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Can virtual assistants plug the healthcare gap? | Electronic Caregiver has announced that it will unveil Addison Care, an augmented-reality AI-based "virtual caregiver", at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The aim is to help healthcare professionals to monitor people in their homes, make sure they take their medicines, and provide warnings if there are any problems developing. The system will also be available to individuals and families. Founder and CEO Anthony Dohrmann says the main features include "health and wellness support, real-time assessment, AI-based analytics and expedited response to emergencies. Our goal is to cut costs, improve care and extend functional independence." Addison Care is fronted by a female nurse-like chat-bot called Addison. She appears on "15-inch monitors strategically placed throughout the residence, she carries on two-way conversations, and she is programed for a user's personal needs and plans of care," says Electronic Caregiver. The company notes that only three percent of the US population can afford 'live caregiving'. "She" resembles a video-game character, and was developed on AWS Sumerian, as reported previously on ZDNet. Chat-bots are not new to the healthcare market. Earlier examples include Care Angel, Sense.ly, Buoy Health, and the London, UK-based Your.MD. Sense.ly's award-winning "virtual nurse" has already been used in trials in the UK's National Health Service, and it has an Ask NHS app for Android and iOS. Electronic Caregiver extends the concept by adding "a network of wireless visual sensors, local AI-based processors, interactive tablets, Bluetooth biometric devices and emergency monitoring devices." Electronic Caregiver's parent company, SameDay Security (SDS), was already in the monitored technology business, trading as LifeSupportMedical. The Electronic Caregiver was one of its services. Others include LaserShield security systems and TelaMed+ remote medical assistance. The company is based in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The health industry is already moving towards "virtual care" because of the high cost of visiting the growing number of older people in their homes. "Virtual nurses" are not replacing home visits, they are augmenting the nurses who make regular voice calls to check up on them. Phoenix-based non-profit organisation G60 Trauma will start testing Addison Care with 500 patients in January. G60 Trauma "exists to optimize the recovery of people aged 60 years or older who have experienced a traumatic injury." The most common causes are falls and car accidents. This ties in with one of Electronic Caregiver's interests. Working with New Mexico State University, it has developed a mobile Fall Risk Assessment Laboratory. This includes a 3-D motion-capture imaging system and a gait analysis pad in a 24-foot trailer. PREVIOUS AND RELATED COVERAGE Augmented reality in the operating theatre: How surgeons are using Microsoft's HoloLens to make operations betterSurgeons at St Mary's Hospital have been using a HoloLens-based system to pick out blood vessels before surgery. Smart watches, fitness trackers and the NHS: Are wearables just what the doctor ordered?While more and more of us are wearing fitness trackers, the real benefits of wearables may come from another quarter. Why the NHS is killing paper records to save livesThe NHS still relies on paper for many patient records. Getting rid of it could free up time, and money. Robots and the NHS: How automation will change surgery and patient careThe rise of robots is inevitable in healthcare, but for now, keeping it simple is just what the doctor ordered. | https://www.zdnet.com/article/can-virtual-assistants-plug-the-healthcare-gap/ |
What does Les Miserables mean and when is the next episode on TV? | Dominic West plays Jean Valjean in the BBC adaptation (Picture: BBC) Les Miserables fans have been treated to a whole new adaptation of the world-famous musical one without any music whatsoever. The BBCs six-part take on the Victor Hugo novel has won rave reviews and delves deeper into some of the characters lives than the musical is able to, with a whole six hours to explore their backstories. Drag Race All Stars axed Gia Gunn and RuPaul clash over that trans row: 'It really hurt' Jean Valjean is the lead character, with the story also focusing on Inspector Javert, Fantine, Cosette and Eponine. The French title is simply translated to The Miserables or The Miserable Ones. Advertisement Advertisement Considering the tales of love, loss, duty and betrayal, its a pretty fitting title. The BBC adaptation is six episodes long, airing every Sunday night on BBC One at 9pm. Lily Collins, Dominic West and David Oyelowo star in a new version of Les Miserables (Picture: BBC) This means the next episode is set to air on Sunday 6 January. The finale is scheduled for Sunday 3 February, unless the BBC decides to run a double-bill for the finale a week earlier. Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean who breaks his parole after being freed from prison, and Javert, the no-nonsense prison officer on his tail. Entwined in their stories are the tales of Cosette, Marius and Eponine. Dominic West Jean Valjean David Oyelowo Inspector Javert Lily Collins Fantine Ellie Bamber Cosette Josh OConnor Marius Pontmercy David Oyelowo, Lily Collins, Dominic West set to star in Les Miserables (Picture: David Oyelowo) Les Miserables is heading to the BBC (Picture: BBC) Erin Kellyman ponine Thnardier Adeel Akhtar Monsieur Thnardier Olivia Colman Madame Thnardier Reece Yates Gavroche Thnardier Joseph Quinn Enjolras Filming took place across Belgium and Northern France as the production recreated the battles of the French Revolution that saw the underdogs rise up and fight against the system. Read Metro.co.uks full review here: BBC adaptation starring Lily Collins is worlds away from Anne Hathaways musical. Les Miserables airs on Sundays on BBC One at 9pm. Catch up on BBC iPlayer. Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Les Misrables author Victor Hugo based two characters on the same real-life historical figure MORE: Les Miserables writer says he is saving the novel from the awful musical with new BBC adaptation | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/02/les-miserables-mean-next-episode-bbc-series-8302342/ |
Are Aurora Cannabis Inc and Cronos Group Stock Worth Owning in 2019? | Cannabis stocks had a banner year in 2018. And thanks to a surfeit of landmark developments -- such as the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, Mexico's slow but steady march toward legalization, and Thailand's decision to suddenly decriminalize medical marijuana at the tail end of the year -- this emerging growth industry appears to be on solid footing heading into 2019. Still, investors may want to think twice before diving headfirst into this so-called "green rush." After all, the largest market in North America -- the United States -- remains off-limits for pioneers like Canada's Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB) (NYSE: ACB) and Cronos Group (TSX: CRON) (NASDAQ: CRON). And that situation won't change until marijuana is decriminalized at the federal level. Equally as problematic, these top Canadian producers have yet to even ramp up production levels to the point were they can adequately meet domestic demand, keeping them from being cash flow positive on a consistent basis. Jars filled with dried cannabis flowers laid out on a wooden tabletop, with one turned over and cannabis spilling out on the table. More Image source: Getty Images. While these two key headwinds are likely to fade with the passing of time, they're certainly going to shape the industry's near-term outlook. With this theme in mind, let's consider if either of these top pot stocks belong in your portfolio in 2019. A contender for best in class Aurora, as a company, went through a major metamorphosis in 2018. Through a series of seminal acquisitions that included CanniMed Therapeutics, ICC Labs Inc., as well as MedReleaf, Aurora greatly expanded its international footprint, production capabilities, and product offerings. As a result, Aurora has become the largest cannabis player in Europe. It brought several top-selling recreational products to market in Canada last year and has established a solid product line in the all-important medical cannabis segment. Most importantly, though, Aurora is now on pace to achieve an industry-best production output of 700,000 kilograms per year within the next few years, thanks in no small part to management's ultra-aggressive business-development strategy. The big deal is that Aurora should have the scale necessary to meet its ambitious international expansion. The company's enormous projected production capacity should also translate into a significant cost advantage over the broader field of cannabis producers. In fact, the company expects production costs to drop below 1 Canadian dollar once all of its facilities become fully functional. The drawback here is that Aurora's bid to become the top Canadian cannabis company has clearly come at shareholders' expense. In brief, Aurora's stock struggled last year, due to the company's ever-rising share count: | https://news.yahoo.com/aurora-cannabis-inc-cronos-group-160000277.html |
How will Chelsea line up with new signing Christian Pulisic? | Chelsea have completed the 58 million signing of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund but will immediately loan him back to the German club until the end of the season. At just 20 years of age, the American ranks as a signing for the future and should spend his best years at Stamford Bridge, as he aims to reach new heights in his career. The Premier League has always been an ambition of his and Chelsea's aggressive approach to signing him now convinced him to make the move to west London. The US Men's National Team winger is quick and creative but will have to add a cutting edge to his game, having only scored three goals in 20 games for club and country this season. Pulisic, though, is also intelligent at pressing the opposition and that's something that Blues boss Maurizio Sarri will appreciate due to his team's style of defending. Chelsea's decision to bring in a winger is also unsurprising, given Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro all have contracts expiring in June 2020. Furthermore, Callum Hudson-Odoi is in talks over a move to Bayern Munich after growing disappointed with a lack of game time this season. Pulisic hasn't been signed to replace anyone in particular but it's clear that Chelsea could lose any or all of their wingers this summer, including star man Hazard, who has repeatedly flirted with the idea of moving to Real Madrid at the end of the season. Still, Chelsea are hoping that Pulisic will be lining up alongside Hazard in 2018-19, with the Blues willing to make the Belgium international their highest-paid player on 300,000-a-week in order to fend off interest from the Santiago Bernabeu. They also hope to keep Hudson-Odoi but they have faced difficulties convincing him that he will be given enough opportunities to help him realise his full potential at the Bridge. As for Pulisic, he will be hoping to get more starts at Chelsea than he has this season at Dortmund, where the emergence of Jadon Sancho has seen him drop down the pecking order. Sarri will likely stick with a 4-3-3 formation next season as it is the only system used by the Blues head coach, who believes that tactical consistency is the best way to achieve good results. Pulisic would, thus, likely line up on the right-hand side of front three, with Pedro on the opposite flank and Hazard continuing in his new 'false nine' position through the middle. Of course, Chelsea could also play with a more conventional centre-forward, such as Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud, but, for now, Sarri views Hazard as the better option up front. Elsewhere, the Blues will also be hoping to persuade Real Madrid to let them hold on to Mateo Kovacic, who joined on loan from the Blancos last summer, but the worry there is that the European champions will attempt to make the Croatia midfielder a part of a deal for Hazard. Meanwhile, there are also doubts over David Luiz's future at the club but the one thing we can say with certainty is that Pulisic is now destined to become a major player at Chelsea. | http://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/how-will-chelsea-line-up-with-christian-pulisic/17gbws50wvalq1koa9ohzll346 |
How will 2018's LGBTQ-inclusive films fare at awards season? | By Gwen Aviles 2018 was the biggest year in LGBTQ-inclusive cinema. From Love, Simon to Boy Erased, 2018 saw an unprecedented bounty of high-profile LGBTQ filmsmany of which are up for awards. Multiple actors have been nominated for Golden Globes for their portrayals as queer characters, including Melissa McCarthy for her work as the lesbian writer Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Rami Malek for his portrayal as renowned gay musician Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Lucas Hedges for his representation of Jared Eaamons, a gay son who is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program, in Boy Erased. Rami Malek performs in Bohemian Rhapsody - 2018. 20th Century Fox / Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock Its not just queer leading characters who are up for awards, either. Both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are nominated for the Best Actress in Supporting Role category for The Favourite and Mahershala Ali and Richard E. Grant are nominated for the Best Actor in Supporting Role category for Green Book and Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Each of these actors played queer characters, though admittedly sexuality was a marginal aspect of Alis portrayal of jazz pianist Jon Shirley. While neither GLAAD nor the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have released their annual surveys listing the exact amount of 2018s LGBTQ-inclusive films, Zeke Stokes, vice president of programs at GLAAD, said 2018 marks a tremendous jump in the number of films which include LGBTQ characters on screen, particularly in films from major studios that open around the country and around the world." It's the first time there has been "real growth" from major studios, according to Stokes. Lesbians galore Marie Lyn Bernard (also known as Riese), the editor-in-chief of Autostraddle, said the year was particularly huge for representation for lesbian and bisexual women on film. Its a remarkable change, given that 64 percent of the 12 LGBT-inclusive films that GLAADs Studio Responsibility Index identified last year featured gay male characters. Bernard and other critics cited Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Favourite, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and Duck Butter as some of the many films featuring one or more lesbian or bisexual characters in the main cast. Stokes said that Deadpool 2 became another milestone film when Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Yukio clearly stated they were girlfriends. For a genre that has often sidelined LGBTQ characters queer identities on screen, this was a notable step forward and should send a message to other studios, he said. Colette, a biographical drama that chronicles real-life author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colettes foray into novel-writing, was a favorite among critics as well. Colette is unabashedly queer and I love that it features two trans actors in non-trans roles, said Oliver Whitney, a Brooklyn-based film critic. Given that GLAAD did not count any transgender-inclusive films from the major studios last year, Colette may be cited as a watershed moment. Mixed reviews Critics expressed more mixed opinions of Love, Simon, the coming-of-age film about a gay teenage boy who develops an online relationship with an anonymous closeted gay classmate. Im not going to begrudge Love, Simons existence, but you wont see me championing it over any of the amazing queer films we got this year, said Manuel Betancourt, a New York-based film critic. Betancourt found the film to be saccharine and too clichd. In his view, the film was a banality, a gay experience made digestible for reluctant audiences. Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford in Love Simon - 2018 20th Century Fox / Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock He thought that We the Animals provided a worthwhile and more subtle alternative as a coming-of-age film about a boy coming to terms with his sexuality. The films not ostensibly gay, even though its based on a book by an out gay author and it does touch upon coming out, Betancourt said. The focus of the film is him as a young child figuring himself out and I think images of children struggling with their sexuality is not something we see often. Tyler Coates, senior culture editor of Esquire, had a more favorable view of Love, Simon, and said that when he was younger, a teen romantic comedy featuring a gay male lead would have been unheard of. He thinks the movie does represent some people who might not have seen themselves represented before. Still, like Betancourt, he much preferred other movies like Can You Ever Forgive Me? where Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthys characters queerness was an element, but not the driving force of the plot. Their identity was important to who they were but it wasnt the foundation of the story told, Coates said. "There's still an effort to downplay what we're asking for" While the quantity of LGBTQ-inclusive films greatly increased in 2018, many LGBT critics say that the quality of the films could use some improvement. I think weve seen a lot of progress, but at the same time, theres still an effort to downplay what were asking for, said Trish Bendix, Managing Editor of Into. Bendix specifically takes issue with the film Girl, a Belgian drama starring Victor Polster as a trans girl as she pursues a career as a ballerina. The film was positively reviewed by many cisgender critics and was subsequently nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language film. But it was snubbed in the Oscars shortlist amid backlash from the LGBT community regarding its depictions of gender dysphoria and self-harm. Its really an anti-trans film. Its being called trans trauma porn, Bendix said. Thats what happens when cisgender straight directors tell stories that are not about their lives, if they dont employ other LGBT people to be highly involved. Another thing that happens when LGBTQ actors, producers or writers are not involved in film projects is the perpetuation of the gay for pay phenomenon where straight actors are cast more often for LGBT roles than queer actors. In the last 25 years, multiple straight actors have even gone on to win Oscars for their portrayals of queer characters, including Sean Pean, who won the Academy Award in 2009 for his representation of gay rights activist Harvey Milk in Milk. On a related note, no openly gay actor has ever won the Oscar for Best Actor. Why arent queer women playing queer women? Alicia Eler, visual art critic at the Star Tribune and author of The Selfie Generation, asked rhetorically. Unsurprisingly, it comes down to money, she said. Its hard to say Hey, Im going to produce a queer film and get a huge budget. Usually, you have to have some star lead, Eler said. With Boy Erased, the lead [Lucas Hedges] isnt well known, but you have Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe in it. So of course that film gets produced. Nicole Kidman as Nancy Eamons, Lucas Hedges as Jared Eamons in 'Boy Erased' Film - 2018 Focus Features / Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Though most of the critics surveyed stated that they didnt agree that straight actors could never portray gay characters, they did acknowledge that the argument boils down to a lack of opportunity. If we lived in a perfect world, then yes, everyone could play everyone. But if straight actors are the only ones getting casting calls and roles, if they're the only ones being able to green light these pictures, then all we're doing is perpetuating a system that excludes LGBT creatives from film, Whitney said. The lack of representation of LGBTQ POC Although the number of lesbian and bisexual characters has significantly increased from just three years ago, there are limits to this representation when, as Barnard states, nearly all of this representation was white women, so thats a big area in deep need of improvement. Rafiki, a film about two Kenyan women who fall is love, was the main exception to the dearth of stories about LGBTQ people of color. Sekiya Dorsett, a filmmaker who recently produced a film titled The Revival: Women and the Word, which played at the Brooklyn Museum during Pride said, Its sad that Rafiki is the one black lesbian film of the year. Ive seen all the lesbian films of Netflix twice and they dont feature women of color. Dorsett lamented how difficult it was for her to make her most recent short; she said its the same for other creative women of color. I was struggling to make the film. There was no support, she said. Even when films tell holistic and meaningful stories of LGBTQ characters, theyre not always properly marketed. Bernard thinks this was the case for Blockers, a feminist, sex-positive, lesbian-inclusive film that marketed itself as a bro-ish sex romp," she said. "Thats so tragic. It was one of my favorite films of the year, and everybody I recommend it to is taken aback because the marketing did not reveal any of that. The LGBTQ community clearly still faces myriad obstacles that prevents it from achieving equal and meaningful representation in mainstream film, but critics standards for good movies remain minimal. The perfect queer film is something that shows the joy of queerness, but doesnt sugarcoat it, Coates said. I want films that reflect the full story, that show that self-acceptance is so full and rewarding. Critics nonetheless have hope for the upcoming year. So many people are getting money, Dorsett said. Ava DuVernay, Issa Rae, Lena Waithe and they want to push people forward, give people a chance and not the same group of people either. Though film will take a while to catch up to the more diverse representation on television, Dorsett will be satisfied if Pose, a show that features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles, sweeps every award its up for. If nothing else happens, I hope Pose wins. Those women are amazing. FOLLOW NBC OUT ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM. | https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/how-will-2018-s-lgbtq-inclusive-films-fare-awards-season-n952836 |
Did 2018 usher in a creeping tech dystopia? | We may remember 2018 as the year when technologys dystopian potential became clear, from Facebooks role enabling the harvesting of our personal data for election interference to a seemingly unending series of revelations about the dark side of Silicon Valleys connect-everything ethos. The list is long: High-tech tools for immigration crackdowns. Fears of smartphone addiction. YouTube algorithms that steer youths into extremism. An experiment in gene-edited babies. Doorbells and concert venues that can pinpoint individual faces and alert police. Repurposing genealogy websites to hunt for crime suspects based on a relatives DNA. Automated systems that keep tabs of workers movements and habits. Electric cars in Shanghai transmitting their every movement to the government. Its been enough to exhaust even the most imaginative sci-fi visionaries. It doesnt so much feel like were living in the future now, as that were living in a retro-future, novelist William Gibson wrote this month on Twitter. A dark, goofy 90s retro-future. More awaits us in 2019, as surveillance and data-collection efforts ramp up and artificial intelligence systems start sounding more human, reading facial expressions and generating fake video images so realistic that it will be harder to detect malicious distortions of the truth. But there are also countermeasures afoot in Congress and state government and even among tech-firm employees who are more active about ensuring their work is put to positive ends. Something that was heartening this year was that accompanying this parade of scandals was a growing public awareness that theres an accountability crisis in tech, said Meredith Whittaker, a co-founder of New York Universitys AI Now Institute for studying the social implications of artificial intelligence. The group has compiled a long list of what made 2018 so ominous, though many are examples of the public simply becoming newly aware of problems that have built up for years. Among the most troubling cases was the revelation in March that political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica swept up personal information of millions of Facebook users for the purpose of manipulating national elections. It really helped wake up people to the fact that these systems are actually touching the core of our lives and shaping our social institutions, Whittaker said. That was on top of other Facebook disasters, including its role in fomenting violence in Myanmar, major data breaches and ongoing concerns about its hosting of fake accounts for Russian propaganda. It wasnt just Facebook. Google attracted concern about its continuous surveillance of users after The Associated Press reported that it was tracking peoples movements whether they like it or not. It also faced internal dissent over its collaboration with the U.S. military to create drones with computer vision to help find battlefield targets and a secret proposal to launch a censored search engine in China. And it unveiled a remarkably human-like voice assistant that sounds so real that people on the other end of the phone didnt know they were talking to a computer. Those and other concerns bubbled up in December as lawmakers grilled Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a congressional hearing a sequel to similar public reckonings this year with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other tech executives. It was necessary to convene this hearing because of the widening gap of distrust between technology companies and the American people, Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said. Internet pioneer Vint Cerf said he and other engineers never imagined their vision of a worldwide network of connected computers would morph 45 years later into a surveillance system that collects personal information or a propaganda machine that could sway elections. We were just trying to get it to work, recalled Cerf, who is now Googles chief internet evangelist. But now that its in the hands of the general public, there are people who want it to work in a way that obviously does harm, or benefits themselves, or disrupts the political system. So we are going to have to deal with that. Contrary to futuristic fears of super-intelligent robots taking control, the real dangers of our tech era have crept in more prosaically often in the form of tech innovations we welcomed for making life more convenient. Part of experts concern about the leap into connecting every home device to the internet and letting computers do our work is that the technology is still buggy and influenced by human errors and prejudices. Uber and Tesla were investigated for fatal self-driving car crashes in March, IBM came under scrutiny for working with New York City police to build a facial recognition system that can detect ethnicity, and Amazon took heat for supplying its own flawed facial recognition service to law enforcement agencies. In some cases, opposition to the tech industrys rush to apply its newest innovations to questionable commercial uses has come from its own employees. Google workers helped scuttle the companys Pentagon drone contract, and workers at Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce sought to cancel their companies contracts to supply tech services to immigration authorities. It became obvious to a lot of people that the rhetoric of doing good and benefiting society and Dont be evil was not what these companies were actually living up to, said Whittaker, who is also a research scientist at Google who founded its Open Research group. At the same time, even some titans of technology have been sounding alarms. Prominent engineers and designers have increasingly spoken out about shielding children from the habit-forming tech products they helped create. And then theres Microsoft President Brad Smith, who in December called for regulating facial recognition technology so that the year 2024 doesnt look like a page from George Orwells 1984. In a blog post and a Washington speech, Smith painted a bleak vision of all-seeing government surveillance systems forcing dissidents to hide in darkened rooms to tap in code with hand signals on each others arms. To avoid such an Orwellian scenario, Smith advocates regulating technology so that anyone about to subject themselves to surveillance is properly notified. But privacy advocates argue thats not enough. Such debates are already happening in states like Illinois, where a strict facial recognition law has faced tech industry challenges, and California, which in 2018 passed the nations most far-reaching law to give consumers more control over their personal data. It takes effect in 2020. The issue could find new attention in Congress next year as more Republicans warm up to the idea of basic online privacy regulations and the incoming Democratic House majority takes a more skeptical approach to tech firms that many liberal politicians once viewed as allies and prolific campaign donors. The leave them alone approach of the early internet era wont work anymore, said Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat poised to take the helm of the Houses antitrust subcommittee. Were seeing now some of the consequences of the abuses that can occur in these platforms if they remain unregulated without meaningful oversight or enforcement, Cicilline said. Too much regulation may bring its own undesirable side effects, Cerf warned. Its funny in a way because this online environment was supposed to remove friction from our ability to transact, he said. If in our desire, if not zeal, to protect peoples privacy we throw sand in the gears of everything, we may end up with a very secure system that doesnt work very well. | https://idahobusinessreview.com/2019/01/02/did-2018-usher-in-a-creeping-tech-dystopia/ |
Why are vets on a work-to-rule in Irish meat factories? | The ongoing Temporary Veterinary Inspectors work-to-rule in Irish meat plants is set to continue, it has been outlined. The industrial action has been ongoing since June 2018 and there has been a mediation process in place since May 2018. The Veterinary Council of Ireland was contacted for a comment but said it had no comment to make on the issue. Veterinary Irelands chief executive, Finbarr Murphy, explained to AgriLand what has been going on. He outlined that an agreement had been reached between Veterinary Ireland and the Department of Agriculture with the mediator on November 21. A final meeting was due to take place on Tuesday, December 11, to finalise the agreement. However, the mediator became aware that the department had been drawn from the agreement reached. According to Murphy, the Department of Agriculture cited objection from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He explained that Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs) are currently paid an hourly rate of 64.49 in meat factories. Murphy continued: Some of the difficulties are arising in the factories due to a shortage of TVIs. The shortage is due to the moritorium of recruitment introduced by the department back at the end of 2011. Since then, there have been no new TVIs taken on. You have vets that have retired or deceased and they havent been replaced so there is a shortage that is more acute in some factories than others. Advertisement Continuing, Murphy outlined: We have been calling on the department to recruit more vets since 2011. Unfortunately, the department havent done so and that was one of the issues that would have been addressed by the mediation. We are looking for the agreement hammered out with the assistance of the mediator on November 21 would be honoured. Murphy highlighted that the deal would have resolved all outstanding TVI issues and seen new vets taken into the system which, he added, would deal with the present shortage. | https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/why-are-vets-on-a-work-to-rule-in-irish-meat-factories/ |
When will delivery of gamechanger' S-400 missiles begin? | India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Jan 2: India finalised the S-400 deal with Russia and inked the pact to procure the air defence systems during Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi in October 2018. India will start receiving the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia from October next year and the deliveries will be completed by April 2023, the government said on Wednesday. India inked an agreement with Russia in October last year to procure a batch of the missile systems at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore. "The deliveries will commence from October 2020 and will be completed by April 2023," Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said in Lok Sabha while replying to a question on the contract. India went ahead to seal the deal with Russia not withstanding the US' warnings against it. "The system will provide a very capable air defence coverage to vulnerable areas/vulnerable points," Bhamre said. [China successfully tests S-400 missile air defence system] The US had announced sanctions against Russia under the stringent law for its alleged meddling in the American presidential election in 2016 CAATSA, which came into effect in January, mandates the Donald Trump administration to punish entities engaging in a significant transaction with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia. Defence and strategic affairs expert Major General PK Sehgal told OneIndia that India was virtually defenceless against the incoming aerial attacks. He said that growing proximity between Pakistan and China, especially in defence matters, has emerged as a major concern for India. Maj General Sehgal reiterated what Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa had said about the S-400 systems that it is indeed a gamechanger. "When General VK Singh was chief of the Army staff, he had written an open letter to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the air defence capability of the country was zero. We were defenceless against air strikes. We needed it to protect against cruise missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, against drones, against UAVs, against helicopters and rockets. We must have a system that is best in the world. It is completely a gamechanger as far as Indian sub-continent is concerned," he told OneIndia. [Why India badly needed S-400 air defence systems and how is it a 'gamechanger' in true sense] The reason why Major General PK Sehgal is calling the deal a game changer is because of the multiple intercept missiles the S-400 system can fire. The S-400 supports four different missiles - the very long range 40N6E-series (400 km), the long-range 48N6 (250 km), the 9M96e2 (120 km) and the short-range 9m96e (40 km). It can prioritise the incoming attacks and take action appropriately. OneIndia News with PTI inputs | https://www.oneindia.com/india/when-will-delivery-gamechanger-s-400-missiles-begin-2831058.html?utm_source=/rss/news-india-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.50.225.237&utm_campaign=client-rss |
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Can All Elite Wrestling land Chris Jericho or Kenny Omega? | CLEVELAND, Ohio If youre sick of the same old WWE storylines (or maybe the fact that the champion is NEVER on TV), there may be a wrestling promotion arriving in 2019 to rival the top dog in the industry. Wednesday saw the official announcement of All Elite Wrestling, the much-anticipated new organization created by billionaire Tony Khan, the son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan. The promotion already comes loaded with talent in the form of indie wrestling stars Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks and Hangman Adam Page. Rhodes, who left WWE for a very successful indie run, will also serve as the Executive Vice President of AEW. The promotions first major event, Double or Nothing, will take place on Sept 1. At the Sears Centre in Chicago. The event will serve as a follow up to the All In showcase that grabbed headlines in 2018. More news on AEW will come during a press conference on Jan. 8 in Jacksonville. The promotion is expected to target other indie wrestling stars. But it could require someone like Kenny Omega, whose contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling expires early this year, or free agent Chris Jericho to make real waves. Both are a possibility. Though, Omega is rumored to be meeting with Vince McMahon about potentially joining WWE and having a run similar to that of AJ Styles. | https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/01/can-all-elite-wrestling-land-chris-jericho-or-kenny-omega.html |
How effective is the Shingrix shingles vaccine? | Good news for older adults considering the shingles vaccine: Its extremely effective, and the side-effects are minimal. Q: My older brother suffered from long-lasting pain after shingles. This is something my late mother experienced as well. Consequently, I decided to go ahead and get the Shingrix vaccine. For most people, it seems, the side effects of the vaccine are likely to be less troubling than the suffering resulting from shingles. My wife and I both had the vaccine. We had sore arms, with warmth at the injection site, but that was it. My brother is still receiving care at a pain-control clinic several years after having shingles. I would like to avoid that fate! A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the Shingrix vaccine is about 97 percent effective in people 50 to 69 years old. Effectiveness drops a bit in people over 70, to about 91 percent. Thats still impressive. Protection remains high for at least four years after vaccination. Shingles is a painful rash caused by the virus that causes chickenpox. Sometimes after the rash fades, the patient is left with excruciating nerve pain and tenderness in that area of the skin. That complication is called postherpetic neuralgia. It can be extremely hard to treat. Two doses of Shingrix were 91 percent effective in preventing the development of postherpetic neuralgia, the lasting pain your brother has suffered. Shingrix is given as two shots two to six months apart. At the moment, the vaccine is in short supply, so many people who would like to receive it are having trouble finding it. Individuals who received the older shingles vaccine, Zostavax, at least five years ago can still benefit from the newer Shingrix vaccine. Q: My 13-year-old son has attention deficit disorder. He has been on Actavis generic Concerta OROS system with excellent results. He has made the honor roll and earned straight As for four years running. Last month the pharmacy switched to a different generic. Hes now failing math and is symptomatic. I know Actavis was purchased by TEVA. I contacted TEVA and was told Actavis 27 mg was on back order. No pharmacies in our region have any. The extended-release version works so very well. My son was in tears when he failed his first math test last week. Hes struggling to focus, and it is breaking my heart. A: The osmotic-release oral system (OROS) was approved for Concerta in 2000 and allows for convenient once-daily dosing (CNS Drugs, November 2014). Actavis was selling this under an authorized generic agreement with Janssen, the original maker of Concerta. However, that agreement lapsed at the end of last year. Another generic supplier, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, should be shipping authorized generic methylphenidate early in 2019. Brand-name Concerta is available, though the cost could be around $350 a month. If that is unaffordable, you may have to discuss use of immediate-release methylphenidate with your sons doctor. It sounds as if both you and your son are motivated enough for him to stick with a three-times daily dosing schedule. Three immediate-release pills a day should be as effective as one long-acting Concerta (Pediatrics, June 2001). | https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/how-effective-is-the-shingrix-shingles-vaccine/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
What do those cryptic clues in the Stranger Things teaser tell us? | Stranger Things 3 is coming. Netflix recently announced that the third season of the much-awaited horror drama will drop on 4th July 2019. Advertisement And better still, the streaming service revealed this news in a very intriguing video, one that might contain several clues about upcoming episodes. The short announcement clip shows footage of annual US TV celebration Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve, as the clocks count down to 1985, intercut with text on a retro green-on-black VDU computer screen. And its these cryptic phrases that might reveal some major clues. Here are the best theories When blue and yellow meet in the west This phrase might seem like nonsense, but its actually one that some fans have seen before. In October 2018, the show released a special behind-the-scenes companion book which contained a few lines of morse code that were quickly translated by the Reddit community. Heres what they said Page 22: the week is long Page 62: the silver cat feeds Page 79: when blue and yellow meet Page 80: in the west Page 172: a trip to china sounds nice Page 209: if you tread lightly Okay, it still doesnt make a lot of sense. However, the same Redditors also spotted this could be a reference to the shows previous Starcourt Mall trailer: about 38 seconds into the teaser, you can see a shot of a clock with blue and yellow hands. In a recently-released poster for the third season, Eleven wears blue while Mike is seen in a yellow shirt. Lynx Corp The next glimpse of the VDU screen appears to show somebody accessing a terminal at Lynx Corp before running the programme SilverCatFeeds.exe. It could be a code name for Russia, with Lynxes being wild cats found in the country. At first this might sound a tad farfetched, but remember Stranger Things is set during the Cold War and Eleven was instructed to spy on Soviet meetings by Dr Brenner in the shows first season. Plus, as some have pointed out on Twitter, the Russian word for Eleven () also appears in the background of the airdate video. At this point nobody is quite sure, but were still hoping its a reference to Dustins cat who was eaten by Dart in season 2 (RIP, Mews). Advertisement Stranger Things season 3 will be released 4th July 2019 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-01-02/stranger-things-3-teaser-fan-theories-reddit-lynx-corp-silver-cat-feeds-blue-yellow-west/ |
Could AI counselling be the future of therapy? | Charities are considering switching to so-called woebots to meet the growing demand for mental health treatment Name: Woebots. Age: 52 years. Appearance: Nonjudgmental. Im glad to hear it. In a few words, tell me how youre feeling today. Oh, a bit low, I suppose. I understand that you are feeling a bit low. Tell me more about this. Well Im always a bit sad at the beginning of January when Christmas is over and I have to get back to work. I am sorry to hear about the beginning of January. You feel a bit low because of the beginning of January. Not any more. Now I feel annoyed that youre talking to me like a robot in a call centre. Sorry. I thought it would be a fun way to discuss woebots. Woebots are artificially intelligent software applications that ask people questions to help them with their emotional problems. You always do this. I tell you Im upset and you just ignore my feelings and start talking about some pointless novelty in the news. Actually the first counselling software, called Eliza, was developed as early as 1966. But its true: that some new applications, such as one called Tess and another just called Woebot, offer fresh promise. Yes. But also Aidan Jones, the chief executive of Relate, a relationship counselling charity. Its human counsellors just cant keep up with demand. We have to start to look at what can be done with a non-human interaction, Jones said. Non-human interaction is exactly the problem in our relationship. Well it is true that computers are not a substitute for human counsellors, but they can hold up a mirror to peoples behaviour, which is very helpful in some cases. Id say thats a slightly judgey way to put it. Also, woebots can easily teach many of the skills and principles involved in cognitive behavioural therapy. But mainly theyre just cheap. They are much cheaper than human therapists, its true, but Jones says they have other advantages: Our counsellors tell me that, because it is more anonymous, people will start to explain what their issue is faster. Ive explained my issue many times. Its just that you dont listen. Thats interesting. Do say: If only Id married a robot in the first place. Dont say: Have you tried switching your husband off and on again? | https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/jan/02/woebots-ai-counselling-future-therapy-mental-health |
Why are there no iAlarms and no iSurprises in Apple launches anymore? | The details contained within last week's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C announcement were one of the worst-kept secrets in the history technology, with leaks explaining every detail, that new button, the colour choices and everything Apple else had planned appearing on the internet regularly since Easter. Apple's Chinese suppliers have a problem keeping their mouths shut and their smartphone cameras in the locker rooms. And the feedback from the internet at large has been just as vocal and widespread as the pre-launch leakages, with the endless gossip doing a great job of ensuring absolutely no one was the slightest bit surprised by what Apple had to show. Hence the massive global shrug when Apple expected people to be excited about two things we'd already seen. Here are some of the finest words from the deflated masses. Same as it ever was A lot of the disappointment with Apple's new line stems from the fact that the internet was expecting the iPhone 5C to be a "budget" model that would hopefully sell for a low price, rather than an iPhone 5 in a new plastic case for very nearly as much money. The high price tag put an end to the fantasy of owning a new-ish iPhone on the cheap, and led RAWRscary (nice name) over on Engadget to take a hardcore mocking stance, saying: "I'd love to see how many suckers go buy a 5C when they already have the 5, and not realize they just bought the same exact phone. Frankly what they have done is almost borderline illegal in my opinion. Completely dishonest as it is the same phone with a different name now." Owell on the Guardian was another cynical man sneering from behind the display of his rival-brand mobile hardware, suggesting that: "Maybe 'low-end' just refers to the amount of thoughts, innovations and labour that Apple allocate to the production of this model?" Dangerous people Even when it came to discussing the tangible positive changes, like the extra battery capacity in the iPhone 5S, people weren't exactly what you'd call besides themselves with praise for Apple. The internet's incredible capacity to find something wrong with everything was perfectly summarised by Anandtech reader Jasonelmore, who managed to moan about a phone having a better battery life, whining that: "This will mean charging times will increase." Yes, and carrying an amazing supercomputer in your pocket means having to put your keys in a different pocket, Mr First World Problems. As ever, the "Worst rated" section of the Daily Mail comments section ironically featured the best feedback, with clueless people from all over the world gathering to trade clichs. Reader Zed, who visits from Cape Town because there's not enough anger on his own regional bit of the internet, came out with this classic anti-Android comment: "Shut up haters! Either you can afford or not! If not keep quite [sic] and go to Samsung!" Although using cost as a critical battering ram isn't a great idea, as the prices of Samsung's enormo-phones often outstrip that of even Apple's flagship models. Gazman offered more Samsung hate, adding: "I absolutely love it and I'm going to get both. How long will it be before Sam-dung copy Apple with the fingerprint scanner and the colours?" Sam-dung. Brilliant. It's hard to tell with Mail readers. Prints and the new power generation The other modern hot potato of surveillance naturally reared its head over at Lifehacker, with Alexke saying (through several layers of anonymised proxy servers) that: "Isn't it great. Now the NSA gets even the fingerprints together with all other data for free. It is really surprising that no one sees this." It seems to me we have been down this path before." And we'll be off down the same inevitable Apple path again within months, as Battlefield Fan over on MacRumours neatly summarised the world's newfound disdain for Apple launches: "Yawn... When do the iPhone 6 rumours start?" Doesn't he or anybody at Apple think it might be a good idea to have him wear something a little bit less distracting so the viewer can concentrate on what he's saying and on the product?" | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/computing/apple/why-are-there-no-ialarms-and-no-isurprises-in-apple-launches-anymore-1181133 |
What could the EuroMillions winner buy with their 115m jackpot? | A UK ticket-holder scooped 115 million in the first EuroMillions draw of 2019. Here, we take a look at some of the options: There could be a lot of polish needed on all those Rolls Royces (PA) 319 of the latest Rolls Royce Phantom VIII, which has a starting price of 360,000. 23,740 annual season tickets from Brighton to London, which cost 4,844 following Wednesdays 3.1% price hike. 575 tickets to space with Virgin Galactic. Sir Richard Bransons company plans to charge just under 200,000 for the trip. Product Red iPhone XR is a mighty good looking phone pic.twitter.com/GgJPx85uFD Martyn Landi (@MartynLandi) September 12, 2018 153,538 iPhone XRs. The Apple handset costs 749 1,939 nights in the Royal Penthouse Suite at Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland. The most expensive suite in the world costs 75,000 US dollars (59,279.47) per night. Pay Cristiano Ronaldos Juventus contract for more than four years. The deal was worth 510,483 a week when he signed in 2018. Ronaldo could be yours for four years (PA) 460 dresses worn by Kate Middleton at her wedding in 2011. The outfit, by Sarah Burton, set the soon-to-be duchess back 250,000 Pay the starting salary for at least 5,758 police constables in England for 19,971 each. | https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/national/17330695.what-could-the-euromillions-winner-buy-with-their-115m-jackpot/?ref=rss |
Who would win between Mourinho and Fergusons Man Utd squads in FIFA 19? | One of the biggest stories in football last year was Jose Mourinho being sacked from his manager position with Manchester United in mid-December. Mourinho would surely emphasize he is still one of the greatest managers of all time despite his sacking. Thanks to FIFA 19, we can do just that. FIFA YouTuber S2G did such an experiment when he had Mourinhos United roster face off against Sir Alex Fergusons United, the same star-studded lineup that won the 2008 Champions League, in an all-or-nothing AI-controlled match. Sir Alex Fergusons side featured a slew of iconic players, such as Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez manning the front lines and Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo up on the left wing. To keep the simulation realistic, S2G had the squad go with a 4-4-2 formation. Up against them is the current United squad utilizing a 4-2-3-1 formation with Romelu Lukaku up front and Paul Pogba as the attacking midfielder. Just one look at the lineups alone would surely give the impression that things are not going to go well for the already embattled Mourinho. The game started off with Mourinhos side surprisingly taking early by getting some quick shots off. However, the star factors of Sir Fergusons squad quickly got to work with Ronaldo pulling off an unlikely goal to put his team up, 1-0. In the second half, Mourinhos team seemed to lack some much-needed energy and motivation to equalize the match. The game closed out with a few more shot attempts from both sides but no goals made, as Fergusons United walked away with the 1-0 win. Check out the full match below: | https://www.foxsportsasia.com/esports/fifa19/1010231/who-would-win-between-mourinho-and-fergusons-man-u-squads-in-fifa-19/ |
Can real estate firm be held liable for Harrisburg-area Realtors $2.7M scam against immigrants? | Last month, a Dauphin County judge ordered a Harrisburg-based real estate agent and her boyfriend to pay $2.7 million to three immigrant Vietnamese investors who claimed the couple scammed them. Round 2 of that legal battle over the activities of Realtor Luu Dang is scheduled to commence next month. Judge Andrew H. Dowling, the same judge who issued the $2.7 million award, has scheduled a civil trial for February on one investors lawsuit against Century 21 at the Helm, Dangs former employer. Noi The Le claims that firm is liable for Les losses in the investment scam because Century 21 officials did not properly supervise Dang as required by the state Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act. This one is equally severe, Les attorney, James S. Tupitza said, comparing the action against Century 21 at the Helm to the case Dowling decided against Dang in December. Its as serious as a heart attack. The insurer (of Century 21 at the Helm) has offered zero. Les court battle with Century 21 at the Helm has been going on for four years. Dowling earlier rejected a bid by the firms lawyer, Thomas J. Gregory, to have the case dismissed on statute of limitations grounds. Tupitza contends the scam was conducted between 2006 and 2011. He filed the case against the real estate firm the same year he lodged Les separate civil complaint against Dang. In court filings, Gregory has denied Century 21 at the Helm or its insurer should be held responsible for covering Les claim for losses. Dang conducted the scam on her own, not as part of the firms real estate team, Gregory contended. Nor, he insisted, did company officials know of Dangs outside activities. Gregorys contentions dovetail with comments the firms proprietor, state Rep. Sue Helm, made to PennLive after Dowling issued his December ruling against Dang and her paramour An Andy Trong Vo. Helm said no one at the firm had any hint Dang was doing anything improper and that there were no indications of any problems with the real estate work Dang did for her agency. Dowling found in his December ruling that Dang and Vo ran their con through several companies they founded G-7 Investments, G-9 Enterprises, G-21 Properties and LLV Properties Group. Dang convinced Le and another Vietnamese couple, Ba and Lehoang Nguyen, to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy dilapidated Harrisburg properties at tax and sheriffs sales and then renovate them, the judge found. He said money would then be obtained by refinancing and renting the properties. Dang and Vo told the investors they were becoming rich on the deals. Instead, Dowling found the pair were improperly siphoning off the investors money for their own use. The judge concluded, among other things, that Dang and Vo intentionally breached the fiduciary duties they owed the investors and that Dang violated the ethics, disclosure and money handling obligations of her status as a state-licensed Realtor. No appeal of Dowlings December ruling awarding the investors $2.7 million had been filed as of Wednesday. Le and the Nguyens have both filed judgments in county court against Dang, Vo and their companies. | https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/01/can-local-real-estate-firm-be-held-liable-for-harrisburg-area-realtors-27m-scam-against-immigrant-vietnamese-investors.html |
Are Animals Getting Better at Acting? | The movie had a dead cat problem. As the director Marielle Heller prepared to shoot Can You Ever Forgive Me?, a biopic about the literary forger Lee Israel, she knew that she would need a highly realistic prop to pull off the pivotal scene where Israel finds her beloved pet cat, Jersey, dead. Heller wanted a dead cat with heft. She wanted an inanimate object that her star, Melissa McCarthy, could act against. I was really intense about it, Heller said over the phone recently. We discussed strategy a number of times. So important was the dead cat that Heller sought to secure it even before casting the films real live Jersey. Shed just find a feline that looked like her wonderful prop. On her first film, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, she had saved money by tossing her own cat, Willie, in front of the camera. So when the movies animal trainer promised to bring in what she called her highest-performing cat, Heller wasnt sure what that could mean. The cats name was Towne. He was a lanky black and white guy with green eyes and a petal pink nose, and to everyones surprise, he was amazing . Yes, he followed directions hitting his marks with the help of a trainer equipped with a clicker and a laser pointer but he also seemed to do something more. Towne had a very expressive face, Heller said. There is a moment in the film where he gazes toward McCarthy sort of sympathetically, and also judgmentally, and you feel all of that, she added. Heller ended up commissioning a prop modeled after Towne that cost thousands of dollars the most expensive one for the production. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/movies/animals-acting-movies-tv.html |
Will Narendra Modi contest 2019 Lok Sabha election from Puri? | According to senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pradip Purohit, there is 90 per cent possibility of the Prime Minister contesting from the seat in Odisha. A final decision on the same, however, is yet to be taken by the partys Parliamentary board. According to reports, a proposal in this regard was given by the Odisha BJP unit to Prime Minister Modi in October 2018 itself. Speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, senior Odisha lawmaker Purohit said, One cannot rule out the prime minister contesting from Puri. There is 90 per cent possibility of the PM contesting from Puri seatThe prime minister loves the people of Odisha and has an attachment with Puri. Therefore, he may prefer this seat for the next elections. The sentiments was echoed by Puri district president of the BJP, Prabhanjan Mohapatra, who said that the central leadership of the party had been taking stock of situation in the area on a regular basis. BJP's Puri district president Prabhanjan Mohapatra said: "I think Modi will contest from Puri Lok Sabha seat. This is because the central BJP leadership has been taking stock of the situation of the area on regular basis." Notably, in October 2018, senior BJP leaders, including Dharmendra Pradhan and Smriti Irani, had held discussions in Odisha about the possible candidature of Prime Minister during Lok Sabha elections 2019 from Puri. If Prime Minister Modi decides to contest the election from Puri, he will be the second sitting Prime Minister to test his political fortune from Odisha. In 1996, the then Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao had contested the Lok Sabha elections from Berhampur in Odisha and won the same. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Modi was elected from Varanasi, where Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal had contested against him. The Congress had fielded local leader Ajay Rai. | http://zeenews.india.com/india/will-narendra-modi-contest-2019-lok-sabha-election-from-puri-2167529.html |
Did IoT cyberattacks cause NY power transformers to explode? | Officials blamed a power surge for the blackout on Dec 28th, 2018 that left LaGuardia airport in the dark for about 45 minutes and grounding flights. A look at the trend of power outages at American airports shows a disturbing pattern and possibly sinister cause. Background Attacking an adversarys infrastructure is asymmetrical warfare. It causes a lot of damage for a very small cost. Cyberattacks are an ideal weapon as they disguise who might be behind them, making retaliation much harder. Attacks on the power grid for airports are especially devastating as they ground flights, stranding passengers and disrupting business nationwide. Just take a look at recent power outages: The New York Times reported in March 2018 of possible Russian cyberattacks on US power plants. Forensic analysis suggested that Russian spies were looking for inroads although it was not clear whether the goal was to conduct espionage or sabotage, or to trigger an explosion of some kind. A Symantec report noted that a Russian hacking unit appears to be interested in both learning how energy facilities operate and also gaining access to operational systems themselves, to the extent that the group now potentially has the ability to sabotage or gain control of these systems. BlackIoT: How to disrupt the power grid with an IoT appliance botnet Princeton University researchers Saleh Soltan, Prateek Mittal, and H. Vincent Poor explained how a botnet of high wattage appliances could do this at the 27th USENIX Security Symposium. They explain how hackers could use compromised appliances to turn on and off creating an artificial demand for power, tripping generators and causing blackouts. Whats terrifying about this is that the attack vector is low security home appliances rather than more secure power infrastructure. Power grid operators typically assume that power demands are predictable: consumers collectively behave similarly to how they did in the past and under similar conditions. However, with the proliferation of IoT devices and their poor security measures this isnt a safe assumption. An IoT botnet of high wattage devices (such as air conditioners and heaters) lets adversaries launch large-scale coordinated attacks on the power grid. Such Manipulation of Demand via IoT (MadIoT) attacks use botnets to manipulate the power demand in the grid. Many of these devices are controlled with mobile apps and home assistants such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. Hacker can manipulate the power demand and cause large scale black outs by compromising these home assistants. These MadIoT attacks manipulate power loads which are much less protected than the power grids Supervisory Control and Data Acquisitions (SCADA) system. Even a small increase in the demands may result in line overloads and failures. These initial line failures may consequently result in further line failures or as it is called, a cascading failure. An abrupt increase or decrease in the power demands by simultaneously switching on or off many high wattage IoT devices results in an imbalance between the supply and demand. This imbalance instantly results in a sudden drop in the systems frequency. Generators trip and can causes a large-scale blackout if the imbalance is greater than the systems threshold. IoT security standards The Princeton research paper explains that MadIoT attacks are hard to protect against because: The power grid operator only sees demand in aggregate from millions of users. This makes it hard to detect and disconnect the compromised appliances that are causing the artificial demand. An adversary can easily repeat the attack when the power is restarted. This could cause persistent blackouts. MadIoT is a black box attack where detailed knowledge of a power grid isnt needed. Just faking the demand is enough to cause overload situations. One would expect the government to act quickly on IoT security guidelines in the face of such persistent and devastating cyberattacks. That isnt the case. Matt Leonard reports in FCW how Senators Mark Warner and Cory Gardner introduced the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017. The bill prohibits agencies from acquiring IoT devices and sensors that aren't patchable and that don't have changeable passwords. So far, the bill hasn't received a hearing or a vote in the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal procurement and cybersecurity. The security recommendations from the IoT Security Foundation are a good framework for such guidelines. They advocate for a Hub based security which factors is new IoT devices being installed. The Hub device acts as a central point for trust and IoT environment management. It also makes use of existing security features such as update mechanisms and adds an additional layer of security to the IoT environment such as traffic monitoring and lifecycle management. The Hub device achieves this by communicating with network elements such as routers, protocol bridges, and IoT devices, aggregating information to offer support to home IoT administrators. It may also act as a gateway, enabling information sharing between the home IoT environment and other networks or entities, such as the IoT solution provider. This would potentially protect high wattage devices being compromised by hackers to manipulate power demands and cause blackouts. So, bringing down our essential electric grid may be made easier with all of our new interconnected devices. Asymmetrical warfare. So far, no U.S. agency or entity has taken the lead on developing standard or guidelines for IoT security. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), along with Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), introduced the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017. The bill prohibits agencies from acquiring IoT devices and sensors that aren't patchable and that don't have changeable passwords. So far, the bill hasn't received a hearing or a vote in the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal procurement and cybersecurity. Federal agencies must consider that IoT presents challenges in achieving those [cybersecurity] outcomes or there are challenges that IoT may present in achieving security controls -- and we wanted to highlight those, Katerina Megas, program manager for NIST's Cybersecurity for Internet of Things program, told FCW at the Internet of Things Global Summit on Oct. 4. Cyberattacks Put Russian Fingers on the Switch at Power Plants, U.S. Says The U.S. has gone on record saying Russia was behind recent power plant failures. Forensic analysis suggested that Russian spies were looking for inroads although it was not clear whether the goal was to conduct espionage or sabotage, or to trigger an explosion of some kind. In a report made public in October, Symantec noted that a Russian hacking unit appears to be interested in both learning how energy facilities operate and also gaining access to operational systems themselves, to the extent that the group now potentially has the ability to sabotage or gain control of these systems should it decide to do so. I see 2018 as a ramp-up to 2020, said Laura Rosenberger, the director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund. Ms. Rosenberger, a former State Department official, has been leading one of the most comprehensive efforts to track and expose foreign influence in American elections. The security challenges facing IoT devices are much more difficult to deal with. There are many ways an adversary can access a smart appliance. An adversary can directly get access to the device, or get access to the mobile phone, tablet, or a thermostat that controls that device, or with the ubiquity of digital home assistant devices such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home, an adversary can control smart appliances by getting access to these devices. Any of these devices can be a breaching point for an adversary. Hence, coherent security measures are needed to protect almost all the devices within a home network against an adversary. Thus, in the IoT side, more research is required to study the vulnerability of IoT devices and networks, and to protect them against cyberattacks. We have revealed a new class of attacks on the power grid using an IoT botnet called Manipulation of demand via IoT (MadIoT) attacks. We have demonstrated via state-of-the-art simulators that these attacks can result in local outages as well as large scale blackouts in the power grid depending on the scale of the attack as well as the operational properties of the grid. BlackIoT: IoT botnet of high wattage devices can disrupt the power grid Authors: Saleh Soltan, Prateek Mittal, and H. Vincent Poor, Princeton University Abstract: We demonstrate that an Internet of Things (IoT) botnet of high wattage devicessuch as air conditioners and heatersgives a unique ability to adversaries to launch large-scale coordinated attacks on the power grid. In particular, we reveal a new class of potential attacks on power grids called the Manipulation of demand via IoT (MadIoT) attacks that can leverage such a botnet in order to manipulate the power demand in the grid. Power grid security standards are all based on the assumption that the power demand can be predicted reliably on an hourly and daily basis [62]. Power grid operators typically assume that power consumers collectively behave similarly to how they did in the past and under similar conditions (e.g., time of the day, season, and weather). However, with the ubiquity of IoT devices and their poor security measures (as shown in [12]), we demonstrate that this is no longer a safe assumption. There has been a recent trend in producing Wi-Fi enabled high wattage appliances such as air conditioners, water heaters, ovens, and space heaters that can now be controlled remotely and via the Internet [3] (for the power consumption of these devices see Table 1). Even older appliances can be remotely controlled by adding Wi-Fi enabled peripherals such as Tado [8] and Aquanta [2]. A group of these devices can also be controlled remotely or automatically using smart thermostats or home assistants such as Amazon Echo [1] or Google Home [4]. Hence, once compromised, any of these devices can be used to control high wattage appliances remotely by an adversary to manipulate the power demand. In this paper, we reveal a new class of potential attacks called the Manipulation of demand via IoT (MadIoT) attacks that allow an adversary to disrupt the power grids normal operation by manipulating the total power demand using compromised IoT devices (see Fig. 1). These attacks, in the extreme case, can cause large scale blackouts. An important characteristic of MadIoT attacks is that unlike most of previous attacks on the power grid, they do not target the power grids Supervisory Control And Data Acquisitions (SCADA) system but rather the loads that are much less protected as in load-altering attacks studied in [11, 41]. This article is published as part of the IDG Contributor Network. | https://www.networkworld.com/article/3330646/internet-of-things/did-iot-cyberattacks-cause-ny-power-transformers-to-explode.html |
Who Is Rachel Friend on Netflixs Tidying up with Marie Kondo? | Where to Stream: Tidying Up With Marie Kondo More Options Netflixs streak of feel-good reality continues into 2019 with Tidying Up, the reality show that takes a totally zen approach to the usually panic-inducing clean-up genre. Host Marie Kondo enters the messy homes with just her translator and a love for tidying in tow. Like magic, Kondo instructs the cluttered couples in the way of the KonMari method, a tidying up approach that prioritizes keeping only the things that spark joy in their owner. Keep the shirt that makes you feel like a million bucks, and toss the million shirts you bought just because they were a buck. The first episode, Tidying with Toddlers, lays out Kondos entire KonMari method as she works with a young couple thats trying to reconnect after devoting all their energy to wrangling two young children. The couple, Rachel and Kevin Friend, admit that theyve grown apart as theyve become consumed with keeping up with their kids, and keeping the house in order has fallen down on their priorities list. Since a lot of people are discovering Tidying Up, lets talk about this first episode and answer some questions that seem to be dominating Google. Rachel and her husband Kevin are the couple at the heart of the first episode of Tidying Up. Theyve been married for 5 years and have two young children, Jaxon and Ryan. Also yes, their last name really is Friend! Rachel and Kevin are friends, and they are also married, and they are also the Friend family. She is not! Rachel Friend isnt exactly a common sounding name, but it isnt uncommon either. Rachel shares her name with another Rachel Friend, one who starred in the popular Australian soap opera Neighbors from 1988 to 1990. Since then, the other Rachel Friend has gone on to become a TV presenter on Australias Seven Network, hosting the shows Mums and Bubs and New Idea TV. This Rachel Friend is not that Rachel Friend. Our Rachel Friend has her hands full keeping up with two toddlers; she does not have time to moonlight as a TV anchor on the other side of the globe. Correct. You can follow the further adventures of Rachel Friend and the Friend family on Instagram where she shares advice on parenting and encourages other parents of special needs kids to seek out the help they need. Considering how telegenic and natural she is in front of a camera, it probably shouldnt come as a surprise to learn that Rachel works as a professor teaching interpersonal communication. She knows how to communicate! And now thanks to Marie Kondo, she also knows how to fold laundry up into teeny tiny rectangles. Stream Tidying Up with Marie Kondo "Tidying with Toddlers" on Netflix | https://decider.com/2019/01/02/rachel-friend-tidying-up-marie-kondo/ |
Could City be about to change their January transfer window plans? | Daniel Farke has plenty to ponder in January after the Christmas schedule. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Alex Tettey requires treatment at Brentford Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd Alex Tettey requires treatment at Brentford Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd The festive period hasnt been the kindest to Norwich City from an injury point of view. Whilst the Canaries have demonstrated a spirit that could make or break a promotion season, theres no getting away from the fact physios at Colney are being kept very busy after four games in the space of 10 days. There has been a lovely balance to Farkes squad this season, which has meant that whenever one player has been unavailable there has been someone to step in and take their opportunity. However, fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that the latest duo to be afflicted by injury in Alex Tettey and Marco Stiepermann are only short term issues otherwise City may have to reconsider whether they can afford to adopt only a watching brief in January. City head coach Daniel Farke will provide a fitness update on Marco Stiepermann on Friday. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images City head coach Daniel Farke will provide a fitness update on Marco Stiepermann on Friday. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images MORE: Farke bemoans ref justice at Brentford The brutal nature of the festive fixture calendar has taken a toll on City how much will determine whether Stuart Webber and Daniel Farke feel it needs supplementing this month. Its not easy either. There is a growing sense inside and outside the club that this really could be Citys season and that will inevitably impact upon which players the club are targeting. Holstein Kiel winger Kingsley Schindler was linked with a move to Carrow Road last August and perhaps City could be tempted to take advantage of the fact this contract at the Bundesliga II side runs out this summer. But then again when City were interested in the 25-year-old it was very much with a Championship brief in mind. City recruitment strategy has been imaginative there will be a few Premier League bosses wondering why their scouting departments didnt pick up on a player like Emi Buendia whilst Farke is developing a reputation for rehabilitating a player that has lost his way through injury or loss of form. Oliver Burke has been out of favour at West Brom this season. Picture: Focus Images Oliver Burke has been out of favour at West Brom this season. Picture: Focus Images West Brom winger Oliver Burke would appear to be someone that could be primed for a bit of the Farke treatment to get his career back on track in the same way that the likes of Moritz Leitner and Tom Trybull have rediscovered their mojo. Whether the Baggies would be willing to part with a player to a promotion rival is unlikely though. MORE: Paddy Davitts Brentford verdict City would of course be keen not to upset the dynamic theyve established in the dressing room this season so bringing in a Premier League player, even on loan, is unlikely. City old boy Jacob Murphy can therefore be scratched off your list with Derby reportedly keen to offer him the game time (and salary) hes missing out on at Newcastle. The reality is that Norwich are likely to keep their powder dry in the hope that Buendia and Leitner can be back before the end of the month whilst Kenny McLean and Louis Thompson would be very welcome returnees this month. More likely will be the strengthening of the Under-23s squad with Simon Power and Adam Phillips set to spend the rest of the season on loan at Dutch second tier side FC Dordrecht. It all adds a bit of spice to the FA Cup third round tie at home to Portsmouth this weekend. A few of the shadow men are likely to be given an opportunity how much they take it may just determine how busy City are this window. | https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/could-norwich-city-change-their-january-transfer-window-plans-1-5837495 |
How much money do pop stars make from Christmas hits? | "It looks as if it's never going to go away," Slade's Jim Lea told the Guardian in 2011 about Merry Xmas Everybody, which he co-wrote with Noddy Holder. "It could be here in 200 years' time. I think it's because of the way the melody lilts around and it's got a happy-sad feel. It sounds nostalgic." The 1973 hit certainly shows no signs of going away in 2018, perhaps because, as Noddy told the BBC in 2009: "To me, it doesn't date - it seems to me as if it sounded as though it was recorded yesterday." Guesstimate yearly revenue: According to the Daily Mail, citing a 2016 Channel 5 programme, Eamonn & Ruth: A Million Pound Christmas, Merry Xmas Everybody is the top-selling seasonal tune and could bring in as much as a staggering 1m a year. Previously, in 2015, they suggested the track makes half of that. Jim told the Guardian, "I'm comfortable, that's the best way to put it," whereas Noddy told the BBC: "It is definitely a pension plan, yes. It was never designed to be that way but it has taken on a life of its own, definitely... It's been used for adverts, it's been used in movies, it's been used for all sorts of things." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/13e864b9-2945-4a4f-970c-52b18731b3f1 |
Did these pop stars actually change the course of history? | The story: Nearly 30 years on from the fall of the Berlin Wall, David Hasselhoff's name is still "inextricably - bizarrely - intertwined with that of the Berlin Wall", according to the Guardian. The story goes that the hunk in trunks, sensing the wind of change, recorded the zeitgeist-y Looking for Freedom (a cover of song from 1978, but don't let that detail get in the way). The song held down the No.1 spot in Germany for eight weeks in 1989, and eventually inspired thousands of East Germans to start climbing over the wall. Hasselhoff himself is sure of his place in history, telling Spielfilm magazine in 2004 that he found it "a bit sad that there is no photo of me hanging on the walls in the Berlin Museum at Checkpoint Charlie". The verdict: Hasselhoff's famous gig at the Brandenburg Gate on New Year's Eve 1989 came nearly two months after Germans began travelling from East to West in their thousands. What's more, the song Looking for Freedom would have been banned and unavailable in the GDR. "And yet I would argue that a pop song is like a perfume, in the sense that when one encounters it after many years it has the capacity to take you right back to where you were the last time you encountered it. So the Hoff's song embeds him in the fabric of history, as experienced by those who were present." Like us on Facebook, on Instagram, or follow us on Twitter | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/e505acd9-3cff-4bd5-9b64-bd4d7a44ef62 |
Are these bizarre music myths too good to be true? | The myth: The early-90s were a difficult time for Kate Bush, who suffered a number of personal losses as well as the end of her relationship with long-term partner Del Palmer. She had originally planned her 1993 album The Red Shoes with the intention of touring for the first time since 1979, but by the time it was released, she needed a break and vanished from the public eye. Her record label, EMI, reportedly had no idea what she was doing - until years later, when an executive was summoned to her house to inspect whatever top-secret project has been occupying her time. On arrival, Bush pulled a tray of cakes out of the oven and plonked them down, declaring: "Here's what I've been working on!" The truth: When Bush finally re-emerged from her 12-year hiatus in 2005, with her album Aerial, she was asked by the Guardian whether the cake story really happened. "No!" replied Bush. "I don't know where that came from. I thought that was quite funny actually. It presents me as this homely creature, which is alright, isn't it?" | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/4c17cd5b-0471-49cb-9b6b-884b7f2c8e3e |
When will Poldark series five air on BBC One? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email After a heartbreaking end to season four - die-hard fans hope that Poldark will back on our screens soon. The Cornwall-based period drama is expected to make its comeback for a fifth and final series later this year. But ahead of the return of Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark the BBC has released a sneak peak of the upcoming episodes. In the minute-long trailer, which also features shots from Luther, Killing Eve 2, Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty, there are several shots of the Poldark cast. One sees Ross sword fighting an unknown male while in another clip he stares longingly into the distance. Given that these snippets have been released already it is expected the highly-anticipated final season will be on our screens very soon. Since its inception, Poldark has had varied air dates for its series'. The first and second started in in spring and autumn, respectively, but last season saw it released in June. (Image: PA Photo/BBC/Mammoth Screen) Writer Debbie Horsfield recently revealed how she will be approaching the final season. The Poldark saga was created over 12 novels by Winston Graham. After the seventh novel, The Angry Tide, on which series four was based, Winston Graham left a gap of ten years before the eighth novel, The Stranger from the Sea, begins. Following the cliffhanging end to series four there has been international speculation as to where the next series will take the Poldarks... Horsfield said: "In The Stranger from the Sea, Winston Graham made many references to developments that happened in the 'gap' years. Join our showbiz news Facebook group - Celebrity Spotting Cornwall We've set up a dedicated Facebook group for our celeb and TV content. In the Cornwall Celebrity Spotting group, you'll find the latest showbiz news, gossip, photos and videos from Cornwall Live. Plus there'll be famous sightings in Cornwall and the secret luxury spots loved by some of the county's most famous fans. Find us at Cornwall Celebrity Spotting and click join. "Much can also be inferred. There are, of course, also historical events and people of the time, both in Cornwall and in London. Series five will draw on all of these to follow the lives of the Poldarks, George Warleggan, the Enyses, and the Carnes in this intervening period." | https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/celebs-tv/poldark-series-five-air-bbc-2382869 |
Where are the winners at Everton FC? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email The last thing Leicester wanted to do was play at 12.30pm on New Years Day away from home - but Everton made them as welcome as they could've hoped for really. We all know how Leicester play away from home, sitting back and waiting for a counter-attack with Jamie Vardys pace. Once again, Evertons players fell into a trap and didn't seem able to get out of it . I cant get my head around why we always let the opposition do what they want to do, don't try and mix things up but rather just play the same football, backwards and sideways, hoping it's going to get different results. There are excuses such as the fact that weve had less rest time than anyone else in the Premier League and there have been new players coming in who arent used to playing over the Christmas period but we've become over-reliant on the same players and during the Leicester game, centre-back Kurt Zouma was playing like our midfield dynamo in the second half! We seem to be lacking when it comes to having a will to win. We seem happy to trot about, its Everton Football Club, I dont care how your mentality was at the club before and how that might have been good enough but its not good enough for Everton and youve got to show that will to win. Were lacking winners - not leaders - I cant see a player on that pitch who is going to get the team going, get hold of the ball and try and do something different. If youre doing the same old thing and its not working, its not going to work. We can see what theyre trying to do and its all too obvious and a lot of players are going missing. Jimmy Martin (the kit manager) has probably had his easiest Christmas ever, there are a few shirts there he can just hang back up on the peg and put them back because theyre not dirty. (Image: Getty Images) Thats the most frustrating part. As a punter, as a fan going to the game you want to see passion. Yes we know were not the best team in the league but we want to see a will to win, a bit of passion from the players and thats what is lacking. Things arent going our way and that kills confidence and belief. Thats happened over the Christmas period, it feels like the Everton of last year or the year before. Marco Silva has inherited a squad that isnt good enough and has only had one transfer window to try and rectify that but when youre not good enough youve got to show passion and desire to win games - especially at Goodison Park - Ive never known it to be so quiet. Apart from the Burnley game, the performances over the festive period have been woeful. (Image: Getty Images) I know he might not want to and its not his thing but its not working for us with him not saying anything. When decisions arent going your way, you want to give referees that second thought and I dont see many of our players arguing. When Calvert-Lewin had his goal disallowed against Tottenham , the referee had his whistle in his mouth ready for it. Were too soft and accepting of things. When youre struggling you need every bit of help you can get. Our decision-making is all wrong (Image: Getty Images) Every time weve made a mistake weve been punished, you need to help your team-mates out. The situation for Leicesters goal shouldnt even have happened. Kasper Schmeichel did a throw, Theo Walcott headed it the wrong way - probably scared that hes going to get his haircut messed up - Michael Keane made the wrong choice and one versus one for Jamie Vardy, thats all hes been waiting for all the game. Hes clinical and thats the opposite to how Everton are playing. We let teams off the hook by passing it backwards and sideways instead of going for the jugular. Thats great when youre winning two or three nil but youre at Goodison - youve got to go forward and get shots on target and get the crowd going. Were waiting for someone to step up to the plate and passing the buck again. It was the start of 2019 and a chance to put the disappointments of December behind us and we threw in a performance like that. We got away with it in the first half and there was a chance for a rollicking but then we just came out and did exactly the same thing after the break. There are some players in the starting XI who are not meriting starting a game. There are four or five who are getting an opportunity to play and no matter what there performance is, theyre back on the teamsheet the following match. Football is all about making decisions. There are lots of players around the world - even in the parks in the Sunday Leagues - who are technically very good footballers but the difference at the top is decision-making. (Image: Getty Images) Its all about who can make the decisions the quickest and make the right choices. For me were making the wrong choices at the wrong times and its not just Walcott, I dont like singling him out. When Theo was one v one he was passing it but when there were two he was trying to take them on and Richarlison was doing the same. If Theo is one v one then leave him one v one because if Im a full-back Id be scared - thats the last thing I want him to do at me. Bernard came on, did his job which is take the full-back on and put the ball into the box and the forward players were all standing there surprised even though we had three strikers on the pitch at that time in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Cenk Tosun and Richarlison. Not one of them broke their neck to try and get on the end of the cross and get us back into the game. Theres no belief in their team-mates, you should trust your team-mates to do their job. Were doing the opposite thing to what youre taught to do. When youre in possession youre supposed to make the pitch big whereas when your opponents have it you should make it tight but when we get the ball, Walcott is running into Richarlison and Sigurdssons space so if you lose the ball its so tight that three or four players are out of position and were wide open. I doubt it very much. It only takes a mistake and theyre clean through. It only takes a couple of passes and Leicester are one v one whereas we make 40 passes and might get a throw-in. | https://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/winners-everton-fc-15621271 |
Has ULM found its identity entering Sun Belt play? | CLOSE Richard high on ULM's athletic collection of guards going into basketball season. Adam Hunsucker/The News-Star Buy Photo ULM's Travis Munnings (1) leads the Warhawks with 6.8 rebounds per game and averaged 13.8 points, tied for second on the team. (Photo: Nicolas Galindo/The News-Star)Buy Photo It wouldnt be the holiday season if Keith Richard wasnt tinkering. Lineups, sets and substitutions are always subject to change before Louisiana-Monroe makes the January leap into Sun Belt Conference play. With the meat of the schedule weighing on ULM like a leftover Christmas ham, Richard would like to be further along in the process. That doesnt mean he isnt happy with the results. After a touch-and-go stretch in November, namely on the injury front, the Warhawks (7-5) open conference play at home against Little Rock on Thursday night with their best nonconference showing in Richards nine seasons as mens basketball coach. Its been a little unusual, Richard said. We stalled a little bit in terms of our development because of some injuries, but were starting to get a good feel for what were doing and who needs to do what for our team to be successful. A hamstring injury kept guard Daishon Smith sidelined during a three-game road stretch at Texas, Michigan State and Tennessee Tech. ULM cruised to a 4-2 record in December with Smith back on the floor, the only losses in that stretch coming at Ole Miss and LSU. The Warhawks have a legitimate Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate in Smith, who leads the team with 18.4 points per game and ranks second in the conference in 3-point percentage (.458) and made 3-point field goals per game (3). Im just trying to help the team in any way I can, said Smith, a senior transfer from Wichita State. If that means being the leading scorer or facilitating for other guys, Im fine with that. Versatility was one of the highlights of the nonconference season. Smith, guard Michael Ertel (13.8), forward Travis Munnings (13.8) and JUCO addition JD Williams (11) have each led the team in scoring in at least one game. ULM leads the Sun Belt in free-throw percentage (.751), and in a welcomed surprise, is the conferences best from the 3-point shooting team (.403). We shot it so well from the 3-point line so well last year and we didnt expect to have that again, Richard said. Scoring inside the 3-point line has been a problem at times but some of that had to do with Daishon being out. Weve got a bunch of guys that can play multiple positions and hopefully we can continue to use that and address some problem areas we have. The biggest issue is a lack of size that has hindered the Warhawks on the glass. While forward Andre Washington ranks second in the Sun Belt in offensive rebounds (2.6 per game), ULMs overall rebounding margin (-4.5) sits at second to last in the conference. Help could be coming in February if junior forward Youry White, a 6-8 JUCO addition, is cleared to return. White, a Baton Rouge-native, was thought to be out for the season after tearing his meniscus in preseason practice. Sophomore Ty Shelby, a 6-4 defensive end from the football team, joined the basketball roster in December. We have a lot of very fast and athletic guys and weve been able to use that to our advantage, Munnings said. Hopefully that will continue and Im excited about what we can do as a team this season. Know A Foe: Little Rock Little Rock (5-8) comes to Fant-Ewing Coliseum with 6-5 guard Rayjon Tucker, the Sun Belts current leading scorer. Tucker, a transfer from Florida Gulf Coast, averages 20.8 points per game in a conference-leading 36.7 minutes per game. Guards Jaizec Lottie, a sophomore, and Markquis Nowell, a freshman, average four assists. The Trojans play at one of the fastest paces in the Sun Belt at 77.6 possessions on average, scoring 78.6 points and allowing 78.2 points. First-year Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker was hired in March from Clark Atlanta University, where he was 45-18 in two seasons with back-to-back NCAA Division II tournament appearances. The 12th overall selection in the 1983 NBA Draft out of Arkansas, Walker played professionally for 11 seasons. He spent 16 years in the NBA as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks and won 56 games as the head coach of the Raptors and Washington Wizards. Follow Adam on Twitter @adam_hunsucker Sun Belt Men's Basketball Standings | https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/sports/college/ulm/2019/01/02/has-ulm-found-its-identity-entering-sun-belt-play/2462592002/?from=new-cookie |
Did these 6 artists have us fooled about their pasts? | "You're born with, you know, the wrong name, the wrong parents," said Dylan in 2004, according to Classic Rock. "I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself." Born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Wyoming in 1941, it purportedly wasn't just his name that Bob Dylan changed. According to Rolling Stone, he went through a period during the mid-60s where much of what he said had the faint whiff of fabrication about it. On a plane trip from Nebraska to Colorado he told the New York Times journalist Robert Shelton that he'd kicked a "$25 a day habit" and turned tricks when he first moved to the Big Apple two months before he switched to the Greenwich Village. And in earlier interviews he liked to claim he worked for six years on-and-off as a clean-up boy for a travelling carnival. In a 1984 Rolling Stone interview, Dylan said, "I never got hooked on any drug." Regarding working as a prostitute, Rolling Stone believe the story is "complete fiction", and other experts have cast doubt on Dylan's ability to get his own backstory correct, even in his 2004 autobiography Chronicles: Volume One. "I enjoy Chronicles as a work of literature, but it has as much basis in reality as [Dylan's 2003 film] Masked And Anonymous, and why shouldn't it?" Dylan biographer Clinton Helyin said in 2011 (via Rolling Stone). "He's not the first guy to write a biography that's a pack of lies." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/1c0de7d6-5032-4f40-ba27-0fab891a17b1 |
Why did these 8 musicians decline a British honour? | Asian Dub Foundation formed in 1993 as an outgrowth of a community arts projects being run by Aniruddha Das and John Pandit, both of whom became part of the group as Dr Das and Pandit G. When Pandit was awarded an MBE it was for "services to the music industry" and not for work with Community Music Ltd or Asian Dub Foundation's campaigning arm, ADFED, so he refused to accept the honour, telling NME in 2002: "I personally don't think it's appropriate. I've never supported the honours system. If you want to acknowledge projects like CM, the work that these organisations do, then fund them. There's no point in giving an individual (an accolade). To bring people into the establishment won't actually help the organisations." A Member of the British Empire - it's not really me," adding that he refused the award because of "exploitation and colonialism" of the British empire and because "the existing honours system is archaic and shrouded in secrecy". He also joked that he'd told his dad he was "holding out for a knighthood". | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/e477656b-eed1-470c-ad56-3e06fa50901a |
What makes a winning World Cup song? | This method is not foolproof, however. Dizzee Rascal and James Corden made No.1 in 2010 with the andante-paced Shout at just 98 BPM. The schlarger-y but catchy This Time (We'll Get It Right) by the England World Cup squad of 1982 made it all the way to No.2 at a languid 83 bpm, while 1986's We've Got The Whole World At Our Feet - at the optimum 125 BPM - only made it to No.66 in the charts. That's almost entirely on account of its lacklustre delivery though. It's also worth noting that songs that are more carnivalesque, a word not readily associated with the English game, will often be faster. Dario G's Carnaval De Paris clocks in at a frenetic 135 bpm and is a proper banger. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/16ca6df7-8549-421e-96b2-0a7e3bb1e925 |
Which underrated artists paved the way for these bigger stars? | Say the word skiffle among the people who know a thing or two about the early days of British rock 'n' roll, and one name will immediately come shooting back: Lonnie Donegan. He was the undoubted star of British music's first DIY moment, one that was directly responsible for the 1960s beat group explosion. However, in the discovery and popularisation of old American folk and blues tunes, Lonnie had one important guiding light: Ken Colyer. Ken was a New Orleans jazz buff and trumpeter who felt the genre had become too sophisticated. Seizing a chance to hitch to New Orleans while in America with the merchant navy, he came across 'spasm' bands, who knocked out primal blues on homemade instruments. Having been arrested and deported - supposedly for playing with black musicians, a criminal offence at the time - he formed a jazz band with Chris Barber and Lonnie Donegan, and introduced a version of the music of those bands into their set as a break for the dancers. Lonnie was an admirer of the songs of Lead Belly, and reworked them in that urgent, primal style. Ken's brother Bill even named the genre, having noted the name of Dan Burley & His Skiffle Boys, which came from descriptions of come-one, come-all parties in Mississippi, where revellers would gather around a piano to sing gospel, work and blues songs for their own entertainment. It was the puritan zeal of the Colyer brothers that helped pave the way for Lonnie's success, starting with the international hit Rock Island Line. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/a439d9f7-df50-424b-9037-7f3606a50f2b |
Why is Nokia keeping quiet about the N9 OS? | The Nokia N9. Oh look! Nokia's got a new phone! Let's see what the press release says. "Nokia today announced the Nokia N9, built for people who appreciate a stunning blend of design and the latest smartphone technology." Cool! I like Nokia kit. "The Nokia N9 introduces an innovative new design where the home key is replaced by a simple gesture: a swipe." Sounds good. "Home views... extreme product making... The body is precision-machined from a single piece of polycarbonate and flows seamlessly into beautiful curved glass." I definitely like the sound of that. "The Nokia N9 also packs the latest in camera, navigation and audio technology for a great all-round experience." Yes, yes, yes, I'd expect that from Nokia. "With the Nokia N9, we wanted to design a better way to use a phone. To do this we innovated in the design of the hardware and software together." Yes, it's very nice. "The details that make the Nokia N9 unique - the industrial design, the all-screen user experience, and the expressive Qt framework for developers - will evolve in future Nokia products." Aha! Qt! So it's not a Windows Phone phone. "The 8-megapixel... near field communication (NFC).... easily share images... Bluetooth... three colours... More information about the Nokia N9 can be found at: http://swipe.nokia.com." And that's the end of the press release. That's right. MeeGo. No. Not that you'd know it from the press release or product site, but Nokia's N9 runs MeeGo. I know that marketing is about selling the sizzle, not the steak, but the lack of the M-word is still weird. High-end smartphones are geek toys, and we geeks care about operating systems. I suspect that the reason Nokia's keeping schtum about MeeGo because promoting it right now would be like urging you to bet on a horse that's already in the van on its way to the glue factory. The N9 is Nokia's first MeeGo phone, and I wouldn't want to bet on Nokia making many - or even any - more. MeeGo doesn't fit with the new Nokia strategy. At the top end, it's Windows Phone all the way; at the lower end, there's Symbian Anna. That's two ecosystems Nokia needs to nourish. There simply isn't room for MeeGo any more - not in Nokia, anyway. You could see that from February's press release announcing the Windows Phone partnership. "MeeGo will place increased emphasis on longer-term market exploration of next-generation devices, platforms and user experiences." That's tech-speak for "you're dumped. I'm seeing Simon now. Let's still be friends." In February, Nokia promised that "Nokia still plans to ship a MeeGo-related product later this year." The N9 is it. Don't hold your breath waiting for more. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/why-is-nokia-keeping-quiet-about-the-n9-os-968836 |
Is music about to have its first AI No.1? | A year ago, Taryn Southern was getting a little annoyed with how hard it was to get background music for her YouTube videos. She either had to write the songs herself - and writing a new song every week is tough work - or pay to license other people's, something that quickly became "very, very expensive". But then she read a New York Times article about the rise of AI music and thought somewhere in it might be an answer. Companies including Google and IBM had created artificially intelligent computer systems that could analyse existing songs and then spit out their own, the article said. Start-ups like London's Jukedeck and New York's Amper Music had also created systems which people could use to create whole tracks in just a few clicks, simply by picking the mood, style and tempo they wanted. Those start-ups were targeting people just like Taryn, the article added - YouTubers, computer-game developers and hard-up film directors. Anyone, basically, who needed cheap background music. Taryn was soon trying out the software for herself and quickly realised one thing: some of the music they spat out wasn't only good enough for background music. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/0c3dc8f7-4853-4379-b0d5-62175d33d557 |
Who are the designers behind some of music's most striking album covers? | Storm Thorgerson created epochal imagery from every era of music since the 1960s. He was part of Hipgnosis, who designed Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon artwork, and he subsequently worked on countless other covers for the band, as well as with 10cc, Peter Gabriel, Muse, Led Zeppelin, Biffy Clyro, ELO and Wings. After he died in 2013, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason said he would be remembered for his "great ideas and high, sometimes infuriatingly high, standards... Two days before he passed away, and by then completely exhausted, he was still demanding approval for artwork and haranguing his loyal assistants." Like us on Facebook, on Instagram at bbcmusic, or follow us on Twitter @bbcmusic | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/65c2f244-e2e9-408f-a2e7-5e070de3d287 |
Are these the most psychedelic pieces of classical music? | In a series of revolutionary pieces, Debussy created a new feel for classical musical that seemed to free it from the strictures of its (mostly Germanic) past. His breakthrough work was 1894's Prlude l'aprs-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), which coupled Asiatic moods with the materials of Western romantic music (minor chords, suspensions, romantic harmonic language) to create something that sounded free-flowing, kaleidoscope, and more akin, as Alex Ross says in his book The Rest is Noise, "to Indian ragas than to Wagner or Strauss". In 1889, Debussy had attended the Exposition Universelle in Paris and heard Indonesian gamelan music for the first time. It had a profound effect on him and he sought ways to incorporate its otherworldly percussive sound into his own compositions, just like The Beatles introduced Indian music to theirs in the mid-60s. To do so, Debussy made use of the pentatonic scale (the five notes that are common to all the worlds musical systems - found, most easily, by playing just the black notes on a keyboard) and he also, as Howard Goodall explains in The Story of Music, "allowed his chords to hang over each other, overlapping and ricocheting from one to the next, rather in the way the different tones of bell-ringing overlap one another." The results, best exemplified by two short piano pieces - 1903's Pagodes (Pagodas) and Voiles (Sails) from 1909 - were stunning, and more than a little psychedelic in feel. "Debussy's awestruck introduction to Javanese tonality was identical to the rapture experienced by Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, George Harrison and many others when they first heard the music of Ravi Shankar," writes Rob Chapman in Psychedelia and Other Colours. "Javanese music 'made our tonic and dominant seem like ghosts', claimed Debussy. In his piano writing he began using the sustain pedal in the same way musicians later utilised the fuzz pedal, blurring melody lines in order to create what Mervyn Cooke called 'a resonant wash of sound'." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/412ec9f8-6521-4e6b-ae8c-4ae424373843 |
Has pop music lost its fun? | Repetition in pop is a key part of its appeal, as essential in Little Richard's Tutti Frutti as it is in Big Shaq's Man's Not Hot. That said, a sterling 2017 report by Daniel Morris on repetition in pop lyrics suggests that hit songs are getting closer and closer to a one-word lyric sheet. The Lempel-Ziv algorithm is a lossless way to compress data, by taking out repetitions, and Morris used it as a tool to examine 15,000 songs from the Billboard Hot 100 from 1958 to 2014, reducing their lyrics down to their smallest size without losing any data, and comparing their relative sizes. He found two very interesting things. The first was that in every year of study, the songs that reached the Top 10 were more repetitive than their competition. The second is that pop has become more repetitive over time, as Morris points out: "2014 is the most repetitive year on record. An average song from this year compresses 22% more efficiently than one from 1960." Of course, none of this means that pop songs are any less fun. They may be slower and sadder than before, but if pop songs are now simpler and louder and more repetitive than they used to be, that might make up for it. In fact, a 2011 report called Music and Emotions in the Brain: Familiarity Matters, compiled by a team led by Carlos Silva Pereira suggests that the human brain enjoys knowing what is coming next in music. Having conducted fMRI scans on people listening to songs, the report concludes that, "Familiarity seems to be a crucial factor in making the listeners emotionally engaged with music." So the quicker a song can become familiar, the more chance there is that listeners scooting by on streaming services will stop and play it again. Which would imply that if anything, modern pop music is more fun than ever before. Like us on Facebook, on Instagram at bbcmusic, or follow us on Twitter @bbcmusic | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/fb84bf19-29c9-4ed3-b6b6-953e8a083334 |
Is 95% of the world's digital music pirated? | A staggering 95 per cent of digital music is illegal, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The IFPI's digital music report which is published annually insists that the music industry shrank in the last year and chairman John Kennedy mentions the illegal download market's impact although his source for the 95% statistic is not made clear. "The vast growth of unlawful file-sharing quite simply threatens to put the whole music sector out of business," says Kennedy in the report's opening statement. "The debate has a huge way to go, but the campaign for ISPs to act as proper partners in helping protect intellectual property is making progress. "Governments are beginning to understand the scale of the challenge of trying to monetise content in an environment where around 95 per cent of all music is downloaded without payment to artists or producers." Vested interest The IFPI obviously has a vested interest in pushing for legislation against illegal file sharing but Kennedy goes as far as to suggest 'the very principle of getting rewarded for creative work is at risk." "Governments are beginning to accept that, in the debate over "free content" and engaging ISPs in protecting intellectual property rights, doing nothing is not an option if there is to be a future for commercial digital content," adds Kennedy "The big question for 2009 with the focus in particular on France and the UK - is what real action will result and how quick and how effective it will be in reversing the devaluation of recorded music and helping return the industry to growth." The IFPI also highlights the growing problem of 'pre-release piracy' the leaking of albums and tracks before they are put on sale by the artists. "The damage this and subsequent file-sharing causes can mean the difference between an album charting in the Top 10 or missing out something that can have a huge impact on an artist's career." The IFPI says that it has removed 3 million infringing links in 2008 up from just half a million in 2007. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/internet/portable-audio/audio/is-95-of-the-world-s-digital-music-pirated-501456 |
Who are the random people on these famous album covers? | The Little Deuce Coupe - or the 1932 Ford Coupe - that graced The Beach Boys' 1963 album of the same name was taken from an issue of Hot Rod magazine. But the image used by Brian Wilson and his band was slightly different: it only featured the torso of the car's owner, Clarence 'Chili' Catallo, whose head had been cropped out. Clarence's son, Curt, told the New York Times that his father had purchased the clapped-out vehicle from a gas station in 1956 when he was a teenager in Detroit, and spent much of his time, money and effort on lovingly restoring it (with some help from some gifted car shop owners called Mike and Larry Alexander). Clarence later moved to Long Beach in California for college and got a job working at a garage owned by George Barris, who had contacts at Capitol Records. And when the label were tasked with finding a Deuce for the Beach Boys' latest record, they knew just who to ask. The car was sold in 1965, but Curt persuaded his dad that it belonged with them. "As a kid I can remember sitting at Beach Boys' concerts and hearing Little Deuce Coupe," he recalled. "I'd think, 'That's my dad's car they're singing about. We should get it back.'" Clarence paid $40,000 to repurchase the car in 1998 and, after his death, Curt got in touch with Mike and Larry, who helped him make it look exactly the same as it had on the artwork. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/b255669a-4a64-4d05-b850-fdf57d4aab7d |
Was September 1991 the best month ever for albums? | To go by the title of Dave Markeys essential documentary, 1991 was dubbed The Year Punk Broke. In America, alternative rock had been building up a head of steam throughout the 80s, thanks to bands like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr and Pixies. Nirvana's Nevermind was the point it erupted noisily into the mainstream, powered by Kurt Cobains transfixing underdog snarl and sly pop hooks. The colossal riffs and vicious sarcasm of Smells Like Teen Spirit and Lithium instantly cut through pops superficial facade, galvanising a new generation of righteous noisemakers and annihilating the last remaining 80s hair metal bands in one fell swoop. Kurt Cobain instantly regretted the swirling Butch Vig production that turbocharged his songs so effectively; tragically, he was unable to withstand the fame and scrutiny that Nevermind brought. But the album still stands proud as one of those rare, epochal records that revolutionised music overnight. Confirming that their fates were intertwined from the start, September 1991 also saw the release of Courtney Loves first album with Hole, Pretty On the Inside. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/b33c43da-5fe9-4595-9172-b4083c74e891 |
What's it like to sing one song for seven hours straight? | My larynx was getting really high. I was literally having to force it down. "Mental. I really strongly recommend that nobody ever does it. It's crazy. In a recital, I'd usually sing, like, 20, 25 pieces. And I counted I sang that 182 times." "One of the pianists said you should treat it like playing a really long cricket innings, batting for a draw, then you've got the overs to break it up. So I was counting in sixes. And 182. It's nuts!" "I was just so in my head for so much of it, trying to get my technique straight and survive. There was a bit about two-and-a-half hours in, when I was on the floor and half the notes weren't coming out. My larynx [voice box] was getting really high. It was under my throat. I was literally having to force it down. I was choking myself to force it downwards. "You're supposed to sing with a relaxed larynx that sits low in your throat the whole time. And mine kept coming up. There was nothing I could do about it because I couldn't take five minutes off." "Oh, no, I loved it! It's Schubert - the piece is brilliant, a seminal work. I didn't get bored. There's more than enough in it to keep my imagination ticking over 180 times. It's not going to leave my head for two weeks, which is going to get annoying, but" | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/d337febf-a5eb-44bf-8acc-67c5e62827bc |
What songs have royals chosen for their first dance? | It's the moment in a wedding that fills many brides and grooms with more fear than making a speech. The lights dim, the DJ or band plays the opening notes of a song cherished by the couple, and everyone present watches intently as the newlyweds take to the floor for their first dance. We've no doubt that some weddings have almost been cancelled as the bride and groom argue over what tune best sums up their feelings for each other, and isn't too tricky to dance to. Let's see what was picked at some recent royal weddings, and make some wild guesses at what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might go for on their big day in May. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/2887f4f5-8e39-440c-89b9-317d97b52caa |
What happened to the female stars of Britpop? | Elastica formed in mid-1992, when Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch decided they needed a group to reflect the interests of people like them. They made one album of sharp post-punk with lyrics confidently tackling erectile disfunction, scenesters and making out in cars, and it sold faster than any debut album since Definitely Maybe (a record it held for over 10 years). There followed a messy period, with band members leaving and arriving and a scrappy second album The Menace in 2000, after which the band split up. Guitarist Donna Matthews continues to make music under her own name, and works as a Christian missionary to the homeless. Bass player Annie Holland still lives in Brighton, and keeps in touch with Justin, who has continued to work as a drummer, both as a teacher and with various bands - including a stint helping Suede in 2013 and with the reformed Lush in 2015. Earlier this year, the three of them appeared in a Facebook photo while remastering the band's debut album at Abbey Road. After a short stint presenting BBC TV shows about architecture in 2003, and The South Bank Show in 2004, Justine moved to Colorado in 2005 to study art, and now works as an artist in San Francisco, working with the George Lawson Gallery. In 2012 some of her work was shortlisted for the UK's Marmite Prize for painting. She has stated she has no desire to make music any more, although when discussing the offer of a reunion show for her old friend M.I.A. 's Meltdown festival in London, Justine told the Sunday Times: I was actually surprised I was even tempted. Ive never felt tempted before. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/6d58ee98-f1a2-4c84-afbb-9158c2dcbedc |
Are these the next viral singers to achieve mainstream success? | Trying to predict who will and won't become an international pop star is an impossible task. You have to take into account indefinable variables such as charisma, charm and personality, and hope that music fans can see what you're seeing. This is where social media and sites like YouTube and musical.ly have become invaluable for talent spotters over the last few years. Away from the fevered expectations of Saturday night talent shows, YouTube allowed talents such as Justin Bieber and 5 Seconds of Summer to broadcast their songs - usually covers of established hits - on their own terms, building a following by word of mouth and proving to record companies that they have what it takes to make it on the global stage. So, as seasoned YouTuber Charlie Puth prepares to be one of the first guests on the new BBC One music show Sounds Like Friday Night (7:30pm on Friday 27 October), here's a look at some of the most popular singing vloggers of 2017 - all hoping to be real life household names in 2018 and beyond. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/407eca50-3792-4f27-96c8-da4362f40ba6 |
Is the East African Community (EAC) cracking? | The East African community, a regional grouping of countries Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan has been in the news and not for the best reasons. A heads of state meeting that had to be cancelled twice, the unending bickering between Rwanda and Burundi and the trade friction pitting Tanzania and Kenya have led some to believe the regions integration may be cracking under pressure. On the business segment this week, Ronald Kato asks whether the regions leaders can put aside their differences and work to reach their ultimate aspirations which are a monetary union and a political federation. | http://www.africanews.com/2019/01/02/is-the-east-african-community-eac-cracking/ |
Are these the most controversial pieces at this year's Proms? | This year, the Proms are commemorating 100 years since the Russian Revolution, a theme that makes itself felt in works as varied as Shostakovich's Ten Poems on Texts by Revolutionary Poets (PCM 5) and Prokofiev's Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution (Prom 68). But these aren't the only musical earthquakes on offer in this year's programme. Below are seven other pieces that for a variety of reasons were highly controversial when they were first played, and we haven't even mentioned Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (Prom 28), the premiere of which caused a riot. We discussed the debate in a different article, Eight mysteries buried in the music of this year's Proms. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/9b63bfc6-724f-44f5-addc-db16d20001f1 |
What rare and priceless instruments do the stars of the Proms play? | [WATCH] Prom 62: Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Chineke! under Kevin John Edusei perform Dvok's Rondo in G minor (excerpt) Last year's BBC Young Musician winner first played his current cello, a 1610 Amati, during the final of the competition. He performed with it again at his Royal Festival Hall debut in September, on loan from north London instrument dealer Florian Leonhard. Then, an anonymous benefactor bought it for what is believed to be a six-figure sum so he or she could ensure the teenage cellist could use it for life. The makers of this instrument, Antonius and Hieronymous Amati, were part of the oldest significant luthier dynasty in the world, stretching back to the middle of the 16th centuty. They essentially invented the modern shape and set-up of the stringed instrument as we know it, and Stradivari learned his trade in their Cremona workshop. The Nottingham cellist said of the instrument: "I am thrilled that I can continue to develop my relationship with this cello, making the sound more completely my own over time. This rare instrument will grow with me and respond to what I need to express and I could not be more happy and excited." At more than 400 years old, his cello is the oldest instrument played by a soloist at this year's Proms. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/ab4167a2-e90f-48c1-8168-80aeb1692dc7 |
Is there going to be another series of The Inbetweeners? | (Picture: Allstar/E4) Last night, the Inbetweeners boys came back to our screens once again for Fwends Reunited; a show looking at the sitcom and its legacy. Some people were pretty angry, however, as many fans believed itd be a brand new episode rather than a compilation of clips and some chats with the stars. People took to Twitter to voice their disappointment, saying they were gutted or felt theyd been conned. It may have been annoying for some viewers, but the fact people are begging for more bus and briefcase w***ers does show its popularity even ten years on. Im a Celebs Emily Atack was Wills (Simon Bird) love interest in the show (Picture: Channel 4) Since the main actors in the show still meet up from time to time, there is always plenty of speculation over whether theyll be starring in a fourth series. Advertisement Advertisement James Buckley, who plays Jay, set tongues wagging earlier in the year with a photo of him and his co-stars captioned on Twitter as: Inbetweeners series 4 pre production meal Unfortunately, this was just a Jay style joke, and its not in the works. In an interview in May, Blake Harrison, who plays Neil, said itd likely never happen as the humour wouldnt work with older characters. He said: The reason it was so funny is because you had these idiotic, ignorant lads, and you could let them get away with saying things that would be quite offensive. But as they get older, you cant excuse it. Simon Bird has also confirmed there will be no more bumders or being sick on baby brothers. Youll just have to watch more re-runs. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/02/going-another-series-inbetweeners-8303609/ |
Are these the 8 luckiest moments in music? | By the time The Beatles put out their debut single, Love Me Do, they had been turned down by every potential record company in London, and even this release very nearly didn't happen. It's a long and convoluted story, but essentially the band's lucky break came as a result of music publishers Ardmore and Beechwood hearing demos of two Lennon/McCartney songs Brian Epstein (the band's manager) was having transferred to acetate, and putting pressure on George Martin, then head of Parlophone Records, to put them out. George reluctantly agreed to see the band, didn't think much of their music, but was taken by their personalities, and told them to go away and learn a different song, How Do You Do It?, to record instead. The band did as instructed, but as the whole idea was to record and release John and Paul's songs, the team persevered with the best of an unpromising selection, the bluesy Love Me Do, which was, oddly enough, not one of the two songs Ardmore and Beechwood had originally heard. Even when they got into the studio, things didn't go well. Their test recording with drummer Pete Best wasn't considered good enough, which prompted the band to sack Best and hire Ringo Starr instead. The first proper recording session with Ringo was also considered to be below par (although that's the version on the single), so the song was recorded again with session drummer Andy White and Ringo on tambourine, which appears on their debut album Please Please Me. Liking the song just enough to put out, George Martin assumed he'd completed his obligations to its publishers and that that would be that, but through a combination of a strong Liverpool fanbase and some hard graft by promoters and pluggers, it began to rise up the chart, eventually reaching No.17. was pencilled in as a follow-up, but the band (with Martin's help) put together the barnstorming Please Please Me instead, and after that, they were away. Like us on Facebook, on Instagram at bbcmusic, or follow us on Twitter @bbcmusic | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/44fe0d32-ac0d-4022-aa06-4c5690c81c5b |
What is the KSI and Deji feud all about? | Simpler times: YouTube-famous KSI and Deji are currently on pretty bad terms (Picture: Deji/Instagram) Brothers and YouTube heavyweights KSI and Deji are in the midst of a very public feud, and have been for months. KSI, Deji, and now even their mother and father have taken to social media to air their grievances against each other, and, in the case of their parents, against the some of their sons fans. Read on to find out how all the trouble started, what the two YouTubers have to say about it, and the latest drama fueled by the feud. Where it all began At first, it seemed like the beef between the two started when Deji released a diss track about fellow YouTuber Randolph. In it, he referred to Randolph as KSIs bitch, and showed KSIs private bank statement as proof that he paid 4,000 towards Randolphs wedding. KSI did not take kindly to this. Responding in a reaction video, he said Thats on my parents. Mum, Dad, Im actually disappointed that you would let him into my accounts and post it publicly. What the fuck. KSIs brother Deji is apparently done with him (Picture: PA Wire/PA Images) He went on to block his brother on social media, to which Deji responded with screenshots of the evidence and a tweet that sarcastically read Family always has your back. KSI fired back on Twitter, saying Get rid of negative troublesome delusional people. Even if theyre family. Advertisement Advertisement However, the root of the tensions between the two might go even deeper than that. This has been going on for years Deji later released a video called My brother KSI, in which he goes on to explain that there have been issues between the two for years. There was a time where he actually would support me but there something changed and he didnt want to support me anymore, Deji laments. And I really dont understand what happened. He then drives the knife in deeper by saying This isnt fake, I cant stand him and I dont think Ill ever forgive him. You are a complete fucking scumbag and I can tell you right now Im done with you as a brother. Even so, KSI appeared to extend an olive branch to his little brother, in yet another tweet that read: Hi @Deji. I know youre currently in LA planning on doing a disstrack on me and considering going on Logan Pauls podcast. Bro, Im actually trying to sort our situation out. This is our family, not entertainment. Please can we just keep this all private. Deji however seemingly took no notice. Even blocked your mum and dad too, how could you go so low? The latest developments From KSI being kicked out of their family home on Christmas Day, to Deji being exposed on Twitter with a series of screenshots posted by KSI that show him happily supporting his younger brother, the beef seemed like it was still going strong throughout the holiday season. Advertisement Advertisement Even though fans appeared to be getting the good old Deji back when he released a recent video that focused on gaming rather than his brother, the drama still isnt over yet. On Wednesday 2 Jan, KSIs and Dejis parents took to YouTube to ask fans to stop the hate. In the video, their mother said, It has now got to the point that fans are coming to our house very late at night and even the police now are concerned for our safety. Their father added, Its so bad now that we cant go out of the house to do shopping. MORE: KSI throws major shade at Logan Paul with New Year message as he warns: Im just getting warmed up MORE: Jake Paul invites Deji to his house as talk of rematch continues: Whos gonna be scared now? | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/02/what-is-the-ksi-and-deji-feud-all-about-from-diss-tracks-to-blocking-and-warring-parents-8302114/ |
Why are the Golden Globes called the Golden Globes? | The Golden Globes kick-start awards season (Picture: WireImage) The Golden Globes are the unofficial starting pistol to awards season the first big ceremony which paves the way for the Baftas and the Oscars. Winners are given the trophy, featuring a 24-karat gold-plated zinc die cast globe on top of a marble stand at least, it used to be a marble stand. The gong had something of a makeover at the end of 2018 and this months ceremony will see the marble replaced by flashy bronze to match the globe. Mark your calendars one more time! #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/YJZ8yia4do Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) November 29, 2018 The first ever ceremony was in 1943 and was called the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association. It was founded by 21 foreign journalists. There were only five winners in the following categories Best Motion Picture, Best Actor and Actress and Best Supporting Actor and Actress and they were given scrolls as a trophy. Advertisement Advertisement But three years after the first ceremony, things changed. According to the official website, the Golden Globe award got its name in 1946 after Hollywood Foreign Press Associations then-president Marina Cisternas came up with the idea of having a golden globe on a pedestal. And the trophy got the look that we know today. So it was called the Golden Globe because the trophy was literally designed to be a golden globe. More Golden Globes trivia... Meryl Streep has the most Golden Globes, nine, and the most nominations with 32. Queen Meryl, killing it (Picture: Getty Images) There has been only one three-way tie. Jodie Foster, Sigourney Weaver and Shirley MacLaine tied for the Best Actress Golden Globe in 1989. Its a tie! (Picture: WireImage) Jamie Foxx scored the most nominations ever in the same year in 2005. He got a Best Actor nod for Ray, Best Supporting Actor for Collateral and Best Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for Redemption. The youngest ever winner was Ricky Schroder, who was nine-years-old when he won Best New Star Of The Year for The Champ in 1980. The oldest winner was Jessica Tandy, who won Best Actress for Driving Miss Daisy in 1990. Jessica Tandy became the oldest ever winner in 1990 for Driving Miss Daisy (Picture: WireImage) Marlon Brando refused his Best Actor Golden Globe in 1973 for The Godfather in protest of imperialism and racism. The Golden Globes Awards are taking place on Sunday 6 January 2019 and will be hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg. Advertisement Advertisement Guests will start arriving on the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton at around 5pm Pacific Time, although this is around 1am on Monday morning here so be ready to stay up late if you want to catch all of the action. Unfortunately, no UK TV channels will be broadcasting the ceremony, but you can keep up-to-date with Metro.co.uks coverage here. Golden Globe bosses roll out the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC) NBC will be live-streaming on their website and app, although this is only available in the USA. If youre planning on staying up late to watch the event unfold, or you just want to stay on top of the GG news, follow @GoldenGlobes on Twitter and head to their Facebook page. Golden Globe nominations 2019 Best Performance By An Actress In A Limited Series Amy Adams, Sharp Object Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora Connie Britton, Dirty John Laura Dern, The Tale Regina King, Seven Seconds Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method Kieran Culkin, Succession Edgar Ramirez, ACS Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal Henry Winkler, Barry Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Kristen Bell Candace Bergen Alison Brie Rachel Brosnahan Debra Messing Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The Alienist, TNT The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, FX Escape at Dannemora, Showtime Sharp Objects, HBO A Very English scandal, Prime Video Best Television Series Musical or Comedy Barry, HBO The Good Place, NBC Kidding, Showtime The Kominsky Method, Netflix The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Prime Video Best Original Score Motion Picture A Quiet Place Isle of Dogs Black Panther First Man Mary Poppins Returns Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Alex Bornstein Patricia Clarkson Penelope Cruz Tandy Newton Yvonne Strahovski Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Sacha Baron Cohen, Who Is America Jim Carrey, Kidding Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method Donald Glover, Atlanta Bill Hader, Barry Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso Daniel Bruhl, Alienist Darren Criss The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Benedict Cumberbatch Patrick Melrose Hugh Grant A Very English Scandal Best Motion Picture Foreign Language Capernaum Lebanon Girl Belgium Never Look Away Germany Roma Mexico Shoplifters Japan Best Screenplay Motion Picture Alfonso Cuaron Roma Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara The Favorite Barry Jenkins If Beale Street Could Talk Adam McKay Vice Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly Green Book Best Motion Picture Drama Black Panther Black KKKlansman Bohemian Rhapsody If Beale St Could Talk A Star Is Born Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Crazy Rich Asians The Favorite Green Book Mary Poppins Returns Vice Best Motion Picture Animated Incredibles 2 Isle of Dogs Mirai Ralph Breaks the Internet Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Glenn Close Lady Gaga Nicole Kidman Melissa McCarthy Rosamund Pike Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Bradley Cooper Willem Dafoe Lucas Hedges Rami Malek John David Washington Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Emily Blunt Olivia Colman Elsie Fisher Charlize Theron Constance Wu Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Mahershala Ali Timothy Chalamet Adam Driver Richard E Grant Sam Rockwell Best Director Motion Picture Bradley Cooper A Star Is Born Alfonso Cuaron Roma Peter Farrelly Green Book Spike Lee Black KKKlansman Adam McKay Vice Best Television Series Drama The Americans Bodyguard Homecoming Killing Eve Pose Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series Drama Caitriona Balfe Outlander Elisabeth Moss Handmaids Tale Sandra Oh Killing Eve Julia Roberts Homecoming Keri Russell The Americans Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series Drama Jason Bateman Steven James Richard Madden Billy Porter Matthew Rhys MORE: Killing Eve season 2 release date confirmed in brand new teaser MORE: Golden Globes 2019 date, time, nominations, hosts and how to watch in the UK | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/02/golden-globes-called-golden-globes-first-ceremony-8303148/ |
Was world's oldest living person a fraud? | A record held by a Frenchwoman as the world's longest living person could be fraudulent and involve an identity swap, Russian researchers have claimed in a report that has sparked widespread controversy. Jeanne Calment died at the age of 122 years and 164 days in 1997, setting a record as the world's most long-lived person that is still unsurpassed. The elderly woman used to joke that God must have forgotten about her. But Russian mathematician Nikolai Zak is not convinced by her story. In collaboration with gerontologist Valery Novoselov, he spent months analysing biographies of Jeanne Calment as well as her interviews and photos, witness testimony and the public records of the city of Arles in southern France where she lived. "Analysing all these materials led me to conclude that Jeanne Calment's daughter Yvonne assumed her mother's identity," Zak told AFP. Zak, a member of the Moscow Society of Naturalists at Moscow State University, recently published his report called "Jeanne Calment: the Secret of Longevity" on ResearchGate, a portal connecting scientists around the world. | https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/world/2019-01-02-was-worlds-oldest-living-person-a-fraud/ |
Are these music's most outlandish stage props? | Successive generations of stars have learned that just playing the hits isn't enough - you need to visually dazzle punters as well. But when every act can call on state-of-the-art laser displays and giant confetti cannons, a more unique approach is called for. Hence the custom-built, show-stopping, super-sized stage prop. Of course, extravagant stage props come with the risk of malfunction - in 1974, prog rockers Yes accidentally trapped their drummer Alan White inside a giant seashell (a mishap that was recreated in This Is Spinal Tap) and Fleetwood Mac once spent a large proportion of their tour budget on a 70ft inflatable penguin that refused to inflate. But that hasn't impeded the stage prop arms race; whether its Coldplay's light-up Xylobands or Lordes arty glass box of dancers at Glastonbury 2017, music's best set designers continue to innovate. Here are some of their finest creations. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/65bd7d82-567c-42a7-a4f1-23a837493fe1 |
Are these the 10 most revolutionary women in music? | Correctly or not, Kassia - born around 805 - is often called "the first female composer of the Occident" (the Western world) and her place in Byzantine folkore was sealed even before we knew of her music. She was from a wealthy family and dissed Emperor Theophilos at a "bride show" after he used the story of Eve from the Book of Genesis to suggest that women were responsible for much evil. "And through a woman [came forth] the better [things]," she replied, annoyed. The Emperor decided to marry Theodora, who became empress, and Kassia adopted the monastic life. About 50 of her magical hymns survive, although authorship of some has been debated, as well as hundreds of her non-liturgical verses, including this zinging epigram: "I hate the rich man moaning as if he were poor." In his book The Story of Music, Howard Goodall credits Kassia with "mixing the parallel organum style with the drone style", adding that her music "gracefully refutes the assumption that the development of early music is exclusively the handiwork of men". | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/6f9d5d38-4e7b-4b82-8bb6-5e35a3c49dbe |
What happened to the Eurovision contestants who scored nul points? | "It's a strange thing," said Jahn Teigen when interviewed in 1980 by Arena, above. "I got no points and since then I had a lot of success." In a stunning display of 70s brand management, Norway's 1978 contestant managed to spin his abject failure with the inoffensively naff song Mil etter Mil (Mile by Mile) into a triumph. His loyal countrymen kept the song at the top of the Norwegian charts for four months, and Tiegen capitalised on the sympathy, calling his subsequent album This Year's Loser. Teigen then returned to Eurovision in 1982 and 1983, reaching 12th and 9th place respectively. A former member of Popol Vuh (not the Werner Herzog-collaborating krautrock legends from Germany, but a Norwegian band named after the same ancient Mayan mythical text), Teigen is also a comedian, specialising in spoof songs (including a parody version of Mil etter Mil in Russian) and has starred as an executioner in the 1992 London run of Norwegian rock-opera musical Which Witch, noted to be "the most heavily panned London stage musical in a generation" by the Telegraph. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/d0cafc39-d886-4e28-9369-668b8ff79219 |
Is David Bowie the ultimate crossover composer? | [Watch the Prom in full at the bottom of this article] By 1976, David Bowie's early years of success and excess were taking their toll. He decamped to Berlin to sober up and after a run of albums - including Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Young Americans and Station to Station - that straddled the styles of folk, glam, rock and soul embarked on his so-called Berlin Trilogy that would see him embrace European electronica and become as much of a classical composer as a pop musician. When we think of the Berlin albums - Low, "Heroes" (both 1977) and Lodger (1979) - we think of ex-Roxy Music innovator Brian Eno as leading Bowie into these experimental and erudite territories. But Bowie had always been intrigued by classical music in its many guises. An early introduction to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and Holst's Planets taught him that "classical music wasn't boring", as he said when he was interviewed in 2003 by Vanity Fair about his favourite albums, which also included Strauss's Four Last Songs. The chaotic bass tuba riff in The Rite of Spring was, for a young David Jones, as effective as any in pop: he even devised his own dance to it. His 1967 self-titled debut album was dominated by orchestral instruments. He and a friend taught themselves basic classical theory from a book over a couple of weeks and presented their scores to the London Philharmonic. The result sounds like a Cockney Scott Walker with a marching band. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/a4d1028e-bc49-4657-b3cc-227db2c14c52 |
Which NFL team had the most penalties in 2018? Did Patriots remain among league's least-flagged? | Charles Krupa By Nick O'Malley | [email protected] Under Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots have maintained a reputation for being one of the NFL's most-disciplined teams. It's a hallmark of Belichick's coaching style and one of the longest-standing tenants of his time in New England. That reputation certainly took a hit in 2018 when the team took a season-high 14 penalties in a late-season loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, in a season where NFL officials assessed a record 3,447 penalties, did the Patriots maintain their status. Surprisingly, they did. The Patriots actually improved upon their penalty numbers from 2017, despite the sloppy outing against the Steelers. Here's a breakdown of every team's flags in 2018. * (Penalty information via NFL Penalty Tracker) *Teams ranked by total penalties assessed, not total flags thrown | https://www.masslive.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/01/e7eb5c3b348283/which-nfl-team-had-the-most-pe.html |
What happened to the one-hit wonders of the noughties? | The wheels of pop are well-oiled, and for every artist that manages to score Top 10 hit after Top 10 hit there are thousands that become best-known for sending just one killer tune storming up the charts. There's no shame in that - plenty of acts have built long touring careers off the back of a single smash - and as we look back at these eight era-defining songs from the 2000s let's be clear that we're being loose with our definition of 'one-hit wonder'. Some, like Duffy, followed a platinum-selling No.1 (Mercy) with a song that charted well, but sold far less (Warwick Avenue) and in the case of Gnarls Barkley, both members have had plenty of success independent from each other. Still, bet these songs will forever remind you of the noughties... | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/62308e54-dd47-4972-aec4-7e6ad55cb50f |
Why is It Instinct to Want to Squeeze Cute Things? | Wanting to squeeze a cute little baby or puppy that you saw on the way is a way that the brain employs when it deals with something very cute. This response is referred to as "cute aggression." Cute aggression could be our brains way of coping with the overwhelming response that occurs when these two powerful brain systems are triggered suspect the authors, they believe that to stop the onslaught of positive feelings, the brain tosses in a dash of aggression. The "want" to squeeze the cute thing/cute aggression is triggered in the brain when we see something overwhelming cute.The results of this study are published inKatherine Stavropoulos, an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside and her co-author Laura Alba have had done the study to find out how our brain influences our strange responses such as squeezing or pinching the cheeks of cute babies and animals.For the experiment, they recruited 54 participants who were in between 18 and 40 years of age they also had to put on the EEG caps, which use electrodes to measure brain activity.The recruits were then asked to look at 32 photos of cute things; these things were divided into four blocks: one had images of adult animals (which the authors here classified as "less cute"), one of the baby animals (classified as "more cute"), and two of human babies.For the experiment, they altered the first block of human baby pics to enhance features that human's perceive as cuterlike big eyes and round cheekswhile the other was altered make those traits less cute.After seeing the photos, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires that measured their responses to the photos clearly stating how cute they found the photo subjects and how much "cute aggression" they were experiencing.They were also asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with statements like "I want to squeeze something." They also rated their own expressions of feeling overwhelmed by the pictures and of wanting to approach the subjects of the photos, and of wanting to care for these subjects.As a result, the images of baby animals elicited the strongest response. The recruits expressed more of cute aggression, feeling overwhelmed, caretaking emotions towards the baby animals than adult animals.They observed one more thing that the same distinction was not observed in the participants' reaction to images of babies that had been enhanced to look more or less cute, the authors believe that it could be because both sets of babies were "objectively pretty cute. "With the help of the EEG caps, researchers were also able to find out the brain activity of participants who experienced the cute onslaught. The response was associated with a greater activity not only in the brain's emotional systems but also in its reward systems, which regulate motivation, pleasure, and feelings of "wanting. "Cute aggression could be our brain's way of coping with the overwhelming response that occurs when these two powerful brain systems are triggered suspect the authors, they believe to temper the onslaught of positive feelings, in other words, the brain tosses in a dash of aggression. "[I]f you find yourself incapacitated by how cute a baby isso much so that you simply can't take care of itthat baby is going to starve," Stavropoulos says.Source: Medindia | https://www.medindia.net/news/why-is-it-instinct-to-want-to-squeeze-cute-things-184841-1.htm |
What do pop star autographs reveal about their personality? | "Adele has the most graphologically mature handwriting of this group. It's quite spiky for a woman, and the spikes indicate an observant, analytical and critical mind. Her downward strokes suggest someone who is motivated to provide for their need for security, home, money. The strokes also trail off, suggestive of someone who can let the odd pointed comment slip out. Few curves show she can be very business-minded. "She uses quite thin strokes with sharp pressure; this is someone who keeps their energies specifically for what they need to do and not much else. Curvy connections demonstrate that she's good at charming people. "Signing with a small 'a' is the kind of thing someone would do if they had felt second class. This is a great motivator, or they want to lower their status in order not to overwhelm her audience. Otherwise her writing shows huge confidence in her abilities. There's no shyness in her handwriting - it's very natural and traditional, no faking. The baseline curves and staggers a little, suggesting she can get bored easily, or get tired. She bucks herself up, but soldiers on to the end. Some of her signatures have a full stop at the end. That indicates that she likes to finish with a final, 'And that's all you're getting. There you are. That's me. Next.' It also indicates that she is someone who likes to have the last word." [WATCH] Highlights of Adele's set at Glastonbury, 2016 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/af71e93d-58f7-4a42-b65c-2fce6c223ed0 |
What does a psychologist think of Kanye West's Twitter feed? | "There are a few of these [Kanye also apologised to Bruno Mars on the same day]. Narcissists take offence easily and many of their spats involve anger, leaving them in the position of having to say sorry. And what's interesting here is that it's like he's lining up the apologies to get them out of the way, because this is clearly a recurring feature in his life, questioning whether his apologies are heartfelt. "With Beck [and, previously, Taylor Swift], he was angry at Beyonc not winning an award, and that's complicated. He could be saying: 'I'm not saying I should have won, I'm saying someone else should have won it, but definitely not you.' He's imposing his opinion on everyone else, because he doesn't like opinions that are different from his own. Or what he equally might be saying is: 'Beyonc should have won it, but actually, as you know, I'm more talented than Beyonc.' It's a stepping stone towards achieving his desired effect, which is getting himself up there. To do that, he needs to bring people down and elevate himself. He's going through the first stage here." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/4a57bdc5-cbb8-4d68-a58a-f4d1e9626d05 |
Are these the worst singers who made it big? | Her job was to turn up at recitals, open her mouth and emote, putting her all into every syllable like proper singers do, and she received a rapturous response every time she did so. The only difference in this case is that Florence Foster Jenkins had a piercingly shrill tone, poor breath control and a sense of pitch that was not so much wayward as downright ungovernable. But, and this is key, she was hugely loved, not least by her husband St Clair Bayfield, who fought hard to shield his wife from her harshest critics. Not that there were that many. Nol Coward and David Bowie were fans, and she had such a wealth of personal charm that she even managed to fill Carnegie Hall. Her audience most certainly did not go there for the usual reasons people attend classical concerts, but nor did they come to mock. As Meryl Streep said to the the Sunday Times, while promoting the movie Florence Foster Jenkins in which she took the lead role: "It wasn't just that she was bad, but that she was bad with heart." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/13167a96-2ca5-4f73-8e52-30b094e6853a |
How does yo-yo dieting affect our heart health? | Sticking to a strict diet can be challenging, so our eating patterns can fluctuate wildly. A new study looks at how these changes might impact cardiovascular health. As we roll into 2019, many people will be trying out new diet regimes. For many of us, sticking to a nut-filled, burger-free, fish-heavy Mediterranean-style diet will only last a matter of days before we return to the realms of cheesecake and cheese boards. Though eating right over the long-term reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems, we know much less about how a fluctuating dietary regime impacts our heart health. Because so many people choose a diet and then gradually stray from it, researchers are interested in how yo-yo dieting might influence markers of cardiovascular disease. A team led by Prof. Wayne Campbell, of Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, set out to investigate. The scientists recently published their findings in the journal Nutrients. Altering eating patterns periodically To investigate, the scientists inspected data from two previous studies into dietary interventions carried out by the same group of researchers at Purdue University. The participants of these studies followed one of two eating patterns: a Mediterranean diet or a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Lead study author Lauren O'Connor explains these two eating patterns, saying, "Our DASH-style eating pattern focused on controlling sodium intake, while our Mediterranean-style focused on increasing healthy fats. Both eating patterns were rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains." Participants followed their eating pattern for 5 or 6 weeks. After this period, the scientists assessed their cardiovascular risk by measuring a range of parameters. These included blood pressure and levels of fats, glucose, and insulin in the blood. Following the 56 weeks of dieting, participants went back to their standard eating patterns for a further 4 weeks. Then, after another cardiovascular assessment, they were restarted on DASH or Mediterranean diet plans for an additional 56 weeks. Finally, they had one more checkup at the end of this period. A cardiometabolic 'rollercoaster' The analysis showed that, as expected, the cardiovascular markers improved when the individual stuck to the diet. Then, once they had returned to a less healthful eating regime, the biomarkers became less favorable again. Then, once the healthful diets were restarted, the metabolic markers once again improved. The key message is that only a few weeks of healthful eating can make measurable improvements to markers of cardiovascular health, but at the same time, it does not take long before they return to their unhealthy state once a person terminates their healthful diet. "These findings should encourage people to try again if they fail at their first attempt to adopt a healthy eating pattern," Prof. Campbell says. "It seems that your body isn't going to become resistant to the health-promoting effects of this diet pattern just because you tried it and weren't successful the first time." More research will be needed to explore whether yo-yo dieting has an impact on long-term health. Some studies have shown that losing and gaining weight again in a cycle, or weight cycling, could cause stress to the cardiovascular system. However, the evidence is certainly not overwhelming, and some scientists question whether weight cycling has any adverse effects at all. Overall, the results are bittersweet; they show that just a few weeks of dietary change can produce measurable improvements in health markers. On the flip side, after just a few weeks following the abandonment of a new diet, those benefits are lost. However, if a person restarts their healthful eating plan, the benefits can be won back in the same short amount of time. As such, Prof. Campbell's message is one of stubborn persistence: | https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323723.php |
Why was Operation Sindh dropped? | Whoever had advised Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed him about the possible success of Operation Sindh caused major embarrassment not only to the PM but also to the PTI. So why it was planned in the first place and the PTI looked in a hurry just on the basis of a JIT report on money-laundering involving former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and son Bilawal Bhutto. What happened in the Supreme Court Monday was yet another embarrassment for the federal government. With all is not well for Zardari family in the light of the JTI report and its follow up, but it was premature operation on part of the PTI government. The PPP in elections on July 25 had even won from the areas they had lost in the past. On the other hand, the PTI leadership relied heavily on GDA, as the leaders and parties in the alliance had been tested but could not make inroads in Sindh to challenge the PPP in the elections. The operation was dropped after the Supreme Courts directives to the government to review the names of 172 persons put on the ECL, which include the name of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah besides Zardaris family. In the end, better sense prevailed following developments in the SC, and the planned operation was dropped though some PTI leaders said its being deferred for some other time. It was a non-starter from the beginning as even if what happened in the apex court Monday had not happened, the PTI would have faced embarrassment as in the past such exercise only succeeded with the active participation of non-political forces, which in this case were not on board. On the other hand, the PPP with the support of the PML-N and others could have made counter offensive and they could have a better chance if one go by the numbers and strength of the PTI in the Centre and Punjab. There was every chance of massive horse trading from both sides and as a result could have created political uncertainty. The PTI itself knows that the PPP government in Sindh is in a much comfortable position than the PTI at the Centre and in Punjab. Secondly, in horse trading no one could beat Zardari. It would have been the repeat of 90s politics of the era of the PPP and the PML-N and it would have damaged the PTI and PM Imran Khan as it negates his basic political narrative. Secondly, it would have threatened his government at the Centre and in Punjab. On the contrary, the PTI hardly have any leader who has such a vast experience of such tactics and that is why the task was given to Ali Gohar Mehr and some GDA leaders. Despite having the services of some former chief ministers like Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Liaquat Jatoi, with some veterans of Functional Muslim League, they too know the timing to overthrow Sindh government was not suitable nor they got the line from any other circle. Therefore, Pir Pagaro advised the GDA and the PTI to drop the efforts. Zardari has firm grip on the party and the Sindh government and sources said had the PTI launched Operation Sindh, he has also done his homework for counter offensive as the PPP leaders believed that they had more options than the PTI. It would have started with the vote of no-confidence against Senate chairman, and Zardari was ready to win over the PML- Q, the MQM-P and Sardar Akhtar Mengals Balochistan National Party. Had the PTI waited for few months and for the final outcome of the JIT, like the arrest of Zardari and others named in the report, ground situation could have suited them as their 8 to 10 PPP MPAs could have switched over once they saw the fate of the partys top leaders. Although the hearing in the SC on Monday gave a sigh of relief to the PPP and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, they are still not out of the woods and some of their top leaders could be arrested. Sources said the PPP top leadership also knows that thing can go from bad to worst in the coming weeks and months and are working on post-JIT strategy. The chief minister can take fresh vote of confidence from the Sindh Assembly. On the other hand, the PPP could also nominate his replacement but only if he is arrested. In such a scenario the PTI could re-launch Operation Sindh, but would be satisfied in case of a replacement of Murad Ali Shah comes from within the PPP. The party has two-third majority in Sindh and the PTI needs at least 20 more MPAs to reach a magic figure. As soon as the JIT report was first leaked to the media and then submitted and even displayed in the court, the PTI leadership thought it was all over for Zardari and Sindh government. Perhaps the decision of putting all the persons named in the JTI on the ECL without even giving a second thought or seeking courts advice caused embarrassment to the government, both in the SC and on political front. The PTI government perhaps thought its the fall of Sindh government and difficult for Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to survive and they immediately started political maneuvering through Governor Imran Ismail. As soon as the federal cabinet decided to put the names of all 172 on the ECL, in the light of the JIT report, the Sindh chapter of the PTI got active through Sindh governor. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who was about to leave for Karachi, as part of the mission Operation Sindh, cancelled his visit as it could have been a disaster for the PTI, even if the SC directives had not come. The MQM-P, the PTIs coalition partner has decisive numbers in Sindh, kept distance from the PTI move and could have raised its bargaining position if some serious attempts were made to form anti-PPP coalition government in Sindh. Prime Minister Imran Khan also realised that wrong message had gone to Sindh; the way such an exercise was launched first by the PTI Sindh, followed by some federal ministers. Sources said those on the forefront of the mission included Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Faisal Vawda, Ali Zaidi, Khurram Sherzaman, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and at a later stage even the PTI leaders from outside Sindh also jumped in like Fawad Chaudhry and Iftikhar Durrani. It would be better if the PM asks its partys Sindh chapter to organise for the next elections as the party got only one seat in the local bodies by-polls last month. It is time both the government and Opposition restrain themselves and let all four provincial governments and Centre compete with each other on performance and relief for the people and wait for the change, if any, through legal and constitutional course. The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO | https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/413569-why-was-operation-sindh-dropped |
Is habitat restoration actually killing plants in the California wildlands? | In 2014, plant biologists with the California Department of Agriculture reported an alarming discovery: native wildflowers and herbs, grown in nurseries and then planted in ecological restoration sites around California, were infected with Phytophthora tentaculata, a deadly exotic plant pathogen that causes root and stem rot. While ecologists have long been wary of exotic plant pathogens borne on imported ornamental plants, this was the first time in California that these microorganisms had been found in native plants used in restoration efforts. Their presence in restoration sites raised the frightening possibility that ecological restoration, rather than returning disturbed sites to their natural beauty, may actually be introducing deadly plant pathogens, such as those related to Sudden Oak Death, into the wild. New work by a UC Berkeley team in the College of Natural Resources shows for the first time just how widespread and deadly the threat of pathogens from restoration nurseries may be. The team surveyed five native plant nurseries in Northern California and found that four harbored exotic, or non-native, Phytophthora pathogens. Strains of the pathogens from native plant nurseries were shown to be at times more aggressive than strains found in the wild, and some of them are rapidly developing resistance to the fungicides that can be used to control them, the researchers found. Working with restoration nurseries around the state, the researchers showed that new management techniques, coupled with new methods for detecting pathogens, can help these nurseries limit the spread of exotic pathogens. Some of these restoration projects cost tens of millions of dollars, but of course their actual value is much higher, because of the wealth of services healthy natural ecosystems provide, including supporting animal and plant biodiversity, providing good water and air quality, and enjoyable recreation sites, said Matteo Garbelotto, cooperative extension specialist and adjunct professor of environmental science, policy and management at UC Berkeley. Such services are highly diminished in ecosystems affected by exotic plant diseases, while water runoff and erosion, the establishment of exotic plants and animals, and even hotter wildfires may increase in conjunction with disease outbreaks in natural ecosystems, Garbelotto said. Pathogens evolve to outwit fungicides Bacteria that make humans sick are constantly evolving to resist the antibiotics designed to fight them, and resistance to fungicides has been documented in microbes causing diseases in agricultural plants. Garbelotto and his team wanted to know if the widespread use of fungicides in in native and ornamental plant nurseries could also accelerate the development of fungicide-resistance in plant pathogens. Their research was spurred in part by their discovery of a new strain of the Sudden Oak Death pathogen in Oregon forests that is highly tolerant of a fungicide commonly known as phosphite, one of the main weapons used against plant parasites in the wild because its application does not cause any known negative environmental side effects. Together with a group of New Zealand researchers, they decided to study fungicide resistance of Phytophthora a genus of plant pathogens that can case lethal cankers and root rot to two important fungicides, including phosphite. The researchers gathered numerous samples of Phytophthora from 11 species present both in forests and plant nurseries. They then tested the sensitivity to phosphite of multiple individuals per species. While most of the species tested were overall still sensitive to phosphite, strains of four species were able to resist the effects of the chemical, the researchers report in PLOS ONE. These include Phytophthora ramorum, the parasite behind Sudden Oak Death in North America and Sudden Larch Death in Europe, and Phytophthora crassamura, a species first discovered recently by the same UC Berkeley researchers in native plant nurseries and restoration sites in California. Some strains within each of these four species, although genetically almost identical to strains still susceptible to phosphite, were resistant to it. The presence of chemical tolerance or chemical sensitivity when comparing nearly genetically identical strains suggests that the development of resistance occurred relatively recently, perhaps in response to the widespread use of phosphites in native and ornamental nurseries, Garbelotto said. These pathogens can be literally flooded with these chemicals in plant production facilities, and at the beginning of the study, we hypothesized that in such predicaments these pathogens would be forced to evolve resistance Garbelotto said. Indeed, our hypothesis was correct, and we found that some of them evolved the ability to tolerate exposure to phosphite. While phosphite can still help to spur a plants immune system, this may not be enough to quell the spread of the disease, Garbelotto said. By pressuring these pathogens to evolve resistance to phosphites, we are effectively taking out phosphite as a potential tool to manage these disease outbreaks, Garbelotto said. Furthermore, the ability to quickly develop tolerance to a fungicide may be an indication these pathogens can adapt quickly to new environments. Thus, they may become formidable invasive organisms, infesting larger swaths of natural areas and causing significant disease and mortality of essential native flora. A widespread but reparable problem Since the first discovery of Phytophthora in California restoration sites, research by the UC Berkeley team and others have traced the deaths of wild trees and plants back to strains of the pathogen originating in native plant nurseries, rather than strains already found in the wild. However, few studies have documented just how prevalent the problem is. In a recent study published in the journal Plant Pathology, UC Berkeley researchers examined 203 individual plants across five restoration nurseries in California and found that 55 of the plants were infected with Phytophthora. We were able to prove that this is a widespread problem in California, Garbelotto said. Most of the stock that they used is infested, and the levels were very high. For some species more than 50 percent of the plants we tested were infected. The team then worked with the infected nurseries to implement new best management practices to try to limit the spread of disease without the use of phosphite or of other fungicides. These simple guidelines, which included more careful management of water runoff and soil to reduce cross contamination, reduced the prevalence of disease to nearly zero a year after implementation. We were able to prove that after a year of following the guidelines, those facilities were clear of pathogens, and other facilities that did not follow the guidelines still had the pathogens, Garbelotto said. As a result of these findings, people are now putting a lot of money and effort into making sure that the plants are clean, by following similar guidelines and by making sure that no fungicides are used to avoid the development of resistance. Co-authors on the PLOS ONE study are Shannon Hunter of the University of Waikato in New Zealand and Nari Williams, Rebecca McDougal and Peter Scott of Forest Protection in New Zealand. Co-authors on the Plant Pathology study are L. Sims of UC Berkeley and S. Tjosvold and D. Chambers of the University of California Cooperative Extension. This research was supported by the Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases Strategic Initiative of the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources; and by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service (Region 5). RELATED INFORMATION | https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/01/02/is-habitat-restoration-actually-killing-plants-in-the-california-wildlands/ |
Should The Beatles have been awarded MBEs? | If you've got to wait to be an old man or an old woman get an MBE, I think it doesn't really add much incentive to young people to get on in the world" Then a man who was far more upbeat: "I think The Beatles have probably done as much for popular music in this country as people like Rodgers and Hammerstein and Gershwin did in their days, the only difference being that The Beatles have done it in a matter of two or three years, whereas it took most other people a lifetime. If you've got to wait to be an old man or an old woman get an MBE, I think it doesn't really add much incentive to young people to get on in the world and generally improve the world they live in." Macklin then asked whether in fact the award should go to people in more obvious lines of public service, like exploring, science, or hospital work. "I think the award is given generally to people who are of public service of any field whatsoever," he said. "It just happens that in popular music the opportunity is there for younger people. The Beatles have taken the opportunity and done very well." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/ab4b44b7-b748-47cc-92cf-585300dcc142 |
Are these the most indie bands ever? | The band who were inspired by punk rock's DIY attitude to make and release their own EP, rather than waiting for record labels to catch up with what they were doing. Buzzcocks led by example, as co-founder Pete Shelley explains in this clip. Mark also points out that they "weren't actually indie for long but kick-started a new generation of independent thinkers and dreamers with the Spiral Scratch EP". The impact of the EP was twofold: It showed that fast and furious music didn't necessarily need to be laboured over in expensive studios in order to get its point across, and it looked and sounded like the kind of thing that people could make without having to pass a special test of musicianship, or packaging. It was both cheap and cheerful, and all the more powerful for it. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/6cd1a7fe-ad45-4c35-a804-c6767015e034 |
Are these the most unexpected collaborations in recent music history? | Here's Iggy Azalea performing at 1Xtra Live in 2013, long before she hooked up with Britney Spears for Pretty Girls. Something about the idea of that collaboration didn't feel quite right and the track iself was a misfire. It failed to make the Top 20 in the US, leading to a not-very-pretty public argument between the two stars. Iggy believed Britney's label hadn't promoted the song properly, later backtracking slightly by saying: "Genuine friends have genuine opinions. It's possible and healthy to have a differing thought without it being b****y or shade." Refering to some cancelled Iggy tour dates, Britney responded by tweeting, "Cant wait to get back to Vegas. So thankful I have shows for the rest of the year to look forward to." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/a448253f-ce97-4e12-8b39-d40e12238003 |
Is it okay to eat in an Uber or Lyft? | Most people argue that proper etiquette is to ask the owner or driver of a car whether or not it is okay to eat, and obviously, this rule transfers to riding in an Uber or Lyft. Others feel that it's acceptable to eat food anywhere, so long as they don't make a mess. If you're paying for the ride, whether or not you eat shouldn't matter. The same goes for Ubers and Lyfts. Your food stinks up the car for the rest of the day, affecting drivers' business and ratings. Eating in a ride-share vehicle is not a "ask for forgiveness" type of situation -- you just shouldn't do it. Uber even says so on its own blog. Business Insider's Rachel Gillett interviewed Uber and Lyft drivers to find out what they believe passengers should change. According to a driver for both ride-share programs: 'I wish passengers would stop eating food in my car without asking. In order to drive for Uber or Lyft, you have to have a new car. Therefore, your nachos in my new car causes undue stress.' There's a reason you're self-conscious about how loud your chewing is in a quiet car; it's a sign you shouldn't be chewing at all! Ride-share programs are a form of new-age public transportation. Meaning, if you need to eat while riding, nothing should stop you. As long as you are treating the vehicle with respect, there's nothing wrong with taking a snack break in an Uber or Lyft. Everyone has had that day where there is simply no other time to eat except for when you're in the car; sometimes you don't have a choice. I've reached that point in my snacking career where I can accurately identify what kind of Doritos my Lyft driver was eating before he picked me up. -- Devahkiin (@TheRealHotdish) December 31, 2018 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.cleveland.com/style/index.ssf/2019/01/is_it_okay_to_eat_in_an_uber_o.html |
Is Apple at risk of becoming the next BlackBerry? | BlackBerry once ruled the smartphone world, Harsh Chauhan writes for The Motley Fool. BlackBerry thought that its loyal customer base would keep buying what it offered, so it didnt feel a pressing need to innovate. That proved to be its undoing, and in an ironic twist, Apple now seems to be going down the same path. Apple has built a huge user base. Nearly a year ago, Apple announced 1.3 billion active devices around the world, including iPhones, Macs, and other Apple devices. Some estimates put the number of iPhones at 1 billion, Chauhan writes. Apples strategy of adding incremental features and selling its iPhones at a premium price has led to stagnant unit sales. iPhone unit sales were roughly 47 million in the fourth quarter; flat with the previous year. MacDailyNews Take: No, saturation in the premium smartphone market, the only smartphone market in which Apple competes, is the cause of unit sales leveling off. BlackBerry was facing the same stagnation years ago, Chauhan writes. It focused only on incremental evolution in hardware and software, so users eventually moved on. MacDailyNews Take: Of course, Apple is not offering Blackberry-esque incremental evolution. Apple offers the fastest, most powerful, most secure pocketable computer on the planet. The also-rans dont even come close. In spite of the ominous signs, Apples still a long way from becoming the next BlackBerry for a couple of reasons. First, the company has built a solid services business, Chauhan writes. Second, it isnt just a one-product company like Research In Motion was. Cupertinos product portfolio includes tablets, computers, and fast-growing consumer devices like smartwatches and smart speakers. Read more in the full article here. | http://macdailynews.com/2019/01/02/is-apple-at-risk-of-becoming-the-next-blackberry/ |
What's the best Advent laptop? | If you've settled on an Advent, then you're probably wondering what the best Advent laptop is for your budget. Here we've gathered together the best Advent laptop reviews for your delectation. But if you don't want to buy an Advent, check our 20 best laptops in the world piece. If it's a netbook you want, look at our 15 best netbooks. 1. Advent Modena Offering good usability, a great screen and ample storage at such a low price, the Advent Modena is sure to please first time buyers looking for an affordable and portable bargain. Read our full Advent Modena review 2. Advent Sienna 510 The Intel Core i5 processor power on offer for this price is an unbelievable bargain. Couple with great usability, this is superb for those looking for multitasking prowess on a budget. Read our full Advent Sienna 510 review 3. Advent Sienna 700 The Advent Sienna 700 features a stunning screen married with the power of an Intel Core i7 processer and with great usability and an incredibly affordable price to boot, this machine is hard to ignore. Read our full Advent Sienna 700 review Don't forget to check out our 20 best laptops in the world piece. Or, if it's a netbook you want, our 15 best netbooks. The best Sony laptops The best Acer laptops The best HP laptops The best Dell laptops The best Packard Bell laptops The best Asus laptops The best Samsung laptops The best MSI laptops The best Lenovo laptops The best Toshiba laptops | https://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/what-s-the-best-advent-laptop-905929 |
Does Mitt Romney's op-ed matter? | There's a tendency to assume Mitt Romney's op-ed critical of President Donald Trump is a big deal. After all, Romney not only was the party's 2012 presidential nominee but is also set to become a senator from Utah this week. And what he wrote was deeply critical of the way in which Trump has approached the presidency. Of Trump, Romney wrote: "His conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month, is evidence that the President has not risen to the mantle of the office." Donald Trump Mitt Romney Political Figures - US Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Politics US federal government White House Elections (by type) Elections and campaigns Government organizations - US Political candidates Political organizations Primaries and caucuses US Congress US Federal elections US political parties US Presidential elections US Republican Party US Senate The Romney op-ed, which ran in The Washington Post, got A LOT of attention -- as he (and we) knew it would. And Trump responded -- "Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast!" -- as he (and we) knew he would. It was all a Very Big Deal. But here's the thing: I am very skeptical that any of this matters at all -- in terms of how Trump conducts himself and/or how the elected Republican leaders in Washington interact and react to him. The first observation is patently obvious to anyone who has watched Trump's presidency -- or his life. He is who he is. The chances a 70+-year-old man who is currently the President of the United States changes his approach to life because a politician who has long been a critic writes an op-ed are, roughly, 0%. If you need proof of that -- and if the first two years of Trump's presidency aren't proof enough -- simply look to his tweeted response to Romney's op-ed -- in which he urges the soon-to-be Utah senator to "be a TEAM player & WIN!" The second thought -- that Romney's op-ed will change nothing about how Republican senators and House members interact with Trump -- is also based on recent observations. Take Romney. Yes, he was the most high-profile critic of Trump -- at least among those Republicans not running against him -- during the 2016 primary race. Romney gave a speech during the spring of 2016 in which he blasted Trump, saying, among other things, that "dishonesty is Donald Trump's hallmark." And yet, after Trump won, Romney met with him when the President was apparently weighing naming the former Massachusetts governor as secretary of state. While Romney was occasionally critical of Trump during the 2018 Senate campaign, he said and did nothing even close to as overt as this Post op-ed when it could have hurt him electorally. Romney's record of opposition to Trump is not entirely consistent, to put it nicely. Even if Romney does keep it up, there's reason for skepticism that his critique of Trump's approach to the presidency will have any actual impact on his colleagues. Over the past two years, Trump had several prominent Republican critics in the Senate -- Jeff Flake, John McCain and Bob Corker being the three best known. This is not a thank-God-someone-finally-said-it! sort of moment. Flake was driven into retirement by his anti-Trump views. Corker's political strength was affected as well, and he decided not to run again. McCain, afflicted with terminal brain cancer, passed away last year. And for all of their speaking out and appealing to the better angels within their colleagues' hearts and minds, Flake, McCain and Corker had zero measurable impact on rallying the Senate (or the House) against Trump. If anything, they served as examples of what not to do -- challenge Trump and watch your base run away from you, never to come back. The Republican Party -- as reflected by its elected officials in the House and Senate -- became more pro-Trump between the end of 2016 and the end of 2018. It did so for a variety of reasons, the main ones being: 1) to accomplish long-standing goals like a major tax cut or the confirmation of a slew of judges from the Supreme Court on down 2) to survive politically. The belief that op-eds like Romney's might change things within the Republican establishment are, therefore, based on a false premise: That there is any sort of measurable Republican Party outside of those who align with Trump. There is not. The 2018 election showed that. The path to victory for Republican candidates -- particularly in GOP primaries -- was to get as close to Trump as possible and never let go. Distancing yourself from the President was a recipe for Republican disaster. Romney's op-ed is then rightly understood not as a political earthquake but as a lone scream into the void. Sure, Trump has flatly rejected the idea of the presidency as a position of moral leadership. And yes, his policies are a clear break from what the GOP stood for even a few years ago. But the idea that an op-ed will change how Romney's soon-to-be Republican colleagues will act toward Trump between now and the 2020 election is a total and complete fallacy. That ship sailed a long time ago. And no words written in a Washington Post op-ed are going to bring it back into harbor. | https://www.wthitv.com/content/national/503801572.html?ref=572 |
Are Kim Kardashian and Kanye West expecting their fourth child? | Congratulations appear to be in order for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who are reportedly expecting their fourth child. According to Us Weekly, 38-year-old Kim and Kanye, 41, will be welcoming a baby boy as their surrogate is pregnant. This is the same surrogate who carried their daughter Chicago, who was born 15th January. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below The site reports that the couple had one more fertilised embryo left and the baby boy is due in May. Soon after baby Chicago was born, Kim denied that she and Kanye were already planning their fourth child. fake news https://t.co/fDgVpXO8at Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 25, 2018 She retweeted a headline which read, "Kim Kardashian 'has already asked her gestational carrier if she wants to carry another baby'", and added, "fake news". Back in October, Kim opened up to friend Larsa Pippen on Keeping Up With The Kardashians about the fact that Kanye wanted seven kids, but she was keen to keep that number a little lower. She said: "Kanye wants to have more. He's been harassing me. He wants like seven. He's like stuck on seven. Getty Images Advertisement - Continue Reading Below "[Seven kids is] crazy. I could never, especially in like the world we live in. "I've been kinda hesitant about having more kids because it literally keeps me up at night, thinking about how my kids will survive in a crazy world like this." She later added that four children would be the perfect amount for her. "I don't think I could handle more than that." After Kim suffered Placenta Accrete during her pregnancy with their second child, Saint, she and Kanye were told to explore other avenues. This condition means that another pregnancy for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star could be life-threatening. | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a25724509/kim-kardashian-kanye-west-expecting-fourth-child-pregnant-surrogate/ |
Are all oils created equal? | Sandra Hermiston and Ross McLaughlin , CTV Vancouver Chances are your diet over the holidays may have included a lot of goodies. Now that the new year is here many are looking to eat healthier. But when it comes to choosing the right cooking oil, the choices can be overwhelming. From canola and coconut, to good old fashioned olive oil, different oils work well with different types of cooking and dishes. You need some fat in your diet. But you want to look for oils that are made mostly of healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Those fats will help you lower your risk of heart disease and other health conditions, said Trisha Calvo, Consumer Reports health editor. Coconut Oil The mild, sweet flavour of coconut oil will enhance your Asian dishes. But it is mostly made up of heart unhealthy saturated fat so its best used in moderation. (Monounsaturated: 6%, Polyunsaturated: 2%, Saturated: 82%) Other oils are packed with good fats. Avocado Oil If you like your meats nicely seared outside, avocado oil may be your go-to. Use it when high heat is called for. It has a nutty, buttery flavour. (Monounsaturated: 71%, Polyunsaturated: 13%) Canola Oil If you dont want the flavour of the oil to come through in your cooking, canola oils neutral flavour is a good choice. Use for everything from baked goods to a delicate fresh fish. (Monounsaturated: 63%, Polyunsaturated: 28%) Olive Oil Olive Oil has a bold flavour range - from grassy or peppery to fruity. Use it to saut veggies or meat, or simply let it stand on its own as a dip for raw vegetables, or use it as a dressing for salads. (Monounsaturated: 73%, Polyunsaturated: 11%) Safflower Oil Deep frying calls for oil with a high smoke point. Safflower oil is a good option - its also good for general cooking, and its mild, nutty flavour is fine for baked goods. (Monounsaturated: 75%, Polyunsaturated: 13%) Instead of using a fat-free dressing on your salad, drizzle it with one of the good oils we just mentioned, like olive oil, and a little lemon or vinegar. Your body needs that good fat to better absorb the nutrients in your salad. | https://bc.ctvnews.ca/are-all-oils-created-equal-1.4226353 |
What happened next for the dancers in the Top of the Pop troupes? | Imagine that you're a harassed TV producer working on one of the BBC's most popular weekly shows, in an era before the glitzy music video had become ubiquitous. There's a new hot smash hit in the charts, and you have to play it, or there'll be anarchy in the studio. But disaster! The band in question are touring abroad, and there's no way they can make it to BBC Television Centre to record. The answer is, of course: make your own impromptu music videos with a talented troupe of high-energy dancers. For 19 years, different Top of the Pops troupes danced out the dreams of young pop fans from R&B through punk to disco and all stops in between: first the Go-Jos (1964-1968), then Pan's People (1968-1976), Ruby Flipper (1976), Legs & Co. (1976-1981) and finally Zoo (1981-1983). As well as first loves for many young viewers, they were icons, high-kicking their way into the heart of pop culture. And even after they hung up their lam leotards, some of them went on to have lives scarcely less incredible than their lives during TOTP. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/0496d882-6c83-45c2-a2c9-02f384b6c3a6 |
What makes Handel's Water Music so great? | As its name suggests, the Water Music was indeed written to be performed on the water, commissioned by King George I to accompany a grand royal jaunt up the River Thames in the summer of 1717. Eager to please his royal master (see below), the 32-year-old Handel composed a lavish, three-part suite for 50 musicians (a huge group for the period), packing it with raucous horns and woodwind instruments so that the sound would carry across the water. At 8pm on July 17, everyone crammed into boats, and set off to travel the three-and-a-bit miles from The Palace of Whitehall up to Chelsea. The king and a gaggle of aristocrats watched from the royal barge while "a City Company's Barge was employ'd for the Musick", according to a report in the Daily Courant. The composer himself conducted. Although there were "so great a Number of Boats, that the whole River in a manner was coverd", no one seems to have capsized, and George was so thrilled with Handel's piece that he asked for it to be played over and over again, including on the way back downriver. The performance is said to have finished long after midnight - pretty exhausting for the musicians. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/1ba1e404-2b3e-48cc-a3e1-d12269b8346b |
Why Operation Sindh dropped? | Whoever had advised Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed him about the possible success of Operation Sindh caused major embarrassment not only to the PM but also to the PTI. So why it was planned in the first place and the PTI looked in a hurry just on the basis of a JIT report on money-laundering involving former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and son Bilawal Bhutto. What happened in the Supreme Court Monday was yet another embarrassment for the federal government. With all is not well for Zardari family in the light of the JTI report and its follow up, but it was premature operation on part of the PTI government. The PPP in elections on July 25 had even won from the areas they had lost in the past. On the other hand, the PTI leadership relied heavily on GDA, as the leaders and parties in the alliance had been tested but could not make inroads in Sindh to challenge the PPP in the elections. The operation was dropped after the Supreme Courts directives to the government to review the names of 172 persons put on the ECL, which include the name of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah besides Zardaris family. In the end, better sense prevailed following developments in the SC, and the planned operation was dropped though some PTI leaders said its being deferred for some other time. It was a non-starter from the beginning as even if what happened in the apex court Monday had not happened, the PTI would have faced embarrassment as in the past such exercise only succeeded with the active participation of non-political forces, which in this case were not on board. On the other hand, the PPP with the support of the PML-N and others could have made counter offensive and they could have a better chance if one go by the numbers and strength of the PTI in the Centre and Punjab. There was every chance of massive horse trading from both sides and as a result could have created political uncertainty. The PTI itself knows that the PPP government in Sindh is in a much comfortable position than the PTI at the Centre and in Punjab. Secondly, in horse trading no one could beat Zardari. It would have been the repeat of 90s politics of the era of the PPP and the PML-N and it would have damaged the PTI and PM Imran Khan as it negates his basic political narrative. Secondly, it would have threatened his government at the Centre and in Punjab. On the contrary, the PTI hardly have any leader who has such a vast experience of such tactics and that is why the task was given to Ali Gohar Mehr and some GDA leaders. Despite having the services of some former chief ministers like Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Liaquat Jatoi, with some veterans of Functional Muslim League, they too know the timing to overthrow Sindh government was not suitable nor they got the line from any other circle. Therefore, Pir Pagaro advised the GDA and the PTI to drop the efforts. Zardari has firm grip on the party and the Sindh government and sources said had the PTI launched Operation Sindh, he has also done his homework for counter offensive as the PPP leaders believed that they had more options than the PTI. It would have started with the vote of no-confidence against Senate chairman, and Zardari was ready to win over the PML- Q, the MQM-P and Sardar Akhtar Mengals Balochistan National Party. Had the PTI waited for few months and for the final outcome of the JIT, like the arrest of Zardari and others named in the report, ground situation could have suited them as their 8 to 10 PPP MPAs could have switched over once they saw the fate of the partys top leaders. Although the hearing in the SC on Monday gave a sigh of relief to the PPP and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, they are still not out of the woods and some of their top leaders could be arrested. Sources said the PPP top leadership also knows that thing can go from bad to worst in the coming weeks and months and are working on post-JIT strategy. The chief minister can take fresh vote of confidence from the Sindh Assembly. On the other hand, the PPP could also nominate his replacement but only if he is arrested. In such a scenario the PTI could re-launch Operation Sindh, but would be satisfied in case of a replacement of Murad Ali Shah comes from within the PPP. The party has two-third majority in Sindh and the PTI needs at least 20 more MPAs to reach a magic figure. As soon as the JIT report was first leaked to the media and then submitted and even displayed in the court, the PTI leadership thought it was all over for Zardari and Sindh government. Perhaps the decision of putting all the persons named in the JTI on the ECL without even giving a second thought or seeking courts advice caused embarrassment to the government, both in the SC and on political front. The PTI government perhaps thought its the fall of Sindh government and difficult for Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to survive and they immediately started political maneuvering through Governor Imran Ismail. As soon as the federal cabinet decided to put the names of all 172 on the ECL, in the light of the JIT report, the Sindh chapter of the PTI got active through Sindh governor. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who was about to leave for Karachi, as part of the mission Operation Sindh, cancelled his visit as it could have been a disaster for the PTI, even if the SC directives had not come. The MQM-P, the PTIs coalition partner has decisive numbers in Sindh, kept distance from the PTI move and could have raised its bargaining position if some serious attempts were made to form anti-PPP coalition government in Sindh. Prime Minister Imran Khan also realised that wrong message had gone to Sindh; the way such an exercise was launched first by the PTI Sindh, followed by some federal ministers. Sources said those on the forefront of the mission included Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Faisal Vawda, Ali Zaidi, Khurram Sherzaman, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and at a later stage even the PTI leaders from outside Sindh also jumped in like Fawad Chaudhry and Iftikhar Durrani. It would be better if the PM asks its partys Sindh chapter to organise for the next elections as the party got only one seat in the local bodies by-polls last month. It is time both the government and Opposition restrain themselves and let all four provincial governments and Centre compete with each other on performance and relief for the people and wait for the change, if any, through legal and constitutional course. The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO | https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/413803-why-operation-sindh-dropped |
Which Upstate NY concert venues had the biggest crowds of 2018? | Many of the top concert tours of 2018 came through Upstate New York last year, bringing in big names like Jay-Z & Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Kenny Chesney and Elton John. A new report from Pollstar details the year's top 200 arenas and top 100 amphitheaters worldwide, and eight of them are located in Upstate New York. SPAC, Darien Lake and the St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse each drew in more 200,000 total attendees this past year. Scroll through to see the eight biggest venues in Upstate NY, ranked by total attendance from November 23, 2017 to Nov. 11, 2018. (All figures are based on tickets sold as reported to Pollstar, a trade publication for the concert industry.) | https://www.syracuse.com/expo/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/01/a2e8f87ce0fb4/which-upstate-ny-concert-venue.html |
Is capitalism worth saving? | A decade ago, 80 percent of Americans believed that a free market economy was the best economic system. Today, that number is 60 percent. Another recent poll shows that only 42 percent of millennials support capitalism. Steven Pearlstein, a columnist for the Washington Post and public affairs professor at George Mason University, has a few answers. The primary reason is that the system has become too unstable: Wages are largely stagnant, and the income gap is so wide that the rich and the poor effectively live in different worlds. No surprise, then, that people are unhappy with the status quo. Pearlsteins new book, Can American Capitalism Survive?, chronicles the excesses of capitalism and shows how its ethical foundations have been shattered by a radical free market ideology often referred to as neoliberalism. Capitalism isnt dead, Pearlstein argues, but it has to be saved from itself before its too late. I spoke to him about how we might do that, whether capitalism is even worth salvaging at this point, and why he thinks America needs a new social contract between business and society. A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows. Steven Pearlstein The most obvious answer is that capitalism has left a lot of people behind in the last 30 years. Everyone can see that the top 1 percent, the top 10 percent, the top 20 percent, have captured most of the benefits of economic growth over the last 30 years, and the rest of the population has been marginalized. Now, we all know this, but I wrote the book because I think there is a feeling even among those of us who didnt get left behind that this system has become too unfair, too ruthless, and rewards too many of the things we think of as bad. The system offends the moral sensibilities even of people who are benefiting from it. Sean Illing Im not so sure that the people at the top are starting to see it that way, but well come back to that. First, tell me what went wrong in the 1970s and 80s, when you say capitalism really started to go sideways. Steven Pearlstein Two things happened during the 70s and 80s. First, the American industrial economy lost its competitiveness. Neoliberal policies of global free trade and unregulated markets were embraced, and the US was suddenly facing competition from all over the globe. So American companies, which had been so dominant in our own market and in foreign markets, started to lose their dominance, and they had to get leaner and meaner. They started behaving in different ways. They started sharing less profits with their employees and with shareholders and customers. Eventually, that produced a revolt from shareholders, and in the mid-80s we had the first of what were called hostile takeovers, in which people would come in and buy up large chunks of companies and threaten to take them over or out the executives if they didnt put shareholders above all else. The result of all this was that companies changed how they did business and completely embraced the idea that companies should be run to maximize shareholder value and nothing else. Obviously, that meant more money for executives and shareholders and less money for employees and customers. This is the mentality that led us to the place were in now. This is not a sustainable system, and if it keeps getting worse, we run the risk of a revolution Sean Illing I want to push you on what I think is an excessively sanguine view of capitalism. In the book, you imply that capitalism has gone off the rails, but I disagree. Id argue that capitalism has evolved in precisely the way we should have expected it to evolve. The culture of norms and values that were supposed to check the excesses of capitalism has (predictably) been eroded by capitalism itself, and now its propelled entirely by greed. You seem to think that capitalism can be saved from itself. I dont think so, because we see different kinds of capitalism in countries in, say, Northern Europe and in Germany. Some of that has to do with the rules and laws under which they operate, but a lot of it has to do with the norms of behavior. So capitalism doesnt have to reach the point of ruthlessness like it has here and other places. And one of the good things about capitalism is that it has self-correcting mechanisms, just as democracy has self-correcting mechanisms. The truth is that the outcome we have now, all of this tremendous inequality, is bad morally and economically. This is not a sustainable system, and if it keeps getting worse, we run the risk of a revolution. So I dont think capitalism is an inherently moral system or an inherently self-defeating system, but we have to ensure that it adapts when it veers too far into corruption and inequality. And thats basically what Im calling for in this book. Sean Illing Well, yes, capitalist systems are extremely adaptable (thats definitely one thing Karl Marx got really, really wrong), but the problem is that our system isnt adapting, or not adapting fast enough. And we live in a media culture in which nearly half the population is fed propaganda that convinces them that immigrants and regulations are what are holding them back, not greedy corporations. Steven Pearlstein We do it by changing norms, and by talking about it and discussing it. Thats how a democracy goes about it. And the answer is, I dont know. But in the #MeToo movement, we see a very good example of how norms can change very quickly. What was acceptable five years ago is really not acceptable anymore. And its because enough people got morally outraged and things changed. Thats how norms shift and the culture evolves. Sean Illing Ill circle back to the #MeToo comparison because I think its a bad one, but there are also legal and structural impediments here. We have a political system fueled by private money, which means that wealth translates to political influence, which in turn means the laws are increasingly rigged to benefit the people on top. Steven Pearlstein You make a very good point, and in the book I say the No. 1 thing we have to do is get money out of politics and that will probably require a constitutional amendment. But youre right: We cant reform our economic system if we dont reform our political financing system. As it is now, were stuck in a vicious cycle in which concentration of wealth leads to concentration of political power, which leads to yet more concentration of wealth. And we know how this plays out in the long run it leads to revolution. But we dont have to get anywhere near that if we can make the changes we need to make now. The Democratic Party will have to lead the way, and if they really want to do that, they need to put this at the top of their agenda and run on it. People out there are angry, and this will help them win. Its a slam-dunk issue, really. People are as disgusted by what theyre seeing as you and I are. Sean Illing I want to quote something interesting from your book: Liberal critics never miss an opportunity to complain about the level of inequality, but theyve rarely been willing to say what level, or what kinds, of inequality would be morally acceptable. I have my own answer to this, but Im curious what you think the acceptable level of inequality is. Steven Pearlstein My answer has to do with something called social capital, which is a social science term that generally refers to the amount of trust that we all have in each other and in our institutions. And when things get so unfair that that trust becomes eroded, thats when you know youve gone too far. Thats when you know that things have become too unequal. Another way that you would know it is when you see class mobility, intergenerational class mobility, start to decline. Now, weve only been in this neoliberal paradigm for 40 years, so its a little too early to know what the intergenerational data will look like, but we can already see the gross inequalities and the erosion of social capital. That, to me, is enough of a warning sign. We know enough to know we have to course-correct or risk disaster. The system offends the moral sensibilities even of people who are benefiting from it Sean Illing In the book, you catalogue all of these solutions to the problem more income redistribution, better tax reform, something like a universal basic income, a new social contract between business and society, more access to higher education, etc. and I agree with most of it. But Im not confident we have the political will to get these things done. Steven Pearlstein First, let me just say that it will be easier to do these sorts of things than it will be to go full socialist. If we lack the political will to fix the kind of capitalism we have, then theres surely a higher political barrier to the full socialist model of national health insurance, free college for everybody, and guaranteed income for every individual, whether they work or not. So if youre saying that things have to get worse before they get better, you may be right. However, if you look at public opinion polls, if you look at the recent election, I think the will may be already there. Again, I see the success of the #MeToo movement as a great example of whats possible. Sean Illing The #MeToo movement is a misguided comparison. Were talking about broad changes in our political and economic system, changes that directly threaten the most entrenched financial interests in this country. I think youre right about public sentiment, but Im not at all convinced that the financial class is prepared to relinquish anything. In fact, weve seen the big banks essentially go right back to the sorts of behaviors that produced the financial crash in 2008, and we just saw Republicans pass an egregious tax cut that will deepen the very inequalities were talking about here. Steven Pearlstein Well, its worth remembering that social norms change before policy changes, not the other way around. But yes, I agree that the GOP tax cut was enormously irresponsible and unfair. These are the sorts of things that can cause the public to say, Enough is enough. My view is that were at a tipping point now and things are about to change. You and I may disagree about what, exactly, we need to do, or how far we need to go, but I think there are enough positive signs in public opinion that suggest were at a tipping point. Well just have to see what happens next. | https://www.vox.com/2019/1/2/18130630/american-capitalism-neoliberalism-steven-pearlstein |
How high could gas prices go in the new year? | According to GasBuddy.coms 2019 fuel outlook, the national average price for gas could be more than $3 by May. While the bargain basement gas prices weve been seeing in areas across the country have been terrific and most welcomed, the party at the pump will likely wrap up in the next month or two, and prices will begin to rally as OPEC production cuts and a strong U.S. economy push gas prices back up. "While the national average failed to hit $3 last year, we have an even stronger possibility of seeing that ugly possibility, which would push prices in some places from $1.99 today to over $3 this spring which would be an impressive and shocking turnaround in just a few months, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. One caveat, however, that may have motorists unexpectedly spending less is what happens in the White House. Should all the darkest realities come to fruition, it could lead to slow down in the economy and take gas prices right along with it. As goes the economy, as go gas prices in the year ahead. Buckle up for the extra volatility were going to see it could be nauseating. According to GasBuddy, the national average gas price is expected to increase by as much as $1 a gallon but economic jitters could weigh heavily on where gas prices go in 2019. In the Harrisburg area today, the lowest price for gas is $2.25 a gallon at Fuel On, Spring Road, Carlisle. The average is $2.39 a gallon. In Pittsburgh the lowest price is $2.22 a gallon and the average is $2.50 a gallon. In Philadelphia, the lowest price is $2.27 a gallon and the average is $2.53. | https://www.pennlive.com/life/2019/01/how-high-could-gas-prices-go-in-the-new-year.html |
Is a Film About a Transgender Dancer Too Dangerous to Watch? | Girl sounds like a film that transgender moviegoers might rally around. It depicts a teenage trans girl, Lara, raised by a single father who supports not only her dreams of becoming a ballerina but also her gender confirmation surgery. Its set in Belgium, so much of Laras health care is paid for and her doctor and therapist are encouraging caregivers. And its a prize winner that is up for a best foreign-language Golden Globe on Sunday. Yet Girl, which has been picked up by Netflix, faces a firestorm, one that pits the director, Lukas Dhont; the trans woman who inspired it, the dancer Nora Monsecour; and the films supporters against trans activists and others who consider its scrutiny of a trans characters body so dangerous that they urge no one to see it. Stuck somewhere in the heated debate are those who say that shunning Girl risks turning off cisgender viewers who might benefit from seeing a young trans character whos as likable as she is complicated. (Cisgender is a term describing someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.) Not long ago, when trans people showed up in movies, if at all, they were victims or predators. As advocates demanded increased visibility, shows like Pose made waves with more truthful depictions written and portrayed by trans performers. Problems persist, for sure. But the days seem to be gone when a movie like Dressed to Kill assumed trans women were psychos in skirts. No one should have the burden of representing a class of people in a film; real people are complicated. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/movies/girl-netflix-film-transgender-debate.html |
Why Are NFL GMs Being Let Off the Hook? | Within 24 hours of the 2018 regular season ending, eight teams had vacancies at the head coach position. One. Every situation is different, but the fact that blame was unequally assigned to coaches over personnel executives for failed seasons raised eyebrows around the league. In Arizona, Steve Wilks was one-and-done after a season with a rookie quarterback and a flawed roster, while GM Steve Keim will hire his third head coach. Vance Joseph was dismissed after two seasons with Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch and Case Keenum as his quarterbackseach brought in by John Elway. In Tampa Bay, Jason Licht will search for a replacement for Dirk Koetter, who was let go because he couldnt win enough games with Jameis Winston, the quarterback that Licht picked No. 1 overall in 2015. With one-quarter of the league looking for new head coaches, youll hear a lot of discussion in the coming days about whether there are enough candidates to fill these openings. Over the past decade, an average of seven head coaches have been hired and fired each year, thinning the pipeline. Teams may, as a result, cast wider nets this year, making harder pushes to lure top college candidates or (hopefully) being spurred to adjust their criteria of what matters in a head coach, valuing a persons leadership abilities over a specific amount of play-calling experience. Both Keim and Licht will be working with their third head coach, and Elway his fourth. Over the past five years (not including this one) there have been 34 head coaching changes compared to 20 GM changes, by unofficial count. (We should note here that in Dallas and Cincinnati the club owners also serve as de-facto GMs, and in New England, Bill Belichick is both the head coach and GM). GMs are usually in a position to build a closer relationship with the owner, who ultimately makes the firing and hiring decisions; in failed arranged marriages between a coach and a GM, its more often the GM thats given a chance to hire his own head coach, rather than vice versa. And coaching mistakes like poor clock management or bad play calls are more glaring and painful in the here and now than a flawed team-building approach, which may take years to reveal itself. But for less-experienced coaches or those who have been waiting a long time for an opportunityincluding many minority candidates who have faced hurdles to advancement starting at the lowest rungs of the coaching ladderthat demand may be prohibitive to getting hired. Thats particularly true when so many head coach openings (including all eight openings this year) are attached to a sitting GM. Beyond Oakland, two other teams will have a change in their top personnel executive, with Eric DeCosta taking over in Baltimore for the retiring Ozzie Newsome after this season, and Dolphins GM Chris Grier taking over all football operations with Mike Tannenbaum being re-assigned. But the story of this years hiring cycle is yet another game of coaches musical chairs. Meanwhile, most of their partners in team-building never have to rise from their seats. Email us at [email protected]. | https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/02/head-coach-firings-general-managers-john-elway-vance-joseph-jason-licht-dirk-koetter |
Did Toni Braxton Call Off Her Engagement With Birdman? | Based on a few cryptic postings on Instagram, it seems Toni Braxton may have called off her engagement with fiance Bryan Birdman Williams. The Cash Money rapper first sparked the break-up rumors when he wrote Its over in an Instagram post that was deleted when he scrubbed his entire account clean on Tuesday. Braxton then followed suit by removing all the photos on her IG and then added a stunning photo of her in a red evening gown with a starting a new chapter caption. Starting a new chapter isnt always an easy choicebut ALWAYS choose to be chosen. Cheers to a new year, the 51-year-old wrote. Braxton and Birdman are also no longer following each other on Instagram. The (ex)couple have known each other for nearly two decades before announcing their plans to marry. Explaining why they hadnt tied the knot by November (2018), the singer told TV host Wendy Williams that their commitments with her reality show Braxton Family Values had made it difficult to nail down a date. We almost had a date, she said. Well, we had two dates. But we were doing Braxton Family Values and we were going through a little drama. And I was like, The wedding is a good thing to get all the sisters together. (But) I couldnt get us all together. Birdman bought the R&B star a $5 million engagement ring, but Toni ALLEGEDLY lost it after leaving it in a case on a plane late last year. Her luggage was returned, but the expensive jewelry was missing. The union would have been Tonis second marriage, as she divorced Mint Condition singer Keri Lewis in 2013 after over 12 years of marriage. | https://singersroom.com/content/2019-01-02/toni-braxton-birdman-over/ |
How Could the Bengals Actually Think Hiring Hue Jackson Could be a Good Idea? | To no surprise, the Bengals are going to give Hue Jackson a chance to make his case to become their next head coach: The #Bengals are expected to interview assistant Hue Jackson for their vacant head-coaching job, an interview that could happen as early as today, source said. Makes sense, as Marvin Lewis endorsed him. In-house candidates Darrin Simmons & Bill Lazor previously interviewed. Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 2, 2019 It is hard to put into words how dumb this idea is for the Bengals. Jacksons ineptitude is the sole reason the Browns did not make the playoffs this season. Outside of his 3-36-1 record with the team, he is also unaccountable and comes across more dishonest every time he speaks. He looks anything like a leader any professional team would want. The only guy behind him on the list, Bert Bell, owned the team and was not going to fire himself. It does not matter who endorses him, or how familiar he is with the team, nothing he has ever done proves he is even a bad coach. I get there are not a lot of good coaches available, but that is not an excuse to hire an awful one. If the Bengals hire Hue Jackson as at their head coach they may quickly become the biggest dumpster fire in all of the NFL. | https://thebiglead.com/2019/01/02/hue-jackson-bengals-head-coach/ |
Who in the machinery trade is worth their weight in gold? | As the FTMTA (Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association) Farm Machinery Show draws ever closer (February 7, 8 and 9), the bodys Executive Council has agreed to present an FTMTA Gold Award on the opening night of the show. The FTMTA Gold Award is made by the association to a person who is considered by the Executive Council to have given outstanding or long service to the association or the agricultural machinery industry in general. The award was open to all those working in FTMTA member firms, whether they are owners, managers or staff. A spokesperson explained: It was open to any individual who has been substantially involved with the association or the agricultural machinery industry and who has given a distinguished service to either or both. It may not be awarded to any serving council member or honorary counsellor of the association. It may be awarded posthumously, provided the nomination had been received while the recipient was alive. Nominations for the award had to be submitted in the run-up to last month before December 7. The identity of the recipient will be unveiled on February 7. Show preparations Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the 2019 FTMTA Farm Machinery Show. As before, it will be held at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas, Co. Kildare. Advertisement According to the association, discounted (advance) tickets are now available online by clicking on this link. The FTMTA says that the 2019 show is set to be the biggest such event yet. It says that the trend of increased indoor exhibition space during recent years will continue for the upcoming installment. A spokesperson said: As well as a significant level of interest from first-time exhibitors, the show is also in a position [in 2019] to facilitate a dramatic increase in the maximum allowable size of individual stands. The FTMTA says that it has increased stand size to accommodate the increasing size of modern farm machinery and, also, the much wider product ranges that many exhibitors now need to showcase. | https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/who-in-the-machinery-trade-is-worth-their-weight-in-gold/ |
Is Kissing Someone Else At Midnight On New Year's Eve Cheating? | A study was done by Yougov.com before Christmas that said 12% of men and 10% of women say it's FINE to kiss someone besides your significant other under the mistletoe . . . but it's not okay in any other situation. If you google it, cause don't we all Google everything, people are split. I didn't find a study on it but I did find a very interesting Reddit thread about a woman who was in Vegas with her husband and they were hanging out with a couple and at midnight she kissed her husband and then the other guy leaned in to kiss her and DID! One husband was ok with it. The other NOT SO MUCH and a HUGE fight broke out. The thread underneath the post is extremely divided on whether or not it is technically cheating or not. | https://mix965houston.radio.com/blogs/morning-mix/kissing-someone-else-midnight-new-years-eve-cheating |
Is Weightwatchers or Slimming World a better diet to kick start new year weight loss? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email With the holidays over, many of us have scraped the bottom of the chocolate box and are now looking to lose those extra pounds. Two women, members of slimming clubs, have revealed the secrets of the most popular weight loss regimes in the UK. Weightwatchers and Slimming World dominate the weight-loss industry in the country and these two members were asked to explain how they work, Birmingham Live reports . Caroline Kulemeka, a Weightwatchers alumna, 37, managed to drop six dress size and lose eight stone with the scheme. Slimming World did the trick for Natalie Howard, 38, as she lost six stone and went from a size 20 to a size 10. How the schemes work Weightwatchers (WW): The scheme is best known for its point system, whereby every food and drink is given a points value. Weightwatchers is currently calling these SmartPoints and every member is given a weekly and daily budget of these to spend. Caroline said: You can follow the plan by doing either counting all your food, or follow a no count route which involves eating mainly zero points foods. You also get a weekly SmartPoints budget to use for the foods that arent on the zero points list. Its also flexible in that youre able to roll over some of the Smartpoints youve not used in a day. Slimming World (SW): This plan works by dieters being given three lists of foods to choose from. There are free foods, which you can eat unlimited amounts of; healthy extras, which youre allowed a limited number of every day and syns - sugary, high fat foods which each have a syn value. Natalie said: The free foods are things such as fruit, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice, lean meat, fish and eggs. These foods can be eaten in unlimited amounts. Theres no calorie counting, no foods are banned. Food and drink permitted Weightwatchers: There are no limitations with Weightwatchers, but food and drink needs to be tracked and portion sizes regulated. Caroline said: The idea is to still make and enjoy daily foods you love, ensure youre never going hungry however make sensible choices. For example things like skinless chicken breast, fish , eggs, beans, 0 per cent fat yogurt are Zero Point foods. "But food like fried chicken, chips, certain snacks and generally foods in high saturated fat, salt and sugar have a higher Smartpoint value. So youre taught to spend your Smartpoints on the more fulfilling nutritious foods. Slimming World: The plan allows you to eat unlimited food - but shows you how to make sure it the majority of it is healthy. Natalie said: Theres no weighing, calculating, estimating or counting and theres not a point or a unit in sight. Unlike other diets, at SW those fatty foods that we crave so much are not banned when youre eating healthily. Syns provide the control - these are foods that would most certainly jeopardise your weight loss if you didnt control them. Every day you can enjoy between five to 15 syns. How the classes work Weightwatchers: For anyone fighting the flab, the hardest part is plucking up the courage to walk into your first class. But Caroline said there was nothing to be scared of. Everyone was really friendly and welcoming at my class, she said. You first have the weigh-in with your coach and this is followed by a sit down talk with the other members. The talk involves a look back at the week, celebrate achievements of weight losses or other non scale victories like fitting in dress or able to do more exercises and just general wellbeing . You get ideas, recipes and also plans for the week ahead to help stay on track. Slimming World: Natalie said: Each class is led by a consultant who is a former member who has lost weight with SW. After being weighed and given your daily and weekly syn allowance you will receive your pack containing all the information you need about how the plan works. The main rules to remember Weightwatchers: Caroline said: Its very easy as youre still cooking and making the daily foods you love. "You have tools like the app to help you track your meals. Plenty of recipes and ideas plus online support. One of the main differences with WW is that members earn fitpoints - extra points to spend on food or drink earned through exercise, be it from a simple walk to an hour-long aerobics class. Slimming World: Natalie said it is incredibly easy because there were only three rules to remember: which are free foods, healthy extras or syns. Eating out Weightwatchers: Using the ww app, you can still plan and track your meals, even if youre eating out. Caroline said: the majority of restaurant dishes are available through it, and the books given at WW meetings will help you. If this is not available, still go along and enjoy your meal but make sure you track it. You can still have treats and indulge - there are no Smartpoints police! Slimming World: Natalie said: You can enjoy nights out. Theres a section at the back of your Food Optimising book called the eating out guide. With this and help from other experienced members in group you can be equipped and ready to enjoy yourself. How much you lose every week Weightwatchers: Overall, between 1-2lbs a week. Some weeks you might lose more weight, others you might gain. Slimming World: If you follow the plan 100 per cent, you can expect to lose between 4lbs to 7lbs in the first week, more if you have a lot to lose. But 2 - 3lbs a week is easily achievable. How it works if you are obese Weightwatchers: Caroline said: it helps you not only to lose it on a realistic level, but also to keep it off. Your Smartpoints budget is also regularly adjusted to where your weight is currently on. Slimming World: Natalie: SW can help everyone - whether you have just one stone or 20 stone to lose. Class timetables You can attend any class anywhere at whatever time suits you for both schemes. What to expect from consultants Weightwatchers: Caroline said: The coaches are encouraging and give you motivation all the time. You can speak to them, even request a call/ text from them if you want a midweek boost. They also help you in setting realistic goals on your journey. Slimming World: Natalie said: There is no judgement or humiliation. We have all been there, so we understand. The consultant can help and support you to make the changes you need and inspire you to try again. You can always be assured that there is complete confidentiality too, no one will disclose your weight. Costs These are the current deals, but keep an eye out as they always have discounts and offers. Weight Watchers: Weekly meeting only - 6.25 per meeting. Online + app - 22.95 for one month; 34.20 for three months; 77.70 for six months Online + app + meetings - 31.45 one month; 52.05 three months; 128.70 six months Slimming World: Weekly meeting only - 4.95 per meeting, but there are discounts if you pay in advance for six or 12 weeks. Online only (for three months) - bronze 60, silver 65, gold 80. | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/weightwatchers-slimming-world-better-diet-2382590 |
What's next for the 20 teams that missed the NFL playoffs? | For a dozen NFL teams, the playoffs are about to get underway. For everyone else, the offseason has arrived. Here's a team-by-team look at the most significant roster-retooling task for each of the league's 20 playoff non-participants. The teams are listed in the order in which they'll pick in the NFL draft. - Arizona Cardinals (Record: 3-13): The Cardinals are on the clock for the top overall selection as they search for a replacement for Steve Wilks, the coach they fired after only one season. They have their would-be franchise quarterback in Josh Rosen, so they undoubtedly would like to trade down. Unfortunately for them, there's probably not a quarterback in the draft to prompt overwhelming trade offers. - San Francisco 49ers (4-12): The season-ending knee injury to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo kept the Niners from building on their strong finish to 2017. As a result, General Manager John Lynch and Coach Kyle Shanahan will enter Year 3 of their six-year contracts with little progress made toward respectability. Ensuring that Garoppolo's return goes smoothly, without significant setbacks, is by far the main priority entering next season. - New York Jets (4-12): The numbers weren't great for quarterback Sam Darnold in his rookie season, but he showed enough promise to justify the No. 3 overall choice in last year's draft. The keys now are to bring in an offensive-minded head coach to oversee Darnold's development and to add some talent around him, perhaps by making a bid to acquire running back Le'Veon Bell. - Oakland Raiders (4-12): Now that Mike Mayock is in place as general manager alongside Coach Jon Gruden, it's all about how to use that trio of first-round draft picks. The trades of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper mean that the Raiders must get a great pass rusher and standout wide receiver just to break even. Having a place to play next season also would be nice. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11): The Buccaneers are making a head coaching change, having fired Dirk Koetter, but say they are committed to sticking with Jameis Winston at quarterback. He is to be paid $20.922 million next season in the fifth-year option of his original rookie deal exercised by the team. - New York Giants (5-11): So much for the decision to pass on a quarterback with the second overall choice in last year's draft to take running back Saquon Barkley. Nothing against Barkley, who's terrific. But this is not the draft to be looking for a future franchise QB, and the Giants probably will have little choice but to enter another season with Eli Manning as the starter. They do need to add the best young quarterback they can find, however. - Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Owner Shad Khan opted against an organizational housecleaning even after the Jaguars went from reaching the AFC championship game to being one of the league's biggest disappointments this season. The decision to stick with Blake Bortles going into the season backfired. It's probably time for the Jaguars to stop hoping that Bortles will work out and go in a new direction at quarterback. - Detroit Lions (6-10): Matt Patricia, the Lions' rookie head coach, inherited a team that went 9-7 under predecessor Jim Caldwell in 2017 and promptly went 6-10. Patricia's defenders talk about the need to establish a new culture in Detroit. But what he has established is a six-win culture. The Lions had better hope that Patricia grows into the job. The offense must improve, beginning with Patricia's choice of a new coordinator, and Golden Tate, who was traded midseason, must be replaced. - Buffalo Bills (6-10): Quarterback Josh Allen was an effective runner as a rookie but was even more unpolished as a passer than expected, with an ugly completion percentage of 52.8 and an unsightly passer rating of 67.9. The Bills' offseason will be devoted to trying to mold Allen into a more accurate and reliable pocket passer while utilizing their improved salary cap situation to upgrade the offense around him, likely adding a No. 1 wide receiver and deciding whether to keep running back LeSean McCoy. - Denver Broncos (6-10): Front office football czar John Elway is looking for a new coach after firing Vance Joseph. That's an interesting call. Case Keenum threw too many interceptions and didn't live up to expectations in his first season in Denver. But if he somehow could recapture his 2017 level of play while with the Vikings, he'd probably be better than anyone the Broncos could add this offseason. - Cincinnati Bengals (6-10): It will be a new era for the Bengals after they and their coach of 16 seasons, Marvin Lewis, parted ways in what the team called a mutual decision. Owner Mike Brown could opt for a more widespread organizational reset that also would include a change at quarterback. The structure of Andy Dalton's contract, with no guaranteed money remaining, means that he could be traded without the Bengals incurring any so-called dead money on their 2019 salary cap. - Green Bay Packers (6-9-1): The Packers' offseason is all about ensuring that whichever coach they hire to replace the fired Mike McCarthy is on the same page with Aaron Rodgers. It seemed, especially in McCarthy's final season, that there was a disconnect between coach and quarterback. That simply cannot happen with Green Bay's next coach. The Packers can't waste any more of Rodgers's prime, and they need him to get back to being a player who negates the deficiencies elsewhere on the roster. - Miami Dolphins (7-9): Coach Adam Gase failed to make things work with Ryan Tannehill. Now Gase has been fired and the Dolphins' new regime, with General Manager Chris Grier being given additional front office authority, must decide whether to stay the course with Tannehill or start over at quarterback. - Atlanta Falcons (7-9): The defense and running game must be repaired. Matt Ryan and the passing game were fine. But the Falcons ranked 28th in the league in total defense and 27th in rushing offense. Even in a pass-happy league, the Falcons need to be better balanced to get back to having success. - Washington Redskins (7-9): The quarterback situation is a quandary, with the uncertainty about Alex Smith's return and the salary cap constraints created by his big contract. The Redskins probably must prepare to play without Smith by getting a QB to go with Colt McCoy and, possibly, Josh Johnson. Adding a No. 1 wide receiver certainly wouldn't hurt. - Carolina Panthers (7-9): The main issue is getting QB Cam Newton healthy. Newton was on the fringes of league MVP conversation early in the season but his ailing shoulder contributed to the Panthers' downward spiral in the season's second half. Newton sat out the final two games. The Panthers must make sure his shoulder is sound, and they probably have to add a better option as their backup quarterback, just in case. - Cleveland Browns (7-8-1): Things are looking up for the Browns. That hasn't been said very often over the years. Baker Mayfield is the real deal and looks like an honest-to-goodness franchise QB. The pieces are in place for a winner. General Manager John Dorsey merely needs to do some roster tweaking and make sure he hires a coach who will oversee Mayfield's development deftly. - Minnesota Vikings (8-7-1): Things didn't go quite as expected in the first season of Kirk Cousins's fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million contract. But there's no turning back now and there are no refunds on that $84 million. So the Vikings must regroup and try to upgrade the team around their quarterback, beginning with his offensive line. Four years into his NFL career, it's difficult to know. He has totaled 24 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions over the past two seasons, and he's had difficulty avoiding injuries. No one is saying that it's time for the Titans to give up on Mariota. But his recovery from nerve injuries and the signals that the team sends about his future contract situation will be the biggest issues of the Titans' offseason. Now the Steelers await Bell's pending departure in free agency after he sat out the entire season in a contract staredown with the team and they must figure out what, if anything, to do with Brown, who reportedly asked to be traded after his dust-up with Roethlisberger. | http://www.timesonline.com/sports/20190102/whats-next-for-20-teams-that-missed-nfl-playoffs |
Whats next for the 15 displaced by 3-alarm Jersey City blaze? | JERSEY CITY Iris Beltran was having breakfast with her family in their third-floor apartment at 203 Garfield Ave. when she saw dark smoke coming up the stairwell. I felt so worried, Beltran said. Sometimes you dont think about yourself. The first thing I was thinking was my baby, she said, noting that her 1-year old son, Ronyck, was her priority. A three-alarm blaze Wednesday morning caused heavy damage, including a partial roof collapse, at the six-unit building and spread to 201 Garfield Ave., displacing the residents there as well. Thank God we got out fast, added Beltran, who lives in the apartment with her parents, who have lived there for at least 12 years. Beltran expressed hope that she will rebuild with her family. Keyshawn Jones, 18, who has lived on the first floor for nearly seven months, said none of his family members his mother and two sisters were home at the time of the fire. But he is worried about his pets, a dog and a snake. Right now, I dont know what to think, said Jones, one of 15 people from the two buildings who were displaced. I just need to let know if my dog is alive ... Its crazy. I dont know what to do next. Dorlyne Fleury, who has lived on the second floor for more than three years, was at work when the fire broke out and she received a call from her boyfriend alerting her of the fire. I feel so much pain right now. Imagine what wouldve happened to me if I stayed home today? Fleury said, adding that she contemplated staying home today because she wasnt feeling well. The building manager said he will be providing apartments for the displaced residents. Jersey City Fire Chief Steve McGill said Wednesday that 203 Garfield could come down at any time." One family of five lives at 201 Garfield, but The Jersey Journal didnt spot them at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation. | https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/01/whats-next-for-the-15-displaced-by-3-alarm-jersey-city-blaze.html |
Does Mitt Romney's op-ed even matter? | There's a tendency to assume Mitt Romney's op-ed critical of President Donald Trump is a big deal. After all, Romney not only was the party's 2012 presidential nominee but is also set to become a senator from Utah this week. And what he wrote was deeply critical of the way in which Trump has approached the presidency. Of Trump, Romney wrote: "His conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month, is evidence that the President has not risen to the mantle of the office." Donald Trump Mitt Romney Political Figures - US Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Politics US federal government White House Elections (by type) Elections and campaigns Government organizations - US Political candidates Political organizations Primaries and caucuses US Congress US Federal elections US political parties US Presidential elections US Republican Party US Senate The Romney op-ed, which ran in The Washington Post, got A LOT of attention -- as he (and we) knew it would. And Trump responded -- "Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast!" -- as he (and we) knew he would. It was all a Very Big Deal. But here's the thing: I am very skeptical that any of this matters at all -- in terms of how Trump conducts himself and/or how the elected Republican leaders in Washington interact and react to him. The first observation is patently obvious to anyone who has watched Trump's presidency -- or his life. He is who he is. The chances a 70+-year-old man who is currently the President of the United States changes his approach to life because a politician who has long been a critic writes an op-ed are, roughly, 0%. If you need proof of that -- and if the first two years of Trump's presidency aren't proof enough -- simply look to his tweeted response to Romney's op-ed -- in which he urges the soon-to-be Utah senator to "be a TEAM player & WIN!" The second thought -- that Romney's op-ed will change nothing about how Republican senators and House members interact with Trump -- is also based on recent observations. Take Romney. Yes, he was the most high-profile critic of Trump -- at least among those Republicans not running against him -- during the 2016 primary race. Romney gave a speech during the spring of 2016 in which he blasted Trump, saying, among other things, that "dishonesty is Donald Trump's hallmark." And yet, after Trump won, Romney met with him when the President was apparently weighing naming the former Massachusetts governor as secretary of state. While Romney was occasionally critical of Trump during the 2018 Senate campaign, he said and did nothing even close to as overt as this Post op-ed when it could have hurt him electorally. Romney's record of opposition to Trump is not entirely consistent, to put it nicely. Even if Romney does keep it up, there's reason for skepticism that his critique of Trump's approach to the presidency will have any actual impact on his colleagues. Over the past two years, Trump had several prominent Republican critics in the Senate -- Jeff Flake, John McCain and Bob Corker being the three best known. This is not a thank-God-someone-finally-said-it! sort of moment. Flake was driven into retirement by his anti-Trump views. Corker's political strength was affected as well, and he decided not to run again. McCain, afflicted with terminal brain cancer, passed away last year. And for all of their speaking out and appealing to the better angels within their colleagues' hearts and minds, Flake, McCain and Corker had zero measurable impact on rallying the Senate (or the House) against Trump. If anything, they served as examples of what not to do -- challenge Trump and watch your base run away from you, never to come back. The Republican Party -- as reflected by its elected officials in the House and Senate -- became more pro-Trump between the end of 2016 and the end of 2018. It did so for a variety of reasons, the main ones being: 1) to accomplish long-standing goals like a major tax cut or the confirmation of a slew of judges from the Supreme Court on down 2) to survive politically. The belief that op-eds like Romney's might change things within the Republican establishment are, therefore, based on a false premise: That there is any sort of measurable Republican Party outside of those who align with Trump. There is not. The 2018 election showed that. The path to victory for Republican candidates -- particularly in GOP primaries -- was to get as close to Trump as possible and never let go. Distancing yourself from the President was a recipe for Republican disaster. Romney's op-ed is then rightly understood not as a political earthquake but as a lone scream into the void. Sure, Trump has flatly rejected the idea of the presidency as a position of moral leadership. And yes, his policies are a clear break from what the GOP stood for even a few years ago. But the idea that an op-ed will change how Romney's soon-to-be Republican colleagues will act toward Trump between now and the 2020 election is a total and complete fallacy. That ship sailed a long time ago. And no words written in a Washington Post op-ed are going to bring it back into harbor. | https://www.kimt.com/content/national/503801572.html?ref=572 |
Could 2019 see a route for the new Cape Fear crossing? | WILMINGTON, NC (StarNews) The upcoming year should see transportation officials select the preferred route for a new crossing of the Cape Fear River. Mike Kozlosky, executive director of the Wilmington Urban Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), said a schedule of events for 2019 has public hearings on the proposed new crossing scheduled for the spring with a selection of the preferred alternative scheduled for the summer. - Advertisement - A new crossing south of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge would be the fourth between New Hanover and Brunswick counties the other two are the Isabel Holmes bridge and the Interstate 140 bypass. Last year, MPO board members narrowed its preferred alternatives to include three potential crossings of the river, all of them south of the current Memorial Bridge. There are still six routes under consideration for where the new bridge access highway would go once it crosses the river. Officials estimate the next connection between Brunswick and New Hanover counties including access highways and property acquisition will cost $1 billion or more to build the bridge, which would have to be 215 feet above the river to accommodate ship traffic heading to the Port of Wilmington. Read more here. | https://www.wwaytv3.com/2019/01/02/could-2019-see-a-route-for-the-new-cape-fear-crossing/ |
Was bringt der Januar im Mobilfunk? | Auch zu Beginn des neuen Jahres blicken wir wieder auf die Neuerungen, die die deutschen Mobilfunk-Netzbetreiber fr Neu- und Bestandskunden bereithalten. Dabei geht es nach dem Ende des Weihnachtsgeschft - wie schon in den Vorjahren - etwas ruhiger zu. Allerdings laufen einige aus der Weihnachtszeit bekannte Aktionen noch. So lohnt es sich vor dem Kauf eines neuen Smartphones oder dem Abschluss eines neuen Vertrags in jedem Fall, die Angebote zu vergleichen. Telekom: Smartphone fr 1 Euro Zuzahlung Der Mobilfunk im Januar Die Deutsche Telekom hatte in der Vorweihnachtszeit eine Aktion gestartet, die es in hnlicher Form auch frher schon gab. So ist ein Smartphone zum Vertrag schon fr 1 Euro einmalige Zuzahlung zu bekommen. Das erscheint gnstig, ist es aber nicht in jedem Fall, weil der Netzbetreiber fr den Vertrag mit Handy auch hhere monatliche Kosten als fr den gleichen Tarif in der SIM-only-Variante verlangt. Vor dem Vertragsabschluss sollten Interessenten demnach immer die Gesamtkosten ber die zweijhrige Mindestvertragslaufzeit bercksichtigen und vergleichen, ob das 1-Euro-Handy wirklich das billige Schnppchen ist, nach dem es zunchst aussieht. In vielen Fllen ist der Gertekauf unabhngig vom Vertrag gnstiger. Nachteil: Dann muss man - abseits vom Ratenkauf - auch die Gesamtsumme sofort begleichen. Die Telekom hat auerdem ihre Travel-&-Surf-Optionen verbessert. Dabei handelt es sich um Datenoptionen im International Roaming, die immer dann gebucht werden knnen, wenn der regulierte EU-Tarif nicht verfgbar ist. Neu ist beispielsweise ein Wochenpaket mit 1 GB Inklusivvolumen fr 29,95 Euro. Alle Details zu den neuen Preisen und Inklusivleistungen bei Travel&Surf haben wir in einer eigenen Meldung zusammengefasst. Neuzugnge gibt es auch bei StreamOn. Ungeachtet der unsicheren Zukunft fr die Zero-Rating-Optionen hat die Telekom zu Jahresbeginn wieder neue Partnerdienste vorgestellt, deren Angebote sich nutzen lassen, ohne dass das beim Streaming oder Gaming anfallende Datenvolumen berechnet wird. Insgesamt stehen nun 378 Partner zur Verfgung. Details zum aktuellen Stand bei StreamOn finden Sie ebenfalls in einem eigenen Beitrag. Vodafone-Aktion fr junge Kunden: 12 GB fr unter 20 Euro Noch bis zum 14. Januar luft die aktuelle Aktion bei den Young-Tarifen von Vodafone. Diese knnen von Interessenten im Alter von unter 28 Jahren gebucht werden. Dabei wirbt der Netzbetreiber mit 12 GB fr 19,99 Euro. Dabei ist der Tarif Vodafone Young M gemeint, der zu diesem Preis auch eine Flatrate fr Telefonate und SMS in alle Netze bietet. Allerdings gilt der besonders niedrige Grundpreis im Online-Shop des Netzbetreibers nur fr das erste Jahr nach Vertragsabschluss. Danach erhht sich die Grundgebhr auf 27,99 Euro. Auf Seite 2 lesen Sie unter anderem, wie o2 Freundschaftswerbungen noch bis zur kommenden Woche belohnt und welchen Vorteil es fr iPhone-Nutzer im o2-Netz jetzt gibt. E-Mail E-Mail Drucken 1 Teilen (1) | https://www.teltarif.de/mobilfunk-handy-smartphone-aktionen/news/75156.html |
Is Foxs The Masked Singer the next great TV singing contest? | Its impossible not to fall in love with The Masked Singer. The Fox reality competition series (debuting at 8 p.m Wednesday), an adaptation of a wildly popular Korean show, features celebrities wearing elaborate costumes who sing for an audience and judges clueless about whos behind the mask. Its like The Voice meets Dancing with the Stars meets Where the Wild Things Are meets a Halloween party you once attended where the karaoke got out of control. Its a TV show that surprises you and gets your heart racing as often as Game of Thrones does, only with less blood and violence and more pop hits. That may sound a tad hyperbolic, but Singer is a show that traffics in extremes, from the design of the costumes to the reactions of judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger to the stakes of a competition with no particular prize or even required competency. Every line from host Nick Cannon has an exclamation point. Every segment introducing the incognito talent is as cheesy and over the top as High School Musical. Every costume looks like a sports mascot if it was designed by The Joker. Some elements of the show dont quite work or make sense. The panel lives in a different world: McCarthy, inexplicably described as a pop-culture guru, is grating and brings nothing to the table, often guessing names that would never slum on broadcast TV. Thicke is far too analytical, trying to be a serious investigator in a decidedly unserious show. Jeong, who cracks jokes and makes little attempt to guess the singers identities, has the right vibe, except his hitting on the female contestants is in incredibly poor taste. But it almost doesnt matter. The panel is irrelevant, as Cannon is as host. The joy of this series lies entirely in the singers, and it really doesnt much matter who they are. This could turn into a knockoff of Dancing where B- and C-listers rehab their image, but the joy of Singer is that it skips the pitfalls of a show like Dancing. No tear-jerking backstories, no real critiques from the judges, no attempt to get America involved with online voting and endless results shows. Its a tightly paced hour in which the main joys are the good and bad voices, the costumes and the reactions of the judges and the in-studio audience. A one-eyed monster can belt Queen, and everyone screams. A hip-hop Hippo cant really belt anything, and the audience still screams. Everyone is trying, no one cares who wins, and it might just be the only reality TV show that doesnt manufacture its fun. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY Read more at usatoday.com | https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/the-masked-singer-review-nick-cannon-robin-thicke-ken-leong-nicole-scherzinger/ |
Does defence still win championships in the NFL? | From Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain in the 1970s to Chicago's Monsters of the Midway in the '80s to Seattle's Legion of Boom more recently, dominant defences have often been the story of the NFL post-season. High-powered offences might generate the highlights, the fantasy points and victories in the regular season. But more often than not the top defences have managed to hold those dynamic offences in check when the weather turns colder and the games get more important in the post-season. "I have no idea," said San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman, a key member of Seattle's 2013 championship defence. "I don't think the league really wants that or cares to have that thing again. They care more about offensive football, so that's what they'll get. To have a special defensive group to play that well for so long would be very difficult to do because of the style of defence and the rules. ... I think it's going to be harder and harder to make the Hall of Fame from defence." Playing defence in the NFL perhaps has never been harder, with the intimidating hits on receivers and quarterbacks now outlawed, even the most minor downfield contact resulting in penalties, and quarterbacks more accurate and efficient than ever while running the new spread offences. This year featured the highest passer rating (92.9), most yards per play (5.6) and second-most points per game (46.7) in NFL history. It seems like playing great defence is almost impossible. "You can't use it as an excuse because they still let us hit, OK?" said Dallas defensive co-ordinator Rod Marinelli, an assistant on the 2002 Tampa Bay team that won a Super Bowl behind its defence. "I've always believed in the speed of the defence. And that's the hitting. They've got holes. We've got to hit the holes. We've got to hit them. And we've got to make it a physical game. We've got be smart, helmet to helmet, got to be smart on the quarterback, some of those things. And you try to teach it, keep our speed and playing fast. Some of the things down the field, push-offs and all that stuff, it's tough." The story of this NFL season has been the offences, with the highlight being a 54-51 win for the Los Angeles Rams over the Kansas City Chiefs back in November. That's been part of a season that had first-year starter Patrick Mahomes throwing for 50 TD passes and more than 5,000 yards for Kansas City, Drew Brees set more records at age 39 in New Orleans, Tom Brady maintain his winning ways in his 40s for New England, and Sean McVay's offence tormenting opposing teams all year long for the Rams. But those teams that feature four of the five most efficient offences in the league, according to Football Outsiders, and defences that have been far less consistent will get the opening weekend of the post-season off. That will provide a bit of a throwback look on wild-card weekend with many of the league's top defences taking centre stage in hopes that they can get on a run like the one the Denver Broncos had three years ago to win a Super Bowl. "I think it's still definitely possible," said Broncos linebacker Todd Davis, a member of that title-winning team. "I don't feel like it has to be 51-54. It really doesn't. I feel like you can really stop teams if you play close defence, you play tight on receivers, play great in man coverage and you can really stop people." Many of the teams playing this weekend have shown that ability this season, led by the NFL's top-ranked scoring defence in Chicago. An already-strong unit only got better with the acquisition of elite pass rusher Khalil Mack before the season. With Mack and Akiem Hicks wreaking havoc up front and Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller providing big plays from the secondary, the Bears appear to have the defence best equipped for a long post-season run, starting with Sunday's home game against defending champion Philadelphia. "Dominant, that's it," Hicks said. "We are aggressive. We like to hit. All the stuff that I was (saying) before the season started, we're everything that we said we were. And hopefully we can get to another level for these playoffs." The Bears aren't alone. Six of those 10 most efficient defences are playing this weekend: Baltimore, Houston, the Chargers, Dallas and Indianapolis. Ball-control offence and dominant defence have been a tried-and-true formula for teams like Baltimore and Seattle, who have combined for three Super Bowl championships and five appearances in the title game this century with that recipe. The Seahawks still have that capability despite the absence of most of the stalwarts from the Legion of Boom such as Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. But Bobby Wagner remains at middle linebacker, Frank Clark has been an elite pass rusher, and coach Pete Carroll's scheme is still effective after all these years. "You either believe in something or you don't," Carroll said. "I think just staying the course and knowing we're on to something. Believing in the history. We know what we're capable of doing. We've shown it over a lot of years. You're always adapting, but it's staying what you're true to. I think that's what is happening. We look like a team that we have seen before, and that's powerful." | https://www.tsn.ca/does-defence-still-win-championships-in-the-nfl-1.1234779 |
Are Minnesotans letting the neighborly obligation to shovel melt away? | For years, Sandy Daly didnt hesitate to rat out shoveling scofflaws. Until she retired last year, Daly spent three decades as an occupational therapist for Minneapolis Public Schools, making home visits to her preschool clients. Nothing made her madder than a sidewalk blocked by snow. Im that bug in the citys ear. I never called within the first 24 hours [of a snowfall] Im talking when its still slippery days later, said Daly, who had many clients with physical disabilities. I had a landlord tell me he lets nature take its course. Im sorry, thats not OK. Its your obligation as a neighbor to take care of your property and make sure its safe. These days, it seems that not everyone would agree. Judging by the number of sidewalks remaining snow-covered in the past few winters, more Twin Cities homeowners are slipping when it comes to shoveling. Its as if the unwritten contract to keep sidewalks passable is as outdated as wool gloves in the era of Thinsulate. Increasingly, shoveling is seen as an inconvenience, if not a burden. The time it takes to clear walks following a substantial dump throws a wrench into a busy familys schedule, already disrupted by snow-slowed commutes. And snowbirds and travelers struggle to manage their civic duty from afar. We have a small city lot and finding a service that will reliably take it on has been impossible. They say its not worth their while, said Todd Hanks, a retired business owner who winters in Nevada. The neighbors kids dont want to do it. A couple of guys who said they would didnt show, he said. I feel that sense of responsibility. I couldnt live with it if someone cracked their skull on my property, but were kind of stuck. We need someone to start an Uber Snow. A Lyft my shovel. In Minneapolis, city leaders are considering taking over the job of clearing the almost 2,000 miles of residential sidewalks. In the meantime, the city has announced plans to get tougher with property owners who are slow with their snow. Public works inspectors pledge to promptly seek out uncleared sidewalks rather than just waiting to follow up on complaints from neighbors. In the past, the city sent out warning letters before issuing citations or fines. This winter, the city has said that inspectors will move more quickly on anonymous tips about slackers. But some prompt shovelers are taking matters into their own gloved hands. A lot of renters dont understand the expectation, said Erin Neihoff, who lives near the University of Minnesota. She has spoken to student renters on her block who run off to class without clearing their walks. I tell them, we have a neighbor who walks with a cane and cant get to the bus stop, she said. They seem receptive but theyll say, I dont have a shovel. If no one gets on it, I call so the landlord gets notified. Indirect reminders But here in Minnesota, most of us are not as direct as Neihoff. Calling the city on your neighbor for not shoveling is about as Minnesota passive-aggressive as it gets, quipped Joel Gryniewski. Hes well positioned to take that dig; his novelty company Old Tom Foolery produces a popular T-shirt that reads: Keep Minnesota Passive-Aggressive. (Or not. Whatever you think is best. ) Gryniewski is not judging those who drop a dime on those who fail to shovel, admitting that he would do it, too. As a nonconfrontational Minnesotan, I can tell you that sounds terrifying, he said. Let the city deal with it and bask in the anonymity. Greta Grosch knows all about our passive-aggressive tendencies. She wrote six of the Church Basement Ladies musicals and has stomped the stage in a plaid housedress and buckled galoshes to perform as one of the church ladies for 15 years. In Minnesota, we are rule followers. We like to think we have high standards and we know best. We make someone else feel shame for not doing it the right way, which is, of course, our way, she said. We do it all with a smile, which is what makes it passive-aggressive. Grosch suggests a few classic moves to nudge a neighbor who doesnt measure up after a measurable snowfall. So you dont have to talk to them, you can put the city shoveling rules in their mailbox or under their windshield. You could leave a shovel at their door. Or you can dramatically sigh and walk out in the street to get around their snowy sidewalk, maybe trip a little, she suggested. Try to do this when theyre walking to the car or checking the mail so they see you. But in the end, when neighbors dont shovel, Grosch thinks a good Minnesotan might just do it for them. Well do it because we worry about other neighbors falling, she said. And then we can sigh and give them side eye the rest of the year over our sacrifice. Prejudice and pride Its difficult for people with mobility issues to be amused by the shoveling debate. I wish people were more conscientious and did more than the bare minimum, said Sadie Ruge. Born with spina bifida, she uses a wheelchair. Those of us who cant walk through snow are either homebound or late to where we need to go. It often limits us to going places in the winter; we might not take the chance that the situation will be difficult, she said. Ruge said she has called the city of St. Paul to report uncleared walkways in her neighborhood and for a reason. If people dont say something about a problem, it likely goes unnoticed and unresolved, she said. Unshoveled sidewalks can also be bad news for neighborhoods. When a block has homes in need of shoveling, it can signal a lack of pride. Theres no question that first impressions are incredibly important in real estate. You want a buyer to have a positive experience and it starts at the front door and the front sidewalk, said Cotty Lowry, a real estate agent with Keller Williams and past president of the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. Buyers look at the fabric of the block, the architecture and also the general maintenance. I suppose looking at a neighbor whos neglected shoveling could influence how they felt, he said. Despite her on-the-job tumbles, Sandy Daly promptly shovels her own property on Nicollet Island in Minneapolis, saying having a clean walk fills her with a sense of accomplishment. In my neighborhood, everyone is good about paying it forward or paying it back, she said. When I had knee replacement surgery last year, help just showed up. Daly opposes the city proposal to take over shoveling sidewalks, which could cost as much as $20 million. This is our community and our neighbors. We have to take care of each other, she said. We have better things to spend our money on than this. | http://www.startribune.com/are-minnesotans-letting-the-neighborly-obligation-to-shovel-melt-away/503802182/ |
Is jail the right response for a suicide attempt? | Poverty is the main motivation according to a CNN report. Before making the daring jump into the waters, the 25-year-old tries to get a job at a construction site but a bad experience with a security guard at the venue makes him lose hope. Seeking an end to his own life was a choice Ugokwe thought he had sole control over. That appeared not to be the case when the fishermen who saved him delivered him to policemen. Instead of getting care and love, the officers reportedly help him to the inside of jail from where he waited to see a judge that will determine if he has committed a crime. I didn't kill anybody. I did not steal. It's my life, not (the) government's life," Ifeanyi Ugokwe says in a chat with CNN. In Nigeria, attempting suicide is punishable under Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act. Anyone convicted risks spending a year in prison. While shuffling between different prisons as he waits to see a judge at a magistrate court in Lagos, Ugokwe meets a criminal lawyer Imanuella Ojeah, who was visiting the prison he was in as a member of a Christian mission. "I remember he seemed tired of life. He begged me to get him out of that place. He told me... I am not mad. I am just depressed and don't have money to eat," CNN gathers from the lawyer who makes the needed move to get him out of prison. In April 2017, Ifeanyi Ugokwe appears at the Sabo Magistrates Court where a guarantor was needed in order to secure his freedom. Ojeah is able to help him get one from a Christian ministry Elevation Church. Having fulfilled the requirements of the law, the case is dismissed by the magistrate preventing him from wasting a year in prison. Experiences while waiting to see a judge In the report by CNN, the 25-year-old man narrates traumatic experiences while locked up in prison. It is the worst type of response in handling a person who has just attempted suicide. "The worst part of it was not just that they put me in prison, it was that they locked me in a cell with crazy people. I was with mentally disturbed people. Most of the people there were talking to themselves and jumping around." In addition to the torture, he remembers being forced to take pills that make him hungry and desire sleep. It is such a terrible encounter what he recalls as punishment for being naive. "At that time, I needed love. I didn't need to be put in prison and punished for something I don't even understand," Ugokwe tells CNN. Depression has often been identified in a list of negative factors affecting people dealing with poverty. Without a clear and defined mechanism to help those dealing with it and other mental health problems resulting from environmental headaches, Nigeria is losing out on human capital it should rather be investing on. The country can push for more training of its security agencies to help make the right call for persons needing only love to combat threats to their existence. | https://www.pulse.ng/news/metro/is-jail-the-right-response-for-a-suicide-attempt/by78wsh |
How does the Chargers defense stack up against the rest of the AFC playoff teams? | When looking at the defenses in the AFC one thing is pretty clear. The Chiefs are the worst defense in the conference. The Ravens are the best defense. I dont think youll get many arguments about who is first and last. The Patriots are probably the next worst defense. From there, teams two, three, and four could go in any order and your argument would likely be valid. The Texans have a tremendous pass-rush. The Colts are a team that you cannot run on. The Chargers continually find ways to get off the field. In this article, the Chargers find themselves ranked third. Heres what was said about them: I admit that before the season I had Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram penciled in to reek havoc on offenses and get a bakers dozen sacks each. Didnt happen, Ingram had 7 and Bosa 5.5 sacks. I will note that Bosa only played in 7 games. The Chargers are similar to the Texans in that they do lots of things well on defense but dont have that one thing they are outstanding at to hang their helmet on. I gave them the nod over the Texans here because of red zone numbers. Opponents only found the end-zone 52.1% of the time. (vs 72.5% for the Texans). I disagree with the Chargers not being outstanding at any one thing. They had a historical season at limiting tight end yardage. They also were incredible at all short passes. What that tells you is they are forcing teams to beat them in the toughest parts of the field, deeper and outside of the numbers. Thats a great game-plan and the reason that they are a top 10 unit. | https://chargerswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/02/how-does-the-chargers-defense-stack-up-against-the-rest-of-the-afc-playoff-teams/ |
Is Apple in any real trouble in 2019? | Apple stock finished 2018 down 8.5%. It was the second-worst performer of the F.A.A.N.G. names. The biggest story was iPhone sales whiffing in the fourth quarter of 2018: 46.9 million units sold versus an expected 48.4 million. In the same report, Apple announced it would no longer share unit sales in its earnings reports. It was not the brightest year in recent memory for the tech giant. On the other hand, this is Apple were talking about. The companys biggest flag-wavers dismiss with a laugh any notion of legitimate macro concerns for Apple moving forward. Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at an Apple event to announce new products on Oct. 30, 2018, at Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. (AP/Bebeto Matthews) More Dan Roberts: Yes, there are legitimate concerns about Apple Apple bulls cant keep repeating the same basic The king stay the king argument (see: HBOs The Wire) forever. That was the thinking many have applied to Facebook, and it expired in 2018. Not forever, and not for much longer if it keeps disappointing consumers. Here were the events (and non-events) in 2018 that add up to a strong bear case against Apple for 2019: In February, Apple began shipping the HomePod, its underwhelming late entry into the smart speaker market. Apple hasnt launched a completely new device since 2015, when it launched the first generation Apple Watch. Its future growth certainly wont be driven by wearables. (And dont say AirPod wireless headphones count on the level of its other iconic devices.) Instead, Apple bulls now focus on services. But this was once a company known for its splashy, sexy hardware launches. Its the iconic maker of the iMac, iPod, iPad and iPhone. The world is waiting for the next big Apple device and incremental updates (and price hikes) to the iPhone and iPad wont cut it. Apple is locked in an ugly legal battle with Qualcomm. Apple faces major headwinds in China amid President Donald Trumps trade war. Twenty percent of its revenue comes from China, which makes it more vulnerable to tariff trouble than its big tech peers. A slew of Apple component suppliers slashed forecasts in the fall amid disappointing iPhone sales: Lumentum, Qorvo, Japan Display, and AMS all slashed sales forecasts, a parade of bad indicators for Apple. Amid softening iPhone demand, bank after bank after bank downgraded Apple stock. Apple made matters worse in November by announcing it will no longer break out quarterly unit sales data for its devices, a move that Yahoo Finances Brian Sozzi correctly roasted. D.A. Davidson analyst Tom Forte called the decision a red flag on Yahoo Finances Midday Movers live show: Generally speaking, when a company isnt going to give you a data point, thats a bad data point. Look, of course Apple isnt going anywhere in 2019. Many of us are used to using Apple devices across the board (me included) and fear of weaning ourselves off the Apple ecosystem. But many consumers and investors now think its time to do just that. So, Apple is likely to face additional dark clouds in the next 12 months, unless it has a hardware trick up its sleeve. F.A.A.N.G. stocks (FB, AAPL, AMZN, NFLX, GOOGL) in 2018. More Brian Sozzi: Calm down, Apple will be just fine Never forget that Apple was the first trillion-dollar company on planet Earth. That shouldnt be taken lightly even as Apple finds its market cap hovering at $760 billion after 2018. Sure, Wall Street loves itself a great tech growth story. The argument could be made that Apple is now the complete opposite. But to fathom that Apple is barreling toward a dystopian future where Samsung steals all iPhone users and employees in Cupertino, Calif. forget how to innovate is foolish. Apple remains a beast of an entity. Apples stock will probably return to being a beast long before not. Heres a tidy list. Warren Buffett is the second-largest individual shareholder in Apple. Apple has about $250 billion in cash, and growing. The company has said its goal is to return all of its cash to shareholders via buybacks and dividends. Expect a juicy dividend hike in 2019. Apple has an insanely strong management team and board. Tim Cook was handpicked by CEO predecessor Steve Jobs. Former CEO of Burberry Angela Ahrendts jumped ship to lead Apples retail store network. Disney CEO Bob Iger sits on Apples board, as does former Vice President Al Gore. The installed base of iPhones is by some estimates currently 1.5 billion. Thats a huge captive audience to sell services (cloud, apps, etc.) to. Apple is investing billions of dollars to open a new Austin, Tex. headquarters and data centers across the country. Apple is building an army of the best minds in America. Apple has a strong, unmatched presence in schools globally. So the company is bringing people into its ecosystem early. Daniel Roberts is a senior writer at Yahoo Finance. Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large at Yahoo Finance. Follow @readDanwrite and @BrianSozzi. | https://news.yahoo.com/apple-real-trouble-2019-191347377.html |
What made Meyer great? Whats next? | PASADENA, Calif. Last summer at the Big Ten football media days, Urban Meyer reflected briefly on his strengths as a coach. One of the things I think I have a gift at is pushing constantly pushing people and giving feedback about how to be the best, Meyer said. The final push in Meyers brilliant seven-year career as Ohio States coach came in the Rose Bowl Tuesday when the Buckeyes held on for a 28-23 win over Washington. Ohio State won 86 of the 95 games it played during Meyers seven seasons. It won the 2014 national championship and was in the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2016. It might have been good enough to be in the playoff in 2015, 2017 and 2018 except for one inexplicable bad loss each of those seasons. It almost certainly would have been in the 2012 BCS championship game without NCAA sanctions and probably would have been in the BCS championship game in 2013 if it had beaten Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game. Its an unfair comparison because college football teams play more games now than they did 50 years ago or even 10 years ago, but Woody Hayes was in his 14th season when his win total reached the level Meyer did in seven seasons. Jim Tressel was in his ninth season when his win total matched Meyers. Some thoughts from some of his players: Everything he does is at the highest level. No slacking, said wide receiver Johnnie Dixon. Nothing he does, theres no slack. He goes as hard as he can. That was the kind of guy he was. He told you that at recruiting when he sat on your couch. Defensive lineman DreMont Jones said, Sometimes it can feel negative because hes getting on you, but its only to push the most out of you. Sometimes you question yourself as a player because of how much he gets on you, but he kind of breaks it down in a way to get you to understand that hes only doing it because he cares. Its because he doesnt let anything slip, safety Jordan Fuller said. Coming in as a freshman, you realize pretty quick that if you dont run through a line all the way its the biggest deal in the world. If you dont do a rep right, its the biggest thing in the world. The question now is where will Meyer take all that intensity, all that attacking a situation with the maximum level of focus and energy he can find all the time. He will get the title of assistant athletic director at Ohio State and plans to teach a class on leadership. He says he will still be around the football program, but not too much. Working as an analyst on college football games on television might be a possibility. He did that during his year away from coaching in 2011 after he left Florida and before he came to Ohio State. If he chooses to, he could be a world class fund raiser for Ohio State. He has already proved he is at an elite level as a recruiter of athletes. Meyer has talked about needing to find something new he loves to do. Health concerns about a cyst in his brain played a major role in Meyers decision to retire. Hes 54, so the question of if he will coach again is not going to go away. Staying retired is not unpredecedented. People speculated for years about Tressel returning to coaching somewhere. But he has settled comfortably into his role as president of Youngstown State University. The urge to coach probably will never leave Meyer. But that doesnt necessarily mean he will coach again. https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_LOGO.osu_.jpg By Jim Naveau [email protected] Reach Jim Naveau at 567-242-0414 or on Twitter at @Lima_Naveau Reach Jim Naveau at 567-242-0414 or on Twitter at @Lima_Naveau | https://www.wnewsj.com/sports/local-sports-1/92961/what-made-meyer-great-whats-next |
Did Motley Crue Just Tease a Super Bowl Surprise? | Motley Crue have some sort of trick up their sleeve for Super Bowl Sunday. A social media post from yesterday (Dec. 31) suggests that this unknown surprise -- perhaps related to the upcoming film adaptation of The Dirt -- will turn up on the same day as the NFL's championship game next month. They tweeted out three emojis followed by "02.03.19 #ad," which is the date of the Super Bowl. Later, they added, "Happy Crue Year too all our #Crueheads around the world. 2019 is going to EPIC!" The Dirt , which Vince Neil called " fuckin' awesome " after seeing the finished movie, will reportedly be released via Netflix on March 22. It stars rapper Machine Gun Kelly as Tommy Lee , Daniel Webber as Neil, Douglas Booth as Nikki Sixx and Iwan Rheon as Mick Mars . It is directed by Jeff Tremaine, who co-created MTV's Jackass franchise. The film also features four new songs by the band, the first music from Motley Crue since " All Bad Things " was released in 2015. While listening to the rough mixes, Sixx said they "feels real and raw. Everybody is playing like mad and the songs crush. Bob Rock brought the sounds. Plus we have a surprise that will confirm that were outta our minds. You can trust us these are ball-busters. Everybody can relax. Were soon gonna smack you upside the head with some killer new tracks. ... We know what were doing. | http://wour.com/motley-crue-super-bowl-ad/ |
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