors remain pretty stable at altitudelike a Thai or Korean curry, and so does fresh fruit, especially citrus. Umami flavors--like those found in mushrooms, seaweed, hard cheeses and meat--lend richness and depth to dishes, and they come through well, too. "Flavors such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, parmesan, tomato, mushrooms, soy, meat and lentils" are the go-to flavor-enhancers for Aeromexico's chefs, says Fernandez. Cuisine that relies on subtle flavors (like how fish, pasta or poultry might normally be prepared) end up the big flavor losers and lead to complaints, food scientists have found. "Typical reactions include words like 'tasteless' and 'cardboard'," says Stone. On top of all the taste-perception challenges, food prep areas aren't exactly restaurant-quality at 30,000 feet. Flight attendants aren't sous chefs, and space is at a premium. There's only one oven and an entire entree must be cooked at the same temperature for the same amount of time. "I actually liked the challenge that this proposed because it allowed me to get creative on how to keep some things crunchy, some soft, and all hot and delicious," says Brad Farmerie, the Executive Chef at New York City's Saxon + Parole. He developed the menu for Mint, JetBlue's premium class of service. He said getting a soft-boiled egg for brunch items or being able to offer a medium-rare burger was a challenge that took some time to successfully crack. Some airline chefs will just ramp up sugar and salt to make up for lost flavors and less-than-ideal cooking circumstances. "This just adds to the dehydration that travelers feel during and after the flight," Farmerie says. When he developed a menu for the airline, "I knew that I needed to incorporate acidity, heat and umami to make up for the muted sense of smell and taste. These elements give the cuisine a 'lift' and brighten the natural flavors of the dish without the need for more salt," he adds. Farmerie cites the airline's popular carrot and ginger soup with chili marshmallow as one that ticks all the boxes: It combines fresh carrot flavor with white miso for umami, lemon juice for acidity, and ginger and chili for sweet spice, all of which provide flavor without extra salt or sweetener. Whether you order on board, buy food at the airport, or bring your meal from home, keep in mind that simple, healthy foods are what most chefs who are frequent fliers choose: Fruit and cheese plates (err on the side of harder cheese when it comes to security restrictions); Asian stir-fries; and vegetable soups like carrot or tomato. And maybe throw one of those travel-size bottles of hot sauce into your carry-on bag. | https://www.kq2.com/content/national/504079962.html?ref=962 |
Hows Chinas Opening to the Financial Sector Going? | China pledged in late 2017 to allow overseas financial firms greater access to the worlds second-largest economy. Then came the trade war with the U.S., raising concerns that President Xi Jinping could retaliate by going back on his vow. Xi says the opening is steadily widening. But the take-up by foreign companies has been slow. 1. Chinas regulator in April 2018 began allowing overseas firms to apply for majority stakes in securities and mutual-fund management ventures and promised to permit full control in three years. Draft rules to allow foreign companies to hold controlling stakes in insurance firms were published in May. Foreign-ownership caps on banks and bad-debt managers -- 20 percent for a single institution and 25 percent for a group -- were lifted in August. 2. Access to Chinas more than $40 trillion financial sector. Even a sliver can be lucrative. Bloomberg Economics estimates that -- barring a major economic slowdown or change of course -- foreign banks and securities companies could be raking in profits of more than $32 billion a year in China by 2030. 3. UBS Group AG won approval from regulators to gain control of its local securities joint venture on Nov. 30. Five days earlier, German insurer Allianz SE got the green light to set up the first wholly foreign-owned insurance holding company in China. Nomura and JPMorgan have had their applications for majority stakes in securities joint ventures accepted, but are still working through the lengthy approval process. No known applications have been made in the banking, bad-debt management, or mutual fund industries. 4. Many companies are taking a wait-and-see approach. The trade war continues to stoke fears that market access may be revoked. Previous joint ventures involving minority stakes that didnt work out are still fresh in many memories, such as JPMorgans exit from its deal with First Capital Securities Co. in 2016. Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank all sold their minority stakes in Chinese banks between 2013 and 2016. Regulators have also set net asset value thresholds for foreign firms to become majority shareholders. That could be an issue for Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and others that hold their existing stakes in Chinese JVs through entities incorporated in Asia, not the global company. 5. The benefits may be two-fold. U.S. President Donald Trump accuses China of being a one-sided beneficiary of global commerce, so opening up makes the game seem fairer. Chinese leaders have long said opening is necessary to improve the quality and sophistication of the domestic industry, make allocation of capital more efficient and attract foreign investment. Foreign players also can help improve competitiveness in the sector without challenging the dominance of state-backed firms. Yet China is setting its own pace. Central bank governor Yi Gang has described the moves as prudent, cautious, gradualist. To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Lucille Liu in Beijing at [email protected];Jeanette Rodrigues in Mumbai at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sam Mamudi at [email protected], Paul Geitner, Grant Clark 2019 Bloomberg L.P. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/hows-chinas-openingto-the-financial-sector-going/2019/01/08/7b294706-13a6-11e9-ab79-30cd4f7926f2_story.html |
Has Brexit Become a Suicide Mission for Theresa May? | The political cataclysm that Britain most fears is looking more likely as Prime Minister Theresa May and her top lieutenants prepare for the nightmarish likelihood that Parliament will reject the withdrawal deal she struck with the European Union, setting the country on course for a devastating no-deal Brexit. Deadlines that once seemed abstract are now pressing down on Mays government with increased urgency. Westminster has until March 29 to pass and ratify the terms of the withdrawal, after which the U.K. will crash out of the bloc and into chaos. The Bank of England has warned a no-deal could trigger a recession more devastating than the 2008 financial crash, and 3,500 troops are being placed on standby in anticipation of post-Brexit emergencies such as potential food shortages, lack of medicine, and hellacious traffic jams at national ports of entry. While Commons is scheduled to hold a vote next Tuesday on Mays deal, M.P.s remain hopelessly divided over the current terms of the divorce. With only one week until the vote, May has embarked on a last-ditch effort to petition European negotiators for reassurances and guarantees, in the words of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, that Britain will be allowed to exit the E.U. without triggering a backstop that would erect a dreaded hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. And indeed, it appears some sort of concession is forthcoming on the backstop. A Cabinet source told The Times of London that the European Commission privately reached out to Mays team before Christmas to make clear that there would be something helpful coming in the week before the vote. This would presumably take the form of an exchange of letters affirming the E.U.s desire to conclude trade talks with the U.K. by the close of 2020, thus avoiding the 2021 backstop deadline entirely. Cynics fear these reassurances are blarney, and with good reason. As Michael Settle writes for The Herald, Mention of a fig leaf hardly inspires confidence that come January 15 Mrs. May will hold a piece of paper in her hand and declare peace in our time. Private promises and verbal assurance will not allay the fury of those opposed to the backstop, especially not members of the Northern Irish D.U.P., who prop up Mays governing coalition. (It would already have been consigned to the bin but for her pulling the vote in December, said D.U.P. deputy leader Nigel Dodds.) They will not allay hardliners and Eurosceptics. (Mrs. Mays deal was not going to pass through the House of Commons in December, and it is difficult to see why it would in January, said European Research Group chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg.) Nor does the prospect inspire hope among Europeans, themselves. (We have to stick to what is in the withdrawal agreement. We can copy and pastebut what is the point if it is a copy and pasting exercise? said one E.U. official.) There are three ways May might bend Parliament to her will. One path would be for the prime minister to set a time line for her resignation, ensuring the next phase of the Brexit negotiations would be helmed by a new leader. Several M.P.s told BuzzFeed News last week that they could come around to Mays position if they were convinced she would step down, rather than seize upon a victory to remain in power. Another would be to keep kicking the can down the road, and extend Article 50, the provision that governs how E.U. member states may withdraw. The E.U. has already suggested that an extension would be possible with the agreement of the 27 member states, and The Telegraph reports that U.K. officials are tentatively exploring this possibility. (Downing Street denies this is a possibility, despite Digital Minister Margot James informing the BBC that the government could seek an extension if May's deal is defeated next week.) A third option would be for May to continue holding votes on the deal, slowly browbeating M.P.s into submission. (If we have to have the vote 30 times, we will, one Downing Street insider told BuzzFeed.) This is a risky tactic. Hardline Brexiteers, not to mention more than half of Conservative party members, would rather leave the E.U. with no deal than support Mays watered-down, backstop-filled alternative. Whiling away the next 80 days by voting down multiple deals would ultimately bring them closer to what has been dubbed a no-deal by stealth. As reporter Alex Wickham writes, There is an increasing belief among prominent Eurosceptics that if May fails to get her deal through the Commons, she would prefer a no-deal Brexit to a second referendum or general election. As the New Year begins, a familiar reality prevails: with a slumping economy, divided political landscape, and police bracing for anarchy and unrest in Northern Ireland, the only certainty governing the U.K. is uncertainty. But at least the British government is committed to putting on some light entertainment, in the meantime. On Monday, officials staged a fake traffic jam in Kent, in order to stress-test how lorries would cope in the event that Brexit suddenly imposes a hard border. Right. First day back after Christmas in this perfectly normal country and Im off to Ramsgate to sketch a Potemkin traffic jam up the A299 at dawn, tweeted The Independents Tom Peck. At the time, only 89 of the proposed 150 vehicles had materializedfar short of the thousands that would surely pile up in reality, potentially decimating the British manufacturing sector. If youre wondering how the great British public, and their blitz spirit will cope with all this, Peck continued, a woman in a Fiat 500 has just slowed down on her way past the lay by where I and other members of the media have gathered, to honk loudly and mouth at us to fucking fuck off. | https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/01/operation-figleaf-brexit-theresa-may |
Are Democrats poised to take a second seat on Orange County Board of Supervisors? | Orange County will hold a special election on March 12 to select a replacement for former Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who left his board post on Monday to become the countys district attorney. Several well-known local politicians already have declared their candidacies for the 3rd District board seat. On the Democrat side, the list is down to a single big name, for now; former congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. On the GOP side, the field so far includes Irvine Mayor Don Wagner and former Anaheim councilwoman Kris Murray. The March special election set Tuesday by the four supervisors sitting on the five-member board could alter the boards partisan makeup. Recently elected 4th District Supervisor Doug Chaffee, who swore in on Tuesday, is the first Democrat on the board in a dozen years. If Democrats can win in March, the party would have a chance to win a majority in 2020. In late December, well-funded Democrat businessman Andy Thorburn mentioned party loyalty as a reason when he withdrew from the race to replace Spitzer, saying it is essential we have a Democrat on the Board. That leaves Sanchez, the most prominent politician in the contest, as the lone Democrat facing two Republicans. Republicans hold a 4 percentage point voter registration advantage in the district. But if the current list of candidates holds, the two GOP hopefuls might split support among conservative voters in a way that could help Sanchez. Past special elections for county supervisor have had low turnout and narrow margins, with the last two special contests decided by a combined 50 votes. The official candidate filing period begins Wednesday and lasts through Jan. 28. Whoever is elected likely would take office on either March 26 or April 9. The new supervisor will serve for 21 months and could seek re-election in 2020. | https://www.ocregister.com/2019/01/08/are-democrats-poised-to-take-a-second-seat-on-orange-county-board-of-supervisors/ |
Could a mudslide in Montecito like last years happen again? | Curious Coast Rain showers and thunderstorms used to bring relief for drought-stricken Santa Barbara. But after the mudslides in Montecito one year ago, many residents feel nervous and anxious every time they see an approaching storm. That led to Cassandra C. Jones from Ojai to ask Curious Coast this question. I cant think of anything scarier than something like that happening again in that area. I have friends there and I worry about them. The short answer to the first question is yes. Mudslides can happen during any big rain event, as long as certain conditions are met. According to the National Weather Service, rainfall at the rate of .8 inches an hour could trigger another debris flow this winter. Homes were completely wiped out at the corner of Olive Mill and Hot Springs Road in Montecito during last years debris flow. Photo credit: Kathryn Barnes. Former fire chief Pat McElroy knows all about the dangers. He was set to retire just before the devastating floods of January 2018. As long as you have this completely burned landscape with these type of mountains and what one geologist said is an inexhaustible supply of debris, we're still at risk, until the vegetation grows back and the hillsides stabilize, he said. That process takes an average of five years, and the risk level goes down each consecutive year. Pat McElroy stands in front of a creek in Montecito where the debris flow tore through last year Photo credit: Paul Wellman/Santa Barbara Independent In the meantime, McElroy is helping out. Since the aftermath, he helped launch a nonprofit called the Partnership for Resilient Communities, which in December received approval to install debris nets. McElroy says that after much research, nets were the best way to go when protecting against future debris flows. A lot of the stuff is either impractical, too expensive or too invasive, he said, we felt this was, in terms of an environmentally sensitive community like Santa Barbara, our best option. The nets, which look like large metal fishing nets stretched across canyons, are made by Access Limited out of Oceano, CA. Currently, the company has 41 nets in various places across the state and has had success using debris nets in Camarillo Springs, protecting a gated community from debris after the 2013 Spring Fire. On Catalina Island, nets protected the town of Avalon from debris flows after the 2007 Island Fire. Once the risk went away, the nets were taken out. In Santa Barbara, the county has mandated that the nets must be removed after five years, once vegetation on the hills have grown back. Metal debris nets like this one installed in Camarillo Springs after the 2013 Spring Fire catch debris before it reaches residential areas. Photo courtesy of KANE GeoTech A series of 11 nets will cost $5.4 million to install, plus an additional $2 million if the nets wind up catching debris in a future storm and need to be cleaned. Two of the nets will be installed at Cold Springs Canyon, two at San Ysidro, and seven in Buena Vista Canyon. The funding is coming from private donors, along with the state and FEMA. Initially, the nonprofit wanted to install 15 nets, but four of them would be on federal land at Hot Springs and Romero Canyons and getting approval for those will take longer. A culvert along Olive Mill Road in Montecito clogged with debris last year. According to Tom Fayram, who oversees the County Flood Control District, those areas are not as vulnerable because of geography. Montecito is in a very precarious position, because you go from 3,000-foot mountains to the ocean, and the urban area is very close to the base of the hills, he said. In Carpinteria, it's a little bit different. Create an evacuation plan and sign up for the countys Aware and Prepare emergency alert system, which issues warnings by phone or text. Currently less than a quarter of Santa Barbara county residents are signed up for the service. A new state law authored by State Senator Hannah Beth Jackson allows counties to automatically enroll residents in emergency notifications, while preserving their ability to opt out of receiving the alerts, but it has not yet been implemented. | https://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/curious-coast/could-a-mudslide-in-montecito-like-last-years-happen-again |
Who is Daniel Khafizov? | RCMP in Oliver have arrested a man for shooting his 22 calibre rifle inside his apartment suite, damaging several neighbouring units. On January 7th, 2019 at 2 p.m., a complainant contacted the Oliver RCMP to advise while sitting on his couch at home he heard a loud bang and observed the cushion beside him now had a hole in it and stuffing was coming out of it. He resided on the second floor of a three floor residence separated into three living units located in a rural area South of Oliver near Road 11. He believed the loud bang came from the unit directly below him which was occupied by 30 year old Daniel Khafizov. Oliver RCMP attended the address supported by South Okanagan Traffic Services, Osoyoos RCMP and the First Nation Policing member. The third floor tenant exited the residence when members arrived and advised he heard several loud bangs and observed pieces of metal on his floor. The RCMP were able to get Daniel Khafizov to exit his bottom floor unit whereupon he was arrested. A search of his unit revealed spent .22 caliber casings, a .22 caliber rifle along with multiple small caliber bullet holes in his ceiling and walls. An examination of the middle and top floor units revealed multiple small caliber holes in the floors and ceilings. Daniel Khafizov has been charged with several firearms offences, at this time there is no reason to believe he was targeting the upstairs tenants, instead he was just carelessly firing the .22 caliber rifle indiscriminately into his ceiling and walls. Prepared by: Sgt. Blaine Gervais Area Commander Oliver Detachment | http://oliverdailynews.com/who-is-daniel-khafizov/ |
How do people want Brexit to be sorted out? | Image copyright Getty Images MPs will soon decide the fate of Theresa May's Brexit deal. In the coming days, there are bound to be many claims about why they should back or reject the deal, which was struck late last year with the European Union. An unpopular deal Polls suggest the deal has not proved popular with the public. YouGov has asked people whether they support or oppose it on no fewer than 11 occasions since it was first unveiled in mid-November. Never have more than 27% said that they support the deal, while at least 42% have always said they are against it. Other polls show a similar pattern. Opinium found only one in 10 thinks the deal is good for the UK, while as many as half believe it is bad. Ipsos MORI has reported only a quarter think it would be a good thing for the UK to leave the EU on the terms of the deal. More than six in 10 believe it would be a bad thing. It is perhaps unsurprising then that many more voters say MPs should reject the deal than believe they should back it. More like this What British people think about Brexit now How young and old would vote on Brexit now Leave and Remain Not only do Remain supporters seem inclined to reject the deal, but Leave voters do as well. In its recent polls, YouGov has found an average of 30% of Leave voters back the deal, while 47% are opposed to it. This arguably makes it harder for the PM to say that her deal fulfils the expectations of those who voted Leave in the referendum. That said, many voters have not made up their mind about the deal on offer. YouGov is still finding that about three in 10 still do not know whether they support it or not, well after the deal was revealed. This suggests some voters could yet be won round to Mrs May's proposal. While Remain and Leave voters appear to oppose the Brexit deal, they are split over what should be done instead. Opinium has repeatedly asked voters which of five possible options should be pursued if Parliament were to reject the current deal. None of the options comes close to being backed by a majority. The most popular every time - backed on average by just over a quarter - has been to leave without a deal at all. Meanwhile, the second most popular option each time - supported by just over a fifth - has been to hold a "public vote" on whether to accept the deal or to stay in the EU. While these options enjoy similar levels of support, they come from very different voter groups. Leaving without a deal is easily the single most popular option among those who voted Leave, chosen by an average of 46%. Holding a "public vote" on the deal, with an option to stay in the EU, is favoured among backers of Remain, 38% of whom pick this option. However, other courses of action also gain support. Fifteen per cent of all voters prefer attempting to negotiate a better deal, while 12% back Labour's preferred option of holding a general election. A further 9% support a different "public vote" in which the choice would be either Mrs May's deal or leaving the EU without one. The idea of a second Brexit vote has attracted particular interest in recent weeks, thanks not least to a high-profile campaign. However, public support for the idea depends on how the poll question is worded. Polls asking whether there should be a "public" or "people's vote" - without specifying what the options would be - typically find that the idea is relatively popular. For example, Survation found that 48% support holding a "people's vote" to gauge the public's reaction to the deal, while 34% are opposed. Similarly, Populus reported that 44% believe the public should have the "final say" on the deal via a "people's vote", while just 30% are against this. However, when voters are asked about holding another referendum that might have the effect of reversing Brexit, the proposal attracts less support. ComRes has reported as many as 50% oppose "holding a second referendum on whether to Remain or Leave", with only 40% in favour. Similarly, according to polling commissioned by Lord Ashcroft, a former deputy chairman of the Conservative party, 47% are against holding a "second referendum", while 38% are in favour. In that scenario, voters would choose between leaving the EU under the terms of Mrs May's deal and remaining in the EU. The wording of the poll question seems to make a significant difference, particularly to Leave voters. Putting "the people" in charge of Brexit appeals to some Leavers, but a ballot which could potentially reverse the decision does not. Broadly, the idea of another referendum appears as controversial to voters as Brexit itself continues to be. When it comes to how people say they would vote if there were another referendum, the country still appears quite evenly divided. Remain, with an average score of 53% is enjoying just a narrow lead over Leave, which scored 47% in the most recent polls. About this piece Sir John Curtice is professor of politics at Strathclyde University, senior fellow at NatCen Social Research and The UK in a Changing Europe. He is also chief commentator at WhatUKthinks.org. Edited by Eleanor Lawrie | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46735713 |
What happens to Sunrise Mall if Corpus Christi's Sears closes? | CLOSE Sunrise Mall opened in 1981 and enjoyed highs in the 1990s. The shopping center is struggling, mainly because of competition from online vendors. Chris Ramirez/Caller-Times Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Sears Holdings Corp. announced it would undergo a corporate restructuring after filing for bankruptcy Oct. 15, 2018. The company has said it will close nearly 200 underperforming stores, but it's not clear if this the location at Sunrise Mall in Corpus Christi is among them. (Photo: Michael Zamora, Michael Zamora) Sears could be on the verge of closure if a judge doesn't accept a last-minute bid to save the ailing retail giant. Sears Holdings Corp. filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October when it failed to come up with a $134 million debt payment for its creditors. And on Tuesday, the company said in a statement it would give its chairman and largest investor Eddie Lampert another day to come up with a feasible offer to keep a shrunken version of the company alive. Without a deal, liquidation appears to be a certainty. Sears Holdings' closure could have deep implications for the mall, which, like many retail centers nationally, has struggled in the wake of increased online shopping. Corpus Christi's Sears store, located in the Sunrise Mall on South Padre Island Drive, survived several rounds of closures that followed, as did smaller "Hometown" stores in Alice, Kingsville, Beeville and Fulton. Sears was one of the original tenants of Sunrise Mall when the shopping center opened at Airline Road and South Padre Island Drive in February 1981. It also is one in a handful of the mall's businesses that owns its property. Sunrise Mall's remaining anchors are Planet Fitness, Wilcox Furniture and Burlington Coat Factory. Buy Photo Crowds at Sunrise Mall stayed warm and took advantage of the after Christmas sales on Dec. 26, 1983. (Photo: Lee Dodds/Caller-Times file) In its heyday, Sears and Sunrise Mall were both magnets for shopping traffic. That was especially true for the mall, which was the backdrop of a memorable scene in the "The Legend of Billie Jean." The 1985 movie was filmed in and around Corpus Christi. Others businesses that have left Sunrise Mall: War & Peace Ltd., the unique military souvenir emporium, fall; In August, the shop owner said he had hoped to keep his doors open until Nov. 11 Veterans Day. Cinemark Dollar Cinema, January; word of the theater's demise inspired hundreds of mall fans to organize a walk there, in hopes of recapturing its 1980s nostalgia. Tide Dental, May, relocated to Gulfway Shopping Center, a strip mall directly across the street from mall Chelsea's Pub and Grill, June; the tavern also had hopes of sparking enthusiasm from fans of the 1980s, with live music, karaoke and a variety of bar foods. It relocated to Airline Road and Alameda Street. Sunrise Mall fell into bankruptcy in 2011. According to the Nueces County Appraisal District, Sunrise Corpus Christi LLC took over the deed for the mall from Premier Tierra Holdings, Inc. in November 2016. Read or Share this story: https://www.caller.com/story/news/2019/01/08/what-happens-sunrise-mall-if-corpus-christis-sears-closes/2512200002/ | https://www.caller.com/story/news/2019/01/08/what-happens-sunrise-mall-if-corpus-christis-sears-closes/2512200002/?from=new-cookie |
Can Trump declare emergency to build his wall? | By Associated Press WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is weighing using a national emergency declaration to circumvent Congress and the budget stalemate and force construction of the president's long-promised southern border wall. "We're looking at a national emergency because we have a national emergency," President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday amid stalled negotiations. He said during a press conference Friday that he would prefer to win the money he's demanding via Congress, but could "absolutely" call an emergency "and build it very quickly." Such a move would be a dramatic escalation of the current showdown, which has forced a partial government shutdown that's now in its third week. The administration has spent months trying to figure out how the president might be able to move forward with the wall the central promise of his 2016 campaign if Congress refuses to give him the money. As early as last March, Trump was publicly floating the idea of using the military for the task. "Building a great Border Wall, with drugs (poison) and enemy combatants pouring into our Country, is all about National Defense. Build WALL through M!" he tweeted then. But it's Congress not the president that controls the country's purse strings and must appropriate money he wants to spend. Enter the emergency declaration, an option the White House counsel's office is currently reviewing. Among the laws Trump could turn to is Section 2808 of the Title 10 U.S. Code pertaining to military construction. According to the statute, if the president declares an emergency "that requires use of the armed forces," the Defense secretary "may undertake military construction projects, and may authorize the Secretaries of the military departments to undertake military construction projects, not otherwise authorized by law that are necessary to support such use of the armed forces." Pentagon budget officials are analyzing the 2019 construction budget to determine how many unobligated dollars would be available to use for the wall if Trump settles on a declaration. Under the provision, only those construction budget funds that are not already obligated to other construction projects could be used for the wall. There are more than 100 such provisions giving the president access to special powers in emergencies. And Congress has typically afforded the president broad authority to determine what constitutes an emergency and what does not, said Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice. "Absolutely it's an abuse of power for the president to declare a national emergency when none exists and to use it to try to get around the democratic process," she said. "But we are in a situation where our legal system for emergency powers almost invites that kind of abuse." Such a move is sure to spark a flood of legal challenges questioning the president's authority as well as whether the situation at the border really constitutes an emergency. Trump has been trying to press that case in recent days, insisting the situation qualifies as a security and humanitarian "crisis." He'll also run into other questions. "The problem for the Trump administration is that border security is fundamentally a law enforcement issue that does not require the use of the military," said Todd Harrison, a defense budget expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, via email. "So I think they would be on shaking legal ground trying to use emergency authorities this way, and it is almost certain that they would end up in court." Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it would be inappropriate for Trump to use Section 2808. "We are not at war with Mexico, and the proposed border wall has no core (Defense Department) function. Indeed, the Pentagon's most recent National Defense Strategy doesn't mention the southern border as a national defense priority," said Reed, D-R.I. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, speaking on CNN, said that even if Trump could declare an emergency, it would be a "huge mistake." "There clearly is no national emergency. But they asked me, 'Can he do it?' Yeah he can. It would be wrong, it would be horrible policy and I'm totally and completely against it. But from a legal standpoint he can do it," said Smith, D-Wash. He and others agreed that any declaration would surely be challenged in court. It's unclear. Back when Trump dispatched active-duty troops to the southern border ahead of the midterm elections in what critics panned as a politically-motivated abuse of power, he described the situation as a "national emergency," but never signed an official proclamation. But Trump is now under growing pressure to find a way to end the shutdown without appearing as though he's caved on the wall. Trump "needs to use every tool available to him as the commander-in-chief of our armed services to go and enforce our laws by putting the military on our southern border, by having them build the wall if they need to," his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski urged on Fox News. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president remains "prepared to do what it takes to protect our borders, to protect the people of this country." "We're looking and exploring every option available that the president has," she said. | http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2019/jan/08/can-trump-declare-emergency-to-build-his-wall-1922230.html |
Are Asymmetrical Jeans the Next Big Denim Trend? | Tattered thong jeans in Japan! Denim with a crotch-to-waist fly by Vetements and Lorod! A jean leg sewn on another jean leg by Yajun! Now, yet another pair of double-takeinducing jeans have surfaced courtesy of Ksenia Schnaider. The Kiev-based designer, who had a buzzy jean moment thanks to her Bella Hadidapproved demi-denims, has one-upped herself with an optically jarring pant: one side is reminiscent of a JNCO and the other side is chicly narrow. They currently retail for $377. Schnaider based the pant on two of her best-selling models, a wide-leg and a pair of high-waisted mom jeans. My partner Anton Schnaider said that it was too crazy and no one need jeans like this, so I abandoned this idea for a couple of seasons, she says. But a few months ago, I realized that at least one person need such kind of jeansme! While the creation isnt a complete trompe l'oeil, its certainly weird and a bit trippy. Plus, surreal fashion has been having a moment. Estonian singer Tommy Cash recently wore digitally warped UGGS la Y/Projects collaboration with the label, and Balenciaga and Vetements have both been experimenting with altered visuals on their social media accounts. So far, Schnaider has only worn them in her studio, but has gotten some fun reactions from her team, writing, The jeans can surprise and make people smile, and adding that shell bring them to the streets during Paris Mens Fashion Week in January. Schnaider will go simple with heels and hoodies or loafers and boring sweaters, saying, They are crazy enough, so I think other items should be all-time classics. | https://www.vogue.com/article/asymmetrical-jeans-by-ksenia-schnaider |
Will Margot Robbie's Starring Role as Barbie Reinforce Old Stereotypesor Defy Them? | Barbie, the iconic blue-eyed, blonde-haired doll with a scientifically implausibletruly inexplicable!waist-to-bust ratio, ascended to popularity in midcentury America and 60 years later, remains an unmistakeable figure within the cultural zeitgeist. But despite global recognition, and the laundry list of careers that have come to decorate her rsum (nurse! astronaut! politician! ), she's since become something of a controversial symbol, with many believing that she, above all else, reenforces antiquated beauty ideals. And while Barbie's creator, toy company Mattel, has made strides to offer a more expansive view of her image by offering a wider variety of skin tones and body diversity, it's still struggling to stay relevant as the call for inclusivity reaches a fever pitch. Which is why today's announcement that Mattel and Warner Bros. Pictures have chosen the Australian actress Margot Robbie to portray Barbie in their upcoming live-action movie has social media buzzing. Firstly, the role once belonged to Amy Schumer, who has spent much of her career at the forefront of the body positivity movement, before a scheduling conflict forced the actress to drop out of the project. Now, Robbie is confirmed to star in the role and will additionally be producing. The 28-year-old Australian has proven herself many times over to be a versatile, idiosyncratic actress that relishes defying convention and challenging the status quo. She dazzled critics in devilish fashion as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad; rendered herself unrecognizable while inspiring sympathy for fallen-from-grace figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya; and, most recently, fiercely took on the health-stricken Queen Elizabeth I in Mary, Queen of Scots. Still, the choice may raise eyebrows amongst longtime critics of the doll. By any standards, Robbie bears a striking, real-life likeness to the original 1950s dollblue eyes, blonde hair, chiseled features, and a jaw-dropping figure that took center stage in her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street. The good news is, with a hand in the film's plot and creative direction as a co-producer for the movie, it seems her primary focus is on Barbie's brainsnot her body. "Over the brand's almost 60 years, Barbie has empowered kids to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a princess to president," she said in a statement. With a producing credit to her name, and an eye on female-driven films, Robbie is slowly becoming known for her raw portrayal of real women, no matter if they're also professional athletes, queens, or living dolls for that matter. Though there are few clues yet of precisely what to expect from Robbies future role, all signs point towards a welcome plot twist. | https://www.vogue.com/article/margot-robbie-live-action-barbie-film-mattel |
Should Robert Townsend Make A B.A.P.S Sequel? | Via Madamenoire: In this day and age of reboots and remakes, nearly every film and TV show from the 90s has been thrown in the ring as a possible candidate for an on-screen revival. Robert Townsend is the latest actor and film director to spark a do-over debate on Twitter, asking followers early if theyd be down for a sequel to the 1997 comedy B.A.P.S. I directed Baps starring @HalleBerry and written by @Troybyer With all the reboots going on,heres the question of the day. pic.twitter.com/KrlJRPgvE3 Robert Townsend (@Robert_Townsend) January 8, 2019 Townsend directed the hilarious flick which starred Halle Berry and Natalie Desselle as hood BFFs who go on to live life as Black American Princesses after taking care of an ailing millionaire (Martin Landau). Even though the movie was dragged by critics Roger Ebert gave it 0 stars, calling it jaw-droppingly bad, a movie so misconceived I wonder why anyone involved wanted to make it it became a beloved classic-like film in the Black community. But that was 1997. Even then, Ebert, a white man, criticized the depiction of Berry and Desselles lead characters as a hurtful stereotype. And in this post-Madea, call-out-culture landscape, I dont see a B.A.P.S part deux going over well at all. I also dont see Academy Award-winning, 52-year-old Berry going for it either. Most followers, however, believe B.A.P.S should be left alone and Townsend should, instead, use his talents to revive two of his prior films: Hollywood Shuffle and Meteor Man. was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com Also On Black America Web: | https://blackamericaweb.com/2019/01/08/should-robert-townsend-make-a-b-a-p-s-sequel/ |
Will Modi government's 10 per cent reservation sop pacify uneasy upper castes in Uttar Pradesh? | Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Modi governments move to provide 10 per cent quota to economically weaker sections is being seen as a bid by the ruling party to keep its conventional upper caste vote bank intact ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In fact, the BJP has been concerned about the alienation of the upper caste, especially in politically vital Uttar Pradesh since Modi government passed an amendment bill to negate the alleged dilution of SC/ST Act, 1989, by the Supreme Court, last year. There had been palpable unrest in core BJP constituency among the upper castes. The fact had been unnerving the BJP and the immediate fallout of the unease among upper caste voters was conspicuously visible in the three state of Hindi heartland where the ruling party lost in the recently concluded assembly polls. ALSO READ: Legal experts question PM Modis reservation gambit Moreover, the SP-BSP alliance had precipitated the situation for the saffron party which, on one hand, was faced with the challenge of keeping the Dalits in good humour, and on the other, had to placate its annoyed upper caste voters. An order passed by the Supreme Court earlier this year on the stringent bail provisions of Prevention of Atrocities Against Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes Act had spiralled into a political debate and uprising among Dalits. The restlessness among upper castes had many voices. Brahmin face and veteran MP from Deoria, Kalraj Mishra had tweeted: For maintaining the social harmony, SC/ST Act should not be misused. It's the responsibility of all political parties, including that in power that the provisions of the Act should be re-looked into. ALSO READ: Upper caste backlash cost BJP Madhya Pradesh polls Even BJP MLA from Ballia, Surendra Singh was even more vocal. He had said: There is a gross misuse of the Dalit Act to frame innocent people. If political parties are so keen to impress the Dalits then why not make a Dalit PM for next 10 years. Many others within the BJP organisation were not willing to speak on this sensitive matter, but do accept that the conundrum it was. It was a gamble played by BJP top leadership then. On the presumption that its upper caste dedicated vote wont drift away, the party went out to woo Dalits. But it failed to feel the pulse of upper caste voters who gave their verdict in three state of Hindi belt, said a senior BJP leader requesting anonymity. ALSO READ: Opposition parties slam government's upper caste quota Political observers also see a link between the BJPs attempt to refurbish former PM Atal Bihari Vajpyee's legacy to reach out to the Brahmins who are the largest voting bloc in UP after Muslims and Jatavs. Besides, at the state level, BJP was planning to pacify the upper castes voters by taking some steps. According to highly placed sources, the state government was set to accommodate upper caste members in public corporations and government enterprises. It was also contemplating to nominates hundreds of corporators in local bodies from upper castes. Caste wise distribution of population in Uttar Pradesh as per 2011 census | http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/jan/08/will-modi-govts-quota-sop-pacify-uneasy-upper-castes-in-uttar-pradesh-1921951.html |
Is the End of the Benevolent Dictator for Life in Open Source Software Here? | PHOTO: Patricia Valrio Unlike commercial software, open-source software is designed and built by communities of developers. Communities dont have vice presidents, directors, managers or corporate committees to guide development. There are a number of open-source governance models. One of those is the foundation model, which supports community-led development. Foundations ensure independence and efficiency, and under that model everyday decisions about features and releases dont come from the top down. Those decisions are made by the project teams themselves and are centered in the community. Consensus is an important part of such community-led efforts. There are also company-led open-source projects. A company-led project is controlled and financed by a software company, usually to accelerate development and ensure alignment with customer needs. In such a setup, the company has more control over development than the foundation does in a community-led effort, but governance is still rooted in the community. Open-Source Governance Model: The Benevolent Dictator for Life A third open-source governance model is the benevolent dictator for life, or BDL, model. On the surface, the BDL model looks similar to the community model, but for one big difference: at the top sits the BDL, who has the final say on features and release schedules. That one individual is the final arbiter of the software product and does not have to gain consensus regarding releases and other matters. The BDL model is one of the oldest forms of open-source governance. It dates to the early days of open source, when much of the work was done by one person or a handful of people. Three of the most famous examples of open-source BDLs are Linux inventor Linus Torvalds, Larry Wall, the creator of Perl, and, until recently, Guido van Rossum, creator of the Python programming language. Related Article: The Consequences of a Changing Open-Source Software Business Model The Pros and Cons of the BDL Model The BDL model for open-source development offers some distinct advantages. For one thing, the BDL provides a singular vision of the product. Products developed by committee are notoriously bland. Groundbreaking products often come from a visionary leader. Moreover, communities can be disorderly messy even especially when there are competing agendas or points of view. There are time-consuming arguments and discussions without purpose. Compromises, even healthy ones, can leave important issues unresolved. The BDL model avoids those problems, because the benevolent dictator has the final say and can resolve conflicts by making unilateral decisions. On the other hand, there are serious problems with the BDL model. One issue is that benevolent dictators have an outsize influence on their open-source projects. A misstep by the BDL, such as allowing a bad or useless feature into the project, can unnecessarily consume resources and have adverse effects on the software. Group dynamics can also be problematic in a BDL project, because the BDL sets the tone. A BDL who is mean or abusive or weak or obsessive can drive away talented contributors and push the project off a cliff. The BDL model is contrary to the very idea of free and open software. Even projects with the best BDLs are by nature undemocratic. Indeed, the word dictator is, of course, the very embodiment of anti-democratic governance. No matter how much freedom the BDL allows project contributors to have, that one individual will still have the final say on the project and the product. In this case, the title dictator says it all. A benevolent dictator is still a dictator. Having complete power also means that the BDLs personality and temperament heavily influence the project dynamics. There have been cases where a BDLs behavior was toxic. Project contributors have limited ability to modify the BDLs behavior and impact. The Linux project offers one recent example of how the BDL can be the problem in a BDL-managed project. In September 2018, BDL Linus Torvalds stepped away from the Linux project temporarily because he was, in his own words, a really unpleasant person. Its good that he came to that personal revelation, but that was after years of trouble. Probably. Open-source development that starts as a hobby by a single programmer is becoming less common. Instead, open-source projects have become corporate endeavors, with financial support from large technology companies, investors and foundations. Corporations dont like public drama. BDL-led projects are too tied to the BDLs personality. What the BDL does and says has an impact on the project, no matter the context. Corporations also need a neutral forum for arriving at consensus with competitors. The BDL model doesnt provide that, because the BDLs opinion trumps everyone elses. The increasing complexity of software means that software companies need to use the open-source process to create applications. IT departments rely on open source to meet the requirements of modern systems. The industry needs a collaborative environment to make open source a reality. The BDL model doesnt fit that environment. It should be put to rest. | https://www.cmswire.com/information-management/is-the-end-of-the-benevolent-dictator-for-life-in-open-source-software-here/ |
What is JAMstack? | There are many technology stacks for developers to choose from LAMP, MEAN, .NET, etc. JAMstack is another choice, but many developers will tell you its far more than just another option particularly now that were venturing into the Internet of Things (IoT) era. Thats because, unlike other technology or IT stacks, JAMstack isnt concerned with the specific software or technology being used. Instead, its based on the usage of JavaScript, APIs and Markup but exactly how you use these is up to you. JAMstack represents a major trend in the field of web development. Coined by Mathias Biilman, the co-founder of Netlify, the official JAMstack website defines the term as a modern web development architecture based on client-side JavaScript (J), reusable APIs (A) and prebuilt Markup (M). The site explains that JAMstack is not about specific technologies, its a new way of building websites and apps that delivers better performance, higher security, lower cost of scaling and a better developer experience. JAMstack grew in popularity thanks to the surge of modern browsers and devices, the need for API-driven content management and CDNs. According to Chimenzie Enyinnaya, writing for Scotch.io, a JAMstack project must meet the following criteria: JavaScript (J) - Any dynamic programming that is running a request/response cycle on the client should be handled by JavaScript. This can include any front-end framework like Vue.js, React or Angular. APIs (A) - The server-side processes or database actions are abstracted into reusable APIs that is accessed over HTTP with JavaScript. These APIs can be custom-built or leveraged through third-party services. Markup (M) - Templated markup should be prebuilt during deployment, usually using a site generator, such as Gatsby.js, Hugo and Nuxt.js, for content sites, or build a tool for a web app via Parcel.js and Webpack. To understand how JAMstack differentiates from other development stacks, Francois Lanthier Nadeau, market leader & partner of SnipCart, provides a comparison of the workflows involved in both LAMP-driven traditional projects and JAMstack projects. In a traditional workflow, both the building and hosting are coupled. A user requests a page [and] the file gets processed and served following a [long] series of interactions between a database, back-end code, server, browser and layers of caching, said Nadeau. Core updates are pushed to production servers, often through FTP [and] content updates are pushed through a traditional CMS, like WordPress or Drupal. The building and hosting can also be referred to as front-end and back-end, respectively. As for a JAMstack workflow, Nadeau explained that both the building and hosting are decoupled, rather than coupled. When a user requests a page, the file is already compiled and gets directly served to the browser from a CDN, Nadaeu said. Core updates are pushed through Git, the site gets rebuilt entirely via modern build tools like static site generators, and content updates are pushed through Git or a static site CMS. Git, according to Redpoint Ventures investor Astasia Myers, is fundamental to JAMstack since it holds all the sites components. An SSG [static site generator] generates the browser markup, which is pushed to Git as a collection of prebuilt pages. The CDN and/or hosting service can identify the changes, automatically rebuild the site, and deploy it. This workflow embodies the modern software development lifecycle practice of Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD), said Myers. The advantages of JAMstack can be categorized into five key areas as identified by both Myers and Enyinnaya. Improved Scaling - Static content can be served in a CDN, making it easier to scale. Better Security - Since there are no databases, plugins or software running on a server, it significantly reduces the risk of potential code injections and database hacks. Low Operating Costs - JAMstack utilizes fewer resources. Servers and databases are not necessarily needed, hence low operating costs. Accelerated Load Times - JAMstack provides a faster performance since the browser is processing the functionalities, not the back-end. In JAMstack, the HTML files are prebuilt and served over the CDN instead of rendering on the server. Improved Developer Experience - The decoupling between build and hosting provides streamlined debugging and targeting development as well as having more options to extend features via API. This enables developers to make changes more easily and work via a CI/CD pipeline. Pete Czech, founder of New Possibilities Group, summarized the benefits of JAMstack, I think the biggest advantage to the JAMstack approach is that the front-end user experience can be agnostic from the CMS. This removes any limitations the CMS may place on the creation of the user interface, freeing up designers and front-end developers to utilize whatever library or techniques can best accomplish their vision and requirements. Technology like this can potentially usher in a new era of design aesthetics unseen since "Web 2.0" innovations, Czech explained. Gavin Yue, a former software engineer at Amazon Web Services and Goldman Sachs, added that JAMstack enables brands to go serverless, using AWS free tier to essentially eliminate hosting costs in the short-run at least. With the serverless trend, the cost of hosting website is dropping significantly. For traditional WordPress hosting with 20,000 pageviews per month, it costs $30 at least for decent hosting. With serverless, the cost would be near zero since AWS provides the free tier, Yue said. Yue added that, in line with the API-first trend, JAMstack makes a lot of sense. Right now, everything is about API, and combining APIs and JavaScript is much easier [compared with other frameworks], he said. But while JAMstack does have its advantages, there some limitations that you need to keep in mind, wrote Leo Farias in Concepta. Steep Learning Curve - For content editors and marketers, JAMstack technologies are rarely approachable, as most headless CMSs dont offer a user-friendly interface for content creation and marketing campaign management. Features Can Only Be Added via Client-Side Third-Party Solutions - Features like comments, polls, online stores and galleries, can only be added via third-party solutions. While this might be an advantage, it can become a burden if they are needed for every dynamic feature on the page. All Changes Must Go Through a Developer - Any changes to the design must go through the development. Development costs are expensive, therefore the costs for a series of incremental changes will add up. Best for Static Projects - JAMstack is not suitable for projects that require frequent updates and new pages, real-time updates, or delivering interactive features. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. | https://www.cmswire.com/information-management/what-is-jamstack/ |
Did someone just out the prices of the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Fit? | Samsung made its biggest wearable push yet at MWC 2014 by revealing three new devices the prices of which may have just been outed. Sam Mobile claims to have the inside scoop and says we can expect to see the Samsung Gear 2 priced at 299 (which is close to AU$450), while the Gear 2 Neo and the Gear Fit will come in at 199 (again, probably AU$302). Read more: Amazfit Bip Bearing in mind that the first Samsung Galaxy Gear launched for AU$369, these prices are well within the realms of possibility, but we're yet to hear anything official. Healthy margins While the Gear 2 may be priced as steeply as its predecessor, we've at least now got the Neo coming in at a more affordable point. Plus we expect we'll see Samsung continue to slash the cost of the original Gear, or remove the product entirely. But by asking the same price for the Gear Fit, Samsung will be pricing itself higher than competitors like the Nike Fuelband and Fitbit Force, which could make it a more difficult sell - even with that flexible OLED screen. We're currently waiting for a response from Samsung on the matter and will keep you updated. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/portable-devices/did-someone-just-out-the-prices-of-the-samsung-gear-2-and-gear-fit-1231436 |
What is behind the sharp fall in number of Filipino workers in the Middle East? | By Noel T. Tarrazona/alarabiya.net Although the Middle East has become second home to about 2.5 million skilled Filipino workers, a decline in their employment has been noted in the last two years. After 10 years of continuous growth, the deployment of Filipino workers to the Middle East went down by 9 percent in 2017 and recruitment agencies predict another 8 percent fall for the year 2018. Fall in remittances The decrease in employment has been attributed to decline in oil prices and also to Philippine President Dutertes policy of imposing a ban on household service workers to Kuwait. The decision was taken following a case in which the remains of a Filipino workers body were found inside the freezer of his employer by Kuwaiti government authorities in 2018. Furthermore, some Middle East governments have also been urging employers to hire locals to reduce unemployment in the region. FULL STORY Find more like this: News | http://thepinoy.net/?p=12178 |
Will BMTC-Metro combo card see light of day? | Preeja Prasad By Express News Service BENGALURU : While the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is mulling over an app-based electronic ticketing system, commuters are getting increasingly vocal about their demand for a combined Metro-BMTC card, for seamless mobility between the two modes. Its been over six months since the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and BMTC have supposedly been in talks on a single ticketing system. While the initiative is said to convert closed-loop Metro smart cards into open-loop ones, it is yet to see the light of day. A combined card may help bring in more public transport commuters Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had raised the hopes of commuters by promising that both corporations would resolve their systemic differences and provide commuters with a single travel card. Anand Shetty, who uses the Metro between MG road and Trinity Circle, and then hops onto a BMTC bus to reach Murgesh Pallya, said, Both corporations must bring this move into effect immediately to not only make travel convenient for commuters, but also increase profit for the organisations, he said, adding that there would be an increase in commuters using public transport in the city. Mobility expert Ashish Verma said, Potentially, there could be an increase in those opting for public transport. Right now, every time someone switches, they have to stand in a queue to purchase tickets. More commuters would certainly enrich the revenues of the corporations. Both of them have to arrive at a proper revenue-sharing mechanism. He added that this system is used in several other countries. According to Tanusree Deb Barma, director (IT), BMTC, they are still working out a system. As of now, it depends on BMRCL since they have to call for a Request For Proposal (RFP) which is on hold. We are ready for an integration, so there is no problem on our side, she said. When City Express contacted Yashavanth Chavan, spokesperson of BMRCL, he said, Our officials are working on it. | http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2019/jan/07/will-bmtc-metro-combo-card-see-light-of-day-1921858.html |
Will Tottenhams January transfer business push Mauricio Pochettino to Man Utd? | Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is treading something of a tightrope this month. He needs to balance the books while paying for the clubs newly-built but not yet used stadium, while also showing the sort of ambition that will encourage manager Mauricio Pochettino that his future is in north London. Spurs are currently third in the Premier League table and in contention for the title following recent slip-ups by Liverpool and Manchester City. That scenario has arisen despite the club having not made a single signing last summer. In his press conference yesterday, Pochettino appeared resigned to the prospect of a second successive transfer window without adding any players to his squad. While he declared himself pleased with the players currently at his disposal and acknowledged that the club would have trouble finding players who are available this month and also of the required quality and temperament, you sense there must be a degree of frustration building. For a man who has been strongly touted as Jose Mourinhos permanent successor at Manchester United, it is inevitable that the ambition and spending power of the two clubs will start to be compared in Pochettinos thoughts. Also at his press conference, the Argentine boss declared that Spurs did not need to sell players in order to make signings. But the likeliest scenario at the moment is that they will sell players but not make any signings. Reports this morning suggest that midfielder Mousa Dembele is on the verge of an 11m move to Chinese side Beijing Guoan. The BBC also suggests that Levy is seeking to offload striker Vincent Janssen, who is out of favour and about to return from a foot injury. French winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou would probably be sold too if a buyer can be found, while veteran striker Fernando Llorente has made no secret of his desire to quit his bit-part role at Spurs to return to former club Athletic Bilbao. Those four departures would leave Pochettino with a 23-man first team squad, including recently promoted 18-year-old Oliver Skipp. Dembele and, to a lesser extent Llorente, would still have a role to play for Spurs if they stayed. Janssen and Nkoudou would not. Taken together, a quartet of sales and the prospect of no signings for a second successive window does not paint a pretty picture for Levy. Pochettino is at least showing realism about the difficulty Tottenham face in improving their squad right now, but it remains to be seen how long he is willing to let those circumstances curb his ambition to win titles. | https://www.offthepost.info/blog/2019/01/will-tottenhams-january-transfer-business-push-mauricio-pochettino-man-utd/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+offthepost%2FTLAa+%28Off+The+Post%29 |
Does combatting quackery and pseudoscience through rational argument and ridicule work? | As hard as it is to believe, I've been at this blogging thing for 12 years now. In fact, it's been so long that this year I didn't even remember to mention it when it happened nearly two weeks ago. Over that time period, I've dealt with a large number of conspiracy theories. Indeed, skeptics can't help but avoid it. After all, conspiracy theories are at the heart of a lot of pseudoscience, quackery, and crankery. For instance, the very first bit of pseudohistory that served as my "gateway drug" into skepticism, Holocaust denial, is based upon a massive conspiracy theory that the Jews made up or vastly exaggerated the Nazis' genocide against the Jews and are hiding evidence that it never happened or that far fewer Jews died, to the Holocaust deniers the Jews suffered no more than other groups suffering massive casualties during World War II. Similarly, most believers in alternative medicine believe in conspiracies by varying combinations of big pharma, the government, and the medical profession to suppress their favorite bits of quackery, due to a combination of ideology and (of course! ), above all, to preserve big pharma's profits. One of the most common topics that I deal with is antivaccine pseudoscience. Not surprisingly, antivaccine ideologues believe in many conspiracy theories. Chief among these is that the government and pharmaceutical industry are "covering up" evidence that vaccines cause autism. To them, this conspiracy explains why high quality evidence from large epidemiological studies in the peer-reviewed literature has consistently failed to support a link between vaccines (or the thimerosal preservative that used to be in vaccines) and autismor any other of the conditions and diseases antivaccinationists attribute to vaccines, such as autoimmune diseases, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, and a wide variety of neurodevelopmental disorders. Indeed, that's why I've started to refer to this conspiracy theory as the "central conspiracy theory of the antivaccine movement." the "CDC whistleblower" manufactroversy so quickly blossomed into a full-blown conspiracy theory two years ago and has since resulted in more than one book (such as Kevin Barry's Vaccine Whistleblower) and, of course, the propaganda film VAXXED by Andrew Wakefield and Del Bigtree, all promoting the idea that a troubled CDC scientist, William Thompson, has made claims that the CDC "covered up" evidence that, simply put), the MMR vaccine resulted in a much higher risk of autism in African American males. Thompson isn't portrayed the way he really was, an emotionally troubled man who has nursed a grudge for 10 years against his former supervisors and collaborators because he felt that they didn't listen to his concerns sufficiently and thus ended up spilling his guts to a biochemical engineer turned incompetent epidemiologist Brian Hooker, who tipped off Andrew Wakefield to Thompson's complaints. Hilariously, although Thompson has been silent for over two years, even he doesn't seem to believe Wakefield's claims. So conspiracy theories are important. Conspiracy theories are harmful very harmful, too. After all, arguably conspiracy theories are a large part of what fueled the election of Donald Trump, who is himself an antivaccine loon and even met with Andrew Wakefield back in August. (There's even a picture.) It's not for nothing that I fear for medical science under Trump. So it was with great interest that I came across an article about a study on how to counter conspiracy theories Study: Rational arguments and ridicule can both reduce belief in conspiracy theories. The study itself by Orosz et al, carried out by a group in Hungary collaborating with a group in the UK, is entitled Changing Conspiracy Beliefs through Rationality and Ridiculing. The reason it caught my eye is because it goes against two tenets of science communication that I've learned since who knows when, one in particular that I've been pummeled with since time immemorial, given the name of this blog. The first is that you can't change someone's mind about pseudoscience or a conspiracy theory by rattling off the facts and science that refute it because that will make people double down through the phenomenon of motivated reasoning, in which intelligent people are very good at finding facts to support their beliefs and picking apart evidence that does not. (Most highly intelligent people are not skeptics and, through the Dunning-Kruger effect, people often overestimate their expertise in areas outside of their .) The second is that ridicule doesn't change people's minds, a tenet that has led to considerable concern trolling in the comments of this blog and my not-so-super-secret other blog. So a study that suggests that both methods can persuade is at least of interest, even if it turns out not to support the hypothesis. Basically, the authors looked at three strategies for decreasing belief in conspiracy theories: In order to change the link between the object and the attribute, further logical pieces of information or logical steps can be provided, thus allowing us to elaborate on the logical structure which can result in a more complex link. (Using facts and studies to refute the belief.) The second possibility of conspiracy belief change involves increasing the distance between the self and those who hold a certain link between the object and the attribute. To achieve this, one can demonstrate that those people who hold such beliefs are characterized by negative traits or they are targeted as being ridiculous. As practically no one wants to be ridiculed by others, the ridiculing argument can be fueled by the ego-protective function. (The ridicule approach.) The third form of conspiracy belief change could relate to the identification with the object of the belief. Therefore, in this case, the primary goal is not to change the link between the object and the attribute, but to focus on the reduction of the distance between the self and the object of the CT. (The empathetic approach.) To test these methods, the researchers recruited 813 Hungarian adults selected randomly from an Internet-enabled panel, including 20,000 members, with the help of the Solid Data Ltd., in OctoberNovember 2014. To select the the sample, a multiple-step, proportionally stratified, probabilistic sampling method was employed. As described by the researchers, members of this panel used the Internet at least once a week. Also, individuals were removed from the panel if they responded too quickly (i.e., without paying attention to their response) and/or had fake (or not used) e-mail addresses. The sample was nationally representative in terms of gender, age, level of education, and location of residence. Respondents then listened to this: After agreeing with the informed consent form, participants listened to the first audio recording (for the transcript, see Appendix 1 in Supplementary Material). This is a 4:30 min recording that presented a conspiracy super theory including the victimization of Hungary by the financial imperium, the hidden control of Jews over the world, the EU as a non-functional oppressive power, and the bankers who exploit the Hungarian financial system. The text provided vivid, but confusing details about the mechanisms that actually shape the fate of Hungary and the world. This super CT met the above mentioned characteristics of CTs in terms of nothing happens by chance, nothing is what it seems, everything is interconnected with everything, and the world is divided into good and evil. I must admit, having read the text of the speech, I found this to be a doozy, even by my standards. Here's a taste: The Zionist world strategy, in concreto, can be seen as the global strategy to achieve world hegemony. It can be successfully accomplished if humanity does learn anything about it. For this reason, Zionists practically issued war against everyone who knew about their activity, analyzes it, judges it, and understands and publishes about their world strategy. The international Jewry created the bolshevism, and the same power disintegrated the Soviet Union. Today, the United States is the next. The Zionist monetary world elite have already successfully gained control over the political system of the United States. After listening to the speech the subjects expressed their acceptance concerning eight questions on four main topics (victimization of Hungary, EU, power of the Jews, bankers). They were also asked about their general acceptance of the conspiracy theory. Then the subjects were randomized to four groups. The control listened to a weather forecast. The rest were randomized to listen to one of three speeches utilizing these strategies: In the rational condition, the text tackled the claims made in the first recording in a logically plausible manner, using numbers to support the objections, and pointing out the discrepancy between high influence and concealment. This speech pointed out the logical flaws of the first speech and corrected it with in-depth arguments regarding the link between the beliefs' objects and attributes. The goal of this condition was to emphasize the logical inconsistencies and to create a more complex and coherent relationship between the objects of the belief and the attributes. In the ridiculing condition, the script addressed the same logical flaws, but reasoned against them differently: instead of focusing on certain details, it derided the logical inconsistencies and concentrated on those who believe in the CTs, picturing them as evidently ridiculous (e.g., mentioning the believers of Lizard Men). This text intended to increase the distance between the respondents' self and those who believe in CTs. The empathetic condition contested the original text's claim in a different manner: instead of focusing on content or those who believe in the content, it placed the objects of the CTs in the center, and compassionately called attention to the dangers of demonizing and scapegoating, while also pointing out the human character of the CT objects (i.e., Jews face similar conspiracy theories and persecution nowadays that the Early Christians faced). This condition intended to reduce the distance between the respondent and the objects of CTs and to raise empathy toward these groups. Here's a taste of each condition. First, an excerpt from the rational: Contrary to the text, the worlds financial core does not consist of the above-mentioned housed, nor the Zionist/Israeli/Jewish lobby. The British banks are not the most important. The Chinese banks dominate the international ranking of the banks based on the value of their tools. Among the top 10 biggest banks, 4 are Chinese, while in the top 50, 10 are Chinese, 6 are American, and 5-5 are Japanese, French, and British. In the top 10 enterprises, ranked by Forbes, 5 are Chinese (among them the Chinese ISBC with a wealth of 3124 billion dollars) and 5 are American (among them the JP Morgan with 2353 billion dollars). Hmmm. Sounds like me...sometimes. Now, an excerpt from the ridiculing: The fight against the global financial empire and other invisible enemies is the hobby and craze of conspiracy theory believers. The important thing is to always have an evil with whom people can be scared, like the bogeyman crawling out from under the childrens bed. It is the best to choose a suspicious group with a bad reputation as enemy: secret societies, the House of Rotschilds, the illuminati, the Cabalists, international financial capital, Jews, etc. There are people who, following this train of thought, think that Lizard people want to take control over us, and for example the American presidents are disguised Lizard people in reality. The Facebook page of the most famous Lizard people believer, David Icke, is followed by half a million people. According to a research, 2% of the Americans, more than 6 million people, believe in the Lizard people theory. Obviously, it is easier to scare with a bogeyman than to think logically. It has also been proven by research that logical thinking is not a strength of the conspiracy believers. According to a British study, people believing Osama Bin Landen to still be alive, despite the official version, also believe in that he was already dead when American soldiers found him. He lives and dies at the same time. This sounds like me a bit more of the time, although it's a bit crude. I like my ridicule a bit more amusing. Finally, an excerpt from the empathetic: The different influential societies, families, bankers are often accused that they maliciously control countries, the EU and the events of the world from behind the scenes. As a consequence, Hungary often appears as a marionette that is controlled by them. Along other groups in the text, the global monetary empire, the super power whose leaders are the secretly controlling Zionists, alias Jews. It is important to know that the same scapegoat theory has already led to tragedy in multiple occasions. Similar theories constituted the Nazi propaganda about the world dominance of the Jews and resulted in the killing of 6 million people, women and children among them. Not only were the Jews the target of these conspiracy theories by any means. In the Middle Ages, the Jews were accused of poisoning water wells and murdering virgin girls. In the early eras of Christianity, in Ancient Rome, the same accusations were made against the Christians, and they were hunted and killed based on these accusations. A similar logic is behind current Christian prosecutions. The influential societies are often vested with demonic power so that they can be stripped of their goods. Not being a social scientist or psychologist, I'm not able to judge more than in a general sense the various tools used to assess the subjects' beliefs pre- and post-speeches, but they included: Conspiracy Assessment Tool (CAT), which was created for this study to assess the individual's attitudes toward conspiracies, assessing beliefs regarding conspiracies related to four aspects: (1) Hungary as a victim of conspiracy; (2) Jews as the leaders of the world; (3) the European Union is a parasitic formation without any function; and (4) the bankers as the leaders of the world. Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire (CMQ) Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) Big Five (BFI) The key result is here: CAT scores, as you can see, decreased significantly among subjects who participated in the rational condition and the ridiculing condition, but no significant decrease was observed in the other two conditions: control and empathetic. From this the authors conclude that rational arguments and ridicule can reduce belief in conspiracy theories. The authors are, as they should be, fairly modest about their findings: Considering these results and previous studies focusing on the benevolent effects of analytic thinking in CT belief reduction, it can be assumed that uncovering arguments regarding the logical inconsistencies of CT beliefs can be an effective way to discredit them. Our findings on the efficiency of rational argumentation go against the mainstream of the communication literature and common wisdom, as well as the current affective wave of social psychology emphasizing that emotions constitute the most important factor behind shaping beliefs and attitudes. Considering the modest effect sizes, we assume that rationality has a bigger impact on shaping (sometimes irrational) beliefs than previously expected, given that in the current communication environment, people are overloaded with emotional messages coming from ads, political and social campaigns. Future studies should also investigate the role of rationality and the rationality heuristic in belief change. I like to joke that we have to be careful about studies whose results reinforce our preconceived biases. In this case, the question, of course, is whether these results are in any way generalizable. For one thing, the sample is relatively small and only involves one country. For another thing, this study only examines very short term measures. Most importantly, for my purposes, this study looked at a general population, not committed conspiracy theorists. In other words, this group is close to the group that I like to refer to as "fence-sitters." In the case of the antivaccine movement, fence sitters are people who might have heard the misinformation about vaccines enough to be concerned but by no means have bought into the full conspiracy theory mindset of the movement or even started to seriously believe the lies. In this study, the investigators were almost seeking to create fence sitters, as their subjects might or might not have heard about the antisemitic conspiracy theories to which they were exposed, much as new parents might be exposed to antivaccine misinformation. I know, I know, it's a highly imperfect analogy, given how structured an experiment like this must by its very nature be compared to how parents generally find this information through friends and the Internet. Even so, these results give me hope that a combination of rational argument and targeted ridicule can be effective. I'm not so deluded not to think that such a combination probably at best doesn't work and at worst hardens attitudes among the hard-core antivaccine ideologues or believers in other pseudoscience, but those were never my targets anyway (other than for ridicule). They're so invested in their beliefs that changing them is as difficult as getting a fundamentalist to change or give up his religion. It happens, but not very commonly and usually not because of persuasion. Those of us who try, in our own way, to combat the pseudoscience and quackery that are so rampant today can only reasonably hope to try to inoculate the average citizen against such beliefs. | https://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/12/23/does-combatting-quackery-and-pseudoscience-through-rational-argument-and-ridicule-work |
Could Japans Approval of the Bitcoin ETF Affect US SECs Decision? | On January 7, CCN reported that the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan is considering the approval of the countrys first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). Probability of a Bitcoin ETF in US The probability of the approval of a Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. by February remains low. A pro-crypto SEC commissioner Hester Peirce previously said that investors should not wait on a Bitcoin ETF because it may take days or years for the commission to approve it. Whether the ETF gets approved or not, the filing of a VanEck ETF will provide more clarity on the subject. In the second half of 2018, the SEC rejected 12 Bitcoin ETFs submitted by the Winklevoss twins and three other companies. The Winklevoss twins attempted to launch an ETF using cryptocurrency exchanges to calculate the base price of the asset and the three companies relied on the Bitcoin futures market to develop an ETF. All 11 filings were rejected by the SEC because it believed that both exchanges and the futures market are not of significant size. bitcoin price More The VanEck ETF uses data from the over-the-counter (OTC) market, which is said to be bigger than the cryptocurrency exchange market in terms of volume and trading activity. Regardless of the result, it will lead the SEC to evaluate the global cryptocurrency OTC market and also consider the tightening regulatory frameworks in major overseas markets. Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malta, and other regions have implemented strict policies on Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML), monitoring suspicious transactions and disallowing anonymous accounts from trading cryptocurrencies. In late November of last year, SEC chairman Jay Clayton said that safeguards and technologies to prevent suspicious transactions are non-existent in overseas markets. Clayton said: Those kinds of safeguards dont exist in many of the markets where digital currencies trade. With the lead of Japan and the G20s move to regulate cryptocurrencies, many major Bitcoin and crypto asset markets have implemented various safeguards. Some regions like South Korea have implemented stricter rules than the U.S., specifically on the prohibition of foreigners and unidentified individuals from trading cryptocurrencies with the Korean won. If a Bitcoin ETF is approved in Japan before the U.S., there exists a possibility that it may lead the U.S. government to approve a Bitcoin ETF in its local market. Japan remains as the only country to have integrated a national licensing program for cryptocurrency exchanges, only allowing a handful of exchanges that are fully compliant with existing regulations to operate within the country. Currently, the time frame of the FSAs decision on the approval of Bitcoin ETFs is uncertain and it may also take many months for the government to come to a consensus on the subject. Featured Image from Shutterstock. Price Charts from TradingView. appeared first on CCN. | https://news.yahoo.com/could-japan-approval-bitcoin-etf-013117168.html |
Can Donald Trump order the military to build a wall along US-Mexico border? | The Republican Party, since its takeover by Reaganauts in the 1980s, has long favoured shrinking the federal government to the point at which it can be drowned in the bathtub, to use Grover Norquists colourful phrase. Tax cuts reduce the federal budget. Budget cuts weaken social programs. Even cutting remarks have their effect. Reagan got plenty of laughs when he said, The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: Im from the federal government and Im here to help. ' With the partial shutdown of the federal government entering its third week, Americans are learning that the nine most truly terrifying words in the English language are: Im the president and Im here to helpmyself. ALSO READ: Trump says only Mexico border wall can stop the flow of illegal immigrants Trump isnt content to use the executive office to enrich himself and his circle. Hes warping national policy to serve his own interests as well. Trump believes via Fox News that his presidency is doomed (and his second term nipped in the bud) if he doesnt fulfil his signature promise of building a wall. The government shutdown is all about Trump and his self-serving impulses. To that end, Trump has threatened to extend the shutdown as long as it takes in order to squeeze funding out of Congress for his cherished wall. Hes got the bathtub ready and a funeral oration is already written. Shutting down government wont lose any votes from furloughed federal workers (the vast majority of whom already despise him). Yes, the shutdown is unpopular, but the presidents base of support is delighted to see even a partial draining of the swamp. And shutdowns, as FiveThirtyEight concludes from an admittedly small sample, dont seem to have a long-term impact on public opinion. But the truly frightening part of this standoff between Trump and the rest of government is his threat to invoke a state of emergency so he can direct the US military to build his wall. The president admires autocrats who can just get the job done. Rule by decree is the first stepping stone to transforming democracy into a dictatorship. Declaring a state of emergency would be Trumps desperate attempt to hold on to and ultimately expand the power that is slipping through his fingers in the aftermath of the midterm elections. Channelling the Fascists Rule by decree has an undistinguished, undemocratic parentage. In the Weimar Republic of the 1920s and 1930s, the German constitution contained the controversial article 48, which granted the president the right to rule by decree in the case of a national emergency. German leaders invoked this right several times between 1930 and 1933. ALSO READ: Trump speech highlights: New NAFTA would pay for the US-Mexico border wall But the most momentous decree came in the wake of the Reichstag fire, six days before German elections in 1933. Hitler, already appointed chancellor at that point, persuaded German President Paul von Hindenburg to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree. No doubt inspired by Benito Mussolini and his use of emergency powers to establish fascism in Italy in the 1920s, the Nazis then took full advantage the authority granted them by Hindenburgs decree to remake Germany into a dictatorship. Modern democracies retain a certain echo of this tradition of decrees. In the United States, for instance, presidents can issue executive orders without having to declare a state of emergency. Trump has already shown a marked preference for this style of governance. During his first two years in office, he issued 91 executive orders 55 in 2017 and 36 in 2018. By contrast, Obama issued an average of 35 per year, George W. Bush 36. Many of Trumps executive orders such as withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement, the Paris climate accord, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal place Trump in opposition to and national consensus. Trump has also used his executive privilege to take bold stands in foreign policy that diverge, in some cases sharply, from the consensus of the policymaking community. He defied the advice of his advisors to sit down one-on-one with North Koreas Kim Jong Un. Most recently, he announced US military withdrawal from Syria, generating considerable pushback from the foreign policy mandarin class. Like a stopped clock, an erratic commander-in-chief can be right once in a while. These steps are authoritative but not authoritarian. Executive orders arent out-and-out decrees the courts can say no, as theyve done several times in the Trump era. Trumps freewheeling foreign policy moves also face certain constraints. A deal with North Korea would require congressional consent. His decision to remove troops from Syria has already been modified by members of his own administration, with National Security Advisor John Bolton stipulating certain conditions that will delay or even nullify withdrawal. ALSO READ: Trump speech: US Prez may declare border situation a national emergency But Trumps threat to declare a state of emergency at the border would up the ante considerably. True, presidents frequently declare states of emergency under the National Emergencies Act. Both George W. Bush and Barack Obama declared a dozen or so each (most of them still in effect). But these declarations pertained almost exclusively to war or terrorism. Trumps attempt to circumvent the congressional standoff over his wall is a different matter altogether. As Bruce Ackerman points out in The New York Times, the president cant use the military to execute his plan. In the wake of the Katrina disaster, Congress created an exemption to the general rule prohibiting the military from enforcing domestic laws. The Obama administration then rolled back that particular exemption. Ackerman further predicts that if Trump attempts to go forward with his plan anyway, Congress would block him. Indeed, as Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) has said. If Harry Truman couldnt nationalize the steel industry during wartime, this president doesnt have the power to declare an emergency and build a multibillion-dollar wall on the border. Moreover, Trumps wall doesnt qualify as an urgent response to a crisis. There is no state of emergency at the border. There have been a few protests, on each side of the border, most recently around the closing of a shelter in Tijuana. But that hardly qualifies as a clear and present danger. The number of fell to a historic low in 2017, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Nor did the situation change in 2018. ALSO READ: Trump deserves most of the blame for US govt shutdown, say 51% Americans The Trump administration has claimed that 4,000 known or suspected terrorists were stopped at the border in 2018. Not true: The vast majority of those people on the list of suspected terrorists were stopped at airports around the world. In the first half of 2018, only six non-Americans on the list were stopped at the southern border. Trump will no doubt repeat some of these lies this week in his first televised Oval Office speech. This is another privilege of his position: to speak directly to the American people. And the networks, despite some misgivings about the presidents indifference to the truth, will air the speech. Trump has already delegitimized the mainstream media as fake news, and he is now artfully playing them for his own purposes. For those who believe that the American system of checks and balances will prevent Trump from getting his way, think again. As Elizabeth Goitien explains in The Atlantic, the American system has its own equivalent of Article 48 of the Weimar constitution: Unknown to most Americans, a parallel legal regime allows the president to sidestep many of the constraints that normally apply. The moment the president declares a national emergency a decision that is entirely within his discretion more than 100 special provisions become available to him. While many of these tee up reasonable responses to genuine emergencies, some appear dangerously suited to a leader bent on amassing or retaining power. For instance, the president can, with the flick of his pen, activate laws allowing him to shut down many kinds of electronic communications inside the or freeze Americans bank accounts. Goitien worries that Trump could also use the Insurrection Act to deploy US troops on the streets of American cities. So, imagine that protests spring up around the country against Trumps declaration of a national emergency. That could in turn serve as the justification for Trump sending in troops to suppress a threat to the public order. In this way, the could go from a state of emergency at the border to martial law throughout the country. ALSO READ: Endless wars will eventually come to 'glorious end': Donald Trump Trumps public support remains low and his political influence is on the decline. Hes surrounded almost exclusively now by advisors who favor his most autocratic impulses. Its not inconceivable that Trump will use his standoff with Congress over the border wall as his Reichstag moment. Over a decade ago, in another political era altogether, the Los Angeles Times charged in an editorial that ruling by decree was not democratic. This would seem to be a no-brainer. But one prominent reader disagreed. He wrote, This is not the mark of a dictatorial rule but rather a new way of envisioning popular participation and democracy. The writer was the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States, trying to defend his boss, Hugo Chavez, from the charge that he was governing like a dictator. This is the playbook that Trump is reading. This is the company that Trump keeps. This is the clear and present danger that America now faces. John Feffer is the director of Foreign Policy In Focus and the author of the new dystopian novel Frostlands. | https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/can-donald-trump-order-the-military-to-build-a-wall-along-us-mexico-border-119010900111_1.html |
What makes a diet easy to follow? | Here's a behind-the-curtains look at what the experts were asked to consider when figuring out the best diets. They apply to any diet, not just the 41 ranked by U.S. News. Losing weight is never going to be a piece of cake. But obstacles such as bland food, a rigid eating schedule and hours-long meal prep make sticking to a diet and seeing the number on the scale steadily decline much less likely. Thats why its smart to look for a plan or approach thats relatively easy to follow. Its always going to be hard at first, but youre more likely to be able to live with some diets than you are others, says registered dietitian Andrea Giancoli, who serves on the Best Diets panel of experts in nutrition and diet assembled by U.S. News. You dont want something thats immediately setting you up for failure. U.S. News Best Diets 2019 spans nine sets of rankings, including Easiest Diets to Follow. The rankings rely on our expert panels ratings of 41 popular diets from 5 (best) to 1 (worst) depending on how much difficulty the judges thought dieters would have in getting used to a diet, how much taste appeal they felt it would offer, how full they believed it would make dieters feel and how many rules would have to be obeyed. [See: The 10 Best Diets for Fast Weight Loss.] The experts put the Mediterranean Diet, Flexitarian Diet, WW (Weight Watchers), the MIND Diet, the DASH Diet and the Fertility Diet at the top of the Easiest to Follow standings. Heres a behind-the-curtains look at what the experts were asked to consider. They apply to any diet, not just the 41 we ranked. Initial adjustment. One day youre living on pasta, white bread, chicken wings and potato chips. The next, its lean chicken breast, green vegetables and quinoa. Any diet inevitably changes meal and snack habits. But a plan that eases you into a new way of eating, still allows for the occasional splurge and doesnt exclude entire food groups is easier to follow than one that puts you in a dietary straitjacket. A diet is much more doable if it allows for most foods even treats in appropriate amounts, Giancoli says. Depriving yourself often backfires. The experts lauded diets such as WW (Weight Watchers) and Volumetrics, which dont take entire categories of food off the table. And they liked the Abs diets weekly cheat meal, when you can indulge yourself however you want. Mediterranean dieters are encouraged to have a glass or two of wine each day, so you dont suddenly have to scrub all alcohol from your routine. Less-than-stellar marks went to the rules-driven Dukan diet, which is extremely restrictive and labels even the slightest slip-up a destructive mistake. And Paleo dieters must eliminate anything cavemen didnt eat including refined sugar, dairy, legumes and grains. Suddenly flipping the switch to off makes sticking to a diet significantly less likely. [See: 7 Exercises That Trainers Wouldnt Be Caught Dead Doing.] Satiety. All diets arent equally good at giving you the satisfied feeling that youve had enough. Feeling full makes a diet more bearable: If your stomach is constantly grumbling or youre forced to go long stretches without eating, youre more likely to break down and binge on whatever is in close proximity. Thats one reason Volumetrics landed near the top of the Easiest to Follow list. The plan revolves around fruits, vegetables, soups and other low-density foods that help control appetite, and the daily menu includes plenty of snacks and even dessert. The Fast Diet, meanwhile, requires dieters to partially fast for two days a week which translates to consuming 500 calories for women and 600 for men per fasting day. Theres a good chance those on the plan wont exactly feel full on fasting days. Tastiness. That was one of the judges problems with Medifast, for example: The limited menu, small portions and powdered, just-add-water food will likely grow old fast. Packaged meals are convenient, but excitement and variety, which help dieters stay on board, are missing. Experts also looked for emphasis on unusual ingredients. They were wary about the raw food diet, which calls for plant-based foods never heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. That translates to dehydrated bananas, buckwheat/sunflower seed pizza crust, mashed avocado and unpasteurized milk. To gauge whether you might find a particular plan tasty enough to adhere to, Giancoli advises, check out the recipes first. Or do they call for things youve never heard of? Special requirements. Flexibility and convenience are vital. When theyre minimal or absent, diets can be difficult to follow. The Abs diet, for example, requires lots of prep work, and each meal has to include at least two of 12 Abs powerfoods, such as almonds, beans and instant oatmeal. Thats a potential challenge for busy dieters. The need to use smoothies is a hassle, says nutritional epidemiologist Teresa Fung, adding that the need to make shakes every day can be annoying. As for convenience, consider the Zone diets strict regimen: breakfast within an hour of waking up, and snacks and meals every five hours, with precise percentages of carbs, protein and healthy fat. Point-counting, carb-counting and other calculations detract from a plans ease. [See: The 12 Best Diets for Your Heart.] Whats hard or easy for one dieter, of course, may be just right or all wrong for another. Some people need lots of rules and restrictions; others cant handle such rigidity. It boils down to what you feel is sustainable, says registered dietitian Elisabetta Politi, who serves on the U.S. News Best Diets expert panel. originally appeared on usnews.com Update 01/02/19: This is an updated version of a previously published story. | https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2019/01/what-makes-a-diet-easy-to-follow-5/ |
What makes a healthy diet? | If you want a program that works for the long run, you'll need a lifestyle you can live with and like. That means a diet that's nutritious and delicious, but one that will take a bit of planning and commitment from you. A healthy diet doesnt require a lot of money, newfangled appliances or subsisting on any kind of scheme that sounds like a gimmick. Because its true what they say about what seems too good to be true: Eating well means listening to that little voice inside that knows what healthy foods generally look like fresh and recognizable in nature and what they dont prepackaged and processed. That sensibility may not fit so well with our on-demand culture, where we want results now be it dinner or weight loss. But if you want a program that works for the long run, youll need a lifestyle you can live with and like. That means a diet thats nutritious and delicious, but one that will take a bit of planning and commitment from you. While staying lean is a big part of good health, weight lost doesnt always equal health gained. That new diet that took inches off your waistline could be harming your health if it locks out or severely restricts entire food groups, relies on supplements with little scientific backing or clamps down on calories to an extreme. [See: 6 Ways to Train Your Brain for Healthy Eating.] People are so desperate to lose weight that its really weight loss at any cost, says Madelyn Fernstrom, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center. Pounds are coming off. Youre happy. But your body might not be. And that approach always guarantees weight regain. With our Best Diets 2019 rankings, you can check the nutritional completeness and safety of 41 popular diets, from Atkins to the Fertility Diet to WW (Weight Watchers), in a detailed profile crafted for each one. (The profiles also cover scientific evidence, typical meals and much more.) And U.S. News Best Diets for Healthy Eating rankings give each diet a healthiness score from 5 (best) to 1 (worst) for safety and nutrition, with safety getting double weight; while you can modify a diet to some degree to adjust for nutritional imbalances or deficiencies, mere tweaking wont make an unsafe diet safe. Behind these scores are ratings by a panel of diet and nutrition experts assembled by U.S. News. They assessed the diets across seven categories, including the safety and nutritional completeness categories, for a series of nine different rankings lists. The Best Diets for Healthy Eating rankings overlap significantly with Best Diets Overall. Both give especially high marks to the DASH, MIND, TLC, Mediterranean, Mayo Clinic and Volumetrics diets. [See: 7 Reasons to Choose a Plant-Based Diet.] The ones that get high scores in safety and in nutritional value theyre very similar to each other, says Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietitian who serves on the U.S. News expert panel. The recurring theme across the diets that excelled in healthiness is adequate calories supplied by a heavy load of vegetables, fruits and whole grains; a modest amount of lean protein, nonfat dairy and healthy fats; and an occasional treat. Plants are the foundation, and the menu is always built around minimally processed meals made from scratch. Because plant-based eating patterns are so healthful and growing in popularity, U.S. News also offers a Best Plant-Based Diets category. And given the rise of food intolerances and sensitivities, weve included profiles of diets that are said to ease digestive distress the gluten-free and low FODMAP diets. These are not ranked, however, as they are not intended for general dietary needs. Very few diets on the Healthy Eating list are overtly unsafe or severely deficient nutritionally. Ten plans received healthiness scores below 3; these included the Paleo, Raw Food, Fast, Dukan, Atkins and Whole30 diets. Theyre simply too restrictive, say our experts, who call their nutritional qualities into question. The meat-heavy Paleo diet bans grains and dairy, so getting adequate calcium and vitamin D isnt easy. Atkins, by severely curbing carbs, blows past recommended caps for total and saturated fat. Depending on your personal approach to the Raw Food Diet, you may shortchange yourself on calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D; its restrictive cooking rules also could put you at risk for eating raw or undercooked ingredients. [See: High-Protein Breakfast Ideas.] If you have reservations about a diets nutritional content or safety, listen to your body. Fatigue, sleeplessness, dizziness, aches theyre all red flags. originally appeared on usnews.com Update 01/02/19: This is an updated version of a previously published story. | https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2019/01/what-makes-a-healthy-diet-5/ |
What is a low-fat diet? | Low-fat plans that focus on nutritious foods can work well. Here's what healthy low-fat eating looks like today. Back in the 1980s and 90s, low-fat diets were trendier than paleo, keto and Whole30 diets combined. Open up any lifestyle magazine and youd find low-fat recipes and weight-loss success stories. The reasoning that less fat in your food would translate to less fat in your body seemed intuitive. And the idea that you could eat any food, and as much as you wanted, as long as it was low-fat or nonfat, was irresistible. Inevitably, a slew of products marketed as non- or low-fat hit grocery store shelves. Middle-aged adults may recall gorging on entire packages of fat-free cookies or large bags of pretzels because, hey, its OK, the fat content is low. However, it became clear that calories still counted for losing weight and good nutrition really mattered for staying healthy. Eventually, although they didnt disappear, the Pritikin diet and other low-fat plans with a lot of buzz faded in popularity. Even so, low-fat plans that focus on nutritious foods can work well. Heres what healthy low-fat eating looks like today. A well-accepted definition of a low-fat diet is one in which no more than 30 percent of calories come from fat, says Jill Weisenberger, a Virginia-based registered dietitian nutritionist and author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide. However, the fat content is much lower in certain plans, she points out. Usually, the range you see is 20 to 30 percent fat, says Carrie Dennett, a Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist. Theres no consistent range. [See: The 10 Best Diets for Fast Weight Loss.] A breakdown of nutritional content for a typical days meals is provided for every plan in U.S. News Best Diets. Ornish and TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) are two top diets identifying themselves as low-fat. Two Ornish versions (16 percent or 11 percent fat), TLC (22 percent fat), Macrobiotic (17 percent fat) and Engine 2 (23 percent fat) clearly fall into the low-fat category. Among these, the Engine 2 and Ornish, in particular, perform well as weight loss diets. Other ranked plans that arent necessarily focused on low-fat food still fall into an at least lower-fat range. Versions of the Mayo Clinic Diet have a fat content of 22 percent, as does Jenny Craig. Fat content for Volumetrics comes in at 24 percent. Biggest Loser has a fat content of 25 percent. Two DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) versions have a total fat content of 26 and 27 percent. Two Nutritarian versions are 26 or 29 percent, respectively. Flexitarian is 27 percent fat, while Mediterranean fat content is 29 percent. People may follow low-fat diets for medical reasons. Digestive disorders such as gastroparesis or gallbladder disease are diagnoses for which low-fat plans are recommended, Weisenberger says. In these conditions, the body is less able to break down or absorb fatty foods. In other cases, eating fatty foods can aggravate diarrhea. Heart disease prevention is another medical reason to choose a low-fat eating plan. The Ornish diet was created by a physician, Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventive Research Medicine Institute in Sausalito, California. On Ornish, whole-grain foods such as whole-grain bread or quinoa spaghetti replace refined carbs such as pasta and white bread. Veggies and fruits are emphasized. Low-fat or nonfat dairy replace full-fat dairy. If youre looking to reduce your intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fat, Ornish could be an excellent choice. Only 2 percent of calories come from saturated fat and the trans fat content is zero. Among U.S. News Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Ornish made the top spot in 2019, tying for first place with Mediterranean. A study of heart disease patients found the Ornish program reverses artery blockage. Other research shows that Ornish eating can help lower blood pressure and reduce bad LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. The TLC diet is ranked No. 4 in Best Heart-Healthy Diets. It was created by the National Cholesterol Education Program, an initiative of the National Institutes of Health, to reduce cholesterol as part of a heart-healthy eating plan. The broad TLC guidelines center on foods such as fruits and vegetables, breads, cereals, pasta and lean meats. Several studies show that people who followed TLC reduced their blood levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. The TLC eating pattern is considered safe for children as well as adults, and is sometimes prescribed to kids who develop Type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol. [See: U.S. News Best Diets Overall.] Overall, plant-based plans are considered heart-healthy. Macrobiotic diets, which have been around for centuries in many variations, are basically vegetarian, with some nearly vegan. The focus is on natural, organic, locally grown whole foods. Theres a strong philosophical aspect to macrobiotic plans, with some incorporating Buddhism or meditation, and stricter versions discourage cooking with electric stoves or microwaves. Engine 2 is a low-fat, high-plant diet similar to vegan eating. Engine 2 eliminates vegetable oils and encourages whole plant foods. Whole, intact grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes are Engine 2 staples. Following Engine 2 will definitely limit your total intake of fats and oils. Low-fat diets may play a role in cancer prevention. A low-fat regimen was associated with reduced incidence of pancreatic cancer in overweight or obese women, according to a large study in the January 2018 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Among older women diagnosed with breast cancer, those who followed a low-fat plan afterward were more likely to be alive 10 years after diagnosis, compared to women who followed a higher-fat plan, according to a study published online in May of 2018 in JAMA Oncology. Whether low-fat or low-carbohydrate diets such as paleo or Atkins work better for weight loss is a long-running dietary debate. Recent evidence suggests its actually a toss-up between the two. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in February 2018, pitted a healthy low-fat diet against a healthy low-carb diet. About 610 overweight participants were randomly assigned to follow one or the other over a year. The difference in weight loss was not considered significant, with the low-fat group losing an average of nearly 12 pounds compared with 13 pounds for the low-carb group. Low-carb diets usually result in greater weight loss in the first few months, Weisenberger says. So, if you follow people for three months to six months (on) either a low-carb or a low-fat diet, it does look like the people on the low-carb diet are losing more weight. But if you follow them out to a year or two, or longer, the weight loss is about the same. Theres a faster initial weight loss but not a greater overall weight loss. [See: How to Stop Emotional Eating.] Trim fat naturally. Ultimately, the best eating plans focus on food quality versus fat content alone or the content of any single food group or nutrient experts agree. Choosing naturally low-fat foods like a fresh fruit instead of a sugar-free cookie is a healthy way to cut fat. These swaps cut your sugar intake without neglecting healthy nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, dietary fiber and folic acid. Simple changes can easily reduce the fat you consume. Trimming fat helps. When you remove all or some of the fat from dairy foods or from meat, like using 90 percent lean ground beef instead of 80 percent lean ground beef, or you remove chicken skin, youre also reducing the calories significantly, Weisenberger says. Thats another plus for people managing their weight. Tweaking how you cook also helps. Maybe youre steaming your vegetables instead of roasting them in olive oil, Dennett says. Some people naturally gravitate to a low-fat diet, just as others are drawn to a low-carb plan, Dennett says. If youre more comfortable cutting fat than tightly limiting carbs, low-fat might be right for you. Find out what suits you best and aim for healthy, high-quality food in whatever eating plan you choose, she suggests. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2019/01/what-is-a-low-fat-diet/ |
Is a high-protein diet right for me? | No question, high-protein diets are hot. That depends. Here's exactly what you need to know to determine whether a high-protein diet is right for you. First it was the eccentric health nut in your circle who swore by the paleo diet. Then, your social media friends started to convert to diets rich in eggs, nuts, meat and cheese. Suddenly, news headlines declared bacon and burgers were way healthier than pizza and pasta, and even your dad began the Dukan plan, a diet that wraps burrito fillings in lettuce tortillas. No question, high-protein diets are hot. That depends. Heres exactly what you need to know to determine whether a high-protein diet is right for you. [See: High-Protein Breakfast Ideas.] The U.S. government recommends 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories come from protein. Another way to think about it is that most people should eat about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, expains Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian in Denver and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. What were looking at is usually 20 to 30 grams per meal at breakfast, lunch and dinner to support muscle mass and activity, she says. Broken down further, that means a container of nonfat Greek yogurt with breakfast, a half-cup of chickpeas on a salad at lunch and grilled chicken breast at dinner will do the trick. Any diet that demands a protein intake above the governments recommendations like the paleo diet, Dukan diet and Optavia (the newly branded line of products from the team behind Medifast) is considered a high-protein diet by U.S. News. (While Atkins and the ketogenic diet are often thought of as high-protein plans, technically they are low-carb diet and high-fat diets, respectively, although both could easily include higher-than-recommended levels of protein.) On a paleo plan, that may mean eating broiled salmon at breakfast, six shrimp at lunch, almonds and a pork chop for a snack (yes a snack! ), two more pork chops for dinner and more almonds for dessert. All in all, it adds up to more than 200 grams of protein a day. While that may be appropriate for some people, for most, its overkill. Its possible to see health benefits from following a high-protein diet, especially if it means youre cutting out processed junk foods and sweets and focusing on lean meats, fruits and vegetables instead, Crandall finds. Plus, adds Jim White, a registered dietitian and fitness instructor with studios in Virginia, more and more research suggests that the governments recommended daily intake may be too low. Increased intake in conjunction with exercise can boost metabolic rate as well as feelings of satiety, thus aiding in weight loss, he says. Some populations, too, can benefit from high-protein diets more than others, since how much any one person needs depends on factors like their muscle mass, gender, age and activity level, Crandall explains. Here are some of the people who may benefit from consuming more protein than the recommended allowance: Older Adults Adults over 50 have reason to add a handful of nuts to their salads, or wash their morning oatmeal down with a glass of protein-rich cows milk. (News flash: Many alternative milks like almond milk are surprisingly low in protein.) One study of 50- to 75-year old adults found that those who ate double what federal guidelines recommend for daily protein intake helped protect against the muscle loss and accompanying health problems like falls and fractures that often comes with age. People Trying to Lose Weight Some research supports high-protein diets for weight loss. One small 2016 study in the journal Nutrients, for instance, found that women who followed a paleo diet lost over two-and-a-half times more weight in a month than those who stuck to a standard diet emphasizing fruits, veggies, whole grains and some low-fat dairy. In many cases, though, the weight loss associated with a high-protein diet may result from a calorie deficit, not the protein. Optavia, which U.S. News experts rank No. 2 for fast weight-loss, for example, typically doesnt provide more than 1,000 calories a day, so followers are bound to lose weight at least temporarily. Still, no matter how you do it, weight loss in itself can improve some health markers. People can have metabolic improvements in cholesterol and blood sugars (on high-protein diets), Crandall says. The reason for that is that theyre losing weight. [See: The 10 Best Diets for Fast Weight Loss.] People Trying to Gain Muscle A 2018 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, for instance, concluded that people need double the recommended daily allowance of protein in order to best build muscle. To get really specific, it found they should eat between 0.4 and 0.55 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass at least four times per day. Muscle is made of protein, which is made of amino acids, White says. Any diet that emphasizes one macronutrient at the expense of others can mean missing out on important nutrients. Whenever youre restricting, you have to think about the consequences, Crandall says. With high-protein diets in particular, you can easily become deficient in calcium, vitamin D and fiber, the latter of which is critical for good cholesterol, strong digestive health and even to ward off colon cancer, Crandall says. At the same time, an increase in unhealthy types of protein wont serve you long-term. People are justifying really high-fat proteins things like bacon and sausage and thats not healthy, and we know that, Crandall says. Indeed, a 2015 report from the World Health Organization found processed meats cause colorectal cancer and red meat probably causes cancer. Pursued the wrong way, a high-protein diet can also cause followers to gain weight, White says. Excess protein is excess calories, he says. If protein intake is increased without increased resistance training, it serves to provide excess calories, thus potential for unwanted weight gain. The one area healthy high-protein dieters dont have much to worry about is in kidney function, which is often cited as being at risk when protein consumption is high. In reality, researchers have debunked that rumor among people who have normal kidney function. Folks who already have kidney disease, however, should steer clear, White says. [See: 5 Unintended Consequences of Eating Too Much Protein.] Perhaps the biggest downside of popular high-protein diets is that theyre too restrictive to be sustainable. While most people lose significant weight (often, of mostly water) on some high-protein diets, they typically gain that back and then some in the long term, Crandall says. That can also defeat the dieters spirit and make them vulnerable to other fad diets that will further damage their metabolisms and mental health. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2019/01/is-a-high-protein-diet-right-for-me/ |
What Is a low-carb diet? | Research shows that low-carb diets can be effective for weight loss. But first things first: There's no one low-carb diet -- but many, many different approaches. Here's what you need to know. First things first: Theres no one low-carb diet but many, many different approaches. Even with the Atkins diet, there are variations including the advice on how many carbs to eat daily. Generally speaking, low-carb diets often call for consuming no more than 20 carbs a day taking things like traditional pasta and breads off the plate, where one sandwichs worth of bread or a single serving of noodles could easily surpass that carb threshold. For example, with the Atkins 20, the original Atkins diet, you start out eating no more 20 carbs daily, while with the Atkins 40, you begin the diet eating 40 carbs or less per day; in both cases, carb consumption increases in later phases of the diet. Another diet, the paleo diet which is often thought of for sheer protein consumption is, when looking across the macronutrient spectrum, low-carb as well. Then theres the extremely carb-restricted ketogenic, or keto, diet. Its been prescribed for decades to treat medical conditions like epilepsy and is used to manage Type 2 diabetes (along with other low-carb diets), and has more recently become popular for weight loss, raising concerns among some health experts. The diet involves getting only about 5 to 10 percent of a persons calories from carbs, while the lions share around 70 to 80 percent comes from fat, and the balance from protein. Dietary experts frequently say that a diet where a person gets around or under 30 percent or even in some cases 40 percent of their calories from carbs may be considered low-carb. But the total amount varies significantly by the approach taken, the individual and how much a person eats in regards to all macronutrients and calories consumed. [See: The 14 Best Diets to Prevent and Manage Diabetes.] Research shows that low-carb diets can be effective for weight loss. A 2016 position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics lists low-carb diets among weight-loss interventions for adults who are overweight or obese. I utilize and recommend low-carbohydrate diets in my practice all the time, says Robin Foroutan, an integrative dietitian nutritionist based in New York City and a spokesperson at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But the No. 1 important thing that we really stress is that the diet still has to be anti-inflammatory and the way that you make your diet anti-inflammatory is to eat a lot of vegetables, utilize a lot of herbs and spices, choose very high-quality proteins, and cook those the animal proteins very low and slow, not high heat cooking. Cooking meats from beef to fish at high heat can create chemicals in meat that have been found to be mutagenic that is, they cause changes in DNA that may increase the risk of cancer, the National Cancer Institute notes. As for sustaining weight loss, moderating carb consumption may help as well. The academys position paper notes that a low-carb diet is commonly defined as consuming not more than 20 grams of carbs daily, and then: Once a desired weight is achieved, carbohydrate intake can increase to 50 grams per day. But longer term, as with many diets undertaken to lose weight, it can be difficult to stick with a structured approach, like a low-carb diet, experts say. To me thats more of a compliance issue, says Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, of people gaining weight back over time after losing it on a low-carb diet. Whats more, Rimm says that while a low-carb diet can be an effective way to shed pounds, many who take a low-carb approach on their own, rather than following a plan prescribed to them, dont do it in a healthy way over the long term. Having a wide variety of high-quality foods, flavorful meals is critical. For better and worse, too a cottage industry has sprung up to provide oodles of low-carb options from low-carb bread to low-carb pasta (and ways to make substitutes, like spiralizing zucchini, and turning other veggies into noodles), low-carb beer to low-carb ice cream and even low-carb fast food. In other cases, adherents take liberties with meat piling on animal fat and protein, while dialing down the carbs. Many of the substitutions miss the mark and can make losing weight much harder (if not impossible), while putting a persons health in peril. Low-carb diets are not intended to be a bacon free-for-all, Foroutan says. Perhaps not surprisingly, what youre replacing carbs with makes all the difference when it comes to results and that extends to the potential effect the diet may have on your overall health. Recent research published in the journal The Lancet Public Health found that both a low-carb diet or getting less than 40 percent of calories from carbs and high-carb consumption, or getting more than 70 percent of calories from carbs, was associated with a higher rate of death from all causes. The U-shaped curve suggests moderate carb consumption may be safest. However, results varied by the source of macronutrients: Mortality increased when carbohydrates were exchanged for animal-derived fat or protein and mortality decreased when the substitutions were plant-based, the researchers point out. So whether you get lots of protein and fat from things like bacon, or that comes from things like nuts and avocados can make all the difference. We really concluded that its not enough to focus on carbohydrates alone, but we really need to consider the types of foods replacing carbohydrates, says lead study author Dr. Sara Seidelmann, a cardiologist, nutritionist and researcher at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Rimm was also involved in the research. Low-carb diets appear to have benefits for cardiovascular health markers lowering triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood, increasing levels of so-called good, or HDL, cholesterol and helping with blood pressure control but, says Foroutan who was not involved in the research, much of those benefits are lost if the diet is very high in animal proteins and too low in vegetables, or plant-based proteins and healthy fat from plants. Based on observational data, when people in the western world adopt low-carb diets they tend to replace carbs with more animal fat and protein, which can increase risk of death in a range of ways, including by raising cardiovascular risk. The reality is that in the U.S. and European populations, eating low-carb is primarily an animal-based endeavor, Seidelmann says. [See: 10 Lessons From Extreme Dieting.] Theres still no consensus on whether a low-carb diet is the optimal choice for weight loss or if any diet is for that matter and health concerns remain, especially with the most stringent versions. Any of these diets can be nutritionally complete, but when people remove or severely limit a large number of foods in their diet, there is the potential for an increased risk of nutrient deficiencies, says Summer Yule, a registered dietitian and health educator based in Avon, Connecticut. Another concern is that diet plans that restrict or limit foods may lead people to fear certain foods or lead to disordered eating, or unhealthy, abnormal eating behaviors something Yule says should be heeded: If the person thinks that a diet approach may trigger disordered eating behaviors, they should not adopt the strategy. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize the importance of flexible eating patterns like the Mediterranean-style eating pattern (akin to a traditional Mediterranean diet) over rigid dietary plans, and focus on moderation. In general, if a person is healthy (i.e. does not have medical conditions or take medicines that require certain dietary restrictions), I recommend that people follow the Dietary Guidelines, Yule says including having carbohydrates comprise 45 to 65 percent of total calorie intake. Others worry that things like whole grains will get short shrift, though phased approaches to low-carb diets typically allow for these and a wide variety of foods to be worked back into the diet (if ever cut out) as a person continues on it. But, dietitians and health professionals advise, rather than ruling out or in a diet for all, its important to tailor the approach to the individual, and to determine what works for that persons health goals and is sustainable. To achieve that, experts recommend getting input from a dietitian and talking with your doctor as well if you have any health concerns to determine whats best for you. Foods to Avoid If you should opt to adopt a low-carb diet, youll certainly need to take a close look at what you should generally avoid or limit. Among other things, that includes: Breads Chips Crackers Added sugar Juice Cereal Milk Beer Cake Starches like corn and potatoes Of course, there are low- or no-carb varieties of just about everything. But just because something is labeled low-carb doesnt mean its healthy so read the label first. On the other hand, veggies tend to be fair game, in general, though it requires more planning to stay within a set parameter since starchy ones and other plant-based foods like beans can be higher in carbs. Foods to Eat Rather than getting hung up on what to avoid, Foroutan says she likes to focus on what people should eat more of. That includes: Non-starchy vegetables like dark leafy greens, salad greens, crucifers like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage Mushrooms Herbs and spices Avocado Nuts Seeds High-quality protein such as eggs, poultry, fish and pasture-raised red meat, or organic tofu and tempeh If your plan allows for fruit, berries, kiwi, apple and grapefruit are generally great choices high in antioxidants and lower in sugar than many other fruits, she adds. There is no shortage of recipes and meal plans either, depending on the dietary approach you follow. [See: The 12 Best Diets for Your Heart.] You can still stick to the plan. Here are a few ways Foroutan suggests doing that: Avoid the bread basket it is not your friend, she advises. If you can get your group on board, dont even let the server put it on the table. Some restaurants will serve cut up vegetables instead of bread if you ask. Keep it simple. That does not mean bland, because herb sauces like pesto and chimichurri, and spicy rubs or marinades are full of flavor and generally dont add carbs. Focus on veggies and protein. Salad starters are always available, and look for simply prepared main dishes on the menu, like rotisserie or roasted chicken, grilled or poached fish, steak or lamb chops, Foroutan suggests. If the entree comes with a vegetable and starch, ask if you can swap the starch for a larger serving of the vegetable. So many restaurants now offer creative and flavorful vegetable sides, so keep an eye out for those kinds of options on a menu, she says. Even many Italian restaurants are getting on board by offering zucchini pasta. ' Eating in or out, experts reiterate: Pay attention to what you add into your diet, not just what you take out. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2019/01/what-is-a-low-carb-diet/ |
Whats My Credit Card CVV? | Aside from the card number itself, the CVV is one of the most important numbers on your credit or debit card. This three- or four-digit code is designed to prevent fraud. The CVV was first Aside from the card number itself, the CVV is one of the most important numbers on your credit or debit card. This three- or four-digit code is designed to prevent fraud. The CVV was first devised as an anti-fraud mechanism, says Monica Eaton-Cardone, co-founder and chief operating officer of risk mitigation and chargeback management firm Chargebacks911. The idea was to target card-not-present fraud by asking for a simple code that should be easy for legitimate cardholders to provide, but is unknown to a fraudster. Card-not-present fraud refers to fraud committed when a purchaser does not physically present a card for online, telephone or mail-order transactions and spends with a card he or she is not authorized to use. Typically, card details are obtained through hacking, skimming or other methods and then used to facilitate the transactions. Today, most credit and debit cards issued have a CVV. CVV stands for card verification value but can serve as a catch-all term for the security code on credit cards. Each credit card company has its own name for it, such as CVV2, for card verification value code; CSC, for card security code; CVC or CVC2, for card verification code; or CID, for card identification number, according to card issuer Discover. [Read: Best Rewards Credit Cards.] The differences dont stop there, though. Visa, Mastercard and Discover use three-digit security codes, while the American Express security code is four digits. Whatever its length or name, the CVV is not part of your credit card number, debit card number, PIN or expiration date. These numbers are all separate from each other. The location of the CVV code may differ from card to card. The standard location for security codes on Visa, Mastercard or Discover is the back, at the far-right side of the box where you are supposed to sign the card. The four-digit security code for an American Express card is usually on the front, above the credit card number. Some cards may have the security code in another location, such as on the back, below the credit card number. Contact the card issuer if youre having trouble locating the security code or if the code is worn down to the point that its hard to read. Card security codes are a form of two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication relies on two pieces of information such as a credit card number and a CVV to confirm you are the cardholder. The CVV verifies that the card is in your possession and, as a result, helps prevent fraud, Eaton-Cardone says. If a buyer can correctly enter the cards CVV during checkout, its likely the person at least has the card in her physical possession. That makes it harder for criminals to use stolen cardholder information to make fraudulent purchases, Eaton-Cardone says. Entering the wrong code should result in a transaction being declined, says Nicolas Beique, founder and CEO of payment processing platform Helcim. Merchants even online businesses you buy from regularly, such as Amazon are prohibited from storing card security codes in their databases. That way, if a database is compromised, hackers cant access the security codes needed to use the stolen card numbers, Beique says. But they can tap other methods to get your CVV code, including stealing your sensitive information online through phishing and keylogger scams. Always closely guard your cards security code. If a thief has your credit card number, expiration date and security code, that is all the information he or she needs to make an online purchase. A CVV code is an added layer of protection that makes fraud difficult but not impossible. There is a reduced chance that your account will be used to make unauthorized purchases when someone obtains your credit card number without the CVV code, says Bruce McClary, vice president of communications for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. You may still be vulnerable in situations where the card is used without your permission on a website that does not require the CVV code to be entered. Cybercrimes present additional risks. Cyberthieves can employ software known as malware to steal security codes from retailers. [Read: Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards.] CVVs also are susceptible to phishing attacks, when scammers use fraudulent emails or copycat websites to trick cardholders into sharing sensitive information, including security codes. A common scam is spoofed texts or phone calls that look like they come from your credit card company and ask for your CVV to verify a recent purchase. If you receive a similar communication, ignore it and call your credit card issuer. In light of those examples, security codes are only one part of a broader strategy for detecting criminal fraud, Eaton-Cardone says. For example, PNC Bank announced in November 2018 that it is testing a technology called Motion Code, which automatically refreshes the security code on a miniscreen on the back of the card. With this new technology, Eaton-Cardone says, Even if a fraudster manages to steal the code, it will be invalid by the time its used. To avoid becoming a victim of credit card fraud, here are four tips for safeguarding your credit card CVV. Dont post photos of your credit card, including the CVV, on Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms. Install anti-virus software on your computer to shield credit card information, including the CVV, from scammers when youre shopping online. Among Eaton-Cardones recommendations are Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, AVG AntiVirus, Avast Free Antivirus and Norton AntiVirus Basic. Ignore unsolicited requests for sensitive credit card data, including the CVV. Do not respond to or click on links in emails from unfamiliar sources. Look for signs of security. Shop on secure websites equipped with secure sockets layer technology. SSL validates the identity of a website and encrypts transmitted data. An SSL site will have a padlock to the left of the URL, an https URL prefix rather than an http prefix and an SSL seal usually in the footer, near the sites copyright information. Some sites have extended validation SSL certificates an SSL certificate requiring encryption and data integrity that feature green text or a green background in the address bar. [Read: Best Low-Interest Credit Cards.] The short answer is no. Merchants can choose whether to require the CVV code. But most online merchants do, and if you want to make a purchase with them, youll need to provide your CVV code, usually with your credit card number and its expiration date. In situations where a CVV is required, you need to have your card with you or have the code memorized to make a purchase, Beique says. If youre using a card in person, the CVV typically isnt required. Do not voluntarily share your CVV for an in-person transaction, which could enable a scammer to steal your data to complete unauthorized transactions. Today, most consumers expect to be asked for a CVV when making online or telephone purchases with a credit or debit card and recognize that this is a practice typical of security-conscious merchants. However, a CVV is sensitive information, and some consumers are uncomfortable giving out the code. In general, providing a card security code when youre shopping online is safe, as long as youre making purchases from trusted websites. Typically, its also OK to give a CVV over the phone. Just make sure no one is eavesdropping and can hear the numbers. One way some credit card issuers are trying to bypass the entire CVV issue is by supplying virtual credit cards with randomly generated account numbers for online purchases. Users of Bank of Americas ShopSafe service can create a temporary credit card number tied directly to their real credit card number. The 16-digit account number, including a security code and an expiration date, helps safeguard your online privacy, according to Bank of America. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/news/2019/01/whats-my-credit-card-cvv/ |
What happens with the money raised in the Jazmine Barnes case? | Celebrities like DeAndre Hopkins and activist Shaun King have raised money for Jazmine Barnes' family. Celebrities like DeAndre Hopkins and activist Shaun King have raised money for Jazmine Barnes' family. 1 / 24 Back to Gallery The tragic murder of Jazmine Barnes brought an onslaught of financial support from within Houston and around the country. Jazmine, 7, was shot and killed Dec. 30 near Houston in an apparent case of mistaken identity, authorities said. Two men Eric Black Jr., 20, and Larry Woodruffe, 24 were both charged with capital murder in the girl's death. Some celebrities, including Texans star DeAndre Hopkins, pledged money to help Jazmine's family and to help find her killer. LAID TO REST: Community remembers 'Princess Jazmine' at funeral service Others, such as New York-based social activist Shaun King, offered thousands of dollars for tips from the public like vigilante Crime Stoppers. It was a tip delivered to King (who in turn delivered it to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez) that ultimately landed Black and Woodruffe in jail. The answer is fuzzy, but we have some idea of how Jazmine's family wants the money spent. As for King's contributions, the activist tweeted that the funds will be delivered to his tipster. It's unclear exactly how and when the funds will be delivered. Bishop James Dixon, of Community of Faith Church, who led Jazmine's funeral service Tuesday, told reporters that the family has yet to receive any funds from those who pledged. All of the funds, including Hopkins' pledge and thousands of dollars raised in a GoFundMe account, will be placed in the Jazmine Barnes Educational and Scholarship Funds. The exact amount of money, and how it will be spent down the road, is still unclear but the family hopes it will create a lasting legacy for Jazmine, whose life was cut short. Anyone wishing to donate to the fund can address an envelope "ATTN: Jazmine Barnes Educational and Scholarship Funds" and send it to Frost Bank, 6750 W. Loop South, Bellaire, TX, 77401. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at [email protected] | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/What-happens-with-the-money-raised-in-the-Jazmine-13518788.php |
Can the US actually elect a woman president? | With the academic Elizabeth Warren announcing her candidacy for the presidency last month, the United States will have a chance to ask itself whether it is capable of voting a woman to its highest office. One key difference in the political landscape of the worlds oldest democracy is the sheer number of female names who are being scrutinised for their presidential potential. The roster today includes but is not limited to Kristin Gillibrand, Kelly Ayotte, Joni Ernst, Tulsi Gabbard, and, remarkably, includes two women politicians of Indian-origin: Kamala Harris and Nikki Haley. In theory, over 40 women have run for the US presidency in the countrys history. Hillary Clinton, however, was the first female candidate for one of the major political parties and thus the only one who had a credible chance of becoming president. The fact that she lost, and lost to a man who was among the worst qualified to lead the worlds most powerful nation, has been held up as evidence that the US voter continues to have a gender block. While Ms Clintons gender played a role, it is also true that a majority of the ballots were cast in her favour, she made some key campaign mistakes and the electoral mood, to put it mildly, was unusual. That she was a female, by most analyses, was only a minor factor in her defeat. After all, the US voter had already shown the maturity to elect, twice, a black American president which had long been seen as a far more difficult barrier to cross. There are four reasons why the chances of a female US president has become far more likely in the past two years. One, the sheer number of woman politicians at all levels in the US has increased exponentially. The present US Congress, for example, is a quarter female the highest percentage in US history. Two, women are more likely to actually vote than men in presidential elections and they are much more politically aware and active. This gap has only grown over the past several years. Three, the consecutive elections of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, neither mainstream candidates, is evidence of a degree of restlessness among the US electorate. If voters are increasingly open to candidates who are not white males, then breaking the gender barrier should be more than possible. First Published: Jan 09, 2019 07:38 IST | https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/can-the-us-actually-elect-a-woman-president/story-U8tiAu7uBDjWSNlYvrhU2L.html |
Did Hulk Hogan & Other Top Stars Bring The WWE RAW Viewership Back Over 2 Million? | Mondays WWE RAW, featuring WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose retaining over Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere main event, drew 2.324 million viewers. This is up from last weeks 1.968 million viewers for the New Years Eve taped episode. This is the best red brand viewership since the December 17 post-TLC episode, which drew 2.547 million viewers and was the last non-holiday non-taped episode, and the week before, which drew 2.194 million viewers. The first RAW of 2019 featured a loaded line-up with advertised returns by WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Braun Strowman and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, plus advertised matches and segments a Lumberjack Match for the RAW Tag Team Titles with champions Chad Gable & Bobby Roode defending against The Revival, Elias vs. Baron Corbin and Alexa Bliss new Moment of Bliss talk show with guest RAW Womens Champion Ronda Rousey. To compare, the first RAW of 2018, which aired on January 1, drew 2.87 million viewers. For this weeks show, the first hour drew 2.609 million viewers (last weeks hour 1 2.035 million), the second hour drew 2.294 million viewers (last weeks hour 2 2.026 million) and the final hour drew 2.070 million viewers (last weeks hour 3 1.784 million). RAW was #10 for the night in viewership on cable, behind 5 programs related to the Alabama vs. Clemson College Football Championship game, SportsCenter at midnight, The Rachel Maddow Show, The Five and Last Word. RAW was #7 in the 18-49 demographic this week, behind college football coverage and SportsCenter at midnight. The Alabama vs. Clemson game topped the night in the 18-49 demographic and in viewership this week with 24.322 million viewers, just for the game at 8pm. The game drew more than 75 million total viewers for ESPN last night. SportsCenter ranked #6 on the Cable Top 150 with 3.882 million viewers. The Bachelor on ABC drew 5.127 million viewers on broadcast TV in the 8pm hour while Big Bang Theory drew 6.366 million viewers on CBS, AGT Champions drew 9.962 million viewers on NBC, The Resident drew 1.970 million viewers on Fox and CWs Flash drew 684,000 viewers, all in the 8pm hour on broadcast TV. Below is our 2019 RAW Viewership Tracker: January 7 Episode: 2.324 million viewers January 14 Episode: 2018 Total: 149.628 million viewers over 53 episodes 2018 Average: 2.823 million viewers per episode 2017 Total: 156.971 million viewers over 52 episodes 2017 Average: 3.018 million viewers per episode | http://www.24wrestling.com/hulk-hogan-top-stars-bring-wwe-raw-viewership-back-2-million/ |
Are Republicans trying to make the government shutdown an Israel issue? | WASHINGTON (JTA) Republicans are in a bind: Polls show Americans blaming President Donald Trump for the third week of a government shutdown, and the administration is mired in confusion over its Middle East policy. So this week, top Republican senators and their allies in the Jewish community have pulled out a tried-and-true card to flip the misery to the other side, in this case the Democrats. Its Israel. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate majority leader, has slotted as the first Senate bill of the new Congress a mini-omnibus package on Middle East policy. It includes two measures popular with the centrist and right-wing pro-Israel communities: One codifies $38 billion in defense assistance for Israel for the next 10 years, the other protects states that pass bills targeting Israel boycotters from being sued. Democrats in both chambers say the business of reopening government must take priority and are resisting any other parliamentary business until that happens. Trump wont allow spending bills to advance until he gets more than $5 billion in funding for a wall he wants to build along the border with Mexico in order to limit immigration. But some Republicans are using the Israel angle as a wedge issue. McConnells spokesman, Don Stewart, took direct aim at the pro-Israel cred of Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader. Schumer is pushing his caucus to block the Middle East bill the portentously numbered S.1 through a filibuster when it comes to the Senate floor on Tuesday evening, shortly before Trump is to address the nation and make his case for the border wall. It would be a stunning reversal for Senator Schumer to suddenly block security assistance to Israel simply because he cant work out his differences with President Trump on an unrelated matter, Stewart told The Washington Post. Schumer, who is Jewish, routinely tells pro-Israel audiences that he regards himself as a guardian of Israel, a play on the Hebrew root of his name, shomer, which means guard. Schumer, who together with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will rebut Trumps wall speech, was not biting. Senator Schumer will vote against proceeding to S.1 because Senate Republicans should instead bring to floor the bi-partisan House-passed bills to reopen the government, Schumers spokesman, Angelo Roefaro, told JTA in an email. Its unfortunate Leader McConnell and others have decided to use Israel to play politics. The Republican Jewish Coalition joined in blaming Democrats. We knew going into 2019 that the Democrats would continue their reckless obstruction and grandstanding, the group said in an action alert to its members. Sure enough, Senators Schumer and Durbin are leading the Democrats charge to block a bill that is vital to Israel and Middle East security. The author of S.1 tried to twist the knife further. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Texas, alleged on Twitter that Senate Democrats feared bringing the bill to the floor because it would expose how many of them support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel, which the measure seeks to limit. (Rubio did not offer any evidence to validate his claims, although JTA asked him twice to do so on Twitter.) McConnells gambit is a transparent one, said Halie Soifer, the director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. In an interview, she noted that the four components of S.1 the bill also expands sanctions on Syrias Assad regime and strengthens the U.S.-Jordan alliance were under consideration in the previous Congress, when Republicans controlled the Senate, the White House and the U.S. House of Representatives. (Democrats now control the House.) If it was so important for Senator McConnell to pass this legislation in the 115th Congress, he could have done so at any time, Soifer said, referring to the almost limitless power of the majority leader to advance legislation. He has clearly made a political calculation. Matt Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said the GOP leadership thought it worthwhile to pass noncontroversial legislation while the border wall issue remains unresolved. We might as well use the time to pass something that has unanimous support in the pro-Israel community, he said, paraphrasing the thinking of the leaders. Brooks said it was the Democrats who were playing politics. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee declined to comment on the matter. If McConnell is playing the Israel card against the opposite party, its a calculation that Democrats have been known to exploit in the past. Democrats used Israel as a cudgel against Republicans in 1996 and 2013, when GOP lawmakers shut down the government, and again in 2005, when President George W. Bush, facing a crisis after Hurricane Katrina, reneged on promised additional funding to help resettle Israelis pulled out of the Gaza Strip. While a number of Democratic senators took Rubio to task on Twitter for saying they support the Israel boycott movement, there are Democrats who oppose the anti-BDS legislation because of concerns that it shuts down free speech. The American Civil Liberties Union, a key Democratic constituency, has made a priority of killing anti-BDS laws on the state and federal levels. Liberal pro-Israel groups, like Americans for Peace Now and J Street, have joined the ACLU in opposing the anti-BDS component of Rubios bill. Still, the lead Democrat championing anti-BDS legislation, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said on Twitter that the boycotts were not the issue at hand right now. Ive worked closely with you on BDS, @MarcoRubio, and disagree with you here, said Cardin, who in the last Congress authored a bill that would set federal fines for commercial entities that comply with BDS. The government #shutdown is a crisis, impacting millions of Americans and our economy. We cant simply proceed with business as usual. Reopening the govt must be our first priority. #EndTheTrumpShutdown. On Tuesday, Rubio pivoted to a different tactic. Citing the Syria sanctions component of his bill, he mocked Democrats who ridiculed Trumps confusing Syria policy the president has said he will pull troops out of Syria, while his top aides have said there is no schedule to do so. After the decision to pull out from #Syria many of my Democratic colleagues called for Congress to take action to address the negative impacts of that decision, he said on Twitter. Yet many of these same Senators have announced that today they will vote to block our bill to do just that. | https://www.jta.org/2019/01/08/united-states/are-republicans-trying-to-make-the-government-shutdown-an-israel-issue |
Why were 5 Jewish teens in Israel arrested for terrorism? | JERUSALEM (JTA) At least five Jewish teens from a West Bank yeshiva high school are being held in an Israeli jail, accused by the Israel Security Agency of severe terrorist offenses. Three of the teens were arrested on Dec. 30 and prevented from meeting with attorneys for a week. Two more boys were arrested at the yeshiva on Saturday and were scheduled to meet with their attorneys on Tuesday for the first time. The Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, is accusing the teens of Jewish terrorist activity. Specifically, they are accused of involvement in a rock-throwing attack in mid-October, near the community where their school is located, that led to the death of a Palestinian mother of nine. Aisha Mohammed Rabi, 47, was killed at the Tapuah Junction in the northern West Bank. A rock thrown at the car driven by her husband struck Rabi in the head. Her husband told the international media that the rocks were thrown from near a Jewish settlement and that he heard people speaking Hebrew, though he did not see them. Yakoub Rabi, 52, spoke to Hahadashot news following the first official announcement of the arrests on Sunday. It wont bring her back, he said. The Honenu organization, which provides free legal defense for Jewish settlers, has called the interrogation of the teens brutal. From morning to night [my client] was shackled to a chair, sleeping on a mattress on the floor in a small cell, attorney Adi Keidar of Honenu said after meeting one of the teens for the first time on Saturday night. The boy I met was tired, broken and exhausted. Keidar and his colleague Nati Rom said in a statement that the teens also were questioned on Shabbat. Our clients underwent trying days and suffered the extremely inappropriate conduct of the GSS interrogators, they said. The trauma of the interrogations, through no fault of their own, will remain with them for their entire lives. The order preventing us from meeting with the minors stemmed from unacceptable considerations, and its sole purpose was to extract false confessions from the interrogated detainees, a process which did not succeed. The Israel Security Agency responded in a statement saying that the detained teens are receiving the full rights to which they are entitled by law. Claims to the effect that they are being denied their rights in violation of the law are without any foundation and are designed to divert discussion from the severe accusations for which the suspects are being held and questioned. On Tuesday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin defended the security agency. The ISA is under fire at the moment. There can be no democracy without criticism, Rivlin said at the swearing-in ceremony of 29 new Israeli judges. They attend the Pri Haaretz yeshiva in the northern West Bank settlement of Rehelim. The school is three years old and was founded to engage Orthodox Jewish teens who are attached to the land and less attached to full-time Torah study. Its founder has been described as a once-dominant figure among the so-called hilltop youth, who are considered the most hardcore right-wing activists and frequently clashed with security. The Rehelim settlement itself is considered more moderate than the founders of Pri Haaretz, The Times of Israel wrote in a feature article on the school. Hundreds of protesters gathered Saturday night outside the prime ministers residence in Jerusalem to protest the detention of the teens under the banner Settlers also have basic rights. It was the second protest since the teens have been detained. Politicians also have gotten involved. Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of the new political party The New Right met Monday with the families of the detained teens. She has come under fire from the political left for attending the meeting, which comes on the heels of a phone call from the mother of one of the teens in which Shaked offered comfort. Reports on Monday also noted that the day after the rock-throwing attack, which was Saturday, a group of activists from the nearby settlement of Yitzhar drove to the yeshiva in Rehelim to talk to the students about how to handle a security agency interrogation. Driving on the Jewish Sabbath is forbidden unless it is considered a matter of life and death. The activists reportedly received permission from local rabbis to drive on Shabbat. Heres what Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization, wrote in a 10-year review of the investigations and indictments of Israeli citizens suspected of harming Palestinians: Our data has consistently demonstrated that the rate of solved cases of ideologically motivated crimes committed against Palestinians and their property has remained extremely low, and the number of indictments against Israeli suspects is so low that it can be considered negligible. The review found that some 85 percent of investigations into such cases including violence, arson, damage to property, mutilation of trees and takeover of land ended with no further action taken, and that the odds of a police complaint filed by a Palestinian resulting in the conviction of an Israeli civilian were 1.9 percent. | https://www.jta.org/2019/01/08/israel/why-were-5-jewish-teens-in-israel-arrested-for-terrorism |
Will the National Democratic Convention Come to Milwaukee Next Summer? | Twenty years ago, Carolyn Walker started Great Impressions Graphics & Printing in the basement of her home on Milwaukees Northwest side. She now has five employees and is looking to hire more, purchase new equipment and grow her business from its current niche market in serving funerals. When she learned about Milwaukee being one of three cities competing to host the Democratic Party National Convention in 2020, Walker got excited and prepared by becoming a union-certified shop. I have plans to grow, and this would be a real game changer for me, she says. Im praying it happensits in my prayers, thats how important it is. The convention, at which Democrats will nominate their presidential ticket, will take place July 13-16, 2020. Aside from media coverage, the four-plus days would bring an estimated 50,000 people to the city for 1,500 unique events with a $200 million impact, according to VISIT Milwaukee. The other finalists are Houston, Texas, and Miami Beach, Fla., and a decision will be announced by Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez, likely next month. There is a lot of money to be made and spent in hosting a major partys national convention; the economic story helps not only the hospitality and entertainment realms but all sizes of businesses. Its also a political story, although that aspect is low in the current focus. Top in the mind of the many planners is the Milwaukee story: A Midwestern, rust-belt, cool-and-most-underrated city on the rise, as a 2018 Vogue article dubbed it. Its an opportunity to showcase progress weve made, says Mayor Tom Barrett. The renaissance in the heart of our city. Telling Milwaukees Story The crown jewel of this bid is the new Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks. At the center for planning Milwaukee 2020 is Alex Lasry, senior vice president of the Milwaukee Bucks. As he watched Amazon look to locate its second headquarters, he was frustrated Milwaukee wasnt even on the early map of dozens of cities. Milwaukee should be on par with cities on that list, but it was never mentioned, he says with a sigh of frustration. Its the best-kept secret, and this is our way of changing that. Its time for Milwaukee to come out of the shadows. Media coverage is lavished on the host city similar to levels of the Final Four or the Super Bowl, notes Lasry. Even once TV satellite trucks head out of town, the impact for a city lingers. Groups think of a city that played host to a major national event for future conventions, tourism or even as a place to relocate. Wisconsin DNC member Martha Love wants to make sure the local story shows Milwaukee as a city of neighborhoods. We are making sure that our diverse neighborhoods can be presented in showing our citys entertainment, arts and culture. The DNC city selection committee has visited Milwaukee twice; the second trip in December included Perez, who has strong family ties to Wisconsin. Restaurateur Joe Bartolotta, who sits on the board of VISIT Milwaukee, hosted the groups and says they left with a favorable impression. They were surprised, I think, by how beautiful Milwaukee is from our stunning mix of architecture to our own little ocean. He hopes hosting might even jumpstart other civic projects like the convention center. If our secret gets out, thats not a bad thing. This would be a real feather in our cap. Milwaukees Progressive History The events political nature is being downplayed by many organizers who want to keep the focus on Milwaukee. Indeed, Lasry says theyd be doing the same to lure a Republican Party convention. The process thus far has had virtually no detractors. But Milwaukee is a city steeped in Democratic politics, and Wisconsin has been at the center of the political universe during the last decadefrom the uprising against Scott Walkers Act 10 to being a state that gave the presidential victory to Donald Trump by a very narrow margin. Now, its also known for electing Democrats to every statewide seat last November. Congresswoman Gwen Moore sees this as a chance for redemption: Our state is the birthplace of the Progressive movement. Its clear we started our return to those values in the recent midterms, but now, it is time to bring Wisconsin principles to the White House. The Midwest is key to the 2020 election and hosting the convention in our neighborhood is the perfect way to help us cross the finish line. And Love, who has attended conventions going back to the 1980s, is eager to showcase the deep African American political role in state politics going back to trailblazer Vel Phillips, elected as Wisconsin Secretary of State, and up to the most recent election of Mandela Barnes as Wisconsins first black lieutenant governor and Kalan Haywood, age 19, as the youngest legislator in the country. Mayor Barrett says its good for Democrats to see Milwaukee challenges in education, poverty and housing and talk about addressing them here and nationwide. Business leaders I talk to see it as rebranding Milwaukee. The fact that were in the final three tells you how far Milwaukee has come. Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, is raising money for the bid. He says businesspeople view this through an economic lens: A big M for Milwaukee and a little p for politics. Their view is we are spending for Milwaukee, and I represent the green party. He elaborates that green (as in money) will come in two forms. One is the spending that occurs during the conventiona surge revenue stream. And two is the green that comes from the exposure being the center of attention of the world, arguably. Both make it valuable. Its a chance for businesses to pitch their products, make money and recruit new talent, including the many young professionals sure to attend the convention. The team is already working towards ensuring that any Milwaukee small businessand particularly diverse businessessee a boon. Love and the Milwaukee Urban League has hosted a number of 2020 Supplier Diversity Registration Sessions, and more are planned for 2019. The league talks with womens groups, minority chambers of commerce, BIDs (Business Improvement Districts), LGBTQ groups, veterans groups and neighborhood groups. The DNC requires that a local vendor directory from these groups be set up within 90 days of signing the contract. It adds the list should include office furniture rental, office supplies, technology support and rental, floral services, messengers, transportation support and rental, security services, communications providers, exhibition services, food and catering, childcare, etc. Bartolotta knows the hospitality industryespecially restaurants, cabs, Uber, Lyft and hotelswould see a huge spike in business. The spending that occurs is great for our economy, and it does have a trickle-down effect. July tends to slow down. I have 1,000 employees, and the waitresses will get good tips, and the cooks will get good hours. It can benefit startups and entrepreneurs, too, says Gener8tors Maggie Brickerman: The convention relies on hundreds, if not thousands, of vendors and places a priority on engaging with local and diverse businesses, so startups could gain significant business. Even those that arent direct vendors will benefit from the spotlight on the city. Were the City That Will Host the Best Event Wisconsin weather actually works in its favor given the mid-July dates. The two competitors are hotter and subject to hurricane season. Every sign points to Milwaukee, says Barrett, noting there has also not been a Democratic National Convention anywhere in the Midwest outside of Chicago since it was held in St. Louis, Mo., in 1916. The first DNC delegation visited at the perfect time to answer the criticism of Milwaukee being too small for such a large crowd. They arrived 48 hours after the ribbon was cut on the new stadium and 48 hours before 100,000 people rallied for Harley-Davidsons 115th anniversary. On the plus side, getting around is less time-consuming, and the city is affordable. The DNC convention would not even be on the table were not for the Bucks new stadium. It adds another big advantage in that it is the newest state-of-the-art stadium venue in the nation right now, and the Bucks are certainly doing their part right now with a winning record and a spotlight on superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ask the Bucks Lasry about Milwaukees chances of being picked from the three finalists, and he starts off cautiously: 33%. But, after a pause, he adds, If we are able to tell our story and let everyone know about Milwaukee, then well get it. Were the city that will host the best event. | https://shepherdexpress.com/news/features/will-the-national-democratic-convention-come-to-milwaukee-ne/ |
What is Facebook's stacked ranking evaluation system? | Stacked ranking is common in Silicon Valley, and involves assigning a certain percentage of the workforce to each of several ranking categories, the lower of which could mean that firing is imminent. Microsoft used stacked ranking until 2013, when the company abandoned it due to widespread employee complaints. At Facebook, every employee is assigned to one of the following ranks twice a year: 'Redefine': The highest grade, is given to fewer than 5 percent of employees 'Greatly exceeds expectations': 10 percent get this high mark 'Exceeds': 35 percent are ranked with this grade. 'Meets all': About 35 to 40 percent of employees get this grade. 'Meets most': A low grade that puts future employment at risk, goes to most of the remaining 10 to 15 percent 'Meets some': These grades are extremely rare and are seen as an indication that you're probably getting fired, according to multiple employees. 'Does not meet': Exceptionally rare, as most employees are fired before they get to this level. Source: CNBC | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/fb-6571499/What-Facebooks-stacked-ranking-evaluation-system.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
How has Lonzo Ball looked halfway through his sophomore season with the Lakers? | The Lakers won game 41 of this season in Dallas last night on the back of 50 combined points between Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. This brings Los Angeles to a 22-19 record and marks the halfway point of their season and Lonzo Balls sophomore campaign. While it is nice to see the Lakers back to winning ways after the worst five seasons in franchise history, it did not come without struggle. It is time to discuss the progress Ball has made in certain areas of his game, along with the lack thereof in others since his shortened rookie season. Durability As a rookie, Ball suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee which was the main reason he made just 52 appearances last year. He tried to tone the pain down by taking a platelet-rich plasma shot before ultimately resorting to the final option: surgery. Ball came into this season recovering from arthroscopic surgery that did not repair the damaged part of the meniscus, but actually removed the damaged part (Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook underwent a similar procedure). He missed most of training camp and was only able to return to 5-on-5 play with just three weeks to spare before the regular season opener. Luckily, the surgery can so far be regarded as a success as Lonzo has not missed a single game this season. After coming off the bench behind new veteran signing Rajon Rondo for the first two games, Lonzo has started every game since. While Ball seems to have physically grown used to the NBA grind, his numbers have only seen similar improvement in a handful of areas. Production Any team that adds a star player to the lineup will experience inevitable shifts in roles. This is especially true for Ball and the Lakers after they successfully signed LeBron James this past summer. Ball posted an impressive 10-7-7 average last season, but has regressed a bit this season as he is averaging just a 9-5-5 average this year. James took over as the teams primary ball handler which has predictably lowered Balls production as a distributor. In the 34 games Ball has played with LeBron this season, he averaged just 54.8 touches per game (H/T Laker Film Room). While Balls usage percentage has only dipped slightly from 16.8 percent to 16.2 percent this season, his assist percentage has dropped from 28.8 percent last season to just 21.8 percent this season. To boot, he is also average 0.4 more turnovers per game this season, bringing his assist to turnover ratio down from an impressive 2.76 as a rookie to just 2.23. Last season, the most common criticism Ball received was about his shooting. He made just 30.5 percent of his 3-point shots and shot just 36 percent from the field. Critics doubted his ability to be able to play off the ball with James as a primary ball handler, but Ball has experienced nearly an 8 percent jump in percent of field goals made that were assisted. And while both his three-point and two-point shooting have improved enough to raise his True Shooting percentage from 44 percent last season to 49.1 this season, Ball has not been able to carry his success over to the free-throw line. An awful 45.1 percent from the line as a rookie seemed to leave no room for anything but improvement going forward. Amazingly, however, easily Balls most alarming statistic thus far is his 41.3 percent from the line! Now, the Lakers as a whole are the worst team in the league at shooting free throws (68.6 percent), but that mark from their point guard is simply atrocious. Second Half of the Season Perhaps the result of a worsening free throw percentage and the signing Rondo has come in the form of Ball noticeably not playing in the ends of select games this season, which is quite unconventional for a starting point guard. As a result, Ball is only averaging 29.8 minutes per game, almost a 5 minute drop from last year. Now with 34 games next to LeBron under his belt (and seven more with James sidelined due to a groin injury), Ball has had more than enough time to adjust to his new niche. With James expected to miss at least a total of 10 games, Lonzos opportunity to gain momentum going into the second half of the season presented itself. In the Lakers first game without James, Lonzo returned to his role as the primary ball handler and had 106 touches, finishing just one rebound shy of a triple-double (Laker Film Room). On Sunday, Ball failed to score for the second time of the season, going 0-4 from the field. Head Coach Luke Walton then called him and Brandon Ingram out, imploring them to play with more passion. Monday nights win over the Mavericks, however, saw Ball put up a great response with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. This win comes as a rather timely one, as Los Angeles was just 1-5 without James going into Monday. Ball revealed after the game that he and Ingram had a good talk when they landed in Dallas the night before following a 22-point loss in Minnesota. Ball told reporters, Weve got to be a lot better if we want to win gamesIt starts with us, especially while LeBron and Rondo are out. So if we dont come out ready to play then the whole team is going to feed off that. Ingram also praised Ball for ramping up his aggressiveness, saying, Our point guard is our leader. He makes everything happen. Tonight he did a really good job of pushing the pace and he got us in all of our sets. When he did that, I think guys followed. For the next 41 games, Ball should focus on capturing the leadership he displayed Monday night in a bottle and being able to come out with that passion on a more nightly basis. If Lonzo is able to finally find some consistency (and make his free throws!) in the second half of the season, game 41 could turn out to be the most important game of Balls career thus far.# | https://lonzowire.usatoday.com/2019/01/08/la-lakers-midseason-evaluation-lonzo-ball-analysis-editorial-sophomore-season/ |
How to help giant pandas return to nature? | Share: BEIJING-Giant pandas have always been a symbol of China's animal conservation. In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded the giant panda from "endangered" to "vulnerable" on the global list of species at risk of extinction, but it pointed out that giant pandas are still not safe. Most giant pandas alive are captive, only fewer than 2,000 giant pandas live in the wild. Captive pandas have lower reproduction rate and weaker immune system, therefore, it's necessary and important to increase the number of wild pandas. One of the most effective methods to help giant pandas return to the wild could be increasing the number of bamboo plants, their favorite food. "Pandas like eating. They could spend more than 12 hours a day eating fresh bamboo, which they like because it is easy to get and they are a little lazy. As a result, a dense forest is needed, both to provide them with enough food and shorten their foraging distance," said Liu Yong, an engineer from the Giant Panda Rewilding Training Center. Since December 2017, Chinese researchers have been working on a project to manage bamboo forests which used to grow naturally in northwest China's Sichuan Province. The project is a collaboration between the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the Ministry of Finance and the Global Environment Fund, with a total investment of 400,000 yuan (around 58,300 US dollars). According to the Giant Panda Rewilding Training Center, an experimental base of about 14 hectares on Huaying Mountain in Guang'an, northwest China's Sichuan Province, has improved its annual yield of stalks and fresh shoots by about 33 metric tons. To have more green coverage on the mountain, the staff needed to cut the old and slim stalks to make more space for new shoots and cover the stone areas with three centimeters of soil. Bamboo is not just food for pandas but its roots have the ability to maintain the nutrients of the soil and prevent the land from degrading. It's also useful in creating a sustainable ecological environment which is helpful to bring pandas back into the wild. Apart from this, China also invites international organizations to participate in panda research. An international conference about giant pandas was held between November 7-11 last year. Experts from many countries attended the conference. Despite much efforts, increasing the population of wild pandas remains a hard task. According to the IUCN, an estimated one-third of bamboo habitats could disappear due to climate change in the next 80 years. With fast urbanization, giant pandas' struggle to survive in the wild will get even tougher. | https://nation.com.pk/08-Jan-2019/how-to-help-giant-pandas-return-to-nature |
Can higher credit union rates help beat the moneylenders? | Well, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will be hoping that his decision to allow credit unions charge more for their loans will achieve just this ambition. To the casual observer, allowing credit unions charge more for their loans up to 24 per cent APR in fact might seem a perplexing move for a sector whose aim is to offer its members fair and reasonable rates. Even more so given that by allowing credit unions to charge annual interest of as much as 24 per cent, Donohoe is pushing them into the much-maligned sphere of moneylending; under Irish consumer law a loan is considered a moneylending agreement when its total cost meets or exceeds an APR of 23 per cent. This means that if a credit union does avail of the opportunity to lend at such a rate it will need to apply a Warning: this is a high-cost loan sticker to the loan documentation. But Donohoe is likely hoping that extra fees will be the carrot that finally pushes credit unions into the small loans borrowing space and keeps thousands of borrowers out of the outrageously expensive grasp of traditional licensed moneylenders. France, for example, imposes a maximum rate on of 21.2 per cent loans of up to 3,000 After all, despite launching a micro-lending product in 2015, credit unions have been slow to offer it. Before Christmas, this column queried why the It Makes Sense scheme, which was designed to combat the surge in moneylending by offering short-term loans of amounts between 100 and 2,000, has been used so little. Figures for last year, for example, show that in the 30-month period from November 2015-April 2018, just 7,500 of such loans were drawn down, with just 40 per cent of credit unions participating. At the same time, moneylenders were offering loans at a rate of about 30,000 a month. Now, in a move that will be seen as being counter-intuitive by some, Donohoe is hoping that by increasing the potential gains for credit unions, they will be more inclined to lend to people who might otherwise have turned to moneylenders. And, even by charging more, credit unions will still be far cheaper than moneylending firms. After all, a well known player in the space, Provident, charges interest at a representative APR of as much as 187.2 per cent depending on a customers financial position. This compares with a credit union loan at a rate of 12 per cent, or 24 per cent, if credit unions were to hike their rates by the full amount. Credit ratings So from this perspective, its understandable why the decision has been welcomed by many. Indeed last year, the Social Finance Foundation, a wholesale lending agency that supports the development of community organisations and social enterprises, called for just such a move, arguing that it would allow credit unions deal with the significantly greater costs associated with lending small amounts to people, many of whom will have poor credit ratings. But its not the only way of going about it. Lets consider for a moment the international experience. While the UK now applies limits to moneylending, which mean that borrowers will never repay more than twice the amount that they borrow, other countries apply far more stringent approaches. The experience in Germany shows that there could be scope for a specialist to operate in the space at a much lower cost France, for example, imposes a maximum rate on of 21.2 per cent loans of up to 3,000 while the Netherlands sets a limit of 12 per cent above the average lending rate, and has even fined companies for lending at rates above this. It has limited interest rates on moneylending loans to less than 14 per cent and yet still has an active market. German provider Vexcash for example, promises cash from 100-3,000 in just 60 minutes. But its only allowed charge interest of 13.9 per cent not too much above what credit unions can currently charge. This means that if you borrow 500 over three months youll only pay 11.63 in interest; contrast that with Provident where youll pay many multiples of this. Little appetite Back in Ireland, however, there appears to be little appetite for imposing a ceiling on interest rates. Indeed in its consultation on a new consumer code for moneylenders last year, the Central Bank argued that it in fact already has a cap on rates. Well the regulator says that the fact that it doesnt allow any increases to the maximum APR charged means that it has effectively capped the cost of credit in this sector. Perhaps, but its at a very high rate, something it doesnt add. It also argued that such a ceiling could be ineffective and counterproductive as it could see existing players depart and people turn to illegal moneylenders. But the experience in Germany shows that there could be scope for a specialist to operate in the space at a much lower cost. After all, it seems curious that we can be so outraged about mortgage rates being somewhat out of kilter with European norms, while at the same time allowing lenders charge outrageous levels of interest, often to some of the most vulnerable members of society. | https://www.irishtimes.com/business/financial-services/can-higher-credit-union-rates-help-beat-the-moneylenders-1.3751712?localLinksEnabled=false |
Can Cape Town do better by black beachgoers? | Imagine if the City of Cape Town actually planned for big beach days to improve the experience of black people who flock there more than they do at any other time of the year. It would be a gift of temporary spatial integration and provide a sense of belonging in a city where poor black people can often be treated as outsiders and sojourners. New Years Day in Cape Town in Muizenberg started beautifully and the beaches on the False Bay coast were pumping. There were people everywhere and the sand, the picnic spots and every available spot of grass were pegged with what seemed like a million gazebos and beach umbrellas in a rainbow of purple, pink, blue, green and black. Gqom blasted from speakers here, R&B there and in between some rock. Beach apartheid ended in 1989 when the Separate Amenities Act was repealed and, generally, the beaches do well by their people. Incidents like that at Clifton where a private security company instructed visitors to leave one of the beaches and caused a mini-crisis, featuring a poor sheep which was slaughtered, are relatively rare and the naked racism of a Penny Sparrow, the Durban estate agent who complained in 2016 that black bathers who filled Durban beaches were monkeys, is unlikely to happen again as she was successfully sued for racism. This year, for example, it started raining on New Years Day in the late afternoon. It was a mess for the beachgoers, who sat shivering on pavements as their transport (largely taxis, buses and some cars) was caught in a labyrinth of traffic queues, both coming in and out. The gazebos were dripping, the pots of deliciousness hastily packed up and the peoples finest costumes or New Years Day outfits ruined in the rain. It looked like a great day spoiled by a downpour and traffic officials who careered about, blue lights flashing, but who didnt seem to be doing so very efficiently or in a way that placed beachgoers at the centre of their efforts. Richard Bosman, City of Cape Town executive director for safety and security, said: We had sufficient personnel at all the beaches. Rain produced (a) quicker-than-normal exodus which caused some congestion, but this soon cleared. Storms happen and our summers are given to them, but there was a bigger issue to think through about black people and Cape Town beaches on this day, and in the light of the Clifton kerfuffle. Cape Town, like most of South Africas cities, has not risen to the challenge of dealing with spatial apartheid, so the cities have sprawled rather than risen. This means that at holiday times in cities with big beach culture, for most black people it means migrating inward to the beach, of being a temporary sojourner. It would be a gift of temporary spatial integration and provide a sense of belonging in a city where poor black people can often be treated as outsiders and sojourners. Daily Maverick requested comment from the City of Cape Town on what more it could do for beachgoers on the big beach days, but it did not respond timeously. We will reflect its views should the City respond. DM Support DAILY MAVERICK & get FREE UBER vouchers every month An increasingly rare commodity, quality independent journalism costs money, though not nearly as much as its absence can cost global community. No country can live and prosper without truth - that's why it matters. Every Daily Maverick article and every Scorpio expos is proof of our dedication to this unshakeable mission. Investing in our news media is by far the most effective investment into South Africa's future. You can support Independent and Investigative journalism by joining Maverick Insider. If you contribute R150 or more per month you will receive R100 back in UBER vouchers. EVERY MONTH until October 2019. So, if you'd like to help and do something meaningful for yourself and your country, then sign up to become a Maverick Insider. Together we can Defend Truth. | https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2019-01-08-can-cape-town-do-better-by-black-beachgoers/ |
Why is Cyntoia Brown not getting out of jail yet? | Here's what you should know about Cyntoia Brown By Nancy Clanton The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslams decision to grant clemency on Monday to Cyntoia Brown garnered national attention. Brown, now 30, was convicted for fatally shooting a man in 2004. The man, 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allen, had hired 16-year-old Brown for sex. Brown testified she killed Allen out of fear he was going to shoot her. Although the clemency was met with joy by her supporters, many are wondering why Brown has to wait until August to leave prison. Tennessee governor grants clemency to Cyntoia Brown, woman serving life sentence for murder Aug. 7 will mark 15 years since the day Brown killed Allen. Her attorneys said 15 years is the typical sentence for second-degree murder, the Tennesseean reported. According to Charles Bone, Browns lawyer, Haslam wanted Brown to fulfill a full 15 years of her sentence. Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16, Haslam said in a statement. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life. Transformation should be accompanied by hope. So, I am commuting Ms. Browns sentence, subject to certain conditions. A Care2 petition has begun asking Haslam and incoming Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to release Brown now. So far, the petition has more than 7,000 signatures toward its goal of 10,000. I was supposed to get out when I was 67 years old.' " "Thank you, Governor Haslam, for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me," Cyntoia Brown said in a statement Monday. https://t.co/MdwkG4ex1J Tennessean (@Tennessean) January 7, 2019 Here's why people are talking about Cyntoia Brown 13 years after she was sentenced to life in prison for murder Browns case gained renewed attention in 2011 when a PBS documentary titled "Me Facing Life: Cyntoias Story" premiered. It detailed how she was forced to be a teen prostitute, and the day of the fatal shooting of Allen, who Brown thought was reaching for a gun. A re-airing of the documentary likely sparked a social media movement to free Brown, with celebrities joining the movement and sharing the story. Nashville lawmakers urge clemency for Cyntoia Brown, trafficking victim imprisoned for murder Earlier this month, the Nashville City Council appealed to Haslam to grant Brown clemency, saying her conviction gave seemingly little consideration to the horrors of her childhood and the repeated sexual abuse she endured. Haslam agreed during the final days of being in office. | https://www.kiss104fm.com/news/why-does-cyntoia-brown-have-wait-until-august-leave-prison/ZKuCsdLshTNxSVslsKdtvK/ |
Why are women still so unsafe? | Despite global pacts, new laws and gender activism, women remain extremely vulnerable to violence. By Liezelle Kumalo for ISS TODAY. First published by ISS Today Violence against women is an indicator of how prone societies are towards violence in general. Almost two decades since countries across the world adopted United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 which calls on all parties in a conflict to protect women and girls from violence little has changed for women. Womens safety isnt only threatened or violated during wars and conflicts. Its threatened in their daily lives in both public and private spheres, including in stable democracies and during times of peace. Globally, 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual intimate or non-partner sexual violence. Internationally, 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners. In some countries, like Morocco and Egypt, 70% of women experienced physical or sexual violence. Adult women account for 51% of all human trafficking victims, and girls represent three out of every four child victims. Women also experience economic and psychological forms of violence. Gender-based violence is a violation of womens dignity and rights. It affects their human security and remains with them throughout their lives. Less than 40% of women who experience violence seek redress. This is due to widespread and global lack of trust in criminal justice systems and the stigma attached to survivors of gender-based violence. Women who seek help turn to family and friends rather than formal institutions. Moreover, survivors of gender-based violence often dont report abuse due to fear of revictimisation. The Global Peace Index for 2018 highlighted that over the past 10 years, peacefulness has deteriorated by 2.38%. Peacefulness refers to concrete steps to address structural barriers that recreate inequality and instability. It also entails identifying and strengthening the ability of a society to withstand threats and drivers of violence. Investments are needed in structures, attitudes and institutions associated with peaceful societies. But prosperous and stable countries also need to avoid policies that create inequalities, exclusion and discrimination. Even in developed countries, victims are blamed for gender-based violence committed against them. In Ireland for example, a 17-year old girl was blamed for her rape because she wore inappropriate underwear. Understanding the causes of this violence is key to finding solutions. Traditional patriarchal attitudes about the subordination of women perpetuate structural gender inequalities. Cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and economic unrest have also contributed to womens human insecurity. Current right-wing populist movements such as in Germany and Sweden also threaten gains made by gender activism. Women remain in an extremely vulnerable position, regardless of where they live, especially at the nexus of socio-political instability and poverty. There is also a strong cultural resistance to gender equality across the world. Although roughly 150 countries have either introduced or amended legislation to enhance gender equality and better protect women and girls from gender-based violence, a measurable improvement and further action has been lacking. The lack of gender-sensitive personnel in the security sector who can respond adequately to gender-based violence is also a factor. Human and monetary resources are seldom available where psycho-social support and counselling are needed. Access to justice is often hampered by the poor quality of police investigation and over-burdened criminal justice systems. Women are also underrepresented in security sector structures. There are few female judges and prosecutors which implies that these institutions are not responsive to, or informed about, the needs of women. Governments priorities in terms of violence prevention are too often simply rhetorical. More money is being spent on policing rather than social programmes that can reduce risk factors and prevent gender-based violence from occurring. Given continued violent conflicts around the world and the problem of economic stagnation, innovative and socially responsible actions are needed. Research has shown that preventive action requires starting at a family level and that psychological and physical treatment for survivors is needed. More than ever, education for girls and women is an effective tool for woman empowerment. Both men and women need to challenge underlying socio-cultural norms that perpetuate discrimination against women. Governments need to invest in strengthening justice systems to investigate and prosecute gender-based violence effectively. And gender-sensitive training is needed for all those working in the justice and security sectors. At the local level, women should be trained by government and qualified civil society organisations to encourage non-violent processes and build networks in and between communities. Change is needed within local structures to introduce gender-sensitive initiatives that benefit society as a whole and change mindsets. Only once women are safer can peace truly be achieved. As the 20-year milestone of Resolution 1325 approaches, concrete action is needed at community level to transform the culture of violence. DM Liezelle Kumalo is a researcher, Peace Operations and Peacebuilding, ISS Support DAILY MAVERICK & get FREE UBER vouchers every month An increasingly rare commodity, quality independent journalism costs money, though not nearly as much as its absence can cost global community. No country can live and prosper without truth - that's why it matters. Every Daily Maverick article and every Scorpio expos is proof of our dedication to this unshakeable mission. Investing in our news media is by far the most effective investment into South Africa's future. You can support Independent and Investigative journalism by joining Maverick Insider. If you contribute R150 or more per month you will receive R100 back in UBER vouchers. EVERY MONTH until October 2019. So, if you'd like to help and do something meaningful for yourself and your country, then sign up to become a Maverick Insider. Together we can Defend Truth. | https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-01-08-why-are-women-still-so-unsafe/ |
What Was the Point of Trumps Oval Office Address? | Early on, Trump seemed to be striving for an almost Reaganesque note, speaking with restraint and an unusual display of softer emotions. Though he sometimes ad-libs awkwardly while speaking from a script, Trump remained rigid in both elocution and posture Tuesday. America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants that enrich our society and contribute to our nation, but all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled illegal migration, Trump said. This is a humanitarian crisis: a crisis of the heart, and a crisis of the soul. He also eschewed any discussion of his wall or any attacks on Democrats until the latter half of the speech. He noted that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer had supported a border fence in the past. He also replied to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has called the proposed wall immoral, without mentioning her name. Then why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences, and gates around their homes? Trump said. They don't build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside. The only thing that is immoral is the politicians to do nothing and continue to allow more innocent people to be so horribly victimized. This was the tone for the final moments of the speech. The president has chosen fear, Pelosi said during the Democratic rebuttal, and its hard to imagine Trump disagreeing. Criticizing Democrats for not funding the wall, he listed a series of crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants, a tactic that dates back to his days on the campaign. Notably, Trump seemed to implicitly rule out using an emergency declaration to build the wall with the military. My administration is doing everything in our power to help those impacted by the situation, but the only solution is for Democrats to pass a spending bill that defends our borders and reopens the government, Trump said. In making the case that there is an acute crisis at the border, Trump faces three major obstacles. The first is that theres no obvious change at the border that makes the current moment more serious than six or 18 months ago. While illegal immigration to the United States is rising, it remains well below the recent peak, in 2000. Before the election, Trump drew attention to a caravan of migrants walking north through Mexico toward the United States, but that march largely dissipated as it neared the border, and the number of migrants involvedreportedly around 4,000is small in comparison to the total number of unauthorized immigrants entering the country. The second obstacle is a confusing explanation of the humanitarian problem. While the president noted the dangers facing migrants who try to enter the U.S., especially to women and children, he didnt explain how hardening the border or building a wall would solve that crisis. The measures he is proposing treat symptoms without dealing with the underlying causes, especially violence in Central Americas Northern Triangle. | https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/01/president-trumps-speech-shutdown-and-wall/579844/?utm_source=feed |
Has Swachh Bharat Mission really made India 96% open defecation free? | The Census 2011 told us only 32% of Indias rural households had toilets. Other studies showed that a fewer number of those households actually used those toilets. Under the Narendra Modi governments (SBM), much has changed. Firstly, commitment has come from the highest level of government, especially the prime minister. By all accounts, the in charge of SBM is a remarkably driven man. Secondly, under SBM, for the first time, the government is focusing on changing behaviour on a large scale. In fact, India is implementing the worlds largest collective behaviour movement for rural sanitation. Third, there is new focus on verification of ODF (open defecation free) status by monitoring toilet use. Earlier it was counting the number of toilets built. SBM guidelines specifically state that the focus has to now be on counting ODF villages. However, the two have gone together (as we show below). Fourth, money has been allocated on a scale hitherto unheard of to hire the staff to mobilise communities around sanitation. Half a million Swachhagrahis have been deployed in villages and districts (who, of course, need more support and training). In 2014, the prime minister announced the goal of eliminating open defecation by 2019. However, that would have required the slow pace of decline in open defecation to have accelerated, starting in 2014, by more than a multiple of 12. This would have been thrice as fast as the fastest five-year decline in open defecation ever recorded globally. The speed with which toilets are being constructed has indeed gained momentum. Over 4.5 million toilets had been constructed between October 2014 and October 2017. This then jumped to 9.12 million by December 30 2018, and the number rises every minute as you watch the clicker on the ministry website. By October 2017, more than 2,43,000 (of Indias 6,50,000) villages, 201 out of 677 districts and five states had been declared ODF. This then reached an incredible 5,39,000 villages, 580 districts and 27 states and UTs by December 30, 2018, in just 15 months. The speed of construction is nothing short of breakneck. Credibility of data At this point, the natural question to ask is if whether these claims are credible. We have only the governments administrative records to go by. Rarely, if ever, in India are administrative records reliable, especially if the ministry driving the programme is closely measuring output and is required to show results. There has been no credible, independent survey (till very recently) that can offer a useful nationally representative estimate of the fraction of rural persons defecating in the open. Let me explain further. Prior to the national Census of 2011, for which the data is reliable, the UPA-II governments website was claiming that 72% of rural households had a toilet. However, the Census revealed that only 32% had a toilet which tells you how reliable government data on such target-driven programmes is. The government then promptly conducted a survey in 2012 which found that actual toilet coverage was 36% of households. What is most important for our purposes is how the current agrees that 96% rural sanitation coverage has been achieved in four years. SBM-Gs claims rest on using the 2012 baseline survey as the starting point for estimating percentage increase in households with toilets since 2014. The 2012 survey estimates are for households with toilets and not actual ODF households or villages since even the previous government did not ever claim that 32% rural households having a toilet amounted to those villages becoming ODF. If we assume that the 2012 base is correct, then the 96% current coverage is correct. But the current government has not bothered to check whether the 2012 baseline data about households with toilets is correct forget about the actual use or functionality of the pre-2012 toilets today, or even in the year 2012 itself. In the 2012 survey, those who had received incentives to build a toilet during previous government programmes were to be excluded in the new list for toilet subsidy in 2014, prepared by the current government. As there was little focus on behaviour change pre-2012, studies show the toilets would not be functional after lack of use. Around nine million families are in this category at the national level who are not to be provided toilets by the current SBM-G programme, as they are assumed to have toilets since they got a government subsidy to build one. However, there are additional problems with the data. Note that prior to 2014, the governments focus was on building toilets for BPL (below poverty line) households only, and there are other programme studies that demonstrate that the BPL list itself was characterised by large inclusion and exclusion errors. ALSO READ: Fake data, inept toilets: Why use, construction don't match in rural India Even more, the Above Poverty Line families never were to be provided subsidies to build toilets, either then or since 2014. Even if all so-called BPL households have since 2014 been provided toilets in the 27 states/UTs now declared ODF, the APL households were and still are required to build their own toilets which they may or may not do, depending upon whether they are convinced of the need for giving up the centuries-old habit of defecating in the open. The SBM-G increased toilet construction, but is still focused on the so-called BPL. The APL households who are several times larger in number in every village than BPL ones are supposed to construct toilets through collective behaviour change. There is no data available on the governments website regarding coverage of APL households during SBM-G. Meanwhile, the has since October 2014 declared districts and villages ODF on the basis of the 2012 baseline coverage of toilets built. New survey contradicts claims A recent survey in late 2018 by the for Compassionate Economics reports conclusions that are consistent with our analysis. Between 42% to 57% of rural people (in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP) over two years of age defecate in the open, with a preferred estimate of 43%. This result contradicts the governments claims that open defecation has been eliminated in these states. It also reports that 40% of households with a latrine have at least one person who defecates in the open, and 56% of all households have at least one person who defecates in the open in rural areas in these states. However, the good is that in the four states, open defecation fell from about 70% of people in 2014 (the same households had been surveyed then), to about 44% of people in 2018. The RICE study reports that nearly the entire change in open defecation between 2014 and 2018 comes from increases in latrine ownership, rather than from changes in behaviour. Many challenges remain Clearly, there are many substantive challenges that face a well-meaning prime minister and determined to declare villages have become ODF. First, few people in villages want the pit latrines provided by the government, so in many cases funds spent on latrines do not result in functional latrines. Moreover, changing mindsets remains a challenge: acceptance of twin pit toilets is still a problem, as APL people in villages want a septic tank, although it: requires more land as its pit is bigger, more money, is unhygienic and requires emptying. Rural people still think that a twin pit is a government toilet for poor people. More education and communication is needed to advocate that a twin-pit latrine is safe and scientific, easily built, costs less, easy to empty, and the waste can be used as manure. But there are question marks about IEC fund allocation and utilisation in SBM-G. Second, masons are essential for introducing twin-pit technology to villages. They should be competent in twin-pit technology and committed to its adoption. In many districts, very few masons are available who can construct a twin-pit toilet and have conviction that this is a Third, there is the challenge that some district officials using coercive methods to stop open defecation to achieve targets. This is not behaviour change. A centuries old problem in India requires constant efforts to change the mindset of the people. The RICE study reports that the SBM routinely used coercion and threats to achieve toilet construction, and in more limited cases, use. Coercion included harassment, fines, denial of public benefits, and in some cases even detention by the police. They find that ST and SC households were more likely than households from other social groups to report experiencing coercion. The study reveals how administrative data leads to misleading claims by the government. Many elected leaders and village secretaries readily stated to researchers that block and district officials expected them to fill out the paperwork claiming open defecation free status when about 80% of the households owned latrines. This is the reason that the two RICE studies (mentioned above) find little difference in use among latrine owners in 2014 and 2018. In fact it becomes why coercion is used: rapid timelines for latrine construction imposed on local officials by block and district officials were part of the reason that coercion was such a widely used tool in SBM implementation. In fact, the 2018 survey finds that more than half of households in the focus states are aware of some form of coercion in their village. Successful rural sanitation programmes world-wide with community-led total sanitation (the CLTS approach) have been based on no hardware subsidy. Indias subsidy programme creates unique problems. The major dangers resulting from a subsidy-driven programme are: 1) Constructing toilets without collective behaviour change; if even one person still defecates in the open that village cannot be declared ODF; 2) Low quality and inappropriate construction; 3) Lack of ownership and partial usage of toilets, with some household members continuing OD; and 4) Leaving out those least able. Under the circumstances, declarations of ODF to meet targets when the reality lags far behind is almost inevitable. The 26 percentage point reduction (70% to 44% in four states in the RICE study of 2018 compared to their 2014 study in the same states) in individual open defecation over a four year period (more than six percentage points per year) was rapid compared to the likely rate of decline in earlier years. The National Family Health Survey (3rd and 4th rounds) finds that household-level open defecation in the region declined at less than two percentage points per year (from about 87% of households to about 70% of households) between 2005 and 2015. Between Census 2001 and 2011, the number of rural households with toilets had increased at roughly one percentage point per annum. Even if that rate has trebled since then, the 32% could have increased to 52% of rural households today in India as a whole. The share of villages free of open defecation of this 52% however is anybodys guess. | https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/has-swachh-bharat-mission-really-made-india-96-open-defecation-free-119010900120_1.html |
Where Will Buckeye Partners Be in 5 Years? | Things haven't been looking so good for oil and refined products pipeline and terminal operator Buckeye Partners (NYSE: BPL) in recent years. In fact, the master limited partnership (MLP) has lost more than half its value over the last five years, and is now trading in the low $30s. That's much worse than many of its peers. For example, fellow MLP Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE: PSXP) has seen its unit price -- MLP-speak for share price -- rise more than 20% over the last five years. But Buckeye is making changes to its operations that may have a big impact on the company's future. Although the company -- and its industry -- are in a state of flux right now, Buckeye's bets could set it up to win big...or wipe out. Here's where Buckeye looks to be headed over the next five years. Oil pipelines lead to a refinery in the distance More Buckeye Partners hopes that investments in Permian crude oil will end an era of underperformance. Image source: Getty Images. Big changes For years, Buckeye had been a pretty standard bread-and-butter pipeline and terminal operator. It owned a large domestic pipeline network transporting refined products like gasoline and distillates. The system was centered around Chicago, but stretched as far as New York. Buckeye also operated terminals and some smaller pipeline systems located throughout the U.S. It also either owned outright or had a stake in several international terminals in the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The trouble for Buckeye was that its core assets had begun to underperform. In 2017, throughputs -- the amount of product shipped through and stored in Buckeye's infrastructure -- were up, but net income was down. And even though throughputs were up, capacity utilization at its terminals had dropped from 99% in 2016 to just 92% in 2017. Meanwhile, the company's already-high debt load was increasing, and its coverage ratio for its distribution had fallen below 1, meaning it would need to make up the difference somehow. Things came to a head in Q3 2018, when Buckeye made the strategic decision to slash its dividend. That improved the company's coverage ratio. It also decided to sell off its stake in VTTI, which jettisoned most of its overseas terminal exposure, and sold noncore terminal assets like its far-flung California terminals and small jet fuel pipelines in Florida. It's using the cash it raises to pay down debt and also to focus on its big new bet: oil from the Permian Basin in West Texas. Joining the herd There's no shortage of interest in the Permian Basin these days. Permian crude is comparatively cheap to drill, and there seems to be a lot of it. Drillers flocked to the Permian in 2018 to try to cash in on the lucrative combination of higher oil prices and lower production costs. The trouble for many of those drillers is that there isn't enough infrastructure to transport that crude oil once it's been extracted from the ground. And although numerous pipeline companies are building long-haul pipelines from the Permian to the refineries and ports along the Gulf Coast, a lot of that capacity won't be coming online until late 2019 or 2020. Once those pipelines do come online, though, there's another problem. Many Gulf Coast refineries are set up to process heavy, sour crude of the sort that comes from Canada or Venezuela. The light, sweet crude from the Permian needs to be shipped overseas. But the preferred method of shipping oil -- the Very Large Crude Carrier, or VLCC -- is a heavy craft that sits low in the water when fully loaded, and can't navigate into many of the Gulf Coast ports at Houston or Corpus Christi. Instead, VLCCs need to be fully loaded at offshore "lightering" platforms, with oil that has been transported by smaller craft. | https://news.yahoo.com/where-buckeye-partners-5-years-023300719.html |
Was hat die Stadt im neuen Jahr vor? | Den offiziellen Beginn des Arbeitsjahres lutete Brgermeister Schmidl-Haberleitner mit einem Neujahrsempfang im Foyer des Rathauses ein. Dabei prsentierte er einen Rckblick auf 2018 und sprach ber die wichtigsten Themen fr 2019. Wir wollen einige der bereits begonnen Groprojekte abschlieen, zeigt sich Schmidl-Haberleitner voller Tatendrang. Darunter falle jedenfalls das Projekt neues Feuerwehrhaus. Das ist unbedingt notwendig. Wir brauchen das Haus auf einem gesicherten Standort, sagt der Brgermeister. Der Spatenstich dafr solle noch heuer erfolgen. Es ist eigentlich alles fertig. Wir befinden uns noch in den Finanz-Verhandlungen mit dem Land, so Schmidl-Haberleitner. Mllsammelzentrum und Polizei im Fokus Weitere Projekte seien fr heuer noch das Mllsammelzentrum und die neue Polizeiinspektion bei den Figl-Grnden. Da sind wir auch schon in der Umsetzungsphase. Geht alles gut, wird auch da heuer noch der Spatenstich erfolgen, hofft Schmidl-Haberleitner. Die Kleinkinderbetreuung und zustzliche Kindergartenpltze sowie Straensanierungen stehen fr die Stadtgemeinde ebenso im Fokus der Arbeit im laufenden Jahr. | https://www.noen.at/purkersdorf/pressbaum-was-hat-die-stadt-im-neuen-jahr-vor-pressbaum-josef-schmidl-haberleitner-131214909 |
Can the administration end its battles with employee unions and find civil service compromises in 2019? | As 2018 comes to a close and the new year begins, the federal workforce is at pivotal point after a long and busy year. For the Trump administration, you cant sum up the year without the letters P-M-A. The administration unveiled the Presidents Management Agenda back in March. And while top leaders acknowledged the key pillars of data transparency, IT modernization and a 21st century workforce werent necessarily new or groundbreaking, the intersection of all three ideas would push the administration in new directions that previous ones havent yet gone. This past year had good government groups thinking about about the 40th anniversary of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The nature of work in the 21st century is rapidly evolving, they said, and the existing civil service system isnt equipped to adapt and meet those changes. But the stars didnt quite align, and 2018 wasnt the year that the Trump administration unveiled the CSRA 2.0, or even something remotely similar to a big, sweeping effort to modernize the decades-old Senior Executive Service or even older General Schedule. Instead, the administration spent the back-half of 2018 focusing on the smaller things. It prompted the Office of Personnel Management to practically remove itself from the process of securing direct hire authority for certain IT positions. It gave agencies more direct-hire authority in general and set up a process for developing a new special occupational pay and classification system. It made it easier for agencies to ensure their senior executives are performing at a high level. Based on the message Margaret Weichert, acting OPM director and deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, gave to chief human capital officers at the end of the year, expect more of these kinds of actions from OPM and the Trump administration in 2019. They may not make the major headlines in the national media, but the administration is clearly looking for ways it can resolve some long-held management frustrations without trying to clear a new bill in the Senate or negotiate with House Democrats. Also watch for chief human capital leaders, administration officials and agencies to double down on their efforts to shorten the federal hiring process, improve employee engagement and performance management and reskill employees for new kinds of work. If 2018 was about setting the stage for a modern, well-equipped and passionate federal workforce, 2019 could be the year the Trump administration doubles down and makes good on those goals set forth in the PMA. A very different year for unions But for federal employee unions, 2018 was a very different kind of year. President Donald Trumps State of the Union address lit a fire under the bellies of some federal employee groups, when he called on Congress to grant cabinet secretaries the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people. Advertisement By May, the American Federation of Government Employees had deemed the PMA a set of worst practices, designed with dark political intentions in mind at a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Even Jeff Pon, OPMs director at the time, had recognized the administrations relationship with federal unions was not so good right now and that theres not too much right now that we agree on. A few weeks later, before the long Memorial Day holiday weekend, the President signed three executive orders designed to place more limits on collective bargaining and official time. A group of more than a dozen unions sued the Trump administration over the EOs, and a federal district judge overturned nine of the provisions. Now the administration is appealing. These legal battles have been time-consuming for the administration, and theyll likely continue well into 2019. Whats next in 2019 If the civil service reformers from the 1978 era looked at the past year, theyd see little reason to believe that something remotely similar to the Civil Service Reform Act could pass in todays environment. The Civil Service Reform Act passed Congress with bipartisan support, and the Carter administration worked with federal employee unions to negotiate new legislation that their members could buy into. Nothing will get done unless everyone works together, the former Carter administration leaders said. But even beyond the May executive orders, unions arent happy with how the administration communicated and solicited feedback from their members about the reorganization plan. They fear the administration wants to dismantle OPM and their retirement, telework and other employee benefits while theyre at it. The addition of a partial government shutdown and 2019 pay freeze doesnt help matters. And House Democrats are ready to carry the unions fight on their shoulders starting in a few days. Good government groups and employees themselves have been talking about the same frustrations with hiring, firing and rewarding the right people for years, if not decades. Weichert has said she believes the administration can appeal to employees sense of mission to earn their trust and commitment toward the ideas and goals put forth in the PMA. But if the Trump administration wants its ideas for civil service modernization to outlive the next few years, itll need to win the hearts and minds of the employees themselves. The administration and agency leaders themselves will need to show not just tell federal employees that their ideas matter and theyre in this together. | https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2019/01/can-the-administration-end-its-battles-with-employee-unions-and-find-civil-service-compromises-in-2019/ |
What's Up with the HSFO Bunker Prices and Why Are All the Scrubber Guys Getting Worried? | by Adrian Tolson, Senior Partner, 20|20 Marine Energy Adrian Tolson, Senior Partner at 20|20 Marine Energy Recent weeks have given rise to a surprising phenomenon in many of the world's major bunkering locations. As we rapidly approach the demise, or partial demise, of HSFO as bunkers, the HSFO bunker price is suddenly rising in value against both crude oil and against diesel prices. Rotterdam saw 380cst move from 73% of the value of Brent in the first half of the 2018 to 80% in Q4 of 2018. Other ports saw even more extreme price rises, such as New York where we moved from 76% in the first half of 2018 to 87% in Q4. It all really comes down to the simple laws of supply and demand. HSFO suddenly became very scarce in the second half of 2018 driven by a unique (?) combination of factors. To a certain degree it likely will and this creates some interesting potential for profitable HSFO business Firstly, some of the predicted reduction in HSFO production from existing refineries actually became reality and so a little less HSFO was on the market. Secondly, inspired by a combination of OPEC cutbacks and Iranian sanctions we suddenly saw a increased need for HSFO in certain parts of the world. In particular, Saudi Arabia made the call to shift much of its significant power generation capacity from using its own crude oil to imported HSFO, creating an unexpected demand for HSFO. Thirdly, and by no means least, we started to see the impact of many of the major traders of HSFO cargoes losing interest in trading HSFO as a commodity. Its not clear whether this was driven by consolidation of HSFO and Diesel trading books, poor financial performance in the first half of 2018 (and 2017), the impending IMO 2020 reduction in HSFO trading activity or a series of horrendous quality claims in the US Gulf area, but activity was down and HSFO liquidity suffered in the market. When oil is scarce prices go up and some of the regional issues in locations, like NY, where even more exaggerated. To a certain degree it likely will and this creates some interesting potential for profitable HSFO business as we start to feel the disruption of 2020. Well, as HSFO rose, diesel and crude really did not, so this made scrubbed HSFO (using today's prices) less attractive as a fuel choice for 2020. But, no worriesHSFO will be very cheap by the end of this year and scrubber economics should be all good again! | https://shipandbunker.com/news/world/469552-whats-up-with-the-hsfo-bunker-prices-and-why-are-all-the-scrubber-guys-getting-worried |
Can Swara get any HOTTER? | January 09, 2019 08:00 IST Swara Bhaskar welcomed 2019 on a sexy note! Photograph: Courtesy FHM/Instagram Winter has set in but Swara Bhaskar's latest cover will make you break into a sweat. The actor sizzled in a cleavage-plunging outfit with sequinned work. 'Here's presenting our Cover Girl for January, the unapologetic @reallyswara,' the mag wrote as they unveiled the cover. Striking a sensual pose for the camera, Swara looked sexy with her hair worn in an unkempt mess and nude lips. 'I feel that I have led a very selfish life,' she revealed in her interview. 'Maybe as celebrities, we have to, as that is the structure of our job. I wish to change that,' she added. In her interview, the actor has discussed her favourite poets, the purpose of art and tea, among other things. | https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/glamour-can-swara-get-any-hotter/20190109.htm |
Is Imagine Dragons the Worst Band Ever? | To listen to Imagine Dragons is to be a victim of circumstanceof algorithmic playlists, car radios, and other mediums where music becomes something to passively tolerate, rather than actively enjoy. Their bombastic facsimile of alternative rock is recognizably descended from history but safely free of innovation, engineered for institutions with high levels of visibility but low tolerances for risk. They are by definition the ideal accompaniment to a college football game, and so there they were as America turned its attention to the halftime show of Monday nights championship game between Alabama and Clemson. The halftime show, staged nearly 50 miles away from the game itself for the sole benefit of television viewers, was a medley performance with a major assist from pyrotechnics. From the top, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds struggled to hit the appropriate notes, though an enthusiastic and definitely not planted crowd appeared not to notice. The most memorable part of the 10-minute show was not the live debut of a new version of their almost two-year-old song Believer featuring Lil Wayne, but instead the outfit Wayne chose for the occasion: CREDIT: Screenshot via YouTube When youve been throughly upstaged by someone elses jacket, consider that the problem might be you. This is a point so obvious it shouldnt need arguing: Imagine Dragons music is aggressively unpleasant, and its only natural to grasp for something even louder to distract oneself. Enter Lil Wayne dressed like the Hamburgler in pirate boots. It was not enough, because Imagine Dragons are somewhere far beyond terrible. Since 2012s breakthrough Radioactive, dynamics have been their blunt-force instrument of choice, each new single crashing through the hyperreality of pop radio to pound another bland hook into a powerless public. Every song has the same punishing, squelching rhythmic force that likewise made Taylor Swifts Ready For It? sound ready-made for college football and dreadful to actually listen to. The lyrics, a composite of motivational platitudes and pseudo-dramatic yelps, barely merit repeating, if only because Reynolds seems so willing to do that himself. (The word thunder appears nearly 75 times in their song of the same name.) He stands at the center of this fake-deep circus, alternating at predictable intervals between his primary registers of knockoff Chris Martin and screaming. Last night, the foremost defender of this insufferable band was Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, whose cultural opinions include blaming zombie shows for gun violence and advocating the elimination of humanities degrees. Heres his take: Way to ruin an entertaining @Imaginedragons half-time concert with the weird rantings of a tired, has-been like @LilTunechi One act still risingThe other, not so much Matt Bevin (@MattBevin) January 8, 2019 Set aside the Wayne slander for the moment and consider the still rising part of Bevins tweet, which alludes to the real fallacy at work: that mass-market saturation is automatically equivalent to quality. Other, more garbage acts may toil in obscurity, but the reason Imagine Dragons artistic failings are striking is because their commercial success is so remarkable. Theyve scored a No. 1 album and three No. 2 albums, a streak otherwise unimaginable for a current ostensible rock group. Wherever mediocrity meets a massive budgetSuicide Squad soundtrack, Grammy for Best Rock Performancethere they are, howling into a wind tunnel aimed directly at your face. Again and again in interviews, Imagine Dragons tout themselves as genre-less, an adventurous-sounding label that doubles as an escape hatch from narratives about being cheesy (as pop stars) or dinosaurs (as rock stars). This is advertising. Imagine Dragons havent liberated themselves from the boundaries of genre to pursue some unique muse heretofore unknown to iHeartRadio. They just happen to be a band who is succeeding wildly at a time when their peers are not because they aim specifically for rock music that doesnt even need fans. It will exist in our lives regardless. And theres hardly a safer way to hold market share than being traditional enough to capitalize on the Recording Academys recognizable young rock band benefits plan (they were nominated for two more Grammys in 2018), yet flexible enough to bend wherever the whims of popularity dictate. If, by 2021, the hottest new musical commodity is dissonant noise that cant be played outside a 10-foot range of a limited-edition Juul pod, Imagine Dragons will have discovered an exciting new way to connect directly with their biggest fans. There are no illusions here, no pretenses of craftsmanship or endearing foibles of personality. The circumstances demanded Imagine Dragons, and now were stuck. Correction: Imagine Dragons were nominated for two additional Grammy Awards in 2018, which is last year. Spin regrets the error. | https://www.spin.com/2019/01/imagine-dragons-worst-band-halftime-show/ |
Was ist dran an diesen Mythen rund ums Essen? | Bonn Essen am Abend macht dick, Tomatenstrunk ist giftig, und nur dunkles Brot ist gesund. Mythen rund ums Essen gibt es viele - stimmen mssen sie deswegen aber noch lange nicht. "Grund fr Ernhrungsmythen sind oft Unsicherheiten, zum Beispiel bei der Frage, ob man Kserinde mitessen darf", meint Harald Seitz vom Bundeszentrum fr Ernhrung. Manche Legenden haben aber auch einen wahren Kern. Bei Getreideprodukten wie Brot, Nudeln, Reis und Mehl ist die Vollkornvariante die beste Wahl fr die Gesundheit, sagt Silke Restemeyer von der Deutschen Gesellschaft fr Ernhrung ( DGE). " Lebensmittel aus Vollkorn sttigen lnger und enthalten mehr Nhrstoffe als Weimehlprodukte." Aber: Nicht jedes dunkle oder krnige Brot oder Brtchen ist auch ein Vollkornprodukt. "Brtchen kann man auch mit Malzextrakt dunkel und mit Sonnenblumenkernen krnig machen", sagt Silke Restemeyer. Das stimmt so nicht. Denn diese Ernhrungsregel ist sehr alt. "Sie stammt noch aus Zeiten, in denn es keinen Khlschrank gab", sagt Monika Bischoff, Vorstandsmitglied im Berufsverband Oecotrophologie. Das Problem sei nicht das zweite Aufwrmen, sondern das langsame Abkhlen: Khlt gekochter Spinat nur langsam ab, wandeln Bakterien im mittleren Temperaturbereich ungefhrliches Nitrat in schdliches Nitrit um. Die grnen Stellen an der Tomate enthalten Solanin. "Dieses Gift dient der Pflanze zur Abwehr von Schdlingen", erklrt Seitz. Bei Menschen knnen Vergiftungserscheinungen wie Kopf- und Bauchschmerzen auftreten, wenn sie sehr viel Solanin aufnehmen. Dafr msste ein Erwachsener aber eine sehr groe Menge unreifer Tomaten oder Strnke essen. "Es schadet zwar nicht, zu einer Tasse Kaffee auch ein Glas Wasser zu trinken, notwendig ist es aber nicht", sagt Restemeyer. Denn Kaffee werde wie alle anderen Getrnke in die Flssigkeitsbilanz einbezogen. Insgesamt sollte ein krperlich wenig aktiver Erwachsener bei mitteleuropischen Temperaturen pro Tag etwa 2,5 Liter Flssigkeit zu sich nehmen. Das stimmt. Die meisten Vitamine und sekundren Pflanzeninhaltsstoffe sitzen bei Obst und Gemse direkt in oder unter der Schale, erklrt Restemeyer. "Deshalb ist es wichtig, Obst und Gemse mit Schale zu genieen." Der Vorteil berwiege die gesundheitlichen Gefhrdung durch mgliche Pestizide in der Schale. Stimmt nur teilweise. "Sogenanntes Superfood sind Lebensmittel mit besonders vielen Nhrstoffen", erklrt Monika Bischoff. Eine offizielle Definition des Begriffs gebe es aber nicht. Ob ein Lebensmittel wirklich fit macht und Krankheiten vorbeugen kann, hnge vom jeweiligen Produkt ab. "Heimisches Superfood wie zum Beispiel Kohl ist gesund und macht fit", sagt sie. Von exotischen Lebensmitteln wie Chiasamen oder Acaipulver rt sie dagegen ab. Stimmt so nicht. "Einfrieren ist eine empfehlenswerte Methode, um Lebensmittel mittel- bis langfristig aufzubewahren", sagt Silke Restemeyer. Durch das Lagern bei Temperaturen von minus 18 Grad blieben Nhrstoffe, Geschmack und das Aussehen weitestgehend erhalten. Mit der Zeit fnden aber trotzdem Abbauprozesse statt. Sie sorgen dafr, dass die Lebensmittel irgendwann nicht mehr gut schmecken. Silke Restemeyer rt: "Wer die Verpackung direkt mit Einfrierdatum, Menge und Inhalt beschriftet, behlt einen besseren berblick ber seinen Vorrat." Kommt drauf an. Entscheidend ist, wie die Rinde entstanden ist. "Natrlich gereifte sowie unbehandelte Kserinden sind essbar und geben wie etwa bei Edelschimmelkse ein besonderes Aroma", erklrt Seitz. Knstliche Kserinden aus Wachs oder Kunststoff seien dagegen nicht zum Verzehr geeignet. "In diesem Fall muss sich ein Hinweis auf der Verpackung stehen." "Wer zu viele Kalorien zu sich nimmt, nimmt zu. Wer zu wenig Kalorien zu sich nimmt, nimmt ab", sagt Monika Bischoff. Fr Gesunde in einer normalen Gewichtsgruppe sei es irrelevant, wann sie das Essen einnehmen. "Wer abnehmen mchte, kann aber trotzdem ausprobieren, abends auf das Essen zu verzichten", sagt die kotrophologin. Vielen Menschen falle es leichter, am Abend auf eine Mahlzeit zu verzichten als zum Beispiel auf das Frhstck. Das stimmt nicht, sagt Restemeyer. Alkohol rege zwar die Magensureproduktion an, knne mglicherweise ein Enzym zur Eiweiverdauung im Magen stimulieren und habe eine betubende Wirkung auf die Magennerven. "Er hilft aber nicht bei der Fettverdauung." Vielmehr spalte der Verdauungstrakt vor dem Fett erst einmal den Alkohol auf, weil er auf diese Weise einfacher Energie gewinnt. "Durchsetzt mit Schnaps wird fettreiche Kost also eher langsamer verdaut." dpa | http://www.dnn.de/Mehr/Essen-Trinken/Aktuelles/Was-ist-dran-an-diesen-Mythen-rund-ums-Essen |
Did Trumps Oval Office Address Accomplish Anything? | President Trump on Tuesday night addressed the nation from the Oval Office for the first time since assuming the presidency two years ago this month. The topic was border security, particularly the presidents belief that the only way to achieve it is through the construction of a literal wall separating the United States from Mexico. As expected, Trumps remarks dramatically mischaracterized the reality at the border. He referred to illegal immigration as a crisis responsible for widespread murder, drug use and myriad other crimes across the United States. Reading from a teleprompter and with the camera trained tightly on his face, the president tried to make an over-the-top emotional appeal for the proposed wall. This is a humanitarian crisis, a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul, Trump said, his beady eyes softening. He went on to describe specific instances of Americans being killed by illegal immigrants, noting how they have been beaten with hammers, dismembered and decapitated. Ive held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers, Trump said. I will never forget the pain in their eyes, the tremble in their voices and the sadness gripping their souls. It was creepy. It was pathetic. It was embarrassing for the networks that decided to air the address live. This is a humanitarian crisis, a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul, says Pres. Trump of illegal immigration. #TrumpAddresshttps://t.co/J5jxl8XAol pic.twitter.com/cCv9t7o1mB CBS News (@CBSNews) January 9, 2019 Though Trump in December told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that he would accept all responsibility for the government shutdown collateral damage of the wall impasse on Tuesday night he placed the blame squarely on Democrats. The government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: because democrats will not fund border security, he said. President Trump continues to blame congressional Democrats for the government shutdown #PresidentialAddress pic.twitter.com/jdOAmTU0oG Variety (@Variety) January 9, 2019 Trump did not declare a national emergency, which would in theory enable him to circumvent Congress and use the military to build the wall. The president floated the idea publicly while speaking with the media last Friday, and reports have since emerged that the White House has entertained the prospect. Several lawmakers have contended that such a declaration would not hold up in court, as illegal immigration is trending downward and the situation at the border in no way constitutes a national emergency, nor a threat to national security. Ive been on the Intelligence Committee for over 10 years, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) tweeted Tuesday. On terrorism and other threats, Ive received more briefings from FBI, CIA, and DHS than I could count. Zero. After Trumps address concluded, Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivered a joint rebuttal behind a comically small podium, but it was Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who served up the most forceful response to the presidents remarks. We are not paying a $5 billion ransom note for your medieval border wall. And nothing you just said will change that cold, hard reality. Not happening. Get. Over. It. Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) January 9, 2019 Trump is expected to meet with congressional Democrats Wednesday to resume negotiations to re-open the government, which has been operating under a partial shutdown since December 21st. On Friday, Trump said that he was prepared to leave the government closed for years if Democrats continue to resist Trumps demand for over $5 billion to fund the construction of the wall. Meanwhile, 800,000 federal employees will not receive a paycheck this week. Trump announced his intention to address the nation on Monday, tweeting the would speak about the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border. Attention immediately turned to major television networks like NBC, CBS and ABC, which deliberated whether to air what was all but guaranteed to be a propaganda address chock full of lies and disinformation. Though Trump had derided the Fake News Media as the real Opposition Party and the Enemy of the People earlier on Monday, all of the above outlets ultimately agreed to air it. In 2014, major networks refused to air an immigration speech by President Obama on the grounds that it would be overtly political. A lot can change in five years. | https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-oval-office-address-776531/ |
Is Lampaert klaar voor het kopmanschap? | 09 januari 2019 00u00 0 Met de Belgische trui starten in de klassiekers: "Ja, dat zorgt voor druk", zegt Yves Lampaert (27). "Maar dat hoeft niet per se negatief te zijn. Ik ben ambitieus om me te tonen, maar dat maakt me niet nerveus. Mede door het vertrek van Terpstra ben ik nu kopman voor de klassiekers. Ik denk dat ik op een goeie manier mijn plek heb afgedwongen, zonder iemand iets in de weg te leggen, en dat ik mijn plaats nu verdien. Ik ben gegroeid in die rol." (BA) Gratis verder lezen, dat kan! E-mailadres We sturen je verder gn mails Door deze account aan te maken, ga ik akkoord met de gebruiksvoorwaarden , en erken de privacyverklaring , en het cookiebeleid , gelezen te hebben. Ontvang link naar volledig artikel Gelukt! Je vindt de link naar het volledige artikel in je mailbox Email Tot zo meteen HLN | https://www.hln.be/de-krant/is-lampaert-klaar-voor-het-kopmanschap~ab63543c/ |
Why do storms on the mainland head from west to east but storms like hurricanes move east to west? | Kirk Light Jr., Hanover Park Dear Kirk, The movement of weather systems over the United States and hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean (and elsewhere) is determined primarily by distance from the equator. The Earth is divided into east-west-oriented weather zones. The region of the Earth that extends about 23 degrees north and south of the equator is the tropics. The region northward (and southward) from there to about 35 degrees north (and south) is the subtropics. Northward from there to about 65 degrees north (and southward to 65 degrees south) is the midlatitudes. Wind circulation and the movement of weather systems are generally east to west in the tropics and subtropics, and west to east in the midlatitudes. | https://wgntv.com/2019/01/08/why-do-storms-on-the-mainland-head-from-west-to-east-but-storms-like-hurricanes-move-east-to-west/ |
What Happened To the Billions Germany Gave Israel? | Posted on by Zara Ali By Hafsa Kara Mustapha Source The Holiday season as December is now referred to, is a time for parties, family gatherings, gift sharing and all the lovely things associated with the end of year festivities. As the party season bids farewell and the cold weather intensifies it is also a time to reflect on those less fortunate. In this context, charities work particularly hard to raise funds for the category of people they chose to support. Across social media, which have become major advertising platforms, appeals for funds are now a regular fixture on users feeds. A recent request for donations that was of particular interest was one for money to help elderly Holocaust survivors in their twilight years. The touching images of frail-looking men and woman are undoubtedly moving and force all those who see them feel much empathy towards a group of vulnerable people who suffered major trauma. Yet as the details of requested donations emerged it became increasingly odd to see these adverts. Of all the vulnerable groups existing today Holocaust survivors are, thanks to reparations paid by Germany, aptly provided for. Claims Conference In 1951, just under six years after the end of the Second World War, an organisation was set up called the Claims Conference. It was tasked with obtaining reparations from Germany in order to compensate Jews for the persecution they suffered at the hands of the Nazi regime. It has to be noted however that Roma, gay, disabled as well as Communist activists who were equally interned in concentration camps, were not offered financial reparations. Never the less the Claims Conference, set up by a group of Jewish organisations, has been working tirelessly to seek a small measure of justice for Jewish victims as stated on its website. This small measure, obtained from Germany, has totalled over $70bn over the past seventy years. This eye-watering sum that amounts to the state budgets of several countries would have been used to assist Jewish victims following the collapse of Hitlers rule. Yet the regular appeals for further donations, from ordinary citizens, implies that Holocaust survivors are still in need of monetary assistance, despite ongoing negotiations with the governments of Germany and Austria to pay further damages to Jewish claimants. In July 2018 the German government agreed to release a further $88m towards care cost for the elderly. Yet by Christmas adverts appealing for support for the very few survivors left were circulating again. According to Claims Conference auditing is undertaken by KPMG however the body is regulated by the organisations that form it. In 2013, a Holocaust survivor called Dora Roth made headlines when she accused the Israeli government of siphoning money destined for victims such as herself. In April 2016 Haim Katz, Israels welfare minister, released a report revealing that more than 20,000 survivors in Israel had never received financial assistance owed to them. The money, however, was regularly delivered by Germany yet it appears it never reached those it was intended for. While Germany is only too happy to deliver the funds it is silent on who should be their recipients. According to one former German politician, now working in the financial sector, German politicians cannot stand up to Israel. They know Israel will shout anti-Semitism at the first opportunity and are too terrified with being labelled with that fateful word. Asked if German media and politicians are not concerned about where these vast sums of money are ending, he added that issues relevant to compensation and Israel are taboo in his country. Despite the economic downturn, we continue to be milked like cash cows, knowing full well its beyond reason to continue to demand such sums, yet there are no brave politicians or journalists willing to ask the questions. The Israeli minister who exposed the problem also went on to say that the problem is far worse than it appears as his report only took into account the surviving victims as of 2016 explaining that many more died throughout the years without ever seeing the money Israel claimed on their behalf. Israel for its part blames the delay in delivering the funds to issues relating to heavy bureaucracy but many find that argument laughable. Simon, an ex Israeli now living in Paris laughs at this excuse: it didnt take them 70 years to fleece the Germans but they Israeli authorities- need 70 years to distribute the money. Disillusioned with Israel and its founding ideology Zionism, Simon is scathing towards his former country: To get a permit to destroy a Palestinian home, they took 7 minutes, adding that his rejection of the country was a result of the abuse he received from other Israelis because he was a Holocaust survivor. We were viewed with absolute contempt by our fellow countrymen (he insists on the brackets). They would tell us we were weak and went to the camps like sheep to the slaughter. They would even make sheep noises when I used to walk in the streets when neighbours found out I was a survivor. Confirming how unimportant Holocaust survivors are in Israeli society, and how oblivious the public is to their plight, Roths outburst had little consequences. From a European or American perspective, the fact survivors who have obtained so many reparations unlike any other group in history- should be left to die in poverty should be major news and yet the money continues to be delivered while the victims continue to die destitute. Ironically it is their legacy that is used as a justification for the existence of the nation that continues to neglect and despise them. Despite all the evidence of legitimate questions being raised, no one is raising them. Some claim Israel uses it as part of its nationwide budget others still say it is going to fund the military. It is ironic that money made available to victims of war should now be invested in furthering wars by a country itself often accused of Nazi-like policies and routinely committing war crimes. The spectre of being labelled an anti-Semite is, of course, a genuine concern no politician or journalist can ignore. The mere fact of holding to account Israel over the possibility some are extorting funds would be spun as the age-old accusations Jews love money. Anti-semitic tropes as these bizarre semantic twists are called are casually thrown about wherever Israel or a Zionist person or organisation face questions. If questions arise about misinformation from an Israeli source then claims of Jews run the media will soon surface and bring the subject to a close. Should claims of embezzlement surround an Israeli or Zionist body then its accusations of Jews love money. Even high-profile cases of child abuse involving notable Zionist figures are inevitably spun as Jews are using the blood of goyim children. For every Israeli/Zionist crime, there is its accompanying anti-Semitism protection policy. This time, however, victims of Israeli dishonesty are Jewish. No one is the simple answer. According to varying reports, most if not all Holocaust victims will have died by 2025. Israel is therefore just buying time. Meanwhile, now that Germany can no longer be legally fleeced, Arab money is the next target for Israels appetite for easy guilt money, as Simon puts it. Israel- who expelled Palestinians from their ancestral homeland in 1948 yet refuses to compensate them- is going after Arab states in the hope of obtaining some $250bn in reparations. Though the overwhelming majority of Arab Jews left their Arab nations voluntarily and were never subjected to any treatment remotely equivalent to concentration camps, Israel, knowing it can manipulate international institutions, is launching its latest money-making scheme. Gamblers are betting on Italy. After all the Roman Empire has a lot to answer for. Advertisements Share this: Share Facebook Twitter Email Like this: Like Loading... Related Filed under: Holocaust, Israel | Tagged: Holocaust | | https://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2019/01/08/what-happened-to-the-billions-germany-gave-israel/ |
Does PTSD affect heart disease and cancer risk? | Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was associated with cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as the metabolic syndrome, in a new study. In the Journal of Neuroscience Research study of 84 individuals diagnosed with PTSD (39 victims of terrorist attacks and 45 victims of other traumatic events), males were more likely to have circulatory and metabolic complications, whereas females had a higher prevalence of benign and malignant cancers. A longer duration of PTSD was associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, while PTSD following terrorist attacks was associated with a higher cancer prevalence. "An explanation of why victims of terrorism may have a higher cancer prevalence than victims of other traumatic events, such as accidents, may be the intentional infliction of harm on the victim causing a more dysregulated stress response. A challenge for the future is monitoring the physical health of victims over time and understanding psychological and neurobiological processes producing this effect," said co-author Dr. Andrea Pozza, of the Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital, in Italy. "Longer untreated PTSD was associated with higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease regardless of the event type: this suggests the importance of early intervention for PTSD and also education programs for the general population to make people aware about PTSD early warning signs and how to recognize them." ### | https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/w-dpa010719.php |
How much snow is enough? | GALION If you are longing for snow in north central Ohio, you may get your wish this weekend. Snow is forecast Saturday for the Galion area and north central Ohio. Forecasters are calling for 1-2 inches of accumulating snow. This is Ohio. We might get a foot, or it there may be more rain to add to the muck and goo on the ground now. In Galion, weather conditions have been mostly benign since winter officially arrived. In another week or so, social media will be filled with pictures of the Blizzard of 1978, which for some reason, I cant remember. If I get enough responses, Ill include them in a story for Saturdays Galion Inquirer. In the meantime, temperatures will continue to fall this evening as a cold front blows through the area. Wind gusts of 40 mph or higher are possible. The temperature should bottom up about 25 or so by Wednesday morning. Cooler temperatures will remain through the week, according to the National Weather Service. | https://www.galioninquirer.com/news/36977/how-much-snow-is-enough |
Is Honesty the Best Policy in Sierra Leones Politics? | It was in 1996; the country was returning to a fragile state of stability, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) had been kicked out of power through the concerted effort of the West African Economic Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). The late President Tejan Kabbahs democratically elected government was restored to power. The nine -month exiled leader came home with a battered and bruised ego. The judiciary was in limbo, the economy was in tatters and the legislature was non-existent. Tejan Kabbah had numerous problems to handle after he returned to the country. To be seen as a national hero, the late President Kabbah (of blessed memory) proposed the idea of disbursing allowance and other remunerations to the late Joseph Saidu Momoh (of blessed memory). According to president Kabbah, being a former leader deserves integrity and respect through state disbursements. There was a hue and cry from the state, including students from the University of Sierra Leone. Students from the University (including me) gathered at the Parade Grounds to protest against the gesture. From our own point, it was unconstitutional and it would send a bad message to some leaders who may use other means to gain power. President Kabbah was magnanimous towards ex-president Momoh and his intention was from an honest perspective. The proposal was turned down as the national cry against the move was overwhelming. Yes. President J.S Momoh was a soldier who ascended the presidency as a result of a handpicked succession by the late Siaka Stevens. His reign marked the introduction of the 1991 multi-party constitution on which the country currently thrives. As a human being, he erred and some of his policies were not working for the people. There was inflation and other social vices. Notwithstanding these failures, he famously addressed the nation and he admitted failing the nation. His religious belief and moral compass dictated honesty, by admitting a vice that is absent in most politicians. The rest is history. May their souls rest in peace and not in pieces. Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, Those who desire to treat politics and morals separately will never understand anything of either. The practice of politics not only can but must be reconciled with the imperatives of honesty. Some of our Sierra Leonean politicians are dishonest to themselves, as some even present fake degrees and pretend to have genuine certificates to enter our parliament. This question goes to the heart of our democracy. When voters write off politicians as dishonest, anti democratic movements thrive. Yet all politicians know that ambiguity and compromise tend to prevail over universal truths. Sometimes, one must choose the lesser evil. It is understandably true that our ordinary standards of decency and righteousness cannot always be applied- but not because cynicism and hypocrisy are all that matter in politics. The leaders must be in the position to utter the truth so posterity will judge them in future. Consider the Whatsapp revolution that gripped the internet when the former vice president, Alhaji Sam Sumana paid a visit to the former president, Ernest Koroma in Makeni. To the die-hard APCers, it marked the beginning of the revolution to State House in 2023. The APC forums were jam-packed with congratulatory messages and compliments. For a die-hard APC stalwart at King Jimmy in Philadelphia, Kebbie Turay, he said, it is the New Years message from the party. This camaraderie gesture between the president and his erstwhile vice president will be a soothing music to the ears of millions of the party faithful. Some may say the party has started implementing some of the recommendations of the offshoot National Reformation Movement of the APC. If Ernest was once called a Messi and not Messy, then this free kick goal was well deserved. A leader who brings the lot together after an election is worth to be remembered. Political dishonesty takes different forms in Sierra Leone. A leader who promises a bridge where there is no river is a mark of dishonesty. Political gamblers put competence to bad use. They are skilled but ruthless, lack humility and eschew reflection. The supporters in the country can also be dishonest; as some are blinded by the conviction that they are absolutely right in all cases. Most supporters of the major parties are fanatics, who are inflexible and inertial, and can be ready to flatten everything in their way. At the other end is a nave, utopian, and moralistic stance that is equally dishonest. Their acolytes deplore the grit and relativism of politics and issue futile appeals for moral revivals. Paradoxically, if all people were honest, politics would become redundant. This does not mean that we cannot identify honest politicians when we see them. There are hundreds of moral politicians who reject cynical pragmatism but do not succumb to nave moralizing. An honest politician is someone who regards politics as a tool for achieving the common good. He is not nave, and knows patience, compromise, and a policy of small steps that are often needed. Yet in pursuing partial goals he/she will not lose sight of higher objectives. Sierra Leone may not have many honest politicians but let there be few honest ones who will pursue pragmatism, built on principles, and have the courage to say unpleasant things; but always with a constructive attitude. Indeed, irresponsible criticism; the eagerness to expose and publicize a problem, unmatched by the willingness to propose feasible solutions are perhaps the most common form of dishonesty in politics. This is why actual governance is so often the best test of political honesty. Rousseau further stated that, if politicians who are critical of others while in opposition prove to be ineffective when in government, voters can- and often do punish their dishonesty at the ballot box. As Sierra Leone enters into a crucial stage, an honest politician is someone who defends an idea that is unpopular but right for the people. Not many people pass such tests, particularly when elections are always around the corner. However, only the dishonest politician equates politics exclusively with popularity. Sierra Leone will face tough times in the coming weeks; the commission of inquiry is about to kick off, the homecoming of Sam Sumana and the stuttering economy are all challenges facing the country. A moral politician never succeeds single-handedly in ensuring the common good. Only when politicians support one anothers decency can they be confident that in critical moments for the state, they can rise above their political divisions. Sierra Leone has risen above party politics to, defeat the RUF, the Ebola scourge and other calamities and I am pretty sure that the few beautiful ones will rise and defend the motherland. May God bless Sierra Leone and her children. | http://www.critiqueecho.com/is-honesty-the-best-policy-in-sierra-leones-politics/ |
Is it Bettors Delight on top or not? | Art Major is number one in New Zealand on average earnings per live foal born Statistics for harness racing do not always tell the real story as can be seen below by the huge gap on average earnings per foal born between two top stallions Bettor's Delight and Art Major in the New Zealand 2018/2019 breeding season. In New Zealand statistics clearly show that Bettor's Delight has a huge lead on money won for the past season for four-year-olds, $1,959,765 as against Art Major who had earnings of just $820,492 for the season. When broken down to numbers of foals born for each stallion the numbers show an entirely different result and one that shows who the leading performer was for each of these great stallions. When all said and done it is what the breeder is likely to get for each of his foals produced that count at the end of the day and those figures show a real distinction between these two stallions and others for that matter in New Zealand. Here is a list of the top seven stallions in New Zealand last season for average earnings per foal born based at the end of their four-year-old year record. 1st, Art Major - 70 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $11,721) (Service Fee at time of breeding was $9,500) 2nd, Rock N Roll Heaven - 21 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $11,182) (Service Fee at time of breeding was $11,000) 3rd, Bettor's Delight - 235 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $8,339) (Service Fee at time of breeding was $12,500) 4th, Somebeachsomewhere - 55 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $7,770) (Service Fee at time of breeding was $12,500) 5th, Mach Three - 97 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $4,646) (Service Fee at time of breeding was $11,000) 6th, Christian Cullen - 61 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $4,256) (Service Fee at time of breeding was $12,000) 7th, American Ideal - 137 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $3,742) (Service Fee at time of breeding was $7,000) Well, one thing these statistics have shown is that the New Zealand breeder has by far the least amount of money available to race for and how New Zealand breeders can ever afford the service fees on the stallions in today's market is beyond belief! There is just no money for a New Zealand breeder to race for! That is the reason that New Zealanders are ready sellers of horses, as that is the only way of them getting a return on the breeding costs they face annually. As can be seen above Art Major comes out on top in this earnings per foal born catagory and here are his top three outstanding performers and the feature races they won as four-year-olds; Vincent 1:50.2 ( $ 598,803) Star Galleria 1:53.9 ( $ 307,045) Eamon Maguire 1:51.9 ( $ 308,019) Also listed below are the same statistics for the same sires as above in both Australia and North America. At this years inaugural National Standardbred Yearling Sale at Karaka, Auckland on the 18th of February 2019, there are seven Art Major yearlings for sale entered by Breckon Farms that you should take notice off; Lot 42 - Magic Major (colt) This colt is a half-brother to three winners including Group 1 winner BURNAHOLEINMYPOCKET (p.2, 1.57, p.3, 1.52.1m, 21 wins, $251,813), (OUR) POSITANO (1.52.2, 12 wins, $99,473) and FLESHING (p.3, 1.57.9, 10 wins, $65,950) and is from a Christian Cullen mare. (p.2, 1.57, p.3, 1.52.1m, 21 wins, $251,813), (1.52.2, 12 wins, $99,473) and (p.3, 1.57.9, 10 wins, $65,950) and is from a Christian Cullen mare. 2nd dam is the Group 3 winning and 4YO Pacing Mare of the Year FLASH ATOM (1.55h, 28 wins, $294,853) who is the dam of 2 winners, DONAVAN MAGUIRE (1.59.3h, 8 wins, $37,110) and Barney Maguire (2.00.7, 12 wins, $42,193) and a half-sister to WALTER (p.2, 1.59.8f, 9 wins, $33,002). (1.55h, 28 wins, $294,853) who is the dam of 2 winners, (1.59.3h, 8 wins, $37,110) and Barney Maguire (2.00.7, 12 wins, $42,193) and a half-sister to (p.2, 1.59.8f, 9 wins, $33,002). Family of Group 2 winner and 3YO Trotter of the Year BELLAM (T.2, 2.5.6; 14 wins, $111,410), Group 2 winner ANVILANUNOIT (1.49.8m, 40 wins, $442,613), HOPPYS FLING (1.54.4f, 59 wins, $169,449), ARMBRO COUNT(1.58.4f, 64 wins, $153,252) and 2-time Group 1 winner BRABHAM (1.56.8, 20 wins, 28 places $725,924) Lot 69 - The Major (colt) From the race-winning Christian Cullen mare PERFECT SENSATION (p.3, 2.00.5, 3 wins, $18,881) who is a full or half-sister to 8 winners from the prolific producing Vance Hanover mare RADIANT GUEST, the dam of VILLAGE HERO (p.3, 1.50.6m, 17 wins, $329,741), HES MY HERO (1.54.3h, 16 wins, $222,295), EXPLOSIVE ART (p.3, 1.59.1, 1.58.2h, 7 wins, $67,408), FAKE ROSE (1.57.8, 6 wins, $42,363), SECRET GUEST (1.58.3, 4 wins, $31,392), MANHATTAN MONTANA (p.3, 1.57.6f, 1 win, $6,625), etc. (p.3, 1.50.6m, 17 wins, $329,741), (1.54.3h, 16 wins, $222,295), (p.3, 1.59.1, 1.58.2h, 7 wins, $67,408), (1.57.8, 6 wins, $42,363), (1.58.3, 4 wins, $31,392), (p.3, 1.57.6f, 1 win, $6,625), etc. This colt is a half-brother to the winner Bettor Sensation (p.3, 2.04,2200m stand, 3 wins, $24,095). Closely related to OVERLAP (1.53.8m, 23 wins, $217,615), (MY) MUSTANG (1.55.5f, 11 wins, $45,786), MISS COSTALOT (p.2, 1.58.9m, 5 wins, $26,887), 7-time Group 1 winner HILARIOUS GUEST (1.57.3, 21 wins, $283,230), GOODTIME GUEST (1.58, 8 wins, $42,300), HILARIOUS LEIGH (1.58.3, 3 wins, $16,750), etc. Lot 85 - Imelda May (filly) The third foal from the Bettors Delight Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed filly ROZELSKI (p.3, 1.57.5, 6 wins, $179,718), with the first foal, a full-sister, racing as a 2YO. The second foal, now a 2YO is also a full-sister and has been retained to race by a Breckon Farms Syndicate and is showing promise, being set to trial in January. (p.3, 1.57.5, 6 wins, $179,718), with the first foal, a full-sister, racing as a 2YO. The second foal, now a 2YO is also a full-sister and has been retained to race by a Breckon Farms Syndicate and is showing promise, being set to trial in January. 2nd dam is HIGHVIEW HAZEL (1.57.5, 2 wins, $15,705) who is the dam of 3 winners and a full-sister to HIGHVIEW FELLA (1.51.8, 34 wins, $365,701) and a half-sister to HIGHVIEW MYSTERY (1.59.7, 2 wins, $12,525). (1.57.5, 2 wins, $15,705) who is the dam of 3 winners and a full-sister to (1.51.8, 34 wins, $365,701) and a half-sister to (1.59.7, 2 wins, $12,525). Family of TRIKALA (1.51.7m, 23 wins, $172,030), MICHAEL THOMAS (T, 1.59.9m, 12 wins, $105,360), FOUR JESTERS (1.58, 3 wins, $23,620), Group 2 winner and 2-time Group 1 placed HIGHVIEW ANA (1.56.7h, 17 wins, $153,062), HIGHVIEW SIGN (1.57.9, 13 wins, $47,764), etc Lot 91 - Passion And Power (filly) This is the first foal from the black type race winning Bettors Delight mare SEMS DELIGHT (1.57, 2 wins, $46,076) who is a half-sister to 6 winners incl Group 1 winner and Breeders Crown 2YO Fillies Final winner GLENFERRIE SHUFFLE (p.2, 1.57.3m, 13 wins, $279,839), Listed race winner and Group 2 & 3 placed JIVIN CULLEN (1.54m, 14 wins, $190,713), NZ Record setter JOSHUA MAC (p.3, 1.59.4, 10 wins, $96,712) and HOTINTHECITYTONITE (1.58.8, 2 wins, $15,658). (1.57, 2 wins, $46,076) who is a half-sister to 6 winners incl Group 1 winner and Breeders Crown 2YO Fillies Final winner (p.2, 1.57.3m, 13 wins, $279,839), Listed race winner and Group 2 & 3 placed (1.54m, 14 wins, $190,713), NZ Record setter (p.3, 1.59.4, 10 wins, $96,712) and (1.58.8, 2 wins, $15,658). 2nd dam is the Group 2 winner and 2-time Group 1 placed (OUR) HOT SHOE SHUFFLE (p.2, 1.58, 14 wins, $295,011) who is a full-sister to IWASBORNTOBOOGY (1.50.4m, 31 wins $282,306). (p.2, 1.58, 14 wins, $295,011) who is a full-sister to (1.50.4m, 31 wins $282,306). Family of Group 1 placed DELIGHTFUL JAZZ (p.2, 1.59.2, 1 2YO win, $45,090), MAJOR HIPPIE (p.3, 1.57.5, 2 wins, $14,240), DRUMS OF TIME (1.58.6, 3 wins, $13,895), LORD BERNDON (1.58.6, 7 wins, $35,113), LEFTAMILLION (p.3, 1.58.1, 31 wins, $181,327), VANYANA (p.3, 1.57.7, 14 wins, $107,250), ARTYANA (p.3, 1.59, 3 wins, $6,704), GARFUNKEL (1.59.4, 3 wins, $7,915), TUONO (1.57.1, 5 wins, $16,166), CHAMPAGNE BLUES(1.57.8, 8 wins, $27,280), BIANCA TANG (p.3, 1.57.4, 1.56.2f, 14 wins, $52,588), etc. Lot 101 - Starlito (colt) This colt is a full-brother to 2-time Group 2 & 2-time Group 3 winner, Group 1 placed and NZ Record holder STAR GALLERIA (p.3, 1.56.3, 1.53.9, 12 wins, $264,545) and STAR OF VAN GOGH (p.2, 1.56.7, 1 win at 2, $22,050) and a half-brother to NIGHT OF THE STARS (p.2, 1.58.6, p.3, 1.55.5m, 9 wins, $114,983) and NZ Record setter STAR OF VENUS (TT 1.53, 2 wins, $20,098). (p.3, 1.56.3, 1.53.9, 12 wins, $264,545) and (p.2, 1.56.7, 1 win at 2, $22,050) and a half-brother to (p.2, 1.58.6, p.3, 1.55.5m, 9 wins, $114,983) and NZ Record setter (TT 1.53, 2 wins, $20,098). From the unraced Tuapeka Knight mare STARLITNIGHT who is the dam of 5 foals to race for 5 winners and is a half-sister to 5-time Group 1 winner STARS AND STRIPES (p.3, 1.57.8, 1.51.2f, 40 wins, $796,519) and the Group 1 & 2-time Group 2 winner and 2YO Pacer of the Year LIGHT AND SOUND (p.2, 1.55.8, 1.50.4m, 38 wins, $559,550). (p.3, 1.57.8, 1.51.2f, 40 wins, $796,519) and the Group 1 & 2-time Group 2 winner and 2YO Pacer of the Year (p.2, 1.55.8, 1.50.4m, 38 wins, $559,550). Closely related to STAR OF DIONYSIS (1.53.6m, 12 wins, $118,449), VEGA STAR (p.3, 1.56.5f, 1.52.2m, 15 wins, $87,508), STAR OF MEMPHIS (p.3, 1.55.8, 1.52.9m, 12 wins, $79,840), CAVIAR STAR (p.3, 1.57.3h, 5 wins, $30,553), Group 1 & Listed winner and NZ Record holder SPIRIT OF ZEUS (p.3, 1.57.8, 11 wins, $243,472), etc. Lot 117 - Sargent Best (colt) This colt is a full-brother to dual NZ Sires Stakes 2YO Heat winner VASARI (p.2, 1.55.4, 11 wins, $111,949) and NZ Sires Stakes 2YOF Heat winner FANTASIZE (p.2, 1.58.9, 1 win, $22,144) and a half-brother to NOLESSTHANPERFECT (p.3, 1.57.1f, 1 win, $11,577). (p.2, 1.55.4, 11 wins, $111,949) and NZ Sires Stakes 2YOF Heat winner (p.2, 1.58.9, 1 win, $22,144) and a half-brother to (p.3, 1.57.1f, 1 win, $11,577). 2nd dam is the black type Sokys Atom mare CICCIO STAR (p.3, 1.58.4, 5 wins, $102,499) who has produced 9 to race that have all won incl Group 1 placed MAJOR STAR (1.52.3m, 16 wins, $212,228), DANA DUKE (1.55.8h, 11 wins, $129,115), ZENTHURA (1.56.5, 16 wins, $117,705), Group 2 winner IDANCEDALLNIGHT (p.2, 1.59.3, 6 wins, $103,656) and CONQUISTARE (1.55.9, 13 wins, $73,755). (p.3, 1.58.4, 5 wins, $102,499) who has produced 9 to race that have all won incl Group 1 placed (1.52.3m, 16 wins, $212,228), (1.55.8h, 11 wins, $129,115), (1.56.5, 16 wins, $117,705), Group 2 winner (p.2, 1.59.3, 6 wins, $103,656) and (1.55.9, 13 wins, $73,755). Family of WALTZING WITH CULLEN (p.3, 1.54.5m, 1.51.7, 21 wins, $235,031), NUREYEV (1.55.3, 13 wins, $108,653), Group 1 placed NKETIA (1.52.4, 41 wins, $394,035), Group 1 winner FAKE SPIRIT (p.2, 1.59.8, 5 wins, $193,665), Group 1 & 3-time Group 3 winner CHILLI PALMER (1.51.5, 14 wins, $290,983) and JINNIS FANTASY(1.51.8, 59 wins, $443,273). Lot 142 - Town Echo (filly) The first foal from the race winning Bettors Delight mare CORDELIA (p.3, 2.01.5, 2 wins, $11,592) who is a half-sister to 6 winners incl BLACK MAIRE (p.3, 1.59.8, 4 wins, $39,981), (OUR) BAGGER VANCE (1.59, 8 wins, $54,820), 2-time Group 2 placed and Wellington Cup winner AGIOS NIKOLAOS (1.52.2m, 8 NZ wins, $192,179), VINGT COEUR (1.59.6f, 17 wins, $82,196) and ZINGARA (p.3, 1.57.6, 5 wins, $57,573) who is the dam of ZINNY MACH (1.57.5, 2 wins, $18,110). (p.3, 1.59.8, 4 wins, $39,981), (1.59, 8 wins, $54,820), 2-time Group 2 placed and Wellington Cup winner (1.52.2m, 8 NZ wins, $192,179), (1.59.6f, 17 wins, $82,196) and (p.3, 1.57.6, 5 wins, $57,573) who is the dam of (1.57.5, 2 wins, $18,110). This filly is closely related to 3-time Group 1 & Group 2 winner, Harness Jewels 2YO Fillies Diamond winner and 3YO Pacing Filly of the Year who set a NZ Record LAURAELLA (p.2, 1.55.9, 10 wins, $649,946), 3-time Group 1 placed THE MUSKEG EXPRESS (p.2, 1.59.4, 2 wins, $111,331), THE PACMAN (1.54, 21 wins, $157,058), ESTILO (p.3, 1.58.6, 1.54.1, 13 wins, $84,611) and SMILING STUNNER (p.3, 1.59.4, 1.53.6, 4 wins, $21,420). (p.2, 1.55.9, 10 wins, $649,946), 3-time Group 1 placed (p.2, 1.59.4, 2 wins, $111,331), (1.54, 21 wins, $157,058), (p.3, 1.58.6, 1.54.1, 13 wins, $84,611) and (p.3, 1.59.4, 1.53.6, 4 wins, $21,420). Family of 2-time Group 1 placed EXPRESS STRIDE (1.49m, 14 wins $262,831) and Listed Classic winner ARMAZEM (1.54.7m, 11 wins, $84,640), SAZZASOPHIE (p.3, 1.58.5, 3 wins, $22,513), CRYSTAL SPARKLES (p.3, 1.58.4, 1.56.9, 14 wins, $68,889), DELIGHT MY SOUL (1.55.8, 7 wins, $83,762), RAPTORS FLIGHT (p.3, 1.59.5, 1.58.1, 5 wins, $71,378), etc. A strong Jewels performing family descending directly from BLACK WATCH. Now lets take a look at what the statistics show in Australia for the top seven stallions for the same catagory of end of season earning four-year-olds . 1st, Mach Three - 77 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $35,644) 2nd, Somebeachsomewhere - 113 foals (average earnings for each foal born is $31,812) 3rd, Bettor's Delight - 82 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $29,624) 4th, Art Major - 157 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $22,902) 5th, Rock N Roll Heaven - 134 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $13,762) 6th, American Ideal - 21 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $12,174) 7th, Christian Cullen - 6 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $5,596) Now lets take a look at what the statistics show in North America for the top seven stallions for the same catagory of end of season earning four-year-olds . 1st, Somebeachsomewhere - 131 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $137,764) 2nd, American Ideal - 112 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $82,192) 3rd, Bettor's Delight - 134 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $80,616) 4th, Mach Three - 107 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $59,975) 5th, Rock N Roll Heaven - 116 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $50,339) 6th, Art Major - 108 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $50,119) 7th, Christian Cullen - NA - (average earnings for each foal born is NA) Just for interest sake lets combine the three Countries to see what the statistics show. 1st, Somebeachsomewhere - 299 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $73,810) 2nd, Bettor's Delight - 451 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $57,636) 3rd, American Ideal - 270 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $36,940) 4th, Mach Three - 281 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $34,208) 5th, Art Major - 335 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $30,536) 6th, Rock N Roll Heaven - 271 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is $29,218) 7th, Christian Cullen - 67 foals - (average earnings for each foal born is NA) The statistics show that in New Zealand Art Major stands out as number one, in Australia it is the now deceased Mach Three that stood out and in North America Somebeachsomewhere is number one. There is no doubt that breeding a horse in Australia or North America is a huge advantage over the New Zealand breeder as the statictics show they get a far better chance of making a dollar per foal born. Overall you can say that clearly Bettor's Delight still stands out as the most dominant stallion and is always in the top three statistically throughout the world of harness racing today. Harnesslink Media | http://www.harnesslink.com/News/Is-it-Bettors-Delight-or-Art-Major-on-top |
Was bedeutet denn eigentlich Medienkompetenz? | Alle Schuldirektoren mssen sie integrieren, jeder Politiker will sie frdern, und alle Eltern haben das Schlagwort mindestens schon mal auf einer Powerpoint-Folie whrend eines Elternabends gesehen: Medienkompetenz. Vielleicht ist einfacher zu sagen, was Medienkompetenz nicht ist. Die Fhigkeit, programmieren zu knnen, ist nicht Medienkompetenz. Programmieren hat viel mehr mit Mathematik, Logik und exaktem Denken zu tun. Auch die Fhigkeit, eine Excel-Tabelle zu erstellen oder ein Tablet zu bedienen, hat nichts mit Medienkompetenz zu tun. Hier handelt es sich um eine Anwenderkompetenz. Medienkompetenz ist die Fhigkeit, Hintergrnde zu verstehen, zwischen den Zeilen lesen zu knnen, vernetzt denken zu knnen und vor allem kritisch unserem eigenen Medienkonsum gegenberzustehen. Warum Sie auf die Warum-Frage setzen sollten Am besten gelingt dies, wenn wir whrend des Surfens, Spielens oder Chattens einmal innehalten und uns von aussen beobachten. Die Warum-Frage ist dabei die Mutter aller Fragen und kann auch spielerisch mit Kindern eingesetzt werden. Statt mit erhobenem Zeigefinger um elf Uhr abends das Kinderzimmer zu strmen, empfehle ich Ihnen ganz einfach, die Warum-Frage zu repetieren, bis beide Gesprchspartner schlauer sind. Dies als einfacher Lifehack fr uns Eltern und als Ausgleich zu meinem Verhandlungs-Lifehack fr Fortnite spielende Kinder. Weil es Spass macht. Weil ich sehe, was meine Kolleginnen und Kollegen so machen. Damit ich nichts verpasse. Damit ich sehe, wie viele Likes ich fr meine Posts erhalten habe. Weil ich so viele Likes wie mglich will. Weil ich mich gut fhle. Weil wir alle gerne gelikt werden und bei jedem erhaltenen Like das Glckshormon Dopamin aktiviert wird. Um mir das Abschalten so schwer wie mglich zu machen. Weil die Werbeeinnahmen direkt abhngig sind von der Zeit, die ich auf Instagram verbringe. Jeder Like, den ich mache oder erhalte, erlaubt es Instagram, mein Profil zu schrfen und mich teurer an die Werbetreibenden zu verkaufen. Die Anzahl Warum-Fragen spielt dabei keine Rolle. Wichtig ist, dass ein konstruktives und interessantes Gesprch entsteht. Die sich wiederholenden Fragen sind nicht nur ein spielerisches Element, das den Kindern Spass macht, sondern zugleich eine sehr effiziente Methode, sich gegenseitig Medienkompetenz anzueignen und Ursachenforschung zu betreiben. Was den schreibenden Vater bei dieser Methode zustzlich reizt: Der interessante Austausch vermeidet meistens auch die knifflige Du machst ja genau das Gleiche mit deinem Handy-Bemerkung. Wie recht meine Kinder haben und wie schwierig es ist, unserer Vorbildrolle gerecht zu werden! Weil die Plattformen so verdammt clever konzipiert sind und weil ich genau wie meine Kids auch wissen will, wie viele shares mein Linkedin-Kommentar generiert hat, fllt es mir genau gleich schwer, meine Augen vom Bildschirm zu nehmen. Weitere interessante Postings zum Thema: | https://blog.tagesanzeiger.ch/mamablog/index.php/80754/was-bedeutet-denn-eigentlich-medienkompetenz/ |
What's Next For Gold? | Early trading on January 4, 2019, saw Gold reach just above $1300 per ounce confirming our price target from our research and posts on November 24, 2018. The importance of this move cannot be under-estimated. Traders and investors need to understand the recent rally in the metals markets are attempting to alert us that FEAR is starting to re-enter the market and that 2019 could start the year off with some extended volatility. Our research has shown that Gold will likely rotate between $1270~1315 over the next 30~60 days before attempting to begin another rally. Our next upside price target is near $1500. We will continue to post articles to help everyone understand when and how this move will happen. We expect Gold to rotate near the $1300 level for at least another 30 days before attempting another price rally. Pay attention to the Support Zone on this Daily Gold chart and understand that price rotation is very healthy for the metals markets at this point. A reprieve in this recent Gold rally would allow the start of 2019 to prompt a moderate rally in the US stock market as well as allow a continued capital shift to take place. As capital re-enters the global equities markets, investors will be seeking the best investment opportunities and safest environments for their capital. Our belief is that the US stock market will become the top-tier solution for many of these investments. This Weekly Gold chart shows our Adaptive Fibonacci price modeling system and why price rotation is important at this time. The highlighted GREEN Fibonacci price target levels on the right side of this chart are projecting upside price objectives for the move that started near mid-November. We can see that $1325 (or so) is the highest target level and that $1273 to $1288 are the lower levels. This suggests that we have already reached the upper resistance range and a mild price rotation would allow for the price to establish a new fractal low rotation that would establish NEW upside Fibonacci price targets. In other words, we much have some price rotation to support the next leg higher in the Metals markets You dont have to be smart to make money in the stock market, you just need to think differently. That means: we do not equate an up market with a good market and vi versa all markets present opportunities to make money! We believe you can always take what the market gives you, and make a CONSISTENT money. Learn more by visiting The Technical Traders! Chris Vermeulen Technical Traders Ltd. Disclosure: This article is the opinion of the contributor themselves. The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. This contributor is not receiving compensation for their opinion. | https://www.ino.com/blog/2019/01/whats-next-for-gold/ |
Why did a Fox News reporter shill for Chai Feldblum? | I discussed here how a last-minute push to confirm Chai Feldblum to another terms as EEOC commissioner failed. The failure cannot be blamed on Fox News David Spunt, a new hire at the news network. Spunts report on the controversy over Feldblum might as well have been written by the nominee herself. It begins by stating that Feldblum has bipartisan support and was even nominated by President Trump. This is misleading. Feldblum was part of a slate of nominees that had bipartisan support. President Trump nominated the members of the slate, but Feldblum, as the one Democratic nominee, was picked by Senator Schumer. Feldblum did not command Republican support in her own right. Indeed, Republicans blocked her when she was nominated previously, and its doubtful she would have been confirmed had not Harry Reid changed the rules to enable confirmation with a simple majority. Republicans backed the slate she was part of because it contained two Republicans and one Democrat, and because Majority Leader McConnell had agreed to it in a handshake deal. Spunt also says that Feldblum backed religious liberty in 2009. He supports this claim with a video of Feldblum saying she believes in religious freedom. The statement sounds good, but its just talk. Spunt doesnt support it with any instance in which Feldblum supported religious freedom in any meaningful way e.g., when it clashed with any conflicting interests or leftist agenda item. The fact is that Feldblums EEOC took positions that run roughshod over religious liberty. Spunt concludes by citing an email Feldblum sent him in which the nominee says her father, an Orthodox rabbi, would lament the fact that his daughters nomination is being blocked. Im sure he would, but thats not an argument for confirming her. Parents always want to see their offspring succeed, and one can come from a religious family and still have little respect for religious freedom. Fox News standards have dipped when it serves up an interested partys irrelevant talking point designed to pull at the heartstrings. An email by someone whose religious liberty has been curtailed by the Feldblum EEOC would have been more probative. Fortunately, Shannon Bream, excellent as usual, followed Spunts report by interviewing Tony Perkins, a vigorous opponent of Feldblums nomination. Perkins cancelled out Spunt. But Fox News shouldnt have to call on a conservative to cancel out the supposedly fair and balanced reporting of its own correspondent. | https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/01/why-did-a-fox-news-reporter-shill-for-chai-feldblum.php |
Which cattle breed recorded the highest average daily gain in 2018? | As the saying goes, you cant manage what you dont measure. Many farmers are reaping the benefits of weighing their cattle as it allows farmers to measure the performance of stock, while also identifying poor-performing animals. In addition, it allows farmers to: monitor average daily gain (ADG); measure feed consumption and cost; accurately administer treatments; and make better decisions when it comes to breeding. Data released to AgriLand from Herdwatch indicates the performance of just under 6,800 calves weighed from January 1 to November 28, 2018. It must be noted that the following data originated from the Herdwatch app; it is not taken from any other source. In 2018, there was a 1,363 head or 25% increase in the number of calves weighed when compared to 2017. A total of 6,797 calves across 371 farms (up from 218 farms in 2017) have had their weights recorded with the Herdwatch app between January 1 and November 28, 2018. During this period, 2018-born calves average daily gain (ADG) across all breeds equaled to 0.99kg/day. In 2017, the ADG across all breeds was 0.84kg/day. If broken down further, the data indicates that Simmental calves had the best ADG standing at 1.38kg/day. This indicates a restructure at the top of the Herdwatch leaderboard as Charolais-cross calves registered the highest ADG of 1.3kg/day for the same period in 2017. Advertisement However, both Charolais and Charolais-cross calves follow closely behind with an ADG of 1.37kg/day and 1.25kg/day respectively. These are then followed by Aubrac (1.24kg/day), Parthenaise (1.23kg/day) and Limousin (1.18kg/day). Aberdeen Angus calves came in at position eight with an ADG of 1.12kg/day and Aberdeen Angus-cross calves had an ADG of 0.76kg/day. In addition, Hereford and Hereford-cross calves scored an ADG of 1.09kg/day and 0.77kg/day. Unsurprisingly, the lowest performing breed is Jersey. These Jersey-cross calves recorded an ADG of just 0.54kg/day, while Friesian and Friesian-cross calves stood at 0.73kg/day and 0.66kg/day respectively. Furthermore, Herdwatch provides farmers with a tool which gives dairy, beef and tillage farmers a more efficient way of managing their farm, while also helping with paperwork. It also helps them to be compliant with animal welfare and traceability regulations at all times. It currently has over 8,000 members in Ireland, the UK and Northern Ireland. All weights recorded in Herdwatch are sent directly to ICBF. This will then feed into your animals urostar/EBI rating. | https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/which-cattle-breed-recorded-the-highest-average-daily-gain-in-2018/ |
Are genetically modified foods(GMOs) safe? | By Daniel Ighakpe RECENTLY, in the news media, there have been various reports about the introduction of certain Genetically Modified, GM, crops and seeds into the country. Examples of such include: the release of genetically modified cowpeas to farmers in the country; the release of two transgenic cotton hybrid varieties into the Nigerian Seed Market; the granting of permits by the Federal Government for confined field trials on genetically modified maize, rice, cassava, sorghum and cowpea to ascertain ability to resist insect attack; etc. It is not true that GMO tomato has pig gene Foundation boss All these despite growing opposition by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, against the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs, in the country. GMOs, according to the World Health Organisation, WHO, are organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called modern biotechnology or gene technology, sometimes also recombinant DNA technology or genetic engineering. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between non-related species. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods. GM foods are developed and marketed because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer of these foods. This is meant to translate into a product with a lower price, greater benefit (in terms of durability or nutritional value) or both. For example, suppose a farmer does not want his potatoes or apples to turn brown when they are cut or bruised. Researchers come to the rescue by removing the gene that is responsible for this browning and replacing it with an altered version that blocks browning. One of the objectives for developing plants based on GM organisms is to improve crop protection. The GM crops currently in the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides. According to an April 22, 2000 issue of Awake! Magazine: Biotechnology has moved at such a dizzying pace that neither the law nor regulating agencies can keep up with it. Research can scarcely begin to prevent unforeseen consequences from arising. A growing chorus of critics warn of unintended results, ranging from severe economic dislocation for the worlds farmers to environmental destruction and threats to human health. Researchers warn that there are no long-term, large-scale tests to prove the safety of genetically modified food. They point to a number ofpotential dangers: Allergic reaction. If a gene producing a protein that causes allergic responses ended up in corn, for instance, people who suffer from food allergies could be exposed to grave danger. Despite the fact that food-regulating agencies require companies to report whether altered food contains any problem proteins, some researchers fear that unknown allergens could slip through the system. Increased toxicity. Some experts believe that genetic modification may enhance natural plant toxins in unexpected ways. When a gene is switched on, besides having the desired effect, it may also set off the production of natural toxins. Resistance to antibiotics. As part of the genetic modification of plants, scientists use what are called marker genes to determine if the desired gene has been successfully embedded. As most marker genes provide resistance to antibiotics, critics fear that this could contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Other scientists, however, counter that such marker genes are genetically scrambled before use, thus alleviating this danger. Spread of superweeds. One of the biggest fears is that once modified crops are planted, genes will escape via seeds and pollen to weedy relatives, creating superweeds that are able to resist herbicides. Harm to other organisms. In May 1999, researchers from Cornell University reported that monarch butterfly caterpillars that ate leaves dusted with pollen from GM corn sickened and died. While some question the validity of this study, there is still some concern that other non-targeted species could be harmed. Demise of safe pesticides. Among the most successful GM crops are some that contain a gene that produces a protein toxic to insect pests. However, biologists warn that exposing pests to the toxin produced by this gene will help the pests develop resistance and thus render pesticides useless. Likewise, according to WHO, the three main issues of concern for human health that are being debated are: (i). The potentials to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity); (ii). Gene transfer (Gene transfer from GM foods to cells of the body or to bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, especially if the transferred genetic material adversely affects human health); and (iii). Outcrossing (the migration of genes from GM plants into conventional crops or related species in the wild (referred to as outcrossing), as well as the mixing of crops derived from conventional seeds with GM crops, may have an indirect effect on food safety and food security. Cases have been reported where GM crops approved for animal feed or industrial use were detected at low levels in the products intended for human consumption). That is a personal decision. Organic food has many enthusiasts, some no doubt motivated by distrust of new technologies used in the food industry. But not everyone agrees that organic farming offers safer food. Whatever your preferences in food, carefully examine what you buy. Whatever decisions you make regarding the foods you eat, you will probably need to be willing to bend at times, adapting to the realities of the land in which you live. For many people in this day and age, it is simply impossible too expensive, too time-consuming, too problematic to make sure that they eat only foods that are verifiably safe in every respect. Mr. .Ighakpe, a concerned Nigerian, wrote from Festac Town, Lagos. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/are-genetically-modified-foodsgmos-safe/ |
Why are workers in Bangladesh's garment industry worried about safety? | In April 2013, a garments factory collapse at the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh, left 1,134 people dead. The tragedy exposed the lack of safety of Bangladesh's garment industry, the country's biggest employer and leading export business, whose clientele includes huge European and US fashion brands. In its wake, over 180 retailers, importers, and local and global trade unions signed a five-year pact to ensure safer garment factories in Since its establishment, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in (known as the Accord) carried out inspections of 1,620 garment factories, assured public disclosure of safety reports and corrective action plans, and provided safety training for workers. Now, is seeking to push the group out of the country and hand over its monitoring activities to the state regulatory body, the Remediation Co-Ordination Cell (RCC), established in 2017. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told the press in June 2018: Now Bangladesh has achieved the efficiency to look after the security and work-friendliness of its RMG [ready-made garments] machinery. He added: No accidents have yet happened after the unexpected Rana Plaza incident. From now on the Remediation Co-Ordination Cell (RCC) will look after these things regularly. The RCC was established through the collaboration of government bodies and factory owners associations. It does not have representatives from any garment workers unions. Many such unions believe the RCC does not have enough capacity to undertake inspections and improvements of the entirety of Bangladesh's garment industry, which, according to one study, could amount to around 8,000 factories when considering small ventures and sub-contractors. Over the years, many factory owners have complained that The Accord has made too-costly demands for safety improvements. When they don't comply, they risk losing valuable European and US costumers. Although the Accord was set to expire in May 2018, its signatories agreed, in 2017, to extend it until to 2021 as only 174 out of 1,620 factories that it monitored have so far completed all recommended safety repairs. However, in April 2018, a high court in Bangladesh instructed the government not to renew the Accord's jurisdiction beyond May 31 after a local garment factory filed a petition against the group. The group appealed, and a decision by Bangladesh's Supreme Court ended up extending its tenure for six more months under a transitional agreement. The Supreme Court should make a final decision at a hearing scheduled for January 21. The Accord is one of three similar initiatives set up in Bangladesh following Rana Plaza. The smaller Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, comprised of 28 global retailers, terminated its five-year mandate on December 31, 2018 (they haven't sought to extend it). The Alliance has provided basic fire safety training to more than one million workers in on 655 garments factories. Four hundred factories have completed their recommended remediation works. A third enterprise, the state-run National Initiative, monitors 745 factories. They will all be handed over to the RCC starting in 2019. In an interview via email, Global Voices discussed the issue with labor activist Kalpona Akter, who is the founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity, a labor rights group. Akter began working at a garment factory when she was 12 years old. At 15, she became the president of her union. She has been arrested, faced threats, and received awards as a result of her union activism. Kalpona Akter (KA): The main problem has been structural. When the industry was growing rapidly, the country wasn't ready with all the infrastructures. So many of these factories had been established in former residential buildings, which later were expanded illegally without an approved structural plan (to support heavy machinery etc.). The electric wiring system in these factories was poor and lack of emergency exits or firefighting system were common. (KA): They found thousands of life-threatening hazards during their inspection in over 1600 factories which resulted in fixing over 90% of those hazards in subsequent times. They included workers participation in the inspections in order to get first-hand information on safety to know how workers are feeling about the working environment in the factory. They followed up with the workers sharing their follow-up reports and corrective action plan; giving a belief to the workers that their lives matter in the supply chain. At the top of that the overall transparency that the Accord created was huge; sitting anywhere in the globe anyone could see the factory inspection report, the suggested corrective action plan of all those factories in the Accord website, that was phenomenal. Before 2013, hundreds of garments workers gave their lives succumbing to factory fires or many other work-related injuries. After Accord started work in Bangladesh the death tally is zero! This is the main issue we are trying to address in the past years that, if there is an industry there will be industrial disasters but there is no point for the workers to die for lack of safety. The work of Accord showed us that, there can be a disaster or a freak accident but workers lives will be still safe if measures are in place! (KA): The government is NOT yet ready with resources and expertise to sustain the change that Accord has made. The government and the manufacturers are saying that RCC (Remediation Co-Ordination Cell) is ready to take over all the work that Accord is doing but this is not true. The RCC is not ready yet to take all the job & responsibilities that Accord in doing in order to make these factories safer. Accord really needs to complete its current extension (up to 2021) and if still needed it should go beyond as well. (KA): The government and the Manufacturer Associations are against to the Accord since the beginning of its work. One of the reasons can be that they have not been included in the mainstream of the Accord's decision-making process regarding factory inspections, so they are not in the steering board. There are also rumors that the Accord has been imposed on the manufacturers by powerful foreign nations or that the Accord is a colonialism program. (KA): Then the factories will reverse back to the Rana Plaza situation. The problems in the RMG industry in Bangladesh are not new. If the government and the manufacturers would really care about the workers first before their profit then they would not have experienced all those horrified fire accidents and building collapses. If workers lives would really matter, then we wouldn't witness all these workers die in the last three decades. The bottom line is, the Accord leaving the country prematurely would mean an unsafe industry once again. | https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/why-are-workers-in-bangladesh-s-garment-industry-worried-about-safety-119010900229_1.html |
Whos in The Fresno Bees high school basketball rankings? | Tri-River Athletic Conference boys and girls basketball is loaded this season. The league tips off its schedule this week, starting with the girls on Tuesday night. Five of the six teams in the TRAC are ranked in The Bees girls Top 10, led by defending Central Section Division I champion Clovis West. Tuesdays schedule sent No. 5 Buchanan to No. 4 Clovis, No. 1 Clovis West to No. 7 Central and No. 2 Clovis North to Clovis East. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. Clovis West rolled past Central 60-39, while Clovis routed Buchanan 58-34 and Clovis North won 64-39 over Clovis East. On the boys side, Clovis West is tapped as the top team in the section. The Golden Eagles (17-2) only lost to Modesto Christian and Vanden-Fairfield. Also ranked in the boys Top 10 from the TRAC are No. 4 Clovis East and No. 6 Clovis North. Under coach Adrian Wiggins, Clovis East has losses in each of the tournaments it played in, to Arbor View-Las Vegas, Folsom (No. 2 in The Sacramento Bees rankings) and Dublin (on the bubble in Cal-Hi Sports state Top 20). Defending section Division II champion San Joaquin Memorial is No. 3 after playing out-of-area for the majority of the season, competing against nationally ranked teams. Last week, the Panthers fell to No. 2 Bullard 71-64 without guards Jalen Green and Justin Huelskamp and center Braxton Meah. Boys basketball Top 10 1. Clovis West 17-2 2. Bullard 14-3 3. San Joaquin Memorial 8-9 4. Clovis East 13-3 5. St. Joseph 15-3 6. Clovis North 11-5 7. Arroyo Grande 13-4 8. Mt. Whitney 16-2 9. Bakersfield 9-6 10. Central Valley Christian 10-2 Girls basketball Top 10 1. Clovis West 17-2 2. Clovis North 14-3 3. San Joaquin Memorial 13-3 4. Clovis 18-2 5. Buchanan 15-4 6. Yosemite 16-4 7. Central 12-3 8. Bakersfield 13-2 9. San Luis Obispo 18-1 10. Arroyo Grande 11-6 | https://www.fresnobee.com/sports/article224085505.html |
Is Trump's Insistence On A Border Wall Turning Into A Liability? | Steve Inskeep talks to Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies about his belief that President Trump's demand for a border wall has compromised broader immigration strategy. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: One think tank that is broadly in accord with President Trump's immigration priorities is the Center for Immigration Studies. It advocates lower levels of legal immigration. Yet Mark Krikorian of that center has raised concerns about the president's narrow focus on a border wall which he will discuss in an address to the nation tonight. He's in our studios. Mr. Krikorian, welcome back. MARK KRIKORIAN: Thank you. KRIKORIAN: Well, the point to the wall was multifaceted. It was a shorthand that the president used during the campaign. INSKEEP: It's a symbol. KRIKORIAN: And, in fact - well, it's not just a symbol. I mean, we actually do need some more border barriers in various places. We have some. We need more. But it was a shorthand. It was a way to tell people - look; I'm not the usual lying politician. I'm actually serious about this. And it was effective as that. The problem is that now that, you know, the administration's been around for a couple of years, you have to follow through to some degree. And the Democrats have determined - accurately, I think - that the president's focus on the wall was a vulnerability, was an opportunity for the Democrats to deny him that in an attempt, basically, to show his impotence. INSKEEP: And now he is desperate. KRIKORIAN: Yeah. I've always kind of worried about that, that he was going to give the Democrats far more than really was warranted in exchange for the wall. Because more border barriers, like I said, they're important. But there are other things that are more important, things like plugging loopholes in our asylum laws, E-Verify and what have you. It's kind of interesting. The president, on the one hand, really is, I think, desperate to have a success here. But the other side is that the Democrats really do seem to be obsessed in denying him a win on this. INSKEEP: Mr. Krikorian, since you're a critic of high levels of legal immigration, I want to ask you about something that we're hearing elsewhere on the program today. Kamala Harris, the Democratic senator, possible presidential candidate, is on the program. And she spoke about one kind of anxiety in the country right now. She said, quote, "people are reading about the browning of America. Barack Obama was president. Oh, my God." That's a quote from Kamala Harris. KRIKORIAN: No, certainly not. I mean, the issue here is not the individual characteristics of immigrants, whether it's their color, their religion or whatever. It's the effect that immigration has on a modern society. And we don't have time to go into it here. But I wrote a whole book on this, that there's a conflict between high levels of immigration and the goals and characteristics of a modern society in a way that wasn't necessarily true, say, a hundred or 200 years ago. KRIKORIAN: It could potentially be. It depends how high they are. And it also depends on our own ability to successfully Americanize newcomers. We have a strong assimilationist tradition and strong assimilationist trends in our society. But it's weaker than it used to be for reasons that aren't really related to the immigrants themselves - are more related to changes in our own society. Because a lot of racists end up in the same position you're in. KRIKORIAN: Yeah. I mean, every side has people who are, you know, sort of objectionable. I mean, there are triumphalist, sort of anti-white triumphalists on the pro-immigration side. And then there are people who are pro-white racists on the low-immigration side. You just sort of have to deal with that and address the people of goodwill on both sides of this debate. INSKEEP: Mark Krikorian, thanks so much. Really appreciate it. KRIKORIAN: Thank you, Steve. INSKEEP: He's with the Center for Immigration Studies. Copyright 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. | https://www.npr.org/2019/01/08/683144178/is-trump-s-insistence-on-a-border-wall-turning-into-a-liability?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=morningedition |
What can we expect from the Bulls young backcourt of Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine? | Pretty good for now, though the Bulls are hoping for omnipotence. You know, "Oh my, guard!" Shooting guard LaVine is among the leading scorers in the NBA at 23.6 points per game and Dunn is averaging 13.9 points and 6.9 assists, but 15.3 points and 9.3 assists this month, trying to make his case as an elite two-way point guard. That's why this five-game road trip starting Wednesday in Portland may be a valuable gauge of the Bulls young backcourt. The Bulls know they have unusual and reliable players in seven-foot shooting forward Lauri Markkanan and rugged center Wendell Carter Jr. Perhaps the largest question for the team's future, especially in this theoretically higher scoring and faster paced era of play, is the quality of the Bulls' backcourt. With Kris Dunn's toughness and penetrating abilities and Zach LaVine's all-around offensive game, they hope to make a case to be considered among the best backcourts in the NBA. "We're going to the West and it's a total different pace, especially with the first game," LaVine noted after the Bulls loss to Brooklyn Sunday. "They've got the two-headed monster with C.J. (McCollum) and Dame (Lillard) and they're going to be attacking. They're going to be going at you. We've got to be prepared for that and, like I said, I think we've got to be a lot tougher and we have to start that from the tip-off." Toughness was a theme for the team coming out of the Brooklyn loss and in practice this week. The Bulls have emphasized a slower pace of play under coach Jim Boylen, in part, to enhance their defensive play and slow down the faster teams. It is sometimes what teams do in order to make up for a talent deficiency. Which the Bulls have had much of the season with a bizarre succession of injuries to the best players. But with the Bulls finally healthy for the first time this seasonBobby Portis returned Sunday and Denzel Valentine is out for the seasonit's probably time to test the Bulls talent resolve in the second half of the season. "(The injuries) were a difficult thing on (former coach) Fred (Hoiberg) and it's a difficult thing on the guys and it's a difficult thing on everybody," said Boylen. "We're in a season of development, we're in a season of discovery. But we also want to be in a season where we're healthy and we see our guys grow." Perhaps that starts now as the Bulls play Game 41 Wednesday, the halfway mark of the season. Much of the measure of that growth could come for LaVine and Dunn during this road trip. A few years back, the Bulls had a buy in on having the best backcourt in the NBA with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. That changed with Rose's injuries and eventually the trade of Butler. Both LaVine and Dunn were part of that trade, and they are crucial to the Bulls' future. LaVine has the potential to be a top shooting guard. He is a two-time All-Star slam dunk champion who appears to have regained his excellent athleticism after recovering from ACL surgery. He carried the team offensively early in the season with Dunn and Markkanen injured, ranking then in the top five in scoring. He's now 15th. He's been among the best to get to the free throw line until recently and improving his three-point shooting. Though Boylen lately said he has been encouraging LaVine to drive more. Dunn has been back about a month from his knee injury and is finally starting to establish himself as the team's point guard. He's been known primarily for his defense, though lately has taken a step back trying to fight through screens. He's been more adept defensively playing the lanes for steals. He's an uncertain three-point shooter, but has become an excellent mid range shooter and finisher at the basket on drives. With his toughness and penetrating abilities and LaVine's all around offensive game, they hope to make a case to be considered among the best backcourts in the NBA. They'll be able to start measuring and testing themselves over the next week. Portland Trailblazers, Wednesday: Damien Lillard and C.J. McCollum average combined about 47 points per game. They play a lot of isolation, but both are elite scorers with Lillard 10th in the league and among the most prolific three-three-point shooters in the NBA, averaging about eight attempts per game. "You've got to deal with those two guards, first of all," said Boylen. "We've got to take away their easy buckets. We kind of calculated just watching their film and studying their stats that they get 12 to 20 points a game on layups. So we've got to do our best to keep them in front of us, which is something we talk about all the time." - Golden State Warriors, Friday: Some bad memories. Last time the Bulls played the Warriors, they scored 92 first half points and Klay Thompson had a record 14 three pointers. The Warriors benched their regulars late and still scored 149 points. Though they are not in another record season likely due to championship fatigue, they remain the class and show of the NBA, especially their backcourt averaging about 50 points per game behind the indomitable Stephen Curry. Curry is second in the league in scoring to James Harden. If not the best backcourt ever, they probably are the best shooting backcourt ever. If you want to make your mark as a top backcourt, this is where you start. Utah Jazz, Saturday: Donovan Mitchell is no longer the next greatest thing after a fabulous rookie season. But he's still a dynamic shooting guard averaging 20 points. Point guard Ricky Rubio's statistics are similar to Dunn's, though Rubio is more of a playmaker. He had been a reluctant shooter who has an improved set shot. It's a high altitude city and difficult place to play with a raucous home crowd, especially for the Bulls on the second of a back to back. But it's a chance to win the backcourt matchup. - Los Angeles Lakers, Jan. 15: It's the weak backcourt spot with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Except, of course, if LeBron James returns from injury. That remains uncertain. James will play point guard (and just about every other position) if he plays. Ball and Hart tend to be erratic with Ball mostly looking to push the ball and the Lakers among the fastest and highest scoring teams. Neither is scoring in double figures. Again, and especially after two off days, it's a chance for LaVine and Dunn to excel. - Denver Nuggets, Jan. 17: They don't exactly have a point guard since Jamal Murray plays the position alongside Gary Harris and Murray would be a shooting guard on many teams. They average about 36 points combined among an excellent ensemble of scorers who have been the surprising leaders in the Western Conference. They often play through point center Nikola Jokic, who is in the top 10 in the league in assists. The Bulls have a healthy backcourt for the first time this season. It's time to begin seeing where and how they measure up among the best. | https://www.nba.com/bulls/kris-dunns-toughness-and-zach-lavines-all-around-offensive-game-what-can-we-expect-bulls-young |
Will UK isolate itself after Brexit? | According to my fieldwork in the UK in September, the British public is divided along two lines on the issue. The elites are worried. In their opinion, the UK will take many years to recover from the impact of Brexit which will make the country weaker and even autistic. Yet they have no consensus over the second referendum.The grassroots support Brexit. They believe that the Channel Tunnel immigrants are a burden on the UK, and the nation contributes more than it takes from the EU. While hating orders from Brussels, they insist on the UK having its fate in its hands, and believe that one more referendum will only see more Brexit supporters.Historically, unlike Japan, which has been secluded, the UK has always maintained close ties with the European continent. Not only do its religions and races come from the continent, but it is also economically close to Europe and politically part of the European royal family network. Queen Victoria was also broadly called the "European grandmother".In order to understand the relationship between the UK and the European continent, the Hundred Years' War is a useful beginning. The 116-year war ended in 1453 in the loss of Calais - the last stronghold of England on the continent. Since then, England turned its expansionary intent to the British Isles and the seas on the one hand, and conceived a new strategy toward the continent on the other.In 1534, Henry VIII broke up with the Roman Curia and "established" the Church of England (COE, Anglican Church). He did it mainly to remarry. Afterwards, religious differences were born between COE and Catholics much less than that between COE and Lutheranism-Calvinism for quite long. To strengthen the Anglican Church, Henry VIII promoted the development of business and industry by expropriating Catholic land and property, supporting industry, commerce and overseas expansion.In 1588, defeating the Spanish Armada in the Battle of Gravelines boosted the confidence of England's Royal Navy. Emboldened, it even launched an attack on the Spanish Armada. Meanwhile, England supported France and the Netherlandsmain Spanish rivals on the continent. At this stage, England laid out its continental strategy: balance of power with a primary doctrine of "aligning with the weak".One hundred years later, the rapidly growing bourgeoisie and new aristocracy successfully practiced the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and thus prevented the restoration of Catholic forces. Economic development combined with "laissez-faire" gave Britain the opportunity to lead the industrial revolution in the 1760s, which in turn led to a significant increase in its power, and enabled the British Navy to defeat a combined Spanish and Dutch fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.Through the efforts of the 19th century, especially the Victorian period (1837-1901), the UK entered a glorious age. Based on its colonies, the British Empire earned the name of an empire "on which the sun never sets. "The UK was never a true empire. After 1876, the full title of Queen Victoria was "Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India", not "Empress of Great Britain, Ireland and India". Then prime minister Benjamin Disraeli was definitely sure that the bill would be vetoed by Parliament if he proposed the latter, which was obviously not in line with the UK's constitution.During 1815-1914, a so-called European Centennial Peace period, the Splendid Isolation only existed between 1880 and 1903. Between the two World Wars, the UK got actively involved.After World War II, the UK insisted on maintaining the "Anglo-American special relationship" on the one hand, and in 1961 applied to join the European Community to avoid being marginalized on the continent on the other. The UK had not joined the European Community until 1973 due to two vetoes from France. The membership has benefited the UK in many ways, especially in the service sector where it has distinct advantages.Take the financial industry as an example. If the UK did not join the European Community, the EU would inevitably build its own financial center. London would not have grown to be one of the top three global financial centers.EU membership influenced the UK so deeply that Brexit will be like a surgery for "human separation". It will affect the UK much more than the EU.It is hard for the British government to hold another referendum without guaranteed success. May's cabinet has to carry on implementing Brexit.However, Brexit won't make the UK isolated and autistic because of three reasons. First, Brexit is a peaceful split, not a break-off of diplomatic relations. Second, grassroots may influence the outcome of the referendum, but decision-making and implementation of foreign policy depends on elites and major industry interest groups. Most of them oppose Brexit and will try hard to minimise its impact. And third, when the consequences of Brexit are apparent, the grassroots will eventually find out it has more disadvantages than advantages for them and turn to the EU for strengthening the relationship.In short, the UK will avoid becoming autistic by the force of historical connections, policymaking and enforcement, even if it leaves the EU.Xue Li is director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Cheng Zhangxi is a post-doc of the institute. [email protected] | http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1135113.shtml |
Will Sony Get Its Groove Back? | September 17, 2014 4 min read This story originally appeared on CNBC Investors must be banging their heads against a wall after Sony issued another profit warning on Wednesday this time related to struggles in its smartphone business. Sony expects an annual net loss of 230 billion yen ($2.15 billion) , nearly five times its forecast in July of 50 billion yen, after suffering a 180 billion yen impairment charge for its embattled smartphone division. This marks the sixth profit warning since CEO Kazuo Hirai took the helm in 2012, but little has changed as the Japanese electronics giant continues its struggle against Apple and Samsung in the premium end of the smartphone market. On a call with investors on Wednesday, Hirai expressed his "deep regret" at scrapping the dividend for the fiscal year and assured the market that he will create a company that "amazes and moves" customers. Apple, Samsung dominance But analysts said Sony is facing tough competition for its Xperia models in the rapidly maturing smartphone market against Apple and Samsung. "It is a market where you have two big strong players that are accounting for a big share of that market and it is tough for all of the others," Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner, told CNBC in a phone interview. "The premium segment for smartphones is slowing down because, in mature markets, users are keeping their devices longer and upgrade when they feel features are convincing enough to buy a unit." Read More: Sony CEO: Why we need to stay in smartphones Cozza added that intense competition from low-cost Chinese players such as Xiaomi is causing Sony to be "squeezed in the middle" as they cannot compete at the low end. The group has been aiming to restructure the company and announced it would cut 15 percent of its mobile unit staff this fiscal year. Earlier this year it offloaded its failing PC division and spun off its TV business into a separate company. Sony said in a statement on Wednesday that it would concentrate on its premium line-up and reduce the number of models in its mid-range offering. Sony, known for its successful PlayStation 4 games console and camera products, has a lot of assets to leverage and this could be the key to turning around the Japanese giant, according to analysts. "When you look at their capabilities they have many more assets than most other companies in the smartphone market," Ian Fogg, head of mobile analysis at IHS, told CNBC by phone. "Mobile games are the most accessible content. Sony has a great games brand with PlayStation but has been slow to leverage that in its smartphone business. It really needs to go for it." Wearables have been a key part of technology companies' strategy over the past year with Apple releasing its Watch and Sony coming to the party too with its SmartWatch 3 and SmartBand Talk. Hirai hinted at the company's intentions to develop further in this area. Read More: PlayStation 4 sales hit 10M in blow to Microsoft's Xbox "Sometime there will be a post-smartphone business, a new area of mobile communication business, and if that day comes we have to utilise our assetswe have to create the foundations of the smart business and evolution of that going forward," he said. With global revenue from smart wearbles expected to hit $53.2 billion by 2019, according to Juniper Research, analysts said Sony's ecosystem would help it make good products that could inject much-needed life into the company. "This will help them because they have a strong brand to go across all these technologies. It's a market they need to be in and Sony needs to add value to the brand through wearables and become stronger as an owner of an ecosystem," Cozza said. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237558 |
How Do We Live With Music Made by Problematic Artists? | Music is physical: We take it into our bodies, we allow it to vibrate our skulls. In this way, it is far more intimate than visual art; after all, we respond to sound in utero well before we respond to sight. We store memories of music in our limbic system, next to all of our most treasured and traumatic experiences. It moves within us. This is the realm of the subconscious, and listening to a recorded song is not unlike a lucid dream. In both states, your brain waves even out and you become pliant and suggestible, a wide-open expanse of receptivity. Our primal reactions to both happen deep beneath our good and bad sorting mechanisms. This makes us easy marks, ripe for subtle manipulationsand to all the confusions and private torments that result from them. Right now, I have an abusers song stuck in my head. It feels a bit like a violation, the presence of this song and everything it brings with it. But the fault is all mine: I opened the door, invited the song in, showed it around. I had all the warnings you would need, but the song was there on my phone screenall I had to do was touch it, so I did. And then, just like that, the song took up residence in me. Now it follows me around. By now, most music listeners know this experience: The song suddenly hurts to hear, the sweet voice in our heads turns sour, a song that pleased us now haunts us. Everyones fulcrum is different, set off by their own experience. But the effect is the same: Something you thought you knew about an artist, or something you knew without fundamentally acknowledging, explodes from the periphery into full view. Suddenly, the uneasy space you maintained between the sounds an artist made and the life they lived crumples, forever and finally. Most of us dont know what to do when this happens, but we fervently pretend that we do. We flood social media channels with our late-breaking outrage, we declare the artist cancelled. Some of us hug the artist closer, taking it upon ourselves to defend them from perceived attacks, even if this means stepping around obvious facts about their behavior like shattered glass. In the past two years, as the cultural flames around artists and their art have burned hotter, our reactions to transgressions have grown increasingly convulsive. It doesnt simply leave us. It cant. Whether its XXXTentacion, the late rapper who was charged with domestic battery and assault, or R. Kelly, who was tried and acquitted on child pornography charges in 2008 and has been accused of soliciting sex from minors and keeping women in his home against their will; whether its former Real Estate guitarist Matt Mondanile, who was accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct and emotional abuse; whether its Jesse Lacey of Brand New, who allegedly sexually exploited his underage fans, or former Das Racist member Kool A.D., who was recently accused of sexual assault by four womenliving with music in your mind from an abuser sometimes feels like being saddled with someone elses bad dreams. Of course, the dream analogy only goes so far. Dreams happen to us. We have no agency in them, which is partly why we are considered blameless for their content. If you had a disturbing dream, you would probably have no trouble confessing it to a friendperhaps the two of you could take turns decoding what it meant. You might both marvel at the lawlessness of the subconscious. But music doesnt happen to us. We choose to take it in. Music is a consumer choice even when it doesnt feel like oneeven though it perhaps uniquely doesnt feel like oneand it is best-suited to the subterfuge of implication-free engagement. You are listening to trapped air, rendered into code and recreated in your brain. Most of us manage to avoid thinking about our music as a consumer good, at least most of the time. Part of this has to do with the nature of internet commerce, which has proven extremely adept at sanding away friction points until your purchasing decisions have all the forethought of a sneeze. Spotify, Apple, and Amazon move mountains to ease consumption, and they do it so effectively that its frighteningly easy to pretend that this frictioncarbon footprints, packed warehouses, unprecedented monopoly, pick your late-capitalist poisonnever existed. But music in particular has the trickiest relationship to commerce. Amazon may have eroded the value of a book, but ebooks didnt completely replace physical ones. The music industry, meanwhile, never quite convinced listeners that stealing digital music was harmful. So they abandoned the sale of discrete units and remodeled themselves around streaming, a model that looked and felt exactly like the stealing customers were already doing. In other words, they removed ownership entirely. We rent our music now, and then give it back to the cloud when we are done. Music listening has always been private, but in another era, you might have at least had to venture outside to procure it. Twenty years ago, if you wanted to buy the music made by a known abuser at a store, you would have risked some hot, focused shame. Streaming, meanwhile, with its blend of radio dial and kitchen faucet, removes shame from the equation. You touch a song title, and it starts playing for youand only for you. Turn off the sharing features on Spotify and you are free to move about cultural infinitude in silence, without fear of judgment. As as result, the gap between streaming an artist and purchasing their music directly feels enormous. It is the difference between liking a political candidates post on Facebook and knocking on someones door to canvas for them. This makes the insolubility of the art-versus-artist problem even more difficult in music. When you choose to expose yourself to the songs of an abuser, you are also subjecting yourself to a sustained whisper campaign for their inherent virtuousness, for the empathy, the tortured humanity, lying within them. Seeing humanity in all humans, even murderers and abusers, can be a powerful and clear-eyed practice. It might be what some have called radical empathy. It may even be musics highest function, if we allow it to happenpermitting the existence of beauty within deep ugliness, persuading us to remember that all humans share the mystic and strange impulse to make music, or to partake in it. And yet, passively accepting abusers songs about themselves when their victims are given no voice at alland more, when their victims usually disappear into the cracks of society, often hounded by death threats from the artists massive fanbasemight also be a form of enabling, or even empowering, toxic behavior. We cast votes for artists with the invisible flow of our attention spans, and their implications are nearly impossible to track. Deciding where to draw or redraw our lines is always messy, retconned, and incomplete. It is murky right up until the point it suddenly seems crystal-clear and undeniable. Take Spotify, for instance, who are in the actual work of pricing these assets, of grouping and monetizing cultural goods. Earlier this year, they tried to half-extricate themselves from that marketplace with a widely criticized removal of R. Kelly and XXXTentacions music from playlists. The widespread approbation they won is a good sign of just how clumsy and messy decisive action can look in practiceXXXTentacions publicist famously asked if and when the streaming service would take similar actions against Dr. Dre, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and others who had once been accused of misconduct. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek wound up apologizing for the movewe rolled this out wrong, he told a conference gathering, and the streaming service hastily restored XXXs music to one of their major playlists, making his music seem both radioactive and indispensable in the process. In treating R. Kelly and XXXTentacions music like so much tainted lettuce to be recalled, Spotify underlined just how hard it is to regulate cultural goods. Marketplace regulation presumes a shared understanding of what those goods are supposed to dofood isnt supposed to make us sick, brake systems arent supposed to suddenly cut out on the freeway. It moves us, we crave it. But scientists have even less idea why we need music than painting or writing, which at least point to basic societal functions. Some studies diagnose music as a fragment from our religious impulse, while other theories diagnose music as a neurological twitch in response to our fear of death. No one knows what this stuff is for, exactly, but we all agree that we need it. As a result, finding ethical ways to consume music is confounding. In the end, aesthetics and morality simply dont talk to each other. One can spoil the other, the way acid curdles milk. But music makes a terrible container for ethics. It leaks, it loses specific meaning, it can be conscripted by anyone to mean anything. Music made with beautiful intentions can easily be made to serve evil, and songs that seem to drip malice can also find their way into the most unlikely redemption narratives. Stripped of context, a sound can be tender, gentle, beautiful, soothing; the person making it might have none of these qualities. This slipperiness means there are precious few ways to regulate the world of art, or the behavior of the people who make itthe reforms that might have a true impact on their behavior lie far, far outside aesthetics: Readily available resources for mental health and for domestic abuse survivors would be nice; reform of the carceral state even better. Its not hard to imagine that, given a few years, reforms like these would make themselves felt in the world of the artists who capture our ears, and who invade our dreams. But these are questions of legislation, and they disappear when the music envelops us. The only thing that we can be certain of is that this will happen again. Two years from now, or two weeks from now, or in two hours, we will learn, again, that we are in an intimate relationship with a piece of music made by someone who has done or said things we cannot abide. Once that happens, we will again feel the panic of implication, the disorientation. We can take arbitrary actions, if they make us feel better: We can choose to not play their music anymore, we can decry their actions for our friends and family to see. But the music itself will not stop whispering to us. We will keep these bad dreams. Perhaps we should learn to be alive to their presence, to acknowledge the ways they have moved and changed us. Proximity to these bad dreams, and our refusal to divest ourselves completely of them, might help to remind us of the messy ways we are connected, even when we feel that we could not be more alone, encased in headphones, in a cavern of our own making. | https://pitchfork.com/features/overtones/how-do-we-live-with-music-made-by-problematic-artists/ |
Why Is The Old Style Of Arrest Continuing When Truth And Reconciliation Commission Is Envisaged? | 29 SHARES Share Tweet QUESTION OF THE DAY One would have thought that the criticisms levied against the previous regime of arresting people at odd hours would be a thing of the past. Foroyaa is investigating cases of arrests taking place at odd hours. Many Gambians assume that the current government will concentrate on taking suspects before truth and reconciliation commissions for alleged human rights violation and offer general amnesty to those in the Diaspora who fear coming back home. During his speech in Soma the president said the following: during my recent visit to Rwanda, where millions of people were murdered, it will be difficult for anyone to believe what they have established about the genocide, forgave each other and move on to build their country. We can do more if we focus on being One Gambia and One People. These words should be backed with deeds. Practice will tell. Foroyaa is monitoring. | https://foroyaa.gm/why-is-the-old-style-of-arrest-continuing-when-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-is-envisaged/ |
Why is BTs broadband pledge so misleading over outages? | Im really exasperated by the exclusions Ive encountered with the BT Plus Keep Connected Promise. The video and blurb on its website are clear that, within an hour of reporting a broadband outage, it will send a 4G Mini Hub and turn on unlimited data on any BT mobile phones associated with the account. I have experienced two half-day outages and both times BT pointed to the small print which allows it to get out of its promise if the outage is down to planned or unplanned outages on its network. I feel its marketing is highly misleading and it is taking money for a service it doesnt provide. MR, London BTs sales pitch appears unambiguous. It promises: In the unlikely event theres a problem with your broadband and you report a fault, well send you a Mini Hub straightaway, which uses a mobile signal to help your devices go online at no extra cost. If youve got mobile with us, within an hour of reporting the fault, well switch on free unlimited data on all your phones so you can stay connected. Only in the terms and conditions (which you have to cut and paste into the browser since theres no link on the web page) are qualifying faults mentioned. And you have to read more than half way through to clause 10e to discover that planned or unplanned outages on BTs network or any third party service disqualify you from the promise in the 65.99-a-month Plus deal. Faults in the home environment such as wiring issues are also excluded which means a significant proportion of causes arent covered. These crucial caveats should be made clear at the outset, in the same way that insurers highlight essential terms in key facts documents. BT missed the point when it told me: There are some scenarios where sending a 4G Mini Hub might not be possible or the best way to get back online, for example if the fault is likely to be repaired in a few hours, or in the rare event there are broader issues affecting broadband and mobile networks in a specific area. When I pressed the issue it did not respond. This is something customers should report to the Advertising Standards Authority which did not respond to my request for a comment. If you need help email Anna Tims at [email protected] or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission subject to our terms and conditions | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/09/bt-plus-keep-connected-promise-terms-conditions |
Why was Sara Ali Khan given legal notice by Kedarnath director? | Sara Ali Khan began her cinematic journey with Abhishek Kapoor directed 'Kedarnath'. The film, set against the backdrop of 2013 floods that led a Muslim porter (played by Sushant Singh Rajput) and a Hindu girl pilgrimage (played by Sara Ali Khan) falling in love with each other, went on to earn moderate success at the box office and was lauded by critics as well. Amidst all the controversies that the film was embroiled in, director Abhishek Kapoor in a revelation opened up about why he took the legal route against Sara. According to Asian Age, Sara wanted Simmba to be her debut movie. In order to sort out this row, Abhishek had to take the legal way out. The director also said that Sara has no idea how much he and the producers of the film wanted to make 'Kedarnath' her first film. Hence, Abhishek had to battle it out in the court and also sort out the release date with Rohit Shetty (Simmbas director). Abhishek also reportedly said that the makers of 'Kedarnath' had to reschedule the films release sooner than expected to achieve the purpose, which is logistically a crazy thing to do, he added. Sara played the character of a headstrong stubborn girl in 'Kedarnath' and took on a totally contrasting role in 'Simmba'. | https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/416663-why-kedarnath-director-took-legal-action-against-sara-ali-khan |
Is the 'midlife crisis' a real thing? | Middle age is often seen as lifes pivot point. A hill has been climbed and the view over the other side is unsettling. As Victor Hugo said: forty is the old age of youth and fifty the youth of old age. The idea adults in midlife face a dark night of the soul or desperately escape from it, hair plugs flapping in a convertibles breeze is deeply rooted. Studies show the great majority of people believe in the reality of the so-called midlife crisis and almost half of adults over 50 claim to have had one. There is good evidence a midlife decline in life satisfaction is real. Population surveys typically find both women and men report the lowest satisfaction in middle age. The Australian HILDA survey locates the lowest life satisfaction at age 45 and the Australian Bureau of Statistics singles out the 45-54 age bracket as the glummest. Middle age may be dislocating for some but there is little evidence it is usually a period of crisis and despondency. Psychologically speaking, things tend to get better. If there is a small dip in how people evaluate their lot even if it is objectively no worse than before this is understandable. Our attention shifts from time past to time left, and that requires a process of adjustment. Clearly there are many grounds for being unsatisfied with life during the middle years. There is good reason to be sceptical. For one thing, its hard enough deciding when the midlife crisis should occur. Concepts of middle age are elastic and change as we get older. One study found younger adults believe middle age stretches from the early 30s to 50, whereas adults over 60 saw it as extending from the late 30s to the mid-50s. In one US study one-third of people in their 70s defined themselves as middle-aged. This research accords with a finding middle-aged people tend to feel one decade younger than their birth certificate. | https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/health-and-sex/2019-01-09-is-the-midlife-crisis-a-real-thing/ |
Who is Louise Linton? | Louise Linton, the actress wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, ignited a firestorm of criticism after she responded to a negative comment on social media. She recently told Elle magazine that she is super-duper apologetic for the drama that she has caused since her husband joined President Trumps Cabinet. Linton, 37, said she felt like a regular person when she saw someones negative comment on Instagram in August 2017 and chose to respond like regular people would. But her knee-jerk reaction, as she described it, earned her unlimited criticism and launched her husband into a sea of controversy. Read on for a brief look at Linton's life, including since Mnuchin became treasury secretary. She got into an Instagram spat Linton posted a photo to her Instagram account which was briefly made private to those who do not follow her of her and Mnuchin disembarking a government plane. In the August 2017 photo, she tagged some of the high-profile designers of the ensemble she was wearing. One user commented, Glad we could pay for your little getaway, and included the hashtag deplorable. Linton responded with a lengthy comment and touted her and her husbands financial success. Do you think the US govt paid for our honeymoon or personal travel?! Lololol. Either as an individual earner in taxes OR in self sacrifice to your country, Linton said. Im pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day trip than you did, she continued. Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than youd be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours. She's an actress Born in Scotland, Linton trained at the Edinburgh Drama Academy as well as the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, according to her IMDB page. She has guest starred in episodes of Cold Case and CSI: NY. Linton has also starred in the movies Cabin Fever and Intruder. Mnuchin and Linton recently married Mnuchin and Linton married in June 2017 with a star-studded guest list. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the wedding. Vice President Mike Pence officiated the ceremony. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Mnuchin, 55, ran a company that invested in Hollywood movies including "Wonder Woman," "The Lego Movie," "The Accountant" and "Suicide Squad." He is a Goldman Sachs alumnus. Both Mnuchin and Linton were married previously. Mnuchin has children from his earlier marriage. Her controversial memoir is no longer on Amazon Linton wrote and self-published a memoir about her experiences volunteering in Africa as an 18-year-old but her writings ignited controversy. In her book, called In Congos Shadow: One Girls Perilous Journey to the Heart of Africa, Linton described her experiences in Zambia. She detailed hiding from armed rebels and her fear of being found as she was a skinny white muzungu with long angel hair, the Los Angeles Times reported. On Twitter, people accused Linton of lying or exaggerating about the extent of the violence in Zambia and hailed her work as a white savior fantasy. The book is no longer available on Amazon. She posed with new cash Linton again raised eyebrows when she posed with Mnuchin holding a sheet of brand-new $1 bills in November 2017. In the photo, Linton is wearing elbow-length black leather gloves and skirt and top. Because of the controversial photo-op, Linton told Elle magazine that her skirt and gloves remain in her closet. I really hope someday I can wear that outfit again, Linton told the magazine. Because I really liked it. | https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/who-is-louise-linton |
Did People Listen To What President Barrow Say? | 18 SHARES Share Tweet 8 March is International Womens Day. It is strange that the celebration in Soma which was graced by many state officials such as government ministers, national assembly members and other holders of public office was reported to be organized by the women of LRR and the Barrow Youth Movement. Many people would have thought such an activity would not take place during the campaign period and when it does, those who participate will not wear party colours to identify themselves with a party. However, the speech of the president needs to be listened to and analysed by opinion leaders in the media. It would have been best for the president not to take part in such gatherings during an election campaign period. That would be the best way of demonstrating neutrality. Foroyaa will publish President Barrows speech verbatim and analyse its content in order to assess whether neutrality was sacrificed or not. | https://foroyaa.gm/did-people-listen-to-what-president-barrow-say/ |
Should Any Candidate In The Council Election Use President Barrows Name Or Picture To Canvass For Votes? | 6 SHARES Share Tweet QUESTION OF THE DAY The answer is in the negative. No candidate should use President Barrows name or picture to canvass for votes. Foroyaa will investigate claims that some candidates of a political party are claiming that they are the chosen candidates of President Barrow. The Independent Electoral Commission should continue its broadcasts of the fact that there is no coalition candidate in this election. All the parties are contesting in one or more constituencies. None is therefore an ally of the other and only candidates who have no faith in their parties or party leaders would use the name of President Barrow to enhance their election chances. | https://foroyaa.gm/should-any-candidate-in-the-council-election-use-president-barrows-name-or-picture-to-canvass-for-votes/ |
Is dit de auto van de toekomst? | Alles verandert snel, en zo ook autos! Als het aan Hyundai ligt is de auto van de toekomst de Hyundai Elevate Walking Car! Deze bijzondere auto wordt tijdens de Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas gelanceerd. De Hyundai Elevate Walking Car is een uniek geavanceerd voertuig dat dankzij zijn vier poten elk terrein aankan. Dit unieke concept is een nieuwe benadering van het begrip mobiliteit. Dankzij de vier onafhankelijke benen is hij in staat om in terreinen te komen waar dat voorheen onmogelijk was. De Elevate is gebaseerd op een modulair EV-platform waarop uiteenlopende carrosserien voor diverse taken zijn te plaatsen. De robotpoten hebben vijf gradaties van beweegbaarheid en een elektromotor in elk wiel. Het design is ongekend goed in staat om op de manier van zowel zoogdieren als reptielen te lopen en daardoor in staat om in elke richting te bewegen. Om te kunnen rijden, vouwen de poten zich volledig in en wordt de elektriciteitstoevoer naar de gewrichten afgesloten. De toepassing van een gentegreerde passieve wielophanging optimaliseert de efficiency van de batterijen aan boord. Daardoor kan de Elevate ook op de snelweg mee met het overige verkeer. Maar geen enkel ander voertuig is in staat om zoals de Elevate over een muur van anderhalve meter te stappen, of over een greppel van anderhalve meter breed. De Elevate kan letterlijk en figuurlijk uit de voeten in allerlei onverhard terrein en kan een spoorbreedte van wel meer dan vierenhalve meter bereiken, terwijl het inzittendencompartiment inclusief passagiers volledig horizontaal blijft. Bovendien stelt de combinatie van wielen en flexibele poten een nieuwe maatstaf van mobiliteit waarbij hogere wandelsnelheden, unieke dynamische posities tijdens het rijden en volledig gecontroleerde bewegingen van de uiteinden van de poten mogelijk zijn. | http://women-online.nl/is-auto-toekomst/ |
Why has Meghan Markle been cast as the Yoko Ono of our times? | Another day, another character profile of Meghan Markle. This latest account comes from Lady Colin Campbell - a woman who is considered a Royal 'insider' because she knew Princess Diana a bit. Another day, another character profile of Meghan Markle. This latest account comes from Lady Colin Campbell - a woman who is considered a Royal 'insider' because she knew Princess Diana a bit. Campbell, who appeared on the Channel 5 documentary Kate v Meghan: Princesses At War last week, claims that Markle has vast influence over Prince Harry. "Everything I hear is that Harry is completely beguiled by Meghan and completely enthralled to her and has changed considerably," she said. The author, socialite and one-time I'm a Celebrity... contestant also pointed out that people change when they marry. Unfortunately, her earlier choice of language makes it sound as though Prince Harry didn't have much choice in the matter.Campbell suggested that Harry is under some sort of love spell. Notice that she didn't use the words 'love' or 'devotion'. She chose the words 'beguiled' and 'enthralled', which suggest that poor, innocent Harry has been bewitched by this spellbinding beauty and her green juice potions. Much has been written about the influence Markle has had on Harry's lifestyle. Apparently the former party boy has given up smoking, fast food and, in support of his wife's pregnancy, alcohol. Markle is also said to be shaking things up in Kensington Palace by sending emails to staff at 5am and - shock, horror! - writing her own speeches. Her Royal Highness has been portrayed as a firebrand, but 'Duchess Difficult', don't forget, has relinquished her career, her home and her political pursuits for one of the most oppressive regimes in the free world. It's clear Markle is trying to hold on to what parts of her identity she didn't sign away. Rather than be moulded, she is doing the moulding. Even gimlet-eyed Royalists would have to concede that Markle has had a largely positive influence on a man who used to dress up as a Nazi and snort vodka for larks. And that's the problem. It doesn't matter if her influence is positive, negative or indifferent. What matters, to a certain set of people, is that she has any influence at all. Maybe it's patriarchal conditioning or the shadow cast by the witch-hunts of early modern Europe. Either way, there is still a cohort of people who are suspicious of women that wield influence - especially when it's over men. Campbell is right - people do change when they fall in love and marry. However, when a man changes "considerably", you'll always find that there's a group of people lining up to comment on the woman's impact. And here's the interesting part: they rarely point to her wisdom, intellect or better judgment. No, they talk about her feminine wiles in a way that suggests she's dabbling in dark arts while casting voodoo love spells out of her vagina. This is how Yoko Ono was portrayed when The Beatles broke up. Ono was an artist in her own right but fans couldn't accept she might actually have had some worthy creative input. Anyone who saw the recent Michael Epstein documentary Above Us Only Sky will know that Ono did in fact influence Lennon's work, but it's taken this long for her to get a second hearing (and a writing credit on 'Imagine'). As for the 30-year-long witch-hunt she endured, well, she seems to have come through it with good humour if the title of her 2007 collaborative album is anything to go by - Yes, I'm a Witch Too. At the heart of the issue is female power. The stronger the woman, the more suspicious we become. The formidable Angelina Jolie was burned at the pyre when she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. Her former husband later admitted that his problems with alcohol and marijuana led to the demise of their marriage, but still the press focused on Jolie's allegedly controlling nature, while the gossip rags peddled a ridiculous story about her using witchcraft to win him back. Strong women like Jolie get the blame for just about any tragedy that befalls the men in their lives. Conspiracy theorists argue that Courtney Love orchestrated the death of her husband Kurt Cobain. The family of INXS singer Michael Hutchence believe Paula Yates drove him to suicide by threatening to kill herself and their daughter. Ariana Grande was blamed for the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, who died from an accidental overdose. She should have been more like Jennifer Garner - the dutiful ex-wife who drove her estranged husband to rehab last year. They say behind every great man there's a great woman. It's a lovely fridge magnet platitude, but make no mistake, the operative word is 'behind', not 'beside'. Women who stand side by side with men spell trouble, which is why the Meghan Markle witch-hunt is as exasperating as it is inevitable. Irish Independent | https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-features/why-has-meghan-markle-been-cast-as-the-yoko-ono-of-our-times-37693053.html |
Will TCS be the best performing Sensex stock in 2019? | TCS, which ended last year with $19.09 billion in revenue, needs $1.9 billion in incremental revenue to clock a 10% dollar revenue growth. Photo: Mint Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd has been an outlier in the first-half of 2018-19: the Mumbai-based information technology company added $936 million in incremental revenue in the first six months of the current financial year. This is about $151 million less than $1.08 billion in new business done by Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd together in 2017-18. Unsurprisingly, shareholders have chased shares of the company: TCS shareholders saw a 40% return in the last calendar year, far higher than the 6% and 25% return made on investing in the benchmark BSE Sensex and BSE IT index, respectively. Still, the job has just started for Rajesh Gopinathan, who took over as CEO in February 2017 after his mentor and chief craftsmen of TCS Natarajan Chandrasekaran was entrusted to oversee Tata Sons. TCS, Indias largest information technology (IT) services firm, which ended last year with $19.09 billion in revenue, needs $1.9 billion in incremental revenue to clock a 10% dollar revenue growth. Simply put, this means that despite TCS reporting a 10% year-over-year dollar revenue growth in both the June and September quarters, it still needs to do $972 million in new business in the October-March period to end the current financial year with a double-digit dollar revenue growth. This should not be daunting for TCS as the management continues to be buoyant and the company continues to edge past its rivals in winning orders. Unsurprisingly, TCS should report a third consecutive good quarter on Thursday. Mint turns the spotlight on five things to watch out for in TCS third-quarter earnings on 10 January: 1. Revenue growth and management commentary for the financial year: TCS is estimated to post a sequential dollar revenue growth of 1.4% in the October-December period, according to an analyst at brokerage JM Financial Institutional Securities Ltd. This is less than the 3.2% sequential growth recorded in the second quarter, but then October-December is weak season for IT firms on account of fewer working days (translating into lower billing hours for engineers deployed by IT vendors). Management commentary on the demand outlook for the fourth quarter and for the next financial year will be crucial. 2. Performance in key industry segments: The first half of the year has seen TCS, along with its rivals, post modest growth in business from the banking and financial services industry or BFSI, which accounted for 31% of the companys total revenue. TCS reported 3.5% sequential constant currency growth in BFSI in the July-September quarter. Management commentary on demand from its banking clients will indicate whether the sector has finally turned the corner. 3. Growth in digital: TCS digital business grew 60% year-over-year in the second quarter, after reporting an impressive 45% y-o-y growth in the first quarter. The business now accounts for 28% of the companys revenue. Accenture still continues to see double-digit growth in its digital business, which constitutes about 60% of its revenue. For this reason, TCSs growth in the fast-growing digital business will be watched by analysts to see how the company is making itself future-proof. 4. TCS chief operating officer told this paper in October last year that the company is considering outlining business from some individual components of the digital business. Any such move will be helpful, reckon analysts, as it will help them gauge how TCS is positioning itself against its global peers, like International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Accenture Plc, which have started sharing business from artificial intelligence areas and cloud computing. More clarity on how the firm is faring in these growth areas will further reaffirm faith of shareholders. 5. Concerns about a slowdown in US economy poses the biggest risk to TCS and its peers. For this reason, last month saw a few analysts quiz the management of Accenture on the resilience of its business model. Accenture shrugged off any such concerns, claiming its heft should allow it to benefit from clients looking to cut on outsourcing spending should economic growth slow. TCS comments will help analysts gauge the strength of the homegrown IT industry. | https://www.livemint.com/Companies/RsvHbq110CES5G7EtmOebL/TCS-share-price-company-news-Sensex-stock-2019-results.html |
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Can Alexander Zverev turn ATP Tour titles in Grand Slams this year? | Zverev is facing a race against time in order to be fit for the Australian Open after suffering a hamstring injury. An injured Zverev would be a huge blow to the opening Grand Slam tournament only two months after he shocked world No 1 Novak Djokovic to lift the ATP Finals title at London's O2 Arena in November. The 21-year-old German has time on his side, although he has long been touted as the leader of the next generation aiming to unseat the multiple Grand Slam winners who have dominated the sport for well over a decade. So far, Zverev has flattered to deceive at the majors with a run to the quarter-finals at last year's French Open the only time he made it past the fourth round of any of the four Slams. It is easy to underplay his success because he already has 10 titles under his belt, including the ATP Finals and three Masters 1000 crowns. Only four players have beaten Djokovic since Wimbledon with three of them - including Zverev - part of the new generation. Keeping it in the family Born in Hamburg in April 1997 to Russian parents, Zverev is often referred to as Sascha - a common nickname for Alexander in Russia. Both of his parents are former tennis players with Alexander Sr qualifying for the first round of the 1985 Australian Open and Wimbledon the following year, losing on both occasions. Alexander Sr trains both of his sons, with Mischa also in the top-100 of the ATP rankings. Mischa, almost 10 years older than his brother, reached the quarter-finals of the 2017 Australian Open, defeating then world No 1 Andy Murray along the way. Zverev has already sent out a warning to the ageing generation that the youngsters are already making a breakthrough in the big time. "Us young guys, we're coming through," the German said. "(Karen) Khachanov winning the Masters in Paris was a big thing. I was very happy for him, as well. "I wasn't happy that he beat me, but I was happy for the victory that he had because I'm quite good friends with him. The victory for (Stefanos) Tsitsipas in Toronto, I felt like Novak wasn't playing his best there, but obviously all the credit to Tsitsipas. "You have to beat someone like Novak because he's not going to give you the match." 1:04 Greg Rusedski believes Zverev will be a major title contender in 2019 under the guidance of coach Ivan Lendl Greg Rusedski believes Zverev will be a major title contender in 2019 under the guidance of coach Ivan Lendl Djokovic himself said Zverev's sensational victory at the ATP Finals could have deeper significance for the men's game. "There's a lot of similarities in terms of trajectory of professional tennis, in our careers," the world No 1 said. "Hopefully he can surpass me. I mean, I sincerely wish him that. "He deserves everything he gets so far. There's a lot of time ahead of him. I wish him to stay healthy and obviously win a lot of titles." Puppy love Zverev's dog Lovik has featured on his Instagram page on several occasions and has been known to travel to events with the tall right-hander - the pet was even granted an accreditation pass to the 2015 US Open as the player's 'guest'. Zverev's affinity for other dogs has been shown on his social channels, referring to one at the Boodles event in June as "my new second best friend". The 6ft 6in Zverev, coached by Ivan Lendl, may be viewed by many as the leader of the future of tennis, but Zverev insists the likes of Djokovic and Roger Federer remain the standard-bearers. "They're still going to be the guys to beat at the big tournaments," he said. "I will do everything I can to get better, to compete with them always. "I feel like I'm doing that. But still I have a lot of things to improve. I'm still very young. Hopefully next year I'll be able to play better tennis than I did this year, even though it's been a good year." Arguably the biggest turning point in Zverev's career to date has been adding Lendl to his coaching team. Lendl, a former world No 1 and eight-time major champion, proved an astute coach to Andy Murray. The Scot was finally able to realise his Grand Slam dream under the Czech and it is clearly hoped he will have the same effect on Zverev's career. Zverev has yet to make much of an impact in the four majors, but former British No 1 Greg Rusedski believes will be a Grand Slam title contender under Lendl's guidance. "The most important thing was hiring Ivan Lendl just before the start of the US Open," Rusedski said. "Ivan can't create miracles but we have seen a lot of improvements in his game. His willingness to transition forward and the forehand has had some improvements, but the off-season will actually help him to be a better player. "Once Lendl has three to six months with him whereby he can put in a lot of work with him he's going to be a contender for all titles, not just the Masters series but also the Slams as well." The Australian Open may come too soon for the world No 4, dependant on his recovery from his injury, but winning either the French Open, Wimbledon or US Open are well within Zverev's capabilities this year. We have every major tennis event covered from all angles via our website skysports.com/tennis. Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. | https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/11601812/can-alexander-zverev-turn-atp-tour-titles-in-grand-slams-this-year |
Will gov't shutdown break SNAP? | State officials offer assurance that benefits will continue BATH Now entering its third week, a partial federal government shutdown threatens to leave millions of Americans not knowing where their next meal will come from, even in Steuben County. While some agencies of the government have been funded through separate resolutions, the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) commonly known as food stamps is not. The SNAP program, funded by a USDA block grant, is administered locally by the Steuben County Department of Social Services, through an statutory framework provided by New York State. Though no notification of program limitations had been posted to county social media or websites on Monday, it was unclear when the program would be impacted by dried up funding. Calls placed to the Steuben County Department of Social Services for comment were not returned on Monday. But, national reports assert that $3 billion in emergency funding designated by Congress will not be able to cover all claims for the month of February. Federal advisories from USDA Commissioner Sonny Purdue also did not detail what will happen following Januarys payments, stating only that Eligible households will still receive monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for January. It had been speculated that the state government may pick up the tab for the months impacted by the ongoing federal shutdown, but no such announcement has been made by the governors office. The state government, however, will spend $65,000 a day to keep federal parks at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty open. However, other officials did deliver definitive statements to ease public fears as the shutdown progresses. New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Samuel D. Roberts said, SNAP and HEAP benefits and use of benefit cards vital to New Yorkers are not impacted by the federal government shutdown and are continuing to operate. Federal funding for these programs has already been secured and benefits will continue. Additionally, applications for these and other federally-funded programs will continue to be accepted. Other states less inclined to foot the bill, however, may see drastic cuts in benefits come February. The consequences come as President Donald Trump pushes for a federal work requirement for recipients to collect SNAP benefits, which has been opposed by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. "It's the same cheap politics. Cheap symbolism. People should not get free food. SNAP recipients, nationwide over 50 percent are children, seniors or disabled. Are you really going to tell a disabled person?" he said in a Dec. 20 interview on the topic. The program already carries work requirements for all recipients ages 16 to 59, with just a few exceptions for those caring for children under 6, unable to work due to a health condition, provide full-time care for an incapacitated adult, or are receiving unemployment benefits. Recipients must otherwise accept suitable employment when referred or offered; Respond to requests from the social services district regarding employment status and availability for work; and Participate in work activities for up to 30 hours per week if assigned, according to state guidelines. Anyone with concerns about their SNAP benefits amid the government shutdown and work requirements dispute, is encouraged to contact the SNAP Program at the Steuben County Department of Social Services at 607-664-2000, or to check the status of their benefits online at www.mybenefits.ny.gov | http://www.wellsvilledaily.com/news/20190108/will-govt-shutdown-break-snap |
Can the Lakers Afford to Be Patient in the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes? | LeBron Jamess move from Cleveland to Los Angeles in July required a relative leap of faith. His two previous departures came with co-stars ready and super teams assembled, from Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to Kyrie Irving and the soon-to-be-acquired Kevin Love in Jamess return to Cleveland. The Lakers roster presently surrounding James consists of veteran cast-offs and unproven youngsters. A tailor-made title contender is nowhere in sight. James didnt necessarily have to be a solo star when he signed a four-year, $154 million deal with Los Angeles. The Lakers reportedly discussed a Paul George trade with the Pacers in June 2017, but opted to pass on shipping assets to Indiana, assuming George would come back home and sign with the Lakers 13 months later. George ended up in Oklahoma City for the final year of his contract in 2017-18, re-signing in July amid a burgeoning bromance with Russell Westbrook. Another superstar came on the market this summer as Kawhi Leonard forced his way out of San Antonio. But the Lakers passed on a potential bidding war once again, holding their young assets as Toronto swooped in to acquire the former Finals MVP. LeBrons right-hand man wouldnt be George or Leonard, but perhaps Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball or Kyle Kuzma. A conference finals appearance with such an unheralded squad would be among Jamess greatest accomplishments. MAHONEY: Anthony Davis Trade Hype Has Been Years in the Making Scroll to continue with content Ad Story continues Los Angeless kids have largely held up playing next to James, going 2014 before James injured his groin in a Christmas Day win over Golden State. Yet even with impressive starts from Kuzma (and to a lesser degree) Ball, no Laker aside from James projects to be a multi-time All-Star. Perhaps Kuzma evolves into a George-esque scorer and Balls shot stabilizes. Maybe Ingram will become more Kevin Durant than Tim Hardaway. But entering the second-half of 2018-19, the Lakers without significant additions are more likely to suffer a round one exit than represent the West in the Finals. The Lakers could very well play out this season with James and their young core, and an early playoff exit will be far from a catastrophe. James is signed with the Lakers through 2021-22, and dont expect Los Angeles to sit out the 2019 free agent pool. When scanning the top names on the market, though, the options become less realistic. Kyrie Irving would rather embrace a spherical globe than play with James again. Kevin Durant called the environment around James toxic. Jimmy Butler will likely chase top dollar, and Phillys big three should continue into 2019-20. Kemba Walker is an intriguing optionand a potential seamless fit with James, Ball and Co. though his recent comments make a long-term commitment to Charlotte more likely. A sidekick for James will be hard to acquire via the 2019 free-agent pool. There is one non-free agent who should come available over the next year, the apple of GMs eyes throughout the league. Anthony Davis is signed through 2019-20, yet as the Pelicans continue to slip down the West standingsNew Orleans enters Monday 14th in the West at 1822the likelihood of a new franchise for AD increases. Rather than lose Davis for nothing two summers from now, the Pelicans could kickstart one of the greatest bidding wars in league history, seeking a haul for the former No. 1 pick. It would be the responsible move from New Orleans brass, albeit a painful one. The Lakers biggest rival in a potential Davis deal is likely their longtime cross-country foe, headed by Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens. Los Angeless collection of assets cant match Boston unless Jayson Tatum is declared untouchable, and even then, perhaps a combination of picks, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier and others would vault the Celtics over the top. It would help Boston if Brown regains any semblance of success from beyond the arc. A slide down the standings from Sacramento (Boston owns its 2019 first rounder) would also add to the package. The Celtics have delved into a Process of their own in the past decade, hoarding assets since dealing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. Bostons wealth of talentand a well-timed trade demandnetted Kyrie Irving. It could very well lure a second superstar to TD Garden. SHARP: The Trouble With Anthony Davis Lakers Rumors Boston will have to bide its time for any potential Davis deal, though, unable to acquire the Kentucky product until July. A collective bargaining rule states no team can acquire multiple Rose Rule playersthose who signed rookie extensions for 30% of their teams salary capvia trade. Irving signed his Rose Rule extension with Cleveland in 2015. Davis did the same in New Orleans in 2016. Irving will enter free agency on July 1, the first date in which Boston can acquire Davis. Even if Irving re-signs, his contract will no longer be under the Rose Rule, creating a potential dynamic duo with Davis. But until July 1, Ainge will have to play the waiting game The CBA oddity gives Los Angeles a leg up on its greatest competition for Davis (unless Philadelphia dangles Ben Simmons or a mystery suitor emerges), a month-plus window without Bostons interference before Februarys trade deadline. The Lakers previously missed out on a pair of stars, waiting for a free-agency coup that never came to fruition. They cant make the same mistake with the Davis sweepstakes, holding onto their young assets who may never emerge as All-Stars. The Lakers have a golden opportunity over the next six weeks. They cant afford to waste it. | https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/lakers-afford-patient-anthony-davis-122500681.html?src=rss |
What time is Cleaning Up on ITV and who is in the cast? | Sheridan Smith plays office cleaner Sam in new drama Cleaning Up (Picture: ITV) Sheridan Smith is back on our screens on Wednesday night in ITVs newest drama Cleaning Up. The six-part drama sees her play Sam, whose life as an office cleaner takes a much darker and unlikely turn when she becomes involved in insider trading. Writer Mark Marlow has said he was inspired by the 1980s classic Wall Street when it came to the plot while Sheridan also worked with cleaners to learn the tricks of that trade. The character finds herself caught up in the shady world of insider trading (Picture: ITV) The drama kicks off on ITV on Wednesday night at 9pm. There are six hour-long episodes, each of which will air on subsequent Wednesdays while it will also be available to watch on the ITV Hub. The official synopsis from ITV tells us that Sheridans character Sam is caught between two worlds the everyday life of a devoted and loving mum and the darker, dangerous world of insider trading. It sees the character, who is on a zero hours contract and struggling with an online gambling addition, realise she can gain access to lucrative Stock Market information which could help solve all her financial problems. Sheridan recently said of her character: If weve done our job right, the audience will be torn between what they think of her. They will be frustrated that shes doing the wrong things, and it is a big moral dilemma. Jade Anouka stars as best friend Jess (Picture: ITV) The supporting cast includes Trauma star Jade Anouka, who plays Sams best friend Jess, and Matthew McNulty recently seen in Versailles who appears as her husband Dave. Actress Kristy Philipps plays Sams 14-year-old daughter Alice while young actress Anya McKenna Bruce plays her eight-year-old daughter Lily. You might also recognise Neil Maskell as Sams boss Warren who she owes a lot of money to as hes been in the likes of Humans, Utopia, No Offence and The Mimic. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/09/time-cleaning-itv-cast-8324647/ |
Why Isnt Blake Horstmann the Next Bachelor? | Unfortunately for those Blake fans out there, the stud from Beccas season of The Bachelorette was not chosen as the next bachelor. Blake captured the hearts of America while competing on The Bachelor, and he made it all the way to the final two before losing out to the seasons winner, Garrett Yrigoyen. In a September interview, Blake told ET that he hasnt spoken to Becca since After the Final Rose. But fortunately, he does say hes moved on. When I saw them together on that couch, how happy and everything they were, I was like, OK. Ready to move on,' he said. Interestingly enough, yes. He believes in the process. Ill defend it to my last breath, Blake said. I do think you can find your person through that. But, I dont know, theres some good things to come. Still some fun opportunities. So whats he up to nowadays. Since an interview with Extra in October, rumors have surfaced that Blake is seeing former BIP star, Kristina Schulman. Blake was asked who his Bachelor nation crush is, and he said Schulman. Naturally, the interwebs went crazy with rumors about the two. But on a more recent episode of Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconettis Almost Famous podcast, Blake said he is single. I can confirm I am single right now. I am single, well just say that. Discussing Schulman specifically, he said, I mean, we talked, we chatted, we did hang out a couple of times. Shes amazing, shes great, and you know, we get along really well. Elite Daily quotes him as saying, If Im still single come that time and if Im in a good place in my life Id definitely consider Paradise. I think Paradise is incredibly successful. Theres a lot of couples that come out of that, Blake said. For now, it seems Blake is ready to sit back, relax, and watch his friend Colton try and find the love of his life. On Monday (premiere day), he posted an Instagram of the two of them together, captioning it, So it beginsGood luck to this smiley, devilishly handsome, fence jumping man that Im lucky enough to call a friend. Well, he is in love! On January 3, the 26-year-old told reporter, Of course, you want it to end in marriage, [but] its for a proposal Its typical to fall in love, and to find your person, to spend time developing a relationship and spending time on a relationship and on your personal life. And thats exactly what I did. Be sure to tune into a new season of The Bachelor, airing tonight on ABC at 8pm ET/PT. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/blake-horstmann-next-bachelor-dating/ |
Could Chris Harrison Be the Next Bachelor? | During The Bachelors season 23 premiere, the show aired a montage tribute to the shows host, Chris Harrison. As the never before seen video shared the highlights of Harrisons career on the show (hes been there since the very start), Twitter started wondering if Chris Harrison could be next seasons Bachelor. Chris Harrison was in a 20-year marriage with his ex-wife Gwen, but the two split in 2012; they have two children together. In 2016, Harrison told The Daily Beast I would love to find love now. Look, as you can tell by the book and by the show, Im a hopeless, helpless romantic just like everybody else, so hopefully Ill follow my own advice one day. Currently, he appears to be single. When People Now asked Harrison if he thought he would be a good Bachelor, he said No. In producing this and being behind the curtain for so long, you really do have a certain sense of navet and innocence to go into this and really let yourself go. That interview was in 2015, which you can watch below: According to The Bachelors casting webpage, one of the eligibility requirements for competing on the show says that those involved with the production or associated production companies are not eligible to be the Bachelor or any of the bachelorettes on The Bachelor or the Bachelorette or any of the bachelors on The Bachelorette to participate in this application process. In addition, any applicant closely acquainted with any person connected with the production or administration or exhibition of the Program is not eligible if, in Producers sole discretion, the persons participation could create the appearance of impropriety. Based on this, you would think that Harrison would not be eligible to shift from host to participant on the show; however, according to IMDB, he has only served as a producer for Bachelor in Paradise, so maybe theres a loophole to be found there, should Harrison want to change his role. Whether Chris Harrison could serve as The Bachelor in the future or not, fans of Harrison enjoyed considering the possibility on Twitter. @bachbrack tweeted I wish that tribute video was made to announce Chris Harrison as next Bachelor. The post quickly collected over 200 likes and 40 retweets. I wish that tribute video was made to announce Chris Harrison as next Bachelor. #TheBachelor. Bach Bracket (@bachbrack) January 8, 2019 @morganemoll used one of Harrisons famous lines, writing imagine if chris harrison was the bachelor THAT would be the most dramatic season ever. #TheBachelor colton is great and all, but imagine if chris harrison was the bachelor THAT would be the most dramatic season ever Morgan Moll (@morganemoll) January 8, 2019 With enough fan support, perhaps the producers will consider the choice, especially since their last two bachelors have been ill-received by the Bachelor Nation. It must be noted, however, that Chris Harrison is currently 47 years old; if they were to make him Bachelor for a season, it could change the age demographic of the women chosen to compete for his heart. The majority of Colton Underwoods ladies for this current season are in their early twenties, which is about 25 years younger than Harrison. Independent of this wishful thinking and speculation, the montage was recognized by longterm fans of the show and its charming host as a high point during an otherwise slow-paced and uneventful season premiere. Harrison has been with the show for 17 years, and was clearly touched while watching the tribute to his ongoing career with the franchise. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/could-chris-harrison-be-next-bachelor/ |
Who's next as NOPD Chief? | NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison started his tenure under newly-elected Mayor Cantrell last May wondering if he would be retained. With the surprise announcement Tuesday of his departure to become the police chief in Baltimore, everyone is now wondering who Cantrell will find to replace him. I hope that whatever the process that's chosen by the administration, I hope that it gives opportunity to some of the great leaders we do have presently here at the NOPD, Council Chairman Jason Williams said. With Harrison expected to leave for Maryland within the next two weeks, the administration has indicated it will name a replacement before that date. Several officials, including City Council President Jason Williams, believe that qualified candidates already work for the NOPD as top commanders under Harrison. Some in-house names have already surfaced: -- Paul Noel, deputy superintendent of field operations. -- John Thomas, deputy superintendent of management services. -- Shaun Ferguson, commander of the police training academy, a critical post under the ongoing federal consent decree. Harrison is leaving on a high note, with response times improving, troop strength stabilizing, and crime edging downward, highlighted by the 2018 murder count, the lowest since 1971. RELATED: Michael Harrison to leave NOPD to lead Baltimore police Some observers say Harrisons successes makes a good case to promote from within. After all, Harrison was elevated as an interim chief to replace former Superintendent Ronal Serpas, until he proved himself enough for then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu to remove the interim label. I think the successes that Chief Harrison has had as chief of the department showed that maybe a national search isn't necessary, said Donovan Livaccari, spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police. Another unanswered question is whether Harrison will have any input with the Cantrell administration about his replacement. Fifteen years ago, you didn't have the talent you have now, said LSU criminologist Peter Scharf. And much to Michael's credit, we have many qualified candidates now. | https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/whos-next-as-nopd-chief/289-2d694927-eba4-44b9-a5b1-42126f6d4d08 |
When Will the Celebrity Big Brother 2019 Houseguests Be Announced? | In just two weeks, 11 celebrities will move into the Big Brother house to start a three-and-a-half week competition for $250,000. Welcome to Celebrity Big BrotherSeason 2! CBS has been mum on who the official cast will be, but rumors and predictions have already begun swirling around the internet thanks to hungry fans and inside sources. While theres no official date in place, last years houseguests were announced a week and a half ahead of its February 7th premiere. If the network plans on working within a similar timeframe, that means the Season 2 announcement could very well take place anytime between Wednesday the 9th and Friday the 11th, ahead of the shows January 21 premiere. #BBCeleb is back for Season 2 starting Monday, January 21, 2019! But first see the full season schedule: https://t.co/MwwLVOCSht pic.twitter.com/KfXnOqCnIZ Big Brother (@CBSBigBrother) November 27, 2018 Rumored houseguests include Caitlyn Jenner, former Olympian and reality star; Carson Kressley, Queer Eye Fashion expert and RuPauls Drag Race judge; and Sean Spicer, former White House director of communications. Notable Big Brother insider @REALvegasbackup has been dropping subtle hints in emoji form, and they match up to what the rest of the web has been speculating. Spicers participation would follow in the footsteps of Omarosa Manigault, the former White House political aide who joined the show after her dismissal from the White House. The former Apprentice star didnt hesitate to share inside information and her own opinion about Trumps leadership, which she told Ross Matthews (and the live feed cameras) that it was much worse than the public thought. Celebrity Big Brother began in the UK and only just started here in the States last year. Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves confirmed the second season of the series spinoff while closing out 2018s Big Brother 20 in September. The first Celebrity Big Brother season premiered in February of last year and included actress Shannon Elizabeth, Miss Columbia 2014 Ariadna Gutirrez, reality star Brandi Glanville, former NBA player Metta World Peace, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, singer/actor James Maslow, The Cosby Shows Keshia Knight Pulliam, Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, singer Mark McGrath, TV host Ross Matthews, and Omarosa. Matthews and Winokur made it to the final two where Winokur won in a 6-3 vote. The show follows a group of celebrities as they live together under constant surveillance, completely stripped of their privacy and contact with the outside world. With 94 HD cameras and 113 microphones recording their every move, the celebrities will compete in Head of Household and Veto competitions to try to evict their houseguests and get closer to the $250,000 grand prize and title of Celebrity Big Brother winner. Chen Moonves, wife of disgraced CBS CEO Les Moonves, is confirmed to return despite her exit from the CBS daytime show The Talk. While fans are happy to see the Chenbot stick with the franchise, its unknown whether shell return to the regular edition of the show come summer 2019. As Entertainment Weekly reported, Chen, 48, was famously supportive of husband Moonves, 69, when he resigned from CBS in early September, following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and intimidation. In a show of solidarity days after his exit, Chen ended an episode of Big Brother by saying, Im Julie Chen Moonves. Goodnight. ' READ NEXT: Celebrity Big Brother USA 2019 Cast Rumors & Predictions | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/celebrity-big-brother-houseguest-announcement-2019/ |
Who Gets the First Impression Rose on The Bachelor 2019? | Before we give you the rundown, this is your SPOILER WARNING. Do NOT continue reading if you dont want to know who gets the first impression rose. Now lets get into the details The woman who gets the first impression rose and a kiss from Underwood is contestant Hannah G. Shes a 23-year-old content creator and Instagram model. From the beginning of the night, Ive put a lot of thought into the first impression rose, Underwood said before offering her the nights coveted prize. Its so enjoyable to be around you so Hannah, will you accept this rose? Theres definitely a chemistry and a nice spark with Hannah, Underwood added during his interview, I didnt want to stop kissing her tonight. Hannah had similarly positive things to say for the camera. I never, ever thought Id be considered for this, she revealed. I havent felt this quick and easy of feelings, ever. Hannah G. Is the Lucky Recipient of the First Impression Rose According to her bio on ABC, Hannah is also the photographer and model for her burgeoning social media business. Now there is another Hannah in competition this season, and she also hails from Alabama, but her last name is Brown. Hannah elaborated on her unique career path on her website, HannahGodwin.net. She wrote that she actually went to school to study photography, but that she wound up graduating with a degree in business marketing instead. In 2013, when she was about 18 years old, she stumbled across [her] path of modeling and has been doing it ever since. Ive combined modeling with photography to become an influencer so thats how that happened, she added. Chris Harrison Reports That Hannah & Colton Underwood Have An Immediate Spark In the Season Premiere If we look back at the shows history, the answer could be yes. Its been a pattern that the star of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette has often ended up with the person on the show who gets the first impression rose and/or the first kiss. Clearly, that means Hannah has a good chance of winning Underwoods heart with both of those under her belt. PopSugar went as far as to cite Hannah as one of the seasons undeniable frontrunners. Hannah goes by hannahg11 on Instagram, where she has over 75K followers, but her account has been set it to private while shes on The Bachelor. She also set her Facebook to private. Hannah may seem familiar to longtime viewers, as shes friends with fan favorite and former contestant Danielle Maltby. Maltby appeared on Nick Vialls season of The Bachelor and also a season of Bachelor In Paradise, where she had an on/off romance with Wells Adams. Maltby even celebrated Hannahs addition to the cast on Instagram, writing: So happy the girls have been announced! I cant wait to watch your journey on @bachelorabc my love America, get ready to fall in love with this amazing, kind, funny, sweet spirit @hannahg11. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/the-bachelor-2019-first-impression-rose-kiss/ |
Are Becca Kufrin & Garrett Yrigoyen Still Together? | The new season of The Bachelor has people wondering whats going on between Colton Underwoods ex-girlfriend Becca Kufrin and her fianc Garrett Yrigoyen. The couple have stayed quiet since announcing their engagement, and some fans have speculated that they may no longer be together. That being said, these reports are untrue. Yrigoyen posted photos of Kufrin on Instagram as recent as January 1. Yrigoyen also took time to pay respects to his father, who passed away last year. 2018 was wild but hoping 2019 is even wilder, he wrote in the caption. A great man once told me If its meant to be, its up to me. Dont wait around for someone else to do it for you, get off your ass and do it for yourself. That great man is my dad. Kufrin & Yrigoyen Are Still Engaged & Regularly Post Photos Together on Instagram Yrigoyen also posted a photo of them drinking together on December 19. We drank until our teeth were purple and we were speaking in cursive, he jokingly wrote in the caption. The couple got engaged during the season 14 finale of The Bachelorette in August, but they admitted to Us Weekly that they dont have any concrete wedding plans yet. No dates, no months, no venue, Kufrin explained, before Yrigoyen contributed his hopes for the big day: I would say the fall of whatever year we choose because she loves the fall. The only thing they have discussed is their catering preference for the wedding. The only thing that weve talked about that we want are food trucks, Kufrin joked. I want a great taco truck and a ton of Skee-Ball machines so everyone can just play games. She also said that she would consider a televised wedding, but that it may be a bit much to remain in the public eye. Theyve Confirmed That Theyre Still Engaged But Have Yet to Set a Wedding Date Well see, I dont know, she explained. I think well cross that bridge when it comes. Id be happy if we decided to and Id be happy about it being really private too. She added that her mother has urged her to lay low. We dont know, she said. I think right now my mom would kill me if I did anything more on TV. Shes like, Just take a break from it all. This is not the first time that Kufrin has been engaged. She was briefly set to marry former Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr., who proposed to her during the season 22 finale. They broke the engagement off when when Luyendyk decided he wanted to be with runner-up Lauren Burnham instead. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/becca-kufrin-garrett-yrigoyen-still-together-engaged/ |
Is Jeep Working Up a Raptor-Rivaling Gladiator Hercules Off-Roader? | Brett T. Evans Photographers: Jeep Gladiator Forum According to insiders speaking to the Jeep Gladiator Forum, Jeep is working on a high-performance variant of the recently revealed 2020 Gladiator pickup, reportedly called Hercules. The Jeep Hercules would likely feature a long-travel suspension, increased track width, and potentially a higher-performance powertrain, giving Jeep a rival to the larger Ford F-150 Raptor and similarly sized Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. According to the Jeep Gladiator Forum, which created the Hercules renderings seen here, one of the sources of the rumor is Mark Allen, the head of Jeeps design team. In an interview given at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show (where the Gladiator was officially revealed), Allen alluded to a high-speed off-road Jeep for the future. It makes the most sense for Jeep to base such a vehicle off of the Gladiators platform. The pickup boasts the longest wheelbase of any current Jeep, portending improved stability when traversing the desert at high speed. The Gladiator Hercules would also be a money-printing machine for Jeep, given that the truck platform shares much with the likely cheaper Jeep Wrangler JL. Its likely that modifying the Gladiator with a long-travel suspension and revised geometry would be a relatively insignificant investment compared to how much people might be willing to pay for the truck. The Hercules would also be a perfect entre for Jeep to put a Hemi V-8 under the hood of a Wrangler derivative. Jeep is on an aggressive march toward modernizing its lineup, with the all-new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer fullsize SUVs due in a couple years, as well as a redesign for the Grand Cherokee coming soon. Given those priorities, we predict well see a Gladiator Hercules no earlier than the 2021 model year, around the same time early demand for the regular pickup will start to wane. And as much as we love the regular Gladiator, we frankly cant wait to learn if these Hercules rumors prove true. Source: Jeep Gladiator Forum | http://www.fourwheeler.com/news/1901-is-jeep-working-up-a-raptor-rivaling-gladiator-hercules-off-roader/ |
What Does Colton Underwood Do for Work? | Colton Underwood has been on various reality television shows over the past year, leaving him little time to work. Fortunately, Underwood doesnt have a typical 9-5 job that he needed to leave in order to participate in the various Bachelor franchise shows hes agreed to appear on. Underwood is the founder of the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation and dedicates his time to raising money and awareness for people with cystic fibrosis. Heres what you need to know: He Is Very Involved in His Charity In 2018, Underwood decided to shift his day-to-day focus to his charity, the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation. The Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation is a non-profit organization that was created by former NFL player, Colton Underwood to provide resources for research and support of people living with cystic fibrosis. We work to empower people with Cystic Fibrosis to dream big and live life fully while managing their health and medical challenges, reads a description of the non-profit on its website. Underwood serves as the organizations founder. He is heavily involved in a variety of projects and fundraisers that the charity runs each year. He Used to Play Football & Was Signed to the Practice Squads of Various NFL Teams Underwood grew up in Illinois and attended Illinois State University, where he played college football. After graduation, he went on to play in the NFL. In 2014, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers but was waived three months later. In September of that same year, Underwood was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad but was only a part of the organization for six days. Over the next year or so, Underwood bounced around quite a bit. He went back to the Chargers, inking a deal to the teams practice squad. The following year, he was placed on injured reserve. In December 2015, he joined the Raiders practice squad and was released the following August 29. Underwood never played in an NFL game. He Used to Own a Bar in Illinois Back in 2016, Underwood decided to open a restaurant. The establishment, called 4th & Goal Grill, was located in Washington, Illinois. After taking over the bar, he and his dad Scott remodeled it together. According to the Peoria Journal Star, Underwood was interested in this aspect of the food and beverage industry because he felt that it has similarities to playing sports as far as the restaurant business being a fast-paced environment and a high-pressure situation. His time in California influenced some of the menu offerings, including a kale salad. But the bill of fare also features things like the atomic firebomb panko-breaded macaroni and cheese with jalapeno, green chile, and honey sriracha aioli. Meat and fish on the menu which, among other items, features pizzas, sandwiches, wings, and burgers comes from Alwan & Sons and Dixon Fisheries, the Peoria Journal Star reported. While he had a pretty good run, Underwood sold the eatery in April 2018, after filming The Bachelorette. His aunt and uncle bought the place, renaming it Brickhouse BBQ. The restaurant has pretty decent online reviews. Hes been busy with his foundation and couldnt get back much. So we talked him into selling it to us, his aunt Sherrie Lucas told the Peoria Journal Star. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/colton-underwood-work-job-bar/ |
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