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Is the LG G3 a worthy addition to 2014's superstar Android lineup? | We have yet another brand new handset to get excited over in this week's Phone Show: the recently announced LG G3. LG's QHD-packing answer to the Galaxy S5, Xperia Z2 and One (M8) adds to an already solid lineup of Android smartphones released in 2014, and after last year's brilliant (but criminally overlooked) LG G2, we couldn't be more excited to get our hands on its predecessor. In this week's show, we put the LG G3 under the scrupulous eye of our mobile gurus Gareth Beavis and John McCann, to find out whether this kid on the block has the grunt to face down its rivals. Click play below, and join us for an in-depth look at the LG G3. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/is-the-lg-g3-a-worthy-addition-to-2014-s-superstar-android-lineup-1251189 |
What are some of the new tax laws for 2019? | CPA talks tax time with Chamber Certified Public Accountant Alyssa N. Wright was the speaker at the first Chamber of Commerce meeting of the new year. Wright went over implications of the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and tax changes and judging by the packed room at the Historic USO Building, there was a lot of interest in the topic. After joking that she has not read the entire 2,600 pages of the 2019 IRS tax code, Wright launched into an apparently thorough discussion of changes to tax laws for both businesses and individuals. For small businesses, she said top issues include the Section 199A deduction, which allows taxpayers other than corporations a deduction of 20 percent of qualified business income earned in a qualified trade or business, subject to some issues. She added that the corporate tax rate is now 21 percent across the board, effective tax years beginning Jan. 1, 2018. Wright said that in what she called an unfortunate development, entertainment expenses are no longer deductible although people can deduct 50 percent of the cost of business meals if they or their employee are present at the event and the food or beverages are not considered lavish or extravagant. Wright also noted that carryback of net operation losses (NOLs) is repealed effective for tax years ending after Dec. 31, 2017. On the individual taxpayers side, she said, tax rates have changed. Though there are still set tax brackets for individual tax payers, many will find that they are in a lower tax bracket under this new system, Wright said. She said that the new law increased the standard deduction through 2025 but has no personal exemptions. She predicted that this will mean more taxpayers will end up using the standard deduction. New standard deductions include the following: $12,000 for single and married filing separately $18,000 for heads of household, and $24,000 for joint filers and surviving spouses. There have been increases in estate and gift tax exemptions. In 2018 estate tax exemption is $11.18 million. It will be $11.4 million in 2019. The 2018 and 2019 gift tax annual exclusion is $15,000. Wright cautions, however, that people should still look into estate planning even for smaller estates. She added that estate planning is more than minimizing estate taxes and includes updating documents, repurposing insurance, ensuring privacy and maintaining asset protection. Many things do have tax consequences that we often don't think about until it is too late, she said. These can include changing jobs, having children, planning for retirement, receiving a promotion with a raise, and transitioning parents to long-term care. Wright noted that many tax changes are temporary and sunset after 2025, and several changes need guidance for more clarity. She said that there are new tax brackets for 2018: basically what we are seeing here is the rates have been reduced and the brackets have been extended. She added that one of the biggest changes is the increase to standard deductions. In addition, tax legislation also removed the ability to deduct certain itemized deductions and charitable contributions can only reduce the tax bill for those who choose to itemize on their taxes. The fee or penalty for not having health insurance will be in effect for 2018. This is $695 per adult up to a family maximum of $2,085 or 2.5 percent of household income whichever is greater, unless you qualify for an exemption. Wright said, however, that the penalty has been reduced to zero in 2019. Provisions that expired at the end of 2017 include a tax exclusion for canceled mortgage debt, mortgage insurance premium deductibility and above-the-line deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses. In another interesting development, she said, virtual currency transactions are reportable and taxable as property transactions and payments made using virtual currency to service providers are reportable and taxable. Wright said 401k contribution limits did increase for 2018. The amount for taxpayers 50 and over remained the same but will increase in 2019. IRA contribution limits remained the same for 2018, but will increase to $6,000 for 2019. In response to a question about the government shutdown, Wright said that the last she heard is that tax refunds will still be released as normal. Tax season is due to begin January 28. Wright encouraged people to visit accountants as quickly as possible and to prepare returns ahead of time to file as soon as they are allowed. For more information on tax changes, see irs.gov/taxreform | http://www.gridleyherald.com/news/20190109/what-are-some-of-new-tax-laws-for-2019 |
Can Mansfield Town bounce back to extend struggling Yeovil Towns miserable run? | Struggling Yeovil Town arrive at the One Call Stadium without a win in 10 games on Saturday with Mansfield Town boss David Flitcroft sympathetic to the problems faced by opposite number Darren Way. They started off so well, which didnt surprise me as we played them early doors and they were a really good team, said Flitcroft as Stags aim to bounce back from a first loss in 18 games. Darren had assembled a group of good players, even though his budget is probably one of the lowest in the league. Yeovil is so difficult to get to, its a hard place to attract players to. But he keeps finding gems. He is always finding young players who then move on, so he is always chasing his tail. Probably some of that inconsistency in performance is due to that, maybe not picking the same team. They did put some good results together, but they have not found the consistency weve had. Former Stags striker Yoann Arquin has committed himself for the second half of the season, extending his initial six-month deal. Algerian defender Adel Gafaiti has also extended his contract at Huish Park for the remainder of the campaign after originally joining on a month-to-month contract in November. However, fellow defender Shaun Donnellan has left them after having his contract terminated by mutual consent. The 22-year-old joined the Glovers on an 18-month contract in January last year, arriving from West Bromwich Albion. Loanees Enes Mahmutovic and Omari Patrick have also returned to their parent clubs while winger Wes McDonald has left the club after the expiry of his short-term contract. | https://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/can-mansfield-town-bounce-back-to-extend-struggling-yeovil-town-s-miserable-run-1-9528630 |
Which is the best T-Mobile phone? | Everything you need to know about T-Mobile It's not big news, but apparently Britain loves cheese and places with names like North Piddle, according to T-Mobile. We can see the appeal, but here at TechRadar, what we really love is lots of everything. Except spiders. Alongside its more traditional plans and Flexible Boosters, T-Mobile has announced the Full Monty plan. Laid bare, the plan offers truly unlimited calls, texts and data. Should you need it, the last of those is tether-able; a massive bonus in today's world. On top of that is unlimited use of T-Mobile and BT Openzone hotspots. For others who do not require so much, Pay Monthly plans come with an 'Unlimited Booster'. These provide either unlimited texts, landline calls or T-Mobile calls and are interchangeable. With these plans, there are four data options; None, Basic, Standard and Extra. Basic internet provides a mere 250MB of mobile browsing a month to cater for the more occasional user. This increases to 750MB and 1.5GB as you move up, and both the Standard and Extra plans do throw in a further 3GB of Wi-Fi data. Fixed plans are also around for those who frequently overspend, or for parents/carers of those who do. Working as a mixture of contract and PAYG, these plans not only stop you from going over your limits, but they also come with a range of Flexible Boosters to change as you want. One thing you can't change though is your phone, so you'd better get a good one. Here's our list of the best five: BlackBerry Bold 9900 Until the announcement of the iPhone, BlackBerry was the businessman's phone of choice, for their superb secure-mailing system, and easy-to-use keyboards. Continuing this legacy is the Bold 9900. It packs a superb touch screen to show off OS7 and NFC technology, on top of a fast processor to cope with just about anything you throw at it - just a shame it's still so expensive. Read our full BlackBerry Bold 9900 review Samsung Galaxy S3 Replacing a phone that could be on this list, the Galaxy S2, comes Samsung's latest flagship Galaxy phone. We can't speak highly enough of the Galaxy S3, as it brings a superb Super AMOLED HD screen, NFC, 8MP Full HD recording camera and a "blazingly-fast" 1.4GHz quad-core processor. Unsurprisingly, it comes with Ice Cream Sandwich, but Jelly Bean is looking very likely. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S3 review Sony Xperia S Following a high-profile divorce settlement of around 1.05 billion, Sony has brought its new flagship device to market. Just looking at it, you know it's a phone that you're not going to be ashamed of showing off to your friends. You won't be disappointed with the innards either, as you'll find NFC, and a truly fantastic 12MP camera atop a dual core processor. It's not the fastest phone around, but it's certainly a lot more cost-effective. Read our full Sony Xperia S review LG Optimus 4X HD Looking at it, you can tell the Optimus 4X HD is a smart phone. LG might not have the reputation of the likes of Samsung or HTC when it comes to producing high-end devices, but, as the name suggests, the LG Optimus 4X HD comes with a quad-core 1.5 GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 chip, 8MP camera, NFC and the impressive Android Ice Cream Sandwich to hold it all together. It's also cost-competitive with a number of dual-core phones, which may help the ailing brand in the smartphone market. Read our full LG Optimus 4X HD review Apple iPhone 4S Like the aforementioned Galaxy S2, this is a phone that we have mentioned once or twice before. It's rather difficult not to though, as it has a swift dual-core processor and stunning Retina display, supported by a well-regulated and well-stocked App store. The iPhone 4S might not be the revolutionary device that the original iPhone was, but, with what it brings to the market, it doesn't need to be - although we'd recommend you wait for the new iPhone if you're thinking about purchasing this right now. Read our full Apple iPhone 4S review | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/which-is-the-best-t-mobile-phone-1075618 |
Why was John Bercow's Brexit amendment ruling so controversial? | Get politics updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email John Bercow sparked furious Commons scenes as MPs argued over the potential process of how to bring forward a Brexit plan B. The Commons Speaker faced a backlash from Conservative MPs after selecting a proposal from Tory former minister Dominic Grieve, which attempts to speed up the process for the Government to reveal what it will do next if Theresa May's deal is rejected. Mr Grieve's amendment was tabled against a Government motion detailing the timetable for the Brexit deal debate, which Tory MPs argued was "unamendable". But Mr Bercow stood by his decision to allow a vote on the amendment - which was ultimately approved by 308 votes to 297, majority 11 - amid personal criticism and calls for him to go from Tory MPs during more than 60 minutes of points of order. (Image: AFP/Getty Images) The furore over the Speaker's decision to allow a vote on a Brexit amendment leads many of the front pages on Thursday. Here are the key questions after a dramatic day in Westminster. Mr Bercow selected a proposal from former minister Dominic Grieve, which attempts to speed up the process for the Government to reveal what it will do next if Theresa May's deal is rejected. Mr Grieve's amendment was tabled against a Government motion detailing the timetable for the Brexit deal debate. It said the Government should return with a revised EU exit plan within three sitting days if the Prime Minister's deal is defeated next week. MPs heard the original process outlined in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which requires a statement within 21 days, takes precedence. Mr Bercow allowed a vote on the amendment which was ultimately approved by 308 votes to 297, majority 11. Ministers argued that the Government-tabled motion was not amendable and so Mr Grieve's amendment should not have been tabled for a vote. The original business motion was put "forthwith", which was previously taken to mean that it should be dealt with without a debate or chance of amendment. The Speaker, who presides over the House of Commons, makes decisions based on the rules of the House and can be advised by Parliamentary Clerks. Following criticism from the Conservative benches, he said "I'm trying to do the right thing and make the right judgments. That is what I have tried to do and what I will go on doing." During various points of order, he said he allowed the amendment to be voted on "not because I am setting myself up against the Government, but because I am championing the rights of the House of Commons". Crispin Blunt was among those to question the Speaker's lack of bias, saying many will have the "unshakeable conviction that the referee is no longer neutral". The Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom said there were "some concerns" about his decision and asked him to confirm it was taken with "full advice" from the Commons clerk Sir David Natzler. Mr Bercow said he had consulted privately with the clerk and other officials, but did not confirm his decision was taken with agreement from Sir David. From "out of order!" to "Speaker of the Devil", many papers have levelled criticism at Mr Bercow. The Daily Mail has called him an "egotistical preening popinjay (who) has shamelessly put his anti-Brexit bias before the national interest - and is a disgrace to his office", while the Daily Express accused Mr Bercow of "flouting rules to thwart Brexit". The Daily Telegraph accuses Mr Bercow of "ignoring legal advice and parliamentary precedent" but the paper's leader says it may turn out to be a positive move, writing: "Even if he has done it for the wrong reasons, the decision to bring matters to a head is arguably the correct one." | https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/john-bercows-brexit-amendment-ruling-13836546 |
Is Chrome OS to have remote desktop 'Chromoting'? | An email from a Google engineer has revealed that the company is bringing in Chromoting for Chrome OS essentially a remote desktop so you can use more traditional software programs. With Chrome OS due to make an appearance before the end of the year, the excitement is building over Google's operating system which is essentially built around a browser. But fears over programs that simply do not practically run in the cloud may be allayed somewhat by the revelation that Chromoting will allow you to run 'legacy PC applications right within the browser'. Chromoting the OS The Register has found an email by Google software engineer Gary Kamark that outlines the Chromoting functionality. "We're adding new capabilities all the time," the email reads. "With this functionality, Chrome OS will not only be [a] great platform for running modern web apps, but will also enable you to access legacy PC applications right within the browser." Google is working hard to iron out the problems with the concept of a browser-led operating system, with simple tasks like printing still causing consternation despite the announcement of Google Print Cloud. | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/operating-systems/software/is-chrome-os-to-have-remote-desktop-chromoting-695772 |
Why did Secret Escapes say it hadnt received my booking? | I spoke to the company on the phone, but they told me they had no record of the reservation We booked a holiday to Iceland with Secret Escapes and paid with Barclaycard. We received an emailed confirmation of the itinerary. Three months later, we called with a question about the holiday and were told there was no booking in our name and that no payment had been made. We contacted Secret Escapes multiple times asking what was being done and had to relay the events every time as no information was showing on its system. Every time we were told someone would ring back but they never did. I began pricing up alternative packages to Iceland only to find they were either a lot more expensive or fully booked. YS, Grantham Secret Escapes says that yours is a unique case because the booking was made over the phone rather than online, and the agent misheard the email address and so entered it incorrectly. This, explains the company, meant that the booking was not visible in your account. Tracking this down took a little time and, as a result of this case, we have made changes to our call-handling, it says. This does not explain how the company was able to email the confirmation to the correct address. You have since been refunded after raising a dispute with Barclaycard which retrieved the money from Secret Escapes. The company has now added 100 in goodwill and says it wanted to provide you with complimentary tours of Iceland to make amends, but you have booked a holiday elsewhere with another provider. 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/10/secret-escapes-iceland-booking-lost |
Do legal fees apply if a house sale falls through? | Q My daughter is in the process of buying a house, but has not yet exchanged contracts. However, she is thinking of pulling out of the purchase because the surveyors report says the property will need a lot of repairs as well as the removal and disposal of asbestos found in the structure of the garage walls. This is the quote that my daughter received from her solicitor back in October: Fee in relation to your 330,000 leasehold purchase would be a fixed fee of 1,160 plus VAT plus 75 plus VAT for completion of the Stamp Duty Land Tax Return and a fee of 25 plus VAT per bank transfer that we make. The anticipated costs associated with your purchase would be; 30 plus VAT for electronic conveyancing; Stamp Duty Land Tax as set out in the attached client registration form; 135 payable to the Land Registry for registering you as owner of the property at the Land Registry. Please note that this fee will double if the property is a new build; 500 which we will request from you on account of identity checks required against you in order for us to comply with the Anti-Money Laundering legislation and property searches. NB searches in the Local Area usually cost around 375 and any credit will be applied against your bill on completion. GM A The fact that your daughter has not yet exchanged contracts means that she has not yet paid a deposit to the seller of the property, so she is not at risk of losing that money if she does pull out of the purchase. She would not have to pay all the fees detailed in the solicitors quote as all but the last 500 for identity checks and property searches assuming that these have already been done wont apply if she pulls out. However, her solicitor may make a charge for informing the sellers solicitor of her decision not to go through with the purchase. She will also have to pay for the surveyors report, although it may be possible for her to recoup her costs. It has been known for an estate agent to arrange for the surveyors report to be sold to the next prospective purchaser of the property, if one is found relatively quickly so that the report is still up to date. | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/10/do-legal-fees-apply-if-a-house-sale-falls-through |
What does tech chart indicate for TCS and Infosys ahead of Q3 nos? | The index appears strong as it has managed to hold 200-day moving average (DMA) on the daily The said moving average is rising continuously taking the prices higher with every new trading session. Every dip below 200-DMA has witnessed buying for short-term trading, the suggests. Currently, the 100-DMA is witnessing resistance as the price could not procure follow-up buying. On October 30, 2018, the index climbed above 14,821 after breaking 13,870, its 200-DMA; however, it failed to move higher as the immediate session closed in the negative zone. Thereon, the stock has recovered, hitting 15,062 - above its 100-DMA of 14,940. The index, however, has failed again as follow-up buying has not emerged, the suggests. CLICK TO VIEW CHART At the current level of 14,325, the index is witnessing immediate resistance of 50-DMA located at 14,887. The overall trend remains stable till index is honouring the 200-DMA, indicated by the daily chart. TCS: The stock has been continuously trading above 200-DMA on the daily chart, even when benchmark indices witnessed correction recently. The negative crossover of 100-DMA over 50-DMA has impacted the trend as per chart. The current level of 100-DMA is Rs 1,953 and 50-DMA is Rs 1,926 - its immediate resistance range. The level of Rs 1,872 stays as the support of 200-DMA as per chart. A strong decisive breakout above Rs 1,953 will lead to Rs 2,030 and further to Rs 2,070, chart suggests. The weekly chart shows strong support in the range between Rs 1,750 - Rs 1,800 for the medium term, the level witnessed buying during October and November last year. Infosys: The overall trend for indicates a bullish view as per the daily chart. A close above Rs 685 may see a rally towards Rs 714 which will fuel more buying leading towards Rs 740 level, chart suggests. Currently, the stock is too resilient to trade below 200-DMA located at Rs 620 on the daily chart. The 50-DMA is located at Rs 663, its immediate support. The weekly chart indicates minor resistance at Rs 700 level, however, the "doji" candle stick pattern indicates positive rally as stock trades above high of Rs 677 level. | https://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/what-does-tech-chart-indicate-for-tcs-and-infosys-ahead-of-q3-nos-119011000381_1.html |
Why is everyone talking about Alia's sleeves? | January 10, 2019 11:36 IST The actor looked every inch the Bollywood diva for the trailer launch of Gully Boy. Alia Bhatt just showed us a new way of wearing sleeves. The actor, who chose a Jonathan Simkhai dress from Le Mill for the trailer launch of Gully Boy, finished off the epic style with detachable sleeves. For a second, Alia had us confused about whether she was wearing gloves or sleeves! A huge fan of the off-shoulder look, Simkhai has a flair of experimenting with the sleeves. And while it is not certain whether the designer added those funky sleeves or it was a last minute addition, we must say that Alia rocked the look like a boss. Scroll down to take a look at her pics! Alia looks fabulous as always! Photographs: Courtesy Alia Bhatt/Instagram She paired the outfit with coral boots and big, round ear hoops. Alia's got swag. | https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/glamour-why-is-everyone-talking-about-alias-sleeves/20190110.htm |
Whos the best striker in the Football League? | We all know how the song goes... And Doncaster Rovers hot shot John Marquis is currently the best striker in not just the Football League but across Englands top four divisions. No one in the Premier League or EFL has scored more goals in domestic competitions this season than Marquis. The 26-year-old - nominated for Decembers League One Player of the Month award - took his tally to 19 for the season by scoring again in Rovers superb 3-1 FA Cup win at Preston. Tranmeres James Norwood is on 18 and former Rovers star Billy Sharp has bagged 17 for Sheffield United. Marquis has scored nine goals in his last 11 games. In 131 appearances for Doncaster he has found the net 60 times. | https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers/who-s-the-best-striker-in-the-football-league-1-9529184 |
Will 2019 see people lose more privacy to the state? | A theme of the new year is the possibility of a malign confrontation between the world's greatly enhanced capacity for electronic surveillance and the weakening of democratic control. The antidote to that risk is democratic spirit and civil freedom - both of which are suffering worldwide. The world's two most populous states, China and India - together, around 37 per cent of the global population - have rolled out nationwide digital systems of monitoring and classification. These combine the collection of personal information needed for fuller citizenship with the capacity for fuller surveillance and intervention by the state. China's system overtly seeks to monitor the behaviour of its 1.4 billion people and to reward those actions the state (read: Communist Party) defines as "good" or punish those it defines as "bad". The country's "social credit system" combines face, voice and fingerprint recognition technology with monitoring of public and private behaviour such as Internet use, educational choices and social networks, as well as a web of paid informants who report unusual activities. The Chinese government uses these elements to produce a picture of each person's social, political, professional and private activities - and awards points that aid career and other choices - or punishes anti-social or anti-Party behaviour by depriving citizens of rights, promotions and travel possibilities. The official description of the system claims that it "will allow the trustworthy to roam freely under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step". It already assigns rewards and punishments: 2019 is the year in which coverage is aimed to be completed so as to monitor everyone in the country by next year. India's Aadhaar (foundation in Hindi) national identity card technology aims to be as comprehensive as the Chinese model but is not designed to be as intrusive. It began as a voluntary initiative, the brainchild of software entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani, who wanted to make "every Indian, no matter how poor or marginalised, visible to the state". Since last year, it ceased to be a choice in several Indian states, and the ambition is to make it compulsory, with plans to link it to access to needed commodities, higher education, government subsidies and healthcare. Complaints that Aadhaar breaches the right to privacy are lodged with the courts, and a battle is joined between civil libertarians and the state. The economist Reetika Khera wrote in The Washington Post in August last year that the system constitutes "one of the most brazen breaches of the right to privacy and the right to live initiated by the government of a democratic country". Western democracies don't have China-size - or even India-size - digital ambitions. But in the aftermath of the 2013 publication of documents taken from the US National Security Agency, many of their secret services have been given legal power to monitor all their citizens' communications - though with increased legal safeguards. The danger is not in the technology. Mature democracies, whose courts, media outlets and institutions of civil society remain free and vigilant, can ensure that technological use is consonant with the need to counter threats, or secure efficiency in the public sphere. They can also ensure that debate on the use of technology is robust and that public opinion is heard, and can change policy. The predictions of democratic failure in the face of authoritarian power will come true only if the public allows it. The writer co-founded the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. | https://www.tnp.sg/news/views/will-2019-see-people-lose-more-privacy-state |
What is Universal Basic Income? | Sikkim will be the first state in India to roll out the Universal Basic Income or UBI, with the ruling party Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) including it in its manifesto ahead of the states Assembly election this year. Advertising The Universal Basic Income, implementation of which has repeatedly been debated in India, seeks to alleviate poverty by providing a basic income to all citizens of a particular state or geographical area, irrespective of their income, social standing, or employment status. The idea behind a basic income is that all are entitled to a reasonable income, notwithstanding their contribution to the economy. The BIEN (Basic Income Earth Network) a network of academicians advocating for UBI to all describes basic income as a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement. It characterises the basic income in five divisions Periodic (being paid at regular intervals, not lump sum), cash payment (not in kind or vouchers, leaving it on the recipient to spend it as they like), individual (not to households or families), universal (for all), and unconditional (irrespective of income or prospects of job). Advertising But the implementation of the scheme is not void of challenges. One of the key arguments against it is that people would rely on the timely cash transfers and not aspire for work and fail to contribute to production. However, the Economic Survey of India 2016-17 painted a different picture while advocating for the UBI. Then Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian compared its benefits with that of welfare schemes it can replace, concluding that UBI could be a choice over current entitlements including the Public Distribution System (PDS) that provides subsidies to the vulnerable. How the UBI amount is determined is not a one-time exercise. It is determined by inflation in the economy. The Economic Survey 2017, however, suggested a constant share of the GDP for its consumption, estimated at 4.9% of the Gross Domestic Product. A 40-page chapter, called Universal Basic Income: A Conversation With and Within the Mahatma, outlined the UBI in three components universality, unconditionality, and agency (by providing support in the form of cash transfers to respect, not dictate, recipients choices). The chapter argues how the idea of a basic income conflicted with the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi. Subramanian, a keen defendant of the idea, had then said Gandhi would have had objections to it, including giving charity to able-bodied persons, costing the government 5-10 per cent of the GDP, and men misusing the money. Arguing in favour, Subramanian had said, The first thing that I will tell Gandhiji is that today the government spends a lot of money on schemes to help the poor. Today there are at least 1000 schemes that the central government runs for the poor It is not clear that the money actually reaches the poor. So the question is whether the UBI is a more effective way of reaching the poor that the current schemes that government employs. The idea was reflected in the surveys 9th chapter which said: It is not an accident that Universal Basic Income has been embraced both by thinkers of the Left and of the Right. The Narendra Modi-led government was also known to be considering implementing the Universal Basic Income for all citizens of the country, giving unconditional cash transfer of about Rs 10,000-15,000 on an annual basis. A pilot project by the Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) was implemented in Madhya Pradesh from June 2011 to November 2012, where unconditional cash transfers (UCT) were provided to the people. Citing the study, the Economic Survey 2016-17 claimed that people become more productive when they get a basic income. A Universal Basic Income promotes many of the basic values of a society which respects all individuals as free and equal. It promotes liberty because it is anti-paternalistic, opens up the possibility of flexibility in labour markets. It promotes equality by reducing poverty. It promotes efficiency by reducing waste in government transfers. And it could, under some circumstances, even promote greater productivity, it further read. Advertising Whether the basic income will work in a country of over 120 crore, and how is a matter for bigger discussions, but with Sikkim taking the charge, it adds another feather to the cap of the state which is ahead in several other areas- its literacy rate is 98 percent, and the state assembly, in December last year, approved the one family, one job scheme to create over 16,000 jobs. The BPL percentage has come down from 41.43% in 1994 to 8.19% in 2011-12. | https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-universal-basic-income-sikkim-5531367/ |
How long will the fall in jeera prices continue? | Ravindra Rao Jeera/cumin futures have been falling consistently since November 2018 as sowing gained momentum and the weather turned conducive for yield. Robust exports this season earlier pushed prices toward 20,500. Scanty rains in Gujarat (the largest jeera-growing state) and delay in harvesting of kharif crops led to the slow start of jeera sowing. This kept the undertone positive for the spice till end-October. Nevertheless, despite drought conditions, jeera sowing increased as lucrative returns for two consecutive years led farmers to opt for jeera. Gujarat farm ministry data show that the area sown with jeera, at 3.45 lakh hectares by late November, down 37% from 2017-18, is now just 9.7% lower than last year. Moreover, compared to the three-year average, sowing is 8% higher. In the second-largest jeera-growing state, Rajasthan, the sown area is more than last year; however, no official data are available. Availability of canal water and conducive weather would increase the yield this season and offset acreage losses to some extent. Jeera output in 2018-19 may hover around last year's level. However, the weather is still the determinant for yield as the crop is now in its crucial growth phase. A large quantity of the 2017-18 produce has been consumed this season due to greater overseas sales in 2018. India exported around 1.43 lakh tonnes of jeera in FY17-18 and exports in FY18-19 are likely to be around 1.75 lakh tonnes. Thus, stocks will be lower this season. Export and domestic demand are currently subdued and traders are awaiting the new crop arrivals. The new season crop would commence from January-end in Gujarat and from March in Rajasthan. However, due to delayed sowing, arrivals will be lower in February. After a significant fall, technical bounce cannot be ruled out, but the undertone for jeera remains bearish amid subdued domestic and overseas demand, better crop prospects and the peak arrival period ahead. The adverse weather may bring about a temporary spike in prices, but may not last very long ahead of the harvesting. The author is Head Commodity Research & Advisory, Anand Rathi Commodities. The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on Moneycontrol are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. | https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/commodities/commodity-wrap-how-long-will-the-fall-in-jeera-continue-3374141.html |
Who is DRC president elect Felix 'Fatshi' Tshisekedi? | Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC's Union for Democracy and Social Progress opposition party has won the long-delayed presidential election, the electoral commission announced early Thursday. File picture: Ben Curtis/AP Kinshasa - The son of Democratic Republic of Congo's veteran opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi has taken the prize that eluded his late father - the presidency. On Thursday he was named by election officials as the provisional winner of an historic election in the country. He is the head of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), a party founded by his father Etienne who spent decades as the country's main opposition leader but died in February last year. His father Etienne founded the country's oldest and largest opposition party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and went on to spend decades as the country's main opposition leader but died in February last year - with Tshisekedi junior taking over. Known to his friends as "Fatshi", the portly 55-year-old is set to replace President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the volatile, poverty-stricken nation with an iron fist since 2001. But for a while, it looked like he wouldn't even to be on the ballot. On November 11, Tshisekedi joined six other opposition leaders to rally behind a single unity candidate, Martin Fayulu, to take on Kabila's handpicked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. But the deal drew a furious response from his supporters, prompting him and fellow opposition leader Vital Kamerhe to abandon the deal and run on a joint ticket, effectively weakening and splitting the opposition. The pair had previously agreed that if they won, Kamerhe would become Tshisekedi's prime minister. Since his father founded the UDPS in 1982, the party has served as an opposition mainstay in the former Belgian colony -- first under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, then under Kabila's father Laurent-Desire Kabila, who ruled from 1997 until his death in 2001. A father of five, Tshisekedi goes to the same Pentecostal church as Fayulu in Kinshasa, the capital. Although Tshisekedi does not enjoy the same degree of popularity as his father, he has risen steadily through the party ranks. "Etienne was stubborn and proud," said one keen observer of the country's opposition. "Felix is more diplomatic, more conciliatory, more ready to listen to others." - Rooting out corruption - In 2008, he became national secretary for external relations and was elected to the national assembly in 2011 as representative for Mbuji-Mayi, the country's third city. However, he never took up his seat as he did not formally recognise his father's 2011 election defeat to Kabila. A month after his father's death, Tshisekedi was elected as party head. Although he holds a Belgian diploma in marketing and communication, his opponents point out that he has never held high office or had managerial experience. And some detractors have even suggested his diploma is not valid. After announcing his bid to run for the presidency, Tshisekedi promised a return to the rule of law, to fight the "gangrene" of corruption and to bring peace to the east of the country. AFP | https://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/who-is-drc-president-elect-felix-fatshi-tshisekedi-18763339 |
What Happens after a Facelift? | No one has found the fountain of youth, but some people have found a really good plastic surgeon. A good surgeon will make subtle changes to your face that will take off 10+ years without changing how you look. Facelifts used to be deemed for the extremely rich or celebrity status person. Yet now, facelifts, the A-class of all facial enhancements, are done all the time by everyday women and men. Facelift operations There are around half a dozen different types of facelifts. An experienced facelift surgeon will tell you which one suits your age best. Face and neck lifts, for example, are suitable for older patients who have lost elasticity in those areas. Accordingly, each type will have its own downtime and complete recovery. Facelifts used to consist of general anaesthesia, at least one overnight hospital stay, thick and large dressings, and an uncomfortable and long recovery period. While general anaesthesia is still of course used, local anaesthesia, administered Intravenous (IV) that gives the patient light sedation rather than the heavy sedation or general anaesthesia, might be used instead depending on the procedure. This means patients only have to stay under professional care for just a few hours. Dressings are light and drains may no longer be needed. Surgical drains are what remove fluids in the body after an operation. Doctors now will use advanced wound-healing technology that will help the downtime speed up. Tightness You can return to your normal life a week to two weeks after the surgery. During this time, the oft most thing you will notice is a feeling of tightness around the neck. While this could cause some soreness when swallowing, tight is good! The whole point of a facelift is to tighten your skin, so some extra soreness around the area will diminish in a few days. The same is true if youre having problems turning your neck. You will also notice your chin area is not flat yet, but sort of concaved. All this is normal during the downtime. Lumps and bumps Its not uncommon to have irregularities of the skin after the procedure because the operation deals with deep tissues, muscles, fats, etc. then the skin is re-draped over all that. This is bound to cause the swelling and bruising we see on patients. Again, this starts to diminish day after day. Numbness and swelling These two symptoms happen, yet their duration will depend on the nature of the patient. Some patients just recover quicker. Numbness can happen because some of the smaller nerves need time to rewire themselves. Swelling is obvious, and especially around the ears where incisions are made. These factors are a normal part of recovery. Although the recovery isnt very pretty, the results definitely are. Post-operation symptoms are all normal. If you follow the after-care instructions of a reputable doctor, your facelift will be one great investment. Remember that its always recommended to do it months in advance before any big event so that everything settles down nicely, and then you can show off your younger looking face. | http://geniusbeauty.com/cosmetics/facelift-discussed-what-really-happens-when-get-facelift/ |
Is Supreme Court poised to make history in cross case? | A Missouri city is an interested spectator in a legal battle over the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, the outcome for the city of Ozark will be decided 1,047 miles away in Bladensburg, Md., in a case involving a 93-year-old World War I monument featuring a cross. More importantly, the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear the case Feb. 27 may see it as an opportunity to demolish the so-called endorsement test used by activist judges in their interpretations of the Establishment Clause, ending a half century of confusing, wrong-headed decisions about whether public displays of religion are unconstitutional. The Establishment Clause is the portion of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from favoring one religion over another. What is the endorsement test? Well, its like grabbing Jell-O. It is convoluted thinking, giving judges the freedom to make it up as they go. To heck with what the Founders intended. Today we call it judicial activism. That is a lot to digest, so lets break it down. In December, Ozark had its annual Christmas lights display that featured a large cross as well as secular items in Finley River Park. An attorney with the Wisconsin-based atheistic Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a threatening letter to Ozark officials. FFRF routinely bullies school districts and local governments anytime it perceives Establishment Clause violations. In most cases, it involves Christian public displays. City officials originally announced they would honor FFRF wishes and remove the cross. Hundreds of citizens complained and after studying the issue, city officials reversed their decision. While plans call for the cross to be moved to nearby private property, the legal question remains if the cross will continue to be part of the Christmas display. This is where the cross monument in Bladensburg, Md., comes in. Some legal observers believe the case gives the Supreme Court an opportunity to adopt a new historical/coercive legal test, replacing the endorsement test. This new test will clarify cases concerning passive displays, reduce factious litigation and promote consistency across cases. The Trump administration, which has filed a friend-of-the-court brief defending the Bladensburg monument, urges the Supreme Court to resolve such cases with reference to the practices of the Founding Fathers. It is a strong case indeed. In the 1983 decision, Marsh v. Chambers dealt with whether legislative bodies could open their sessions with prayer. Lower courts ruled they could not, but in a 6-3 decision the Supreme Court reversed the lower courts, ruling legislative prayers were not Establishment Clause violations. The six judges drew from history to drive home their point: if the practice of paying chaplains who offered public prayers was accepted by the same Framers who voted for the Establishment Clause, then it must be consistent with the Establishment Clause. This is the same reasoning Kennedy applied in the 1989 case County of Allegheny v. ACLU Greater Pittsburgh. The ACLU sued after the courthouse displayed a nativity scene as part of a Christmas display. It was ruled a violation of the Establishment Clause on a 5-4 decision by justices using the endorsement test. However, it was Kennedy who wrote a powerful dissent, perhaps foretelling of things to come in Establishment Clause cases. The dissenters, including Kennedy, looked primarily to history, adding that government violates the Establishment Clause when it coerces Americans to support or participate in religion. He noted Nativity scenes have been celebrated throughout American history and do not coerce anyone. Passersby who disagree with the message conveyed by these displays are free to ignore them, or even to turn their backs, just as they are free to do when they disagree with any other form of government speech. Thus there was no coercion and no violation of the Establishment Clause. Kennedy built on the ideas of historical tradition and coercion in the Town of Greece, N.Y. v. Galloway case in 2014. Writing for a 5-4 majority, Kennedy ruled that the Establishment Clause must be interpreted by reference to historical practices and understandings. Legislative prayer was and is such a practice, Kennedy ruled. Any test the Court adopts must acknowledge a practice that was accepted by the Framers and has withstood the critical scrutiny of time and political change, he wrote. Legal observers believe the U.S. Supreme Court now has five justices who embrace Kennedys historical/coercion tests. If true, it sets the stage for 50 years of judicial activism through the endorsement test on the Establishment Clause to mercifully come to an end. The Bladensburg monument case may tell the tale and Ozark, along with the rest of our nation, will be watching. | http://mbcpathway.com/2019/01/09/is-supreme-court-poised-to-make-history-in-cross-case/ |
Is Apple the world's most popular brand? | Apple has topped a poll of the worlds most high-impact brands, beating giants like Google, Nike, Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Virgin. The Brandchannel poll, conducted among 2,000 people in 107 countries, revealed that Apple has had the greatest impact on peoples lives, winning in six categories. One Brandchannel reader said this of Apples appeal: It has created a revolution in the market and has become more of an addiction for many consumers. They deliver great quality to the consumer and are constantly creating innovative products. Microsoft topped the poll for a different reason, as the brand people would most like to argue with. One respondent said: Microsoft is so widespread and we all use its products, yet they are such frustrating products to use. Very little innovation for the size of the company. Microsoft was also seen as the brand most in need of a revamp, according to Reuters. | https://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/is-apple-the-world-s-most-popular-brand-287540 |
Do trzech razy sztuka. Czy Ozon zapaci gow? | REGULAMIN SERWISU www.gazetaprawna.pl obowizujcy od dnia 6 czerwca 2016 roku Rozdzia I POSTANOWIENIA WSTPNE 1 Usugodawca 1. Usugodawc jest INFOR Biznes sp. z o.o. z siedzib w Warszawie ul. Okopowa 58/72, zarejestrowana w Rejestrze Przedsibiorcw, prowadzonym przez Sd Rejonowy dla m.st. Warszawy XII Wydzia Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sdowego, pod numerem KRS 307225, NIP 527 25 75 823, REGON 141442680, kapita zakadowy 29 421 550 zotych.2. W sprawach zwizanych z zamwieniem, w tym w przypadku problemw z logowaniem oraz w celu wszczcia procedury reklamacyjnej, usugobiorca moe si kontaktowa z Dziaem Obsugi Klienta INFOR PL S.A. ul. Okopowa 58/72, 01-042 Warszawa, czynnym w dni robocze od poniedziaku do pitku w godzinach od 8. do 16. pod numerami telefonu 801 626 666, 22 761 31 27 lub pod adresem e-mail: [email protected] (dalej: Biuro Obsugi Klienta). 2 Serwis 1. Serwis jest zarejestrowany w Sdowym Rejestrze Dziennikw i Czasopism prowadzonym przez Sd Okrgowy w Warszawie VII Wydzia Cywilny Rejestrowy pod nazw www.gazetaprawna.pl i pod numerem: PR 14646. Redaktorem naczelnym Serwisu jest Krzysztof Jedlak. Redakcja Serwisu mieci si w siedzibie usugodawcy.2. Serwis jest wydawany przez usugodawc elektronicznie i umieszczony w domenie www.gazetaprawna.pl oraz jej subdomenach.3. Usugami oferowanymi w ramach Serwisu s w szczeglnoci:a) usuga przegldania, tj. moliwo przegldania i odczytywania przez usugobiorcw materiaw (tekstw, zdj, grafik, danych itd.) zamieszczanych w Serwisie, udostpnianych przez usugodawc w ramach dostpu bezpatnego lub patnego. Dostp do zasobw odbywa si poprzez logicznie wyodrbnione strony WWW o jednoznacznie okrelonym adresie internetowym;b) udostpnianie usugobiorcom e-bookw;c) udostpnianie usugobiorcom kalkulatorw, aktw prawnych, wzorw pism, formularzy i umw, itp. ;d) usuga newslettera, tj. wysyanie listw elektronicznych z wybranymi treciami Serwisu pod adresem elektronicznym usugobiorcy,e) usuga komentarza, na zasadach szczegowo okrelonych w 19 . 3 Zakres zastosowania 1. Niniejszy regulamin (dalej: Regulamin) stanowi regulamin wiadczenia usug elektronicznych w rozumieniu ustawy z 18 lipca 2002 r. o wiadczeniu usug drog elektroniczn i okrela zasady wiadczenia usug za porednictwem Serwisu.2. Usugobiorca zobowizany jest do przestrzegania postanowie Regulaminu od chwili rozpoczcia korzystania z Serwisu.3. W zakresie nieuregulowanym Regulaminem, zastosowanie znajduj take:a) regulaminy akcji promocyjnych, o ktrych mowa w 9;b) regulaminy regulujce zasady dystrybucji dostpu do Serwisu przez podmioty inne ni usugodawca, jeeli dostp przyznawany jest przez te podmioty (np. regulamin sklepu internetowego www.sklep.infor.pl);c) Regulamin Patnoci SMS, odnoszcy si do usugi realizacji patnoci, realizowanej na rzecz usugobiorc przez eCard S.A. z siedzib w Gdasku (zob. 8 ust. 2). 4 Wymagania techniczne 1. Do korzystania z Serwisu niezbdne jest:a) urzdzenie majce dostp do sieci Internet wraz z prawidowo skonfigurowan, aktualn wersj przegldarki internetowej,b) aktywne konto poczty elektronicznej (email).2. W przypadku patnoci SMS, niezbdny jest rwnie dostp do urzdzenia pozwalajcego na wysyk, odbir i odczytywanie SMS. 5 Dostp 1. Dostp do niektrych usug lub niektre czci usug Serwisu moe by uzaleniony od:a) zamwienia usugi (odpatnej lub nieodpatnej),b) wyraenia zgd, o ktrych mowa w 15 lub skorzystania z Kodu Promocyjnego, o ktrym mowa w 9;c) zalogowania.2. Zamwienie usugi odbywa si poprzez formularz zamwienia lub poprzez telesprzeda, zgodnie z Regulaminem. W przypadku zamwienia usugi przez sklep internetowy, o ktrym mowa w 3 ust. 3, do zamwienia stosuje si postanowienia regulaminu tego sklepu.3. Czas dostpu do usugi wymagajcej zalogowania liczony jest od chwili przesania loginu i hasa przez Biuro Obsugi Klienta pod adresem e-mail usugobiorcy, za w przypadku patnoci SMS od wysania usugobiorcy Kodu Dostpu.4. Usugodawca ma prawo odmwi uruchomienia usugi, jeli dane przesane przez usugobiorc s niepoprawne lub niezupene. Rozdzia II ZAMWIENIE 6 Formularz zamwienia 1. Zoenie zamwienia usugi w Serwisie odbywa si poprzez wprowadzenie do systemu teleinformatycznego usugodawcy, na formularzu zamwienia, danych niezbdnych do zindywidualizowania usugobiorcy, w tym przez podanie adresu e-mail usugobiorcy, stanowicego odtd jego login.2. Zoenie zamwienia jest moliwe po zoeniu owiadczenia o akceptacji Regulaminu.3. Przy akcjach promocyjnych usugobiorca ma moliwo, przed zoeniem zamwienia, wprowadzenia Kodu Promocyjnego lub Kodu Rabatowego (zob. 9)4. Zamawiajc dostp do usugi, usugobiorca moe zada rozpoczcia jej wykonywania przed upywem terminu do wykonania prawa do odstpienia (zob. 11). W przypadku nie zoenia takiego dania usugodawca jest uprawniony do wstrzymania dostpu do czasu upywu ww. terminu.5. Proces zamwienia koczy si wciniciem klawisza ZAMAWIAM (dla usug bezpatnych wymagajcych zalogowania) lub ZAMAWIAM Z OBOWIZKIEM ZAPATY (dla usug odpatnych wymagajcych zalogowania).6. Po zoeniu zamwienia, usugobiorca otrzymuje pod adresem email potwierdzenie zawarcia umowy.7. Z zastrzeeniem ust. 8, jeeli haso nie zostao zdefiniowane przez usugobiorc na formularzu zamwienia, jest ono mu przesyane razem z potwierdzeniem zawarcia umowy. Zalogowanie usugobiorcy w Serwisie odbywa si poprzez wprowadzenie do systemu teleinformatycznego usugodawcy jego loginu oraz hasa.8. W przypadku sprzeday z wykorzystaniem patnoci SMS, wraz z potwierdzeniem zawarcia umowy usugodawca otrzymuje link. Aktywacja (kliknicie) tego linku powoduje przejcie do platformy umoliwiajcej patno SMS, zgodnie z Regulaminem Patnoci SMS. Pniejszy dostp do zakupionej treci jest moliwy po wprowadzeniu Kodu Dostpu do systemu informatycznego usugodawcy, przy prbie aktywacji tej treci, do ktrej dostp zosta uprzednio wykupiony.9. Usugobiorca zobowizany jest do zabezpieczenia loginu, hasa, Kodu Promocyjnego, Kodu Rabatowego i Kodu Dostpu przed dostpem osb nieuprawnionych.10. Usugobiorca zobowizany jest do niezwocznego powiadomienia Usugodawcy o zmianie swego adresu e-mail. W przypadku niepoinformowania Usugodawcy o zmianie adresu e-mail, przyjmuje si, e wszelkie owiadczenia i informacje wysane przez Usugodawc do Usugobiorcy pod adresem e-mail podanym przez Usugobiorc w formularzu zamwienia zostay skutecznie dorczone. 7 Telesprzeda 1. Owiadczenia skadane w trakcie rozmowy telefonicznej inicjujcej telesprzeda maj charakter zachty do zawarcia umowy.2. Po odbytej rozmowie, za zgod klienta, usugodawca wysya do niego potwierdzenie treci proponowanej umowy (dalej: Potwierdzenie), zawierajce:a) informacj o danym produkcie,b) Regulamin,c) formularz pozwalajcy na wypenienie lub potwierdzenie danych potrzebnych do zawarcia umowy, a take na zoenie innych owiadcze przewidzianych w Regulaminie.3. Odesanie potwierdzenia treci proponowanej umowy, wraz z prawidowo uzupenionym formularzem, dokonane w drodze elektronicznej w cigu 48h od jego wysania do klienta, bdzie oznaczao zawarcie umowy, chyba e w tym czasie oferowany produkt stanie si niedostpny. W obydwu przypadkach klient zostanie o tym zawiadomiony listem elektronicznym. 8 Patno 1. Z zastrzeeniem ust. 2, Usugobiorca powinien dokona zapaty za usug patn w terminie 14 dni od zawarcia umowy. Zapata nastpuje na podstawie faktury wystawionej przez usugodawc, przelewem na konto bankowe 97 1140 1010 0000 5239 4300 1012.2. Jeeli jednak usugodawca wykupuje dostp do pojedynczych artykuw zamieszczonych w Serwisie lub numerw z wydania elektronicznego Dziennika Gazety Prawnej, patno odbywa si w sposb okrelony Regulaminem Patnoci SMS. Do dokonania zakupu niezbdna jest akceptacja ww. regulaminu. W zakresie tej patnoci, usugodawc jest eCard S.A. z siedzib w Gdasku (80-387 Gdask), przy ulicy Arkoskiej 11, 80-387 Gdask, nr KRS 0000042304. 9 Promocje 1. Usugodawca moe organizowa akcje promocyjne.2. W szczeglnoci, usugodawca moe oferowa bezpatny czasowy dostp do penej wersji Serwisu na warunkach okrelonych kadorazowo w ofercie promocyjnej, po uprzednim wypenieniu formularza zamwienia. Usugobiorca, ktry korzysta z takiej promocji, zamawiajc Serwis, wpisuje na formularzu otrzymany Kod Promocyjny, w miejscu do tego przeznaczonym.3. Usugodawca moe oferowa znik na usugi patne. Usugobiorca, ktry korzysta z takiej promocji, wpisuje na formularzu otrzymany Kod Rabatowy, w miejscu do tego przeznaczonym.4. Usugodawca moe oferowa w promocji darmowe towary lub usugi (lub zniki na nie) dla usugobiorcw, ktrzy zawarli umow o usug patn. Odstpienie od umowy przez Usugobiorc bdzie oznaczao obowizek zwrotu takiego towaru lub usugi.5. Promocja moe by ograniczona w czasie lub w iloci przyznanych dostpw. W przypadku ograniczenia co do iloci, rozstrzygajce jest pierwszestwo w zoeniu zamwienia.6. Usugodawca przed upywem okresu bezpatnego dostpu moe zaproponowa Usugobiorcy patny abonament uprawniajcy do korzystania z zasobw Serwisu.7. Usugodawca moe zaoferowa rwnie inne formy dostpu do patnych zasobw Serwisu. Rozdzia III ROZWIZANIE, WYPOWIEDZENIE, ODSTPIENIE, RKOJMIA I GWARANCJA 10 Rozwizanie i wypowiedzenie 1. Do rozwizania umowy o usug patn moe doj za porozumieniem stron.2. Usugobiorca, ktry zoy zamwienie usugi nieodpatnej, moe wypowiedzie umow o jej wiadczenie w kadym czasie bez podania przyczyn. W tym celu naley wysa e-mail z prob o wyrejestrowanie pod adresem e-mail: [email protected]. Na wyrane danie usugobiorcy, usugodawca moe dezaktywowa jego unikalne haso, jednak nie oznacza to rozwizania umowy.4. Usugobiorca moe w kadej chwili zrezygnowa z otrzymywania emaili przesyanych w ramach usugi newslettera, wywoujc link dezaktywujcy umieszczony w kadej z wiadomoci, bd wysyajc e-mail z prob o wykrelenie z listy wysykowej. 11 Odstpienie od umowy 1. Przepisy niniejszego paragrafu stosuje si wycznie do umw, w ktrych usugobiorc jest osoba fizyczna zawierajca umow niezwizan bezporednio z jej dziaalnoci gospodarcz lub zawodow (konsument).2. Usugobiorca moe w terminie 14 dni odstpi od umowy bez podawania przyczyny.3. Bieg terminu do odstpienia od umowy rozpoczyna si od dnia zawarcia umowy.4. Konsument moe odstpi od umowy, przesyajc Usugodawcy jednoznaczne owiadczenie o odstpieniu od umowy. Moe przy tym skorzysta ze wzoru owiadczenia, stanowicego zacznik nr 1 do niniejszego regulaminu. Owiadczenie naley wysa pod adresem email: [email protected]. Do zachowania terminu wystarczy wysanie owiadczenia przed jego upywem.5. W przypadku odstpienia od umowy uwaa si j za niezawart. Dlatego wraz z odstpieniem usugodawca winien zwrci wszelkie produkty/wiadczenia, ktre otrzyma gratisowo, a/lub ktrych warunkiem otrzymania lub otrzymania w preferencyjnej cenie by zakup dostpu.6. Usugodawca niezwocznie, nie pniej ni w terminie 14 dni od dnia otrzymania owiadczenia konsumenta o odstpieniu od umowy, zwrci konsumentowi wszystkie dokonane przez niego patnoci. Usugodawca moe jednak wstrzyma si ze zwrotem patnoci otrzymanych od usugobiorcy do chwili otrzymania z powrotem lub dostarczenia przez usugobiorc dowodu odesania (w zalenoci od tego, ktre zdarzenie nastpi wczeniej) rzeczy, o ktrych mowa w 9 ust. 4.7. Jeeli zamawiajc dostp do usugi, usugobiorca zada rozpoczcia jej wykonywania przed upywem terminu do wykonania prawa do odstpienia, po odstpieniu od umowy, ma on obowizek zapaty za wiadczenie spenione do tej chwili. Kwot zapaty oblicza si proporcjonalnie do zakresu spenionego wiadczenia, z uwzgldnieniem uzgodnionej w umowie ceny lub wynagrodzenia. Jednake, jeeli usugodawca wykona w peni usug, prawo odstpienia nie przysuguje.8. Usugodawca dokonuje zwrotu patnoci przy uyciu takiego samego sposobu zapaty, jakiego uy usugobiorca, chyba e usugobiorca wyranie wskaza inny sposb zwrotu jednoczenie z owiadczeniem o odstpieniu od umowy. 12 Reklamacje 1. Usugodawca jest odpowiedzialny wzgldem kupujcego, jeeli rzecz sprzedana ma wad fizyczn lub prawn (rkojmia). Zasady tej odpowiedzialnoci, w tym: rodzaj przysugujcych kupujcemu roszcze (usunicie wady, wymiana rzeczy, obnienie ceny, odstpienie od umowy) i czas, w jakim przysuguj, wynikaj z obowizujcego prawa, zob. zwaszcza art. 556-576 ustawy z 23 kwietnia 1964 r. Kodeks cywilny (tekst jedn. Dz.U.z 2014 r., poz. 121 ze zm.).2. W celu zoenia reklamacji kupujcy powinien przesa poczt tradycyjn lub elektroniczn pod adresem Biura Obsugi Klienta owiadczenie zawierajce rodzaj dania oraz dane umoliwiajce Usugodawcy kontakt z Usugobiorc (co najmniej imi i nazwisko oraz adres korespondencyjny). W celu przyspieszenia procedury reklamacyjnej zalecamy doczenie do przesyki z reklamowanym towarem dowodu zakupu (np. faktura VAT) lub jego kopii.3. Usugodawca moe poprosi Usugobiorc o uzupenienie ewentualnych brakw reklamacji. Usugodawca jest zobowizany ustosunkowa si do dania reklamacyjnego w terminie 14 dni od jego zgoszenia.4. Postanowienia niniejszego paragrafu stosuje si odpowiednio do wszelkich uwag usugobiorcw, zwizanych z funkcjonowaniem Serwisu. 13 Gwarancja 1. Serwis ze wzgldu na swj charakter co do zasady nie podlega gwarancji. Jeeli jednak w zwizku ze wiadczeniem usugi zostaa udzielona gwarancja, obowizki gwaranta i uprawnienia kupujcego w zwizku z gwarancj okrelone s w odrbnym dokumencie gwarancyjnym dorczonym usugobiorcy.2. Usugobiorca moe, wedug swojego wyboru, zastosowa si do procedury gwarancyjnej opisanej w dokumencie gwarancji lub zastosowa si do procedury reklamacyjnej opisanej w 12 Regulaminu. Rozdzia IV. POLITYKA PRYWATNOCI 14 Dane osobowe 1. Udostpniajc formularz zamwienia Usugodawca okrela dane osobowe usugobiorcy, ktrych podanie jest niezbdne w celu zawarcia umowy wiadczenia usug. Podanie danych osobowych jest dobrowolne. Odmowa podania danych osobowych moe skutkowa niemoliwoci wiadczenia Usug przez Usugodawc.2. Usugodawca moe przetwarza m.in. nastpujce dane osobowe:a) nazwisko i imiona usugobiorcy,b) numer NIP,c) adres zamieszkania lub pobytu,d) adres do korespondencji, jeeli jest inny ni adres zamieszkania lub pobytu,e) adres poczty elektronicznej,f) numer telefonu,g) data urodzenia.3. Administratorem danych osobowych w rozumieniu ustawy z dnia 29 sierpnia 1997 r. o ochronie danych osobowych (tekst jedn. Dz.U. z 2015 r. poz. 2123) jest INFOR BIZNES sp. z o.o. i INFOR PL SA. Siedzib spek jest ul. Okopowa 58/72, 01-042 Warszawa.4. Dane osobowe usugobiorcw bd przetwarzane przez Usugodawc i spki z Grupy INFOR PL w celu realizacji umowy, wiadczenia usug, archiwizacji, sprzeday produktw i usug oferowanych przez Spki oraz dla potrzeb dziaa marketingowych podejmowanych samodzielnie lub we wsppracy z innymi podmiotami. W szczeglnoci usugodawca uprawniony jest do przetwarzania danych osobowych usugobiorcy potrzebnych do nawizania, uksztatowania treci, zmiany lub rozwizania umowy o wiadczeniu usug przez usugodawc oraz w celu realizacji usug, zgodnie z Regulaminem i ustaw z dnia 18 lipca 2002 r. o wiadczeniu usug drog elektroniczn (tekst jedn. Dz.U. z 2013 roku, poz. 1422 ze zm. ), a w przypadku wyraenia przez usugobiorc odrbnych zgd, take w celu wysyania informacji handlowych za pomoca rodkw komunikacji elektronicznej lub w celu uycia telekomunikacyjnych urzdze kocowych i automatycznych systemw wywoujcych dla celw marketingu bezporedniego (zob. 15).5. Usugobiorca ma prawo wgldu do swoich danych osobowych, ich modyfikowania oraz usunicia, po uprzednim kontakcie z Biurem Obsugi Klienta. 15 Zgody 1. Niezalenie od postanowie paragrafu poprzedzajcego, przy skadaniu zamwienia Usugobiorca ma moliwo zoenia nastpujcych owiadcze:a) Wyraam zgod na otrzymywanie informacji handlowych za pomoc rodkw komunikacji elektronicznej od spek Grupy INFOR PL oraz podmiotw wsppracujcych.b) Wyraam zgod na uywanie telekomunikacyjnych urzdze kocowych i automatycznych systemw wywoujcych dla celw marketingu bezporedniego przez spki Grupy INFOR PL.c) Wyraam zgod na uywanie telekomunikacyjnych urzdze kocowych (np. telefonu) i automatycznych systemw wywoujcych dla celw marketingu bezporedniego kontrahentw spek z Grupy INFOR PL. Powysze owiadczenia s niezalene od czasu korzystania z usug wiadczonych przez spki z Grupy INFOR PL.2. Wyraenie zgody jest dobrowolne. Jednake moe stanowi warunek wiadczenia usugi nieodpatnej.3. Usugobiorca moe w kadym czasie odwoa swoj zgod przesyajc wiadomo pod adresem email: [email protected]. 16 Pliki cookies 1. W celu zapewnienia maksymalnej wygody uytkownikw przy korzystaniu z Serwisu (zapamitywanie preferencji i ustawie na naszych stronach, zbieranie anonimowych danych dla celw reklamowych i statystycznych), Serwis wykorzystuje pliki cookies.2. Usugobiorca ma moliwo samodzielnej zmiany ustawie dotyczcych cookies w swojej przegldarce internetowej.3. Informacja o plikach cookies znajduje si rwnie na stronie Serwisu, w zakadce Ochrona prywatnoci. Rozdzia V. POZOSTAE POSTANOWIENIA 17 Prawa autorskie 1. Korzystanie z materiaw tekstowych, graficznych, zdj, aplikacji i baz danych oraz innych elementw zawartych w Serwisie nie oznacza nabycia przez uytkownikw jakichkolwiek praw na dobrach niematerialnych do utworw oraz baz danych w nim zawartych. Zabronione jest w szczeglnoci:a) dokonywanie, w szczeglnoci w celach komercyjnych: kopiowania, modyfikowania oraz transmitowania elektronicznie lub w innym sposb Serwisu lub jego czci, a take poszczeglnych utworw i baz danych udostpnianych na jego stronach,b) rozpowszechnianie (w tym rozpowszechnianie w celach informacyjnych w prasie, radiu, telewizji oraz w taki sposb, aby kady mia dostp do materiaw w wybranym przez siebie miejscu i czasie) publikowanych w Serwisie, take aktualnych: artykuw, reportay, wywiadw i innych utworw na jakiekolwiek tematy (w tym na tematy polityczne, gospodarcze i religijne),c) pobieranie zawartoci baz danych i wtrne jej wykorzystywanie w caoci lub w istotnej - co do jakoci lub iloci - czci.2. Uytkownicy mog korzysta z Serwisu oraz utworw i baz danych wycznie w ramach dozwolonego uytku, wyznaczonego przez przepisy ustawy o prawie autorskim i prawach pokrewnych oraz ustawy o ochronie baz danych, przy czym takie korzystanie nie moe narusza normalnego korzystania z utworu lub bazy danych lub godzi w suszne interesy usugodawcy oraz podmiotw, ktrych utwory lub bazy danych - na podstawie wsppracy z usugodawc - s udostpniane w Serwisie.3. Jakiekolwiek inne ni okrelone z utworw i baz danych udostpnianych w Serwisie bez uprzedniej wyranej zgody usugodawcy udzielonej na pimie jest zabronione, a naruszenie praw usugodawcy (lub podmiotw, ktrych utwory lub bazy danych na podstawie wsppracy z usugodawc s udostpniane w Serwisie) do podlegajcych ochronie utworw i baz danych bdzie skutkowa odpowiedzialnoci przewidzian przez prawo cywilne i karne.4. Zamieszczone na stronach internetowych portalu gazetaprawna.pl materiay sygnowane skrtem "PAP" stanowi element Serwisw Informacyjnych PAP, bdcych bazami danych, ktrych producentem i wydawc jest Polska Agencja Prasowa S.A. z siedzib w Warszawie. Chronione s one przepisami ustawy z dnia 4 lutego 1994 r. o prawie autorskim i prawach pokrewnych oraz ustawy z dnia 27 lipca 2001 r. o ochronie baz danych. Powysze materiay wykorzystywane s przez INFOR Biznes sp. z o.o. na podstawie stosownej umowy licencyjnej. Jakiekolwiek ich wykorzystywanie przez uytkownikw portalu, poza przewidzianymi przez przepisy prawa wyjtkami, w szczeglnoci dozwolonym uytkiem osobistym, jest zabronione. PAP S.A. zastrzega, i dalsze rozpowszechnianie materiaw, o ktrych mowa w art. 25 ust. 1 pkt. b) ustawy o prawie autorskim i prawach pokrewnych, jest zabronione. 18 Zastrzeenia 1. Serwis ma charakter informacyjny. Jego zawarto stanowi jedynie wyraz pogldw autorw poszczeglnych publikacji lub te odzwierciedlenie ich wiedzy. Zawarte w Serwisie treci oraz sposb ich przekazania, bez wzgldu na osob autora publikacji, nie stanowi czynnoci z zakresu wiadczenia pomocy prawnej, czynnoci doradztwa podatkowego czy jakiegokolwiek innego doradztwa. Zawarte w Serwisie pogldy osobiste ekspertw, wyroki, interpretacje, porady, rozwizania i innego rodzaju informacje nie powinny by traktowane jako rdo lub wykadnia prawa, a tym samym stanowi wycznej podstawy przy podejmowaniu decyzji biznesowych lub podatkowych. Wykorzystanie pogldw ekspertw, wyrokw, interpretacji, porad, rozwiza i innego rodzaju informacji odbywa si na wyczn odpowiedzialno usugobiorcy.2. Usugodawca nie odpowiada za adne szkody powstae czy te mogce powsta w zwizku z zawartoci Serwisu bez wzgldu na bezporedni czy poredni przyczyn powstania tych szkd.3. W szczeglnoci usugodawca nie odpowiada za szkody powstae w wyniku dokonania lub zaniechania przez usugobiorc okrelonych czynnoci prawnych w imieniu wasnym czy te w cudzym imieniu, nawet jeeli uytkownik przy podejmowaniu decyzji kierowa si w jakiejkolwiek mierze treci Serwisu.4. Autorzy publikacji zamieszczonych w Serwisie nie ponosz przed usugobiorc adnej odpowiedzialnoci. Ustpy 2 i 3 powyej naley stosowa odpowiednio.5. Usugodawca dokada wszelkich stara, aby informacje prezentowane w Serwisach byy zawsze aktualne, kompletne, prawdziwe, rzeczowe, rzetelne, zgodne ze stanem faktycznym i prawnym. Usugodawca owiadcza, e wedug jego najlepszej woli i wiedzy zawarto serwisw odpowiada tym wanie cechom. Usugodawca dokada wszelkich stara, aby pobieranie przez uytkownika plikw z serwerw usugodawcy wizao si z jak najmniejszym ryzykiem wystpienia jakichkolwiek szkd po stronie korzystajcego. Owiadczenie to nie wpywa w adnej mierze na odpowiedzialno usugodawcy, ktra podlega ograniczeniom wyej wymienionym.6. Informujemy, e jedynym rdem wzoru formularza podatkowego jest ustawa albo rozporzdzenie. Aktywne druki podatkowe prezentowane na stronach serwisu s pomocniczym narzdziem sucym do rozliczania zobowiza podatkowych i wykonywania obowizkw podatkowych przewidzianych przez prawo polskie. Aktywne formularze s efektem dziaa twrczych, ktre wymagaj czynnoci dostosowawczych i sprawdzajcych. Reguy odpowiedzialnoci usugodawcy okrelone powyej w ust. 1-6 stosowane odpowiednio dotycz aktywnych formularzy.7. Usugodawca zastrzega sobie prawo do ograniczonej czasowo przerwy technicznej w funkcjonowaniu witryny WWW w przypadku planowanej, biecej obsugi i konserwacji serwera oraz oprogramowania Serwisu. O terminie i czasie trwania przerwy usugobiorca zostanie powiadomiony komunikatem zamieszczonym na stronie Serwisu.8. Usugodawca zastrzega sobie prawo umieszczania w Serwisie treci reklamowych w formach powszechnie stosowanych w Internecie. 19 Komentarze 1. Usuga Komentarza polega na przechowywaniu przez usugodawc komentarza w Serwisie, odnoszcego si do opublikowanego artykuu (Dodaj komentarz) albo do komentarza innego usugobiorcy (Odpowiedz) na serwerach oraz ich wywietlanie przez Usugodawc w Serwisie.2. Wywietlanie komentarza bdzie trwao nie duej ni wywietlanie tekstu, z ktrym dany komentarz jest powizany.3. Jeeli komentarz stanowi utwr, w rozumieniu prawa autorskiego, Usugobiorca udziela Usugodawcy nieodpatnej licencji na korzystanie z utworu na nastpujcych polach eksploatacji:a) w zakresie utrwalania i zwielokrotniania utworu - wytwarzanie okrelon technik egzemplarzy utworu, w tym technik drukarsk, reprograficzn, zapisu magnetycznego oraz technik cyfrow;b) w zakresie obrotu oryginaem albo egzemplarzami, na ktrych utwr utrwalono - wprowadzanie do obrotu, uyczenie lub najem oryginau albo egzemplarzy;c) w zakresie rozpowszechniania utworu w sposb inny ni okrelony za lit. b powyej - publiczne wykonanie, wystawienie, wywietlenie, odtworzenie oraz nadawanie i reemitowanie, a take publiczne udostpnianie utworu w taki sposb, aby kady mg mie do niego dostp w miejscu i w czasie przez siebie wybranym.Usugodawca jest uprawniony do udzielania sublicencji.4. Komentarze nie mog zawiera:a) wulgaryzmw,b) treci obraliwych,c) reklam lub przekazw stanowicych reklam ukryt,d) odesa do innych stron internetowych,e) treci naruszajcych prawa autorskie lub dobra osobiste osb trzecich,f) treci nawoujcych do nienawici rasowej, wyznaniowej, etnicznej lub treci propagujcych przemoc oraz totalitarny ustrj pastwa,g) treci w inny sposb niezgodnych z prawem.Takie komentarze mog by usuwane przez usugodawc.5. Usugobiorca zamieszcza komentarz wycznie na wasn odpowiedzialno. Usugodawca nie ma obowizku monitorowania treci komentarzy zamieszczanych przez usugobiorcw w Serwisie. Kady, kto powemie informacj, e treci zamieszczone przez Usugobiorc s niezgodne z prawem lub z postanowieniami Regulaminu, moe poinformowa Usugodawc o fakcie i miejscu zamieszczenia takich treci, poczt elektroniczn pod adresem: [email protected]. Usugodawca zastrzega sobie prawo do automatycznego publikowania obok zamieszczonego komentarza czci adresu IP, z ktrego nastpio poczenie z serwerem Usugodawcy w chwili zamieszczania komentarza. 20 Zmiany Regulaminu 1. Usugobiorca jest zwizany t wersj Regulaminu, ktr zaakceptowa przy zawarciu umowy.2. Poprzednie wersje Regulaminu s publikowane na stronach Serwisu. 21 Dodatkowe informacje 1. Usugobiorca nie jest zobowizany do zoenia kaucji lub udzielenia innych gwarancji finansowych.2. Usugobiorcy nie wolno dostarcza treci o charakterze bezprawnym.3. Usugodawca nie zapewnia usug posprzedanych.4. Pod adresem http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr dostpna jest platforma internetowego systemu rozstrzygania sporw pomidzy konsumentami i przedsibiorcami na szczeblu unijnym (Platforma ODR). Platforma ODR stanowi interaktywn i wielojzyczn stron internetow z punktem kompleksowej obsugi dla konsumentw i przedsibiorcw dcych do pozasdowego rozstrzygnicia sporu dotyczcego zobowiza umownych wynikajcych z internetowej umowy sprzeday lub umowy o wiadczenie usug. Jednake, Usugodawca nie zapewnia moliwoci skorzystania przez usugobiorcw lub kupujcych z pozasdowych sposobw rozpatrywania reklamacji i dochodzenia roszcze.5. Usugodawca nie jest zwizany kodeksem dobrych praktyk, o ktrym mowa w art. 2 pkt 5 ustawy z dnia 23 sierpnia 2007 r. o przeciwdziaaniu nieuczciwym praktykom rynkowym.6. Miejscem spenienia wiadczenia jest siedziba Usugodawcy. Zacznik: WZR FORMULARZA ODSTPIENIA OD UMOWY (formularz ten naley wypeni i odesa tylko w przypadku chci odstpienia od umowy)- Adresat:INFOR Biznes sp. z o.o. Biuro Obsugi Klienta, ul. Okopowa 58/72, 01-042 [email protected] Ja/My niniejszym informuj/informujemy o moim/naszym odstpieniu od umowy sprzeday nastpujcych rzeczy / umowy dostawy nastpujcych rzeczy / umowy o dzieo polegajcej na wykonaniu nastpujcych rzeczy/ umowy o wiadczenie nastpujcej usugi- Data zawarcia umowy/odbioru- Imi i nazwisko konsumenta(-w)- Adres konsumenta(-w)- Podpis konsumenta(-w) (tylko jeeli formularz jest przesyany w wersji papierowej)- Data Regulamin Patnoci SMS dla treci patnych udostpnianych przez Infor Biznes sp. z o.o. 1 INFORMACJE OGLNE Ilekro w niniejszym regulaminie stosuje si ponisze okrelenia i definicje, naley je rozumie nastpujco:a) Serwis serwisy internetowe prowadzone przez Infor, obsugiwane w ramach umowy zarzdzania dostpem przez Operatora,b) Usuga usuga realizacji patnoci za dostp do Treci zamieszczonych w Serwisie, realizowana przez Operatora za pomoc kanaw multimedialnych Operatorw GSM, w formie bezpiecznej wymiany kodw, oferowana Uytkownikom, bdcych jednoczenie uytkownikami telefonii komrkowej;c) Operator eCard S.A. z siedzib w Gdasku, przy ul. Arkoskiej 11, zarejestrowana w Sdzie Rejonowym Gdask- Pnoc w Gdasku VII Wydzia Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sdowego, pod numerem KRS 0000042304, NIP 521-31-03-040, REGON 016341786, kapita zakadowy 16 840 000,00 z (w caoci opacony). Operator jest usugodawc, odpowiedzialnym za prawidow realizacj Usugi;d) Infor INFOR Biznes sp. z o.o. z siedzib w Warszawie, przy ul. Okopowej 58/72, zarejestrowana w Rejestrze Przedsibiorcw, prowadzonym przez Sd Rejonowy dla m.st. Warszawy XII Wydzia Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sdowego, pod numerem KRS 307225, NIP 527 25 75 823, REGON 141 442 680, kapita zakadowy 29 421 550 zotych;e) Uytkownicy osoby korzystajce z dostpu do Treci, realizujce patno poprzez skorzystanie z Usugi; f) Tre treci cyfrowe dostpne dla Uytkownikw po zalogowaniu do Serwisu i dokonaniu patnoci poprzez skorzystanie z Usugi, w zakresie i na warunkach aktualnej oferty handlowej Infor. Tre moe obj m.in. pen wersj artykuw, dokumentw, gazet i czasopism elektronicznych, e-bookw, plikw multimedialnych, raportw, baz danych, archiww, infoserwisw, serwisw typu chat, forum, dzia porad lub usug hostingowych; g) Operator GSM osoba prawna wiadczca usugi bezprzewodowej telefonii komrkowej telekomunikacyjnej, w szczeglnoci takie podmioty jak: Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa sp. z o.o., Polkomtel S.A., PTK Centertel sp. z o.o. ;h) Numer Dostpowy numer SMS Premium podany w Serwisie zawierajcym Tre;i) Kod Identyfikujcy znaki alfanumeryczne identyfikujce Tre;j) Kod Dostpu unikalny kod kontroli dostpu oparty o znaki alfanumeryczne, umoliwiajcy korzystanie z Treci uprawnionym Uytkownikom;k) Wiadomo SMS odpowiednio sformatowana wiadomo tekstowa zawierajca Kod Identyfikujcy, wysyana przez Uytkownika na Numer Dostpowy w celu uzyskania Kodu Dostpu;l) Wiadomo Zwrotna odpowiednio sformatowana wiadomo tekstowa w ramach realizacji Usugi kontroli dostpu, odsyana przez Operatora w odpowiedzi na Wiadomo SMS pod numer telefonu, z ktrego wysana zostaa Wiadomo SMS, zawierajca Kod Dostpu albo informacj, e wiadomo nie zostaa poprawnie rozpoznana. 2 ZASADY DZIAANIA USUGI 1. W ramach Usugi, Uytkownicy wysyajcy Kod Identyfikujcy w Wiadomoci SMS na Numer Dostpowy uruchamiaj procedur uwierzytelnienia dostpu do Treci, realizowan poprzez przesanie Kodu Dostpu na numer telefonu komrkowego, z ktrego wysana zostaa Wiadomo SMS.2. Wiadomo SMS musi zawiera Kod Identyfikujcy.3. Po otrzymaniu przez Operatora poprawnej Wiadomoci SMS z Kodem Identyfikujcym, Uytkownikowi zostanie przydzielony Kod Dostpu, ktry zostanie nastpnie przesany Uytkownikowi w treci Wiadomoci Zwrotnej.4. Koszt wysania Wiadomoci SMS jest zgodny z aktualnymi cennikami Operatorw GSM dla wiadomoci typu SMS Premium.5. Opaty za wysanie Wiadomoci SMS pod Numer Dostpowy nie podlegaj zwrotowi w adnym wypadku.6. Uzyskanie dostpu do Treci nie oznacza nabycia do nich przez Uytkownika praw autorskich. Uytkownik ma prawo wykorzystywa wspomniane Treci w sposb zgodny z ustaw z dnia 4 lutego 1994 r. o prawie autorskim i prawach pokrewnych.7. Zasady korzystania z dostpu do Treci, czas dostpu do Treci i czas wanoci otrzymanego Kodu Dostpu, informacje o wanoci Kodw Dostpu oraz ich funkcjonalnoci reguluj waciwe regulaminy Infor.8. Numery telefonw, z ktrych wysano Wiadomo SMS bd przechowywane w systemie Operatora w celu identyfikacji Uytkownika i nie bd wykorzystywane do innych celw, chyba e Uytkownik na podstawie odrbnej umowy z Operatorem wyrazi zgod na przetwarzanie danych dla innych celw. 3 DOSTPNO USUG I REKLAMACJE 1. W przypadku wysania na Numer Dostpowy Wiadomoci SMS o treci innej, ni Kod Identyfikujcy, na telefon komrkowy Uytkownika, z ktrego wysana zostaa Wiadomo SMS, zostanie odesana Wiadomo Zwrotna z informacj, e Wiadomo SMS nie zostaa poprawnie rozpoznana.2. Operator nie ponosi odpowiedzialnoci wobec Uytkownikw za niewykonanie lub nienaleyte wykonanie Usugi z przyczyn lecych po stronie Operatora GSM, dostawcw usug internetowych, z powodu bdu Uytkownika (w tym spowodowanymi bdami w informacjach i Regulaminach Infor) oraz osb trzecich, ani spowodowanych dziaaniami siy wyszej, w szczeglnoci za reklamacje zwizane z niedostarczeniem, opnieniem dostarczenia lub nieregularnym dostarczaniem zamwionych Kodw Dostpu.3. Operator nie ponosi odpowiedzialnoci za skutki wysania Wiadomoci SMS z telefonu Uytkownika przez osoby nieuprawnione.4. Operator jest uprawniony do czasowej przerwy w wiadczeniu Usug z przyczyn technicznych. Operator dooy najwyszej starannoci, aby wskazane wyej przerwy miay miejsce w godzinach nocnych i trway moliwie najkrcej. Przerwy w wiadczeniu Usug z przyczyn technicznych nie maj wpywu na ocen wykonania przez Operatora zobowiza z tytuu umoliwienia Uytkownikom korzystania z Serwisu.5. Przedmiotem reklamacji jest wykonanie przez Operatora Usugi niezgodnie z warunkami i zasadami okrelonymi w niniejszym regulaminie.6. Skadanie reklamacji odbywa si tylko i wycznie za pomoc poczty elektronicznej pod adresem [email protected]. Reklamacja powinna zawiera imi i nazwisko osoby dokonujcej reklamacji, numer telefonu komrkowego, z ktrego wysano Wiadomo SMS, tre wiadomoci, przyblion dat i czas wysania wiadomoci oraz zwizy opis zastrzee.8. Reklamacj naley zgasza w terminie 7 dni od daty wysania Wiadomoci SMS.9. Jeeli reklamacja wymaga uzupenienia, Operator zastrzega sobie prawo do zwrcenia si do Uytkownika z prob o uzupenienie przekazanych informacji.10. Reklamacje bd rozpatrywane w terminie do 7 dni roboczych od daty otrzymania przez Operatora. W przypadku braku moliwoci rozpatrzenia reklamacji w tym terminie Operator zobowizuje si do poinformowania Uytkownika o tym fakcie.11. Operatorzy GSM odpowiadaj jedynie za usugi telekomunikacyjne umoliwiajce realizacj Usugi.12. Upusty cenowe dla grup abonentw na opaty abonamentowe oraz usugi dodatkowe nie maj zastosowania do Numeru Dostpowego.13. Operator zastrzega, i Wiadomoci SMS wysane przez: pracownikw, zleceniobiorcw, wsppracownikw oraz z kart testowych Operatorw GSM mog nie by uwzgldniane w ramach Usugi. 4 POSTANOWIENIA KOCOWE 1. Regulamin dostpny jest w siedzibie Operatora oraz na waciwych stronach internetowych Infor. Regulamin moe by zmieniony przez Operatora w dowolnym czasie poprzez zamieszczenie zmian na ww. stronach internetowych. Wszelkie zmiany do regulaminu staj si skuteczne od chwili ich publikacji, o ile nie zastrzeono inaczej. Zmiany nie znajduj zastosowania do Usug, ktre zostay zamwione przez Uytkownika poprzez Wiadomo SMS wysan przed zmian regulaminu.2. Prawem waciwym dla wszystkich stosunkw prawnych wynikajcych z niniejszego regulaminu jest prawo polskie. Wszelkie spory bd rozstrzygane przez waciwe polskie sdy powszechne.3. W sprawach nie uregulowanych niniejszym regulaminem zastosowanie maj odpowiednie przepisy prawa. | https://biznes.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/1391423,boj-o-fotel-prezesa-jastrzebskiej-spolki-weglowej.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GazetaPrawna+%28GazetaPrawna.pl%29 |
Does Johnson's Baby Powder Cause Cancer? | You probably heard that Johnson & Johnson lost a major court battle last year. The company was sued by a group of 22 women who claimed that they developed ovarian cancer as a result of exposure to talcum powder, sold in the form of J&J's iconic Johnson's Baby Powder. A jury ordered the company to pay a record $4.69 billion. It was not the first time that J&J had lost a verdict in a lawsuit claiming that their talcum powder causes ovarian cancer. Over the past few years, the company has been on the losing side of several similar legal proceedings, resulting in awards totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Thousands of women are additionally poised to sue J&J based on a similar set of legal arguments; lawyers' TV ads soliciting potential plaintiffs run night and day. Everyone knows Johnson's Baby Powder. Millions of us have been exposed to it at some point during our lifetimes. The product has been on the market for more than 100 years, having been first introduced in 1894 as a means of preventing and treating diaper rash. There are two forms of the Baby Powder product. The original version is made of talc, and a more recent formula uses cornstarch. Many pediatricians have long preferred the cornstarch product because it is less likely to be inhaled. In 1985, in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two physicians warned that baby powder made of talc could cause breathing problems and pulmonary injury. They wrote: "Its absorptive capability is small, its lubricating properties are minimal and its perfume aspects are short-lived." J&J disagreed, stating that the "product is safe when used as it is intended." Starting in the 1970s, the company started promoting its talcum powder to families, not just babies. Within several years, 70% of the sales of Johnson's Baby Powder was for adult use. By 2001, surveys suggested 40%-50% of U.S. women had used talc powder on the perineum. Concerns about the safety of the baby powder in adults began to emerge. Some researchers proposed that talc particulates following perineal application could migrate to the ovaries and lead to an inflammatory response that might predispose to malignancy. Several epidemiological studies reported an increased likelihood of ovarian cancer among perineal powder users versus non-users. But these studies utilized a case-control methodology, which is limited in its ability to reliably assess exposure. Cohort studies (a more reliable, albeit still limited, methodology) failed to demonstrate an association of perineal powder use and ovarian cancer. In 2006, the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that it had insufficient information to know whether talc alone could cause cancer. Answer: The verdict had little to do with whether talc causes ovarian cancer. The women who used talcum powder and developed ovarian cancer were suing J&J -- not because of the possibility that talc might cause cancer -- but because of the possibility that the talc in Johnson's Baby Powder could be contaminated with asbestos, which is an established carcinogen. Talc and asbestos are silicates that occur together in nature, and talc can be contaminated with asbestos due to the proximity of asbestos ore in underground talc deposits. Recognizing the possibility of contamination, in the mid-1970s, the trade association representing the cosmetic and personal care products industry issued voluntary guidelines stating that all talc used in cosmetic products in the U.S. should be free from detectable amounts of asbestos. Laboratory tests vary in their ability to determine the presence of small quantities of asbestos. Some tests are extremely sensitive and can detect incredibly minute amounts. According to court records, tests performed by J&J were typically negative, but yielded positive results for asbestos on occasion. It is not clear that anyone knows the answers to these questions with any acceptable degree of certainty. Answer: The verdict had little to do with whether asbestos in talc causes ovarian cancer. If scientists cannot determine if minute quantities of asbestos potentially present in talc and applied to the skin are harmful, a jury composed of laypeople cannot possibly decide if the tiny amounts of asbestos -- if they are present in talcum powder -- might cause ovarian cancer. But they could determine whether J&J knew about the possibility of minute quantities of asbestos and decided not to inform the public. According to a Reuters investigation in December 2018, J&J knew for decades that its baby powder could contain bits of asbestos. From at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company's talc powders "sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos," according to the news organization, "and that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public." Although Johnson's Baby Powder accounts for only a small portion of J&J's annual revenue, it is considered essential to its "carefully tended image as a caring company," as Reuters put it. Johnson's Baby Powder was a symbol of public trust, signifying that J&J was a paragon of comfort and safety. If the Reuters report is true, the public trust in J&J would have been broken. If years of public trust are based on a fiction, people predictably and justifiably respond with anger. I do not know, but if they did, the argument could have been compelling. For the record, J&J disputes the validity of the tests that indicated the possibility of asbestos contamination. They deny that they withheld evidence from regulatory agencies. But, sadly, they add: if their baby powder contained asbestos, it was too tiny to cause any health problems. This statement, regardless of its validity, misses the point. The lay public does not want to decide what level of asbestos might be safe. People simply want to feel secure that large corporations are not deceiving the public in an effort to bolster profits. For the record, I am not an expert on talc, asbestos, or ovarian cancer. And I am not involved in any way with the current J&J litigation concerning baby powder. (I consulted for J&J on one occasion during the past 3 years on a cardiovascular topic.) I think the members wanted to send a clear message: If trusted corporations deceive the American people, they need to be punished -- not because their products cause cancer -- but because they must be held accountable if people believe that they have violated the public trust. The multi-billion verdict is not about medicine or science. It is about betrayal and anger. It is high time that large corporations understood that. Packer recently consulted for Actavis, Akcea, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cardiorentis, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead, J&J, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Synthetic Biologics, and Takeda. He chairs the EMPEROR Executive Committee for trials of empagliflozin for the treatment of heart failure. He was previously the co-PI of the PARADIGM-HF trial and serves on the Steering Committee of the PARAGON-HF trial, but has no financial relationship with Novartis. 2019-01-09T10:00:00-0500 | https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/revolutionandrevelation/77325 |
Which is the best laptop for music production? | I am a musician and software developer who wants to get into live coding and electronica using software like Sonic Pi and maybe, in the future, Max/MSP from Cycling 74. Most people seem to use Apples MacBook Pros, but I have always been a Windows user, and develop software on Windows using Visual Studio, so I am reluctant to switch to a Mac. However, every time I have tried to get a good music-making setup on Windows, I have been beset by latency problems. From what I have read online, it seems the Windows audio drivers, though improved with Windows 10, are still way behind those on MacOS. I have a Roland Duo-Capture EX and an older Novation X-Station, and I am happy to use one of these as part of my set-up, but I would like a system that is sufficiently portable to make performing with it straightforward. Finally, a touch screen would make a lot of sense for less code-based interactions ideally one where the screen can be laid flat, such as the Lenovo Yoga series or Microsoft Surface Pro. Miles Your best bet would be to find and cultivate some of the people who compose and/or perform using Windows laptops there are some! and ask for advice. Areas like this usually involve tacit knowledge that you only learn by doing stuff for some time, and I have not done it at all. Failing that, there are probably some websites or online communities that specialise in this topic. I didnt find any, but people who are heavily involved in the field will know where they are. Its another question that readers may be able to answer in the comments below However, perhaps you should think about your overall strategy. As I understand it, you want to do everything on one laptop, which could mean taking your work machine into hazardous nightclub-style environments. This gives you the worst of both worlds. Laptops are not the best choice for sustained work such as coding, because they have poor ergonomics. You should be using a desktop which will run faster and last longer for less money with an ergonomic keyboard and a big screen. For the price of a MacBook Pro with a suitable specification, you could probably buy a desktop PC for programming and a second-hand MacBook for performances. Using a desktop PC would enable you to add a suitable soundcard and avoid most if not all of the Windows driver problems by using kernel streaming, or Steinbergs ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output) as supplied with some devices, or ASIO4ALL. Of course, you could also replace your old Roland with an external USB sound card. This should provide better audio quality with a laptop, as well as I hope reduce the risk of latency problems. Sonic Pi to the Max Sam Aarons open source Sonic Pi program was written for the Raspberry Pi, so any PC or Mac ought to be able to run it well enough. Its a very simple system where you specify a note just by typing a number, but it becomes very powerful when the note is a sample. It reminds me of the Logo language where you can loop simple instructions to create attractive patterns. I bet Terry Riley would have loved it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Aerodynamic by Daft Punk played live using Sonic Pi demonstrates what the software is capable of. Max/MSP (Max Signal Processing, and/or Miller Smith Puckette) from Cycling 74, which is now owned by Ableton, is a different kettle of bouillabaisse. Its a visual programming language where you can connect objects (program routines) together to create giant data-flow diagrams. Cycling 74s website recommends an Intel Core i5 or faster processor and 8GB or more memory for running Max 8, which includes MSP, Jitter, Gen and support for Max for Live. (Interestingly, the ASIO-compatible sound card recommended for optimum audio performance with Max 6 has been dropped.) Most DAWs (digital audio workstation programs) really require 16GB of RAM, and some work best with 32GB (Pro Tools). However, Max 8s Jitter graphics seem to be the main challenge, and Cycling 74s helpful user forum has at least one example of someone running Max on a tiny 4GB Core m3-based Intel Compute Stick. Possible options Facebook Twitter Pinterest Apples MacBook Pro or Microsofts Surface Book or Surface Pro might be good options, but none of them are upgradeable after purchase. Composite: Samuel Gibbs You havent mentioned a budget, but the best value MacBook option at the moment is the 13-inch MacBook Pro with a seventh-generation 2.3GHz Core i5, 8GB of memory and either 128GB (1,249) or 256GB (1,449) of SSD storage. A system with 16GB of memory and a 256GB SSD would therefore cost 1,629. Adding three years of AppleCare a good idea in view of previous keyboard failures bumps that up to 1,878. One of the major problems with current MacBook Pros is that you cant upgrade them: you have to buy everything you will need at the beginning, and pay Apple prices. If you buy a Windows laptop, you can choose one with more configuration options that you can also upgrade later. My current pick is the 14in Lenovo ThinkPad T480S with an eighth-generation 3.4GHz Core i5-8250U processor. A basic system with 8GB of memory, a 128GB SSD, Windows 10 and three years of carry-in service would cost 1,189.99. Expanding that to 16GB of memory and a 256GB SSD pushes the price up to 1,279.59, but there are many more options. In fact, you have a choice of four processors, going up to a Core i7-8650U, four RAM capacities going up to 24GB, four sizes of SSD going up to 1TB, and four different displays, going up to WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels). If you want a touch screen, thats an extra 46.80. One option I would definitely take is to upgrade the warranty to three years of on-site service for an extra 63.60. Lenovo offers up to five years on-site service for 225.60. Theres also a slightly cheaper, slightly larger version, the ThinkPad T480, which starts at 949.99. This offers even more options. It has a traditional 3.5in drive bay the base model has a 500GB hard drive so you can have two drives. It also has two memory slots instead of one, so you can have up to 32GB of memory. These are real advantages when you can take the back off and upgrade parts later. The T480 and T480S do not have 360-degree hinges to work as tablets, but they do rotate to 180 degrees, so you can lie them flat. The Lenovo Yoga range is not built or tested to the same standards as the ThinkPad T range, but then, prices start at 199.99. However, the top-of-the-range Yoga 920, currently on offer at 999, only has 8GB of memory and it isnt expandable. Microsofts Surface Pro 6 only lets you have 16GB of memory if you buy a 512GB SSD and a Core i7, which comes to 1,723.99 including Type Cover keyboard. That would be silly. Latency tests You can check a PC for latency problems by running Resplendences Latency Monitor for at least 15 minutes. This can help you identify whats causing problems, though running SiSoftwares Sandra Lite will provide more helpful advice for optimising your system. However, the fact is that Windows is a general-purpose program, not a real-time operating system. Leave it running long enough and it will eventually find something that, for a few milliseconds, is more important than delivering your audio bits. You can reduce the odds by not running other software, stopping non-essential background tasks, disconnecting from networks and so on, but you cant eliminate the risk entirely. How much any transient glitches matter is another question. Only you can decide. Email it to [email protected] This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. The links are powered by Skimlinks. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that Skimlinks cookies will be set. More information. | https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2019/jan/10/which-is-the-best-laptop-for-music-production |
Is het einde van de woekerpolisaffaire in zicht? | De woekerpolisaffaire blijft de gemoederen bezighouden. Bij het Kifid ligt een stuwmeer van zaken (ruim 700) te wachten op beoordeling. Het Kifid heeft besloten om de behandeling van deze zaken te stroomlijnen door vijf zaken met voorrang te beslechten en aan te merken als richtinggevend. Deze vijf zaken zijn zodanig geselecteerd, dat ze een dwarsdoorsnede vormen van het geheel. Gisteren deed de Commissie van Beroep uitspraak in de laatste zaak. Nog deze maand zal het Kifid laten weten wat deze uitspraken betekenen voor de overige zaken. Informatieplicht moet beoordeeld worden naar de eisen die toen golden Elke zaak moet beoordeeld worden naar de normen die golden op het moment dat de betreffende verzekering gesloten is. In de uitspraak van gisteren ging het om een verzekering uit 1990. De Commissie van Beroep van het Kifid komt tot het oordeel dat in die tijd vrijwel geen eisen werden gesteld aan precontractuele informatie voor beleggingsverzekeringen. Volgens de Commissie had ASR naar de toen geldende eisen voldoende informatie opgenomen in de polisvoorwaarden. Later zijn de eisen aan precontractuele informatie steeds strenger geworden. Denk aan de Regeling Informatieverstrekking Aan Verzekeringnemers en de Code Rendement en Risico. En nog weer later de Wft en de Wet oneerlijke handelspraktijken. Beoordeeld naar die normen is vaak wel sprake van onvoldoende voorlichting. Informatie over de eerste kosten schoot eigenlijk altijd tekort De uitspraken leren dat verzekeraars over het algemeen onvoldoende hebben genformeerd over het in rekening brengen van eerste kosten en dat klanten daarmee niet hebben ingestemd. Als sprake is van een verzekering met eerste kosten, zullen zij deze kosten moeten compenseren. Premie voor ORV mag niet te hoog zijn Er hoefde volgens het Kifid niet veel informatie gegeven te worden over de premie voor de in het product verwerkte overlijdensrisicodekking. Maar de premie mag niet buitensporig hoog zijn. Niet bij alle beleggingsverzekeringen speelt het hefboom- of inteereffect Claimstichtingen hebben op enig moment nog een stok gevonden om de verzekeraar mee te slaan: het hefboom- en inteereffect. Kort gezegd: het effect dat de inleg wordt opgegeten door de kosten, wanneer de resultaten van de (onderliggende) beleggingen tegenvallen. De uitspraken leren dat dit effect niet bij alle beleggingsverzekeringen speelt. En als het speelt, is dat niet altijd in een relevante mate. Dus de verzekeraar hoefde daarvoor niet altijd te waarschuwen. Het is de vraag of de verzekeringnemers schade hebben geleden Als er ten onrechte (te hoge) kosten in rekening zijn gebracht, dan moet dat gecompenseerd worden. Maar als het gaat om onvoldoende voorlichting over de werking en de risicos van een beleggingsverzekering, levert dat niet zonder meer een grond op voor schadevergoeding. Dat is alleen, wanneer de verzekeringnemer bij een juiste voorlichting een andere keuze gemaakt zou hebben, waardoor hij in een voordeligere financile positie zou zijn komen te verkeren. Als hij het product ook bij een betere voorlichting gesloten zou hebben, is geen sprake van schade. Er zal dus goed gekeken moeten worden naar de concrete alternatieven die er wel of niet voorhanden waren in de betreffende periode. Rol van de tussenpersoon is nog niet uitgespeeld Last but not least: in de uitspraak van gisteren kwam ook de rol van de tussenpersoon aan bod. De verzekeringnemer betoogde dat eventuele fouten van de tussenpersoon zouden moeten worden toegerekend aan de verzekeraar, omdat de tussenpersoon zijn hulppersoon zou zijn. Dat argument wordt door de Commissie van Beroep verworpen. Een onafhankelijke tussenpersoon is niet de hulppersoon van de verzekeraar, ook niet als hij door middel van provisie beloond werd. Dat oordeel is in lijn met eerdere jurisprudentie en maakt dat het dossier van de woekerpolissen ook voor de tussenpersoon nog niet gesloten kan worden. Want zou sprake zijn van gebrekkig advies, dient de verzekeringnemer de tussenpersoon zelf aan te spreken. Een dergelijke vordering zal overigens niet snel kansrijk zijn. | https://www.amweb.nl/financiele-planning/blog/2018/03/het-einde-van-de-woekerpolisaffaire-zicht-101109504 |
Will AstraZeneca continue to outperform in 2019? | AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) was one such company. Over the course of 2018, the share price rose by over 13.5%, while FTSE 100 peer GlaxoSmithKline also grew its share price by 11%. This shows above all how investors were seeking defensive stocks to help shield them from the increased market volatility and political uncertainty. Many investors will have been burned in 2018 as the FTSE 100 fell by around 12%, however, some companies bucked the trend and saw their share prices rising despite that overall market fall and despite Brexit concerns. I would like to receive emails from you about product information and offers from The Fool and its business partners. Each of these emails will provide a link to unsubscribe from future emails. More information about how The Fool collects, stores, and handles personal data is available in its Privacy Statement. Register by giving us your email below to continue reading all of the content on the site. Soon you will also begin to receive our FREE email newsletter, The Motley Fool Collective. It features straightforward advice on whats really happening with the stock market, direct to your inbox. Its designed to help you protect and grow your portfolio. (You may unsubscribe any time.) Many investors will have been burned in 2018 as the FTSE 100 fell by around 12%, however, some companies bucked the trend and saw their share prices rising despite that overall market fall and despite Brexit concerns. AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) was one such company. Over the course of 2018, the share price rose by over 13.5%, while FTSE 100 peer GlaxoSmithKline also grew its share price by 11%. This shows above all how investors were seeking defensive stocks to help shield them from the increased market volatility and political uncertainty. The conditions that caused investors so much anxiety in 2018 (Brexit, trade wars) are likely to persist into at least the first part of 2019 and that should benefit defensive companies in industries like energy and pharmaceuticals. Even over a longer timeframe, AstraZeneca should be able to provide market-beating returns to investors due to its drug pipeline and dividend. A sustainable, growing dividend Given that its share price has been rising, its dividend yield isnt the highest, but in many ways, this is a positive sign as a low P/E and high dividend yield can be a warning sign of danger ahead. Investors should take confidence in the firms sustainable 3.5% dividend yield. The dividend cover of around 1.5x (and the fact that the dividend has been held while the drugs pipeline is rebuilt after a series of patent expiries) should reward investors going forward. Furthermore, the stated aim of the companys management is for the dividend to be progressive, which means that as the company makes more profit, the dividend should grow. Finding the next blockbusters Overall AstraZeneca has around 150 projects in its pipeline. The oncology unit where the company is focusing more and more of its resources has 34 pipeline treatments that have already been submitted for approvals or are at phase three of the approvals process, meaning there is significant potential for finding the next blockbuster drug. Other treatment areas, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and respiratory, also have many drugs in the pipeline that are edging close to final approvals. Given the huge R&D expenditure and focus on specific therapy areas as well as building up its pipeline, it seems likely the firm has a good chance of finding blockbusters to replace drugs that are no longer protected by patents from generic rivals. Attractive industry, attractive business Margins in the pharmaceutical industry tend to be very high and AstraZeneca is no exception to this. The H1 results for 2018 showed the gross margin was a very healthy 78.6%, although it had dropped slightly. The company also highlighted that new medicines and emerging markets were performing particularly well and were sources of growth, which is an encouraging sign for investors. Full-year results are out next month, and this will provide the first insight into how 2019 might look for the company. Based on the information we have to date and the share price performance, investors ought to be optimistic about the prospects for the company over the next 12 months and beyond. | https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2019/01/10/will-astrazeneca-continue-to-outperform-in-2019/ |
How might 3rd generation Ryzen impact AMD and Intels high-end platforms? | Rumours and leaks are rife with details of AMDs plans for 2019, and chief amongst them are huge core count rises for its Zen 2 CPUs. The rumoured specifications would probably seem laughable two years ago and even in early 2018, but AMD has indeed been able to double core counts on its Epyc CPUs thanks to the 7nm manufacturing process and its chiplet design, so this now doesnt seem impossible at all. In fact, given the numerous leaks including bonafide-looking information posted on a Russian retailers website, it seems very likely indeed. What 2019 could see, then, is the introduction not just of a mainstream CPU that will not just be faster than the Core i9-9900K in multi-threaded workloads, but a 16-core CPU that would, even by 2nd Gen Ryzen standards, wipe the floor with it. This raises serious questions for both companies and indeed how we see the entire CPU market; it could look very different in 12 months. As controversial as my recent Core i9-9900K blog was, the irrefutable facts about that CPU are that it offers HEDT-matching (or beating, in some areas) performance for a lot less cash than AMD or Intels HEDT platforms. Yes, its expensive, but given you dont need quad-channel memory or an expensive motherboard to use it, it makes a very strong case for a powerful multi-threaded CPU for content creation. Its stepping on the toes of the likes of the Core i9-7900X and Threadripper 2920X, and its here where one of the most interesting stories will be played out this year. We could be looking at a CPU that offers performance in multi-threaded workloads similar to or better than current 12- or 16-core AMD and Intel CPUs possibly even a Core i9-9900X beater if Zen 2 proves to be significantly quicker than its predecessor. On the flip-side of this is another question. The answer is probably no, although given the likelihood AMD will be offering the so-called Ryzen 9 3800X at a fairly attractive price point compared to similar Threadripper and Core X CPUs, this might be appealing to those that currently dabble in multi-threaded workloads but cant afford a HEDT system as well as those that currently have a HEDT CPU but dont really need the extra memory channels or PCIe lanes. In short, both X299 and X399 platforms could be about to become very niche indeed if theyre squeezed to be attractive only to those that need that those truly maximum core counts and system bandwidth. If you just need a super-powerful content creation rig then in most cases the likes of the rumoured Ryzen 9 3800X would be perfect and could even save you money plus allow you to build a more compact system. Its also important to realise that HEDT platforms as we know them today havent always existed. In fact, it was Intel that split the desktop CPU market with its X58 chipset, which ushered in the company's first six-core CPUs and tri-channel memory support. Since then, weve had a two-tier desktop system, which AMD only recently joined with X399. Its not written in stone that we need two desktop platforms nor that we cant have super-powerful CPUs available on the same platform that includes sub-100 motherboards. What AMD is doing is pushing this boundary, probably because it can but also because Intel has a strong foothold in the HEDT market. Threadripper is competitive, but it doesnt have nearly as much market share as Intels offerings nor as many CPU SKUs. Indeed, half of AMDs 2nd Generation Threadripper CPUs are focussed at workstation users anyway. Compared to Intel, it has much less to lose by expanding its mainstream lineup, plus it will likely increase core counts further with its low-end Threadripper CPUs to compensate anyway. Theres very little evidence Intel is doing anything as ambitious, at least in the short term, to compete with Zen 2 on core counts, although its Foveros 3D stacking technology could play a part in the future. 2019, then, could see the HEDT platforms start to drop in popularity with those keen on obtaining some serious multi-threaded horsepower. I dont really have a problem with that I have a HEDT-based main rig at the moment, but Id happily drop a 16-core Ryzen into a decent mainstream board (me being me, it would of course be mini-ITX, and thankfully there are several premium X470 ITX boards too), and Im more than happy with dual-channel memory and a single large NVMe M.2 SSD so wont miss the extra bandwidth either. This is assuming the leaks/rumours I mentioned at the start prove true, of course, so hopefully we wont need to wait too long to find out. | https://www.bit-tech.net/blogs/tech/cpus/how-might-3rd-generation-ryzen-impact-amd-and-intels-high-end-platforms/1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bit-tech%2Fall+%28bit-tech.net+feed%29 |
What have Castle Douglas people chosen as their New Year resolutions? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email With New Year celebrations behind us, now is the time to look forward to what 2019 has in store. Not in Castle Douglas it would appear, when the News asked people their views about the age-old tradition. (Image: Drew Geddes) Alexandra Sarek is a second year medical student from Glenlochar, near Castle Douglas. And she firmly believes people should try to change things for the better for a new year. Surely we need to keep our New Year resolutions? said 20-year-old Alexandra, who is originally from Poland. We should do the best we can to make things work out. I hope I have a really good years study and I would like to do a summers internship with the NHS in Scotland. I hope I can save enough money and to continue my career either here or in Poland. (Image: Drew Geddes) Castle Douglas girl Tiffany McCosh, 23, who originally hails from South Africa, is determined to kick off 2019 on a positive note. Local waitress Tiffany, who is studying art and design at Dumfries College, said: Im going to eat healthily and get off to a fresh start. I feel like I need a change and I will maybe try to sell some of my artwork. I have just started sculpting and Im developing my skills in watercolours. I have a good feeling about 2019 it cant be any worse than this year. (Image: Drew Geddes) Tiffanys sister Jade, 22, is home for the holidays from Stirling University, where she is studying psychology. She firmly believes there is still a place for New Year resolutions and is quite clear about what her aims are. Jade said: Like most people, I would like to have more money and drink less. But I also want to be more confident in my own abilities and care a bit less about what people think. I will definitely be pushing myself a bit more and not give up so easily when things get tough. (Image: Drew Geddes) Ash McCutcheon, 20, from Dumfries, was in Castle Douglas to spend the day with Jade. He may be a Doonhamer but is proud of one Galloway connection his great-granny came from Palnackie. As far as the New Year goes, Ash wants to banish memories of a bad knee ligament injury and get back to full fitness. He said: My resolution is to run a full marathon this year, maybe at Stirling. I had been aiming to do it in 2018, but my knee injury from two years back was still giving me problems. Ash, who is studying sports science at Stirling, added: I want to get fitter and try to stick to a plan and not give up after a while. I also would like to go out to Cyprus to see my family. They moved out there four years ago and I have not seen them in a long time. | https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/what-castle-douglas-people-chosen-13833110 |
Will Bolsonaro stick to pro-US policy? | On New Year's Day, Jair Bolsonaro took office as Brazil's president, ushering in a pro-US foreign policy. He claimed Brazil is open to hosting a US military base to counter Russian influence in the region and will move Brazil's Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, Bolsonaro's pro-US stance will not lead to a change in the country's long-term foreign policy toward China. In the short run, there would be an interim observation period during which the new administration will try to weigh its foreign policy toward China. But in the long term, the new president will prefer ties with China. Bolsonaro, a former Army paratrooper who has been in the congress for almost 30 years, lacks governing experience. Therefore, his knowledge about China, Sino-Brazil relations and diplomatic affairs, especially foreign policy toward China, is limited. It can explain why he was not friendly toward China during his election campaign, when he claimed, "China isn't buying in Brazil. It's buying Brazil." Furthermore, in early 2018, Bolsonaro became the first Brazilian presidential candidate to visit Taiwan while Brazil supports the one-China policy. However, it is likely that after becoming increasingly aware of China-Brazil relations, his foreign policy will become more practical and rational. In the presidential campaign, Bolsonaro pledged economic growth, which is his priority. To bolster the economy, the new administration needs to boost exports. China is Brazil's biggest trading partner, overtaking the US in 2009. China and Brazil are economically complementary. According to a South China Morning Post report, trade between Brazil and China crossed $100 billion last year, and Brazilian exports to China sat at $66.6 billion, a 32 percent rise from the previous year. Besides, Brazil plans to attract more investment to boost its economy. China is the country of choice with the ability and will to invest in Brazil. Therefore, if Brazil wants to improve its economy and stature, it must gain the support of China, which is the world's second largest economy. In the long run, China-Brazil relations may be more important than US-Brazil ties. Currently, the US is concentrating on revitalizing its manufacturing and tightening foreign investment rules. Therefore, it won't be wise for Brazil to rely on the US for help to develop its economy. As the largest country in Latin America, Brazil has avoided being in US spotlight, trying to be independent and making its presence felt through regional alliances and multilateral institutions. However, Bolsonaro wants to change this. He seeks to abandon multilateralism and shows a diplomatic tilt to the US. Bolsonaro is a big fan of US President Donald Trump and his slogan during the election campaign, "Brazil before everything", resembles Trump's "America First". His moves in the beginning would resemble Trump's. So he will strengthen ties with the US but make fewer efforts for multilateral and South-South cooperation. Nevertheless, Brazil is still a developing country, not as strong and confident as the US, so it is impossible for Brazil to be totally unilateral or bilateral. It should focus on South-South cooperation. Influenced by a global economic slowdown in recent years, Brazil suffered from a deep recession that began in 2016. If Bolsonaro wants to fix Brazil's economy, cooperating only with the US and developed countries is not enough. Brazil has to strengthen its cooperation with developing countries, emphasizing South-South cooperation. Brazil is an important BRICS member and there is also an interim observation period to see whether "Brazil before everything" can affect BRICS and South-South cooperation. In the era of globalization, no country can achieve long-term development without cooperating with the rest of the world. Bolsonaro has to turn to multilateral cooperation. The author is Special Assistant to the President of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations. [email protected] | http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1135282.shtml |
Will Matt Reeves' The Batman save DC's cinematic universe? | With so many past often flawed takes on the Dark Knight, no wonder fans are nervous about meeting his next incarnation A lot is riding on Matt Reeves The Batman, which a new report suggests is due to begin shooting in November - with or without Ben Affleck as the tortured Dark Knight. Warner Bros struggling DC extended universe of superhero movies currently lacks a central pivot, despite decent enough solo outings for Wonder Woman and Aquaman. The studio would love to see Reeves somehow come up with a movie that repositions the caped crusader at the heart of the DC world. And yet it is difficult to see how the main creative thrust behind the successful Planet of the Apes remake trilogy can carve out his own vision without taking Batman out of the Justice League, and potentially the DCEU itself, altogether. Bruce Wayne surely needs to be given the chance to breathe the foul Gotham City air once again, free of responsibility for fending off attacks from bad CGI alien interlopers or resurrecting Superman due to his own foolhardy behaviour. Everything weve heard about Reeves plans suggests he will take a back-to-basics approach, restoring the furrow-browed superhero to his roots as a sleuth-some Gotham City vigilante. This has to be a good thing. For the last three years, ever since Zack Snyders ill-fated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice failed to wow anyone outside a hardcore of DC fans, Warner has been trying and failing to convince the world that Batfleck was a good idea poorly managed. It did this by tweaking the movies sequels and spin-offs to rid them of the worst knuckleheaded excesses of Snyders films. But the truth is that casting Affleck was a terrible idea carried out terribly, and no amount of shoehorned comedy one-liners was going to save films such as Justice League from being roundly dismissed. The temptation must surely be for Reeves to make with the Lazarus Pit, and resurrect a new and more workable Batman preferably played by anyone but Affleck. Perhaps DC needs two cinematic universes: one based on the grimy Gotham underworld and its cavalcade of leering freaks and deviants; the other filled with sci-fi-tinged superheroes who wouldnt look out of place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as Aquaman, Wonder Woman and the Flash. For the Batman of Christopher Nolans Dark Knight trilogy, or the TV series Gotham, has often seemed about as likely to meet Superman or the other members of the Justice League as Luke Skywalker is to encounter Genghis Khan. It is quite possible to imagine the worst big-screen caped crusaders, George Clooney or Val Kilmer, meeting just about anyone in the DC verse even the buffoonish Shazam! Thats because there is nothing stylistically singular about them at all, unless one is counting the Batnipples. Where other superheroes seem to grow as part of the ensemble, Batman certainly based on our experience with the last few DC movies only seems to diminish. Perhaps Gothams dark knight is simply too weird, too idiosyncratic a superhero to ever play nicely with others. The only question is why DC wasnt well aware of this, given that its own Lego Batman Movie mined Bruce Waynes extreme narcissism and inelegant misanthropy for comedy gold so successfully. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Narcissist The Lego Batman Movie, 2017. Its possible Warner simply doesnt have the confidence in its own plans, particularly after the lukewarm reactions to Justice League, to manage the movie in any other way. Its entire approach to the DCEU seems to have been a case of one step forward, six tentative steps back, so were about as likely to see a considered, Marvel-style route to world-building at this late stage as we are to see the Joker giving up his life of crime and embarking on a new career as a supermarket shelf stacker. Perhaps this is for the best. If Warner Bros is not naturally tuned to the the slow-burn, producer-led cinematic universe frequency, the studio would be well-advised to avoid hamfistedly trying to keep on fitting square pegs into round holes. In that case, the only solution is to take the whole thing one movie at a time. Maybe, just maybe, we need to take a long hard look at Reeves solo Batman outing before anyone can really imagine what shape the wider DC universe should be. | https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jan/10/will-matt-reeves-the-batman-save-dc-cinematic-universe |
Was tun bei Heu-Engpssen? | Nach dem trockenen Sommer ist Heu oft Mangelware. Dass ein Sommer hierzulande trocken und hei ausfllt, ist nicht ungewhnlich. Doch 2018 war die Situation kritisch wie selten. Am Ende blieben braun gebrannte Wiesen zurck, die Heuernte verlief fast im ganzen Land extrem schlecht. Gutes Heu zu bekommen, ist fr viele Pferdehalter und Stallbesitzer deshalb eine groe Herausforderung. Aktuelle Lage & Hintergrnde Besonders die anhaltende Drre hat die Heuernte hart getroffen. In der Regel mhen Landwirte ihre Wiesen zweibis dreimal. Der erste Schnitt gilt als ideales Raufutter fr Pferde, Rinder bekommen hufig den zweiten oder dritten Schnitt. Dieses Jahr reichte es vielerorts nur knapp fr einen Schnitt. Danach sorgten Wassermangel und hohe Temperaturen dafr, dass kaum Gras nachwuchs. Viele Landwirte knnen nicht wie in den Jahren zuvor Heu an Pferdehalter abgeben, da sie alle Vorrte fr den eigenen Tierbestand bentigen. Auch Weideflchen waren bald abgefressen. Ab Mitte Juli konnten wir unseren Pferden schon kein Grnfutter mehr bieten, berichtet Sabine Ellinger, Dressurtrainerin aus Murrhardt in Baden-Wrttemberg. Die Lage ist angespannt. Beim Grundfutter gibt es Ernteminderungen von 20 bis 75 Prozent, sagt Udo Hemmerling, stellvertretender Generalsekretr des Deutschen Bauernverbands. Am hrtesten betroffen seien Ost- und Norddeutschland. Die sandigen Bden in unserer Region waren durch die anhaltende Trockenheit schnell ausgedrrt, erklrt Nicole Knzel, Klassik-Ausbilderin aus Burgwedel bei Hannover. Zwar gibt es in Deutschland noch Heu auf dem Markt, jedoch haben sich die Preise teils verdoppelt: Anfang November kostete eine Tonne Heu im Rund- oder Quaderballen im Schnitt 170 Euro netto. Manche Pferde- und Stallbesitzer sprechen sogar von Endpreisen von bis zu 120 Euro pro Ballen. Vielerorts sind zwangslufig die Einstellgebhren gestiegen. In sozialen Netzwerken wie Facebook haben sich Gruppen gebildet, in denen Angebote und Gesuche fr Heu ausgetauscht werden. Sabine Ellinger stie so auch auf einen Heulieferanten bei Berlin, ber den sie einen Teil der dringend bentigten, qualitativ hochwertigen Heumenge beziehen konnte. ber soziale Netzwerke lassen sich zudem Abnehmergemeinschaften organisieren, sodass die Kosten fr den Lkw-Transport aufgeteilt werden knnen und erschwinglicher sind. Persnliche Kontakte sind natrlich Gold wert: Nicole Knzel fand ber Bekannte einen Heulieferanten im Allgu. Vor unserisen Angeboten sollte man auf der Hut sein und trotz Mangel ein Auge auf die Qualitt haben. Denn mieses, minderwertiges Heu taugt nicht als Pferdefutter und wird immer zu teuer bezahlt! Da die Qualitt gerade bei Lieferungen aus dem Ausland oft schwer festzustellen ist, sollten Sie Erfahrungsberichte oder Referenzen von anderen Pferdehaltern zurate ziehen, ob Freunde, Diskussionsforen oder Facebook-Gruppen. Viele deutsche Landwirtschaftsverbnde helfen bei der Suche nach Heulieferanten weiter. Der Bayerische Bauernverband bietet etwa eine Online-Futterbrse an, wei Petra Dring vom Arbeitskreis Pensionspferdehalter des Verbandes. Zustzlich finden sich Inserate in den Landwirtschaftlichen Wochenblttern. Heuangebote gibt es auch auf Onlineportalen von landwirtschaftlichen Fachzeitschriften. Ist der Heuvorrat dennoch knapp, knnen alternative Futtermittel helfen, den Mangel zumindest teilweise auszugleichen. Dr. Ingrid Vervuert, Fachtierrztin fr Tierernhrung und Ditetik an der Universitt Leipzig, hat ein Positionspapier verfasst, in dem sie viele ntzliche Tipps gibt. Wir haben wichtige Punkte daraus zusammengefasst: Gras- oder Heucobs knnen bis zu 50 Prozent der Heumenge ersetzen. Obwohl auch hier die Nachfrage stark gestiegen ist, sind die Preise weitestgehend stabil. Wir beziehen unsere Cobs aus Vertragsanbau und sind daher keinen so starken Preisschwankungen ausgesetzt, erklrt etwa Florian Berger, Geschftsfhrer der Firma Agrobs. Zudem knnen Sie auf Grnhafer ausweichen (etwa 200 Gramm pro 100 Kilo Krpermasse (KM) zustzlich zu 1-1,2 Kilo Heu und 0,3 Kilo Stroh pro 100 kg KM, separat oder unters Raufutter gemischt). Bei leichtfuttrigen Pferden rt Dr. Vervuert, 30 bis 40 Prozent einer Heuration durch Stroh zu ersetzen am besten mit Heu vermischt, da die Raufuttermahlzeit so besser verdaut wird. Da Stroh eiweiarm ist, empfiehlt Dr. Vervuert, Aminosuren zuzufttern (als Zusatzfuttermittel fertig im Handel; alternativ 20-50 g Erbsenflocken oder Sojaextraktionsschrot pro 100 kg KM). Bei schwerfuttrigen Pferden ist Maissilage eine Option. Sie knnen etwa 1 kg Heu pro 100 kg KM mit 1 kg Maissilage pro 100 kg KM fttern. Der Haken: Lagert Maissilage mehr als 12 bis 24 Stunden auerhalb des Silos, bilden sich vermehrt Hefen und sorgen fr Gaskoliken, erklrt Dr. Vervuert. Haben Sie keinen Zugang zu frischer Maissilage, sind Maiscobs (im Futtermittelhandel) eine gute Alternative; auch hier empfiehlt sich die Zugabe von Aminosuren. Karotten, rote Bete und Rben knnen in greren Mengen verfttert werden, um Heumangel auszugleichen, als viele Reiter glauben, sagt Dr. Vervuert. Karotten und rote Bete: bis zu 10 kg bei gesunden Gropferden; Rben: bis zu 5 kg. Wichtige Einschrnkung: Mhren & Co. sind wegen des hohen Zuckergehalts nichts fr leichtfuttrige Pferde, die womglich zu Hufrehe neigen. Weitere Alternative: Rbenschnitzel (etwa 200 g bis 1 kg Trockengewicht). Praxis-Tipps in Krze Futterbrsen im Netz: Zu den grten Portalen gehren www.landwirt.com, www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de oder die Futterbrsen der regionalen Bauernverbnde, die Sie hier aufgelistet finden: www.bauernverband.de/futterboersen Zusammenschlsse mit anderen Pferdehaltern: funktionieren z. B. gut ber soziale Netzwerke wie Facebook oder Online-Foren. Dort gibt es spezielle Gruppen, in denen sich Hndler und Abnehmer austauschen und Erfahrungsberichte teilen. Futteralternativen nutzen: Gesunde Pferdeernhrung gelingt auch mit begrenztem Heu (unter 2 kg/100 kg KM). | https://www.cavallo.de/news/pferdewissen-und-szenenews/was-tun-bei-heu-engpaessen.1986346.233219.htm?root=233219 |
Was taugt Stroh als Futter und Einstreu? | Stroh ist ein wahrer Allesknner. Pferde schlafen nicht nur gerne auf den gelben Halmen, sie haben sie auch zum Fressen gern. Es wird Goldgelb im Stall. Doch manche Pferdehalter rmpfen bei Stroh die Nase: Sie sehen es als gefhrliche Brutsttte fr Bakterien und Pilze, die allzu oft Husten oder Koliken hervorrufen. Andere sind berzeugt von den energiearmen Halmen. Beide haben recht: Bei Stroh besteht tatschlich die Gefahr einer mikrobiellen Belastung mit gesundheitlichen Risiken frs Pferd. Wenn die Qualitt stimmt, die Halme also frei von Staub und Schimmel, Hefen und Milben sind, spricht nichts gegen eine ergnzende Ftterung mit Stroh, sagt Pferdeernhrungsexpertin und Tierrztin Dr. Kathrin Irgang. Auch Stroh darf brigens erst sechs Wochen nach der Ernte verwendet werden, betont die Expertin; in dieser Schwitzphase stirbt der Groteil der Keime ab. Stroh als Pferdefutter Eine Renaissance frs Stroh als Futter prophezeit Dr. Kathrin Irgang angesichts der diesjhrigen Heuknappheit. Ihr Tipp: Die tgliche Heuration mit Stroh zu strecken und fehlendes Eiwei ber die Ftterung von Luzerne, Bierhefe oder Sojaschrot zu ergnzen. Die Tierrztin empfiehlt die Strohftterung aber nicht nur in diesem Jahr. Gerade bei bergewichtigen und leichtfuttrigen Pferden ist eine Teilersetzung der tglichen Heuration durch Stroh ratsam, sagt Dr. Irgang. Darber hinaus ist das Knabbern an den Halmen fr Pferde eine sinnvolle Beschftigung zur berbrckung von lngeren Ftterungsabstnden. Stroh hat rund ein Drittel weniger Energie als Heu und enthlt auch weniger Eiwei und Zucker. Der hohe Rohfasergehalt des Strohs erhht die Kauaktivitt und sorgt so fr zufriedene und schlanke Pferde. Mithilfe einer sensorischen Prfung lsst sich bereits vor Ort am Stall der Hygienestatus und der Futterwert des Strohs ermitteln. Dafr spielen Kriterien wie der Griff, die Farbe, der Geruch und der Verschmutzungsgrad eine Rolle. Der Hygienestatus ist gut, wenn sich das Stroh trocken anfhlt, den typischen Stroh-Geruch hat, eine goldglnzende Farbe aufweist und frei von Schimmel, Milben, Kfern und hnlichem Schmutz ist. Der Hygienestatus ist mangelhaft, wenn sich das Stroh klamm und feucht anfhlt, schimmeligmodrig riecht, grulich oder rtlich verfrbt ist und mit Schimmel, Milben usw. belastet ist. Stroh mit solchen Hygienemngeln ist weder als Futter noch als Einstreu geeignet! Der Futterwert ist besonders hoch, wenn das Stroh einen relativ hohen Anteil an Blattmasse hat, also nicht nur aus blanken Stngeln besteht. Das merkt man, wenn man das Stroh anfasst. Fhlt sich das Stroh hingegen holzig-reisigartig an, ist der Futterwert gleich null. Stroh als Futter sollte natrlich auch nicht mit Erde verdreckt sein und staubig sein. Bei den Kriterien Geruch, Farbe und Verschmutzung gilt ansonsten dasselbe wie fr den Hygienestatus. Sind Sie unsicher, was die Qualitt des Strohs angeht, knnen Sie Proben fr weitergehende Untersuchungen an landwirtschaftliche Untersuchungs- und Forschungsanstalten (LUFA) oder tiermedizinische Hochschulen schicken. Um ein reprsentatives Ergebnis zu bekommen, sollten mehrere Proben von jeweils mindestens 0,5 Kilogramm von verschiedenen Stellen des Ballens entnommen und eingeschickt werden. Bei der Ration gilt folgende Empfehlung: Der Strohanteil sollte nicht mehr als ein Drittel der Heuration ersetzen. Bei empfohlenen 1,7 Kilogramm Heu pro 100 Kilogramm Idealgewicht des Pferds entspricht das 0,6 Kilo Stroh pro 100 Kilogramm Idealgewicht. Wird zu viel Stroh gefttert, kann es zu Verstopfungskoliken kommen. Wichtig: Nur Pferde mit guten Zhnen knnen Stroh richtig kauen; gerade fr ltere Pferde ist Stroh daher oftmals eher ungeeignet. Auerdem sollte allen Pferden, die mit Stroh gefttert werden, immer ausreichend Wasser zur Verfgung stehen. Weizen- und Haferstroh schmeckt den meisten Pferden am besten, wei Dr. Irgang. Gerste komme theoretisch zwar auch infrage, knne aber wegen des ausgeprgten Grannenbesatzes Maulentzndungen hervorrufen. Roggenstroh empfiehlt die Expertin nicht, weil immer noch hren im Stroh sein knnen, Roggen aber kein Pferdefuttermittel ist. Stroh als Einstreu Nicht nur fr die Ftterung mit Stroh gilt das Reinheitsgebot: Stroh zur Einstreu sollte der Futterqualitt in nichts nachstehen. Wird Einstreu schlechter Qualitt gefressen, kann das Koliken auslsen. Ist das Stroh zu staubig, belastet dies die empfindlichen Atemwege von Pferden. Eine Studie des Forschungs- und Studienzentrums fr Veredlungswirtschaft in Vechta und des Johann Heinrich von Thnen-Instituts in Braunschweig zeigte, dass Partikel grer als 5 Mikrometer durch den Selbstreinigungsschutz der Nase wieder ausgestoen werden, kleinere Partikel jedoch in die Lungen gelangen knnen. Dort nimmt der Staub die Flssigkeit aus den Schleimhuten auf, gewinnt an Umfang und gelangt nicht mehr raus. Die Untersuchungen ergaben zwar, dass Strohpartikel hufig grer sind aber eben nur bei entsprechend guter Qualitt. Fr die Sortenauswahl gilt im Prinzip dasselbe wie fr die Ftterung. Haferstroh ist hier allerdings nur eingeschrnkt zu empfehlen wegen der geringeren Saugfhigkeit. Hcksel stauben tatschlich nur dann weniger, wenn die Ausgangsqualitt des Strohs gut war oder die Hcksel maschinell entstaubt wurden. Damit Hcksel saugfhiger sind als normales Stroh, muss die glatte Oberflche der Halme im Herstellungsprozess aufgebrochen werden; das Stroh einfach nur zu krzen, hat keinen Effekt. Hcksel unter 5 cm Lnge stellen zudem eine Gefahr fr Pferde dar: Frisst das Tier die kurzen Halme, knnen diese im Blinddarm zu Verstopfung und Kolik fhren. Diese haben eine bessere Saugfhigkeit als Langstroh und Keime werden bei der Produktion durch Temperaturen um die 110 Grad abgettet. Auerdem sind Pellets schneller abbaubar und erzeugen ein geringes Mistvolumen als Langstroh. Wird mit Pellets eingestreut, muss jedoch darauf geachtet werden, dass gengend Heu zur Verfgung steht. Gelangen die Pellets in den Pferdemagen, knnen diese im Verdauungstrakt gefhrlich aufquellen und Koliken auslsen. Kauf & Lagerung Stroh ist, wie Heu auch, sehr wetterempfindlich. Die Qualitt hngt deshalb mageblich von der Witterung ab. Regnet und strmt es den Sommer ber viel, knickt das Getreide um und lagert Wasser ein. Je feuchter das Stroh ist, desto wohler fhlen sich insbesondere Schimmelpilze. Im Herbst und Winter gibt es dann hufig unschne berraschungen, wenn sich groe, graue Schimmelnester gebildet haben. Rtliche Flecken deuten auf einen Pilzbefall hin. Hier besteht die Mglichkeit, dass sich Giftstoffe (Toxine) bilden! Qualitt und Preise in diesem Jahr: Aufgrund der langanhaltenden Trockenheit in diesem Sommer ist das Stroh qualitativ hochwertig, auch wenn die Getreideernte selbst durch die Drre schlecht ausfiel. Allerdings ist Stroh in diesem Jahr aufgrund der Heuknappheit auch sehr teuer. Eine Tonne Stroh als Rundballen kostet durchschnittlich 123 Euro; mancherorts klettern die Preise auf bis zu 180 Euro. Zum Vergleich: Im vergangenen Jahr waren Rundballen mit durchschnittlich 86 Euro pro Tonne rund 30 Prozent gnstiger. Sehr wahrscheinlich werden die Preise ber den Winter auch noch weiter steigen. Im Idealfall sollte Stroh in einer Scheune, gegen Wettereinflsse abgeschirmt, auf Paletten stehen. Lagert Stroh auf Beton, kann die Luft nicht zirkulieren: Schimmel bildet sich. Aus Platzmangel wird Stroh aber oft im Freien gelagert und nur mit Planen oder Vlies abgedeckt. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass sich dabei Kondenswasser bildet und das Stroh schimmelt, ist hoch, betont die Ftterungsexpertin. Selbst wenn der Schimmelbefall augenscheinlich gering ist, reicht es nicht, nur die betroffenen Stellen zu entfernen. Es sollte immer der ganze Ballen entsorgt werden, weil sich die Schimmelsporen im Ballen verteilen, warnt Dr. Irgang. Auch als Einstreu ist dieses Stroh nicht mehr geeignet! | https://www.cavallo.de/know-how-rund-ums-pferd/pferdehaltung/was-taugt-stroh-als-futter-und-einstreu.1975598.233219.htm?root=233219 |
Why has Danny John-Jules left Death In Paradise? | Danny John-Jules absence from Death In Paradise wont go unnoticed (Picture: BBC) Death In Paradise is back on BBC One for its eighth series tonight but one notable cast member will be missing. Thats because Danny John-Jules aka Officer Dwayne Myers in the show has exited the island after seven series. Well, the actor who recently appeared on Strictly Come Dancing announced last April he was quitting, saying that he had taken the decision to step away from Death In Paradise on a high. The actor said he wanted to leave the show on a high (Picture: BBC) Executive producer Tim Key confirmed the news in a statement, saying: Were very sad to have said goodbye to Danny, whose brilliant performance as Dwayne has helped make the show such a success. We wish Danny all the very best and look forward to working with him again. Advertisement Advertisement Ardal OHanlon who plays DI Jack Mooney in the show has also addressed Dannys departure. Speaking to Digital Spy, he said: When I heard that Danny was leaving, I thought, Hmm. How will the audience take that? Because hes a very popular character in the show, and hes been there since the start as well, so theres that. But weve seen time and time again that the show survives these cast changes. Death In Paradise series eight kicks off on BBC One on Thursday night at 9pm. 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/2019/01/10/danny-john-jules-left-death-paradise-8328561/ |
How to Find SQL Injection Attack Vulnerability? | January 2019 by Rapid SafeGuard Today, I am sharing my resource to find SQLi vulnerability. SQLi is the technique to take over the database of the website. SQLi is the most dangerous attack as per the OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities and SANS top 25 vulnerabilities. I am sharing the online and offline tools through this blog. Top 10 SQL Injection attacks tools 1. SQL Injection Testing with Sqlmap 2 suip.biz Detecting SQL Injection flaws online by suIP.biz support MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL, IBM DB2, Firebird, Sybase, etc. database. 3. Acunetix 4. SQL Injection Test Online Another online tool by Hacker Target based on SQLMap to find bind & error based vulnerability against HTTP GET request. 5. Scan My Server Scan My Server by Beyond Security is a FREE scanner to test your website for malware, cross-site scripting, SQL injection and other vulnerabilities. 6. Vega Vega is an open-source security scanner software which can be installed on Linux, OS X, and Windows. 7. SQLMap SQLMap is one of the popular open source testing tools to perform SQL injection against relational database management system. 8. SQL Inject Me SQL Inject Me is a Firefox add-ons send database escape strings through HTML form fields and look for the error message in the output page. 9. Netsparker Netsparker is one of the popular web security scanners comes in desktop or cloud version. It detects a large number of security flaws including OWASP top 10. 10. Appspider Appspider by Rapid7 is a dynamic application security testing solution to crawl and test a web application for more than 80 types of attack. (Paid tool) | http://www.globalsecuritymag.com/How-to-Find-SQL-Injection-Attack,20190110,83432.html |
Can White Sox bring home bacon? | If the idea is to make Manny Machado's comfort zone so big he won't think twice about choosing the 100-loss White Sox over the 100-win Yankees, the Sox may as well go for broke. After acquiring Machado's brother-in-law, Yonder Alonso, and signing one of his best friends, Jon Jay, the next logical move for General Manager Rick Hahn is calling the Cubs' Theo Epstein about the availability of Machado's cousin, Albert Almora Jr. And when he runs out of family and friends, perhaps Machado's personal trainer could use a job on the South Side. The recruitment of Machado has been the most interesting saga of the White Sox's offseason, one that could end up with the biggest free-agent splash in franchise history or with a major thud if neither Machado nor Bryce Harper signs on the dotted line. Coming this far, there's no turning back for the Sox, who've raised expectations so high that entering spring training empty-handed will be a double doink no one wants to see. Alonso and Jay are the lettuce and tomato in the BLT, but Machado is the bacon. Though Harper is the preferred choice of most Sox fans, Machado has grabbed much of the attention since news of the Sox's offer to the star infielder. With a little more than a month before spring training, their slow-motion pursuit of Machado appears to be gaining steam with the signing of Jay, a journeyman outfielder who wouldn't seem to be a big deal in the Sox rebuild unless he was brought in as an enticement to Machado. Jay agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal, in line for a veteran outfielder about to turn 34 with no power whatsoever. Jay is a good guy in the clubhouse and a decent leadoff option, but he's not exactly an upgrade from Avisail Garcia, who was non-tendered after another injury-marred season. Assuming Eloy Jimenez is called up by May, Jay likely will wind up platooning and serving as a late-game defensive replacement in the corner spots. But if he and Alonso can convince Machado to take the Sox's offer and reunite the "Miami crew" in Chicago, he'll be worth the relatively small investment. The Sox have made incremental moves this winter, waiting on the big boys to make a potentially franchise-altering decision. Machado can be the face of the franchise in Chicago or Philadelphia, or just another superstar in the Yankees clubhouse. Harper can be the straw that stirs the drink in Chicago or Philly, or just another superstar in the Dodgers clubhouse. Or the proverbial "mystery" team can swoop in and make one of them an offer that blows the others away. On Tuesday the Sox made official the signing of late-inning reliever Kelvin Herrera to a two-year, $18 million deal after acquiring Alex Colome from the Mariners. Herrera, who can close or serve as setup man, will receive $8.5 million in 2019 and 2020, while the Sox have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout. Herrera said the Sox remind him of the rebuilding Royals team he began his career with in 2011, the one that grew together and won a World Series in 2015. The Sox are a long way from making that assessment a reality, but he should help fix what has been a deficiency since David Robertson was dealt back to the Yankees in 2017. But Herrera, Colome, Alonso, Jay and starter Ivan Nova aren't enough to make the Sox a contender, even in a subpar division like the AL Central. Even the addition of either Machado or Bryce Harper might not do that in 2019. They'll need significant improvements from Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito, two prospects from the first big deals of the rebuild. They'll need fewer strikeouts from the lineup as a whole, and more consistency from Carlos Rodon and Reynaldo Lopez, both of whom were dominant in stretches. And finally they'll need strong rookie seasons from top prospect Jimenez and starter Dylan Cease, who should be up by midsummer. They seem like the real deal, but you never know until they're in the majors. But for now the real focus is Machado, and whether the friends and family plan will work. Sports on 01/10/2019 | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/jan/10/can-white-sox-bring-home-bacon-20190110/ |
Will The Divisional Playoffs Restore Order To The NFL? | The NFLs wild-card round may have been a brutal showcase of grind-it-out defense and uninspired offensive play-calling. But at least it threw another intriguing wrench into what was already shaping up to be a chaotic postseason. Three of the four favorites (according to FiveThirtyEights pregame Elo ratings) lost on opening weekend: the home Texans, Ravens and Bears. Now were left with an eight-team field in which every member has at least a 6 percent probability of winning the Super Bowl, and no one is above 22 percent. Over the previous four postseasons, the favorite had an average championship probability of 31 percent at this stage of the playoffs. So with things still looking as wide-open as ever, lets zoom in on some numbers including classic Elo and a version with our experimental quarterback adjustments for each divisional matchup. How Elo sees the divisional round playing out Win probabilities for Week 19 games according to two methods: standard Elo and a version that contains an adjustment for starting quarterbacks Standard Elo QB-Adjusted Elo Team Rating Win Prob. Base Rtg Starting QB QB Adj. Win Prob. NO 1669 64% 1605 Drew Brees +52 64% PHI 1633 36 1616 Nick Foles +5 36 NE 1640 58 1603 Tom Brady +38 63 LAC 1648 42 1605 Philip Rivers +13 37 LAR 1634 66 1619 Jared Goff +11 66 DAL 1581 34 1576 Dak Prescott +5 34 KC 1656 66 1619 Patrick Mahomes +49 68 IND 1608 34 1565 Andrew Luck +37 32 Home teams are in bold. Elo quarterback adjustments are relative to average, based on a rolling average of defense-adjusted QB stats (including rushing). Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com The most up-for-grabs game of the divisional round might be the New England Patriots against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon. This years Patriots are not the unassailable juggernaut they usually have been, though they literally have been unbeatable at home (where theyll be this week). In fact, come kickoff, it will have been 470 days since the Pats last lost a home game of any sort and 2,185 days since they fell at home in the playoffs. But the Chargers may actually be the superior team. Not only did L.A. have the better record (12 wins vs. 11 for New England), it ranks higher than New England in ESPNs Football Power Index, Football Outsiders Defense-adjusted Value Over Average and Jeff Sagarins power ratings, among other rankings. Tale of the Patriots-Chargers tape Leaguewide NFL ranks in various categories for the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots in the 2018 season Category Chargers Patriots Football Power Index 4th 5th Defense-adjusted Value Over Average 3rd 7th Elo rating 3rd 4th Sagarin ratings 4th 5th Simple Rating System 6th 8th Starting quarterbacks Total QBR 7th 6th Sources: ESPN.com, Football Outsiders, USA Today, Pro-Football-Reference.com Talent-wise, the Chargers also have more Pro Bowlers than the Pats (7 to 2) and just as many All-Pros (4 apiece). And although Elo does gives New England a 58 percent chance to reach the AFC championship game for the 10th time in 13 years, thats the second-lowest pregame probability the Pats have had in a divisional playoff since 2006-07 when they were given a mere 35 percent chance of beating, you guessed it, the Chargers. Then again, the Pats did in fact end up winning that one, in San Diego, under crazy circumstances. As always, its tough to count out Tom Brady in the AFC playoffs, where he is 22-7 all-time as a starter and hasnt lost since January 2016. On paper, the biggest mismatch of the second round features the New Orleans Saints at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Las Vegass sportsbooks opened with the Saints as 8-point favorites, which would seem to make sense in a clash between a 13-3 top conference seed and a 9-7 team that needed an unlikely confluence of events just to make the playoffs at all. But, of course, the Eagles arent just any team theyre the defending champs, with a script that seems all too familiar. ), and once again Foles is leading Philly on an underdog playoff run. When this happened with last years Eagles, coach Doug Pederson changed his offensive approach to better accommodate Foless strengths, focusing on higher-percentage short passes with more yards picked up after the catch (mixing in the odd deep bomb), and calling more play-action passes with an emphasis on getting the ball out quickly and avoiding mistakes. Key passing rate statistics for Carson Wentz and Nick Foles in the 2017 and 2018 seasons (including playoffs) 2018 Season (incl. playoffs) QB Comp% AY/Att YAC/Cmp TD% Int% Pressure% Sack% Play-Action% Wentz 69.6% 7.8 5.0 5.2% 1.7% 26.2% 7.0% 26.7% Foles 70.6 6.9 5.0 3.8 2.6 24.1 4.1 22.6 2017 Season (incl. playoffs) QB Comp% AY/Att YAC/Cmp TD% Int% Pressure% Sack% Play-Action% Wentz 60.2% 9.8 4.8 7.5% 1.6% 29.5% 5.6% 21.6% Foles 64.7 7.8 5.6 5.3 1.4 28.8 3.3 30.9 AY/ATT = Air yards per attempt YAC/CMP = Yards after catch per completion Source: ESPN Stats & Information Group This year, the differences are more subtle. The Eagles have once again thrown downfield less with Foles, but that hasnt been paired with more yardage after the catch, nor has it resulted in fewer picks. Theyre also calling a lower share of play-action passes for Foles than they did for Wentz, a big reversal from last year. But one constant has been Foless ability to get rid of the ball under pressure and avoid sacks, which was a key factor on Sunday against Khalil Mack and Chicagos ferocious pass rush. The Saints were sixth in sacks this season, so Foless quick release should come in handy again this weekend as the Eagles try to avoid a repeat of their 48-7 thrashing at the hands of New Orleans in November. But for all the Foles mania, it remains to be seen if Philadelphias defense can slow down Drew Brees and the Saints offense after allowing 546 total yards in that earlier matchup. As my ESPN colleague Adam Teicher recently wrote about, Saturdays game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts is a historically great quarterback matchup. The two QBs Patrick Mahomes and Andrew Luck spent the regular season tossing 89 combined touchdown passes, an NFL record for QBs facing off in any postseason contest. (Even considering the NFLs spike in passing numbers, thats a lot of touchdowns!) The Chiefs are looking to finally snap a decades-long run of postseason futility that hasnt seen them advance past the divisional round since 1993-94. But the bad luck of running into, um, Luck is part of their ongoing problem at this stage of the postseason. Among the 21 teams that have played at least five divisional playoff games since the Chiefs dry spell began, the Chiefs have faced the third-most difficult slate of opposing quarterbacks, according to our QB-adjusted version of Elo: The Chiefs have run into some tough playoff QBs Highest average quality of opposing quarterback faced in the divisional round (based on QB-adjusted Elo ratings) for NFL teams with a minimum of five divisional playoff games since the 1994 season Average Opp. Elo Win Percentage Team Games QB-Neutral QB Adjustment Effective Rating Predicted Actual Jaguars 5 1622 +56 1678 32.3% 60.0% 49ers 9 1596 +40 1636 53.3 55.6 Chiefs 6 1581 +40 1621 61.7 0.0 Jets 5 1647 +40 1686 37.7 60.0 Falcons 7 1608 +34 1642 51.9 57.1 Includes playoffs for the 2018 season. Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com Thanks to a steady dose of all-time greats such as Brady, Peyton Manning, John Elway, Ben Roethlisberger and now Luck, the Chiefs have seldom caught a break by facing a comparatively weak QB at this point in the playoffs. Since 1994-95, only the Jaguars and 49ers have had worse luck in that regard. (Of course, those teams still managed to overcome it and win more often than not, while the Chiefs keep finding ways to lose.) But its also worth pointing out that KC has seldom had the superior QB in the matchup, which it does have this year in Mahomes. According to Elo, Mahomes is not only better than Luck, but he has the second-best pregame rating adjustment of any Chiefs playoff starter in a divisional round game since the 1970 merger, trailing only Trent Green from 2003-04 (when Kansas City gained 408 yards and didnt punt the ball once but still lost because the Colts gained even more yards and also didnt punt.) With a likely MVP under center, the Chiefs are hoping they finally have the ingredient that was missing in those previous postseason disappointments. Instead of having to face the Dallas Cowboys in January, the Los Angeles Rams probably would prefer it if the playoffs had been held a month and a half ago, back when they were on pace for 14 wins and sat as Super Bowl favorites in Vegas. According to Elo, the Rams peaked after beating the Detroit Lions in Week 13 after which they went 2-2 and shed nearly 40 points off their rating. But the good news for L.A. is that similar peaking too early teams tend to do pretty well for themselves in the playoffs. I looked for other teams that cracked a 1650 Elo rating (with the QB adjustment) through 12 games of an NFL regular season, then lost at least 30 points of Elo over the final four games before going into the playoffs. Of those 20 teams, 14 still made the conference championship, with nine making the Super Bowl and five winning it all (the most recent of which were the 2009 Saints). So any rumors of the Rams premature demise may have been greatly exaggerated. If there is a takeaway from the Rams late-season slump, it might be a reminder that one of the most important factors for Los Angeles will be getting back to selling the run and keeping the Cowboys off-balance with play-action passing. During the Rams 11-1 start, they led the league with 5.3 expected points added per game off play-action passing, more than 0.8 points per game better than New England, the next-best offense. In Weeks 14 through 17, that number dropped to 3.2 EPA per game, which ranked only seventh-best. The Rams play-action game disappeared down the stretch NFL ranks for the 2018 Los Angeles Rams on play-action passes, by week NFL Rank Category Weeks 1-13 Weeks 14-17 Passing EPA per game 1st 7th Total QBR 8th 25th Passer rating 7th 15th Yards per pass 5th 15th Passing yards per game 1st 8th Source: ESPN Stats & Information Group Though L.A. running back Todd Gurley was on track for an MVP-caliber season before missing games with a balky knee down the stretch, there isnt evidence that missing a stud RB necessarily hurts a teams play-action game. The Cowboys had one of the NFLs best run defenses this season, so overusing Gurley to set up play-action on Saturday might be a waste anyway. But getting Dallas to commit to defending the run and then shredding the Cowboys through the air seems like the Rams best ticket to the NFC title game. FiveThirtyEight vs. the readers To keep up with every teams Elo rating during the playoffs, check out FiveThirtyEights NFL prediction interactive, which simulates the rest of the season 100,000 times and tracks how likely every team is to advance to the Super Bowl. You can also pick playoff contests against the Elo algorithm in our prediction game and keep climbing up our giant leaderboard. (Or you could be like me, and forget to set picks before the first round of the playoffs) According to data from the game, heres how readers did against the computer on wild-card weekend: Elos dumbest (and smartest) picks of wild-card weekend Average difference between points won by readers and by Elo in Week 18 matchups in FiveThirtyEights NFL prediction game OUR PREDICTION (ELO) READERS PREDICTION PICK WIN PROB. PICK WIN PROB. Result READERS NET PTS BAL 60% LAC 51% LAC 23, BAL 17 +17.0 HOU 56 HOU 53 IND 21, HOU 7 +0.8 CHI 61 CHI 65 PHI 16, CHI 15 -16.8 DAL 54 SEA 54 DAL 24, SEA 22 -22.5 Home teams are in bold. The scoring system is nonlinear, so readers average points dont necessarily match the number of points that would be given to the average reader prediction. Readers won big when the Chargers won on the road over Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, and the Colts win over the Texans was basically a wash (both the readers and Elo incorrectly picked Houston). But Elo took the weekend on the strength of the Eagles win over the Bears the algorithm liked Philly slightly more than the readers and especially the Cowboys victory over the Seahawks. Despite the game being in Dallas, the average reader assigned Seattle a 54 percent chance of winning, and that led to a massive loss of points after Michael Dicksons weird onside kick attempt went awry. Elo has now beaten the average reader 17 times in 18 weeks this season. Having said that, congrats are in order to Alex McQuillen and Ben Zornes, who currently lead all users in the postseason with 200.0 points apiece, and to Neil Mehta, who moved into first place for the season with 1,128.1 points. Thanks to everyone who has been playing and the game isnt over yet! You should keep making picks and trying your luck against Elo throughout the playoffs. Check out our latest NFL predictions. | https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/will-the-divisional-playoffs-restore-order-to-the-nfl/ |
What Is Minimum Wage for Major League Baseball Players? | The experts will tell you it's the minimum amount of pay that a worker is entitled to by law. I will tell you minimum wage for minimum work. The minimum wage in the U.S.varies depending on what state you are in. It can be anywhere from around $7 an hour to $12. Here in South Dakota it's a whopping $9.10. Wow, that's a raise of 45 cents over last year. Oh, I agree they should make more than the normal man. The fact is they have dating back to Babe Ruth. The Babe was requesting $80,000 a year during the Great Depression when President Hoover was pulling in 75 grand. Today, the President's salary is $400,000 per year, and that's still under minimum wage in Major League Baseball. Lefty Grant Dayton made it to the "bigs" as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 settling for the minimum rate of $507,000. It sounds like a lot of money to us, but it's considered low pay in the sport. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was the highest-paid player in the big leagues at $32 million last season, when he was selected for the All-Star Game for the sixth straight year Stephen Dunn, Getty Images . | http://ksoo.com/what-is-minimum-wage-for-major-league-baseball-players/ |
Is There Anybody Out There? | Donald Trump can do a lot of things I cant, but he can no more get out of the prison than I can Daniel Quinn, Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit, c1992 Im not really sure when I first became aware of the environmental crisis. Like watershed health to how wasteful we are, how forests all around the globe are going under the axe, destroying our ability to filter out various toxins our lifestyle accumulates in the earth under our feet. This wasnt something that was really covered when I went to school, whenever exactly it was I woke up, anyway, until then I was more or less oblivious. Probably around my early 20s, maybe mid-20s. Only thing was though that I didnt get these pie-in-the-sky daydreams of some utopian future where humanity as a group all at once sing kumbayah and go back to nature, live sustainably, or whatever pipedreams the early environmental movements had. It just didnt make sense to me. I mean I was born during the summer of love, so I didnt get all the hippie love age of Aquarius thang. Made up for it to some degree, but anywho. And then I read Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. It was one of those books that I had to put down every once in a while and think about what he was saying. But of course there is, or so I thought. But it didnt start there, where it started was with this gorilla, and an ad in the paper; teacher seeks pupilmust have an earnest desire to save the world. It told a story of a world I understood, of animals, saying their piece, of mythology and our creation stories, our beliefs and motivations. But it started with a gorilla, asking him a question. With gorilla gone, will there be hope for man? Its this narrative weve been told that goes back to the bible stories, of humanity being flawed, but Quinn, or Ishmael, this gorilla says that is not true. We are not flawed, it is our story that is flawed, our way of seeing ourselves within the community of life on earth that is flawed. Its out of the box thinking I suppose, least out of the box from where I was at the time. I still have that earnest desire to save the world. Though I remember that it really isnt the world we are trying to save, it is ourselves. See, thats the point, all of us are tangled up, but ultimately the other goes on, gorilla doesnt need us, and we dont necessarily need gorilla short-term. I think what youre groping for is that people need more than to be scolded, more than to be made to feel stupid and guilty. They need more than a vision of doom. They need a vision of the world and of themselves that inspires them. It opened up a vista of possibilities, of exciting possibilities. Of doing things differently, and not just to save the world, or ourselves, but instead because it made more sense, used fewer resources, and was sustainable. New solutions to old problems. Like recycling. Probably make them more concienctious of how much packaging their products come in. More motivated anyways. Or, consumer product upcycling built right into the purchase of the product. You know, buy a rug and return it when you want a new one and they use that rug to make new rugs. Has the potential to create a whole host of new mesh economies, of small outfits working together, from the manufacturer, to the salesperson, the shipper, recycler, back to the rug manufacturer. More and more people are becoming aware of this real crisis, not of border security, but a domino effect. We are more and more seeing chain reactions happening all over with giant shifts in the economy, trade, not to mention global climate change that is wreaking havoc on many parts of the world. Trump does no one any favours by promising some stupid wall is going to solve all that ails the United States. These instabilities create movements, migrations, and old jobs, like coal that sustained a community become unsustainable and many, all over the world, are without a means of housing, feeding, caring for themselves and their families. It is only going to get worse. The world is changing, and the alt-right, white nationalist movements around the world are the direct backlash to these changes that are taking place, as they pander to fear. Authoritarian leadership is often far more attractive in times of crisis, that take charge style gives comfort in times of uncertainty. Old ways of doing business are fast becoming obsolete, but major companies and many countries that rely on these industries are not willing to, yet, go in any other direction, have no other direction, and so denial is easier to fund, I suppose. Also, leaders around the world are being bought via the back door by these gigantically wealthy donors, with the intent of having their concerns on regulations and other concerns brought front and centre and that needs to stop. The past and the future are at war with each other. It is like the dying actions of an animal when they are most dangerous and unpredictable as they thrash about in some last-ditch effort to avoid their inevitable demise. Old ways of thinking, like industries, thrash and bash about as they fight for their survival. We are seeing a pivotal change, to our communication, new sources of power and logistics are at the core of any new infrastructure that moves our economy forward into the future, the birth pangs of a third industrial revolution is how one doc I watched recently put it, a major paradigm shift is afoot. The laws they make in Washington arent put on the books because they work welltheyre put on the books because they represent the one right way to live. You may not have an abortion unless the fetus is threatening your life or was put there by a rapist. There are a lot of people whod like to see the law read that way. Because thats the one right way to live. You may drink yourself to death, but if we catch you smoking a marijuana cigarette, its the slammer for you, baby, because thats the one right way. No one gives a damn about whether our laws work well. Working well is beside the point. So thats the point. If we keep doing the same things we did before we are going to get what we got before. Well, its not working. We are wasting precious time, fiddling around with walls and corruption while our world burns. It frustrates me to see what that man has done, offering pablum to the ignorant, mulla to the wealthy, fearmongering to get his way, whatever, be gone already. Doesnt work that way, unfortunately. Not so easy. Nothing important is generally easy. 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Who Is Jordan Spieths Wife? | Meet the high-school sweetheart of Jordan Spieth, Annie Verret. Jordan Spieth may not have had a brilliant year on the PGA Tour by his lofty standards, but he recently got married and will be looking to right the ship and return to the winners circle in 2019. The pair are believed to have met at high-school in Texas and stayed together despite attending different colleges. Spieth went to the University of Texas at Austen whereas Verret went to Texas Tech and majored in business. She graduated with a GPA of 4.0 and below you can see the pair celebrating their graduation. Whilst Jordan is on the golf course Verret is, and has been, involved in a number of projects. For example she was the event coordinator for The First Tee of Greater Dallas which was an organisation that looked to inspire underprivileged children through golf. She was also part of The Birthday Party Project which is an organisation that looks to host birthday parties for homeless youths in America. | https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/features/the-game/jordan-spieths-wife-162663 |
How much could Jeff Bezos divorce from wife MacKenzie Bezos cost him? | Jeff Bezos and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Bezos, released a statement via the formers Twitter account announcing their divorce. According to a 2013 profile by Vogue, MacKenzie Bezos met the Amazon founder while she was a research associate and he was a part of the management at D. E. Shaw, a New York City hedge fund. He was the first person to interview her. Within six months of dating, they were married in 1993. She was only 23 years old at the time. In July 1994, Amazon was founded in their garage in Seattle, Washington. A quarter of a century later, Jeff Bezos is now the richest man in the world, while his company is the most valuable public offering having breached the $1 trillion cap in September 2018. ALSO READ: Amazon Chief Jeff Bezos would have to spend 192.2 crores a day to avoid getting richer So, as the couple decided to call it quits, markets around the world are watching the stock very carefully. Though it remains to be seen what impact the Bezos divorce will have on investors faith in Amazons share, the other big question that people are asking is what the settlement for the legal separation will look like. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Jeff Bezos net worth stands at $137 billion (at the time of publishing). His wealth primarily stems from the 16 per cent stake he owns in Amazon. According to a 1996 profile carried by the Wall Street Journal, Bezos typed out a business plan for the company that is now the largest online retailer in the world. This while driving to Seattle to relocate there with his family a drive during which MacKenzie Bezos was at the wheel. Reports have also suggested that MacKenzie was one of Amazons earliest employees. According to Business Insider, she acted as an accountant for the company and as per Wired, she negotiated Amazons first freight contracts. There have been multiple hints at her contributions to the e-commerce giants phenomenal rise, so its possible that she could be awarded a sizeable settlement. Add to that the fact that Washington, where the Bezoses live and work, is a community property state. Which, according to Vox, means that even if the couple cant come to a mutually agreeable settlement, the court can divide marital assets equally. Should MacKenzie Bezos be awarded half of Jeff Bezos net worth (about $65.8 billion), she could become the richest woman in the world and, according to Forbes, the fifth richest person in the world. Even if a 50/50 settlement is not reached, the business publication further stated that as much as a single percentage of Jeff Bezos net worth would rank the divorce as one of the most expensive settlements ever. However, the actual sum also depends on whether the two signed a prenup before they wed or any sort of agreement after. Whatever the result of the divorce proceedings, it does not seem that there will be any friction. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, who share four children (three boys and a girl), remain on friendly terms. According to the Amazon CEOs tweet, the two will be involved in each others lives, businesses and futures, adding, Though the labels might be different, we remain a family, and we remain cherished friends. You can read the entire statement here: NOW READ How Jeff Bezos, briefly the worlds richest person, spends his cash Jeff Bezos net worth is more than the GDP of these 10 countries This couple invested over 1.6 crore in 1995, now they are worth almost 2.5 lakh crore > More on Get Smart | https://www.gqindia.com/content/everything-about-mackenzie-bezos-how-much-could-jeff-bezos-divorce-from-wife-mackenzie-bezos-cost-him-most-expensive-divorce/ |
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Is there a way out of the 2019 federal pay freeze? | To no surprise, final word of the presidents plans to freeze pay for civilian employees in 2019 was met with anger and frustration from federal employee groups. President Donald Trump made his planned pay freeze, which he first announced in releasing his proposed 2019 budget back in February and again in letters to Congress in August, official late last week six days into a partial government shutdown. Advertisement The National Treasury Employees Union described the freeze as pouring salt in the wound. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association said Trumps decision amplified his disdain for the federal workforces public service. The Federal Managers Association called it a direct slap in the face. But there may be a way or two out of the freeze. The clearest path at least for the moment lives inside the deal that House Democrats have put on the table to end the partial government shutdown and fund most agencies through the rest of the fiscal year. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House Speaker designate, on Monday unveiled a package of bills that would end the partial government shutdown and fund nearly all agencies except the Department of Homeland Security through the rest of fiscal 2019. One package includes the six previously-agreed-to appropriations bills that Congress had nearly finalized before shutting parts of the government down on Dec. 22. It also includes a raise for civilian employees. The second package grants DHS funding through Feb. 8 and includes $1.3 billion for border security. The American Federation of Government Employees praised the plan from House Democrats and encouraged the Senate to take it up and send it to the Presidents desk. I call on President Trump to take this opportunity to show hard-working and devoted federal employees, including federal law enforcement officers, that he values their work, AFGE National President J. David Cox said Wednesday in a statement. Please sign this bill, end this shutdown and stand up for Americas workforce by agreeing to this small pay adjustment that federal employees have earned. NARFE echoed AFGEs call for action. Both the shutdown and the pay freeze impose real economic costs on federal employees and our country, NARFE National President Ken Thomas said Wednesday in a statement. Both undermine the effectiveness of the work our government does from ensuring the national defense and homeland security to safeguarding taxpayer dollars from fraud by damaging its ability to recruit and retain a highly qualified and talented workforce. I urge Congress to end both. Congress could, as some members had suggested late last year, also introduce standalone legislation or include a provision in an omnibus spending bill that would adjust pay for civilian employees in 2019 starting on a specific date. Or the provision could grant employees a raise retroactively from Jan. 1, but Congress would need to specify that such an adjustment is retroactive. Maryland Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen said before the partial government shutdown began they were exploring whether it was legally feasible to introduce legislation that would grant civilian employees a retroactive pay raise after the new year. A new letter to the president from Cardin and Van Hollen, Virginia Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, as well as Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), suggests that plan is moving forward. We strongly encourage you to take immediate action to reverse your ill-advised pay freeze and lift federal workers from this added layer of financial uncertainty, the senators wrote. Should you choose not to change course, we will continue working on a bipartisan basis to ensure federal workers receive a pay adjustment for fiscal year 2019. The senators also appealed to Trumps experience as a businessman and argued that an executive should understand the value of human capital investments to recruit and retain talented employees. A pay freeze, they added, hinders our collective ability to compete with the private sector. There should be a particular sense of urgency in bolstering, rather than undermining, the competitiveness of the federal workforce considering that the share of federal employees eligible for retirement is expected to rise to 30 percent in five years, the letter reads. Giving civilian employees a 1.9 percent raise in 2019, as the senators suggested in their recent letter to the President, by all accounts appears to have bipartisan agreement. The Senate had already passed a 1.9 percent raise in its version of the financial services and general government appropriations bill. House Republicans announced back in October that they had reached a deal to provide a 1.9 percent raise for federal employees and would include the measure in the final conference report for the financial services appropriations bill. But Democrats said they were skeptical of the agreement. | https://federalnewsnetwork.com/pay-benefits/2019/01/is-there-a-way-out-of-the-2019-federal-pay-freeze/ |
Whos Afraid of Automation? | People are worried that robots will take our jobs. Some 60% of American adults think robots, automation, and artificial intelligence will put many jobs at risk, even though expert predictions about job losses are all over the map. These fears are a rare example of bipartisan agreement about the labor market concerns cross demographic and geographic lines, according to a September 2018 Indeed survey of 2000 American adults. People who say they are pessimistic about Americas economic future tend to be more concerned about automation. So are people with less education and rightly so since their jobs are more at risk. At the same time though, young working-age adults and women are worried about automation even though theyre less vulnerable than other groups. Support for many labor market policies runs hotter for people more concerned about automation. Surprisingly, the policy that automation worriers lean toward most strongly is restricting legal immigration even though todays immigrants often work in professional and technical occupations that arent especially at risk from automation. Other policies, like worker training or a universal basic income, might help those affected by automation more directly. Automation worries are widespread Three out of five adults who responded to our survey think robots, automation, and artificial intelligence will put many jobs at risk. These concerns are far more widespread than worries about other factors only half as many adults think environmental regulations, legal immigration, or trade hurts jobs. Furthermore, worries about automation cross partisan lines. Among both Democrats and Republicans, 60% think these technologies will put many jobs at risk. In contrast, Republicans are more concerned than Democrats that environmental regulations, legal immigration, and trade will hurt jobs. Worries about robots and AI are bipartisan More Still, automation worries some people more than others. Two-thirds of people with a high-school degree or less agree that these technologies will threaten many jobs, compared with half of those with at least a bachelors degree. Younger prime-working-age adults, 25 to 44, are more concerned than 18 to 24 year-olds and older adults. Women are more concerned than men, as are people who are more pessimistic about national economic conditions today. But as well see in the next section, those most worried about automation arent always those most at risk. Automation worries higher among less-educated More Even people not personally at risk are worried about automation Although worries about automation are widespread, the pain is likely to be more concentrated. The types of jobs potentially most at risk from automation and AI are routine expressed as a set of rules and therefore potentially replaced by algorithms. These include manufacturing and other goods-producing jobs, as well as sales and clerical roles. Professional, technical, and personal-service jobs are less vulnerable. According to Census data, 62% of people with only a high-school degree work in routine jobs, versus just 28% of those with a bachelors and 11% of graduate-degree holders. The education gaps in whose jobs are at risk are much wider than the gaps in how worried people are about automation. Workers in routine occupations, by education More | https://news.yahoo.com/afraid-automation-073403454.html |
Why does Malema pick fights with the press? | US President Donald Trump is not alone in his fight with certain members of the fourth estate: he has a partner in Julius Malemas Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Duelling with the media is often the preserve of weak leaders like Trump because often they have something to hide, such as corruption or leadership shortfalls. But when an opposition party frequently squares up against journalists, it raises suspicions that it, too, has a lot to hide. The spat is more between some Joburg-based journalists and EFF president Malema and his deputy, Floyd Shivambu. Of course, the rest of the partys so-called high command just follows what Julius says. It is not difficult to find why the media have suddenly become their enemies. They are fighting back and have to kill the messenger after the media linked the duo to the VBS Bank looting. And dont forget Malemas alleged corrupt relationship with cigarette kingpin Adriano Mazzotti. Malema is not used to criticism by the media. Instead, he uses the media to criticise other politicians. Think of his time as ANC Youth League president, when he lambasted anyone he believed was Jacob Zumas opponents. As EFF leader, he still uses his gift of rhetoric to ridicule other politicians and has mastered the art of turning his media briefings into stand-up comedy shows. He appears to have some access to secret information, probably obtained through friendly rogue elements in the intelligence community intent on exposing certain political individuals. Using an enemy to fight an enemy is not uncommon in dirty politics. It is not unheard of for comrades to leak small skeletons of their fellow comrades to expose and bring them down. Malema consistently targeted Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene. Gordhan, as an anticorruption crusader, has several enemies inside and outside his own party who would rejoice at his downfall. Similarly, Malema pointed his poisoned arrow at Nene over the funding activities at the Public Investment Corporation, of which Nene was chair. While Nene fell on his sword after he lied under oath at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, state capture advocates gunned for his head and Malema led the onslaught. Like a cobra, Malema squirted his venom against journalists such as Ranjeni Munusamy, Pauli van Wyk and those who reported without fear or favour. The bulk of the problem began last year after certain journalists exposed glaring weaknesses in the EFF leadership. It became clear that, to Malema and Shivambu, good journalists are those who only publish or broadcast wrongdoing by anyone else but the EFF. Their contempt for media freedom was demonstrated when Shivambu assaulted a journalist outside parliament in full view of the media cameras and other politicians, only to apologise later. There had been relative media freedom in South Africa under ANC rule. Zuma unsuccessfully tried to sue some publications, including numerous failed lawsuits against cartoonist Zapiro. Malema and his fellows, like Zuma, will try to muzzle the media but they, too, will fail. For more news your way, download The Citizens app for iOS and Android. | https://citizen.co.za/news/opinion/opinion-columns/2060340/why-does-malema-pick-fights-with-the-press/ |
What is the Reach of God in My Life? | By Jill Briscoe C.S. Lewis said something to the effect of: When you read a new book, you should read an old one. I have tried to follow this advice, one such book being, Life Verses: The Bibles Impact on Famous Lives: Volume Two by F.W. Boreham, where the author tells the spiritual journey of William Penn, a Quaker, philanthropist, and founder of Pennsylvania. Son of Admiral William Penn, the younger William was a contemporary of the Puritans. While both John Milton and John Bunyan influenced Penn, it was Thomas Loe, a simple Quaker preacher who spread the gospel in the British Isles as Penn grew up, who was used by God as the catalyst to revolutionize Penn for good and for God. Three times their paths crossed, and God used this simple preacher with fire in his bones and the love of God in his heart in Penns life. The first time Penn heard the Quaker preach was in Cork in Ireland. His father, hearing that the preacher had the town flocking to his meetings, invited him to the estate to speak to his household. As the 12-year-old Penn looked around, he saw a servant deeply moved. He looked at the Admiral, and to his amazement, saw tears running down his fathers face. He wondered greatly about the God that lived in and through Loes uncompromising preaching and its powerful effect on the people that day. The second time Loe was used in Penns spiritual journey was a turning point for him. I can think of pivotal sermons that have winged their way through my defenses and found a resting place in my heart, setting my sails in another direction that I had never thought I would go. Like sitting in the great Harringay Arena in London as a student, listening to a young evangelist from America named Billy Graham calling the youth of England to find out the plan God had for their lives and do it! The Lord used that night to turn my attention to a world outside mine that needed reaching for Christ. It does us good to take note of our past directives and trace the Spirits footsteps. All of us being unique creatures will have our own special way of understanding what God is saying to our soul. The way it happens doesnt matter, but that it happens, does! Each in our own different way needs to come to a point of no return when we say to God, Anytime, anywhere, anyhow! Dr. Stoughton, commenting on Penns conversion, says, Conversion must not be considered simply as a change of opinion. It penetrated his (Penns) moral nature; it made him a new man. He was raised into another sphere of consciousness. I thought about the way that some of us evangelicals too easily report on conversions. So many accepted Christ, we say. Christ let all His glory, honor, and status go in order to do the will of His Father in Heaven, in order that we could be forgiven. We need to be overwhelmed anew with the cross of Christ and the price He paid as He exceedingly reached and weeping much renounced His dreams and embraced our nightmares, visiting our helplessness with His redemption. Once that work is done in all our hearts, a powerful ministry can begin. Let us dare to preach a message like Penn and live and love our lives away for God! Did I say thus far and no further? Will we dare whisper, Reach deeper, Lord, reach further. Out of such yearning can come a fresh vision and renewed commitment to Jesus and His cause that will result in those around catching fire. Once we are exceedingly reached ourselves, we will see God reach others at a life-changing depth too. | https://justbetweenus.org/ministry/leadership-advice/what-is-the-reach-of-god-in-my-life/ |
Where have all the OLED TVs gone? | Samsung's 31-inch prototype was one of the few OLED TVs on display at CES 2009 One of the biggest surprises of CES has been the almost complete non-appearance of OLED TVs at this year's event. It's surprising because the internet hype-machine surrounding the new technology - which promises brighter, slimmer and more colour-accurate TVs - had let us to expect that OLED TVs you could actually buy would have a major presence at CES 2009. Pre-Christmas, some tech sites were speculating that Sony could have up to 40 OLED TVs on its stand - instead it has a handful of prototypes. Sharp words Sharp, another advocate,went one stage further earlier in the week, with its CEO and Chairman Doug Koshima saying: "While Sharp has been exploring OLED, we have always maintained that LCD remains the best technology for consumers today and in the future." [Mind you, David Fyfe, CEO of Cambridge Display Technology told vnunet that Sharp was being foolish: "Sharp have their heads up their rear ends on OLED," he said.] Even Samsung which has been talking up OLED TV tech of late didn't have any real TVs to show. Instead it rolled out another smattering of prototypes, including an admittedly very cool translucent OLED display. Economic downturn One possible reason for the no-show is the global economic downturn. People simply aren't going to reach into their pockets and spend big on a pricey, new technology (remember, Sony's 11-inch OLED, the XEL-1, costs 2,500) when they might lose their jobs tomorrow. Tech companies too, their profits slashed, are also likely to be scaling back on the technology, at least in the short-term. Making OLED TVs The other reason, of course, is a technological one. These are still early days for Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), and making decent-sized TVs using reliable, robust and long-lasting materials isn't a milestone many TV makers have been able to reach yet. It's understandable then that TV makers are concentrating on offering slimmer versions of existing plasma and LCD technologies instead. OLED and LED technology is appearing more readily here, as the replacement backlight for fluorescent tubes in LCD TVs. From CES 2009 | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/television/tv/where-have-all-the-oled-tvs-gone-499746 |
What's the buzz? | Bumblebee (PG) Running time 1hr 54min Rating: **** EARLY in 2018, Paramount announced they were finally getting their act together, hanging creator Michael Bay out to dry as part of a bold plan to reboot the Transformers franchise, starting with this spinoff. Bumblebee director Travis Knightis the brains behind 2016s Kubo and the Two Strings, an outstanding animation which owed more to the melancholy of Studio Ghibli than anything Western cinema has spewed forth of late. In other words, he fancies himself something of a Schmaltzfather, far from a natural fit where this most abrasive, smashy-crashy series is concerned. Ultimately, audiences are drawn to these movies by their sheer braindeadness, their unabashed lack of emotionally demanding content the exact thing thats had critics baying for Bays scalpel for close to a decade now. Fear not, however Bumblebee has more than its share of robotic bust-ups, crowd-pleasing set pieces and straightforward gags. Whats distinctly missing throughout this new effort is the series signature brand of balls-out vulgarity, supplanted by an undoubtedly artificial, albeit rather infectious, sentimentality. By the time the credits roll, weve been treated to the closest thing to a minor catharsis, a blueprint for how a Transformers movie SHOULD be done. 80s nostalgia is all the rage right now (Stranger Things, It); embracing the inherent naffness of the whole transforming-vehicular-aliens thing, Bumblebee smartly reinvents its central robots as sources of retro glee, dragging the action back to 1987. The childlike Bumblebee, a transforming Volkswagen, is dispatched to Earth to set up an Autobot refuge; suffering from amnesia, he here encounters Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), an awkward proto-hipster struggling to come to terms with her fathers death. Charlie, an unlikely kid-hero cut from a Spielbergian mould, makes for the ideal antidote to Bays parade of meat-headed macho men and LaBeoufian dorks; the film takes its time in fleshing out the odd-couple relationship between her and Bumblebee, and much of its appeal is to be found in the domestic shenanigans and well-calculated flashes of tenderness with which it bides its time. Bumblebees intrusions into Charlies home life, which frequently degenerate into episodes of microscale destruction, recall the best moments from the first Transformers film; the movies genius is in its realisation of these touching asides as sequences every bit as rewarding as its more conventional action segments (of which there are many, including a well-crafted clash with the Decepticons that serves as Bumblebees intro). Those with a sweet tooth for uncomplicated whimsy will find much to love here. The core pairing is a (very explicit) throwback to the kids own sci-fi adventure flicks of the late-20th Century (ET, Flight of the Navigator); John Cenas scene-stealing secret agent is a figure straight out of Miami Vice or the Witch Mountain series. Its perhaps a touch too slick for its own good the nostalgia comes packaged with a self-confidence that threatens to push the whole thing into the realms of outright parody. But Bumblebee offers much to relish. Heres a hopeful note to kick off the New Year: a Transformers film that doesnt suck. | https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/film/26333/what-s-the-buzz.html |
Who Would Make A MoonPie Beer? | Naked River finds a home on the Southside We wanted a place where time erases. It was always about having a great environment, says Jake Raulston, the President of Naked River Brewing Company. I have a flight of seven beers sitting next to my sample of Texas-style brisket. Im trying to listen to what Jake and his business partner Mike are saying, but that brisket keeps winking at me, distracting me, calling my name. Its such a comfortable space, a perfect spot to spend a happy afternoon with friends and loved ones. They have unabashedly achieved their goal. The beers are good. Really good, even. Its important for us that we dont get set in our ways of brewing, says Jake. We have to keep changing it up. Were really after in-your-face flavors. The brewery has partnered with MoonPie, a Chattanooga staple, to create a MoonPie Stout. The brewing team hand-crumbles 900 pounds of pies per brew session to create a sweet 8% ABV stout with a smooth, marshmallow-filled finish. Im usually not into sweet beers, but this one is delicious and full of nostalgia. The Gorge IPA, their best-selling brew since they opened late last year, is juicy and smooth with citrus notes stemming from Mosaic and Citra hops. The Robo C.O.P. (Coffee Oatmeal Porter) is excellently eye-opening, malty and rich. Created through a partnership with Velvet Robot Coffee, the dark brew concoction will put a distinct pep in your step. That brisket though, its something special. To be honest, I havent had brisket this good outside of the state of Texas until now. The menu offers a wide range of BBQ and traditional sides: pulled pork, smoked turkey, ribs, potato salad, slaw, greens, and more. Try one of four deep-fried offerings for dessert. A grilled cheese sandwich is sure to please the little ones at the family-friendly taproom. The brewery has a decidedly outdoorsy feel. All the owners and partners of Naked River are avid nature lovers and wanted to pay homage to their passion for wilderness and the natural world. We all grew up on the river, says Mike Robinson, a partner at the brewery. The small tight-knit team has a communal mentality about their mission. The brewery is an avid supporter of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, which vows to protect 17,000 acres of Tennessees River Gorge. A portion of sales from the Gorge IPA goes directly to the trust. The building is sprawling, a massive, open floor plan that connects the brewing equipment and process face to face with the guests. Believed to be one of the oldest buildings in Chattanooga, the structure began as a foundry around 1875. Naked River Brewing Company is open seven days a week. During the warmer months, the outdoor patio is prime real estate for anyone looking to enjoy a relaxing day. Follow them online at @nakedriverbrew. You can also rent the upstairs area out for private events in the 75-person range. Come on out and support locality, craftsmanship, and deliciousness. | http://www.chattanoogapulse.com/citylife/news/who-would-make-a-moonpie-beer/ |
Is city only playing at making climate action a priority? | Last Friday, I went to the last of the five Eugene Climate Change Action Plan 2.0 presentations, only to find it didnt happen. I knew about it because someone from 350 Eugene sent me an email. For something so important (is it?) on City Council agenda, there was zero publicity about these events. The city heavily promotes its Downtown Eugene events. Its outrageous. Theres been no headway on homelessness, or "missing middle" housing, and what little they do get done only benefits downtown. Especially, taking charge of how this one small city handles its climate change obligations! Four years of solid scientific input by civil society groups, and Council never even considers using some of these knowledgeable citizens in the "stakeholder groups" that supposedly will make the important decisions to save us all from the very obvious climate changes we are experiencing which they are largely responsible for. Robin Bloomgarden, Eugene | https://www.registerguard.com/opinion/20190110/is-city-only-playing-at-making-climate-action-priority |
Why did it take Susan Zirinsky 46 years to become president of CBS News? | It didn't take Zirinsky 46 years to become qualified. The news industry needs to recognize and promote female leaders before they reach retirement age. Susan Zirinsky (Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS) When producer Susan Zirinsky was tapped as the new president of beleaguered CBS News, the media industry cheered. I was doing the happy dance. She is a badass in every sense of the word, announced a gleeful Gayle King on CBS This Morning. Zirinsky, the first woman ever to head up CBS News, is 66 years old. She has been working at the network for 46 years which means she started a year before the executive shes replacing, David Rhodes, was born. While its great news that CBS finally chose a woman, Im frankly bewildered by why she wasnt handed the reins long ago. Or why none of the other immensely talented women at the network were given a shot. Read more commentary: #MeToo next step: We owe it to our daughters to raise them as warriors Gretchen Carlson: To succeed, #MeToo must target America's laws, not just a few powerful men Slow #MeToo down: Julie Chen Moonves isn't accountable for her husband Perhaps I shouldnt have been surprised. The news industry, for all of its admirable reporting on the #MeToo allegations that felled these and other men, has been woefully lacking in female leadership. And way too slow to understand its own shortcomings. The Times has had a single female leader in its 167-year history; The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal are at zero. Television is no better. Zirinsky told The Times that she had never sought the job before, though it had been offered. NBC News and Fox News have each had one female news leader, with Foxs Suzanne Scott named recently after the networks own #MeToo scandals. (USA TODAY has had three female top editors, including myself and current Editor in Chief Nicole Carroll). All-male media leadership creates blind spots The industrys overwhelmingly male leadership has repercussions well beyond the newsroom. It infects what we believe is important, which issues we dismiss as trivial, and whom we consider powerful and authoritative. A British analysis concluded that more than 75 percent of experts quoted in digital news accounts are male. In America, more than 70 percent of Sunday morning politics and policy talk show guests are male. Just one example: Think about how you first learned, four or so years ago, that Bill Cosby had allegedly drugged and sexually abused dozens of women. Most likely you saw it in a tabloid, or heard about it from late-night comics. Yes, there was some serious reporting on the case, but for the most part it was considered a salacious diversion from real news. It wasnt until the Harvey Weinstein allegations several years later that the #MeToo movement exploded, and the news media belatedly realized that sexual harassment is a systemic problem infecting society, not a juicy scandal about a lone pervert. Yet in its contours, the Weinstein saga was identical to the Cosby story: a powerful man accused of sexually abusing dozens of women while being protected by his industry and his influence. In short, we in the news media blew it. Cosby, like Weinstein, was a symptom of a far larger societal crisis impacting millions of women. We should have known better and perhaps with a few more women in news leadership roles, we would have. CBS News is in precarious shape Its a heavy burden to expect that Zirinsky, or any one newsroom leader of any gender, can correct all of these ills. But another piece of research gives us a hint of what Zirinsky is up against. It turns out that women are far more likely to get the top job when an organization is in precarious shape and if they cant turn it around they are marched right off the dreaded glass cliff, a phrase coined by University of Exeter researchers Michelle K. Ryan and S. Alexander Haslam. CBS News certainly fits the precarious bill: In addition to its string of #MeToo dismissals, it has suffered ratings declines at "CBS This Morning," "Face the Nation" and "CBS Evening News" over the past year. Coverage of Zirinsky, especially given that she is the first woman in the role, isnt likely to make her job any easier. The news industry itself treats female leaders far more harshly than male leaders. A Rockefeller Foundation study found that when a company is in crisis, 80 percent of news reports will blame a female CEO but if the CEO is a man, only a minority of news reports will blame him. There is a solution to this, and a fairly straightforward one: Bring more women into news leadership. Identify promising women in media. Develop them. Promote them. And recognize when they have earned the right to ascend to the top job. Certainly, it didnt take Susan Zirinsky a full 46 years to become qualified for the presidency of CBS News. And just as surely, there are other women waiting in the wings with the potential to lead. Lets find them, and not wait until they hit retirement age to acknowledge their talents, their skill and their vision to lead the news industry into the future. Joanne Lipman, author of "That's What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together," is a former editor in chief of USA TODAY and chief content officer of Gannett. Follow her on Twitter: @joannelipman You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to [email protected]. 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Does the B.C. gas pipeline need approval from hereditary chiefs? | Earlier this week, the RCMP enforced a court-ordered injunction on a group of protestors in northwestern B.C. from the Wetsuweten Nation, who sought to prevent pipeline workers from accessing a road near the town of Houston. The Mounties dismantled the fortified checkpoint, known as the Gidimten camp, and arrested 14 people, sparking protests across the country and calls on Justin Trudeau to address the escalating situation. Announced last fall by the provincial and federal governments, the $6.2 billion pipeline built by Coastal GasLink, a subsidiary of TransCanada Corp., would move natural gas across B.C.s north to a coastal terminal in Kitimat. The path is about a kilometre south of a second checkpoint controlled by a clan of the Wetsuweten, known as the Unistoten, who as of this writing expected the Mounties to arrive at their encampment at any moment. The conflict has raised questions about the relationship between elected band councils and hereditary leaders when it comes to resource and development projects. TransCanada has signed agreements with elected leaders of First Nations along the pipelines route, including those of the Wetsuweten. The Wetsuweten Nation, however, encompasses a vast region in northern B.C., and the hereditary leadership from all five of its clans, whose responsibilities extend beyond the borders of the reserve, say those contracts dont apply to Wetsuweten traditional territoryin a province where most of the land was never ceded through treaty. It is the hereditary chiefs who are backing the ongoing protests. Chief Robert Joseph is a hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation on B.C.s coast and an ambassador for Reconciliation Canada and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, among other roles. He spoke to Macleans writer Kyle Edwards about the differences between traditional hereditary leadership and band councils elected under the Indian Act, and how tensions can arise between the two from things like, say, pipelines. A: The situation you are finding in the Unistoten in Wetsuweten territory is not uncommon. There are differences of opinion between elected leadership and hereditary leadership from time to time, and mostly when it comes to resource development that likely has impacts on the environment. Its during these times that hereditary chiefs assume their responsibility over the lands that are spoken about. In contrast, chiefs elected under the Indian Act are primarily responsible for things that happen on reserveslike infrastructure, housing, water, sewage, schools and those day-to-day matters that affect membership. Their jurisdiction doesnt flow beyond the borders of the reserve that theyre on. Thats the situation with Unistoten; theyre not on reservetheyre on Wetsuweten territory in general. A: During pre-colonial times, tribes were governed by hereditary chiefs. And the genesis of the hereditary chief position flowed directly from all of the first ancestor stories. Through the years, this chieftainship was passed down through strict protocol, primarily in a father-to-son way, with exceptions of course. Where I come from, each tribe had four to six first ancestors, and therefore by extension, they would have four to six heads of those clans, or hereditary chiefs. Among them would be one senior chief determined by the long-standing narrative. The genesis stories actual mark or demark the territories that these clans came from. Q: As weve seen from the protests in Wetsuweten, hereditary leaders appear to still have a lot of influence. A: The people throughout Turtle Island (North America) have never forgotten the old ways and traditions. They have practised them through rituals, songs and dances. In their minds, in their hearts, its real. Theyre the chiefs of those territories. A: At the moment, they dont have any authority thats recognized. Part of the problem is that the elected chiefs in Wetsuweten approved of the pipeline. As a hereditary chief, our responsibility is primarily to encourage our members to hold on to their traditional belief systems and the perspectives that we have about land. We have a very strong moral persuasion in all of this that needs to be added into the discussion around development. A: Many more than the elected ones. We have about 200 tribes in B.C. and each tribe has between four to six hereditary chiefs, but theyre not all active. A lot of these chieftainships were never resurrected after the colonial weight of oppression. Right now, theres probably as many as the elected or more. A: Under s.74 of the Indian Act, the Department of Indian Affairs imposed the election process on all First Nations and did away with the Indigenous hereditary system. The government is living with its own creation, and thats the destruction of traditional forms of government and imposing the elected system. A: Essentially, unless theres an internal agreement in a First Nation between the elected personnel and the hereditary personnel, traditional leadership has no say at all. They have no power to exercise any of their obligations. They have to work hard at trying to persuade the elected chief and council that its in the interest of the entire band that the two bodies work together. Q: I imagine that creates tension. A: It always causes friction. And sometimes the outside parties like the federal government or big corporations and other entities know this, and can use that as a tool to create the kind of divisions that fracture relationships. Q: Do you think part of the problem in northern B.C. A: Absolutely. Its going to create conflict down the road. I think that the federal government, having imposed these systems, really destroyed our sense of being a self-governing people. Our people want to be self-governing, and it can be under whatever dominion or authority, but theyre allowed to have the local self-governance thats most appropriate to them. The system of having two levels of government in the equation is challenging and complicated. MORE ABOUT FIRST NATIONS: | https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/does-the-b-c-gas-pipeline-need-approval-from-hereditary-chiefs/ |
What lies ahead for Singapore? | FORECASTS by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and several economists suggest Singapores economy could experience slower growth this year. In his New Year message last week, Lee announced Singapores gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.3% last year, a shade slower than the 3.5% growth the year before. GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a country by locals and foreigners in a single year. Warning the global economy faces major uncertainties with growing trade conflicts, nervous financial markets and signs of slowing growth, Lee predicted Singapores economy could expand by between 1.5% and 3.6% this year. Lees forecast suggests, at best, the Singapore economy could expand at a marginally faster rate this year than last year and in step with 2017. At worst, growth could be torpid making 2019 the third consecutive year of economic deceleration. Singapore is a bellwether for all Southeast Asian economies, including Malaysia. Without the bulwark of a large domestic sector and with international trade totalling 200% of the republics GDP the island is highly vulnerable to headwinds from global trade and growth. China is Singapores biggest market. If the worlds second-largest economy decelerates sharply under the triple impact of Beijings attempts to rein in rising indebtedness, its continuing trade conflict with the US and the Middle Kingdoms anaemic manufacturing sector, this could spill over to Singapores economy. Data released last week indicate Chinas manufacturing sector is slowing down. The Caixin Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell to 49.7 in December last year the first time it has dipped below the 50 point benchmark since May 2017. A drop below 50 indicates contraction while a reading above this level suggests expansion. Compiled by a private entity, the Caixin PMI tracks the manufacturing activities of Chinas small and medium-sized enterprises. Confirming the Caixin PMI, the official PMI by Chinas National Bureau of Statistics also slid below the 50 point benchmark to 49.4 points last month, its first contraction since July 2016. Meanwhile, Singapores manufacturing sector, which accounts for less than 25% of GDP, shrank in the fourth quarter of last year by a seasonally adjusted and annualised 8.7%, the first contraction in a year, sparking worries this could presage floundering exports this year. More worrying is Singapores possible loss of competitiveness in a significant segment of its services sector finance and insurance. Services account for over 71% of the island republics economy. Not only does finance and insurance comprise 13.3% of GDP, it has strong links to another sector business services that accounts for 14.8% of GDP. Together, both sectors constitute more than 28% of GDP. One indicator is Singapores slippage in the regional leader board of initial public offerings (IPOs). Data compiled by Ernst & Young (EY) show last year Singapore lost its top ranking as Southeast Asias biggest market for initial public offerings (IPOs). Vietnams five IPOs raised US$2.6 billion last year, propelling it to pole position ahead of Thailands US$2.5 billion from 20 IPOs and Indonesias US$1.2 billion from 53 IPOs. Raising US$500 million from 13 IPOs, Singapore slipped to fourth spot in 2018 while joint fifth were Malaysia and the Philippines which raised US$200 million each. Even more worrying, Singapore looks set to cede the top spot to Vietnam for the next three years this year, next year and in 2021, a report by law firm Baker McKenzie and consultancy Oxford Economics suggests. While Vietnams rise last year was spurred by Hanois decision to sell stakes in more companies, Singapores slide was prompted by companies holding back their listing plans due to global worries. Singapores declining competitiveness in regional IPOs began in 2016. In that year, 16 IPOs collectively raised S$1.9 billion and expanded the Singapore Exchanges market capitalisation by S$4.4 billion a sum dwarfed by 27 delistings in the same year that slashed market capitalisation by a staggering S$15.5 billion. Although IPOs dont dominate financial services, the listing process is linked to other services like accounting, investment banking, stock broking and wealth management. What is noteworthy, Singapore maintained its top competitiveness ranking in Asia and the second-highest globally after the US in the upgraded Global Competitiveness Index 2018 compiled by the World Economic Forum. While Singapore scored high marks in almost all sub-categories, its comparatively low scores of less than 60 points in some subsectors are notable critical thinking in teaching, attitude towards entrepreneurial risk and companies embracing disruptive risk. These lower scores suggest the republic is a risk-adverse economy. If this trend persists, Singapore could become the economic equivalent of the highly-defensive style of football played by Manchester United under ex-manager Jose Mourinho. Opinions expressed in this article are the personal views of the writer and should not be attributed to any organisation she is connected with. She can be contacted at [email protected] | https://www.thesundaily.my/opinion/what-lies-ahead-for-singapore-YY364203 |
Can the social security system be sustained? | When the governments draft budget is compiled at the end of every year, attention focuses on the scale of social security expenditures, which now account for a major part of the governments annual spending. The social security system cant sustain itself without the government chipping in. As the aging of Japans population has accelerated since the 1990s, social security spending has increased rapidly. In 2016, social security expenditures including public pensions, medical insurance and other benefits reached 116.9 trillion almost double the amount in 1993 just after the collapse of the bubble boom. The so-called 2025 problem is often cited with widespread concern in 2025, all of the postwar baby boomer generation will have turned 75 or older, further pushing up the cost of social security benefits. 2025, however, will just be a starting point; social security expenditures are estimated to hit around 190 trillion in 2040 more than 1.6 times the cost in 2016, according to the Cabinet Office. The population of people 65 or older is forecast to peak in 2042 at 39.35 million a 16 percent increase over 2015. Social insurance programs such as the public pension, health insurance and nursing care insurance for the elderly are financed not only by insurance premiums but also through government expenditures. As the cost of social security benefits expand rapidly, revenue from insurance premiums cannot cover the entire cost. Year by year, public expenditures on social security continue to increase, squeezing the governments general expenditure. In the governments draft budget for fiscal 2019, adopted by the Cabinet in late December, social security expenditures rose by more than 1 trillion year-on-year, including about 477 billion in an increase attributable to the aging of the population. Social security expenditures account for 34.2 percent of the governments annual spending. The national government continues to incur budget deficits and depend heavily on bond issues to finance the gap. Japans public debt has reached the worst level among OECD countries, with the long-term government debt now equivalent to 236.6 percent of the nations gross domestic product. The Finance Ministry blames the mounting debt in recent decades on the ballooning social security spending. To get off the path toward fiscal collapse we have to change our ways, but we do not have a clear navigation map of fiscal sustainability. Meanwhile, the fact that we depend heavily on the issuance of government bonds to pay for the cost of social security benefits means that the cost is being passed on to future taxpayers. When we look at the specific menu of social security programs, a large part of them are for the elderly population, such as the public pension, nursing care and health insurance. Of course, the younger generations use health insurance and receive other benefits as well, but the per capita cost of such programs is much larger for elderly people. In addition, much of the cost of social security is borne by younger people in the form of social insurance premiums and taxes paid by the working population. We need to consider changing the way we pay for the cost of social security so that all generations can share the burden of sustaining the system. Specifically, we should consider using more of the revenue from the consumption tax to finance the social security system because both younger people and retirees pay this levy. The government will raise the consumption tax from the current 8 percent to 10 percent in October. Many people oppose consumption tax hikes because of the taxs regressive nature it imposes a relatively higher burden on low-income people than on high-income taxpayers. However, the social insurance premium is more regressive for young working people. For example, the national pension premium is fixed at 16,340 a month irrespective of the income levels of the people who pay the premium. Given the mounting government debt and the ballooning cost of maintaining the social security system in an aging population, further increases in the consumption tax may be inevitable. A 10 percent consumption tax in Japan is still much lower than the levels of similar indirect taxation in other rich, industrialized economies, such as the European Unions 15 percent standard level for its value-added tax, Swedens 25 percent, Frances 20 percent and Germanys 19 percent. In Japan, inter-generational inequality remains an important topic the inequality arising from the differences between generations in terms of the net benefit (the benefit minus the burden of cost) of public services such as social security over ones lifetime. In its 2005 white paper on the economy and public finance, the government estimated that there is a gap of more than 100 million in terms of net burden between elderly and future generations. That is, the elderly generations get more benefits than they paid into the system in the form of insurance premiums and taxes, but the situation is the opposite for younger people. Although the younger generations hope to correct this inter-generational disparity, that involves a politically difficult process due to objections by elderly voters, who gain nothing by having the gap corrected. The difficulty is exacerbated by the nations so-called silver democracy attributed to the larger proportion of elderly people in the electorate. Social security programs are indispensable to peoples lives. Due to the rapid aging of the population and ever-declining births, the burden on working generations to sustain social security will become even heavier unless the current system is fixed. It is time not just to consider spreading the burden more widely across all generations, but to also think hard about what should be the benefits of social security. In short, it might be necessary to limit the benefits of public pension or health insurance programs to only the people who really need them. It can be said that due to the demographic changes, the welfare state that many developed countries aimed to create in the mid-20th century is now out of reach. Hisakazu Kato is a professor of economics at Meiji University and former senior research fellow at the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. | https://www.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=opinion&p=1686935&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+japantimes+%28The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories%29 |
Will it snow in the UK and is the Beast from the East coming back? | (Picture: PA) With a bitter cold setting in and rumors of a comeback from the Beast from the East, its safe to say that winter isnt going anywhere anytime soon. One hour on the Tube is as toxic as standing next to road for an entire day Close to this time last year, the Beast from the East was hitting Europe hard, resulting in school closures, decimating train timetables, and causing dangerous chaos on the roads. If a similar situation is due to hit again this year, its best to be prepared. Last year, the cold weather spell we affectionately named the Beast from the East was the result of a polar jet stream, which effectively carried freezing cold air from eastern Europe all the way to the UK. Advertisement Advertisement Ironically enough, this was caused by a worrying and sudden rise in temperatures over the Arctic. Meteorologists call this a sudden stratospheric warming. This warming weakened the jet stream that usually brings us warm air from the Atlantic. And so the Beast from the East was born. Last year, the Beast from the East was extreme enough to result in dozens of deaths up and down Europe, so it makes sense that people are worried about a comeback. While nothing is certain yet, the Met Office has said that weve seen another sudden stratospheric warming, which started around Christmastime. Winds 30 km above the North Pole have also reversed their direction from west to east. Important things to note, since thats how the Beast from the East got started in the first place. However the Met Office also point out that not all stratospheric warmings result in snow and below-average temperatures in the UK. As their blog puts it, There are other global weather factors that result in blocked weather patterns and possible colder weather for us. (Picture: Getty Images) Snow is likely to hit this winter Advertisement Advertisement Even though the precise likelihood of us seeing another Beast from the East is still uncertain, the UK weather forecast for the next 30 days says (at the time of writing) that snow is likely to fall through January and February. As usual, the north will probably be hit the hardest, with a greater chance of cold spells and a higher risk of snow and frost in the north and east as we get further into January. February is set to be even worse, as its even more likely that cold weather will be felt all over the UK. Again, the north will feel it the most. MORE: Life-saving tips to survive next Beast from the East MORE: Get ready for a bitterly cold weekend as temperatures plummet to -7C | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/10/when-will-it-snow-in-the-uk-this-winter-and-is-the-beast-from-the-east-coming-back-8328677/ |
Where is Death In Paradise filmed as the show returns for its eighth series? | Death In Paradise certainly looks like its set in paradise (Picture: BBC) Get set for more murders and mystery in Saint Marie as Death In Paradise returns to BBC One for an eighth series. There are a few changes this time around, with the departure of Danny John-Jules and the arrival of newcomer Shyko Amos as Officer Ruby Patterson. However some things are very much the same as they were, with the island looking as idyllic as ever. The show has a fictional setting but is still filmed in the Caribbean (Picture: BBC) Well, while it may be set on an island called Saint Marie (in the town of Honore), thats not actually a real place. Instead the show is actually filmed in Guadeloupe, a collection of Caribbean islands shaped like a butterfly. Meanwhile the town of Deshaies, which is on the northwest wing of the island, doubles for Honore with a number of buildings and other landmarks in the town featuring regularly in the series. Catherine has a bar on the beach (Picture: BBC) The nearby resort of Langley Fort Royal Hotel plays host to crew and many of the cast members during filming often amounting to around six months of the year and has also featured in the show. Advertisement Advertisement La Perle Beach meanwhile plays host to the detectives beach front shack, while a local church hall doubles as the police station, and Catherines Bar is located on thw town beach. Guadeloupe Zoo is also featured for the first time this series. Well it obviously has its plus points but filming can be tough also. Until youre actually there and youve experienced it yourself, you really dont know, star Ardal OHanlon told the Radio Times. The heat and humidity can be overpowering. Death In Paradise series eight kicks off on BBC One on Thursday night at 9pm. 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. MORE: The Inbetweeners Blake Harrison joins Death in Paradise as bumper stack of guest stars are revealed | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/10/death-paradise-filmed-show-returns-eighth-series-8328498/ |
Is er waterdichte oplossing voor lekkend zwembad? | GUS 10 januari 2019 10u04 0 Diksmuide Op verschillende plaatsen druppelt er water uit het nieuwe competitiezwembad in Diksmuide. Gelukkig werd dat tijdens de testfase ontdekt en niet wanneer het al helemaal afgewerkt is. Naar de oorzaak is het gissen. Tijdens het kerstverlof hebben we de kuip van het wedstrijdbad op zijn waterdichtheid getest, duidt sportschepen Marc De Keyrel (CD&V). Meer dan 800.000 liter water hebben we erin gegoten om na te gaan of de laag die het water in de kuip moest houden zijn werk deed. Op een aantal plaatsen druppelde het water eruit. We pompen nu het zwembad volledig leeg. De aannemer zal dan zoeken naar de oorzaak. Hopelijk vinden we snel een waterdichte oplossing. Voorlopig komt de planning van de werken niet in het gedrang. Bedoeling is om ons nieuwe zwembad tegen de zomer open te krijgen. Of er vertraging zal zijn, hangt uiteraard af van de oorzaak. Eerstdaags verwacht ik meer nieuws. Het is trouwens niet uitzonderlijk dat er in een testfase zon problemen opduiken. Daarvoor dient zon test. Het is beter dat we het nu vaststellen dan wanneer de kuip volledig betegeld is. | https://www.hln.be/regio/diksmuide/is-er-waterdichte-oplossing-voor-lekkend-zwembad~a447ffb0/ |
When to Start With a Gynecologist? | When to go A womans first gynecologist visit should happen at the age of 21 for cervical cancer screening, however, any woman or teen who is younger than 21 and is sexually active should be seeing a provider who is comfortable with gynecologic care for annual chlamydia screening. Annual chlamydia screening is recommended for sexually active women age 24 years and younger. Screening for other sexually transmitted infections may also be needed. Urine screening is very effective, so taking a pelvic exam out of the equation often makes this screening easier for many women regardless of age. Other reasons to see an OB/GYN before the age of 21 include irregular periods, heavy periods (soaking onto clothes is a good proxy for being heavy), or period pain that is interfering with daily activities despite the use of over the counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Ask Dr. Gunter yourself.] How to prepare your daughter for her first visit For a young woman who has never had a pelvic exam I recommend a get to know you visit with an OB/GYN before her visit for cervical cancer screening. This is a good time to develop a rapport without the worry of an exam looming in the background. A good doctor should be able to show your daughter the tools he or she uses during the exam, talk to her about the importance of cervical cancer screening and screening for S.T.I.s, and ease any concerns she has about the exam. If a teen or woman has been using tampons or a menstrual cup, then she may have a greater degree of comfort with the exam, but everyone is different. As an expert in pain with sex, I hear from many women who were traumatized as young women by painful exams. A pelvic exam shouldnt be painful; there may be pressure or it may feel weird, especially to a young woman who has never used a tampon or menstrual cup, but it should not hurt. Tell your daughter that if a pelvic exam is painful, she should let the doctor know and ask them to stop. Something to think about: As a parent, it is important to think ahead health-wise about your daughters transition from adolescence to adulthood. Keep in mind that while they may tell you otherwise, some teens are already sexually active or are planning to be sexually active. That is one reason to offer to let your teen speak to her doctor without you present for part of the visit. This way she can speak freely. Dr. Jen Gunter, Twitters resident gynecologist and author of The Vagina Bible, is teaming up with our editors to answer your questions about all things womens health. From whats normal for your anatomy, to healthy sex, to clearing up the truth behind strange wellness claims, Dr. Gunter, who also writes a column called, The Cycle, promises to handle your questions with respect, forthrightness and honesty. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/well/live/when-to-start-with-a-gynecologist.html |
Does May even have a Plan B? | Cabinets these days are fractious affairs. Ministers take increasingly unsubtle digs at each other as they rehearse the same old arguments. But this week, Theresa May chose to have a pop at someone who wasnt there. Were still suffering from George, she told her colleagues a reference to the former chancellor George Osborne. Her complaint was that Osbornes over-the-top threats of a punishment Budget and other such claims during the 2016 referendum campaign had made it far harder to get Tory MPs and the public to take warnings of the consequences of no deal seriously. For her, this is a big problem. Her Brexit deal will only get through because of fear of the supposed alternatives: no deal or a second referendum. May does have a point about what this magazine was first to call Project Fear. The warnings, then, were overdone: instead of 500,000 fewer jobs after the referendum there were 700,000 more jobs. But now, when the government points to genuine cause for alarm about the consequences of a no-deal Brexit, its warnings are dismissed. It cried wolf last time and is ignored now. At the same time, May must take her share of the blame for regularly intoning that no deal is better than a bad deal while failing to do the contingency planning necessary to enable the country to manage the disruption of no deal. It is, for example, a remarkable demonstration of incompetence that it is only now with fewer than 100 days to go to Brexit that the government is doing anything to try to build up alternatives to the Dover/Calais routes. The governments great New Year hope was that MPs would return from the Christmas break in a more pragmatic frame of mind, more likely to accept its deal. But this has not happened. A few of the rebels have quietly peeled off, but nowhere near enough for the government to have a chance of actually winning the vote on Mays deal. In fact, a group of rebels have hardened in their views. Boris Johnson, for instance, is now openly advocating no deal. Compounding Mays problems is that the Labour MPs who are leading the charge against no deal are nowhere near backing her deal. At the same time, the governments attempt to get something from the EU that could change the mood at Westminster isnt working. As one minister puts it: People are looking for a ladder to climb down, but we dont have one. There is talk of assurances coming out of Brussels. One Secretary of State who is familiar with the talks says they are not likely to move the dial dramatically. Another Tory grandee, who May must win over to have any chance of passing her deal, tells me that the only thing that can change things is a legally binding assurance on the backstop. But there is no sign of one coming before next weeks vote. Well, the government cant really delay the vote again. But it might accept an amendment that would neuter the vote. This amendment might indicate on what basis Parliament would support the deal or just urge the UK and the EU to talk further on the backstop. This strategy isnt guaranteed to work, and it would require John Bercow no friend of the government to call the amendment. However, many of the Brexit hardliners in the European Research Group privately admit that their best chance of getting no deal is to keep Mays deal in play for as long as possible, thereby running down the clock. For this reason, a good number of them would be tempted to vote for an amendment that wouldnt endorse Mays deal but would keep it alive. This kind of procedural ruse, though, would merely stave off defeat rather than solve Mays fundamental problem. At Westminster, everyone is engaged in trying to guess Mays Plan B they assume that, given the vote is just days away and the numbers are against her, she must have one. But from the conversations I have had, I think the honest answer is that even she doesnt know what shell do. Well-placed sources tell me that she is resistant to discussing alternatives even in private. It is worth remembering that May genuinely believes in her deal. She wont want to abandon it until she absolutely has to. This means that shell bring it back for another go if she can. Technically, a government cant bring a defeated piece of business back in the same parliamentary session. But inside No. 10 they are confident that if Brussels has provided any kind of tweak to the deal, the parliamentary clerks would recommend that a second vote on it should be allowed to go ahead. Ministers think that this second vote might have more chance of success because the EU itself might offer a concession. There is a feeling that Brussels has already written off this vote, but it does want a deal and so might produce something before a second vote. No. 10 also hopes that the ticking clock might persuade some more Labour MPs to vote for it. Privately, ministers think they have a bit more time to get the deal through than is generally appreciated. They are confident that the EU would extend Article 50, the two-year process for leaving the EU which is meant to come to an end on 29 March, to allow the UK to legislate for a deal if May wins a meaningful vote before then. Their view is that as long as the extension wouldnt butt up against the European Parliament elections in late May, the EU would be prepared to grant it. There is a distinct possibility that Mays deal could suffer a defeat next week from which it cannot recover. What would happen in these circumstances is uncertain. No one, perhaps including May, knows what she would do. She has quite deliberately burnt all her boats on the beach, believing that this increases her chances of victory in this parliamentary battle. That means there is no obvious tactical retreat available to her. But May is a survivor. She will settle on the course that is most likely to keep her premiership going. That would probably involve trying to find a Brexit deal that could win the support of the Commons. That would be a deal that kept the UK even more closely aligned with EU rules than Mays current one does. | https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/01/does-may-even-have-a-plan-b/ |
Can the National Trust please forget about heteronormative privilege and just look after houses? | There is a satirical website called Guardian headline generator which purports to offer a service to aspirant journalists who wish to be published in the floundering, godawful rag. Press a button on the site and it will give you your subject matter for a typical article, such as: Islamophobic white men will soon be widening the gender pay gap. This shouldnt happen in 21st-century Britain. It even gives you a suitable name for your byline in this case Jessica Veryangry. The problem, however as the website rather forlornly admits is that increasingly it is out-satirised by real Guardian headlines. It simply cannot match the woke idiocy and hysteria, nor the craving for victim-hood. Welcome to Brexit Britain. That is every bit as stupid as the one about Islamophobic white men. I sometimes wonder if this is actually a tactic on the Guardians part to deliberately place themselves beyond parody, perhaps following Marcuses dictum that humour is the last refuge of the bourgeois, and therefore should be undermined. Becoming more risible than a satirical headline is a fairly potent defence in that it makes parody otiose. The carpet is pulled from beneath the parodists feet. In a normal world it would not matter what headlines run in a very low circulation north London newspaper and so we should not get too worked up about them. The real problem, though, is that despite the complete and utter lack of appetite among the general public for the agitprop drivel spewed out each week by Jessica Veryangry and her many colleagues, the relentless guff is swallowed whole by the establishment, including the Conservative establishment. You will hear the same hogans and shibboleths trotted out every day on the BBC, by Conservative ministers, and by the guardians of every quango and third sector body in the country even by advertising companies which feel the need to get on board with this sort of stuff. An obsessive agenda promulgated by people whom I consider either psychotic or deranged, which has no pull with the vast majority of ordinary citizens and yet somehow, in our upper echelons, among the people who govern us and tell us what to do, has enormous purchase. Take the National Trust as an example. Its job, largely, is to look after some nice old houses that elderly people can look around on a Sunday afternoon. Make sure there is a nice guide, an informative booklet, a nice cup of tea and plenty of toilets. Or that used to be its job. But it has found itself infected by the Jessica Veryangry bacillus and so has taken to doing expositions on slavery, for example, to show the doddering and unwoke old codgers that those houses were built on the brutal exploitation of black folk and that when they get back on the coach they should think long and hard about the privileged situation in which the bastards find themselves. Or there was its exciting series from 2017 entitled Prejudice and Pride. Nothing to do with Jane Austen, of course, this was instead a series of events and installations that told the stories of the men and women who challenged conventional notions of gender and sexuality and who shaped the properties in which they lived. This entire year of programming aimed solely at the LGBTQI community included a series of podcasts delivered by yes, youve guessed Clare Balding. I would have thought even homosexuals were getting a little weary of Clares ubiquity, but there we are. The Prejudice and Pride report also suggested that the leaflets which accompany those elderly folk as they wander from Jacobean drawing room to Regency kitchen, tended to place an unnecessary emphasis on the family history of these great houses, and thus resulted in a narrative that privileges heterosexual lives leading to a hetero-normative emphasis on succession when perhaps the visitors should have been marvelling instead at the revolutionary, if sporadic, acts of sodomy, probably unalleviated by lube or poppers, which occurred on the Chesterfield or in the master bedroom when nobody was looking. The language employed by the National Trust takes you straight to that Guardian headline generator: Heteronormative Privilege In Our Stately Homes Welcome to Pre-Brexit Britain. The Historic Houses Association offered a very gentle and measured rebuke to the National Trust in the last edition of its magazine for this allconsuming obsession, and having first praised the NT for its, uh, inclusivity, made the observation: The danger for the Trust is that this is the point at which its custodial position begins to jar with the realities of history. Does it mean, for example, that in future the Trust will be reluctant to discuss succession at all? The point being that without the unspeakably ghastly concept of primogeniture, most if not all of these houses would not exist in the state in which they are today. It was heteronormative privilege which ensured that we can still look around them, that they still appeal, that we can marvel. Which to me suggests that hetero-normative privilege has one or two things going for it, as well as being the institution greatly preferred by Jesus Christ. Historic Houses also pointed out that the National Trusts own history contained its own contradictions and complexities that were not reducible to a single (progressive) story. But Historic Houses are, somewhat counterintuitively, on the wrong side of history. Everything these days is reducible to a single (progressive) story which takes no account of historical realities. The past is not, as Historic Houses quietly suggested it was, a foreign country where people do things differently. The past either did not exist or should not have existed, and those aspects which conflict with our modern sensibilities must be airbrushed out of the picture. | https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/01/can-the-national-trust-please-forget-about-heteronormative-privilege-and-just-look-after-houses/ |
What will a 5G mobile phone be capable of? | Faster download speeds and more reliable connections are just some of the benefits mobile users should expect once 5G networks begin to take shape. The next generation of mobile internet connectivity is widely anticipated to begin rolling out in 2019 and is set to bring with it new powers for smartphone users. With download speeds likely to increase significantly compared with current generation 4G, a high-definition film could be downloaded in a matter of seconds over 5G, with a music album downloading as quickly as single songs do today. Manchester City womens football captain Steph Houghton took part in the UKs first 5G holographic call as part of Vodafones 5G trials in September last year (David Parry/PA) Alongside the ability to send and receive data more quickly, 5G networks are also expected to be able to handle greater quantities of data, meaning smart devices getting smarter and able to carry out more complex tasks. Users will be able to play more graphic-intense games on their mobile devices at a higher frame rate and with less lag, for example, or be able to ask a virtual assistant a question while streaming a TV show at the same time. Once fully rolled out, it is believed that network coverage will also be more reliable and run at a capacity more commonly associated with fibre broadband today. Trials of the technology are already under way in the UK, with the first networks, initially focused in towns and cities, due to begin rolling out later this year. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6576845/What-5G-mobile-phone-capable-of.html |
Is Beats about to pull the plug on HTC? | HTC could be about to lose a whole chunk of street cred as reports emerge that hip young headphone-maker Beats wants to sever ties with the smartphone maker. The Wall Street Journal reports that Beats Electronics' (of Dr. Dre fame) is considering buying out HTC's 25% stake in the firm as it looks to expand its options in the market. Beats Audio technology has proudly sat inside HTC's handsets ever since the Sensation XE, bringing improved audio performance - especially in the bass department - via headphones and then the internal speaker on later devices. People "familiar with the matter" told the WSJ that Beats Electronics is looking to replace the Taiwanese firm with a new investor who can provide money for future growth, which would see HTC lose its tie-ins with the audio firm. Windows drift It's not the first time the Beats/HTC relationship has hit the rocks: last summer, Beats bought 25% of its shares back from HTC, prompting rumours that HTC would drop Beats integration from its phones, chatter that the company branded "categorically false". There's more bad news for HTC: Digitimes claims that the firm may drift away from Windows Phone 8 as its share of the already-fairly-small Windows Phone market has dipped. HTC has apparently seen its global Windows Phone market share drop below 5%, with Samsung taking second place after Nokia, and thus is mulling the decision to focus more on its Android outfit. Handsets such as the HTC 8X and 8S failed to make much of a splash in the market, while the Android based HTC One has received a strong reception and managed to put the manufacturer back on the mobile map. We have spoken to HTC regarding both reports, but a spokesperson for the company told us "HTC doesn't comment on rumour or speculation" - so no real shock there. | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/is-beats-about-to-pull-the-plug-on-htc-1173988 |
What ever happened to the Church of Anarchy? | Expand miEKAL aND in his current home in West Lima. At the edge of the intersection of County Highway A and Highway D near Viroqua, the old West Lima Post Office rises up like a wooden giant. Its the home and headquarters of someone who has lived on the edges for most of his 61 years: Madison expat, poet, performer, publisher, permaculturalist and anarchist mIEKAL aND. He shares the space, built in 1880, with two parrots, Dizzy Bird and Presley, a cat named Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (after the late German Dadaist), and a foot-long koi fish who has no name, but talks a lot. Ive entered this menagerie to catch up with an artist Ive never met but have followed for decades. Madison old timers will remember aND as the prankster-in-chief of the Church of Anarchy, a whirlpool of visual art and performance that swirled from a house on the 1300 Liaizon Wakest The Church of Anarchy in 1987. block of Williamson Street in the 1980s. aND created the alternative universe with his late wife, then known as Liz Was. The Iran-Contra affair had protesters in motion on the Capitol Square but aND wanted to protest art or, as he puts it, the concept of what art is or what music is or what culture should be made of. During the 1980s and early 1990s, aND and Was turned art inside out. Performing hundreds of planned and spontaneous performance art shows, their status alternated between counterculture heroes and celebrated mainstream weirdos. For the couple, art was a totem to be torn down and stomped on. Even if you had to make art to do it. Michael Anderson grew up in a traditional household in Wisconsin Rapids. He began writing poetry at 13. A lifetime of deconstructing reality began by questioning his own name. One day while hanging out at the Rapids public library, he looked up the name Michael Anderson in the Chicago phone book. There were 325 of them. Even worse, he counted 12 Michael David Andersons, his full name. I thought, oh my God, that cant be my name. I started scrambling for pseudonyms, he says. By 16 he landed on an alternative spelling of his first name, mIEKAL, and decided to just shorten his last name to the first syllable, aND. Writing poetry full time is partly to blame for aNDs eight attempts to finish college at UW-Oshkosh. However, it gained him a scholarship residency at Ragsdale Writers Retreat in Lake Forest, Illinois, two years running. It was there that he started a work called SAMSARA CONGERIES, which took him 35 years to complete. All together he has published 36 books of poetry and a novel. On a hot August night in 1980 he climbed onto an empty bar stool at the Crystal Corner Bar next to a musician from Long Island named Elizabeth Nasaw. She moved in with him the next day. They were John Shimon and Julie Lindemann Family portrait: mIEKAL aND with Elizabeth Was and their son Liazon Wakest in 1993. performing together almost immediately, and in celebration of her mutual commitment to aND, she became Liz Was. The duo started out as Two Dogs in Paris, but consistent with their belief that art is temporary, they renamed their project a dozen times. Performances included regular sermons in the front yard where, dressed in an orange wig and kabuki robe, aND preached in complete gibberish. Was and aND were prolific. They produced art events the way others take daily showers. They put 40 people on a bus to Aztalan, Wisconsin, for a seven-day celebration of the pyramid-like rock sculptures there. They inhabited a miniature pyramid for 24 hours in front of the then-Civic Center on State Street. And they organized the Festival of the Swamps, an avant-garde counterpart to the city-sponsored Festival of the Lakes. The couple also cut the edge of what would become the zine movement via their poetry press Xexoxial Editions, which continues to this day. They had no role models, says Dan Bitney, drummer for the Tar Babies, a punk band that found success in the 80s. Fellow Madison visual artist and musician Andy Ewen, of Honor Among Thieves, also remembers the couple. I have never known anyone whose life and art constituted a whole as much as it did with Liz and mIEKAL, he says. Was and aND were legally married during a performance art piece in 1987, the same year their son, Liaizon Wakest, was born. His name appeared after days of arranging wooden letters purchased at St. Vinnys on their coffee table. My childhood was great, says Wakest, who now lives in New Orleans. He was unschooled until he was 10 and attended alternative high schools in Viroqua and Madison. I say that I grew up in an anarchist commune. Growing up there we would never use the word commune, mainly because it had a really bad reputation (I think especially in the Midwest). Now having traveled the world, I think calling it a commune is the most succinct. The commune Wakest refers to wasnt the Willy Street home of his birth. By 1990, when Wakest was a toddler, aND says drug houses surrounded their apartment, giving dangerous new meaning to the word anarchy. Was and aND answered an ad in Isthmus advertising for people interested in starting an eco-village in the country. The couple traveled to the Mineral Point area to meet with a stranger who invested a wealthy Chicagoans money in the purchase of old municipal properties in rural Wisconsin towns and villages. The stranger eventually set them up, deed and all, with properties including the old West Lima Post Office and school building. Dreamtime Village was born. During the 90s the school and post office became an experimental arts residence that was visited by hundreds of artists over the years. Dreamtime Village was and is still guided by Australian aboriginal philosophy, one with a language that had no words that separated daily life from art. They believed that the sleeping hours are the waking hours, and the waking hours are the sleeping hours, says aND. Its the ultimate paradigm shift. The couple split up in 1998, and Was changed her name to Lyx Ish. They co-parented Liaizon and continued to run Dreamland and Xexoxial Editions until Ish passed away suddenly after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2004. aNDs entry in his personal timeline when she died reads, music leaves my soul. Expand Stephen Perkins The Willy Street house served as a nexus of alternative arts in the 1980s and '90s. These days aND devotes most of his time to permaculture a branch of sustainable farming that incorporates philosophical principles and wine making. His fruits and vegetables go into his wines, which he stamps with his Beyond Vineyard/Driftless Sacred Grove label. He is a poetic green wizard, says Kate Heiber-Cobb, founder of the Madison Area Permaculture Guild His arts flow over into the life-giving work he does around the earth. Sitting on the second floor of his post office home, as his lone koi fish swam back and forth behind him in a giant tank, I asked aND what he wished people living more conventional lifestyles could understand about his life and worldview. Appropriately enough, the answer came back to living on the edge. Theres a concept in permaculture called edges. Like where a hillside meets a pond. Those edges are the highest percentage of diversity and potential, says aND. Because its two different systems meeting each other, that edge is where things can happen. The idea of edges applies to everything in our life. We found some cracks in the pavement and we situated ourselves in the places that were most neglected and most unwanted. And thats where we made our home. Spaces that nobody else was paying attention to. | https://isthmus.com/arts/what-ever-happened-to-the-church-of-anarchy/ |
How hotels will be star rated? | By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov The process of assigning stars to hotels is voluntary in Azerbaijan, and at the moment the issue of the mandatory order is not on the agenda, Head of Public Relations department of the State Agency for Tourism Kanan Guluzade said. However, Guluzade noticed, despite the fact that the classification process of hotels is voluntary, the presence of stars will become a requirement of time. He believes that fewer customers will come to hotels with no stars. When booking a hotel room, tourist pays attention to the presence of hotel stars, Guluzade said. The head of the department noted that in Azerbaijan today there are no mechanisms that lead to the assignment of stars to hotels. Therefore, the Association of Hotels of Azerbaijan was created, and this process will be carried out by this structure. He noted that the State Agency for Tourism will not take part in the process of classifying hotels. The state agency will only provide its support. "We want this system to be implemented by a public structure. The Association of Hotels of Azerbaijan will become a member of the European Association of Hotels," Guluzade said. He went on to say that the classification will be conducted by European experts, the process will be completely transparent. Earlier, Executive Director of the newly-established Azerbaijan Hotels Association Gunay Saglam said that a new national star rating system will be applied for hotels in Azerbaijan in September-December 2019, and in December hotels will be assigned stars. A commission on the hotel classification system will be created in May 2019, and training on star classification will be organized for hotels in June-August. After the implementation of new national hotel system in Azerbaijan, classification of hotels will be held every four years. An anonymous guest will visit a hotel two years after stars are assigned to it, after which it will be defined whether the hotel service corresponds to the assigned stars. Hotel owners will be informed in advance about the classification criteria. When creating a new hotel classification system, the European experience was taken as a basis. Currently, there are about 500-600 hotels in Azerbaijan. | http://www.today.az/news/business/177922.html |
Whats Swipe Life? | Swipe Life is for anyone out there trying to make a connection. That might mean meeting a Tinder date at a trendy bar or swiping right on your couch at 2 a.m. in a pile of Doritos. (We dont judge. Ever.) Its about the (often funny) ups and downs of your dating journey, and about what you eat, see, do, wear, and spend along the way. For tens of millions of people around the world, using Tinder is a big part of dating. Downloading Tinder for the first time is an important milestone, like your first time buying beer or, well, your first time. And we want to hear about your adventures on and off the app. Swipe Life is a place where we can tell your stories. We know that youre going to talk about us anyway (were blushing), and we want to be a part of that conversation. So pull up a chair, pour some vino (if you drink), and lets chat. Lets dig into what makes dating fun, what makes it funny, and what makes it messy or even heartbreaking. Lets talk about what role online dating plays in todays culture. We have some things to say. And were excited to listen. | https://swipelife.tinder.com/whats-swipe-life |
Is The Meet-Cute Dead? | The other week, my cousin mentioned that she had a date later that night. Howd you two meet? I asked. I couldnt help it, but it also seems par for the course: When it comes to talking about romance, the question is as standard as So, what do you do? Well, began my cousin, who works at an optometry office, He was there for an appointment, and I was helping him check out and everything. When he left, my coworker was surprised that he didnt ask me out, because wed been flirting a little. My cousins coworker was right: An hour later, the guy was sitting in the waiting room so he could ask her out. Theyre still dating a few months later, and I can only assume that hes happy with his new glasses. The meet-cute is a classic for a reason. Just like you can blame Disney for the timeless expectations of a fairy-tale romance and happily-ever-after, you can blame every rom-com ever (or, alternatively, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan) for the staying power of the meet-cute. Meet-cutes are a still a staple in romantic comedies, like with Annie meeting Rhodes for the first time when he pulls her over for speeding in Bridesmaids, or Audrey meeting her criminal boyfriend at a jukebox while he was on a hit in The Spy Who Dumped Me, says research scientist Amanda Gesselman, Ph.D., the head of research analytics and methodology core at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. But meet-cutes are becoming few and far between and its not just because more and more people are meeting via apps and websites. (To whit: The Pew Research Center found that as of 2016, the number of young adults using dating apps jumped from 10 percent in 2013 to 27 percent.) Beyond dating apps offering new ways to find partners, our overarching internet culture and the consequent siren call of our smartphones also keep people from making eyes across the bar. But theres obviously one major downside to meet-cutes: You cant just make one happen. Thats like trying to game the lottery. Though theyre becoming rare, there are still perks for the meet-cute beyond having a really cute story to share with your friends, or strangers, or both. A set-up by friends, for instance, can work in your favor in multiple ways. One advantage to dating someone youve met through your social network as opposed to a dating site is that your shared friends are likely to already be supportive of your new relationships, and this support tends to predict good outcomes, says Paul Eastwick, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at UC Davis who studies how people initiate romantic relationships. Another bonus: If your friend is down to share insight or details about her cute coworker you met at happy hour, you have yet another advantage. (The same goes for any warning signs, too.) Meet-cutes also benefit from their instantaneous nature. Meet-cutes typically happen in an exciting context where you get a great sense of whether youre attracted to them, how they interact with other people, their body language toward you, and whether they have a banter or a vibe with you, explains Gesselman. All of this allows you to get a feel for their personality and their lives while you build chemistry. By the time youve swapped numbers, you already know that youve felt a spark. When you meet someone on an app, the initial banter might be awesome, but whether that spark or chemistry exists is still TBD. Thats not to say its not there the process of determining it just takes a little longer. But theres obviously one major downside to meet-cutes: You cant just make one happen. Thats like trying to game the lottery. And dating apps do offer some of the same benefits as meeting IRL. In fact, some experts think that the difference between the meet-cute versus meeting on an app or online is overstated. Couples who meet online or through Tinder have the possibility of learning some things about each other before they meet facetoface, explains Michael Rosenfeld, a professor of sociology at Stanford University whos conducted research on how couples meet. The dating game is in part an information gathering game, and meeting online has definite advantages in information gathering. Plus, developing mutual friends happens quickly if youve hit it off, no matter how you met. When you meet someone online, one of the first things you often do is you start building relationships with friends of the new partner, so this is often not a major online versus offline difference for long, says Eastwick. And while hoping you accidentally bump into someone adorable in a bookstore and strike up a convo is probably a long shot, based on the number of times this has happened to anyone I know Oh, I love Jhumpa Lahiri, too! a dating app conversely increases the odds of meeting a potential partner just in terms of numbers. It gives people a large array of partners to choose from, a set of partners they would not have met otherwise, says Eastwick. Whether those potential partners pans out into an actual relationship is a different story, he says, adding: But I cant say whether it is more effective to, say, spend four hours browsing an online dating site or spend four hours at a party with a bunch of people youve never met before. Maybe thats why the meet-cute seems to be a rarity these days. After all, think back to the last time you found yourself at a party or any situation, really with a bunch of people youve never met before. (For me, it was during college, a decade ago.) For those hoping to make more IRL connections, Fields suggests finding an activity that not only appeals to you personally, whether thats volunteering at a CSA program or taking your dog to a new dog park, but incidentally introduces you to new people beyond your existing social circle. This way, your hearts not going to get crushed if you dont meet someone, because youre doing something youre passionate about, she explains. Plus, when you meet someone doing a shared activity, you already have something in common. But it would be a mistake to discount dating apps, which can give you the biggest pool of potential partners and therefore may increase the odds of a relationship just from a numbers perspective. Just know what to expect and dont linger on the messaging phase. Online dating apps do typically involve quite a bit of talking before meeting up, says Gesselman. This can help build a good foundation for your attraction, but it does change the process. At some point, youll have to meet face-to-face to determine whether or not theres any emotional connection and if youre going for quantity, thats a lot of face time. However, thats something that may change, especially as technology becomes slicker and more innovative. We have found in some of our work that different forms of online communication do convey much of the realism of a facetoface interaction, so I think technology can also bridge distances, says Eastwick. That being said, its surely still important for people to get out of their comfort zones and experience the world together. Maybe a combination of the two is the best of both worlds. | https://swipelife.tinder.com/post/does-how-you-meet-still-matter-or-is-the-meet-cute-dead |
Why Isn't Kate Middleton Called a Princess Like Diana Was? | When Kate Middleton and Prince William said "I do" back in 2011, the headlines couldn't help but laud the great "Princess Kate." As the years have passed though, that nickname didn't really stick, mostly because it's completely inaccurate. Middleton isn't formally known as a princess, despite being a royal married to a prince. Image zoom Chris Jackson While Catherine is absolutely a princess, her correct title is Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, CNN royal expert Victoria Arbiter explained to Yahoo Style. She wasnt born a blood princess, so she is not a princess in her own right. When she married William, she took on the rank of her husband, a royal prince. Well, she didn't. The public dubbed her "Princess Di" and unlike with Kate, Diana's name stuck. Even so, Diana was not officially "Princess Diana." Her official title was "Her Royal Highness The Princess Of Wales," but in British royal tradition, that didn't make her a princess. (Confusing, we know.) Only women born into the royal family like Princess Charlotte or Princess Anne can formally add the title ahead of their names. | https://www.instyle.com/news/why-kate-middleton-princess-title |
Why Did Tripoli Issue Arrest Warrants for Libyas Top Post-2011 Actors? | The Libyan Public Prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant of the Chairman of the Wattan Party Abdelhakim Belhaj and the former commander of the Petroleum Facilities Guard Ibrahim Jadran, according to Libyan Express. The warrants included four other Libyan personalities and 31 Chadian names from the Rebel Groups in Chad. The papers issues by the investigation office of the Public Prosecutor in Tripoli headed by Siddiq Al-Sour were sent to the Intelligence Chief and General Investigation Bureaus Chairman. The warrants say Belhaj and Jadran as well as the rest were involved in attacks, crimes and leading armed groups in Libya, including attacks on oil terminals, Timnahint air base in southern Libya and other crimes in south of the country. Michel Cousins, the editor-in-chief of the Libya Herald, said in a piece that the move is a political bombshell, by issuing arrest warrants for one of Libyas top post-2011 actors and other key figures in the Libya crisis. He added that a total of 31 Chadian and Sudanese militants in Libya were also charged. All are accused of involvement in attacks on oil terminals and on the airbase at Tamanhent, near Sabha in southern Libya. Abdelhakim Belhaj, the most prominent figure named on the warrants, leads Libyas pro-Islamist Watan Party. A former fighter in Afghanistan against the Soviets and later the leader of [al Qaeda affiliated] Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), which was allied to al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, he became head of Tripoli Military Council after the 2011 revolution. Since then he has branched out into business, allegedly with the help of Qatar, although he is still seen as primarily a controversial political figure. He has been said to be involved with Tunisias terrorist Ansar al-Sharia organisation, an accusation he denied. In June 2017, Belhaj was included on a list of suspected terrorists linked to Qatar issued by Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and subsequently endorsed by the House of Representatives, Libyas parliament in Tobruk. It is not known what the consequences of the arrest warrant will be but Belhaj, who is in Turkey, has supporters in Tripoli and there are fears there may be violence as a result. He was quoted by the pro-Islamist Nabaa TV saying that it was unlikely the arrest warrants will be implemented in Tripoli. Michel Cousins believes that the warrant could be related to the January 1s operation when Libyan National Army (LNA) forces freed 22 hostages who had been seized weeks earlier by suspected Islamic State (ISIS) gunmen. They were discovered after an attack December 27 on a military camp at Traghen, 125km from Sabha. Cousins said that following the assault, in which one soldier was killed, several others injured and 24 army vehicles reportedly stolen, LNA units tracked the attackers, said to be Chadian irregulars. He stressed that Chadian and Sudanese fighters have been active in southern Libya in recent years, hiring themselves out to the highest bidder or sometimes kidnapping local Libyans for ransom. The majority are Chadian, some being members of the Chadian opposition movement the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (CCMSR). Others are freelance bandits, with no political attachment. Cousins said that following the Traghen attack, LNA forces went to Ghudwa, believed to be the base for the bandits. The attackers were not there but hostages were found in two containers. The hostages were said to have been taken October 28 by ISIS during a particularly brutal attack on the southern village of Fugha and others captured during an attack November 23 on the police station in southern town of Tazerbo. Authorities are now questioning whether ISIS was involved in the attacks or whether there are links between the Chadians and ISIS. So far there are no answers, although, in a potentially significant twist, the Attorney Generals Office announced that a leading CCMSR member had been arrested in Tripoli, according to the piece published by Arab Weekly. * Note to readers: please click the share buttons above. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. Featured image is from Al Arabiya English https://www.globalresearch.ca/why-did-tripoli-issue-arrest-warrants-for-libyas-top-post-2011-actors/5665061 | https://counterinformation.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/why-did-tripoli-issue-arrest-warrants-for-libyas-top-post-2011-actors/ |
Could the Newtown Jets have remained in First Grade? | Theyre one of the most famous clubs in rugby league history and despite not being in the competitions top flight the clubs legacy continues to lives on. On Tuesday, the Newtown Jets celebrated 111 years in rugby league after their first inception in 1908. Most fans have a soft spot for one of the most iconic clubs in the sport which continues to carry on in the Intrust Super Premiership as a feeder club to the Cronulla Sharks. The mighty Jets were kicked out of the competition in 1983 after the club went broke breaking the hearts of players and fans. Former Jets player Neil Pringle said it hurt when he had to leave Newtown due to financial reasons. It hurt me very deeply in 1974 when I had to pack my bags and leave because they had no money, Pringle said. I was a young married man at the time and was just starting out in my career and I had to make the decision to leave. I was offered contracts from all over Sydney, at that stage I was trying to buy my own house and get started in life. Pringle also admitted there was a chance the club could have continued on. I honestly believe mismanagement of the club, but Im not saying anything retributive of the guys that voluntarily worked there at the time, Pringle said. I think they were a little bit misdirected not to go to Campbelltown at the time. I was disappointed in it because I would have loved to have seen them live on in another way. I would have liked to have seen them go to Newcastle or Perth or wherever as long as the blue bag of the Jets jumper was still running around. I didnt care where they were as long as they were represented because they were a pretty important part of the history of rugby league. Fans continue to flock down to the iconic Henson Park to watch the reserve grade side play. Click play to hear the full interview below. | https://www.sportsradio.com.au/could-the-newtown-jets-have-remained-in-first-grade/ |
What lies ahead for the cloud in 2019? | Get business updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email The figures speak volumes about the importance of the cloud sector globally. In 2019, the global cloud computing market is set to exceed $200bn (157bn) for the first time. If this prediction materialises, it will represent a 20 per cent increase on the sectors value in 2018 which is the same level of growth that was achieved in 2017. Analysts are also predicting that SaaS (software as a service) will remain the dominant segment in the market. In short, all the evidence suggests that private and public sector organisations regionally, nationally and internationally will continue the widespread adoption of the cloud to power their digital transformations. Consequently, 2019 will also be the year when its incumbent on those same organizations to manage applications and data stored in the cloud effectively, without ever overlooking the importance of ensuring theyre GDPR compliant.. Manchester-headquartered ClearCloud works with companies to ensure that they maximise the potential of the cloud at every point in their evolution. Cloud as a market is still in hyper growth. The American cloud providers are still growing 100% year-on-year. What were seeing now is that some of the earlier adopters in sectors like media and retail - which have already seen significant disruption because of cloud technology - are moving into even more forward-looking technologies like AI and machine learning, using cloud as a platform. The sectors that have been slower to adopt cloud, like regulated industries and government, are now seeing that cloud is the new norm. Theyre finding they are able to meet their attestations and compliance requirements through cloud, which delivers massive advantages. There are sectors where cloud is assumed as the norm and others which are slower to adopt. The fact is that there are certain use cases for which cloud makes perfect sense and some for which it doesnt. In regulated industries some organisations prefer to use physical servers for certain business-critical or legacy workloads where applications arent cloud friendly, or more specifically where high-bandwidth applications become prohibitively expensive. But that doesnt mean there arent areas of their operation which benefit from being hosted in the cloud. So were seeing a tailored mix of cloud and traditional hosting, often called multi-cloud, becoming more common in many sectors. Small and medium businesses often dont have the technical talent within their organisation to deliver cloud projects. They need support moving their business into the cloud and its not always easy to find the talent or the focus to migrate their systems alongside the everyday running of a business. Companies like ClearCloud are now enabling small and medium businesses to tap into the opportunity of cloud in 2019. The true maturity of the technology means that 2019 is set to be a huge year for regulated industries moving further into the cloud. Were likely to see a lot of the early adopters of cloud using the more recently emerged cloud technologies and utilising machine learning and AI. Use of big data programs and the analysis of large data sets to inform business decision-making will also grow within enterprises. Well see more and more FTSE 100 companies issuing notices that theyre disposing of their datacentres and going all-in on cloud, to realise their growth or business agility aspirations. UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones said the pace of innovation shows no sign of slowing down in 2019. Its fascinating to think weve been in the hosting industry for 20 years this year," he said. "The change from shared physical servers back then to the cloud technology were providing and developing today is extraordinary. This year, I have no doubt that were going to see the next evolution of machine learning and AI, powered by cloud. Thanks to developments in cloud and data centre technology, were now able to harness the potential of AI and machine learning more than ever. This technology has the power to enable growth across so many industries, automating processes so that the people behind the tech can focus on what machines can never replace service and innovation. Were also seeing increasing demand for a blend of cloud technologies. Having the ability to combine cloud providers such as AWS and UKFast through ClearCloud businesses are able to capture the benefits of multiple cloud options. This means more agile, responsive and prepared online businesses in the long run. Of course, data protection and cybersecurity are key considerations for the coming 12 months. GDPR and the swathe of high-profile breaches in 2018 have placed data protection at the top of every business agenda. "When considering cloud or hosting options, the level of security and protection is absolutely at the top of the list. Whilst we can never know for certain what is around the corner or over the next hill, one thing is for sure: 2019 is going to be a big year for cloud." | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/what-lies-ahead-cloud-2019-15656856 |
Is cashing in RRSPs now to maximize OAS and GIS a good idea? | Q. A serious cancer illness in 2008 took our finances off the rails. We had to start over. Im 63 (Bob) and my wife Laura is 61 and were from New Brunswick. I have $135,000 in RRSPs while my wife has none. We also have no TFSAs. My CPP is $8,400 a year gross and Lauras is $5,400. We have no other retirement income. The money would go into a TFSA. Qualifying for GIS would have the added bonus of making us eligible for New Brunswicks senior drug program. My annual employment income for 2018, 2019 and 2020 will be $44,000. I can also claim the disability tax credit for 2018. We are more than able to live on our CPP, OAS and the GIS (amount based on our CPP income of $14,000), withdrawing approximately $5,000 annually from a TFSA. We will sell our home (just built) when I turn age 71 with expected equity of $80,000. We also expect a small inheritance of $35,000 by 2020. ANY help would be greatly appreciated. Bob and Laura A. Bob and Laura, Im sorry to hear of your illness and the resulting impact on your finances. Its good that you are able to start over and consider various options. I would not advise withdrawing all of your RRSP money in the next 2 years while Bob is still working. All RRSP income is fully taxed and it would likely push him into a higher tax bracket. Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is available only to OAS recipients who income qualify. The current maximum amount of the OAS benefit is $600.85 per month. If you have lived in Canada for 40 years after your 18th birthday, you would likely qualify for maximum OAS benefit at age 65. If your spouse receives the maximum OAS benefit, then the other spouse could receive $540.23 monthly of GIS, but only if your combined income was less than $24,048 per year. (If you dont believe that you will receive full OAS, then you should contact Service Canada for more details). Based on just your combined CPP income, you would each qualify for $814.69 in combined OAS/GIS, which works out to $9,776.28 per yearbringing your family income to $33,352.56 annually. Because the GIS calculation is based on total family income, the more you make the less benefit you receive. As well, keep in mind that $24,048 in income per couple (excluding OAS and GIS income) is the cut off point for no GIS benefit. Based on your CPP income, you should still be able to withdraw up to $10,000 annually from your RRSPs and still receive some GIS which also qualifies you for the New Brunswick Seniors Drug program. If you delay your RRIF mandatory minimum withdrawals to age 71, the minimum RRIF withdrawal would still be less than $10,000 and will not cause you to lose the benefit. You could receive the maximum GIS until age 71 and then depending on the RRIF income, you may receive less than the maximum GIS benefit but you would still qualify for the NB drug plan. And you could also then withdraw from your TFSAs for additional income as needed. Both the sale proceeds from the home and the inheritance are non-taxable and will not affect the GIS income. When you start withdrawing from your RRSP or RRIF, ensure that you have 3 to 5 years of savings equal to the annual withdrawal amount in a safe and secure investment like fixed income or cash so it will withstand any short-term stock market ups and downs. The remaining balance could remain in a balanced investment so it can continue to grow until you need to withdraw it as income. This is often referred to as the Retirement Bucket strategy. Hope that helps, and enjoy your retirement. Janet Gray is a Certified Financial Planner with Money Coaches Canada in Ottawa MORE ABOUT ASK A MONEY COACH: | https://www.moneysense.ca/columns/ask-moneysense/is-cashing-in-rrsps-now-to-maximize-oas-and-gis-a-good-idea/ |
Are we prepared for 2019s cyber security challenges? | Technology is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other, wrote novelist and scientist CP Snow in the New York Times in 1971. It still rings true today. Every new tool or technology we use introduces new vulnerabilities, giving cybercriminals opportunities for financial gain, and politically-motivated groups new opportunities to spy on individuals or cause disruption and damage to opponents. By Grant Hamilton, country manager of Check Point South Africa 2018 saw several large-scale cyber-incidents hitting headlines, such as the breaches affecting British Airways, Ticketmaster, Cathay Pacific and others. But there were other significant security trends developing, which show how the cyber landscape is evolving, and indicate the types of threats and attacks we can expect to see in 2019. Digging for digital gold Crypto-miners dominated the malware landscape throughout 2018, replacing ransomware as the most popular method for cyber-criminals to earn illicit cash. 42% of organisations globally were hit by cryptomining malware this year more than twice the 20.5% of firms affected in the second half of 2017. Its popularity is no surprise, as crypto-miners are easy to distribute, hard to trace, and can operate undetected for months, generating ongoing revenues for criminals at much lower risk compared to ransomware. As they have proven to be highly effective, we expect to see crypto-miners continuing to dig deep into organisations networks during 2019. Mining malware will also be refined to target scalable cloud platforms and unprotected mobile estates, tapping into the massive computing resources these offer to further grow and maximise illicit earnings. Mobile moving targets Despite fleets of company-issued and BYOD mobile devices making up a large part of organisations attack surface, mobile security continues to be overlooked. This is despite serious threats aimed at mobile estates. Throughout 2018, Lokibot the banking Trojan aimed at Android devices which steals information and grants privileges to download further malware was in the top three mobile malware. September 2018 also saw a near 400% rise in crypto-mining malware attacks against iPhones and iOS devices. As a result, we expect mobile malware to increase over the next year, and to see all-in-one mobile malware variants that combine banking Trojans, key-loggers and ransomware that give numerous options for attackers to profit from infecting devices. Well also continue to discover flaws in mobile operating systems that offer attackers an easy way to attack unprotected devices such as the Android man-in-the-disk flaw which enabled apps to be targeted from a devices external storage. Cloud concerns The scalability and agility of the cloud allows organisations to do things they could only imagine with their traditional data centers. But the level of understanding about securing the cloud remains low. In November 2018, Check Point revealed vulnerabilities in the cloud platforms behind the worlds most popular consumer and business drones that would allow attackers to steal flight records and photos, live locations, and account information such as user profile information and credit card details without users being aware of any intrusion. Although the vulnerability was closed before it could be exploited, the case highlights how security is often an afterthought with cloud deployments, leaving highly sensitive data and applications vulnerable to exploitation by hackers. We can expect to see cloud account takeovers and hacking attempts increasing over the next year, as more enterprises use SaaS applications and cloud-based email (including Office 365, GSuite and OneDrive), so businesses will need to prevent common attacks such as phishing attempts. Rise of machine learning for good and bad Machine learning and AI techniques have dramatically accelerated the identification of new threats and responses to them over the past 18 months, helping to nullify new threats before they can spread widely. However, as the technology becomes increasingly commoditized, it will become more widely available which means that cybercriminals will also start to take advantage of machine learning techniques to help them probe networks, find vulnerabilities and develop more evasive malware that has a better chance of avoiding detection. Nation state concerns In recent years, governments concerns have grown over cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure like power grids, and the relative vulnerability of these essential networks. Many countries have formed bodies to oversee their national cyber security in preparation for such attacks. Meanwhile, we have also seen nation state attacks aimed at domestic targets, such as the Iranian state-sponsored mobile surveillance operation against its own citizens, dubbed Domestic Kitten. In place since 2016, the campaign enticed targets to download fake, decoy mobile apps loaded with spyware that collected sensitive information about hundreds of targeted citizens. While we have yet to see non-state actors attacking critical infrastructure to inflict mass damage, nation states will most certainly continue and increase their use of cyber-warfare techniques. And cyber espionage and citizens data privacy will become an even hotter topic of contention, especially due to such data being proven to impact on voting patterns and election outcomes. Nano security on a global scale While more insecure IoT devices are being built into the fabric of enterprise networks, organisations have failed to use better security practices to protect their networks and devices. IoT devices, and their connections to networks and clouds, are still a weak link in security. Over the next two years, physical infrastructures will increasingly disappear into the cloud, and scale up or down whenever needed. These will connect to physical devices, such as a smartphone, an autonomous vehicle, an IoT sensor, a medical device, or anything else with an internet connection. Protecting this interconnected world of devices, to stop new threats hiding in the cloud and spreading across devices undetected, will be critical. We expect to see a new generation of protection using nano security agents micro-scale plugins that can work with any device or operating system in any enterprise environment, from security cameras to IoT devices, to micro-services in the cloud, in hardwareless environments. These nano agents will be able to control every attribute that goes to and from the device from the cloud, and will connect to one global smart, AI-driven security system that can steer our security, making the right decisions in real time. While innovation will continue to bring new opportunities to accelerate and enable business, cybercriminals will also seek to take advantage of those innovations for their own gain. To keep pace, organisations must be proactive, and leave no element of their attack surface unprotected or unmonitored or risk becoming the next victim of increasingly sophisticated, highly targeted mega-attacks. | https://it-online.co.za/2019/01/10/are-we-prepared-for-2019s-cyber-security-challenges/ |
Should SA pay millions for iron and stone homage to its heroes? | In a country where great emphasis is placed on transformation, the government seeks to ensure that struggle icons are recognised for their role in the fight against apartheid. Erecting statues and renaming national key points plays a major role in achieving this. However, almost every time a new statue is unveiled, there is much debate about the costs involved - and in most cases, how those funds could have otherwise been spent. This was evident recently when various media outlets reported on statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in Durban. The two statues will reportedly set the municipality back R20m, which set social media abuzz. Similarly, in September 2018 Mpumalanga's provincial government paid tribute to Mandela with a 6m statue outside the provincial legislature in Mbombela, reportedly worth around R8.3m. | https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-01-10-should-sa-pay-millions-for-iron-and-stone-homage-to-its-heroes/ |
Who is Stonehaven's 'secret sculptor'? | Image copyright Martin Sim The discovery of more artwork around Stonehaven bay has sparked new intrigue over the artist's identity. The latest sculpture, which is the fifth piece of art of its kind, was spotted by a local in late December. The structure portrays a sea world takeover, in which giant animals rule the roost and the remains of human beings lay in baskets. It has caused some locals to ask the question - 'Who is Stonehaven's secret sculptor?' Image copyright Martin Sim Some believe that the artist lives in the nearby village of Cowie, known only to close friends and family. Image copyright Martin Sim Other mystery sculptures on the bay include a seal, a Viking boat, two fishing boats and a lighthouse. Image caption A giant crab towers over human remains 'Stonehaven Banksy' Local resident Martin Sim says finding the new sculpture was like being given a Christmas present. "My wife and I were out walking the dog and we realised there was something different and it was a new addition to the group," he said. "Apparently the chap stays in Cowie, a village to the north of Stonehaven, but there's no identifying features [on the artwork]." Mr Sim said locals appreciate the sculptures, referring to the artist as "The Stonehaven Bansky". Mr Sim attributed the artist's decision to remain anonymous to the spirit of people in the north east. He said: "We don't mind doing our own thing but we don't necessarily want any recognition. We're very backward at coming forward, as has been said many times. "We really don't like shouting from the rooftops and blowing our own trumpets when we certainly could do." Image copyright Martin Sim Mr Sim believes it is likely that the different pieces were made by the same person. "The method of attachment to the rocks is very similar, the style of the 'fish' men is also very stylised and the overall finish to them all is also similar," he added. "The links, as I see them, are the sea and the quirky humour in all of them." Image copyright Martin Sim Meanwhile, the lookout for Stonehaven's "secret sculptor" continues. All images subject to copyright. | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-46814307 |
Can Private Industry Solve Our Climate Crisis Where Governments Fail? | Extreme weather. Drought. Massive fires in California. The effects of climate change are on the rise and California is front and center. Climate change has been a remarkably difficult challenge for people because the psychology is so different from what we've evolved to cope with as threats. We respond to immediate threats and to threats with a face. Climate change is just too diffuse, too slow and too large it covers the whole world. Its like fighting with air. Since governments havent done a great deal - global carbon emissions are still increasing - perhaps private industry can facilitate people stepping in themselves. There are many companies that are trying to figure out how to do just that. Some are well-known and established, like Lockheed and Tesla, or brand new ones, like Beyond Meat that had a recent IPO filing or Impossible Foods, both as a way to decrease the large emissions from Americas obsession with eating meat. Airbus designed its A380 passenger aircraft to be the most ecofriendly in the industry. For the energy sector, there are two end members to addressing climate change: replace fossil fuels with non-fossil fuels become more efficient and conserve energy as much as possible The first strategy seems to be undermined by the fact that we have more fossil fuels than ever before and its gotten even cheaper to get them out of the ground. Our carbon emissions began climbing again after a 25-year low in 2015.This Administration has also decided they dont care about climate change, so are no help there. The second strategy is where companies like OhmConnect come in increasing efficiency, emplacing a smart grid, and balancing the grid overall to make the most out of the growing chunk of renewables. It was founded in 2014 in California to take advantage of their huge build-out of solar energy and the necessity for smart usage strategies. But its now spreading to markets like Texas and Toronto. This is possible because Californias state energy authority prefers to pay people to save energy instead of paying power plants to produce more. The huge amount of solar that the state has installed is causing some major issues with their grid and with reliability. The states commitment to achieving 100% clean energy use in the coming decades will not be possible without some clever strategies and without everyone being on board. So incentivizing people to act locally is essential. OhmConnect does this by enabling hundreds of thousands of energy customers to earn weekly payments for timely, smarter, home energy use when its cleanest (non-fossil) and reward them for not using energy when its dirty (fossil). Anyone who uses any of the three major California energy suppliers -- Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric -- can sign up for free. Coordinated through smart meter data, the service encourages households and small businesses owners and renters to take specifically targeted OhmHours without energy use, enabling individual users to move as a coordinated group to balance the grid in real time. This removes the need for inefficient or dirty fossil power plants to fire up intermittently. OhmConnect contacts the user when power from fossil plants are dominating the grid. The user can manually or automatically reduce their energy use, e.g., not charge their electric vehicle, dont wash their clothes, turn off their water heater for a few hours. Many users have connected their smart home devices to OhmConnect, including wifi thermostats, electric vehicles, and smart plugs, in order to automate their participation. The users are paid with cash for saving energy during those peak times, and the reductions are sold into the grid. Thats a strong driver. The grid generates just enough power to meet the demand of all its users. Every user on the grid has a forecasted consumption profile, which is calculated by averaging their energy consumption during the previous 10 similar days on an hourly basis. For instance, a users forecast for 5 to 6 PM on a Tuesday would be calculated by averaging their energy use from 5 to 6 PM on Monday, Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, etc. For the weekends, the previous 4 weekend days are used to forecast use. Occasionally, the sum total of these baselines doesnt give a complete picture of expected demand and additional power plants need to fire up. Turning these marginal power plants on is expensive and can increase the wholesale cost of energy from four cents to a dollar per kWh. These power plants are called peaker plants and typically emit two to three times the CO2 emissions as other power plants using the same fuel. The social cost, both economic and environmental, is lower to pay users to reduce their usage instead of paying a dirty power plant to fire up to meet unforecasted demand. Thats how Ohmconnect works. The energy savings are purchased in the California ISO, just as a power plants electricity generation would be purchased. When a user signs up for OhmConnect, they connect their utility account, so we can have access to their smart meter data. Users are then paid for the participation, depending upon how much energy they individually save. During the companys recent summer challenge campaign, for example, when temperatures in the state were at their highest, OhmConnect paid customers $2.5 million for their energy saving tactics, with users saving a total of 500,000 kWhs of power in the three month period. The U.S. Market certainly justifies this strategy - 140 million homes, 80 million smart meters, 28 million Connected Energy Devices (smart thermostats, smart plus, etc.) totaling about $500 billion. Worldwide it could total over $2 trillion. But its this magnitude of effort thats needed to address such a global issue. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/01/10/can-private-industry-solve-our-climate-crisis-where-governments-fail/ |
Is Tom Hardy in Peaky Blinders season five and when does it start? | (Picture: BBC) Peaky Blinders fans got another exciting glimpse of activity this week as Cillian Myrphy and Charlie Murphy were spotted filming in Stockport. Cameras were rolling outside Stockports Plaza on Wednesday, which was transformed into Bingley Hall for the BBC series. Well be seeing most of the old cast members when the show returns in the spring but theres still a question mark over the fate of Alfie Solomon, played by Tom Hardy. Picture: Robert Viglasky Well (and herein lie spoilers for anyone who has yet to finish series four), Alfie Solomons fate remains unclear. While he appeared to have been killed off at the end of season four, Knight has dropped some heavy hints that we could just be seeing him again which given Hardys popularity wouldnt surprise us. Advertisement Advertisement And creator Steven Knight hasnt shed much light on the matter either when he asked if Alfie was actually dead he simply replied: Pass all of which has confused matters even more. The BBC wasted no time in confirming that a fifth series of the show would be made, pretty much announcing it as soon as the final credits had rolled on season four. Theres still no confirmed date for the series itself but itll be landing some time in the spring. The move to BBC One in a bid to attract younger viewers was revealed back in August at the Edinburgh TV Festival. Director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore explained: Steven Knights epic storytelling is authentic and utterly compelling, Charlotte said. I want to give it the chance to be enjoyed by an even broader audience on BBC One. Cillian Murphy will be back as Tommy (Picture: BBC) Theres more good news for Peaky fans also as the writer has also confirmed the show will likely have two more seasons after series five before coming to an end after its seventh series. My ambition is to make it a story of a family between two wars, so always Ive wanted to end it with the first air raid siren in Birmingham in 1939, he explained. Cillian Murphy will be back as Thomas Shelby (Picture: BBC) Joe Cole will not be returning of course but you can pretty much expect to see everybody else back as the story of the Shelby clan continues. Cillian Murphy will be back for season five, as will co-stars including Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory who was recently seen filming in Birmingham alongside Murphy Finn Cole and Sophie Rundle. Aiden Gillen will also be a part of the fifth season as Aberama Gold. However you wont be seeing Charlotte Riley, whose character, horse trainer May Carleton, wont be returning. I dont think that my character will be coming back, she told Digital Spy. Anya Taylor-Joy is new to the cast (Picture: BBC) Series five introduces us to cast newcomers Sam Claflin and Anya Taylor-Joy known for her roles in M Night Shyamalans Split and horror hit The Witch. The official synopsis teases: Series five finds the world thrown into turmoil by the financial crash of 1929. Opportunity and misfortune are everywhere. When Tommy Shelby MP is approached by a charismatic politician with a bold vision for Britain, he realises that his response will affect not just his familys future but that of the entire nation. Advertisement Season five will have a whole new arena for Tommy to play in, but star Paul Anderson, who plays fan favourite Arthur Shelby, says not to expect the family to suddenly change their ways now theyve got an elected official in their midst. Speaking to metro.co.uk earlier this year he explained: Arthurs not gonna be a politician. Hes got political ties now, lets put it that way. But you wont see him at no rallies or in Parliament. What it gives Arthur and his family is more power. Tommy is in a position of power, and he can only get stronger in that position. So well all have more cover, well have more opportunity, and more protection. And by protection I mean by society and the police and so on. Well be able to get away with things under the guise of, were politicians, were respectable. 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. MORE: No, David Beckham isnt joining Tommy Shelby in new Peaky Blinders series MORE: Peaky Blinders season 5 trailer leaves fans drooling at Cillian Murphys Thomas Shelby despite life-threatening car fire | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/10/tom-hardy-peaky-blinders-season-five-start-8329327/ |
Why did Kevin Hart step down from hosting the 2019 Oscars? | Kevin Hart, pictured at the 87th Academy Awards in 2015, will not be presenting the Oscars (Picture: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Kevin Hart is no longer hosting the 2019 Oscars after pulling out from the job in fact, nobody is hosting the Oscars. The shock decision by the Academy came after actor Hart stepped down as host of next months ceremony in December, following a string of allegedly homophobic tweets that had been unearthed. Since then, speculation has been rife over who will replace Kevin on the night, with names including Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Kimmel thrown into the mix. But on Wednesday, it was confirmed that nobody will replace him and the ceremony will instead proceed with starry skits in a radical reinvention. Advertisement Advertisement The 39-year-old comedian and actor announced his decision to pull out of hosting the Oscars after a string of allegedly homophobic tweets and controversial comedy skits surfaced online last month. I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's.this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past. Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018 He had been confirmed as the host of the lustrous night just three days prior. However, he soon found himself in deep water when fans started sharing unearthed tweets from 2010 which show him using the word gay as a slur. as well as labelling people f**s. Apologising to the Academy and to anyone he offended, he confirmed he would no longer host the awards in February. I'm sorry that I hurt people.. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again. Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018 In a series of tweets from 2009-2010, Kevin was seen calling people f**s, and branding people gay as a slur. Kevins historic tweets have come back to haunt him (Picture: Tilly Pearce) One comment posted to someone read: lmao, thats why u sweat 4 know reason u fat faced f** Lmao @ all of the woman asking me where the pic is, Im not passing along a pic of a naked man!!! That would make me gay by association, he wrote in another. Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of his withdrawal, he posted a series of messages on Instagram saying that the world was going crazy and while he didnt apologise, instead told others they need to be more positive. When the tweets were discovered, Kevin tried to excuse the behaviour in a video in which he said: I swear man our world is becoming beyond crazy. Marvel boss Kevin Feige downplays rivalry with James Gunn: He makes cool things Im not going to let the craziness frustrate me or anger me especially when I worked hard to get to the mental space that I am at now. Advertisement He explained how his team had called him to tell him that the world was upset about tweets he did years ago but he told them: Oh my God. Guys, Im almost 40 years old. He added: If you dont believe that people grow, change, evolve as they get older, I dont know what to tell you. Kevin Harts jokes that he plans to prevent his son being gay (Picture: Netflix) Hart was also previously slammed for jokes made during his stand up show, where he said he wanted to put a stop to his son being gay. In Seriously Funny, released on DVD in 2010 and available on Netflix, he said: One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay. Thats a fear. Keep in mind Im not homophobicBe happy. Do what you want to do. But me, as a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will. Kevin Hart and wife Eniko Parrish at the 2015 Oscars (Picture: Lester Cohen/WireImage) He then continues about experiencing his sons first gay moment at a birthday party, which he was forced to put a stop to. Every kid has a gay moment, but when it happens, you got to nip it in the bud. You got to stop it right there. Hey, No! Thats gay. Quick, he says. The show Seriously Funny remains on the system despite backlash (Picture: Netflix) Kevin then continues the anecdote and added that he knocked his son away from another child after he saw them grinding on each other. Advertisement Netflix still has this episode from eight years ago up, which is one of four shows that Kevin currently has on the platform. Kevin had called his Oscars honour the opportunity of a lifetime. Serving as host for the 91st annual Oscars ceremony would have made him the 77th star to do the honours. Although Ellen DeGeneres called for Kevin to be reinstated, the film star said he is over it when he appeared on Good Morning America earlier this week. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He confirmed that he will absolutely not be hosting the ceremony on 25 February, saying: its not in Gods plan for him right now. Speaking to Michael Strahan on GMA, the Night School actor said: Its hard to predict what can happen. I dont want people to think theres a thing about me and the Academy adding that he had no time to prepare. The comedian said hes done with the controversy (Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Addressing the controversy over his did-he, didnt-he apology, Kevin continued: I say Im done with it. It gets no more energy from me. Thats why I said for the last time, Im addressing this. Theres no more conversation about it. Im over that, Im over the moment, and Im about today, so if its accepted, great, if its not, its nothing I can control. Some things are left out of your hands, so Im done with it. Im over it. I have explained how I evolved, which makes me say, Im over it. Im not saying how Ive changed anymore, Im not saying what Ive done and what the new me is, Im not giving no more explanation of who I am. Ive done it, Ive done it several times, Ive tweeted it, I said it when I went on Ellen, I said it on my radio show. Im just done. The comedian added: If you didnt [hear the apology], I dont know what youre looking for. Im a good person, I love to love, if you dont see that then its a problem with you. The Oscars drama comes at a pretty awkward time for Kevin, seeing as hes on the promo trail for his new film The Upside, in which he stars as an ex-convict who is hired by a millionaire quadriplegic (played by Bryan Cranston). The Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 24 February 2019. MORE: Hostless Oscars 2019 will proceed with starry skits in the most radical reinvention in century-long history MORE: Im done with it: Kevin Hart confirms he will not host the Oscars | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/10/kevin-hart-step-hosting-oscars-2019-say-homophobic-tweets-8329301/ |
Could the Ethereum Classic attack happen to other blockchain networks? | Rob is a Verdict staff writer. You can reach him at [email protected] Late on Saturday evening, major cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase detected an attack on the Etheruem Classic blockchain. Coinbases subsequent investigation showed that the network had fallen victim to a so-called 51% attack, in which the attackers stole 219,500 ETC roughly the equivalent of $1.1m. In response, Coinbase froze transactions on the ETC blockchain. But the Ethereum Classic attack raises serious questions about the security of blockchain and its supposedly permanent ledger of transactions. First, it is worth exploring how the attack could have been carried out. As the name suggests, a 51% attack or rollback attack requires at least 51% control of the miners on the network. In short, a hacker will need more computer power, or hashrate, than the rest of the network combined. This means, in theory, any blockchain network that uses the proof-of-work system to create new blocks, which includes Bitcoin and Ethereum, could be susceptible to a 51% attack. But larger cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, require a lot more computing power to take control of the network. According to one estimate, it would require 2.4 million of the most advanced Bitcoin mining computers to compromise the network and roughly the same amount of electricity that is consumed by the whole of Morocco. But with smaller and less established blockchain networks, the amount of computing power required to carry out a successful 51% attack is far lower. And the way to carry out such attacks can be surprisingly affordable thanks to mining pools. Mining pools can cripple a network Because it has become increasingly difficult for miners to generate a block and earn the cryptocurrency reward, miners have pooled their resources in so-called mining pools. These mining pools can be rented out, giving the buyer control of the sum power of this pool. Based on current estimated prices on nicehash.com, an attack on ETC would require roughly $65,000 dollars a day to implement at current difficulty levels, says Ben Schmidt, CSO at PolySwarm a cybersecurity marketplace that runs on the Ethereum blockchain and rewards white hat hackers with cryptocurrency. With this power, attacks can fool exchanges into approving transactions of a much larger dollar amount, making it potentially quite profitable. 3 Things That Will Change the World Today Get the Verdict morning email And according to Schmidt, at least 8 known Ethereum mining pools have a hashrate sufficient to execute a 51% attack on ETC. The Ethereum Classic hack will no doubt cause some to question how immutable smaller blockchains really are. However, it is unlikely to damage the reputation of larger blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. While certainly serious, executing this attack on the largest networks is still prohibitively expensive, and attacking these much smaller chains is unlikely to negatively impact the overall trust of the system, Schmidt told Verdict. It does, however, reinforce the caution that exchanges need to take when listing cryptocurrencies with smaller networks. Miners are becoming the big fish in smaller ponds During 2017-18s peak crypto mania, droves of new cryptocurrencies were created. A quick browse of crypto51.app, a site that lists the cost of carrying out a 51% attack on a host of cryptocurrencies, shows how some coins can be compromised for an hour at the cost of just a few dollars. Nor is Ethereum Classic is the first cryptocurrency to suffer a 51% attack. In April 2018, for example, the privacy blockchain Verge fell victim to a 51% attack. And with the Ethereum Classic attack highlighting how lucrative a 51% attack can be, threat actors could be enticed to carry out similar attacks on other smaller blockchains. However, because most of these dont have the same high value in fiat currency equivalent, not all will offer the same levels of return as the Ethereum Classic attack. This case highlights the necessity of switching proof-of-work algorithms when forking larger blockchains, as miners from the larger chain can very easily become the big fish in the new, smaller pond, says Schmidt. By not doing so, developers of these projects risk malicious miners ruining their network before it can grow to a safe size. Read more: Business blockchain: Three considerations before you buy in | https://www.verdict.co.uk/ethereum-classic-attack/ |
Has Trump finally met his match? | Tlaib, the Democratic Socialist from Detroit, became almost as world-famous as House speaker Nancy Pelosi on just her first day in Congress, thanks to a video of her cussing like a gangbanger. The left found it precious, while lots of Republicans echoed Trump's comment that her behavior was disgraceful. Someone with Trump's vocabulary probably should have just let it go by, and of course, someone's already dug up a video of Trump using that word toward China in 2011, although his audience, presumably, comprised grownups. Nor did he talk that way on Inauguration Day. This is one area where Tlaib and Trump don't exactly match. It's widely reported that the freshman congresswoman's vulgar "promise" to impeach Trump was made to a crowd of MoveOn supporters. In fact, she was only repeating for that crowd boasting about what she had said to one of her own sons, both of whom are still children: "And when your son looks at you and says, 'Mama, look, you won. Bullies don't win.' And I say, 'Baby, they don't. Because we're gonna go in there and we're gonna impeach the m.'" (The Huffington Post chose to close the single quotation marks after "Baby, they don't," perhaps to make it appear that Tlaib used the MF-word only with the crowd and not with her son. It's clear from the video that Tlaib, who describes herself on her Twitter page as a "mama working for justice," was talking to her son.) She justified it later by saying her deceased grandmother would have said it the same way. That, and talking that way is all part of being born and raised in the "incredibly beautiful, urban community" of Detroit, where "[w]e say colorful things in interesting ways." Her uncouth outburst was neither colorful nor interesting, especially since the left's been using cuss words to shock and disgust opponents since at least the early sixties. I also was born and raised in Detroit (it was a city then, not an "urban community"), as were both my parents. Believe me: I'm no stranger to the MF word, but I never heard it from my parents or grandparents, and they certainly didn't talk to me that way. Tlaib should leave Detroit out of it. Like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, her sister in democratic socialism, Tlaib is a publicity-hungry grandstander, minus Ocasio-Cortez's video appeal. Tlaib, to publicize herself as a champion of the "movement," does things like getting herself arrested at minimum wage demonstrations and getting herself dragged out of the Detroit Economic Club after disrupting a Trump speech. Last week, she had a column in the Detroit Free Press calling for Trump's immediate impeachment, a subject on which she appears to know almost nothing. For one thing, she's repeatedly said her run for Congress was mainly "about electing the jury that will impeach [Trump]," emphasizing that she "would be a heck of a juror!" If she'd been elected to the U.S. Senate, the chamber that sits as jury in impeachment proceedings, rather than the House, she might actually be eligible. No doubt, Trump's downside is that he can be an egotistical, ill-mannered loudmouth, which is why Republicans shouldn't be tsk-tsking over Tlaib's gutter talk. But being a loudmouth isn't what got Trump elected, and it's not what keeps him popular with his base: that would be promising the right things and then keeping those promises. On the flip-side, the left's current love affair with Rashida Tlaib her upside has nothing to do with her being a woman or one of the first two Muslims elected to Congress, but with her being an egotistical, ill mannered loudmouth who can get attention with a shocking attack on Trump using her kids as props. No one cares, if hardly anyone knows, that Tlaib got where she is now with a great deal of support from Muslim Brotherhood fronts like CAIR, the Islamic Society of North America, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. It's not so well known that, as Marina Medvin at Townhall describes it, Tlaib "stated that she supports a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would eradicate Israel and replace it with an Islamic totalitarian state for the Palestinians." In short, as David Harsanyi writes, "[s]he's unhappy that the Jewish state exists." On Monday she attacked senators for introducing a pro-Israel bill aimed at the BDS movement, a movement Tlaib supports, tweeting that "[t]hey forgot what country they represent." She must have forgotten how she "cloaked herself in a Palestinian flag to celebrate her U.S. election night victory." With Republican Senator Mitt Romney publicly attacking his party leader's character, a calculating Nancy Pelosi passing out holy cards with her own portrait on them, and an anti-Semitic Hamas-sympathizer showing off her crack house dialect and all of them sworn to undo the 2016 presidential election the 116th Congress is off to an inspiring start T.R. Clancy looks at the world from Dearborn, Michigan. You can email him at [email protected]. | https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/has_trump_finally_met_his_match.html |
Will the cartels start using pigeons rather than iPhones? | The "El Chapo" trial took an interesting turn this week. It appears that an IT guy is a principal in making the case against the cartel leader. In February 2010, Cristian Rodriguez showed up at a Manhattan hotel expecting to attend a business meeting of sorts. An information technology expert living in Colombia, he had previously set up an encrypted communications system for Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn, making it impossible for law enforcement to eavesdrop on phone calls placed by the alleged leader of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. Joining him in New York was a potential client who needed a similar system for his own shadowy crime syndicate -- or so Rodriguez thought. In fact, the man -- who posed as a Russian mobster, according to the New York Times -- was actually an undercover agent. Testifying in federal court on Tuesday, FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen Marston said the agency had become aware that cartel members were using an encrypted voice-over-Internet system to make phone calls but had been unable to crack the code. After the clandestine meeting, however, federal agents persuaded Rodriguez to cooperate, allowing the U.S. government to listen in on hundreds of incriminating phone calls, including conversations in which Guzmn allegedly plotted drug deals and ensured that Mexican officials were being paid off to look the other way. That evidence may prove to be crucial in Guzmns ongoing trial, which began nearly two months ago in federal district court in Brooklyn. This is huge and will send most cartel leaders into shock. Don't be surprised if they throw away all of their phones and tablets in the garbage and go back to messengers or even pigeons. A few years ago, I remember stories of how the cartels were run by sophisticated MBA's and TI people. In other words, the cartels ran their business through "front companies" that laundered money and processed communications no different than any other multinational doing business in Mexico. AT the top of the sophisticated organization sat a cartel leader who checked the accounts and messages before sitting down for breakfast. The "boss" was further protected by a network of guards also speaking to each other by phone. A few weeks ago, I watched a documentary titled Getting to El Chapo Through His Inner Circle. In the end, El Chapo and wife were discovered in a hotel room, tracked there by means of a guard's phone. The IT guy's testimony is huge and may bring down quite a few cartels. It won't end the criminal enterprises, but the days of hiding behind encrypted phones are over. The cartels are smart and they will adapt. They will go back to messengers or even pigeons. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. | https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/will_the_cartels_start_using_pigeons_rather_than_iphones.html |
What improvements add value to homes? | Lets go another route. It seems like only yesterday Christmas of 1989. We lived in East Danville with three very young children at home. Most of you can relate to this. We needed formula, diapers, groceries and gas for the furnace. We also had water under the house about a foot deep from a water leak I could not get stopped. And, it goes without saying we didnt have two nickels to our name after we bought Christmas gifts for the kids. At that time, I also ran a trap line and fur was bringing pretty good money back then. But that, along with my job, was not even close to enough to make it all work. Those things werent really the biggest issues. The biggest issue was that every piece of clothing we had was dirty and on the laundry room floor. Our dryer had quit working due to a bad motor and we didnt have any money to replace it. Long story short, the in-laws started giving money that year instead of gifts. On Dec. 26, we had a dryer! That was one of the most memorable Christmases we ever had. I think the answer is yes. These things may better help sell the home, but will not always add more value to the home. Now lets look at some other options. There are many things the buyers looking at your home will expect to be there already, and others that will create the wow factor you should be looking to achieve. You also need to draw attention to these wow factors when you market your home. An updated kitchen with granite counter tops, cherry cabinets, and hardwood floors will win every time over a new sump pump installed in the basement. P.S. The new dryer did make us feel much better, but did not enhance the value of our home. Randy Butler is a lifelong resident of Highland County and a licensed real estate agent for Classic Real Estate in Hillsboro. | https://www.timesgazette.com/news/34219/what-improvements-add-value-to-homes |
Could a Welsh town have the steepest street in the world? | A street in Wales could soon be named as the steepest in the world - snatching the title from a road in New Zealand. Residents in the town of Harlech, in Gwynedd, believe the street called Ffordd Pen Llech stands on a gradient of 36 per cent. And if the measurements stand up, this is a bigger the 35 per cent gradient of Baldwin Street in New Zealand, which currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the steepest in the world. Residents in the town of Harlech, in Gwynedd, believe the street called Ffordd Pen Llech, pictured, is the steepest in the world Ffordd Pen Lech lies within Snowdonia National Park and is close to the grand Harlech Castle According to the BBC, measurements have now been taken on Ffordd Pen Llech and have been sent to Guinness World Records to be analysed. Residents in Harlech will receive confirmation later this month if a new record has been set. Ffordd Pen Lech lies within Snowdonia National Park and is close to the grand Harlech Castle. It is the steepest signed road in the UK and cars are discouraged from using it, although some can reach the houses. The homes on the street are generally at the bottom of Ffordd Pen Llech with the local shops at the top, meaning it is steep climb to go to collect groceries. It is especially popular with cyclists who try to make it up the extreme gradient. In contrast, Baldwin Street on the other side of the world, draws in thousands of tourists each year. Baldwin Street in New Zealand, pictured, which currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the steepest in the world Baldwin Street in New Zealand draws in thousands of tourists each year. People also take part in races up the steep road to see who can run up in the fastest time The road has become a hit with Instagrammers as when photos of houses on the street are taken on an angle, it creates the illusion that they are sinking into the ground. The stretch of road is about 350 metres long. It runs at a gradient of 1:2.86m, which means for every 2.86 metres horizontally, the elevation changes by one metre. But the mayor of Dunedin appeared to brush off the challenge to its record by telling the Guardian Baldwin Street had faced them before but had 'seen them off.' He joked: 'If Wales turns out to have a steeper one we will just have to arrange one of our periodic earthquakes and tilt Baldwin a bit more.' | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-6576977/Could-Welsh-town-steepest-street-world.html |
Will 3's Skypephone change mobiles forever? | Free calls from your mobile phone are on the way as Skype and mobile operator 3 today launched the Skypephone. The move is likely to change the way mobile operators think and will change the mobile industry forever. 3 is unlikely to make vast amounts of money by adding Skype to its handsets. The mobile industry makes most of its calls from voice calls and text messages rather than handsets, which are often subsidised to attract customers. 3 thinks it's on to something much more important, however. "It's all about customer loyalty towards the brand," Kevin Russell, CEO of 3 UK, told Tech.co.uk at this morning's 3 Skypephone launch in London. Happy customers "It doesn't cost us much to add Skype functionalities to our mobile handsets, but in return we get happy customers who are likely to stay with us, and spend money on other calls and services too. I think community-based services will be a big thing for mobiles in the future." Skype said that it wants to add its services to handsets from other operators too, but that it has yet to convince operators that it is a good idea. "Some operators we've spoken to have told us to go away, and that they're not interested in adding our software to their phones," Michael van Swaaij, acting CEO of Skype, told us. One-button access VoIP telephony on mobile phones has been a frustrating, complicated experience up until now. The 3 Skypephone, however, keeps you logged in from the moment you sign in, and there's just one button to press to access all your contacts, make calls, start chats, and so on. There are no different accounts to access, no tedious signing in process, or switching between handsets to make free VoIP calls. To 3 and Skype's credit, VoIP becomes a seamless experience. 3's bold move could change the way the mobile industry views VoIP. Apple seems to have been thinking along the same lines when it announced free Wi-Fi for its iPhone in the UK. At the very least, 3's tie-in with Skype gets the publicity machine rolling at a time when everybody is talking about Apple. We secured a review sample at this morning's launch and will give you the full low-down on the Skypephone in a few days. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/internet/voip/will-3-s-skypephone-change-mobiles-forever-157415 |
Does Medicine Actually Make People Live Longer? | When I was a kid, adults told me that medicine would be so advanced by the time I grew up, Id live to be 150. It seems possible. Alas, not for me, personally, but as a concept. The 17th-century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes famously called life before the modern era nasty, brutish and short. People still echo that idea today, albeit without the same pithy elegance. Hunter-gatherers all died when they were, like, 30, a friend told me recently. When the average old age death was people in their 40s, did they look as old as people in their 90s or 100s look now? asked someone on Quora. Many imagine that humans in the past all died young and that, thanks to medical science, people are now living longer and longer. Soon, perhaps, well all hit that 150th birthday or achieve immortality. Its a nice idea; its just entirely fictional. I may outlive my ancestors, but doctors and pills will likely have little to do with it. In the grand scheme of human longevity, the contribution of modern medicine is minor, said Jan Vijg, a genetics professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. In fact, its barely moved the needle. Back To Where We Used To Be Thousands of years ago, all humans were hunter-gatherers, and average life expectancy for those ancestors was indeed low, in the 30s or so. But back then and for most of human history a lot of babies and children died, driving down the average age of death. People who survived childhood most commonly lived 68 to 78 years, said Michael Gurven, an anthropologist at UC Santa Barbara who studies the hunter-gatherer lifespan. More than 10,000 years later, the numbers look eerily similar. The average person can expect to live 71.4 years, says the World Health Organization based on 2016 data. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put life expectancy at 78.6 years in 2017, down from 78.7 in 2016. The WHO estimate of American life expectancy is a bit lower 78.5 years and both government data and a global health study from the University of Washington show that number is on the decline. When humans started shedding their nomadic ways and cultivating crops, populations boomed and life expectancy took a nosedive. As soon as farming got involved, [life expectancy] shot down, said Daniel E. Lieberman, an evolutionary biology professor at Harvard University. Very few people lived to be very old once farming starts. Farmers, he explained, grew more food, creating larger populations that lived in close quarters, often with domestic animals. This spread infectious diseases (and still does remember swine and bird flu?). While hunter-gatherers found varied diets for themselves, those early farmers were actually more likely to suffer from malnutrition. Their skeletons showed more evidence of things like anemia and stress lines. They died on average around age 20, estimates one 2007 study. Thats 10 years younger than hunter-gatherers. Eventually, humans adjusted to farming and began surviving somewhat longer, but life expectancy remained in something of a slump for millennia. The worst thing you could possibly be was a French peasant in the 16th century, Lieberman said. Ironically, the lives of many of Hobbes contemporaries were probably a good deal shorter than those of his Paleolithic ancestors. We didnt need cardiologists in the Paleolithic. Daniel E. Lieberman, professor of evolutionary biology at Harvard Life expectancy only increased significantly a hundred years ago or so. And contrary to popular belief, this change had little to do with modern medicine. The most important thing is not medication; its sanitation, Lieberman said. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, people learned how germs worked and started doing things like building more sewers, boiling water for childbirth and making sure drinking water was clean. Countries also got better at distributing food, which decreased starvation, Vijg said. We can thank public health far more than we can thank medicines, Lieberman said, noting that by the time antibiotic use became widespread after World War II, mortality rates had already plummeted. In 1870, the average person in Europe or America lived to their mid-30s. Life expectancy rose steadily from there, reaching 58 to 65 years in 1950. Not that medicine has been useless. After sanitation, antibiotics and vaccines have been the biggest boons to life expectancy, partly because they fight diseases that became common when people started farming. Theyve basically got us back to where we used to be, Lieberman said, adding, The average person who walks in to see a doctor is seeing them for a disease that we didnt used to get. According to Lieberman, hunter-gatherers rarely developed heart disease. Now it is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. We didnt need cardiologists in the Paleolithic, he said. He also stressed that almost all heart disease is preventable and that smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise account for the vast majority of deaths in the U.S. What Medicine Can And Cant Do So, why do I hear so many people talking about medicine like its some ticket to immortality? I asked Lieberman. He laughed. Do you know what the leading causes of death in the U.S. are? he replied. After heart disease comes cancer. The third is medical error. At least, that last bit is what a 2016 British Journal of Medicine study found. But you cant write medical error on a death certificate, so no ones quite clear on how many die that way. Which isnt to say that doctors are bad and we should board up all the hospitals. But our perspective on the true value of modern medicine may be a tad warped. Americans spend $3.5 trillion on health care every year. Thats 17.9 percent of the economy or $10,739 per person. The number of people working in health care more than doubled in the last 18 years and theres still a health care worker shortage. Were deeply invested in the myth that medicine has drastically increased the human lifespan and will continue to do so. As Lieberman pointed out, the health care industry heavily markets its own importance and pushes treating illness over preventing it with lifestyle modification. And humans are lazy; its easier to take pills than exercise. Doctors cant cure many chronic diseases. But they can keep people dying longer. Medicine does do some wonderful things, Lieberman said. We all know people who wouldnt be alive if not for medicine. But doctors typically only help once a person is sick, and doctors cant cure many chronic diseases. But they can keep people dying longer. We can keep you going for quite a long time, Lieberman said. But at that point, the damage is done. Were not curing them; were just keeping them alive longer. Alive but not well, that is. While life expectancy in the U.S. now teeters around the 80-year mark (under for men, just over for women), healthy life expectancy, a measure that discounts the years a person spends severely ill, finds the average American only has 68.5 healthy years (63.1 globally). As far as living to 150 (let alone achieving immortality), were no closer today than we were 10,000 years ago. For the hopefuls out there, a better aim would be 115, which scientists consider the age at which humans have evolved to die. After that, Vijg said, You fall apart. Everything breaks down. | https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/medication-live-longer-longevity_us_5c1a9231e4b0ce5184b9bcc1 |
Is the UK doing enough to fight 'fake fibre'? | New research has revealed that the majority of UK consumers remain unaware that copper connections could be sabotaging the speed of their 'fibre optic' broadband packages. 58 per cent of consumers said that they were unaware that fibre broadband packages could still use copper telephone wires to connect the premises to the nearest cabinet New research has revealed that the majority of UK consumers remain unaware that copper connections could be sabotaging the speed of their 'fibre optic' broadband packages. 58 per cent of consumers said that they were unaware that fibre broadband packages could still use copper telephone wires to connect the premises to the nearest cabinet. The new report, published by Broadband Genie, suggests that the UK authorities must do more to safe guard the use of the term 'fibre' in broadband advertising campaigns. There is still a lot of confusion about advertising within the broadband industry, if consumers are being misled into thinking they should receive the full benefits of fibre on a copper connection, we need to minimise this immediately. Its a technical product and some of the jargon can confuse the average consumer. Its important the governing bodies develop a clear advertising strategy with consumers at the forefront of their mind, said Alex Tofts, spokesperson for Broadband Genie. In 2017, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority ruled that use of the term 'fibre' was unlikely to mislead consumers. However, Broadband Genie's research found that 81 per cent of consumers believed that the term should be reserved exclusively for fibre to the home (FTTH) full fibre packages. "Educating consumers about what gigabit capable networks will deliver to them is important in helping to drive that take-up. Whether that revolves around the word fibre in advertising is still the subject of much debate between industry players and the ASA. However, there is clearly more that needs to be done to make sure consumers understand what technology will deliver for them and that needs to include more information than just price and speed, as well as emphasising that it will help to future proof their connection, said Matthew Evans, chief executive at Broadband Stakeholder Group. Also inthe news: | https://www.totaltele.com/501890/Is-the-UK-doing-enough-to-fight-fake-fibre |
Are the Rich Killing Social Security? | Social Security is our country's most important social program. It's also a program that has a worrisome and uncertain future. According to the latest Social Security Board of Trustees report, released this past June, the program that's currently paying out benefits to nearly 63 million people, of which roughly 70% are retired workers, was set to expend more than it collects in 2018. The last time Social Security endured a net cash outflow was 1982, the year before the Reagan administration passed the last major overhaul of the program. However, this forecasted $1.7 billion net cash outflow in 2018 is simply a precursor for bigger problems to come. Beginning in 2020, every year is expected to bring a significant jump in net cash outflow as a result of ongoing demographic changes. Social Security might appear perfectly fine with close to $2.9 trillion in asset reserves in its coffers right now, but the existing path the program is on would completely exhaust this excess cash by 2034. Should this happen, then-current and future beneficiaries would be subject to an across-the-board reduction in their monthly payouts of up to 21%. Note that Social Security won't go bankrupt, but those people who are heavily reliant on the program would certainly feel this benefit cut. A half-dozen Social Security cards messily stacked on top of each other. More Image source: Getty Images. A lot of finger-pointing is typically given to baby boomers who are guilty of nothing other than being born during a time of heightened fertility rates. But boomers are far from the only reason Social Security is struggling. Increased longevity and the inaction of the federal government are two examples of factors that deserve far more finger-pointing than boomers. With people living longer, they're able to pull in a benefit for perhaps two-plus decades from a program that was initially designed in the 1930s to be a financial foundation for years, not decades. As for the federal government, the longer it waits to act, the more painful the fix will be on American workers. Another factor that generally flies under the radar, but that is nevertheless very much responsible for Social Security's issues, is growing income inequality. In 2016, the Social Security Administration found that $1.2 trillion in earned income was exempt from the 12.4% payroll tax, which, in 2019, is capped at $132,900. In plainer terms, it means that more than 90% of working Americans (i.e., those making less than $132,900 a year) are paying into Social Security with every dollar they earn. Meanwhile, the remaining percentage of well-to-do workers are being exempted on every dollar earned above $132,900. As you can imagine, that's a lot of money escaping the Social Security program, and it's raised the idea that the rich are actually what's killing Social Security. The answer is both yes and no. A smiling businessman in a suit lying atop a bed of cash bills. More | https://news.yahoo.com/rich-killing-social-security-120600548.html |
Is BlackBerry branching out into in-car tech? | Quite a while ago, probably. Well, it appears Ford may be on the verge of waving goodbye to Microsoft's Windows and and empowering BlackBerry to create its in-car Ford Sync technology. Bloomberg reports the multi-year Ford/Microsoft partnership is coming to an end, with the automaker preferring BlackBerry's QNX operating system for the next generation Ford Sync system. Ford Sync allows drivers to hook their smartphones, make hands-free, voice activated calls, have text messages read out, control entertainment content and other third-party apps via the AppLink tech. N-Sync with BlackBerry Ford's rationale, according to the report, is that BlackBerry's service is preferable on account of it being cheaper, faster and more flexible for Ford's purposes. Bloomberg's sources claimed the deal with BlackBerry is complete, but hasn't yet been made public yet. The news comes at a time when BlackBerry looks to capitalise on its valuable services and shift away somewhat from the hardware business. Taking the front seat in all new Ford vehicles going forward would be a pretty decent start as the company seeks to find some way to stay afloat in the new era. Via CNET | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/with-ford-s-help-is-blackberry-reinventing-itself-as-an-in-car-tech-company-1228192 |
Would the Pelicans or 76ers consider Ben Simmons-Anthony Davis swap? | New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis is at the center of trade rumors and one trending idea has him sent to the Philadelphia 76ers. The concept is to swap Davis with Philadelphias Ben Simmons, giving New Orleans a young sensation to build around. Meanwhile, the 76ers would have one of the best frontcourts ever assembled. This picked up steam when Bill Simmons first mentioned it on a recent episode of his podcast. Here is what his colleague Kevin OConnor said about the idea (via The Ringer): Its an intriguing basketball fit [for New Orleans] You put him in Alvin Gentrys high-tempo offense, high-throtlle system. You can build around him Giannis Antetokounmpo-style Youre trying to invest in forwards, wings and 3-and-D guys around Ben Simmons With those guys [for Philly], they both have size and the ability inside on both sides of the floor. Rather than simply holding onto Davis, who could be destined to leave, this would give the Pelicans a potential blue chip option in the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year. OConnor also notes Philadelphia could double down on bigs to match up against the Golden State Warriors, who could not defend the duo. On January 8, Brian Windhorst alluded to the same theory. He spoke about the topic from the approach that the trio of Simmons with Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler is unlikely to stay intact for long. He, too, connected the dots to bring Simmons to New Orleans. Windhorst made some interesting pros and cons for the two clients signed to the same agency at Klutch Sports (via The Hoop Collective): Simmons is under contract, under control and also I know that hes not exactly like Louisianas favorite son but he did go to LSU Davis does not want to play center, hed rather play power forward. I know its not the most ideal fit in history. But you start thinking about what they can do defensively? Davis, who is a better shooter than the 22-year-old point forward, spaces the floor better than Simmons could when playing alongside Embiid. Odds for what team Anthony Davis will sign with for the 2019-20 season (@betmybookie): Celtics +200 Lakers +200 Pelicans +400 Warriors +700 Knicks +1000 76ers +1000 Rockets +1500 Wizards +1500 Field +300 OddsShark (@OddsShark) October 13, 2018 Rather than trading for selected assets from the Lakers (including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart) or whatever the Celtics offer this offseason, this would give the Pelicans an exciting product for the immediate and long-term future in New Orleans. The one that you mentioned is one that makes sense Its only realistic because of A.D.s contractual situation Both teams might have a phone call about it. Lowe hinted that he has more information he will release in an upcoming column about the situation. But until then, its worth wondering about the merits for both sides. The fact that the front offices would answer the call is noteworthy, though such a deal would shake up both conferences in an exciting manner. | https://hoopshype.com/2019/01/10/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-anthony-davis-trade-rumors/ |
Whats Inside the Weird White Boxes at Third and Virginia? | Inside one of the boxes. Image: Stefan Milne Maybe because new development is a mainstay in downtown Seattle, I didnt much notice the changes taking place at Third and Virginia. Then there were large white boxes with a wood patio between them and plants erupting from gravel and a gate-like entrance with glass disks threaded with large cords. It could be the entrance to a pop-up Apple store. Or a new spa. Or a fresh cult. Or Bezos got sick of spheres and moved on to boxes. Its signage announces it, instead, as Light as a Common Thread, a public art exhibition, and after passing it for a couple months every day on my way to work, I finally entered. The structures are an architectural preamble for what will eventually hold that intersection, a 48-story luxury condo building. The box on the left of the walkway is basically a leasing office. The box on the right contains the exhibition, which is actually a desk, some condo tower models, a five pieces of glass art by John Hogan, and a lump of plants in the middle of the room. John Hogan's glass art. Image: Stefan Milne Hogans works dont do much for me, and as an art show, Light as a Common Thread is absurd. But it creates a curious effect, like a reversal of Marcel Duchamps Fountain, in which the French Dadaist bought a porcelain urinal signed R. Mutt at a plumbing fixture store and submitted it to an exhibition in 1917. The exhibition organizers rejected it and sparked a debate that became an inciting incident in contemporary conceptual art. Anything placed in the context of an exhibitionso goes this line of thoughtcan be art. But the opposite is also true: By taking John Hogans glass works out of the exhibition and putting them in their eventual homea condo buildingthey demystify, become smudges of corporate scenery. That effect isnt new. Corporations loves abstract art because, at a glance, its ignorable, inoffensive. Whats interesting about Light as a Common Thread is that the narrative imposes a new gloom around Hogans pieces while theyre still in a gallery. Instead of being championed, they're doomed. | https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2019/1/9/what-s-inside-the-weird-white-boxes-at-third-and-virginia |
Who's to blame for construction delay on new Lombard library? | hello Helen M. Plum Memorial Library officials want to replace their existing library in downtown Lombard. But the village's plan commission won't schedule a public hearing until the park district and library resolve several issues related to the project. Daily Herald file photo Frustrated that construction hasn't started on a new Helen M. Plum Memorial Library, some Lombard library trustees are accusing the park district of obstructing the project. But park officials insist they're not the reason for the delays. In fact, they say they proposed a deal that would have allowed the library to rebuild at its existing location next to Lilacia Park -- an offer library officials rejected a year ago. "You can't be an obstructionist if you're the one making the offers," park Director Paul Friedrichs said Wednesday. "We made them an offer that would have allowed the library district to build a new facility at Lilacia Park. They rejected it." Friedrichs' remarks came one day after library Trustee Gary Brenniman said park officials are doing "anything they can" to delay the project. He said residents who want the library rebuilt at 110 W. Maple St. need to pressure the park district. "I don't see any way this is going to get resolved without some activity from the people who passed the referendum to have this library here," Brenniman said. Voters in November 2016 approved a property tax increase after officials promised to build a new facility. More than two years later, library officials still haven't had their application for a 50,000-square-foot facility reviewed by Lombard's plan commission. Village officials say the proposal won't appear on a commission agenda until the library and park district agree on driveway access, air rights and other matters. Approval from the park district is needed because it owns air rights above part of the library property and land next to it, including Lilacia Park. But park commissioners last month said they don't want to negotiate with the library about construction of a building at the current site unless a mediator is brought in. In addition, commissioners want the library to either reconsider an offer the district made in November 2017 or put the building "somewhere else by way of land swap on park district property." As part of the November 2017 proposal, the park district would give the library air rights and land. The only catch: The library would need a variance from the village because the building would be closer to Maple Street and Park Avenue. Library officials say they doubt the village would approve the setback variance. But Friedrichs said the library hasn't asked. "They don't have any idea what the village is going to say," he said. If library officials accepted a land swap with the park district, Friedrichs said, "they most likely would have been under construction on a facility that was not hampered by easements, air rights, the lot size, parking variances and setback variances." Nevertheless, library officials decided in January 2018 to proceed with plans that don't encroach on the district's air rights. It called for building a facility with two linked pavilions for roughly $23.8 million. After the library rejected the park's offer, the two sides didn't talk for months. Then in October, the village sent a letter notifying the library it needed to resolve issues with the park district before the plan commission can schedule a public hearing. While library and park district representatives met in November, Friedrichs said the park district was never given a copy of the library's plan. In addition, the library never made a formal request that it could consider. That's part of the reason commissioners want the library to pay for a mediator. But Brenniman said that wouldn't make sense. "The park district is stalling on all this -- dragging it out," said Brenniman, adding that the park district wants the library's land. Meanwhile, library Trustee Allison Pinkett-Floyd said the board has done everything it can to address concerns raised by the park district. When there were concerns that plants in Lilacia Park wouldn't get enough sun, the library paid for a shade study. When parking was deemed a problem, the library had a parking study done. Most recently, the library had a sound study done to confirm the new building wouldn't lead to increased train noise in the park. "It's endless with them," Pinkett-Floyd said. "So at this point, Gary's right. They want this land, and they're doing everything to obstruct our process. That's where we are." | https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190110/whos-to-blame-for-construction-delay-on-new-lombard-library- |
Will punk rock concert take place in Elgin? | hello The Smoking Popes are scheduled to perform in Elgin later this month Daily Herald file photo The owner of an Elgin downtown venue said he's hopeful a concert by the punk band Smoking Popes will take place later this month after encouraging comments from city officials. The concert is scheduled Jan. 26 at Legit Dogs & Ice, 51 S. Grove Ave., which has hosted about five concerts since it opened in early 2018. But as it turns out, the venue's occupancy permit doesn't allow concerts, only music as an "accessory use" like an ensemble playing in a corner of a restaurant, Corporation Counsel Bill Cogley said. Members of the city council on Wednesday told Legit Dogs & Ice owner Matthew Habib that if he files an application for a conditional use permit, the city will do its best to work with him -- possibly by issuing a temporary permit -- to allow the Smoking Popes concert to happen. However, no more concerts would be allowed until the permit were issued, which entails a planning and zoning commission hearing and approval from the city council. "We will try to move the conditional use through the process as quickly as we can," Councilwoman Tish Powell said. One caveat: Before the Jan. 26 concert, a noise test must be conducted showing that the volume of the music wouldn't disturb nearby residents, Cogley said. That's because previous bars and restaurants inside the building have caused noise complaints from residents of the Fountain Square on the River building across the street. The discussion took place Wednesday during a meeting of the liquor control commission, which includes all members of the city council. "We're not against music or concerts," Cogley said, adding there have been no noise complaints about concerts hosted by Legit Dogs & Ice. Habib -- who before he launched his business publicly talked about his plan to host concerts, particularly punk rock -- said he was under the impression his occupancy permit allowed for live music. Before he opened, Habib said, he gave the city his business plan, which includes concerts. Cogley and Community Development Director Marc Mylott met with Habib on Dec. 11 to discuss the concert issue. Habib ended up hosting a concert a few days later and was fined $500. Habib said it was a business decision, because a contract had been signed and tickets had been sold. "While I don't necessarily agree with everything that's been said, I certainly appreciate that everyone has their own stance on the matter," Habib told the city council. Mayor David Kaptain said he takes issue with people on social media who say the city is preventing Legit Dogs & Ice from being successful. "We want this to be successful," he told Habib, "but we want to have some help from you." Councilman Corey Dixon agreed, saying, "Everybody here wants to see you do well, that's without question." Meanwhile, city council members on Wednesday approved a liquor license issued to Kevin Echevarria, the landlord of 51 S. Grove, known as Dream Hall. The new license will allow the opening of a bar that can serve alcohol throughout the building, including to customers of Legit Dogs & Ice, until midnight every day. Liquor at Dream Hall used to be served by the Elgin Area Taproom, which moved out in early December after a dispute with Echevarria. The taproom was cited for serving liquor to a minor and staying open past allowed hours, Cogley said. As for Echevarria, he was issued one citation in October for unnecessarily pulling a fire alarm during Nightmare on Chicago Street and another one a few weeks ago after a keg was brought in for a birthday party and the building didn't have a liquor license, Cogley said. Councilman Toby Shaw told Echevarria that he, too, will need to keep noise to a minimum. "It's very important to the credibility of what we're doing here, as well as your operations." | https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190110/will-punk-rock-concert-take-place-in-elgin |
Do we really want a nationalistic future in space? | hello (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Scott Shackelford, Indiana University (THE CONVERSATION) The annals of science fiction are full of visions of the future. Some are techno-utopian like Star Trek in which humanity has joined together in peace to explore the cosmos. Others are dystopian, like the World State in Brave New World. But many of these stories share one thing in common " they envision a time in which humanity has moved past narrow ideas of tribe and nationalism. That assumption might be wrong. This can be seen in Trumps calls for a unified U.S. Space Command. Or, in Chinas expansive view of sovereignty and increasingly active space program as seen in its recent lunar landing. These examples suggest that the notion of outer space as a final frontier free from national appropriation is questionable. Active debate is ongoing as of this writing as to the consistency of the 2015 Space Act with international space law, which permitted private firms to own natural resources mined from asteroids. Some factions in Congress would like to go further still with one bill, the American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act. This states, Notwithstanding any other provision of law, outer space shall not be considered a global commons. This trend, especially among the space powers, is important since it not only will create precedents that could resonate for decades to come, but also because it hinders our ability to address common challenges " like removing the debris orbiting the planet. End of the golden age In 1959, then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson stated, Men who have worked together to reach the stars are not likely to descend together into the depths of war and desolation. In this spirit, between 1962 and 1979 the United States and the former Soviet Union worked together and through the U.N. Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to enact five major international treaties and numerous bilateral and multilateral agreements concerning outer space. These accords covered everything from the return of rescued astronauts and liability for damage from space objects to the peaceful use of outer space. They did not, though, address space weaponization outside of the weapons of mass destruction context, or put into place mechanisms for managing an increasingly crowded final frontier. Progress ground to a halt when it came time to decide on the legal status of the moon. The Reagan administration objected to the Moon Treaty, which stated that the moon was the common heritage of mankind like the deep seabed, in part because of lobbying from groups opposed to the treatys provisions. Because no organized effort arose in support of the treaty, it died in the U.S. Senate, and with it the golden age of space law. Today, nearly 30 years after it was first proposed, only 18 nations have ratified the accord. Rise of collective action problems Since the breakup of the Soviet Union space governance has only gotten more complicated due to an increasing number of space powers, both public and private. National and commercial interests are increasingly tied to space in political, economic and military arenas. Beyond fanciful notions of solar energy satellites, fusion energy and orbiting hotels, contemporary political issues such as nuclear nonproliferation, economic development, cybersecurity and human rights are also intimately tied to outer space. The list of leading space powers has expanded beyond the U.S. and Russia to include China, India, Japan and members of the European Space Agency " especially France, Germany and Italy. Each regularly spends over US$1 billion on their space programs, with estimates of Chinas space spending surpassing $8 billion in 2017, though the U.S. continues to spend more than all other nations combined on space related efforts. But space has become important to every nation that relies on everything from weather forecasting to satellite telecommunications. By 2015, the global space industry was worth more than $320 billion, a figure that is expected to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2040. Private companies, such as SpaceX, are working to dramatically lower the cost of launching payloads into low Earth orbit, which has long stood at approximately $10,000 per pound. Such innovation holds the promise of opening up space to new development. It also raises concerns over the sustainability of space operations. At the same time, the Trump administrations public desire to launch a Space Force has fueled concerns over a new arms race, which, if created, could exacerbate both the issues of space weapons and debris. The two issues are related since the use of weapons in space can increase the amount of debris through fragments from destroyed satellites. For example, China performed a successful anti-satellite test in 2007 that destroyed an aging weather satellite at an altitude of some 500 miles. This single event contributed more than 35,000 pieces of orbital debris boosting the amount of space junk by approximately 25 percent. Without concerted action, Marshall Kaplan, an orbital debris expert within the Space Policy Department at Johns Hopkins University, argues, There is a good chance that we may have to eventually abandon all active satellites in currently used orbits due to the growing problem of space junk. Avoiding a tragedy of the space commons The tragedy of the commons scenario refers to the unconstrained consumption of a shared resource - a pasture, a highway, a server - by individuals acting in rational pursuit of their self-interest, according to commons governance expert Brett Frischmann. This can and often does lead to destruction of the resource. Given that space is largely an open-access system, the predictions of the tragedy of the commons are self-evident. Space law expert Robert Bird, has argued that nations treat orbital space as a kind of communal pasture that may be over-exploited and polluted through debris. Its a scenario captured in the movie Wall-E. But luckily, there is a way out of this scenario besides either nationalization or privatization. Scholars led by the political economist and Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom modified the tragedy of the commons by showing that, in some cases, groups can and do self-organize and cooperate to avoid tragic over exploitation. I explore this literature on polycentric governance " complex governance systems made up of multiple scales, sectors and stakeholders " in my forthcoming book, Governing New Frontiers in the Information Age: Toward Cyber Peace. Already, we are seeing some evidence of the benefits of such a polycentric approach in an increasingly multipolar era in which there are more and more power centers emerging around the world. One example is a code of conduct for space-faring nations. That code includes the need to reduce orbital debris. Further progress could be made by building on the success of the international coalition that built the International Space Station such as by deepening partnerships with firms like SpaceX and Blue Origin. This is not a keep it simple, stupid response to the challenges in space governance. But it does recognize the reality of continued national control over space operations for the foreseeable future, and indeed there are some benefits to such an outcome, including accountability. But we should think long and hard before moving away from a tried and tested model like the International Space Station and toward a future of vying national research stations and even military outposts in space. Coordination between sovereign nations is possible, as was shown in the golden age of space law. By finding common ground, including the importance of sustainable development, we earthlings can ensure that humanitys development of space is less a race than a peaceful march " not a flags and footprints mission for one nation, but a destination serving the development of science, the economy and the betterment of international relations. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/do-we-really-want-a-nationalistic-future-in-space-108810. | https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20190110/news/301109955/ |
Is 'The Drake Curse' real? | Before the national championship, superstar rapper Drake was seen rocking an Alabama sweatshirt. The game did not go well. The Crimson Tide was blown out by Clemson, making Alabama the latest in a long line of teams to fall after getting a nod from Drizzy. Many are saying the Drake Curse is a real thing and a death sentence for teams and athletes. Others don't think any negativity should be attached to Drake's name. PERSPECTIVES Much like a plague, a Drake endorsement haunts teams and athletes with a lethal dose of L's. Every squad he has repped (Alabama, Conor McGregor, the Toronto Raptors, Kentucky and Serena Williams) have taken a beating in their respective sports after his ringing endorsement. Dizzy may be king of the charts, but he's a curse in sports. The 'Drake curse' continues after Alabama's loss to Clemson Put some respeck on Drake's name. This is one of the best rappers of this generation. He should not be associated with anything nearly as negative as a curse. It's not his fault the teams or athletes he supports can't handle their businesses on the court. He is no Kardashian. There is no such thing as the Drake Curse. There's no drake curse lol clemson just a little better on both sides -- Bmb (@bmb_honesty) January 8, 2019 The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.oregonlive.com/tylt/2019/01/is_the_drake_curse_real.html |
What happens when the 'last resort' on the Darling River dries out? | The reservoirs were officially 3.1 per cent on Thursday, according to WaterNSW, but most of the lakes themselves were a sea of baked earth. Remaining pools will shrink further with at least six days in a row forecast to reach 41 degrees or more, including 44-45 degrees from Monday to Wednesday. Drying out in a hurry: the Menindee Lakes system as of January 2019. Credit:Nick Moir Richard Kingsford, director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science at the University of NSW, said he was surprised by the grim sights of mired animals near Menindee Lakes. Also worrying will be if further wildlife loss succumb from heat exhaustion, he said. The mercury at Menindee is forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology to hit 41 degrees or more for at least six days from Friday. Three of the days could top 44 degrees, or almost 10 degrees above the January norm. "In droughts, rivers are the last resort for so much of our wildlife," Professor Kingsford said. "They are often the only place with drinking water and so critical for wildlife such as kangaroos, parrots and pigeons." In the town itself, the stench from rotting fish carcasses near the main boat ramp wafts into the Burke and Wills Menindee Motel. A kangaroo struggles in mud in an all but dried-up drainage canal in the Menindee Lakes system. Credit:Nick Moir Days on from Sundays discovery of the huge fish kill, fisheries staff have mostly left and the bulk of the corpses of bony herring, perches and Murray Cod are disintegrating or sinking from view. Inquiry demanded Back in Sydney, NSW Labor upped the political ante on Thursday, a day after Minister Blair made a visit to Menindee, interrupted in part by local protesters demanding more water to help flush out the blue-green algal blooms that triggered the die-off. Loading Labor leader Michael Daley called for a special commission of inquiry into the "ecological catastrophe" at Menindee. The die-off, the fourth in the Murray-Darling Basin in recent months, has drawn widespread attention to the plight of the country's river system. One video posted to Facebook by local grazier Rob McBride and a friend holding dead Murray cod has attracted millions of views. "Mature fish that survived decades of droughts could not survive the Liberal-Nationals water policy," Mr Daley said. "The [Coalition parties] have been repeatedly warned by far west residents, community groups, scientists and Labor that their water policies would cause devastation on the Darling River." 'Rewriting history' Mr Blair dismissed Mr Daley's demand saying that he had used his first comments about the drought to "rewrite history by ignoring the fact that similar environmental catastrophes happened under their watch when last in government". In fact, numerous fish kills occurred in the lower Darling and Menindee Lakes in the period 2002- 2004 during the Millennium drought," he said, citing Lake Pamamaroo which dried out in December 2002, three separate fish kill events in August 2003 on the Darling including at Menindee and one upstream of Pooncarie in February 2004 involving hundreds of Murray Cod. Taxpayers have stumped up more than $13 billion to restore the health of the basin. The latest fish die-off, along with other signs of wildlife and human populations hard hit by drought and heat, add to the likelihood that water will feature in this year's coming federal and NSW state elections. The immediate cause of Menindee's calamity was a change in temperatures that killed much of the blue-green algal bloom on that part of the river. The dying algae worsened already low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, pushing many fish beyond their tolerance levels. The scale of this disaster is extraordinary and unprecedented," Mr Daley said. "We cannot be indifferent to the ecological impact and the effect on local residents who live along the river." Days after a mass fish kill in the Darling River at Menindee, hundreds of carcasses remain, stinking and rotting. Credit:Nick Moir Cancel plans Labor wants the inquiry to determine why the Liberals and Nationals sought "changes to water rules that reduced river flows and allowed the over-extraction of water by lobbyist irrigators who were National Party donors", while ignoring warnings from the Wentworth Group of Scientists and local communities. NSW Labor confirmed that it would seek to overturn the plan - supported by all basin state governments and the Morrison government to effectively decommission the Menindee Lakes System. Such a move, part of the Sustainable Diversion Limits projects, would "further reduce water flows in the lower Darling River and destroy fish breeding grounds in the Darling River", Labor said, adding it had "committed to abandon this plan to prevent further ecological destruction". Earlier on Thursday, Mr Blair told the Herald that he had asked his departments to conduct an urgent study into the fish deaths and the subsequent clean-up. He added the SDL project at Menindee, which aims to save 105 gigalitres a water a year, must proceed. "They don't understand what it would mean [to cancel it]," Blair says, of the NSW Labor stance. "You would blow up the [Murray-Darling Basin] Plan." 'Wake-up call' Jeremy Buckingham, the former Greens and now independent NSW MP, supported the NSW Labor move but said "it is needed at a federal level". This mass fish kill be a wake-up call for Australia that we need to get out of a broken loop on water policy and that fundamentally adequate water must be prioritised for the environment before being allocated to large-scale irrigation," Mr Buckingham said as he left for Broken Hill after visiting the dead fish zones on Wednesday. Michael Murray, general manager of Cotton Australia, sought to counter criticism of irrigators and his industry for the plight at Menindee, say the states cotton output would halve this year. On the Barwon-Darling, the impact on cotton production is even more devastating with just 500 hectares of cotton being grown in Bourke this season, down from 4000 hectares the year before, Mr Murray said in a statement . Further upstream at Dirranbandi (home of Cubbie Cotton), just 300 hectares of cotton has been planted, which is 1 per cent of what can be planted in a very good season. | https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/what-happens-when-the-last-resort-on-the-darling-river-dries-out-20190110-p50qo3.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed |
When did Millennials start queuing up for indoor plant parties? | There's a spicy act currently touring Australia. It's not a music festival with an international line-up, but a pop-up of monstera, peace lillies and hanging ferns. It's an indoor plant sale. In 2017, Melbourne-based The Jungle Collective launched a plant sale worlds away from your local nursery's. Its roving plant parties involve a DJ, "designer pots", a secret location, costume themes and most importantly, hype. It continues its wisteria-like creep through social media and registrations are capped. The collective hosted more than 60 events throughout Australia's capital cities last year, drawing crowds with terminology like "indoor plant party", "Rumble in the Jungle" and "Bohemian-style warehouse". More than 1000 people are set to attend the first Canberra event, and a further 6330 people have marked themselves as interested. | https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/when-did-millennials-start-queuing-up-for-indoor-plant-parties-20190110-p50qni.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed |
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Did Gov. Phil Murphys administration offer to find a job for aide accused of rape? | Two senior state officials have testified under oath that they told Albert J. Alvarez last year he needed to vacate his high-ranking job in Gov. Phil Murphys administration after a colleague accused him of raping her. Alvarez, however, didnt leave his until a reporter started asking questions months later. But in an unemployment application filed last month, Alvarez tells a vastly different story. He contends Murphy officials agreed to help him find a job and allowed him to stay on as chief of staff at the New Jersey Schools Development Authority until he landed new employment. That could be a major topic Thursday as a special committee of state lawmakers holds its fourth hearing into how Murphys team handled Katie Brennans allegations that Alvarez raped her after a Murphy campaign event in 2017. Murphys chief of staff, Pete Cammarano, will testify for a second time. And state Senate Majority Loretta Weinberg, the panels co-chair, said shes anxious to ask Cammarano about Alvarezs version of events. Albert J. Alvarez is a former Murphy administration staffer accused of raping a campaign supporter in 2017. Did you make inquiries? Weinberg, D-Bergen, told NJ Advance Media, noting that Alvarezs claims took her by surprise. That is not so unusual when you are separating someone from government employment that you call a lobbyist you know," she added. "Did they do that for him? Through his attorney, Alvarez has denied sexual assaulting Brennan, who is now the chief of staff for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. The Hudson County Prosecutors Office investigated the claim and declined to file charges against Alvarez. 5 big revelations from 3rd hearing into how Phil Murphy's team responded to Katie Brennan's rape allegation Murphy officials have said Alvarez resigned Oct. 2, after the Wall Street Journal contacted him seeking comment for a story on Brennans accusation. But in a December appeal letter to the Department of Labor seeking unemployment payments, Alvarez stated he was effectively forced out. On multiple occasions, I was told by my superiors at the NJ Governors Office and at the NJ Schools Development Authority that if I did not resign my position, I would in fact be terminated, according to Alvarezs appeal letter to the state Department of Labor seeking unemployment benefits. The letter, portions of which were read aloud at Tuesdays legislative hearing, was obtained by NJ Advance Media and first reported by Politico New Jersey. The reason my superiors wanted me to leave my employment was that I was being accused of having committed a criminal sexual act, before my employment with the Schools Development Authority," Alvarez writes. "Although the accusation had been investigated by local law enforcement, and no charges have been found, the Governors office felt that if the accuser went public with the allegations, it would reflect poorly on the administration. At that time in June, I requested additional time and assistance in finding a new job before resigning. Both the governors office and the Schools Development Authority agreed to that request. Alvarezs attorney, Stacy Biancamano of Chatham, did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday. A Murphy spokesman declined to comment. On October 2, 2018, a reporter contacted me looking for comment on the above-referenced allegation, according to Alvarezs appeal. I ignored the query and attempted to contact the Governors Office for guidance. They did not respond to me directly, however, the CEO of the Schools Development Authority advised me that she had made contact with the Governors Office and that they were demanding that I resign immediately and provide the resignation letter to the Governors Office, via fax, as proof. At that moment, I felt I had no choice but to resign or be terminated. On Tuesday, one key witness dismissed at least one part of Alvarezs statement as false. No, that is not what happened, Lizette Delgado-Polanco, the CEO of the schools authority. Delgado-Polanco told the committee that Alvarez told her when she took the job in August he was leaving for a job closer to home in Bergen County. She said Alvarez came to her Oct. 2 with his resignation letter, saying he would leave immediately so not to sully the authoritys image if the article were to be published. He also described the April 8, 2017 encounter with Brennan as a consensual act, Delgado-Polanco said. Delgado-Polanco told the committee she faxed his resignation to the governors office after he insisted on leaving. You would question the credibility of his letter? committee attorney Michael Critchley asked her. Delgado-Polanco replied yes. Cammarano first testified before the committee last month. He told lawmakers that after Brennan alerted the governors team of her allegation a second time, last March, he personally informed Alvarez he should leave state government. But Alvarez remained. And Brennan reached out a third time in June. After that, Charlie McKenna, the former CEO of the schools authority, said he was told to inform Alvarez he needed to leave. But Alvarez remained until October. Susan K. Livio may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Brent Johnson may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. | https://www.nj.com/news/2019/01/did-gov-phil-murphys-administration-offer-to-find-a-job-for-aide-accused-of-rape.html |
Why is Indias no first use policy under so much strain? | In 2014, the election manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) included a promise to revise and update Indias nuclear doctrine. It gave rise to speculations that the Narendra Modi government, upon being elected, would consider revoking Indias pledge of no first use (NFU) of nuclear weapons. In an interview to ANI, Modi quelled those speculations by asserting that NFU wont be revoked. No first use is a reflection of our cultural inheritance, Modi added. Not just a politician like Modi, but scholars too had once tried to explain Indias nuclear posture using arguments of culture. Rajesh Basrur, an expert on South Asian security, had argued that minimalism and restraint are part of Indias nuclear-strategic culture. Culture can certainly be one of the factors but nuclear postures are first and foremost decided on the basis of structural realities. As another scholar, Kanti Bajpai, argued in a 2000 paper, Indias nuclear posture after the 1998 tests evolved through a debate between three different schools of nuclear thinking: rejectionism; pragmatism; and maximalism. The final posture corresponds to the school which is more aligned with structural realities at that point of time. That India chose NFU in its draft nuclear doctrine (1999) and official nuclear doctrine (2003) was a result of structural factors favouring pragmatists. However, in recent times, we have seen a number of statements from sitting and retired senior members of the nuclear security establishment questioning the NFU policy. No less than the then defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, expressed doubts over the utility of NFU in November 2016. Most recently, Lt Gen (retd. ), BS Nagal , former commander-in-chief of the Strategic Forces Command, has called the NFU policy a formula for disaster and argued for dropping it forthwith. It is true that India still officially sticks to a NFU policy but it is hard to deny that the consensus around NFU has weakened and that the maximalist position has grown stronger. In three ways. First, NFU policy suits a power which wants to deter just nuclear wars. In other words, if a nuclear weapons state is comfortably placed on a conventional (or, more broadly, non-nuclear) front with respect to its adversaries, it does not need to threaten first use of its nuclear bombs. India was, and continues to remain, a stronger conventional power compared to Pakistan. While China was conventionally stronger, India felt somewhat protected due to difficult terrain on the Himalayan border. Now, Chinas impressive infrastructure and massive military modernisation have effectively eroded the Himalayan buffer. Now, the conventional disparity between India and China is not just huge but also more palpable. This is putting immense pressure on Indias NFU policy. Second, Indias conventional advantage has been blunted by Pakistan through a clever use of sub-conventional assets (read terrorists) and threat of using tactical nuclear weapons against any Indian conventional response to a 26/11 type of an attack. Indias nuclear doctrine, that professes massive retaliation even against use of midget nukes, does not help. Pre-emptive counterforce (CF) strikes, if they can be executed, seem to be a way out of this problem. Nagal has openly advocated this strategy and Shivshankar Menon, the former national security advisor, has indicated openness to the idea. Third, India today has access to much better technology than it had in 2003 when it released its nuclear doctrine. In their forthcoming paper, Indias Counterforce Temptations, two US-based scholars, Christopher Clary and Vipin Narang, list out the technologies that enable a CF posture for India. New Delhi now has more missiles and more accurate ones. It has high quality surveillance platforms. It can access commercially available remote sensing technologies. It is developing MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) and investing in missile and air defence systems. While most of these developments may be relevant for China, they also make India more capable than ever before of executing CF strikes against Pakistan. However, it should be noted at this point that India is still a long way away from possessing the capability of executing successful CF strikes. And it may never reach there because Pakistan is rapidly increasing its arsenal size and improving the survivability of its nuclear weapons. Indias solid fuel missiles have enabled it to move towards canisterised systems for storing its land-based ballistic missiles. Such systems can reduce turnaround times earlier India used to rely on physical separation of components to prevent unauthorised use and hence are suitable even for pre-emptive strikes in case the rival is shown to be readying its nuclear assets for use. Canisterisation has further enabled Indias nuclear deterrent to move to the seas. With INS Arihant, a nuclear propelled ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), India has a credible sea-based deterrent. With a couple of more SSBNs, it can boast of a genuine nuclear triad. But SSBNs involve pre-mating of warheads with ballistic missiles, and hence increase the strain on command and control, especially with the NFU policy intact. Both canisterisation and sea-based deterrence thus increase the strain on NFU policy. These three changes have created a more propitious ground for nuclear maximalists. There is no single strategic culture that is immune to changes in structural realities. [email protected] First Published: Jan 10, 2019 07:26 IST | https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-is-india-s-no-first-use-policy-under-so-much-strain/story-tbjRJj1fXb9UzDZCbymu6I.html |
How Much Amazon Money Could Jeff Bezos Wife Get From Their Divorce? | Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is divorcing his wife, novelist MacKenzie Bezos, 48, after 25 years together, the couple announced the life change in a tweet Wednesday morning, three days before Jeffs 55th birthday. We want to make people aware of a development in our lives, the Amazon founder said in the announcement. After a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends. The couple has four children: three sons and one daughter adopted from China. With his net worth currently standing at $137 billion, Bezos divorce could be the most expensive separation in history. In the U.S., family laws differ from state to state. Washington State, where the Bezoses live, is a community property state, meaning that all property and debt acquired during a marriage is subject to a 50-50 split at the time of a divorce, if the couple cant negotiate an agreement on their own. (Other community property states include Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.) Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, one year after he married MacKenzie. Today, Bezos owns 16 percent of the company, or 80 million shares, worth about $129 billion at Amazons current valuation. So, theoretically MacKenzie could claim up to $64.5 billion worth of Amazon-related assets plus half of Bezos other property from the divorce. In practice, though, its unlikely MacKenzie would force her husband to write a check that big, because the couple still have some common business interests. Last year, they launched a $2 billion charitable fund called the Day One Fund. Bezos tweet on Wednesday suggests that he and MacKenzie will continue co-running the effort after the divorce. In any case, the couple will have to go through quite a lengthy legal process to work all this out. In Washington, the minimum length of a divorce case is 90 days, and a typical case takes up to six months or longer, according to Washington-based family law firm McKinley Irvin. Jeff and MacKenzie both attended Princeton University. But they didnt meet each other until years later while they were both working at Wall Street firm D. E. Shaw in New York. The couple was last seen together in public at the funeral for late Senator John McCain in September last year. | https://observer.com/2019/01/jeff-bezos-divorce-wife-amazon-money/ |
Will 2019 Be The Year Clothing Subscription Takes Over? | Uber and AIRBNB have reshaped their respective industries in the UK through their use of sharing and have driven the explosion weve seen in the sharing economy. For the majority of us, until very recently, the thought of staying in someones spare room instead of a hotel whilst on holiday, or getting into a strangers car was an alien concept and not something we would consider but today many of us do both without a second thought. When it comes to clothes, the idea of wearing something owned by someone else is a line many of us still wont cross but with an explosion in options, 2019 might be the year this all changes. Gen Y has been at the forefront of the growth in re-sale and second-hand clothing apps such as Depop over the past couple of years but its clothing subscription models that might finally encourage the mainstream retail market to embrace the sharing economy in regards to clothing in the UK. The idea of renting clothes has caught on in a big way in the US with Rent The Runway raising $210m since 2009 enabling female consumers to rent up to 4 pieces at a time for $159 a month whereas here in the UK, the market is still developing, despite services such as Girl Meets Dress having been around for the same length of time. New entrants such as WearTheWalk and FrontRow are betting on this changing in 2019 and are focusing on very specific customer groups to begin challenging Girl Meets Dress and securing UK market share before Rent The Runway makes an inevitable push into the UK market. FrontRow focuses on renting high-end designer pieces for short periods of time, for example, a pair of Lambskin Chanel gloves for 5 days will cost you 150 if theyre being delivered in Central London. This process is clearly designed to appeal to the Instagram generation and the desire to be seen in the latest trends. WearTheWalk, on the other hand, is more in line with the Rent The Runway model, with its monthly subscription offering it gives members access to a number of pieces from emerging designers throughout the month, having 5 pieces at any one time costs 120 a month. This approach focusing on the volume of products is clearly designed to capture the active young professional market. Both of these companies and their respective focus is underpinned on the emergence of a new type of consumer - the sustainably focused millennial who has now been conditioned by other sharing services to value access over ownership - and believe this evolution of consumer behaviors will ultimately take their offerings mainstream. Amongst millennials, we are seeing an emphasis on access over ownership, which is what makes the market conditions so ripe for a rental model. Secondly, and most importantly is the sustainable fashion movement, which has gained significant momentum over the past year and now dictates one of the primary buying motivation of Gen Y and millennials. Outlines the CEO and Founder of WearTheWalk, Zoe Partridge. The sharing economy facilitates the growth of smaller brands through the access it provides to consumers, its our belief that the sharing economy democratizes a once heavily elitist industry and enables the everyday girl, and the next generation of luxury consumers to consume brands that were once the preserve of the catwalks, photo shoots and those with big enough bank balances. She also highlights that despite the uncertainty facing the economy their customer research tells them that 73% of millennials are willing to pay more fashion with a sustainability slant to it. One barrier that all clothing rental companies need to overcome though is the idea that youre wearing a piece of clothing that has been worn by others before you, the idea of cleanliness in this sector is clearly a higher priority than with ordering a taxi. With this in mind, its no surprise that such companies are creating promotional videos to show behind the scenes of their clothing rental businesses, especially highlighting how the clothes are cleaned to the highest of standards. The most recent example of this being the video campaign undertaken in China by YCloset with a leading Chinese influencer Jiang Chacha. The video ends with her being offered a glass of water to drink from one of the steaming machines used, clearly implying the cleanliness of the whole process. The increased spending power of Gen Y and Millennials in the retail market and the desire for experience over ownership mean that the stars may just have aligned for the clothing rental market to move mainstream in 2019 in the UK, although it might need a bigger retail name to enter the space to really help shape consumer conscience around the trend and overcome the mental challenges still clearly facing the emerging sector. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/callyrussell/2019/01/10/will-2019-be-the-year-clothing-subscription-takes-over/ |
Are we in for a bumpy 2019 in Sacramento real estate? | After seven years of price increases, Sacramentos housing market hit a plateau in 2018. Prices flattened in the second half of the year. The number of homes on the market decreased. Those that were on the market took longer to sell. Our team: Dean Wehrli is an analyst for John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Erin Stumpf is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker. Greg Paquin heads The Gregory Group, a real estate research and data firm. Pat Shea is president of Lyon Real Estate. And Ryan Lundquist is an appraiser and author of the Sacramento Appraisal Blog. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. (We edited their comments for brevity and to avoid duplication.) Lundquist: In one word, the market has been in a slump. Sales volume was down 11 percent from the last year. There have been (homes) on the market that havent sold. Prices have been more flat. We had the lowest December in sales volume in the last 11 years. Stumpf: I think the market was just so crazy in the spring of 2018 that many buyers gave up after being beaten out in competitive offer situations. Interest rates ticked up slightly though they have fallen back a bit now so buyers could not afford quite as much as before. Paquin: Even though we have a strong economy that includes wages beginning to increase more significantly, there has been a faster increase in home values as compared to incomes. (Since late) 2011 new-home values have increased 71 percent and median incomes have increased approximately 15 percent. Shea: Trade war commotion, elections, interest rate movements, tax considerations and market fatigue all likely contributed to sales tapering off at year end. Wehrli: Construction and labor costs continue to push pricing (up) in the new home sector. This exacerbated already-high prices which are probably the biggest reason for the slowdown. Stock fluctuations havent helped, particularly for buyers with jobs based in the Bay Area. Many potential home buyers figured prices were at a peak, or about to peak. These buyers are trying to time the market. They ... are willing to wait to see how low sellers can go. Stumpf: I believe Sacramento will see a slight increase in home prices in 2019. I foresee a balanced market between buyers and sellers, and that is great news as far as I am concerned. The number of homes available on the market will be slightly higher than in past years, and homes will take slightly longer to sell on average. Appealing homes that are appropriately priced ... will still see competitive multiple offers and sell quickly. Wehrli: Home prices are likely to be pretty stable, rising modestly by year end. I expect a decent spring selling season, particularly if mortgage rates remain lower as they have been very recently. Inventory is likely to rise a bit, but, remember, we are coming from a few years now of extraordinarily low levels of inventory. Shea: Look for a very predictable sales pattern once again in 2019. One can expect (house price) appreciation to (be in) the 4 percent to 6 percent range. Continued job growth and upward pressure on employee compensation appear to remain in play for the foreseeable future in Northern California. Mortgage rates remain incredibly favorable. Lundquist: If buyers put their foot back on the gas pedal, with mortgages rates going down now, there is room in the market to see values increase. It all boils down right now to what buyers are going to do. Its a blank canvas. Paquin: We are optimistic for sales and pricing in 2019. There is a real possibility that sales will equal and perhaps exceed 2018 numbers. (Newly constructed homes) should see a modest increase of between 2 percent and 3.5 percent. All five experts: No Wehrli: The factors that led to a bubble last time easy money boosting demand artificially and very high levels of supply are not present now. That is not to say we are not in for a slowdown when the economy cools, but it should be nothing like last time. Shea: A respectable number of homes in greater Sacramento are free and clear, and the majority with mortgages have significant equity. Payments are very manageable, due to low interest rates and salary escalations. Stumpf: Previous buyers (a decade-plus ago) hyper-extended themselves and could not actually afford those homes, and when the market declined many had to short sell or were foreclosed. We just do not have those lending products anymore, and buyers have to qualify for loans. Your average buyer today cannot get a loan without a skin in the game down payment, good credit, and verifiable income and employment. Paquin: As compared to the last housing boom-bust cycle of 2008, there has not been the rapid or significant price increases, the artificial lending that helped facilitate the rapid price increases and lenders have become much more diligent in who can or cannot receive a new-home loan. Wehrli: Be patient. Buyers can wait for great offers, but maybe have to be more realistic at times. The same goes for sellers. The market is what it is and no buyer cares that your costs have gone up or what you paid for your home. But there is still not a lot of inventory out there so sellers have not lost all leverage. Lundquist: I say to anyone not to get trapped into thinking buying is about where prices are at. Just know the market, be in tune with interest rates, the neighborhood and the schools. For anyone considering selling, if youre are going to buy again, prices are also high. Thats the struggle many people face. Be aware the rental market has been tight, so if they plan on renting, they better line up a rental in advance. Stumpf: Sellers should be carefully reviewing the most recent, relevant, like-kind comparable nearby home sales and set their listing prices in line with those properties. If a home sits on the market with no offers after a few weeks, your price is probably too high. Sellers should also carefully consider pre-listing repairs, cosmetic improvements, and staging to present their properties in the best possible light. Buyers should get pre-approved for their home financing, and stay in touch with their lender and Realtor in case there are any changes in interest rates. And while overall buyers may have a little more time on their side for decision-making, the good properties will go quickly, so be prepared to pounce. Paquin: We have seen a strong influence of Bay Area buyers to Sacramento that has been increasing during the past 12 to 24 months, with some projects (depending on the location) achieving between 40 percent and 60 percent of their buyers from the Bay Area. (Paquins data shows that, in 2003, new home prices in the Sacramento area were 64 percent of Bay Area prices. Now theyre just 49 percent of Bay prices.) Sacramento provides a significant opportunity for Bay Area refuges who desire to stay close and connected to the coast, but choose a more affordable and, perhaps, better quality of life. Stumpf: I get inquiries from people wanting to relocate to Sacramento from the Bay Area every week, fueled by the desires for a better quality of life and more affordable housing costs. This additional demand is part of the reason why I just do not see any real estate bubble in Sacramentos immediate future. I think many of those households will look to relocate to the greater Sacramento area. Lundquist: This is not a new phenomenon. Weve always been less expensive. Weve been getting cooler lately and getting more notice. There will be heightened focus on our market. (But) we dont have a market where rich cash buyers are buying everything up. Shea: Those with equity (in the Bay Area) can sell and find tremendous home values in our region. They can often place a nice chunk of residual equity in other investments for a more secure retirement. Many, many others must simply find employment in Sacramento, commute, tele-commute, etc. to have any opportunity for home ownership in Northern California. They are priced out of their current housing markets and that will not change. The population is certain to grow in the Greater Sacramento region and housing will not be able to keep up thus, prices will continue to rise. Lundquist: I think the market is poised for buyers to gain more power than sellers. But not total control. Buyers are making the mistake that sellers were making. Sellers thought they could command whatever price they want. Buyers are making an equal mistake of saying I can offer whatever I want. Wehrli: Smart home technology is going to continue to grow. It will become less something to impress a potential buyer and more something a potential buyer expects. Google Home and Amazon Echo will be in more homes, but it will also be smart locks and smart security and, yes, smart toilets, but, no, I dont want to go into details on that. Also, factory-built homes will gradually become a bigger part of the market though maybe more over the next five or 10 years than the next year. Factory-built can cut costs and time lines. Shea: Upper end sales, $750,000 and above, have increased measurably over the last few years. Look for that trend to continue considering the persistent migration patterns from our coastal regions. Paquin: There are several developers that are trying to provide more affordable housing in the Sacramento Region. These homes are generally smaller, situated on smaller lots and offer basic features and amenities; however, sales have been strong at pricing that is generally less than $450,000. Secondly, there is a lot of conversation about ... development of single-family homes as rental units. It is worth keeping an eye on, as it provides a way for people to live in single-family homes without the added costs (down payments, taxes, etc.). Stumpf: Gov. Gavin Newsom has some lofty goals for housing production during his administration. I would like to think that the legislature will take up housing as a key issue during this session, and we should hopefully see some new policy that enables builders to build, creates zoning that permits dense housing construction near transit, allows more existing property owners to construct accessory dwelling units, and creates funding mechanisms to finance affordable housing. | https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article224041900.html |
What happened to all the cameras at CES 2019? | CES 2019 in Las Vegas is coming to a close, and we've seen the usual conveyor belt of weird and wonderful kit, from massive 8K TVs to foldable phones. Despite the world's media descending on the Las Vegas Convention Center, however, the photographic industry has chosen to keep a low profile again this year. While many had hoped Sony would take the wraps off either a new Alpha A7000 or Alpha A7S III, it was left to Panasonic to tease out a few more specs of its eagerly anticipated Lumix S1R and S1 full-frame cameras, though it elected not to reveal a full production model of the camera. Nikon also launched a 14-30mm f/4 wide-angle lens for its new full-frame mirrorless Z system in an effort to look interested, but that was about it we shouldn't overlook Sharp's 8K video camera, but that's still in its prototype stages, and realistically isn't going to have a wide appeal outside the initial interest it will certainly generate. It didn't always used to be like this. It was only a few years ago that our inbox would be clogged up with a multitude of CES camera announcements, while those of us on the ground at the Convention Center would spend our time dashing round trying to make sure we saw everything and everyone we needed to see. Admittedly, many of these camera announcements were entry-level compacts, but CES has also seen some major camera launches in recent years. Nikon has used the show to announce the likes of the D3300, D5500, D4, D500 and D5, while Canon unveiled the PowerShot G9 X Mark II, Fujifilm the X-Pro1 and X100S, and Sony the Alpha A5000. On the slide From a photography perspective though, CES has been on a bit of a slide in recent years. The writing was on the wall when the Photo Marketing Association's (PMA) imaging technology trade show (which was also held in Las Vegas) was incorporated into CES and rebranded as PMA@CES from 2012. While the big guns like Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Sony and Samsung (remember them?) would show off their latest camera kit at their vast stands in the Convention Center, others would opt for small booths and meeting rooms instead, while the PMA itself was tucked away at the nearby Venetian hotel. 2015 was the last PMA@CES before the event disappeared completely, getting swallowed up by the juggernaut that is CES. Factor in how the market has shifted in recent years, from a multitude of high-volume, low-cost compacts to more premium models (and fewer of them) with longer life cycles, and it sort of makes sense that there's now a distinct lack of camera news at CES you don't want to want to risk your new flagship product getting lost in the noise of such a vast show. There's been a growing trend in the past couple of years for manufacturers to announce new camera kit later in January and during February But it's not all doom and gloom. There's been a growing trend in the past couple of years for manufacturers to announce new camera kit later in January and during February. Olympus has started a teaser campaign for it's new flagship camera, which is set to be launched on January 24, while the large Japanese camera companies are gearing up for the huge CP+ Photo and Imaging Show in Yokohama at the end of February. That show has certainly taken on greater international prominence in recent years with the demise of PMA, while The Photography Show in the UK in the middle of March is a great place to get your hands on newly announced kit for the first time. With Panasonic revealing that the Lumix S1R and S1 will be officially launched at the end of March, that show could be your first chance to get your hands on Panasonic's new full-frame cameras. There's no Photokina this year, but that's unlikely to mean that we'll see camera announcements dry up after March. There are plenty of mouthwatering cameras that could still break cover this year, so make sure you keep an eye on our camera rumors article to see what the future may hold. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/what-happened-to-all-the-cameras-at-ces-2019 |
How much is that tourist worth? | THEY love us ... they really, really love us. According to the latest tourism figures, visitors are flocking to the North Coast in increasing numbers. International Visitor Survey results more than 5.5 million domestic and 354,000 international visitors came to the region in the 12 months to September last year, an increase of 7 per cent and 3 per cent respectively from the same period in the previous year. That's a lot of money. The bulk of that money comes from domestic tourism - travellers coming to spend a few days in our region, spending on average $210 a night on accommodation, and a further $166 on other items. International visitors tend to stay longer, but are staying in much cheaper accommodation and spending much less - they spend $77 a night on accommodation and $66 on other items, but stay three times longer than domestic visitors. Page MP Kevin Hogan said the survey figures show the North Coast to be: "The most popular destination for both domestic and international tourists in NSW outside of Sydney and one of the most popular regional destinations in the country". "This is a testament to our local tourism operators and means more people in local restaurants, staying in local hotels and visiting local tourist attractions. "Every dollar spent in our local businesses helps to maintain and create local jobs, and strengthens our local economy." Nationally, visitor numbers were up 6 per cent to 8.4 million, injecting $43.2 billion into the economy. The International Visitor Survey (IVS) samples 40,000 departing, short-term international travellers aged 15 years and over who have been visiting Australia. The survey is conducted by Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) in the departure lounges of the eight major international airports: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and the Gold Coast. The latest International Visitor Survey results are available at: www.tra.gov.au. | https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/revealed-how-much-is-that-tourist-worth/3618772/ |
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